Reducing Pred and awful itching rash developed...

[essujay]

My husband has GCA but all seems to be going well and has been doing the very slow reduction process successfully. He is down to 3mg now then 4 weeks ago developed an itchy patch on one arm followed by the same thing on the other arm and it has just gone on spreading all over his body. The itching is driving him mad and stopping him sleeping. Saw a doc at the practice yesterday who prescribed antihistamine and hydrocortisone cream and said it was probably an allergy. Has anyone experienced a rash as part of orex reduction? Just a thought....Nothing has changed in diet or washing powder or shower gel etc . Just wish it would go and he could get some rest...Anyone got any advice please ?

[jinasc]

I do not know of OREX....... can you enlighten me please.

I cannot find the list, but I do remember that in the 83 listed known side effects of pred, itchiness is one of them, but they have a posh name for it.

If he is taking enteric coated pred, wash the dye off, sometimes that can be a cause.

If taking uncoated you need to get an appointment with Dermatology at your nearest specialist hospital.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to jinasc]

Is OREX a finger slip of PRED?

That’s what I assumed. Shouldn’t assume!

Doubt it’s this, but drugs.com/answers/what-is-t...

[jinasc in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I put it in my search engine and could not make sense of it so I asked the question.

Then it said 'Sothema' so I looked at that and that is a manufacturing company in Morrocco..........I gave up at that stage.

[essujay in reply to jinasc]

Sorry that orex was my mis-typing. It should be "pred"

[stellafmdm in reply to essujay]

Thanks for a great laugh essuajay!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha

[Hidden in reply to essujay]

Hahahahahahahaha

[Soraya_PMR]

Is he known to be allergic to anything? Sometimes food ingredients are changed without notice.

(I’m allergic to artificial sweeteners, and drinks I used to be ok with have had sugars removed and AS added, something to do with the impending ‘sugar tax’ I suppose. But there’s never any package flash to state ‘new formulation’. Imagine if they did that with nuts or gluten!)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Not just food ingredients - new improved formula washing detergents are a nightmare!!!

[Soraya_PMR in reply to PMRpro]

True. However since son number 2 (who had bronchiolitis as a 6 week old and dreadful excema) I am very mean with washing powder, only use half what they recommend. Never use conditioner, and used to double rinse baby clothes. His allergy was actually cow’s milk protein, so the solution was for me to stop eating/drinking it. But I stuck with the washing precautions for safety. He’s 25 now and no asthma or excema since.

[HeronNS]

When I got down to a really low dose I developed an itchy rough patch very similar to what I've had off and on (mostly off) most of my adult life. I assume it is part of the inflammatory disease which includes PMR. I caught it quickly with feeble otc hydrocortisone ointment then have kept it under control with (food grade) hemp oil. Can't use the ointment long because when stopping it I get a rebound reaction and the affected area spreads, so I prefer alternative treatment. I know it gets better with increased pred dose as it did clear up when I increased my dose for a while last year.

Now that I've thought about it for a bit I wonder if it's a warning to slow down pred reduction?

[SheffieldJane]

Hi essujay, that is a puzzler and possibly completely coincidental. I remember when I was first diagnosed , I was given a prescription for Tramadol. This was before it dawned on me that nothing except Pred eases PMR pain. I used to get incredible deep tormenting itching, no rash though. Tramadol was the culprit.

It would be odd to react to Pred on such a low dose and at this stage. I wonder if Pred has been suppressing another condition like Psoriasis. Mine has certainly flared up since I got below about 10 mgs. It was gone really on the higher doses.

[Hidden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Pred has definitely been keeping my seasonal Psoriasis at bay.. by this time into winter I am usually covered with it, but not this year!

Another silver lining!!!!

[SheffieldJane in reply to Hidden]

I had an annoying little ( pin head) dry patch on my lip for years that I tried everything for, Pred = gone. Sshhh!

[Hidden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[shazstep]

Hi essujay, I am still trying to work out my itchiness. I have dry skin anyway. I was no longer on prednisolone but now on Actemra. My dry skin has increased since I have been on Actemra. About 2 weeks ago I felt I was coming down with the flu. It was not the flu, I came out in a rash and itching all over the body. I was put on antihistamines. I have not had them for the last 2 days. I am unsure weather in my case it is coming off preds or going on Actemra. I go back on the Actemra next week and once again come off preds.

The Dr was unwilling to do skin biopsy at this stage.

[jinasc in reply to shazstep]

Take a look at Double Base Cream or Gel.

Celtic recommended it to me when I was having problems with dry and itchy skin.

It works and I still do not use any soap or shower stuff and wash my hair with Johnson's Baby Shampoo. 12 years and skin till fine.

You can get it on prescription as you are on Pred. I don't both as I don't mind paying for it. I have had my contributions to the NHS for 45 years, back in spades and I think I now owe them a whole lot of money. I never ever wanted any of it back................but stuff happens.

[essujay in reply to shazstep]

Oh shazstep I do hope your rash problem clears up quickly too. It's frustrating when it is difficult to pinpoint the cause isn't it. Good luck !

[PMRnewbie2017]

Is your husband taking any other medicines? Skin rashes and itchiness are side effects of many meds and even if documented as rare, if you're the unlucky one, that's of little comfort. I refused Omeprazole because of it's side effects and long term usage issues and take an occasional Ranitidine. A few days ago I woke up scratching my arms. No rash just really itchy. Also out of the blue I got cramp in my calves 30 mins into my twice daily dog walk. Told Rheumy who thinks I have possible claudication (GCA related). I haven't taken any Ranitidine for two days and guess what. No itching and legs perfect.!! Skin and muscle issues are rare side effects. Worryingly, vasculitis is documented as a very rare side effect of Ranitidine as well. Interesting!

Re the antihistamine cream. Please don't over use as they cause rebound itchiness once you stop them.

You could try moisturiser for your husbands skin. Dryness will cause itching, but try to avoid products containing Lanolin as I have found that if the skin is already "under stress" lanolin can cause the itching to worsen.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Interesting re ranitidine.

[essujay in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Thanks for all those interesting POINTS PMRnewbie2017

[Toenti]

Hi, I developed a terrible itchy rash all over my body. Came to the conclusion that it was caused by the 1mg prednisolon tablets I ordered from the UK. Probably the binding agent they use. Bad, as I was trying to reduce in small steps, which is difficult to do with 5mg tabs.(in the Netherlands they only do 5mg) The rash took several weeks to fade away.

Hope my experience can help you.

All the best.

Edith

[jinasc in reply to Toenti]

Toenti

If those 5mg are NOT enteric coated, a pill cutter will give you 2.5mg which may help you.

[Toenti in reply to jinasc]

Yes, I have been doing that. I even cut them in quarters.

Thank you

[jinasc in reply to Toenti]

Brilliant and once again I am 'teaching my Grandmother to suck eggs'. North of England saying.

[essujay]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and giving us some things to consider... .My husband also takes Ramipril and Metformin for type 2 diabètes. The pharmacy have recently ,about a month ago, changed the brand of Metformin they give him and after reading some of your comments we wonder if that could be the cause of this flare up.I rang the surgery this morning to ask about this and was told that it will be ok to stop the Metformin for 10 days and we if rash fades at all.

So new routine from this morning - no metformin , going easy on the hydrocortisone cream just once a day and using the other Doublebase Gel in between times

Thank you all again for your responses and support..it really helps .

[Arleneh]

I got down to 1 mg after Christmas and came out in itchy rash on my head which drove me crazy. I also had itchy patches on various parts of my body. As well as that the skin between all my fingers appeared to have severe dermatitis... the skin was raw red and broken. The skin on my feet too was affected. I had to increase my dose a few weeks ago due to recurring neck pain and lo and behold all the rashes have gone. Prior to this I have never had eczema or any skin problems.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Whatever it is it could have started anytime but the pred was damping down the allergic reaction before. Hope stopping the metform helps - when in doubt always blamce a change in medication until proven otherwise...