Make up your damn mind

[Micer]

...cause I just want to stop itching at this point.

Finally had my son back on 8/7/11, all healthy even after some complications that left us having to have a emergency c-section, settled back in from the hospital and noticed that I was getting a rash on my thighs. I honestly thought it was from sleeping on my sides for so long, especially in the hospital.

Than it starting itching. It itches during the day, it itches during the night. Than it started to hive up. And spread. Moved from my thighs to my legs, from my legs to my feet, from my feet to my hands, up my arms... I freaked out, went to a clinic. Doc thought I had scabies, didn't do a scraping, just looked with the little light magnifier thing they use to check out ears and nose, so put me on antibiotics, steroids and permethrin cream. Didn't help. Went back, put me on sulphameth, more steroids and suggested I go see a dermatologist cause he thinks it looks more and more like dermatitis as opposed to scabies.

Still itching.

So I go to the dermatologist, they say they see burrows, but doubt it's scabies, because hubby doesn't have it, and the baby doesn't have it. They question me on my stress levels, if I'm getting help with the baby, and take a chunk of skin under my arm. They call me back, no, not scabies, it's chronic eczema caused by stress. So now it's take doxepin and steroids... but I'm still itching. And it's spread, now it's pretty much all over me, the hives are coming back even with the steroid cream, and I still can't stop itching, it turns into battle of 'hold baby vs scratch myself' sometimes, and at night time it's a feat not to tear myself into shreds.

So would love advice, should I go back to the dermatologist because it's looking worse and has spread? Is there anything at all that would stop the itching? I've pretty much all but have given up on wearing anything that's close to the skin, I'm using cortozone and anti-itch/moisturizing lotion, tepid showers, using aveeno bath wash since it has no perfumes, and oatmeal baths are out of the question, it aggravated the itching. Just afraid they're going to turn around and say its something else and I'll still keep itching while I throw money at them until they can make up their minds... just can't friggen win.

[scruff]

So would love advice, should I go back to the dermatologist because it's looking worse and has spread?

I would go back to a doctor if anything got worse.

Also, there might be some online support groups for eczema/new mothers with some suggestions of what they find helpful?

Good luck, I hope it wears off soon!

[patiokitty]

Are you taking allergy meds as well? If you're getting hives it sounds like there are contact allergies being triggered too.

If you're using anything different to wash the baby's clothes (like Ivory Snow - it triggered massive skin issues for me when I used it when my son was a baby) you may need to try something different.

I have had eczema for most of my life and stress does not help at all. Oddly enough, I have never taken anything orally for it - I use a steroidal cream when I break out. When that doesn't help, and this is going to sound weird, I put alcohol-based hand sanitizer on the patches. Atopic eczema may look like dry flakes of skin that are incredibly itchy, but for the most part that is just the dead skin pushed out of the way by what is going on underneath - I find the alcohol in those hand sanitizers dries out the ooze. No, it isn't something I've seen recommended by a professional but it was something I came to after realizing that it's sort of silly to treat something that is already oozing and wet-ish with more damp creams. It's been about six years since I first tried the hand-sanitizer route and I've had a lot less issues with my eczema.

Definitely look at getting a skin allergy test if you can, especially in light of those hives. Try different detergents, body products, soaps, you name it - your body chemistry may be going haywire and aggravating the eczema.

[Micer]

No, no allergy meds (never been allergic to anything before) but planning to go get the dye free/perfume free detergent, kiddo gets his clothes washed separate from ours, but maybe I'll try something other than the Dreft for his stuff too. Also going to try the baby oil immediately after a shower routine, maybe I'm just drying myself off too well.

I'm just praying it doesn't turn out to be something like 'you're now suddenly allergic to the carpet' because we can't move. But there's no oozing, and it's not wet, it's just red bumps/rashes/patches of what look to be hive like rashes. I'm planning to call the dermatologist tomorrow to set up another appointment, since I just found the large patch thing that was on my back is also now showing up on my legs, I'll bring up the allergy test and see if they can help me out on that.

Thanks =)

[Imprl59]

I can't imagine how horrible this would be all by itself, much less with a new baby too. Sorry I don't have any suggestions except to get back to the Dr. as fast as you can. I hope they get you fixed up soon!

[patiokitty]

Thank goodness for no oozing! I've always found that the grossest part of my bad outbreaks because it affects my hands - nobody wants to see that, ever. And it's painful when it happens.

Try letting yourself airdry after a shower after making sure to get any nooks and crannies that don't have easy access to the air. Pat yourself dry rather than rub because that can irritate tender skin. One of my all-time favourite towels was actually cut down from a thick flannel bedsheet and I'm contemplating making another one to replace it.

I have to be very careful with soaps too - glycerine soap is generally much better for me than pretty much anything else. Even cheap glycerine soaps found in discount stores do pretty good. If I have to use a bar of, say, Zest or Ivory I am pretty much guaranteed to have a flare up or at least some irritation. I have tried goat's milk soaps and those are okay but I can't use them for long periods, sadly.

And sanitary napkins can be a trigger too - if it has a 'dry weave' cover on it I can't use it. That is NOT a place you want to have an outbreak in...ouchie ouchie ouchie!

Hopefully whatever is triggering you isn't anything major and can be easily dealt with :) Mention the possibility of psoriasis too - if I'm not mistaken, that requires different creams than eczema does. Still not a fun thing to deal with but I don't have any personal experience with that. I think the eczema is enough to deal with lol

[Sapphire Silk]

Definitely follow up with your doc.

You might consider a second opinion, simply because Dermatology is one of those specialties that is really difficult to get the right diagnosis sometimes. A fresh pair of eyes might be helpful.

[Seshat]

It doesn't sound like my husband's psoriasis, but for all I know there's multiple sorts.

Pine tar soap or body wash can do wonders for the itchiness symptom: it doesn't cure the problem, but it can make it more bearable while you're getting a diagnosis. Calamine lotion is, of course, a classic anti-itch treatment. Drop in to your pharmacist for symptom management: there's a range of anti-itch stuff out there.

But for the actual diagnosis, you'll need a dermatologist. And I agree with Panacea, it wouldn't hurt (well, it might hurt your wallet) to get an opinion from a second dermatologist.
I strongly recommend asking for path tests of scrapings, unless they're totally certain that that wouldn't be helpful. Finding out what grows in the petri dish is likely to be a big help.

[Micer]

Set up an appointment for tomorrow, sadly they don't do allergy tests, but if this keeps up, I probably will try another dermatologist. They're certainly going to see me at my worse if this doesn't clear up, I'm lumped/hived on my shoulders, waist, thighs, ankles and my knees look horrible and I feel like I want to take my damn skin off in handfuls even with the cortozone. I'll keep that in mind, Seshat, I'd like to friggen know for certain that it is one thing and not another.

[AccountingDrone]

Are you oozy at all? Hubby has poison ivy allergy issues [I swear the man can look at a picture online and get poison ivy] and when he needs to dry up the oozies and reduce the hives he uses dome-boro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burow%27s_solution) in solution as a wet compress. It works better than calamine lotion [it doesnt embed orangypeach stuff in the scabs.]

No idea why it works, but it does. It can't hurt to ask your dermatologist about it.

[Micer]

Nope, everything on my arms and legs is dry - as in no oozing/weeping, certainly bleeding when I scratch too hard, but the only one I had with weeping was one that looked like a little blister on the side of my hand, all the other hives/bumps on me that've popped up stayed dry. I was using witch hazel for a while when I thought it was scabies, perhaps that dried it out and prevented any and all oozing? Otherwise all the new stuff is still dry red bumps and raised splotches.

[AccountingDrone]

Nope, everything on my arms and legs is dry - as in no oozing/weeping, certainly bleeding when I scratch too hard, but the only one I had with weeping was one that looked like a little blister on the side of my hand, all the other hives/bumps on me that've popped up stayed dry. I was using witch hazel for a while when I thought it was scabies, perhaps that dried it out and prevented any and all oozing? Otherwise all the new stuff is still dry red bumps and raised splotches.

Hm.

I know that since my hysterectomy I suffer serious dry skin, keratosis pilaris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris) Could it possibly be something like this, just aggravated on top of the regular bumps? [I do an olive oil salt scrub every couple of weeks, it seems to help.]

Try an olive oil salt scrub gently? Might be comforting at least, and nothing chemically harsh to do damage.

[scruff]

Hmm. I suggest double-checking the small-print on the medicine, I had suspected scabies years ago (turned out it wasn't, but it never got properly diagnosed), and found the medicine prescribed made things worse. Turned out, when I re-read the info leaflet with the medicine, that it was possible to be allergic to it, with symptoms including itching and rashes. (everything sorted itself out after a few days, fortunatly.)

[Micer]

I know the permethrin cream can cause an allergic reaction (I mean, hell, it's a friggen pesticide) but I have no idea if it could be causing this reaction or if it is eczema, suppose it's another thing to bring up tomorrow.

[rose_metal_nz]

First; congrats on bubs :)
Secondly - don't know if it's helpful, but I got what sounds like the exact same reaction from an antibiotic; seemed like an external thing (I get allergies/dermatitis too) from the symptoms, but it was the antibiotics they'd put me on for the kidney infection I'd had. They gave me a shot of something & it went away :confused: :confused:
*Note: I'd had it for days/weeks at that point
Hope this helps at all...

[pitmonkey]

Have you been checked for a fungel infection?

[Micer]

Update: They hemmed, hawed, tsked over my back, gave me a pat (literally, got a pat on the shoulder), noticed my blood pressure was extremely high, looked back at the biopsy results and they switched it from being eczema to some form of psoriasis. So off the cream (not that I had any left) and now on a clobetasol prop foam twice daily. Keep your fingers crossed!

Also thankfully they gave the go ahead on halving my dose of doxepin - was having some very disturbing dreams from it.

[Micer]

Have you been checked for a fungel infection?

And no, though I do find it kinda amusing that one of the few things that curbs my itching is tea tree oil (we're using it for kiddo's mild case cradle cap)

[wheeitsme]

Huh. That kind of itchy break-out is how I found out I had become allergic to sulfa drugs.

[Primer]

The only 2 things that ever helped me with itching are Benadryl (I take generic OTC) and hydroxizine, which is Rx. I have guttate psoriasis (looks like polka-dots) which thankfully has been in remission for about 10 years. But after the past 5 months, I'll be really surprised if I don't have a major outbreak before the first of the year. Stress is a really BAD trigger.

[zzapp the witch]

Was gonna type out a big long list of stuff you can do, first and foremost being to take apple cider vinegar baths, and moisturize with tea tree oil mixed with sunflower oil, but I found this: http://www.optiderma.com/en/skin-disorders/skin-disorders-a-z/urticaria-remedies.html

Going to a tanning bed for some light treatment helps, or lay in the sun. I went over my diet, like that site says to, and the suggestion was made by my grandmother to drink one beer a day (which I didn't do, I hate beer and I was breastfeeding, my OB said it would be ok to drink one right after I fed the baby cause I would metabolize it all, but that it would make my milk taste funny to the baby). My grandma SWORE by the whole beer thing to get rid of pregnancy hives. You'd just have to time it well, like for when the baby slept the longest during the course of the day.

Oh, and walking around the house naked, air-drying, with the windows open feels AWESOME.

Also, stop using liquid softener if you use any.

[Micer]

Thanks for the list, I'll check some of those suggestions out, just restocked my tea tree oil, though as much as I would like to lay in the sun, I can't, I burn way too fast and last time I tried and got a mild one even with the sunscreen (when I thought it was scabies) it aggravated the itching beyond belief.

Ran out of my prescription yesterday and had to wait on the refill until today, last night was hell, did try the clothes with the hypoallergenic detergent (never been a softener user, just started recently to throw borax into the wash), seemed to work a little bit since the only part that was super itchy last night was the palms of my hands, and my ankles, could ignore the itching on my legs. Can't really do the naked with the windows open either, apartment complex and very sure the neighbors would be a little upset. >_> But think I will continue doing the pantless/wearing my pool wraps as a skirt routine.

[scruff]

[QUOTE=Micer;973147] Can't really do the naked with the windows open either, apartment complex and very sure the neighbors would be a little upset. /[QUOTE]

thick net curtains. lets the light in but protects your modesty. :)

[Micer]

Well, can't say its been an improvement, because seriously, it hasn't been. On my second refill of the medication, it burns when I put it on, the itching isn't stopping, and I just finished crying my eyes out because of the pain of putting it on. And now, new symptom, I have small blisters/small hives (they're not red) popping up on the palms of my hands and the sides of my feet and crawling up my fingers.

All the clothes are cleaned in the hypoallergenic detergent, using glycerine soap, no scrubbies in fear that hubby might be putting his soap on it and that its irritating things,the tea tree oil works off and on, and all I can think of doing now is hiding in our bedroom, naked and never sitting or laying down again.

I'm in hell. Going back to the doctor, asking to be put back on steroid pills since that seemed to be the only thing the hives responded to, and asking if I should go see an allergist, though the folks I've talked to have made it sound like that even if it's a reaction to the tape they used on my C-section, or the epidural, I might never know because my body is just in a never ending I hate myself loop and I just gotta ride it out til it can figure out how to calm down. All I know is I'd like to spend a day where I'm not ripping myself ragged and not leaving my clothes to soak to get the blood out. -_-

Also, on my third day of taking Claritin with no real response in the itching.

[ralerin]

Aloe vera gel. Currently applying it to a fungal infection and it itched for several hours but it's helping since I itch much less.

[crazyofficeclerk]

This may sound a little strange, but what you have sounds a little like what I had when I mysteriously got Fifth's Disease. Even though most adults don't get the rash... I did. All over my body. I was miserable. Very little helped. The doctor looked at me like I was from another planet. The only thing that gave me relief was a version of Eucerin lotion. It was a spray. I could spray it on my skin and didn't have to rub it in and that help by not touching it. Of course they stopped selling it in my area. I'm not sure it was the lotion itself of the spray part that helped the most.

[Sapphire Silk]

This is coming rather late, but a thought occured to me:

Micer, did your OB give you Duramorph in your epidural? It is notorious for causing hives and itching.

If he did it should have metabolized out of your system by now, so it seems far fetched. But it's all I can think of.

[Micer]

I really don't know what they gave me epidural wise, but I do know this started when I got out of the hospital, so got a starting point there, otherwise they looked at me, looked at the fact that I had a panic attack last night where my heart was going nuts and I was literally crying for no reason. Wasn't sad, wasn't upset, wasn't sobbing, just tears pouring out of my damn eyes while I was calm and trying to nap with the little guy. I did it again at their office, was talking fine one second and the next, here come the waterworks without any warning.

They want me to go back to my OB and see if maybe I have post postpartum depression and if it has a hand in the fact that the hives haven't responded to anything, otherwise staying on the clobetasol, back on the steroid cream for the raised patches, and switching to Allegra allergy medication wise. That and got a half dose shot of steroid and benydryl to try to calm things down for today (still itching, trying to fight it)

So get to do that tomorrow -_- Wooo.

[bainsidhe]

I hope they can find something that works for you, hives are hell. Earlier in the year I had a rash that lasted for a good two months. It spread over various parts of my person, but centered on my lower right leg. I finally got rid of all but the leg rash before I broke down and went to the doctor. The doc determined it to be a type of contact dermititus. He gave me a cream that helped a little and the rash eventually went away. What helped the most was...just not itching. I know that sounds terrible and it's frankly impossible when you itch just so bad. But clawing at my person just aggravated the hives. I had to force myself not to itch and the rash eventually went away.

It sounds painful, I wish you the best and hope you get rid of this soon. :(

[Micer]

So the OB didn't have any idea what was going on either, if I was pregnant and hivey/rashy, she'd know what was going on, so woooo.... $88 friggen bucks down the drain, anyhow, they put me on Lexapro (anti-depressant/anti-anxiety med) and suggested I go to a therapist.

Not too thrilled about the therapy thing, but I'm willing to give it a try. Sadly, they're closed til next monday, so that leg of this adventure is gonna wait until they return my call.

Anyhow, still itchy here and there and learned fairly fast that I want to take this medication closer to bedtime... thankfully the little guy took a long enough nap for me to conk out this afternoon myself, but I think I'd rather sleep through the nausea.

And if anything could get any worse, hubby was working on a new model, dropped something and lo and behold, the bats in our apartment have yet again given us the gift of bedbugs like they did in our last apartment. Least I know these aren't bedbug bites, we had the bed gone over with a fine tooth comb and sealed up when we were thinking this was fleas -> bedbugs -> scabies, but for fracks sake - throw us a bone here life!

Management is reeeeeally going to love it when I go into the office tomorrow with the happy little fellow for show and tell, I'm just hoping this is an unlucky fellow that fell through the vents and haven't attempted to establish themselves.

Seriously, which deity did I piss off?

[kpzra]

You've done most anything I would suggest, but I do know it's kinda common to have a postpartum itch/rash from the hormone changes along with you may have had a reaction to something they gave you. I had a mild bit of it, but we knew it was a reaction to the antibiotics they gave me with my c-section. Sorry, i know it sucks. :(

[Teefies2]

Wait, you have bats in your apartment on a regular basis????? And a newborn?

I'd be calling whoever regulates Landlord-Tenant law, as well as the Health dept. Hope you feel better soon :(

[Micer]

Yep, they're pretty much in all the unit buildings, they come out from holes between the roof and wall in the evenings and pretty much swoop around, but otherwise, if you live on one of the end units, it also means you can knock on your walls and hear squeaking and rustling.

And when it gets colder, a chance of the bedbugs that infest them to come along looking to infest you. Anyhow, the owners have been swearing up and down that they're getting someone to 'evict' the bats, but had to wait until their mating/baby bats are now grown up bats season was passed because they're protected. ...yay Florida.

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/4511/batn.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/847/batn.jpg/)

That's one of the little guys that got in through the access hole to the dishwasher (boarded up now, they've also gotten in through the vent in the kitchen - which is now chicken-wired up)

[patiokitty]

I almost wonder if your skin issue isn't being aggravated by the bats...I know if it were me I'd be doing my level best to find another place to live, especially with a newborn. And knowing that they bring along bedbugs would leave me screaming to get them the hell out of there.

You shouldn't have to board up holes or use chicken wire to keep the things out of your home - the landlords should get on the ball and get rid of the damn things, and then eliminate any holes from the outside that the bats can get into. And fumigate, fumigate, fumigate! Call whoever you have to in terms of government agencies because it is not fit that you have to live like this!

[Shalom]

First thing I would have tried would have been an oral antihistamine. Atarax (hydroxyzine) is kind of the gold standard for hives, but you need a prescription for it; nearest thing to that OTC is Zyrtec (cetirizine). If the Claritin's not cutting it, try the Zyrtec. Even Benadryl is useful if you can't find the others, but only by mouth: do not use the topical Benadryl, because it's a contact sensitizer (chemically related to the fabric softeners, as it happens) and can actually cause a rash in some cases.

(I've heard claims that at the recommended dosage, Claritin isn't much use... but at the dosage where it's effective, it's no longer non-drowsy, which was the main marketing point for it in the first place.)

Also, any time I hear of someone taking sulfonamides (Bactrim/Septra is the most common one nowadays) who breaks out in a rash, I tell them to stop taking that immediately, as that's a common drug allergy. Can also cause hypersensitivity to sunlight, so it might not be a good idea to sunbathe either. Are you still taking antibiotics?

[Micer]

Nope, off of the antibiotics for a couple of weeks now and been off of the doxepin since last week, the claratin wasn't working, but the dermatologist suggested allegra, which seems to be working a bit already, the itching is now down to quick urge spurts here and there (just spent three hours at the department of health for wic and only scratched myself once during that time), I'm still itching like mad when I get up in the morning, but nice to have some relief during the day already.

And otherwise still limiting my sun exposure, going for short walks in the sun just for the sake of different enviroment, but not swimming or laying out, more so since sweating seems to aggravate things as much as getting a sunburn did.

And as an update, talked to management, apparently our previous complaint about the bats was lost, but they're going to call the 'critter catchers' to come back (they just evicted a colony of bats from another unit) and do ours, followed with a fumigation.

[Micer]

So I'm starting to think it's not detergent, it's not food, it's not - well, completely stress (I know the hives stress me out, which I suppose makes more hives) I'm starting to think it's certain fabrics and synthetics that are setting off the hives on my hands and feet. I lay down on my comforter (polyester and poly-something filler) and the backs of my feet go nuts, sheet (microfiber polyester-something) everything goes nuts, I wear my sandals, tops of my feet go nuts. That's all I can come up with, if it's polyester or something like a pad or a diaper, it's hive time, if it's cotton, nothing. I pretty much just spent last night sleeping on a flannel blanket atop the bed and woke up fine, save for some pressure itches.

So guess I invest in some socks and cotton gloves for now -_-

[Micer]

Thought I'd throw in an update.
Still no idea what caused it, but, things are healing. I still have patches of dry skin on my hands, but considering how many of those little blisters there were, I can only imagine how much of my skin I need to shed before those will be normal again. My heels are a nightmare since it looks like the backs of my feet want to peel off all the skin on it. Otherwise for now, controlling the dryness with baby oil gel that has aloe in it. Still can't touch polyester without getting the urge to itch myself like crazy, least all the cotton clothes have helped out, hoping someday I can wear jeans again.

Still on the lexapro, saw the therapist who thinks that the majority of it has been stress, still on the fence on continuing to see her, I have unrelated issues that should have been addressed with therapy when I was a kid, and it might help with my habit of beating myself up mentally when things go wrong.

Still have the bats, management swears they're taking bids, I'm expecting them to hem and haw until the next breeding season to say 'There's nothing we can do, they're protected again!'

But things are getting better. I got this little guy =)

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/2849/p1130952q.jpg

Thanks again for all your help, advice and support, guys, its appreciated!

[Sapphire Silk]

Squee! OMG, he is soooo cute! :D

[Seshat]

Contact the tenants' rights association wherever you are, and get them to help you force management to evict the current crop of critters, and place proper gridding/netting/whatever where it's needed to prevent future intrusions.

At least in Australia, if it's a health or safety issue and the landlord isn't doing it within a reasonable time frame, the tenant may do something themselves (with a professional, and appropriate receipts, etc) and send in a duplicate of the receipt instead of their rent.
This, however, MUST be done only under certain conditions: I would strongly advise that if you're thinking of going that route, you check with the tenants' rights association; whatever it is where you are.

(In Australian states, each state has a rental properties board that covers both landlord and tenant rights: this board is who I would consult. I'd like to assume there's a similar agency wherever you are.)

[Peppergirl]

Hi Guys,

First off, Micer - we are very glad you're feeling better.

Secondly, I'm afraid we're going to have to close the thread. It was created near the time we made the rule about not seeking medical advice and we missed it. Our apologies for that.

Again, it's great you're doing well and congrats on the gorgeous baby!