Nasty rash appeared

[Bowls70]

Another problem today! I woke up this morning to discover a horrible red sore rash under my left breast. It has worsened during the day. Is this related to steroids? Any ideas what it might be? I’ve looked online and think it may be a fungal rash like thrush.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It probably is thrush. But I had something similar with PMR before I ever went on pred - and it was cured by taking wheat out of my diet entirely. My GP gave me trimovate cream which achieved a miracle at the time. But not eating modern wheat did the trick too. I can eat French bread - made of a different sort of wheat - and moderate amounts of sourdough. It isn't gluten - I can eat spelt, kamut, barley, rye.

[Bowls70 in reply to PMRpro]

It’s really strange because I have never had an allergy to wheat before.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bowls70]

No, me neither. But it is probably part of the autoimmune aspect of PMR.

[jinasc]

If you take enteric coated tablets, wash the dye off..............sometimes you are OK with some of them and then your supplier is changed, they use another formula for the dye and bingo - you happen not to like it.

However do check out what PMRpro has said.

[SheffieldJane]

I would see your doctor because we can’t really fight these things like normal. What’s the betting you are prescribed a mild cortisone cream? Good luck!

[Blearyeyed in reply to SheffieldJane]

Agree SJ! And hope you are well sweetie xx

[SheffieldJane in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks Bee! Going through one of my hypochondriac phases where every symptom is sinister. I though PMR had cured me of that.

I hope that you are doing ok,

[Blearyeyed in reply to SheffieldJane]

Muddling on , thanks , bee x

[EdithWales]

I have it under both of them and it’s thrush. Very unpleasant and exacerbated because I have become so fat, or extra medium as my daughter describes it.

In olden days it would probably respond to talcum powder but I use the very mild cortisone cream. It comes and goes

🥂🥂

[sennetta]

Before you start doing complicated things to your diet, I would do something like apply a little sudocream to the rash and rub it in well. If there is an improvement then its unlikely to be an allergy as such - maybe just a sweat rash?

[AndrewT]

Dear Bowls70,

Please Don't think that I'm, in any way, Trying to scare you....I'm NOT. However, having read all the replies to date, it seems to me it's probably Thrush. However, without seeing it, I cannot be sure and, because of this, I recommend having this Professionally 'Looked At'. Almost certainly this Nothing To Worry About however, just for me, will you get this 'Checked' please? Your local Pharmacist is ALWAYS a good place to start- not a lot of People know this (cue Sir Michael Caine here) but Pharmacists are actually VERY well qualified. Indeed a 'Good Resource', often Overlooked.

I'm sure that you ARE 'Fine' but.....Can you reply, to me, telling me what a 'Stupid Old Man' I am please?

AndrewT

[Bowls70 in reply to AndrewT]

Sounds good advice to me. I have a neighbour who is a pharmacist but she was out yesterday! Will go to chemist this morning and take their advice. Still very red this morning but not quite as bad as yesterday!

[Bowls70 in reply to AndrewT]

Seen the pharmacist. Got clotrimazole cream. She is almost certain it’s thrush because it is starting to spread. Definitely not shingles! Probably as a result of reduced immunity in my body. Thank you for your advice

[Valnvaughan in reply to Bowls70]

Glad you got some “magic cream”. I have this sometimes. My GP advised drying the affected are after showering with a hairdryer. Seemed to work, been free of thrush for a while. Valerie

[AndrewT in reply to Bowls70]

Good News, ALL that Itching, Pain, Irritation and So Forth...is nothing to worry about! Thank you for 'Letting Me Know' Bowls.

AndrewT

[Blearyeyed]

Lots of good replies above.

Could be Thrush , Could be Allergies , Food Intolerance or even just that steroids can have a big effect on skin health .

Skin can become more fragile and can rub alot easier with steroids , in the position it is you bra or clothing may have rubbed the area and broken the surface , this can then be made worse if you are like many of us and suffer from the sweats or over heating at night as the skin rubs more , that in itself can be enough to cause nasty inflammation.

But you can also get an infection , bacterial or fungal in rubbed skin alot easier with this illness because you can have suppressed immunity , and sometimes even your sugar balance being altered can add to the speed an infection spreads in the skin, especially if it's Thrush.

I would get an appointment , as others have said , at the GP and establish what type of rash it is and get appropriate medication and cream if required.

Until then keep it clean and dry , loose clothing or add some cotton under your bra cup and strap to protect the rash and keep it dry.

If you can lie on the bed for a while and leave the area open to the air after a shower before putting on ointment ( with a sheet for modesty if you need it!) that will help speed up healing.

Get a cream like Epaderm , or zinc based emollient , rub some in twice a day and a generous amount at night, and allow it to dry well before putting on clothes so that it doesn't rub more, until you see the doctor , and take the cream you are using to show the GP , they may already be happy with your choice .

Good luck with it , Bee xx

[AndrewT in reply to Blearyeyed]

Very Good Advice, Bea.

[Soraya_PMR]

Likely thrush. Do you have some Canesten to hand? That’ll tide you over til you see the doc. Then consider cutting out sugars.

[Sandradsn]

I would definitely get it checked.I've recently had shingles which was nasty.It started as a very painful sore rash around my waist.I felt flu like with it as well.

[Kaaswinkel]

Are you sure you are not suffering from shingles. If it is shingles it usually is painful, a stripe following your ribs,

And does not cross the midline to the other side. After a few days you get blisters. If in doubt get your doctor to look at it....Alida

[PMRpro Ambassador]

To add to Bee's suggestions - when you dry yourself after a shower, use your hairdryer to dry under your boobs or other creases that potentially may suffer too (in the goin is another area) to be sure the skin is properly dry. I seem to remember someone saying they used pantyliners tucked into their bra to be sure the area remained dry.

[Bowls70 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you again. Wow this forum is wonderful! Seen the pharmacist. Got clotrimazole cream. I will keep area dry.

[Riversnan]

This is very interesting, I have had a rash which was first diagnosed as shingles, but it wasn’t as painful as shingles. It moved to my other side so wasn’t shingles.

I went back to doc who said it was probably an allergy, I had a steroid cream prescribed and was told don’t take it until you have tried antihistamine and unfortunately I can’t find where I put it now.

This is peculiar as it comes and goes but it reapears when I get hot, so it sounds as if I have the same thing.

Thank you for posting as I feel that this has helped me too, and many thanks to all you lovely people who replied it’s so good to have you out there.

Riversnan

[S4ndy]

I get this quite often. As a preventative I use medicated talc and cotton wool under my boobs, my bra hold it in place. My bras are cotton too. Always dry carefully after shower too. So might be an idea once the rash is better. I was particularly bad in last summer's hot weather. Hope it heals soon as can be very uncomfortable xxx

[nuigini]

I get the same thing off and on and believe it to be thrush. I have a prescription for a 1:1 compound cream of hydrocortisone and nystatin which clears it up in a day or two. I also get it in my groin on a random basis, not necessarily at the same time.

In my case, I don't think it's a wheat thing as I've been on a gluten free, celiac diet for 5 months and I've had the issue recently. I never had it before PMR and prednisone.

[Bowls70 in reply to nuigini]

Yes. Mine is thrush too. Hopefully it will clear up in a few days and like you I have never had it before PMR and prednisone

[Noosat]

Just before I was diagnosed with PMR I was diagnosed with shingles. I thought I had been bitten by an insect until it spread. If you have had chicken pox, you still have the virus latent in your body. I think when my immune system ceased to function correctly, it opened the doorway for the shigles virus. I hope this does not apply to you, but just a suggestion that you check with your M.D,

[PMRdaughter]

Go to your Family Doctor. A rash on the breast is always something to take serious.

[Marilyn1959]

Thank you for posting. I have this too and just thought it was the consequence of my bobs hanging south as I haven't been wearing bra for a few months due to shoulder op. Will now get it check out at GP surgery. Many thanks.