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Questions About A Rash

jambo372

Graduate Poster
J
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
1,200
A close relation of mine has recently developed a rash.

Her whole body is constantly itching - her back, chest, neck, arse, legs, behind her ears, arms & even in between her fingers.
When it is scratched it goes red and inflamed and goes lumpy. Her lips are swollen and her eyelids are red.

She went to the doctor this morning and showed him the rash. She had been up all night scratching it. She took a bath with bicarbonate of soda and felt better until she came out of it. The doctor never prescribed anything, he just told her to keep using baths with sodium bicarbonate and put on some calamine lotion as it was an allergy.

It got worse later on and she phoned NHS24 and they said it was an alergy and to go to a chemist and ask for Chlorpheniramine tablets and Sodium Cromoglycate eye drops. They said to phone back later or go to hospital if it got any worse.

She is now taking the medication and feels a good bit better but still has quite a bad itch. The thing is that we can't think of anything new that could have caused it.

What allergens ( or anything else ) could cause this ?
 
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a medico of any sort, and asking for medical advice on the internet is not recommended. See your doctor instead.



What has she eaten recently? Has she been gardening? Has she bought a new soap or soap-powder? New make-up?
 
Disclaimer: IANA doctor.

Jeepers, Jambo, there are--literally--a million and one things that could have caused her rash. Allergies are only the most obvious. Whole-body rashes are also a symptom of illnesses as disparate as lupus, eczema, body lice, and the ever-popular strep infection, which is responsible for things like scarlet fever.

This website lists 105 possible causes for rashes.

She needs a thorough workup by an internist to even begin to narrow it down. OTC antihistamines are fine as a temporary stopgap, but since some allergies can be life-threatening--such as if she's having hives as an allergic reaction to some penicillin she just took--she needs to be under a doctor's care, toot sweet.

We can't help you here, IOW. Do her a favor and get her to a doctor, quit futzing around with OTC meds.
 
"Allergic" type rashes are usually the result of exposure to environmental triggers, drug medication, and some infections.
The rash you describe sounds like the mucosal surfaces are involved (eyes, mouth, ano-genital area). This may be a Stevens-Johnsons syndrome.
Anyways, it could be serious and seeing a doctor is a good idea - as your friend did. But if it doesn't settle, get back for a review.
 
I am not a doctor.
If it was limited to covered areas then something like washing powder might be possible but the whole body like that suggests that something else is going on. Having experienced that in my teenage years you should really work with a doctor. I passed out a few times with pepiaptic shock with very little warning.
 
J- could the recent (occasional) hot weather be implicated?
I'm thinking some environmental feature (say pollen) causing a heightened sensitrivity? Wasn't around hogweed was she? Cutting brush or anything?

I know I had a day in the sun last week and managed to get burned, been peeling and scratching since. Combine that with hayfever and it sounds a lot like what you describe.
 
jambo372 said:
A close relation of mine has recently developed a rash.

Her whole body is constantly itching - her back, chest, neck, arse, legs, behind her ears, arms & even in between her fingers.
When it is scratched it goes red and inflamed and goes lumpy. Her lips are swollen and her eyelids are red.

She went to the doctor this morning and showed him the rash. She had been up all night scratching it. She took a bath with bicarbonate of soda and felt better until she came out of it. The doctor never prescribed anything, he just told her to keep using baths with sodium bicarbonate and put on some calamine lotion as it was an allergy.

It got worse later on and she phoned NHS24 and they said it was an alergy and to go to a chemist and ask for Chlorpheniramine tablets and Sodium Cromoglycate eye drops. They said to phone back later or go to hospital if it got any worse.

She is now taking the medication and feels a good bit better but still has quite a bad itch. The thing is that we can't think of anything new that could have caused it.

What allergens ( or anything else ) could cause this ?
Click to expand...
Why don't you you just take her down to that "Alternative" store that "cured" your eczema in a month with Aloe drinks?

You know, that eczema you had for years and never knew what caused it?

Who cares what allergens caused this - you've got this great medical source that solved everything that "modern" science couldn't in years of treatment.


feh...
 
Having read some of your recent posts I'd be concerned that it might be a reaction to drinking the "amber nectar".

You know what I mean! Just pull the handle and flush the stuff away :)
 
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