Skin irritations???

[Musiclady18]

Hello everyone a quick question. Currently on 15 mgs of prednisone since June 1, 2019 and have noticed itchy skin every so often................mostly on my hands ???? Anyone else experiencing that???

[Hidden]

Hi Musiclady

Have you noticed that your skin is drier? Is there any rash, if not extra hand cream especially overnight 🌷

[Musiclady18 in reply to Hidden]

No haven't noticed the dryness, just that it seems to get itchy in one area and then I itch and itch then the spot gets raw it almost appears to be like a bite?? Showed my GP and she said looks like an allergic reaction to something but that was it????? I thought she'd tell me what to do???? But ............???? Oh well she's just convinced that I have PMR, after 7 mths and 2 rheumys...........originally she said I should go to the gym, lift weights and take tylenol arthritis?????

[Hidden in reply to Musiclady18]

You could show it to your Pharmacist & maybe try 0.5% or 1% of hydrocortisone cream if it is an allergy, l have a little spot of eczema that crops up on my finger from time to time & usually the hydrocortisone is out of date, so l have to buy another one, but that clears it up.

It’s very annoying when they say it’s an allergy & don’t offer any advice. Try your Pharmacist & mention you are in Prednisone, he may recommend something for you.

You may well find your skin does become dryer on the Pred.

Good Luck 🍀

MrsN

[Musiclady18 in reply to Hidden]

Once again thank you MrsNails and this forum what an awesome resource to those of us new to PMR!

[Hidden in reply to Musiclady18]

Happy to Help 🌷

[Hidden]

Last year i had an itchy spot on the palm at the base of the thumb and scratched it until it was a a red irritated mess. I used HC cream. Since then I have had 2 periods of itching that flared up in all different parts of my body. I got a double base gel on the advice of several members and it seems to be helping as no 2 to 3 week periods of itchiness since. Of course as soon as you discuss itching it starts again. 🤣🤣🤣

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Yes, I do, especially if I use a nail scissors it itches where the ring bit pressed on my thumb!! Most bizarre

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Nickel?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Never thought of that - but it is only where there is a pressure mark and I have never noticed with anything else.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Nail scissors are often stainless steel but could have nickel in. I also wondered if it was a circulation thing as it was in the coldest weather mine itched. Maybe scissor cuts circ for a moment​ or two and releasing pressure itches..

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Well, I SAY nail scissors - but they are actually my uni dissection scissors so extremely high quality stainless steel ...

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Hopefully no nickel in those!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

But best of all - they cut!

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Just checked nickel usually an alloy in Austenitic stainless steel as well as chromium and iron (of course). And that's the end of me researching stainless steel from its founding city.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Haha - well if YOU don't know ...

[piglette]

I get itchy hand for no reason, normally on the back in the thumb area. There is nothing to show why it is itching. I am very bemused by it.

[SheffieldJane]

I have had itchy palms often enough to think that I am coming into money. Nothing to see except a tiny little circle of dry skin - like a pin head.

[Hidden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Well it starts that way...🌝🤣🤣🤣

[HeronNS]

I personally think itching would be helped by pred. Is there anything else new you are doing or taking other than pred? Any other new medication? If it gets worse, even if you use good lotion or cream with no added fragrance in it, you might want to check you are not actually allergic to the pred or another new med.

[Musiclady18 in reply to HeronNS]

Nothing new I can think of ???? I'll just keep on thinking, thanks HeronNS!

[Blearyeyed]

It may be an allergic reaction , not necessarily to the Pred , but something else that you may not have realised you have been in contact with.

Even , as you say , it could have been a little bite .

Some skin irritation , dryness or fragility can happen when taking steroids but the affects of it only usually quite so immediate , it takes time for the drying effect for steroids to have on your skin , and you have only been on steroids since the beginning of June.

You may be having a mild reaction in your skin to just beginning steroids , not because you are allergic , but because your body is still adjusting to the drug and the itching on your hand is a sign of that.

You may have had some sort of underlying skin issue before starting the steroids and this is a sign that they are actually drawing out and treating that inflammation as well as the PMR.

Have they suggested that you take piriton or another antihistamine or given you an antihistamine cream for a week or two until it settles?

It is probably a good idea to try and put on a cream with a zinc base to speed the healing if you have itched it raw , and maybe get some moisturising gloves so you can put on the cream at night and stop you rubbing your hands on anything that might irritate it more.

Begin using a good , fragrance free , hypoallergenic vitamin E and zinc moisturiser in general on your hands and body in case you are likely to someone whom suffers with more skin side effects .

Taking a vitamin supplement including vits A,D, E and K , magnesium , zinc, selenium and iodine helps your skin from the inside , along with more fluids.

Keep an eye on it , and for any other symptoms , and if it doesn't settle go back to the GP.

[Musiclady18 in reply to Blearyeyed]

No no suggestions my GP looked at the scratch and said looks like an allergic reaction and said nothing further ????? I think I was stunned that there was no further info given??? I have been on Pred since Dec 2018, got down to 2.5 mgs and now back up to 15 mgs beg of June, so I am thinking that upped dose of Pred might be the reason??? I did have itch previously but not as bad??

[Blearyeyed in reply to Musiclady18]

The that does make it sound like you had a recurring but mild skin allergy , food intolerance or health related skin issue that Pred may be attempting to work on but may not have the exact steroid profile to deal with.

I would suggest hydrocortisone cream but as the exact nature of it isn't known sometimes that can irritate as well .

The since cream allowed to dry in then moisture gloves at night followed by keeping it dry as possible and to the air is the Dermatology advice for healing most things even some of the real nasties. The oral antihistamine is often efficient.

Last , try taking gluten , sugar , dairy and yeast products out of your diet as it heals . Then add one food group back in at a time and see if you notice any general skin itching etc.

Good luck

[Casia]

Hi Musiclady, I developed itchy dry skin in 2 spots when on a higher dose of pred (15). My GP prescribed a good moisturiser which helped a bit but not entirely and eventually it disappeared on lower doses.

[Musiclady18 in reply to Casia]

Now you have touched on what might be my answer.....................I went up to 15 mg pred. beginning of June and voila...........the itch! Thanks! I hope to be starting the drop soon, started June 2nd, thinking of starting to drop after July 2nd by 10%.......we'll see!

[ClarkB]

I have dry itchy skin, and the itchiness is mainly on my hips which are very bony. I use unscented body oil there and on elbows and knees which don’t itch. My worst constant itchiness is on my left breast which has been there for about a month. I try to wear cotton, no bra at times and loose clothes. I use calendula cream, which helps in some instances, but only partially in this area. I also often wake up with red, hot cheeks too, but not itchy. I wonder if it could be something to do with the blood? I think I must be the most ‘ignorant’, non medical/scientific person on this forum, so I can’t really give advice, only personal experiences!

[Telian]

Hi Musiclady.

I sympathise with you particularly on the hands as it's difficult to manage with washing up etc. always use rubber gloves. If like me you don't like wearing gloves for housework the disposable ones are easier to wear for the washing up etc.

I have psoriasis which is well managed but occasionally get dry itchy patches. I use a low dose HC as required and always moisturise with Doublebase gel daily - it reduces the scaliness within a day or so but the regular moisturing keeps it at bay.

I don't know if the Pred adds to it as I had the skin condition immediately prior to diagnosis of GCA and PMR and the steroids actually cleared it up initially but it came back 5 months later when I got cancer.

Just keep an eye and don't let it spread before seeking professional help, Mine spread quickly and I was covered head to toe including face. It might not come to that but do moisturise everyday then if you have to go to the doctors you're a step ahead.

Buy some cotton gloves from the pharmacy and moisturise your hands well at night before bedtime, the gloves help to push the moisture back into the hands instead of drying on the skin surface. Don't use anything with perfume. The Doublebase is good and you can get it on 'script. Good luck.

5 years GCA/PMR

4mg Pred

[Musiclady18 in reply to Telian]

Thank you Telian!

[Stimpey]

Gosh we’re all so individual, the reactions to drugs and lotions and potions are so varied. I have had a patch of itchiness in my back which drives me mad, especially as it’s just below the shoulder blade where I can’t quite get to it. There’s nothing visible and I had thought nickel on bra straps but it’s only on one side and I stopped wearing bras (I’m a triple A so really no reason to!) but no change. Until I started Prednisolone, no itching, bliss, and then it started again when I got down to 25mgms. I can recommend an amazing cream fir broken skin, I use it in my students at college and we call it the Miracle Cream, it’s called Metanium and heals anything and everything, it’s totally waterproof, cheap and has never caused an allergic reaction, it’s a nappy rash cream so well tried and tested. I get it in the Boots babysection and it’s around £3, and will last forever. If I could buy shares in that company I would! Kills spots overnight and as it’s yellow it’s very disguising of redness. Brilliant for nappy rash too!

[Musiclady18]

That's what I love about this forum, so many people who respond.....................and freely giving advice as to what works for them so we can check it out! Thanks Stimpey! Now I have to see if I can get Metanium in Canada???? I would suggest a back scratcher for those impossible spots with the itch!

[katiemills]

Hi Musiclady18 I get very itchy skin on my hands and arms and sometimes my legs and scratch until I bleed 😩 . I also have an itchy patch on my back like Stimpey which I can't reach ( thank god for my OH) . I find bathing in Hydromol bath and shower emollient helps , as well as using double base cream and various E 45 creams . Sometimes I need to use stronger hydrocortisone cream too and take antihistamine tablets if it's driving me nuts ! I think I will buy some Metanium too.......thanks Stimpey !

[Musiclady18]

I love this forum for the info we can share with each other!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

In the early days of PMR, before pred, I itched a lot, especially in skin creases which easily got infected with yeast. The doctor gave me trimovate cream which worked amazingly well but it recurred.

Then I realised that it had improved - I'd cut carbs a lot to try to lose weight, couldn't exercise because of the PMR, so wasn't eating stuff made with flour. The next stage was realising that it returned when we had been to our flat in Italy - and had been eating pizza and pasta. I experimented and discovered it was products made with highly commercialised wheat. Not gluten - it was specifically wheat starch although I could eat spelt and kamut, also both forms of wheat. The rash I had was very similar in onset to the rash found in a form of coeliac disease - dermatitis herpetiformis.

At higher doses of pred I could eat small amounts - but if I eat wheat every day or in large amounts, I itch again!

[Musiclady18 in reply to PMRpro]

Interesting.....................yes that weight gain is ugh! Tiredness has me not walking as I used to, it is a real effort and this is from someone who could walk at least 45 mins a day. Between work, I teach the arts, music, dance and drama, and being "tired" i am having a hard time getting that exercise in................I try to keep moving during my school day! I hope with the soon to be break to exercise more so!

[Singr]

Yes, but mostly at night time when I lie down. It's so infuriating. Sometimes I can't get to sleep. I am told the skin is thinner due to steroids. I notice that and my skin bruises easily. When you started talking about it I started to scratch lol.

[Musiclady18]

amazing how the scratch starts with just a mention!! lol