HELP! - What IS this?!?!

grapfruit wrote: Ok, yesterday I was a bit itchy on my back. I was THINKING it was maybe dry skin or something. So I asked Cyndi to look at it for me. When she said "Holy Crap" I kind of got worried. Here's what she found....





Now today it has another small patch, you can see it in the corner here:



What the heck could it be?!?

I've not been anywhere near woods or brush, anything burning, any animal that could of be somewhere like that. Nothing.

It's not SUPER itchy. Just a little, like dry skin. But obviously it's a little more then dry skin. Right? Maybe not??

On Saturday I had a bump on my shoulder that looked like a bug bite that itched, but this is on the middle of my back.

danahas4monkeys replied: It looks just like my psoriasis patches but I'm not a doctor so not sure. I use hydrocortisone cream on my psoriasis I have it on my elbows and eyes. Hope you figure it out soon!

Kaitlin'smom replied: not sure but I have gotten the same patch on the back of my leg a couple times in the last several years, I always used neosporin and a bandaid for a few days and it woudl go away. I never had it looked at

ZandersMama replied: Looks like the patches i get in the winter.....winter itch

grapfruit replied: Ok, that makes me feel better. I'll try some antibiotic ointment and see if that helps

boyohboyohboy replied: over the counter hydrocortizon will take that itch right away and the rash too..

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Looks like contact dermatitis, which is just a rash caused by something you touched/came in contact with. Could be something as simple as sitting by a wool blanket, worn cheap jewelry, or something that you are allergic to. I get it all the time. I am highly allergic to cortisone creams and neosporin, so just a warning if you are too. They just make me itch even more. I've done oatmeal or epson salt baths or just let it heal on it's own. GL

grapfruit replied:
The only thing I've found that I'm really really allergic too (found out last Feb). Is Lavendar baby lotion I had a full body rash from that. And it itched like MAD. This doesn't itch near as bad. But it's still pretty itchy

I'm going to try some cortizone or something (I'm going to see what I have at home)

That is the ONLY thing I've EVER found that I'm allergic too.

jcc64 replied: Looks alot like poison ivy from the pic. My dd had a 1/4" bizarre little black (yes, black) streak on her leg that looked like someone drew on her with a sharpie pen. Nothing else. Then, a few days later, it was surrounded by a patch very similiar to your picture. When the black streak bubbled up and started to bleed, I took her to the dr. He told me it was poison ivy, and I didn't believe him. She wasn't scratching it, it wasn't itchy, and I never heard of poison ivy bleeding. He assured me that poison ivy can sometimes present with a black streak, sent me home with a steroid creme, and sure enough, that's what it was. A day or so later, she was in fact itching, and it did spread all over the place. Ya never know.

grapfruit replied:
Aw crap, you're not making me feel good about this

I've had poison ivy many times, and I agree, it looks an awful lot like it. But I've not been around anything that I could get it from. I've racked my brain thinking what I could of been "exposed" to that had poison ivy and came up dry. Especially since it's on my back.

Also not so good, I don't have insurance So no doctor for me.

grapfruit replied: AH!!!!! I ITCH SO BAD!!!!!!

I have been using cortizone, but I'm telling you it does NOTHING for the itch. And Benadryl (sp?) knocks me on my butt. I mean can't function, can't keep my eyes open. Please pray that it goes away fast

MyBabeMaddie replied: Have you had any close contact with people who work in Nursing homes/hospitals schools? Is it starting to show up on your hands and in between your fingers?


If you must itch make sure you wash your hands after!

grapfruit replied: I think it's shingles. My doctor said it's very serious, I need to be seen right away. And that's after the receptionist told me they were full until tomorrow, and then I'd still only be able to see the nurse practioner.

I'm calling the free health clinic first. If I can get in there that's where I'm going. I have NO money at all.

jcc64 replied: Shingles doesn't look like that, hon. And besides, you'd be much, much sicker with horrible, debilitating muscle pain, fever, and unremitting fatigue.
I highly doubt a dr's visit is necessary. We went to the dr with my dd's rash- he gave her a prescription steroid creme, but it still spread, it still itched, and stayed around as long as every other case of poison ivy we've ever dealt with w/o a dr's visit. I'd avoid the dr if I were you- save yourself some cash, unless you get a fever or it spreads to your face. Good luck.

momtoMegan&Alyxandria replied: Actually here is a pic I found. In person they look almost identical. She should be at the Drs now, so I will keep everyone posted once she calls me.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: To me it looks like shingles. I only know this because Spencer has had them twice. I would say if they spread even more got to see your doctor ASAP!

momtoMegan&Alyxandria replied:
Ok Casey called me and She has Shingles. They gave her a script for meds and told her to stay away from any pregnant women. She should be fine, but was told if it gets worse to go back to the Dr.

Apparently alot of bad things can happen if Shingles go untreated, which is why her Dr. wanted her there NOW!!

jcc64 replied: Wow, I stand corrected. Sorry about that! Dh had shingles, really badly- he was sick for over a month- but it looked nothing like that. His looked like chickenpox, and he said the pain was more muscular- the itching was not nearly so pronounced. I hope she doesn't get it as badly as he did.

jcc64 replied: Btw, what kind of meds did she get for shingles- I thought it was a virus?? Wonder why my dh didn't get any meds?

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Oh no!!! Get well vibes to Casey!

My3LilMonkeys replied: Hope you feel better quickly!!!

Kirstenmumof3 replied: I'm sorry to hear this! I know when Spencer had it they gave him an Anti-Viral medication through his IV. I hope it doesn't spread too bad!

MoonMama replied: Oh gosh honey!!!! ~~~~feel better~~~~

grapfruit replied: Thanks for the positive thoughts and stuff guys

They gave me Acyclovir which is an anti-viral (4 pills 5x a day) plus some stuff I left at home that helps w/the pain/itching I think (at bedtime). It is already starting to hurt by my arm. So far just like a bad sunburn. But she told me to expect it to get worse.

The dr said that if left untreated it could get really bad and cause permenant severe pain where the rash is. The reason being is b/c shingles, which is of course the chicken pox virus, lies dormant in the nerve roots. For whatever reason it "wakes up" and travels up the root to the skin. This is why you can pretty much feel where the rash is going to break out. It feels tingly there. Of course left untreated, the virus can damage the nerves.

She said she's definatly seen worse, but it's not a "mild" case. Also something I found odd. She said it typically only shows up in elderly people or immuno suppressed people. But lately she's seen it crop up in a lot of younger people too. The last case she had was w/a 25 year old. Strange huh?

Whatever that stuff is I take at bed makes you SUPER drowsy. Even though I took it 12 hours ago, I'm SO tired right now. I may have to take a nap at my desk.

luvbug00 replied: aww i hope you feel better hon!!!!

A&A'smommy replied: THats awful!!!! I Hope you feel better soon!!!

Mommy2Isabella replied: I can't believe you are at work or allowed to be at work anyway. Can't you give it to other people?

I hope you start feeling better soon

grapfruit replied:
I've been pretty much staying away from everyone.
I'm only contagious really if people touch the rash. Or I guess if I like cough in their face or something (which I would never do of course!) And only if they've never had chicken pox or are pregnant. (which you probably knew from your scare). I actually had to test to be 100% sure I wasn't pregnant.

Those are the people I'm to stay away from. Everyone else is good. But I'm really loosing steam fast. I just want to lay down and sleep. So I'm thinking of going home.

redchief replied: Aww, I'm sorry. I hope you feel better soon!

jcc64 replied: I would pull into the slow lane, hon. Let your body do the work it needs to do- if you need to sleep, sleep. And I wouldn't be so sure that the meds are the reason you're so wiped out. When dh had it, he slept almost round the clock for days, and he had no meds at all. He was down for the count for almost a month. Hopefully, yours' is a milder case, but I don't think you can expect to just keep going as normal with work and family with this virus.
I heard the same thing about elderly people and immune compromised patients. But my dh had it when he was 22 and in awesome shape, so go figure. Anyway, feel better.