Husband has recurring rash on sides.

[moonchick541]

My husband had the flu 5 yrs. ago and ran a very high fever. He took meds and went to bed, when he got up his fever had broken.  A few days later he broke out in a red rash on his sides, it then spread to his arms, back and chest.  He went to doctor, was given a shot and meds.  Now every 2-3 months it breaks out again.  Sometimes on his legs, other times on his stomach, sides, arms....we never know where next.  He always ends up back at the doctor getting a shot to make it dry up along with a cream for the itching.  Does anyone know what this could be and what we can do to stop it?  It use to be every 4-5 months but now it's every 5-6 weeks and our doctor has know idea what it is or why it keeps returning.  Any help would be great!

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
This sounds like an allergy rash. When an irritant comes into contact with your body, your immune system sends chemicals, including histamine, to fight it. The sudden spike in histamine levels can cause an outbreak of rash in the upper layers of the skin.
This can be in the form of itchy red bumps or circular welts called hives.

The most common triggers are certain foods like eggs, shellfish, nuts, berries, dyes, or other additives and  drugs (any drug can touch off an allergic reaction, although allergies to penicillin, sulfa, and aspirin are especially common)
Pollens and plants (nettles, poison ivy, poison oak, and so on),  exposure to heat, cold, or sunshine can also cause them to appear.

The drug which brought on the rash will not be responsible at this stage for the outbreak. Since he has an allergic predisposition he could be reacting to any number of things in his environment. It is impossible in some patients to zero in on the exact cause.

Allergies can just disappear on their own or a person may have to live with it for a life-time. It depends on your genetic make-up. Allergy testing to find out the cause can be done but this will be only to a limited number of triggers.

Treatment is usually with anti-histamines/ steroid medications to control the inflammation.
Anti-pruritic( anti-itch) lotions/creams will provide relief from the itching when the rash does occur.

ref:http://www.myonlinewellness.com/topic/hivestreatment