Has anyone suffered with skin tears.

[sharon58]

Hi all, I have over the last 2 weeks had 3 skin tears, the bad thing is that they became infected and my doctor has now put me on penicillin. They are very painful and I just wondered if anyone else has had any infection issues with their skin.

[jetjetjet]

hi sharon- i had quite a problem wiyh my skin on head ,feet - and a bad rash from head to ankles- go back in blogs to [ skin problems ] and read some of the conversations that we discussed , there were lots of them -see if any of them are in common with what your expierenceing- let me know ----- jet

[paddyandlin]

Hi Sharon,

Welcome to the group i hope you get all the answers you want.

I find my hands tear badly due to dryness i have tried a numbrer of creams but nothing seams to help.

Paddy

[sharon58]

Thanks Paddy, my skin all over my body has become very dry and this is probably what has caused the tears then, I find it helps if I use baby oil.

Sharon.

[paddyandlin in reply to sharon58]

Aveno is very good found it works on the dryness and tears i get on my legs, the dryness i was told was due to the warferin and Raynaurds are you on either?

Paddy

[Grudgings]

Hi Sharon

I have also suffered from dry skin and tears, also suffer bad dryness in my scalp and Psoriasis. This does not help in my job as a Swimming Teacher and being constantly in the water.

Regards

Richard

[foxcub]

Hi Sharon: Not sure what all your symptoms are but I have had rashes, thinning skin and bruising badly for a couple years- I also have reynouds and Livedo reticularis. One night, just straightening my arm in bed I felt a sting - turned on the light - a skin tear. When I feel a stinging, I look for damage. They happen frequently to something that would normally do nothing or just a scratch - even coming against a cardboard box edge can tear my skin. Having a playful dog with teeth has been a real challenge! ha .

The rheumatologist does not know but thinks I have vasculitis - I am on Prednisone, and Plaquenil for a couple years, and Warfarin since June for APS. Not sure if it is getting better or I am avoiding things that would touch my skin. I'm in the category -Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease. Originally, I went to a dermatologist who thought it was just dry skin...Not.

I have figured out that if I gently lay the skin back from the tear, I can put a piece of tape over the area and leave it for a few days and most times they heal with only a slight white mark/line from the tear. My forearms are the worst - looks like I've had some strange skin work. I have to wear sleeves to cover my strange looking marked/bruised skin. Fortunately I haven't had any infections.

Thanks for sharing.

Margaret

[sharon58 in reply to foxcub]

Thanks for all your replies, I am really sorry to hear that some of you really suffer, in comparison I am lucky to only have the problem on my stomach for some reason.

I will be having my final blood test tomorrow if it the same as last time my Doctor will confirm if I have the Hughes syndrome or not.

What I dont understand is all the wide range of different symptoms that everyone seems to have, how can they all be related to the same illness? I have had migraines and high blood pressure for years and had a small stroke 6 months ago, the stroke consultant has been really thorough in all the tests I have been having. He has mentioned the drug Warfarin which I might have to take but how does this drug help everyone with all the different symptoms?

A very confused Sharon.

[jessielou]

Hi Sharon

It is all very confusing. A lot of us are autoimmune mysteries! When first dx i was told Aps only causes miscarriages n strokes, dvt's and Pe's, they are bad but oooh it is so much more!!!!!

A good source of facts is the Hughes foundation website at hughes-syndrome.org

it should help with some of the confusion. Although thats another symptom I have lol!!!

Warfarin is an anticoagulant which is monitored by a blood test called an Inr, for some of us blood thinned to about 3 or 4 and lots of symptoms get better. So for a lot of us it helps.

I hope that helps hon and you feel better.

Take care gentle hugs love Sheena xxxxxx

[sharon58 in reply to jessielou]

Thanks Sheena,

[Hidden]

Hi Sharon

My hands (and sometimes feet) have been splitting open for no apparently reason for 12 years - joy! When I had a well paid job (prior to running the charity!) I used to have private healthcare and trailled off to many dermatologists over the years, but to no avail. It was only when my GP saw they had become infected (like yours by the sound of it) that she gave me Dermovate - steroid cream that seems to work. If they get really bad you can try a course of steroids (prednisolone) but it's a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut and they always come back.

My advice is find a cream that kind of works for you (nothing will get rid of them totally it seems) and buy lots and lots of fabric plasters because you're going to get through them like wild fire. I should have taken shares out in Compede at one stage when they were really bad!

[sharon58 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Kate, this was very helpful.

[SheilaSparkles]

Sharon, please see my new post! Huge problems like yours.