Hands up if you know what this is....: Hi guys... - LUPUS UK

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Hands up if you know what this is....

Loopylooby profile image
11 Replies

Hi guys

For the last 5 days I've had a really itchy raised red rash (like hives or heat rash) on my hips/upper thighs and stomach. I don't think it's food related as usually that goes within 24 hours so I'm told. I'm on hydroxy at the moment and steroid injection is wearing off. Am also starting to get butterfly rash back but never had anything on my body before. Haven't been out in the sun much.

What's going on? Answers on a postcard :-)

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Loopylooby profile image
Loopylooby
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11 Replies

think you need some anti histamines

Chris21 profile image
Chris21

If you get an answer, let me know! I've had a rash like this on and of the last few years, before being diagnosed and not on medication at the time. So at least I can tell you I don't think it's related to medicines. I assumed my body had got overheated, it eventually disappears until the next episode. X

Looks like a general lupus rash...I get that regularly on pretty much every part of my body and usually it goes away...might be worth asking for a skin scrape though n get it tested xx

ShannonB profile image
ShannonB

I get this rash quite regularly as part of my lupus. I think it's less common than some other rashes according to my rheumy but definitely looks familiar to me. I bear with it and it eventually goes away but can move around to other parts of my body.

Barnclown profile image
Barnclown

probably not same as what is causing your version of this....but i had something very very similar a few years ago. it was before my (re) diagnosis of SLE. i had just got into menopause and been diagnosed with lichen sclerosus.,

well, for what this is worth: my gp was trying me on HRT creams (the type you inject inside). as the days passed a rash very like you're describing spread all over my pelvic girdle area and thighs, then went all over my upper arms above the elbow. i freaked and rushed to the gp who told me to stop the hormone creams. she also commented on the tendency of my upper chest and neck to have a similar rash most of the time.

anyway, when i stopped the hrt cream, the rash on my lower body/thighs/arms subsided. i continue always to have flares of this type of rash on my upper chest/neck/across nose/cheeks/lower face though. my rheumy thinks that all of this type of rash and the reaction to hrt cream (oestrogen) is related to SLE

moderange profile image
moderange

I get like welts on my hands - don't know if its connected or not. They come, they go away and I take note of when and how often. Not spoken to the doctors about them. Sorry - not very helpful.

madmagz profile image
madmagz

Hi, the fact that you have not been out in the sun is a bonus but if you have low energy bulbs and /or flourescent bulbs in your house or place of work could make your skin bad as they both emit U.V. rays. My skin was really bad but has improved since I changed my lighting indoors and if I know I am going laces that have lights that will make me worse I go prepared, factor 50 suncream, gloves, scarf, long sleeves and long trousers I might end up a bit warm or looking a bit odd to some but for the sake of my own comfort what others think is immaterial! It is well worth it to be on the lower dose of steroids and feeling so much better I have done this on the advice of my dermatologist and am very glad that it is, your photo looks quite similar to the rash that I get but have you had allergies ruled out?

I hope that this has been a little bit of useful information to you

Madmagz x

corrie4 profile image
corrie4

hi have sle dl sogjrens reynuds hypermobility osteoporosis sunsensitivity and fibro had a itchy rash on my backside this year gp said it was chilblains?

Diagnosed2012 profile image
Diagnosed2012

Hi, go see a dermatologist as soon as you can.

I developed a similar rash four weeks after starting hydroxychloroquine last year. It appeared on my chest, then spread to my back, arms and legs eventually covering 90% of me within days. I was put on antihistamines, but they had no effect. So they stopped the hydroxychloroquine, and tried thalidomide. After four weeks, I also came up with more painful scars the size of 50p coins. So they then tried chloroquine sulphate, but my skin was getting worse and incredibly flaky. Two weeks later, I ended up in A&E. I turned black, my arms swelled up, and my skin just seemed to decay and separate. Over three days, all my skin fell off. Head to toe. I spent ten days in hospital wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy, in isolation, and had nurses plastering me twice a day in steroid creams and lardy barrier cream. They ramped up the prednisolone to 60mg, and antihistamines and did a skin biopsy. But neither that nor blood tests showed any signs of lupus, or infection. My new skin only remained normal for a few days before the same kind of nettle-y rash re-appeared and soon covered about 75% of me.

My dermatologist said it was rare to have such a toxicreaction, and remains puzzled about what exactly is going on with my skin even now, despite another (third) skin biopsy. I was on acitretin for a few months afterwards, but that had no effect either. It was only when I came off the prednisolone and acitretin, that my skin improved significantly.

They now think I have psoriatic arthritis, so I've been using a topical treatment lately, as it's only dense on the lower half of my legs now, and just patchy elsewhere. I do still have a slight lupus-like butterfly rash on my face, but it's nowhere near as horrific as it was last year.

caninecrazy profile image
caninecrazy

I have the same,mine flares at the start of spring when temps begin to rise through until end of summer, I take antihistamines to take the edge of the insane itching but rash stays. I have it on my thighs,back and hips mainly,luckily places I can hide it as work wouldn't like it.....also I get random "purple bruises" appear on my face that I wake up with and then go within couple of days???

I always wear sf50+ so do my best to avoid sunlight as it makes me so poorly x

georgie63 profile image
georgie63

I only seem to have intense itching on my arms mainly, but then may have a little flare up elsewhere too. I use Aqueous Cream to wash in the shower with, then I use Balneum Cream as a moisturiser and finish with Betnovate Cream which is a steroid cream on top. This tends to keep my itching at bay, unless I get too hot or like this morning I hand washed a piece of clothing and bi suffered an itch attack after, then I took antihistamines.

But I'm wary of putting sun cream on In case it makes me really itch. I've purchased a baby suncream factor 50, as I hope that will be more gentle for me, any advice ?

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