Rash with exercise?

[Loopylou1234]

Hi, I've just been diagnosed with UCTD. I think it was triggered in my pregnancy with my son, about 4 years ago. Since then I get a very red, itchy rash during or after exercise, which is a PAIN as I'm wanting to get fitter. It can appear whilst I'm exercising or up to 12 hours afterwards. I think it is worse when the intensity of the exercise is higher, maybe linked to my temperature or sweating? I've had eczema all my life, but since my pregnancy as well as other UCTD/lupus-like symptoms, I also get rashes with various different skin products and foods that I never had before.

Does anyone else have a similar story? I avoid any food/products that I think trigger it, but obviously I can't avoid exercise as I have excess weight to lose after recent 2nd trimester miscarriage and am having massive problems with high blood pressure, which, at age 33, I'm still awaiting lots of investigations for.

Thanks.

[Ericajm]

Have you started on hydroxchloriquine? I had all these symptoms too which when I look back started after my first son was still born, rashes, aches, pains, allergies, high blood pressure, went on for years then about 8yrs ago I was diagnosed with UCTD and started on the hydroxchloriquine, I've been so much better since, I have medication for high BP but it's well controlled now but I no longer get strange rashes with only the occasional flare up if other symptoms. Hopefully they will give you medication to help you and you will feel better soon x

[happytulip]

I'm so sorry to hear about your recent miscarriage but well done for getting motivated and getting exercising.

This is just a thought outside of the box but these auto-immune conditions have a lot of over laps. It might just be worth looking up mast cell activation disorder.

Its not very well known about but medics are taking it more and more seriously.

I have an element of it myself.

I used to work in an Emergency Dept and has a lady who kept coming in a a moderate-severe allergic reaction every time she went to the gym. Eventually she had a diagnosis of MCAD.

We all have mast cells in our body but for some reason they go a bit berserk in some for no reason at all. It can happen with excersise.

It might not be that at all but its just a thought. It was a collection of symptoms and a trip to an immunologist that got my diagnosis.

Good luck xx

[panda2]

Hi Loopylou1234,

What Happytulip just said is exactly what popped into my mind when I read your post too. If you find no joy with Hydroxychloroquine (if you're taking that as Ericajm asked) after 4 months or so, as far as the rashes are concerned, mast cell activation syndrome could be a question for your consultant?

I'm actually being treated for it myself with Montelukast and antihistamines (as well as Hydroxy and Mycophenolate for the UCTD). They are 2 separate conditions and it was a Dermatologist who became suspicious of this after doing a couple biopsies of my rashes. This rashing was bizarre to me as it seemed like an allergic reaction to things that I've never had any problem with before. i.e. Latex; and things I couldn't pin down but was starting to think I needed to exclude, just as you mention with food and skin products. My Rheumatologist was impressed with the Dermatologist's mast cell point of view, saying she never would have thought of that herself. Turns out, 2-3 months after starting the Montelukast and antihistamine combination, I've not had a rash and I can wear Latex gloves again just as before.

You mentioned exercise/temperature which are also things I've questioned through the mystery of it all. I am a swimmer and when I would get out of the pool I'd have a bright pink 3 inch vertical stripe from my head down to my chin. It would also happen after being in the sea and last a couple hours. I *think* this is starting to calm a bit. But I couldn't say for certain which medication is dealing with this as I only started Mycophenolate a couple months ago.

I do wish you the best with this and hope we've given you some food for thought here. I think I remember that MCAS has low blood pressure though generally, but goodness only knows! We're all so different.

Panda x

[PMRpro]

Exercise isn't the most important part for weight loss - not least because exercise of the amount to burn calories in any quantitiy just makes you more hungry! I lost 35lbs of pred-associated weight gain mainly by cutting carbs a lot - I was on crutches for something else at the time so exercise wasn't much of an option!