Shot 13 and just got the "RIBA rash"

[Hepcwife926]

Any suggestions for my husband? I have two little boys with excezma so we already have tons of sensitive skin ointments/ creams in the house- just wondering what works best for this? Hooray for no more incevik though!! 2 days without it and he's already so much happier!

[indy531]

My derm prescribed Clobetasol gel, a powerful cortosteriod gel-works great, esp for inflammation under the epidermis. I also use Nivea cream oil and Dove  sensitive body wash.

[indy531]

I've had the rash since day 2 of tx; it just moves around from 1 place to another as I get the meds on it to control it.

[Advocate1955]

My husband's experience was that he got the Incivek rash around week 1-2 of treatment, and it lasted about 5 weeks or so.  It was very red, had some welts, and had some small blisters.  In looking at the photos and showing it to the NP, it was described as moderate.  She gave him two prescriptions for it Hydroxyzine  HCL, 25 mg, 1 – 2 tablets every 6 hours as needed Triamcinolone, 0.025% OINT, twice per day as needed).  He had the Riba rash during two previous treatments, but the Incivek was noticeably different (red, welts, some small blisters).  It wasn't "severe" because it didn't cover a large portion of his body at any one time.  It started in one area, stayed there a few days, cleared up, and then started in another area.  The two medications helped and drinking water helped.  
The riba rash, at least in my husband's case, has been noticeably different from the Incivek rash.  It is a "finer" rash, no welts or blisters, not as red, but itchy.  Keeping the skin moisturized and drinking lots of water seems to help.  People have suggested using hypoallergenic type products such as detergents and soaps.
Best wishes,
Advocate1955

[beeblessed]

LOVE your Jumanji reference!!!  That is a perfect description of the ups and downs and changes in side effects :)

[beeblessed]

Congrats to your hubby for enduring for so long.  Great advice above.  Another thing I have seen in this forum and that also helped me, is to sleep "cooler."  These rashes seem to be worse at night because we are under the covers and our body heat surrounds us.  Breatheable cotton sheets help.  Since you do have kid's ointments.......lots of people here have mentioned that diaper rash creams also really helped.

Best,
Bee

[Hepcwife926]

Thanks he was itching like crazy this morning- he wouldn't let me look at it- but now I will check it.

[pooh55811]

I agree that the photos look the same. I am not sure how they know which drug is causing it unless it develops the vesicles and all the stuff that goes with a severe Inc. rash.

I got my rash at about week 10. I am at week 24 and I still have it. The drugs clear it up in one area (but it takes a while) but then it moves next door so I have a constantly changing rash pattern. My derm doc said it is most likely an allergic type reaction to the Riba. My rash was pretty generalized, about like the Incivek "moderate" rash. I am pretty sick of it, lol.

[skiyaltr]

This is great advice.  The look on my docs face was Wednesday was alarming.  He said the same thing about it getting out of control quickly.  These drugs really upset the body's immune system.

I would say the rash has been the worse.  Remember the movie jumanjii?  That is what the treatment is like.  You think what you have is bad, then around the next corner.......

The positive side that these drugs also are working.

[skiyaltr]

it may still be leftover from the incivek, or riba; the pictures looks the same to me.  It is worth it to schedule a dr appointment as soon as possible.

I picked up the itches at week 7 and rash week 8 of triple tx with incivek.  Still have it on week 9, but better.

I used aveeno baths and lotion; alpha keri bath oil; gold bond lotion; benedryl.  Got a prescription for atarax and a few days later fluocinonide.  Remember they help with the symtoms but do not treat the cause.  If it was incivek, then hopefully that part of the cause is going away.  

Congratulations on your husband completing 12 weeks of incivek.  That is great and having you on-line here is awesome.

Hope the days ahead are great and the rash fades into the sunset.

[Hepcwife926]

Does the oatmeal bath help? I also found Aquaphor works great on my youngest - anyone try that? I know- he thought he escaped the rash.

[pooh55811]

How bad is the rash? How much of the body does it cover? Does it all run together or are there separate scattered red bumps?

If the rash is really bad, covers the entire body, or has vesicles or ulcers, then he should go to the emergency room.

Unforunatelyy it is the weekend. If the rash is just starting, then he could try Hydrocortizone cream and benadryl orally at night (if that is okay with his doctor). He could also try zyrtec in the morning if that is okay with his doc. If the doc is available on the weekend, you could call him/her. Otherwise, on Monday he or you should call his doctor and let the doctor know about this rash and how bad it is. He may need some prescription meds like fluocinonide ointment and hydroxyzine tablets. They work much better than the over the counter stuff (the over the counter stuff did not even phase my rash or the itching).

Here are a couple of site with photos of Incivek rash and Riba rash:

http://www.incivek.com/hcp/assess-and-manage-rash

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2010/10/skin-rash-during-chronic-hepatitis-c.html

The rash can get out of control rapidly so be sure to keep a good eye on it and call the doc this weekend if possible or on Monday (and if it is already bad, he should go to the ER).

Hope this helps.

[mapx]

That and is amazing that he went 13 weeks,I have always had rash from week 1 and 2..It seems to help to use aveno lotion, and i use gold bond powder and my Hepatolgist ordered me betamoodethasone lotion..but I have good luck with walgreens brand aveno with oatmeal.