Sore and blisters on hands and feet

[larry650]

I have developed sores on my hands and feet. I am HIV positive and Hep C. Any answres? I was thinking porphyria cutanea.........

[wyntre9]

You're UND already!    Congrats!

That ALMOST balances out the PCT thing.  I'm not entirely sure of what that is, except for what I've read here.  Are the meds the cause of the condition?

wyntre

[COURSONW]

I got my lab results back. The good news is that after 5 weeks I am clear of hep c. The bad news is that I have PCT and my iron levels are off the scale. I have been able to control the blisters and pain with topical creams. I am going to ask for blood to be drawn off after Christmas. This seems to be the only way to reduce the iron. I don't think I can last another 14 weeks without some releif. This PCT thing is pretty scarry. Shortness of breath red skin and sores. Any comments would be great before I see the Doctor.

[larry650]

I am glad you are on the road to recovery. I, too, am healing but it is a slow process. Be strong and focus on the holidays ahead..............Best Regards To All, Lawrence

[COURSONW]

Wow, Today I feel so much better. I have done the cream now for 24 hours and the strong antihistamine for 24 hours. I can't belive how worn out I was from all the itching which would end up as pain by the end of the day. I will be carful about getting it on my face or other parts. I just wish I had this stuff two weeks ago. They say theres no gain without pain. If thats the truth I should be getting very well.
I was pouring benadryl on myself and taking about four pills a day and it didn't even slow down the itching just made me crazy.

[jmjm530]

Glad you're getting some relief. That shampoo for you head (Olux foam maybe?) should help a lot. It's good that they're running the "steroid" pill by your treatment doc as some meds can be bad for the liver and/or treatment. Did they give you any steroids for your face? If so, only use them as directed -- never any more -- and certainly never anythng stronger than prescribed on the face -- because misuse of steroids on the delicate facial skin can result in major problems including steroid rosascea. For that reason, make sure you wash your hands well after applying the Clobetasol Cream and wash them again if you touch a body part later, so you will not inadvertently transfer Clobetasol from hand to face. Hope you feel better soon.

-- Jim

[wyntre9]

Glad you saw the Dr.

Steroids will help with the itching if it's unbearable.

OTC benadryl also works great.  I know that from the time i went hiking and mistook a clump of innocuous friendly looking plants for biodegradable tissue.

It might help to take it at night and will aid with sleep, as well.

wyntre    

ps - I've gone through almost an entire 50-pair pack of latex-free gloves in 2 weeks.   I cut the tips off so I can type.  When i go out, i put a pair of winter gloves over them.  i don't give a darn what it looks like anymore.

[COURSONW]

Went to the derm. today and he cut a peice of tissue from my back for the lab. I want get the results back for a week. He did give me some rx for Clobetasol skin cream and shampoo a powerful steroid. Also gave me rx for Hydroxyzine HCL for itching. To soon to know if any of this $80.00 of stuff will bring any releif. But it does giver me something to work with and atleast I feel like I am doing something.
They wanted to give me some steriod pill but both doctors had to talk about this and I haven't heard back from them yet.

[wyntre9]

OMG!

That looks painful!

wyn

[COURSONW]

I am so glad to hear others are having the same problems, I thought I was going to die from this stuff and that I was the only one with this problem. My gastro. doesn't act as if this is any concern but then his back and chest is not all broken out. My scalp feels like I have a helmet of dried skin over it and I itch like crazy. I will be seeing dermo tommorrow and I will take him your suggestions. I am hanging in there in my seventh week of tx but I have got to get some help. My iron levels are three times what they should be. I have urine test coming back to check for pct. I have basicly stoped working with my hands and my mind is so foggy it's hard to make what I feel are good decissions. But I am hanging in there untill all the test come in.

[jmjm530]

If it looks like this (best not to view before a meal) then it may be Palmoplantar pustulosis, a form of psoriasis, which I had during treatment. Best to see a good dermatoloigst for diagnosis and treatment.

http://www.dermnetnz.org/scaly/palmoplantar-pustulosis.html

[larry650]

I walk around with Band-Aids too. I lie to my clients about what has happened. Now I say I burned my fingers at Thanksgiving. I must say I am clearing up with the Cholorquine but I have two fingers that look like I am a leper.......Good Luck & Stay Strong.........

[wyntre9]

I'm at week 52 of 72.  My hands are driving me nuts; every little bump or scrape turns into a painful sore.  Sometimes i walk around with a half dozen bandaids on my fingers.  

In desperation, I bought a box of latex free gloves and have taken to wearing them most of the day.  I slip them on after using mimmix skin cream.  

The winter weather seems to make skin sx worse.

wyntre

[larry650]

I have been on Cholorquine for three weeks. My blisters have disappeared and the sores are healing. I have two sores that hurt like heck. I have been using Rx Silver Sulfate oinment and it seems to being healing them. Over the counter oinments like A & D or Neosporin did nothing.My fingers hurt so bad it wakes me up at night. Right now I take Percocets to sleep. Try a low cholestrol, high carbs diet. It helps (like the Pritikin Diet). Good Luck, Lawrence

[COURSONW]

I feel from this information that I have PCT, My hands are so sore I can't work without plastic gloves with leather gloves over them. My back has red marks and my scalp is itching like crazy. I am four weeks into tx and was wondering if anyone has an idea on how to relive this Pain.

Doug

[Trinity4]

Yes, I did talk to him about it.  It's sort of like what comes first, the chicken or the egg.  He's going on the basis that tx will reduce iron henceforth, levels should drop.  I kind of agree with you about the phlebotomy but he wants to start tx asap because of liver damage so I have to hope he knows what he is doing.  He had 2 samples taken when I got my bx so he could check for hemochromatosis-bx showed hepatic iron index .4 which is normal level.  Ferritin level 783 - way high but he still didn't seem concerned.  WBC was low too 4.0  Anyway, I'm to the point where if tx works - hallaluja - if not it wasn't meant to be.  Head high, chest out and go for it.  Thanks for your post-I appreciate the info.
Take good care
Trinity

[alagirl]

Hi.  Remember that I'm not a doctor.  I do know though that there are options for chelating the iron out of your body.  I had a build up of iron (due to being overdosed on it by IV) and I was chelated using phlebotomy over a few weeks time.  You can't use this option during tx obviously because riba reduces the blood count.  However, you have a greater chance of successful tx with less iron in the liver I believe.  Have you spoken to yur doctor about this?  

[Trinity4]

Larry,

I have hepc and found out only a couple of months ago.  Ironically, I had an appt with a GI as I was having stomach problems.  While at the doc I mentioned how blisters were appearing on my hands as well as fragile skin when I hit my hands on something that normally wouldn't even show a red mark.  The skin was just peeling back like an apple.  He asked a bunch of questions and told me he thought I had prophyria cutanea tarda and that I could have been exposed to hepc.  I had a blood transfusion back in 71 and was the only way I thought I may have been exposed.  Well after a slew of blood tests and liver bx-sure enough-positive for hepc, stage 3 liver disease and I do have porphyria.  I will be treating soon with inf and riba but I'm no spring chicken and may not clear.  Doc seems to think if I treat for hep the porphyria will go away but I've read enough to know that it is caused by a build up of iron in the liver because damaged liver can't process the iron very well, hence the excess goes into the blood stream and appears as blisters, etc on the skin.   Never had symptom number one and if it weren't for my stomach I would have never known.  Turns out tummy was acid reflux and take nexium so all is well in that area.  If you have any doubts go to the dermo and he can biopsy the blister to tell you if it's PCT or not.  Good luck and take care good care of yourself.
Trinity

[alagirl]

Porphyria cutanea tarda would be my best guess.  Here's a link to other dermatological orders associaed with HCV along with photos:

http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic850.htm