Skin Rash/ Don't know what it is.

[Emy7]

For the past 3 weeks I have had a skin rash on my right arm. It appears to be red and blotchy and there are little red bumps all around it. It started out looking just like a pimple, and I bothered it alittle and then it spread all over my arm. At first my mom thought it was ringworm, but it spread much worse after that. I went to the doctors and they didn't know exactly what it was so they gave me some fungal cream and steriods to take away the itch. Didn't work. Went to the hospital and they disgnosed it as Shingles, which could be possible, but I have finished the medication that was perscriped and the rash is still the same, yet it's even worse. If anyone could put ANY insight into my problem at all, it would be greatly appericated. If you click on the links, they will lead you too the pictures of what is on my arm. THANKS!

Links to pictures of rash on my arm:

http://i26.tinypic.com/2dcisrk.jpg
http://i26.tinypic.com/5kikqt.jpg
http://i32.tinypic.com/2wojh1h.jpg
http://i30.tinypic.com/2n9xfds.jpg

[copado]

Listen to jessikaspaz.  get it cultured for MRSA

[Emy7]

Hey Vanessa,

I have been having this for about 3 weeks and a half now.
I do have allergies, I have allergies to medication such as Ibuprofen. And that's about all.
One of the doctor's suggested that it was a allergic reaction to the bandaids I was putting over it, but she gave me some fungal cream to put on it and it still has not gone away.

They have put me on some oral medications, but they were to prevent Shingles. That is what the hospital doctor diagnosed me with and I am not sure it is working.

I have never had Chicken pox or varicella before. I was vaccinated ever since I was a little baby.

Thanks for you help and any future help.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

For how long have you been having this ?
Do you have any known allergies?

I suggest that you have an internist check on the rash. This may be a fungal infection with an overlying dermatitis and bacterial infection. In the presence of these other conditions, it may take a long while for this skin condition to resolve.

You may need to take oral antibiotics for this. Microscopic evaluation  and culture of skin scrapings from the rash may be able to help establish the diagnosis.

Shingles follow a particular nerve distribution. This does not appear to be shingles. Shingles are clustered lesions or vesicles containing a clear fluid on an erythematous base. Have you had chicken pox or varicella before?

[jessikaspaz]

Get checked for MRSA