Newbie here with RA going insane from the itchy Rashes.

[123cabezas]

Hello New to the site and found it by looking up does Methotrexate cause itchy rashes. Let me tell a little about my self, I have Alopecia universalis another autoimmune condition like RA I've had it for 32 years, I've had RA for over 2 year now, and among all the meds I take Vitamin D, folic acid, methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine. I went to the dermatologist because i was getting these rash/boils/bites some big, some round, and hard, some that would ooze a substance, and all of them incredibly itchy all over my body head to toe, I was thinking spiders, fleas, very hot summer in California this year. The doc said for me to stop saying fleas, and definitely not spiders, as he said there only two that bite in California and the chances that it was those was slim to none, he did two biopsy's on arm and neck, when i returned he tried to say it was some form of acne, which I found hard to swallow, all of a sudden, i have never had acne my whole life and I'm 52. he told me to photograph them and do a diary well he left that position and went to Washington to become a politician, and they have no derm at location now, my GP doesn't know what to do as he needs to get a referral for me to go to another Derm at the moment all open slots are full. So I'm at a stand still, the pain of my RA is getting so bad, that I couldn't even get out of bed the other day, but the constant pop up of these skin bumps/rashes/bites/hives are driving me out of my mind, I can't sleep, i cant' stop that feeling of wanting to rip my skin apart and the money I'm spending on itch relief is almost the price of the meds, and may I add none seem to work at all. So I do't know what to do, or what is the worst of two evils. I would appreciate any advice, as I'm really feeling I can't deal with this.

[sylvi]

I wish i could help you darling i am so sorry. Hugs.xxxx

[wishbone]

Sorry, I can't offer any advice, but can empaphise as I have a miserable skin condition though not as bad as yours. I have serious form of Rosacea, which consists of oozing pustules, spots, and a rash that is worse on my face, especially nose and forehead. Also pretty bad on scalp and nape area. I also get nasty pustules on my back and upper chest. Some of these horrible things itch when when they are starting off, become quite painful when mature, and itch a lot when drying up. It usually takes ages for them to heal. Dermatologist reckons it is Rosacea on my face and apparently Rosacea related on the rest of me. They don't seem that confident about that their diagnosis is 100% correct though. Swabs have been taken - thankfully, no nasty bugs involved.

Like your GP, mine also doesn't know what to do and refers me to dermatology, which I've been to 3 times. They've prescribed various creams and shampoos, which do seem to help a bit, but my condition is constantly flaring to a greater or lesser degree - unfortunately usually the former. The only other thing they can do for me is to prescribe antibiotics, which is something I will not take due to resistance issues I already have. Apparently, taking more antibiotics will add to this so I hold off taking them until I get a more serious infection that really needs them.

I'm 66 and have had RA for 15 years. The skin condition has very gradually crept up on me over the past 3 years. Just hope it's at its max, but have a feeling there's worse to come. I can't take any immune suppressing meds so am on hydroxy only, plus regular pain killers. Apparently, I have this skin condition because of a compromised immune system due to RA.

Don't think this is of much importance, but do some of the spots/pustules that you have occur symmetrically?...if get one near the edge of my left eyebrow then sometimes another will occur not long after near the same spot by the other eyebrow, which seems a bit weird to me.

It's a real sod of a disease is this RA...you would think we have more than enough problems when it attacks our joints without all these bloody by-products. It's also caused lung problems for me.

Take care and hope things improve for you soon.

[Hidden]

May I suggest that you request your GP or Rheumatology consultant or dermatologist to invesigate for Vasculitis. vasculitis.org.uk/ (there is also a US site vasculitisfoundation.org/ for more information.

[Sweetheart0377]

I had them bumps / rashes. Terrible Itchiness the doctor gave me emouvate and aveevo hand cream . Look at my profile I wrote a Post about it xx

[Hobbits]

I have various skin conditions since diagnosis as well. I developed a type of rosacea, it comes up and looks very similar to teenage acne ( sometimes rosacea is known as 'adult acne) and it is caused by a bacteria overgrowth on the skin. It is unknown why some get it and others don't. It's not about how many times you wash. Mine look look like acne but filled with clear fluid and sometimes a bit of pus. Mine are sensitive/sore and then become itchy and appear mostly on forehead, just below eyebrows, occasionally on my cheeks, chest and back. They take a very long time to heal, weeks longer as a teenage type pimple. I have not had acne as a teen, only the occasional pimple, my rosacea started in my early 40's it is a dermatological condition. Usually they try a topical antibiotic cream first, but more stubborn cases only antibiotics will make it go away.

I had a particularly bad case the first time, didn't understand why at 40 I have developed acne, it took very extended antibiotics to make it go away, and it stayed away for years. Now when I get it, it's an occasional bigger bump, like a bug bite size, but mostly tiny bumps on my forehead and around eyebrows. The cream usually prescribed it Metro- cream is made from meteodiazole (sp) antibiotic. My skin in general is itchy, not dry and the spots were sore at first then become itchy

I also very recently developed Perioral Dermatitis. It usually starts at the corner of your mouth and spreads downward almost like a drool pattern. Then it did same on other side. I thought it was shingles. But shingles is only ever on one side so I was sent back to dermatology who diagnosed. Again they don't know why some get it and others don't. It seems I never hardly get a cold, but my body does seem susceptible to the bacteriums on the skin, bacteriums everyone has on their skin. The Perioral Dermatitis required antibiotics for two straight months. Steroid creams tend to make these conditions worse.

[123cabezas]

Thanks everyone for your advice, i ended up going of the meth, because i couldn't stand the itchy bumps anymore, and they went away, but then i couldn't stand the pain in my hands and then i was getting these horrible pains in my shoulders to my elbows and almost couldn't move my hands or arms the pain to try to sleep or doing anything was again unbearable, so i cant get an appt for doc until nov, and beginning of Dec so I decided to go back on the meth and pray for the best, the pain has some what gone away but i'm starting to see the itchy bumps again and feel like here we go again, this condition feels like it plays with my emotions as I'm so up and down all the time, and complaining i can't do anything, but I can't and at times feel so hopeless, and say I can't live like this, it really messes with you, so that's were I am as of now, I hope it gets better before my doc visits in a couple of months.