Hi Everyone,
I have a very itchy red rash on inside of my arm (near elbow). My dr. said it looked like ezcema during a physical a few weeks ago. I forgot to ask him what to do about it.
I have not had this before and I thought it would go away on its own but it did not. Now I have a weird very itchy :(, rectangular rash with bumps, a couple are tiny blisters on inside of my arm.
I've had Hash. Thyroiditis (1998) & Primary Sjogren's (1999), SSA-Ro+, no SSB, and ANA+. They still test my blood to see if I have any other AI disease floating around but none so far.
I am currently taking Plaquenil 200mg/day, Prednisone 2.5mg/day and medicine for thyroid. Could this be due to my immune system being lower from taking the Prednisone or Plaquenil?
I looked online but there does not seem to be a straightforward treatment to get rid of this rash :P.
Does anyone else have (or had) this and if so, what worked best for you in getting rid of it?
I would really appreciate anyone's help with this!
Thanks so much ;D!
Sadie
Hi,
Call your doctor or the nurse and describe the rash. The doctor may want to see you again. Sounds as if the rash has worsened since you saw the doctor.
He may prescribe a cortisone cream such as hydrocortisone (higher strength than over the counter), kenalog, valisone etc.
Aveeno oatmeal bath soak is good. You might could make a oatmeal paste (oatmeal and water) and apply it to soothe the skin.
Try not to scratch - could open your skin up for infection.
Hope this is resolved soon.
Duchess
Sadie,
I can't reply as to why you may have the rash; but, I do have an over the counter remedy that really helps the rash. It burns like hades but it does help my itch and helps heal the rashes.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
I just pour a little in my hand and rub on the rash. Be prepared for it to really burn, especially if you have been scratching. A young Hispanic woman told me about the vinegar and it works better than any of the MANY prescribed creams I've ever been given. Hope this will help ease your agony.
Blessings,
Jorja
Thank you Duchess and Jorja!
I already have some apple cider vinegar at home that I add to my tuna salads (its very tasty). I will try the apple cider vinegar today and if its not better by Monday am, call my dr.'s office when I get into work.
Thank you both for the speedy responses. I will keep you posted!
Sadie
Both of my daughters have eczema, so I'm very familiar with it. If it is eczema, the best way to treat it is with topical steroids - if you don't have a Rx for one, you can use OTC hydrocortisone cream 1% twice daily - especially right after bathing - until you can get something stronger from your dr. Wait about five or ten minutes, then apply CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (the cream, not the lotion. If it is eczema, CeraVe helps restore ceramides, lipids and fatty acids to the skin that those with eczema have a hard time producing).
If it is starting to look infected, you can do a Google search for bleach baths and eczema - bleach baths are highly diluted and kill the staph bacteria that tends to colonize the skin in persons with atopic dermatitis, but if it is contact dermatitis that is becoming infected, bleach baths will still help until you can get in to see your doctor. If an infection is brewing (causing the blisters - are they crusting/oozing? Somtimes, eczema will ooze without infection, so that doesn't necessarily mean it's infected), your dr. will likely prescribe Bactroban ointment as well.
The medications need to be applied twice daily, followed by moisturizing twice daily, especially right after bathing to trap the moisture to the skin.
HTH
Hi Sadie,
Have you been tested for Celiac Disease? It has a form of eczema-like skin disease called dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). I had eczema on my elbows for 20 years that worsened just before the autoimmune storm hit me. I test negative for celiac but my eczema cleared up completely once off gluten! Adult onset celiac disease can happen along with Sjogren's.
Good luck with the itch remedies.
Kendo
Thank you mshistory for the detailed information on treating ezcema. I could find nothing even close to this on any of the medical websites. I will be calling my dr.'s office if it does not improve in a few days.
My rash is not infected. And only a couple of the tiny blisters leaked fluid from my scratching. I did use some of the apple cider vinegar on it (thanks Jorja) and the itching has completely subsided. The burning was not too bad so I think I have more redness and bumps and less open blisters.
Kendo, I was tested for celiac disease a two years ago when I had an upper EGD and it was negative. I do remember my grandmother being diagnosed with late onset celiac disease and no one in our family had ever heard of it. I'm glad the ezcema disappeared after removing gluten from your diet.
I tried to send you a message but I don't think it worked so I'll try to post it here and hope it's ok ;)
You can find information on treating eczema (and bleach baths) at the National Eczema Association website: http://www.nationaleczema.org/living/bathing_and_moisturizing.htm
This is a great website. This is beneficial to those of us that have dry skin directly related to SJS.
Thanks
Duchess
I was just reading one of my favorite grocery store magazines and they had an article called Skin Soothers M.D.s swear by. To heal chapped lips they recommend California Baby Calendula Cream. I looked it up online and it is also recommended for eczema.
I'm going to echo what Kendo has stated. I would ask your doctor to do the complete blood work panel for celiac disease. If just one of the blood tests come back positive, then it is likely that going off gluten will help your symptoms.
I just tested positive for celiac disease last week and have been doing a lot of reading about it. It can cause skin issues such as psoriasis and eczema, among many other things.
I had the endo a few months ago before the possibility of celiac disease was even mentioned. It did not show any problems, except inflammation of the stomach.
I have been itching all over my scalp, face, and chest for about 6 months. Only a small rash showing on the chest though.
Just something you might want to check out.
Hope you find a solution and feel better soon!
Debbie