Medical doctor advice? Needed asap.

[Taboo]

I'm aware that asking for it on the internet is not such a great idea but I know we have a few people here who might have a recommendation. Not looking for a diagnosis, just advice on who to see about this.

I've suddenly started having some severe rash problems - has abruptly spread to cover about 75% of my body, very itchy and painful, and is also on my feet making it painful to wear shoes. I'm not sure whether it would be most appropriate to see a general doctor, a dermatologist, or an allergist. I'm leaving Tuesday afternoon and heading out of state for three weeks and don't have any regular doctors here. I live in NYC so someone may or may not be able to see me quickly enough. I'm going to see the general school doctor Monday if I can but who else should I try to call for an emergency appointment?

I have a history of eczema but am not sure this is eczema, my last meds expired and I don't have any more refills so I can't just try that and see. Eczema feels similar but the skin usually thickens and this is not doing that. Was thinking allergies but I haven't changed soaps, detergent etc recently and haven't had any new foods. So would a dermatologist be my best bet? (I used to see an allergist for the eczema.)

[Mikkel]

The safe bet is the GP, he can steer you to the appropriate specialist.

[r2cagle]

If you're seeing the GP, they can probably give you the meds to intervene, but eventually you'll want to see the dermatologist.

I also battle eczema and have had a bizarre rash that 'looks' like eczema, but it is not responding to the creams/lotions/medicine. The only thing that has been working is swabbing hydrogen peroxide on it.

[KiaKat]

Go to a GP NOW.

You could have something illness-related, like Shingles or Foot, Hand, & Mouth. Eczema, although presumed to be auto-immune, will not present suddenly, nor in such a widespread way. Even Psoriasis won't present so quickly.

You could be having an allergic reaction to vermin in your building. In NY, in this weather, it's entirely within the realm of possibility.

It could be heat rash. Again, a GP will be your best bet.

In any case, GO. NOW. And I wouldn't trust a school doc unless you're at NYU or Columbia and they're part of the med school.

[Exaspera]

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV. But I recommend the above advice. Go to a Doc-In-The-Box if necessary.

[Taboo]

Go to a GP NOW.

I'm going to try and trust the school doc tomorrow, solely because it's someone who only comes in occasionally and does work full time in private practice - so hopefully they will have time for me. Biggest issue here is just that I never got a new GP of my own up here so it's difficult to see anyone quickly.

I may see someone out in Colorado Wednesday once I get there, if the school doc seems incompetent/unsure. But I doubt I can get into anything else in under 48 hours short of the E.R.

Exaspera, what do you mean by a doc-in-the-box? Like a clinic doc? One of those might be able to see me in time.

[Exaspera]

Exaspera, what do you mean by a doc-in-the-box? Like a clinic doc? One of those might be able to see me in time.

Those little clinics in strip malls, or stand-alone. You can usually get to see someone pretty quickly.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I wouldn't assume the school medical staff is incompetent just because it's the school clinic. (At the worst, they're probably no worse than what you'd find at a "doc-in-the-box" clinic.) The doctor at my college wasn't full time at the school, either. She was there 3 days a week, I think, and worked elsewhere the rest of the time. (The nurses had standing orders to be able to give certain drugs under specific circumstances - as I found out when I had an ear infection that hadn't quite gotten to my eardrum yet, so they couldn't give me anything without seeing the doctor, who wasn't there that day. If it was in my eardrum, they could have given me amoxicillin. There was also a nurse on call 24 hours a day, as I learned when I came down with an inner ear infection one evening, and stumbled into my friend's room, where she called security, who called the nurse on call. I told her my symptoms, and she told me what she thought it was [she was right], to get some sleep, and see the doctor at the health center in the morning.)

The more important thing is seeing someone who can at the least direct you toward a specialist, if necessary.

[Taboo]

The more important thing is seeing someone who can at the least direct you toward a specialist, if necessary.

Yes - the timing just sucks so much. Even if they give me a recommendation of someone to see, I'd be going in tomorrow and then I'm flying out of state the day after in the evening, so I'd really need an emergency appointment asap.

I may see if I can get a recommendation for a doctor in the area I'll be visiting... will be gone 3 weeks and that is way too long to just live with this.

[KiaKat]

I wouldn't assume the school medical staff is incompetent just because it's the school clinic.

Which is why I made exceptions for Columbia/NYU. But if Taboo is at a CUNY, I wouldn't trust the doc as far as I could toss him. I've had *bad* experiences with CUNY docs.

[Magpie]

While I have issues with the Health Services doctors here, I trust them to be able to tell me if something's an emergency. Don't know if I trust them for much else, but that one I'm good with, so they're definitely a good bet for a rash like this.

[Taboo]

I got in today. Yay!

Good news: most of it is heat rash. And I'm going on vacation somewhere much cooler and the A/C I bought will have arrived here by the time I return, so hooray. Also, lots of fluids.

Bad news: the one area that I kept scratching in my sleep is most likely infected so I'm using some steroid cream and if that doesn't show improvement quickly I'm supposed to pick up antibiotics and go for the "kill it with fire" approach.

KiaKat- I'm at a much, much smaller school than any of those. All medical staff are full-time elsewhere and alternate 1-2 days a week here.

Thanks everyone. =)