Calling voce

[Gussie]

Big hugs to you @mrs-b

Be brave, I know you are a tough bird and will survive these trials and tribulations with your DF by your side. The plaque buildup explains a lot, and in my opinion had to be related to the steroids routinely prescribed for auto immune conditions.

To this day my dad still has a rash that never goes away; taking steroids for skin allergies previously started to do weird things to his nerves, so now he uses astringents and Benadryl daily, having sworn off the steroids. I don't have what you or my dad is going through, but my skin develops rashes more easily, and I may yet have inherited my dad's immune system. He was not allergic to anything when he was young, but now he has so many food allergies, it never makes sense to take him out to eat. It's always homemade foods, even before the coronavirus, for him.

Anyway, hoping you have good luck during the diagnosis, and they catch everything they inspect. It is a lot you agree going through, but hopefully the doctors can come up with a best plan for treatment. Keeping my fingers crossed for you and sending some more dust your way.

@voce, I just read your post about your father and I hope you don't mind answering a few questions. I made a separate post as to not derail Mrs-b's thread.

This sounds exactly like what my husband has, constant rash/hives. He has a tree not allergy (anaphylactic) that has definitelygotten worse as he has aged. Polyester bothers him, eggs, wheat,... it seems to be getting worse. He has only been to a dermatologist which really didn't do much good. He is quite stubborn about going to the doctor so I worry a lot. Does your father have a definite diagnosis? I assume it's an autoimmune disease but is there a specific name for it? How long has your dad had it, is it getting worse?

Thank you so much for any info. If you aren't comfortable sharing, i understand.

 

[voce]

No specific name. He's been waiting to go to a dermatologist again, but so far they haven't been that helpful. He's had the current rash since October. Seen the dermatologist a couple of times. He's gotten it under control in that it hasn't spread further. The dermatologist suggested steroid creams, but my dad refused.

The rash acts up after eating certain foods, like shrimp. Cold baths help him get rid of the itching, but the rash just isn't going away.

 

[missy]

@Gussie @voce Could it be Red Skin Syndrome aka Topical Steroid Withdrawal?

It only needs to have been applied for a very short time to develop in susceptible individuals.

Here is the info about it.

NEA Task Force Weighs in on Topical Steroid Addiction & Withdrawal

Burning, stinging, and bright red skin are symptoms of topical steroid overuse and withdrawal and happen within a short time after stopping.

nationaleczema.org

Topical corticosteroid addiction and withdrawal – An overview for GPs

CaseM, aged 27 years, has chronic eczema. She describes a history of typical eczema on the back of her knees and crooks of her elbows as a child that was…

www.racgp.org.au

 

[voce]

I remember the time that my dad was using TCS as 2016. It led to numbness in some fingers on his hand, due to too much calcification at his elbow and his neck after he started using it, so he quit using it in 2017 and had surgery on his arm so that his bones stopped pinching his nerves.

That's a mighty long time to go from 2017 to 2019 before experiencing rashes/hives in 2019. I don't think it's TCS addiction and withdrawal, because he has never mentioned any stinging or burning. I don't know if this is pertinent, but the rash originated in an area of the skin (his back and shoulders) where he has not applied steroid creams to, back in 2016 when he had a severe rash after a sunburn on forearms.

@Gussie have you ever tried Mopiko cream/ointment? It works quite well for some people, myself included. I developed a rash recently on my wrist affecting my ability to wear my Fitbit, and I've been wearing Fitbit since 2013/2014. I can still see the red spots on my wrist, but Mopiko has made it not itchy, and I'm just waiting on the red spots to go away before wearing Fitbit again.

 

[missy]

@voce I only mention it because many mainstream doctors miss it and you can develop it in areas that topical steroids were never applied. I hope your dad finds answers and relief soon. Healing wishes across the miles.

 

[Gussie]

Thanks @missy and @voce. He has used quite a bit of hydrocortisone. I will show him this article.

@voce, I hope your dad gets better soon. My husband really needs to find an internist or an allergist to figure it out.