A rash

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I have developed a raised red itchy rash on both my arms. At first I thought it was poison ivy since we live in the summer at our camp but it has been there for too long and has never developed into the blisters. I have tried everything I can think of - I tried desenex powder in case it was a yeast - nope - cortisone lotion - nope - I even tried antibiotic ointment in case it was bacterial- nope. I am at the end of my bag of tricks. Our insurance will pay for an emergency visit to a doctor while we are away from home but our co pay is high and this is not truly an emergency by any stretch of the imagination. I surely wish I could figure out what it is though. When i was a child I would get eczema from emotional situations and as my BIL has been very ill since we came home in May and passed away last week I am wondering if it is that. But I have not had that since I was a child.

Just venting here trying to figure it out.

Kcubed · ‎03-09-2010

I was 27 and developed eczema for the first time in my life. My father had just passed away, and I think stress was the trigger. Do your arms feel dry? Does your skin feel a bit thick? Is the itching so bad that it feels that it is coming from the core of your body? If so it may be eczema. I have periods where I do not suffer, but when it starts, I have it for months. I hope that that is not the source of your problem because there is no cure. I have not even found anything that really helps me at all. I just have to wait it out. I feel like screaming when I feel a patch begin. I have been fighting a patch on my leg since April, and it is just now beginning to get a bit better. I wish you luck in finding out what is wrong, but if it is eczema, I doctor will not really help you. I just need new skin!!!!!

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

i have an appointment with the derm in Nov when we get home but I certainly hope it doesn't last that long.

I was stung by a bee several weeks ago so I am wondering if it is related to that. I take singular every night for my asthma - it is an antihistamine - so if it was allergy related that should take care of it. Asthma and now eczema - I seem to be revisiting my childhood in my old age.

HonnyBrown · ‎11-23-2013

Could it be chiggers? Those buggers eat me alive and I get a bad rash, but near my ankles.

Get your flu shot...because I didn't.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I don't know what chiggers are.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

OK looked up chiggers - the rash does not look like that at all. But thanks for the suggestion.

Kcubed · ‎03-09-2010

Asthma and eczema are often related.

AspenGrove · ‎08-27-2013

This is a total shot in the dark, but your description sounds like what I had a few years ago: Tinea Versicolor. It's caused by an overgrowth of a yeast/fungus. Believe it or not, my doctor had me apply Selsun Blue (the antidandruff shampoo) to the raised rash daily for about a week. It worked wonders, but didn't take care of all of it, so she also gave me one dose of an oral drug which I took just one day. That knocked it out completely and it never came back. So, maybe try the shampoo? Just a thought.

Shogirl · ‎12-06-2010

Just some random thoughts -

Do you spend much time in the sun? I'd say about 10 years ago I started developing what I call a 'sun' rash everytime I spent any time out in the sun. Prior to that, I never had an instance of it, so not sure why it started.

I've got allergies to many different things, and once I used some different detergent than my normal brand, and it gave me a rash on my forearms and torso. Once I stopped using it, the rash went away.

curlywhitedog · ‎03-09-2010

Gosh, it sure does sound a lot like poison ivy. I've had more than my share of poison ivy rashes but not all of them developed into blisters. If you compare it to some Google images, does it match up?

I am plagued with summer hives so I well know the discomfort of the itching - hope you can figure this out before too much more time goes by.

Maria