What is this rash? Pic

[gertrudemortimer]

For the love of god I turned 30 last week and my body is broken. Incase any of this is relevant I'll put down each ailment if someone has a magic pill I can take to fix it all.

Beginning with December, dodgy long heavy periods, pain during sex, gynae said I had a bulky uterus, stomach hard and uncomfortable, very bad smell from inside vagina mainly during periods and after but still a smell every day that is 'off'. Sti tests negative had ultrasound scan last week, still waiting to find out what is what with that.

Last week, small rash started on bum thought I'd scratched it somehow, gradually the rash has spread to both bum cheeks and my thighs. Feels like little raised pin pricks at first but then they get bigger and join up. Sore and itchy at the same time, none have popped or had anything come out. Never had a rash like it.

Few days after the rash I notice I have very strong smelling urine did a urine dip that I had at home it was positive for nitrites and protein but not leukocytes. Gp questionnaire to get AB's was rejected because my only symptoms is the smell and the amount of urine is quite a lot more than usual but no pain or burning etc. HELP. I'm taking in urine samples tomorrow (how small are the tubes now!?) but just so curious about this rash too if anyones had anything similar

Interesting, I've had problems with B12, D, Ferritin and Folate over the years and the dr always just asks if I'm vegan, which I'm not. Also had high MCV.

I too have a similar rash but not as bad, I've had one on my abdomen for the past 12 years that comes and goes, and can spread to my legs and back and chest if I scratch it too much. Also have gut problems.

9 years ago I started with neurological problems which have had no clear cause after a lot of investigations and MRI scans.

I've had a test for coeliacs but it came back negative. I too feel like surely I would be more ill if I had it this long?

@addler that's awful! Have you looked at folate in regards to neurological problems? I've only paid attention to my symptoms but I swear I've seen something about it. I hope you get some answers soon.

I was just reading about coeliac strangely enough as I have non coeliac gluten sensitivity & wanted to read up more. It seems there are different grades and types of coeliac. Depends on what component of gluten you are intolerant to. I'll see if I can find it again.

The celiac blood test is back and it's negative! I'm so relieved just for the sake of my future dreams of working in kitchens again.

Now it all rests on the biopsy results, I'm not confident it will offer an explanation.

Progress I suppose!

Relieved for you, although I hate to be the one to point out that the test isn't always reliable and it sometimes takes an endoscopy to diagnose Coeliacs. The biopsy will hopefully give them an answer though!

Hi all not much to update really. No results back yet and the derm is on holiday.

I had the worst stomach pain I've ever had in my life (and I've been through contractions!) followed by projectile vomiting the pain lasted about an hour I nearly went to a&e but I had my son with me. Food just isn't staying in, if I eat small amounts it's okay but if I get full that's it, diarrhoea or vomit comes 5-6 hours later and it just sits on my stomach until that happens. I've been having joint pains in my wrists and thumbs, I woke up one morning and it was like I'd broken my thumb in my sleep it gradually improved through out the day. My chest has been flushed for several days now I can write my name on it! Also cheeks flushing that my mum noticed on Friday.

Oh goodness OP do you think this is linked to the rash?
I can't believe all of this is happening to you all of a sudden, it's must be so worrying!
What did a and e do?

@Cupofteaonesugar yeah I absolutely do think it's all connected. I'm wondering if I'm in the right department perhaps I need to be referred somewhere else. Last night I was in bits about it all but once the stomach pain stopped I calmed down.

I didn't go to a&e my son was asleep it was 12 at night I just cried and rang my mum! It went after about an hour and I haven't had the pains since I think my stomach just doesn't want food in it so it was kicking off big time.

Ah bless you! You are having a rough time.

It would make sense if it was connected wouldn't it as I remember your posting about significant a bad tummy previously!
Have you been checked for chrones? My friend has chromes and had all sorts of weird and wonderful symptoms. She also didn't get her symptoms/diagnosis until she was in her 20s!
Do you have any private medical care through work to help with referrals etc?

This just must be torture for you :( has the rash calmed down at all?

Have you ever had gallstones?

I see you've tested negative for coeliac disease but it might be worth giving up gluten and seeing if that makes a difference. The small blister you have down your arms looks identical to blisters I get when I eat gluten (I get them on my fingers, toes and up my arms). I'm negative for coeliac but gluten makes me feel like shit and my entire body gets itchy, with these fluid filled blisters in specific places.

Also your ferritin is within the clinical range but still very low and likely making you feel awful. Are you taking iron supplements? I'd aim to get it to at least 50.

It looks very similar to a vasculitis rash - particularly CPan but I'm assuming when you had bloods your inflammatory markers were normal? I'd ask for a rheum referral to rule out anything autoimmune

I'm thinking IBD. You should ask for a fecal calprotectin test.

@picklemewalnuts I know! I'm fed up of complaining I've tried to stop talking about it all as I'm sure I'm driving everyone around me mad.

@Cupofteaonesugar hey my brother has that too. I've booked a gp appt for 10:30 so I'm hoping they'll have an idea about what to do and where to refer me, I'm terrified they'll say to wait for the biopsy results as I feel like I've been waiting forever and what if they don't have an answer? I'd understand if they did say that though, if the stomach pains weren't as painful I'd wait it out.

@meandmyadhd no I haven't, what do they feel like?

@Benedictcucumber I'm hoping the biopsy will rule that in or out once and for all! I'll ask the gp about the blood results that are within range but on the low end.

@TheStarsDontShine it does doesn't it but I'm pretty sure the hospital did blood tests for the vascular stuff. It was a non blanching rash, what does that mean in terms of rashes? I'll have to obtain the tests they've done so I know where to look and what to rule out.

@MistyRock yeah they can cause all kinds of symptoms, hopefully the gp will have an understanding about them. My brother was diagnosed with crohns at 13, can it run in families?

I guess what I mean is that a person can have an intolerance or adverse reaction to gluten without having coeliac disease. So if the biopsy is negative and you still don't have answers, I would consider excluding gluten from your diet to see if it makes a difference.

If your GP is anything like mine, they won't be concerned at all about the iron levels as they're within clinical range. Mine were similar to yours so I did some reading around it and saw that it's recommended to get it above 50 to feel normal. There's also evidence that levels below 30 can inhibit ovulation and when I got mine above that level I conceived naturally after years of trying.

@gertrudemortimer oh bless you try and put emphasis on your other symptoms as well because the doctors need to take them into consideration and investigate them too!
How log. For your biopsy :(

Echoing what @Cupofteaonesugar said about Crohn’s. A tendency to IBD can run in some families ( DH has Crohn’s and his father and brother have UC). They haven’t had skin symptoms but apparently 4 in 10 people with Crohn’s do, including a vasculitis rash.

dermnetnz.org/topics/crohn-skin-disease

I'd ask the GP/derm if your IgA was checked with the ttg test for coeliac.

People with IgA deficiency will have a false negative result when tested for IgA antibody, which may lead to a missed diagnosis of coeliac disease.

IgA deficiency can be genetic, as with coeliac disease. DD has coeliac and my sister has UC, and the family as a whole have lots of autoimmune issues.

I'm not sure that any other tests would show CPan other than CRP (inflammatory test) it's normally diagnosed by a rheum from symptoms. I think you also need to have a ct/ultrasound to see what's going on with your pain

@gertrudemortimer i have crohn's, no one else in my family does but my auntie died of mega colan! I've had erythema nodosum about 4 times, lumps on my shins that are red and tender, I've also had terrible dry sore skin under and on my eyelids (all pre diagnosis), I also get very achey and severely tired. To be honest the bowels are the least annoying part. I only got diagnosed as I was having bowel issues every month, where I'd get severe cramping all night until I finally managed to do a bowel movement or be sick. That was 8 years ago. What really started it all off was becoming a parent, working and knackering my body out. Pre child I just got the odd niggle every few years. 🙄

Omg, how can I forget the ulcers ony tongue. F**king hell, the worst pain of my life was the huge one on the side of my tongue. Every time I ate I felt like I'd have a heart attack due to the pain. I never ever want to go though that again. I have a stash of ulcer treatment in my drawer.

Hey so I've been referred to gastro and I've to do two stool samples one is that calprotectin test and another it to test for celiacs or something. She basically said the same as you lot that the celiacs blood test isn't reliable if you have a negative result. She's given me some medicine for my stomach and more steroid cream. I've eaten a breakfast sandwich and got some loaf tin liners, I had no idea what else to buy to 'collect' hahaha. I won't be able to look at them the same way again.

I'm glad that you are doing the stool tests. Hopefully you'll have answers soon. 😊