UNKNOWN CAUSE OF ALLERGY (bright red face and neck, terrible itching and very dry)

[Spatoo]

I have had a bright red face and neck for 6 weeks - very itchy and dry. Close friends (one a nurse) have racked our brains as to what caused it. Nothing in my house has changed: Always have had Cats, never use face makeup, and use non bio laundry liquid. I always have had dry skin and used either nivea cream or lancome's nutrix. I stopped the Nutrix and just used the 50/50 cream the doc have me with antihistamines. Face was aflame and really itchy.

At last the Doc gave me Prednolone and the itch has stopped and the dryness is much better.

I would love suggestions as to the cause. Doc says allergy testing not possible as we don't know, what it is! Huh?! Doc said asthmatics just get allergies. I also have emphasema as my main respiratory problem

[risabel59]

It could possibly be Periordial dermatitis, which I had last year, particularly if it is round your mouth and nose as well as neck. I had this and it lasted for months. It was treated with six weeks of a low dose antibiotic. It has now completely gone and not come back. The dermatologist I saw said it might have been caused by my steroid Nasal spray.

Anyhow there are tons of pictures on the internet of this, you could check them out and see if it looks like your rash. If it does, your GP should be able to help. If not you should ask for a referral to a dermatologist

Best

R

[Hidden]

Hi it might be worth your also joining the British Lung Foundation on here as many of them suffer from emphysema too. They might have some answers as well. x

[Weeannie]

Could be rosacea, x

[ChrissieMons]

See what you can eliminate first. I'm afraid that, for example, just because you have always had cats does not mean that you have not developed an allergy to them, although this doesn't look like a cat allergy unless you sleep with the cat round your neck(!) We can develop allergies at any time of life. If you go away for a few days, does anything improve? It's all trial and error with allergies, I'm afraid. Good luck!

[WheezyAnne]

They may have changed the formulae for your normal Moisturisers, or your skin has decided that it has had enough of those Moisturisers, and needs a change. This happens a lot with me and my very dry Eczema prone ultra sensitive skin. Perhaps you have out too much on and clogged up the pores? The humidity is high at the moment (here in Cambridgeshire) , this means the dustmite are increasing rapidly as they just love humidity. There is a lot of fungus around as well at the moment, depending where you live. It could be anythin. Hope some of this has got you thinking.

[Matman]

I assume you're Asthmatic and a lot of Asthmatics get eczema / rashes. In a number of cases - it seems that hormonal interference caused by some Asthma Drugs can further exacerbate this.

Unfortunately, trying alternative Asthma Treatments to see if one of your Meds is contributing to your rashes, has it's own risks and challenges.

Maybe worth re-checking your patient information leaflets for the Meds you're on, and also asking your GP whether your Meds might be a contributory factor.

[kate_uk]

Have you thought about food allergies? Products change ingredients all the time so it's possible that something that you have always eaten now gives you a reaction. A red itchy face is usually my first symptom of a food allergy.

[Spatoo]

Thank you for your suggestions. The last one regarding inhalers is a new one gwhuch surprises me.

I have been on my inhalers for Emphasema for years, and the new diagnosis of Asthma too, was part of a check up for at the Hospital prior to surgery.

So, rather like food, face makeup which I don't use, soaps etc, etc. Can you suddenly get allergic to your usual inhalers? Am on Aclidium(opens airways) , Fostair (steroidl, and Ventolin. the usual reliever.

Thank you for your help. Am based in Scotland.

[nickpeters]

Hi,

This sounds similar to the rash I get periodically. My GP is bemused by it and can offer nothing constructive. However I have found it appears if I’m not feeling too bright, especially during the evening and night.

During my internet researches I did fine one site that gave this as a symptom associated with asthma, that’s all I could discover, hope it’s of some help.