Horrible Drugs

[EnglishRose63]

Hi guys, been a few weeks since my last post.

So, I went onto sulfasalazine in Feb and then hydroxychloroquine in April and things seemed to be improving, until I was suffering with skin rashes which were itchy and prickly.

My rheumy took me off meds at the end of May to see what happened with the itchy skin but I'm still getting it. It's driving me crazy. I'm taking antihistamines but they only work for a couple of hours. I've tried histamine meds on prescription too.

Any ideas please? Should I talk to my rheumy again?

[allanah]

Ah bless, I know it's hard getting the right drug and I wish there was a blood test to let you know which drugs would suit you.

One other thought though are you feeling otherwise ok as the skin red itching sometimes painful rash is also associated with covid infection. Maybe with doing a home test anyway. You can Google images of the skin symptoms to see if it looks like yours.

But otherwise I'm afraid its talk to rheumy team again and try try again. Until you find the one for you xxx

[Neonkittie17]

Hi ER, sorry to hear you have this and I understand as I had Urticara Solaris back in the 90s. Have you been in any sun as Sulphasalazine gives some people a skin reaction of small itchy red bumps? However would it still be in your system now if you stopped in May? (I feel not but have little knowledge about Hydroxy and how long it affects you after stopping.) Might you have food allergies? I have several and soya gave me a very bad reaction with all over rashes and puffiness. However anti histamines cleared it. Took two weeks but it went.

I had only to go near the window in summer sunlight, let alone sunshine and I had the red rashes on my face and anywhere exposed. I tolerated Sulpha as it was May to September it happened and the rest of the time I was fine. Sulpha was a decent med for me. I know nothing about Hydroxy and rashes. Do contact your rheumy/nurse and show them over the phone or send a pic via email if you can context them that way . Maybe you could ask to talk to a dermatologist and show them over the phone if not able to get to a FTF appointment at the mo. Do tell the rheumy the rashes are very bothersome and affecting you. Good luck. 💗

[EnglishRose63 in reply to Neonkittie17]

Hi Neonkittie, I don't tend to go in the sun much to be honest, it doesn't like me. I'm normally at work in the day. Not sure about food allergies so I'll keep a food diary. The rashes do go away after a couple of hours so I'll show the pics to rheumy and my gp, thanks 😁

[medway-lady]

I'd go back to GP but I know this sounds silly but it is true, my bedlinen goes to the laundry for years all went well, Then I got hot and itchy and though ah new medication. It was eventually proved to be laundry and changed the washing powder. It was my legs and arms that were affected as the rest of me had PJ's on. So worth changing soap etc and possibly staying out of the sun as AZA does make my skin very prone to sunburn I also had a fetching red pattern on one arm caused by sun through the lace arm pattern of my cardigans arm.

[EnglishRose63 in reply to medway-lady]

Hi Medway - lady, the rashes and itching only started after 4 weeks of taking hydroxychloroquine so I haven't thought about wash powder etc..

So many things to consider.. 🤔

[medway-lady in reply to EnglishRose63]

So easy to put everything down to a medication. I did but it was just co incidence and better to try common solutions before making a connection to a medication in my experience. I think GP should be able to help more I wonder about an allergy as you've been off the med for a while was my reasoning. Try not to cross knees as well s the heat might aggravate it too. Just a thought surely if it was an Celulitus GP would see it ? anyway best of luck and I'd go back as it does look very irritating.

[EnglishRose63 in reply to medway-lady]

Hi hun, yep the heat doesn't help, it's so hot in our house.

I need to let my gp see it but it's all telephone calls still, which is annoying because it's just not the same.

Onwards and upwards hey 😁

[medway-lady in reply to EnglishRose63]

Same here gone back to the 1960's but it does work well really, and ours do do video calls as well. But to be frank I think I'd keep on ringing to get another appoitment. Just a thought have you tried Deep Freeze lotion it cools instantly and might give a few hours relief.

[EnglishRose63 in reply to medway-lady]

Thanks guys I'll give anything a try 😘

[Dibbers in reply to EnglishRose63]

I was exactly the same, not long on sulfasalazine and I was itching all over. Turned out i was allergic to my washing tabs (a new fragrance of a brand I’ve used for years). Definitely worth a try as it’s a quick fix if it is!

[jbzm]

As everyone else says . . . a chat to Rheumy or try to show your GP via a video call? In the meantime, perhaps a quick word with the pharmacist for something topical? My mum used Aqueous Calamine Cream when she had shingles badly last year and she also uses it each time she has a CT scan with dye as she reacts to the dye! It seems to calm things a little. I know it won't give you any answers but it may help the itch.

[medway-lady in reply to jbzm]

Good idea and I had Shingles in 2019 they gave me Pregabalin as so painful and I used Deep Freeze lotion too.

[Amy_Lee]

Hi,

This happened to me at the early stage of mtx and steroid. I had a lot of side effects including this one. But slowly the swell wend off and most of the side effects disappeared after more than a year of treatment.

When I complaint to my rheumy of the side effects, she told me just to tolerate them and let her monitored my liver. My liver indicators went up more than 3 times the normal indicators, by then my condition was almost under good control, my rheumy started to reduce mtx dosage. Few months before this, leflunomide was added to me, no additional side effects beside what I had got.

My rheumy did give me some cream to apply but no use at all. The rashes were on my hands and legs and they were very itchy. So I used whatever moisturizer that I could get hold of and I just patted my own skin regularly to reduce the itchiness. It was crazy but my rheumy said mtx would give me more benefits than the side effects. She said I would have my life back to continue with mtx.

A year and a half of treatment, mtx and leflunomid, was added a year after mtx, I have been in remission since. I have my life back. I am glad that I followed her instruction very closely to get myself back at this stage.

I hope you will have your life back.

Amy

[EnglishRose63]

Thanks for all your replies 😘

Still itching but I'm using aloe vera gel with tea tree and it's fab. Going to go back on hydroxychloroquine as the jount pains have returned. I think I'll stay off sulfa and see how it goes with just hydroxy x