Fungus, eczema, or infection?

[Redragon]

Hello. I'll try to make this as short and to the point as possible, as it does relate to a current skin problem. But I feel a need to explain the history of the past few months because I feel there could be some kind of a connection here. I don't have health insurance so I try to only go to a doctor when I really can't find a home remedy. Perhaps someone has some insight into a particular test or two I might get done to rule out or grab onto a theory of what my problems are relating to.

I had itching on my outer labia for about 9 months now. There is no visible rash. I went to a gynecologist who found a cyst on the wall of the vagina. The cyst was lanced and returned shortly thereafter. Had minor surgery to remove the cyst. He prescribed an antibiotic (eurothrymycin), which caused me to have severe neck and jaw pain. Right around that time I began having itching of the eyelid. I went to a dermatologist who prescribed a weak corticosteroid cream (he thought it was contact dermatitis). The cream sort of helped but I eventually went to an opthamologist who said it was blepharitis. He prescribed bacitracin which gave me an allergic reaction causing my eyes to swell shut. So I took a very expensive eyedrop called azasite which cleared the infection up. Right around the time I started the prescription I developed an itchy red rash that forms in small splotches on my inner thighs, back, arms, and face. The gynecologist said it might be ringworm (it doesn't look like ringworm to me -not circular enough), so he had me take three pills of diflucan  over three days and use a cream called nystatin. A couple of the spots have turned from red to brown, but they still itch(it's been about 2 weeks of treatment). The rest of the rash is rather stubborn and won't let up.

I am wondering if any or all of these symptoms could indicate an underlying systematic infection such as staph? Or perhaps an auto-immune disorder (my aunt has fibromyalgia and both her and I have both had vulvar vestibulitis which is a rare disease affecting the skin of the vulva - I had vestibulectomy 10 years ago to remove the problem). I am inclined to believe that even if it is as simple as eczema, there is a root cause which I need to discover to prevent future illnesses. Are there any tests in particular anyone can suggest that I have done to come closer to finding an answer to these bizzare seemingly unrelated symptoms? It could just be heat rash I guess, or an allergy. The other thing I have had in mind for awhile is that maybe I have too much toxicity in the liver for some reason and it is manifesting as skin lesions.

Sorry for going on so long. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

The symptoms you have noted here appear to be symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions. Patients with a strong family history of autoimmune diseases may manifest with other symptoms which may be related to allergies and other hypersensitivity reactions.

I do not think this is a bacterial infection or a staphyloccocal infection. This may be a hypersensitivity reaction or a dermatitic skin condition. I do not think there are further tests that may be needed here. The skin conditions appeared to have responded to the medications. Fungal infections and dermatitis are chronic and they may recur.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
To determine whether an eczema flare is the result of an allergen, a doctor may test the blood for the levels of antibodies and the numbers of certain types of cells. In eczema, the blood may show a raised IgE or an eosinophilia.
The blood can also be sent for a specific test called Radioallergosorbent Test (RAST) or a Paper Radioimmunosorbent Test (PRIST). In the test, blood is mixed separately with many different allergens and the antibody levels measured. High levels of antibodies in the blood signify an allergy to that substance.
Occasionally, the diagnosis may also involve a skin biopsy which is a procedure that removes a small piece of the affected skin that is sent for microscopic examination in a pathology laboratory.Fungal infections too can be diagnosed this way.
Blood tests and biopsies are not always necessary for eczema diagnosis. However, doctors will at times require them if the symptoms are unusual, severe or in order to identify particular triggers.
Aoto-immune diseases can present as rashes sometimes but they will be associated with other symptoms.
In your cade it could be an allergy/eczema.For the itching you can take anti-histamines and continue applying the corticosteroid ointment over the stubborn lesions.
ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema