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hep c & cirrhosis
I have had hep c for a long time i am in stage 4 liver disease. 3 days ago i have broken out with a bad rash & its spreading itching horrible & it feels like sand paper. going to dermo monday.horrible patches all over. does anyone know if this is a sign that the liver is giving out. friend has psoriasis & says thats what it is. any info on this would be greatly appreciated
thank you
gia38
thank you
gia38
gia38:
More likely than not your rash is something benign -- I hope it is, and I hope I did not alarm you with my "rash" response! The other posters responded with much more common sense and rationale than I did.
Everyone else:
Thanks for stepping in and airing the voices of reason! :) Definitely posted an over-reactive knee-jerk response -- got careless and inadvertently overfilled my hep c box -- thanks for helping me clean up my messiness.
Passes bons bons to everyone. ~eureka
More likely than not your rash is something benign -- I hope it is, and I hope I did not alarm you with my "rash" response! The other posters responded with much more common sense and rationale than I did.
Everyone else:
Thanks for stepping in and airing the voices of reason! :) Definitely posted an over-reactive knee-jerk response -- got careless and inadvertently overfilled my hep c box -- thanks for helping me clean up my messiness.
Passes bons bons to everyone. ~eureka
I put so much stuff in my hep c box - that now I can't find my hep c. How cool is that?
Have you perhaps switched laundry soap or something that could be causing an allergy? although we tend to put everything into the HepC box most often things aren't even related.
I hope you have a good hep doc - you will need him & a dermo at times.
I hope you have a good hep doc - you will need him & a dermo at times.
From my experience, I am almost positive you do not have Porphyria Cutanea Tarda.
PCT does not usually cover the body and presents with blister like lesions that break out primarily on the hands and arms but can be seen on other parts of the body. It is not like a rash but rather watery blisters; some can become quite large but there is no itching and when the fluid is released it leaves a deep lesion which heals slowly. Also, the skin becomes very fragile and tears easily.
Trinity
PCT does not usually cover the body and presents with blister like lesions that break out primarily on the hands and arms but can be seen on other parts of the body. It is not like a rash but rather watery blisters; some can become quite large but there is no itching and when the fluid is released it leaves a deep lesion which heals slowly. Also, the skin becomes very fragile and tears easily.
Trinity
I am sure your doc will be able to to determine the cause of your itching. Here is some brief info on the difference between psoriasis and pruritus.
Psoriasis:
Psoriasis is easy to spot. It appears as dry patches on your skin. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes on a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp, palms of hands and soles of feet, and genitals. If you scratch it will appear red and may bleed. Also the degree to which it appears varies over time. But it will come back in the same places. Just Google Psoriasis pics and you will see what the patches look like.
Itching due to advanced liver disease:
Recent studies (2008) are showing that dermatologic manifestations, and pruritus in particular, may be the only sign of chronic HCV, it is important that health care professionals be aware of extrahepatic dermatologic manifestations, of which pruritus is an example. Experts believe pruritus in people with liver disease is due to the
accumulation of toxins (such as bilirubin) that are not effectively processed or filtered by the damaged liver. One function of the liver is the production of bile, which helps
digest fats. Cholestasis, or blockage of the flow of bile through the liver, can result in a build-up of bile acids and bilirubin in the blood. High bilirubin levels cause jaundice
(yellowing of the skin and eyes), and pruritus is common in people with jaundice. Certain extrahepatic (outside the liver) conditions associated with HCV, such as autoimmune conditions, may also lead to itching.
Best of luck
HectorSF
Psoriasis:
Psoriasis is easy to spot. It appears as dry patches on your skin. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes on a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp, palms of hands and soles of feet, and genitals. If you scratch it will appear red and may bleed. Also the degree to which it appears varies over time. But it will come back in the same places. Just Google Psoriasis pics and you will see what the patches look like.
Itching due to advanced liver disease:
Recent studies (2008) are showing that dermatologic manifestations, and pruritus in particular, may be the only sign of chronic HCV, it is important that health care professionals be aware of extrahepatic dermatologic manifestations, of which pruritus is an example. Experts believe pruritus in people with liver disease is due to the
accumulation of toxins (such as bilirubin) that are not effectively processed or filtered by the damaged liver. One function of the liver is the production of bile, which helps
digest fats. Cholestasis, or blockage of the flow of bile through the liver, can result in a build-up of bile acids and bilirubin in the blood. High bilirubin levels cause jaundice
(yellowing of the skin and eyes), and pruritus is common in people with jaundice. Certain extrahepatic (outside the liver) conditions associated with HCV, such as autoimmune conditions, may also lead to itching.
Best of luck
HectorSF
My guess is that the sudden onset suggests an alergic reaction to something. Good luck.
If you are stage 4, my hope is that you are under the care of a hepatologist or experienced GI.
My first instinct says that it might be PCT (porphyria cutanea tarda, also called hepatoerythropoietic porphyria or toxic porphyria), which can develop in people with liver disease. PCT is a result of iron overload in the system, which is not unusual for cirrhosis and can be easily treated with phlebotomy. It may or may not be the cause of your rash but certainly is one possibility.
Best of luck to you. ~eureka
My first instinct says that it might be PCT (porphyria cutanea tarda, also called hepatoerythropoietic porphyria or toxic porphyria), which can develop in people with liver disease. PCT is a result of iron overload in the system, which is not unusual for cirrhosis and can be easily treated with phlebotomy. It may or may not be the cause of your rash but certainly is one possibility.
Best of luck to you. ~eureka
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