HELP Please! Bizzare Red "spots" on Legs/torso, Drug induced Lupus? Interferon for 6 months no problems....on Synthroid for 3 weeks then reactions? Anyone with this experience or ideas?

[DragonTamer577]

Hi all...hope everyone's Thanksgiving was nice. I have been on quite a roller coaster ride.
And for some reason had to re sign up here.... hope I did not lose all my "friends list' Hope all are well and hanging in there!!!  Now rather than Just Dragon Tamer I am Dragon Tamer577     Don't know why they bumped me.

Any way since last I wrote I have not been all that well.... I found out I got Hypothyroidism like many of you...fighting to get Dr.s appontments on time...etc... My levels T4 T3 are still Low...but TSH 48 from 70 so that is  still high.
My Endo put me on Synthroid about 3 weeks ago 5o mg... just boosted me to 100.
About 2 weeks after I started the Synthroid I began getting these odd red dots all over my legs. Now seems to be moving to mt torso when even with injections I did not have such a problem or unbearable itchy rashes...many experience. I have been lucky till now!   Endo swears couldn't be from the Synthroid....but can't a Dermatoligst appointment till Feb. My Doc is fighting to get one sooner. She thinks it is serous enough and needs to be looked at and has no idea what the heck it is???

Been on hep tx for 6 months.... still UND, at 4 weeks then last we checked at 12 weeks. Have 2 more shots to go to finish 24 shots thank God.  (geno 2b) And   Hope that will be it for the interferon.Riba. Synthroid is another story.  Just don't know. But I have NEVER felt so bad since starting treatment. It is like everything is hitting me at once!  

Does anyone think it could be the mix of Synthroid and Interferon and Riba giving me these red dots  they really are more like dots than a rash.  ( I don't have the antibodies for Hyper or hypothyroidism it was brought on purely by the drugs... we have established that! :( But have Hypothyroisism and an inflamed thyroid. She wants to put me perhpas 150 mg???   Any ideas???

  I know red dots on the legs and skin are a side effect of Lupus so I had them check for that and sure enough I have Low level antibodies for Lupus. So this could all very well be a side of drug induced Lupus...very common with chemo like drugs.   I am at my wits end and hoped someone here could offer some clarity or experience. As you always do!

Thanks for any info you can offer...I just don't know what to do I feel like pardon my French  ****! More than during the entire Tx.

[CMcH]

I had Thyroid problems before TX and was on Synthroid with no rash. Now I am on TX and the Thyroid is going crazy but I am pretty darn sure its the Riba that causes the rash. I am Irish/Scottish with fair skin and I have had a terrible time with skin problems.
Geterdone describes the rash very well. I have a lot of pinpoint red dots that come and go also some larger pencil eraser size that last forever. My Dermatologist gave me an ointment that helps a little and I use a ton of lotion. The worst spot sometimes is between my shldr blades on my back where I cant reach to put the lotion on. The Dermatologist said it will probably last 6 months post 48 weeks of TX.
My take on it is that the meds attack rapidly reproducing cells like HCV, skin, mouth, hair and intestinal lining. Leaving you rather thin skinned in more ways than one.
I also believe it does not replace the cell damage as quickly due to meds attacking WBC & RBC and other good things that help us repair ourselves.The skin gets very dry along with the mouth and nose so drink a lot of fluids. This is just my take on it.
Hang in there it seems to come and go.
Connie

[DragonTamer577]

Thanks guys and dolls for the info...  I feel alot better, especially after hearing about the under arm Fungus!!!! LOLOLOL  I'm sorry, I'm sure it was just terrible but it was just so funny Trini, the way you wrote it so matter of factly!   My Doc did get me into the Derm a tad earlier Dec 18..I guess that is better than Febuary. I am sure you are all right...it will all diminish when I am off all this poison.   Just did my second to last shot 15 minutes ago!!! One to go!!   Maybe as you said it just took this long to all build up in my sysytem because I too had really no crazy rash or side issues...for the 6 months till just recently with the synthroid...could all be a coincedence.  I just pray the Hypothyroidism goes away after all this.  
The Lupus antibodies, well I have them they said...but doesn't mean I will actually get it.

So keeping on keeping on for now!   I tried to get my old password sent just incase I was wrong but it would not send it L.L?? So for now I shall be the 577 th Dragon Tamer!
7 is my lucky number!  But this week 24 will be though!!! :)

Thanks again guys as usual I feel so much better after talking to you.
And Trini I will hope with all my heart that fungus never appears again!!!  Or would that be Fungi???   We all say  Flee to the Fungus!!!!  If your able to use it Tee Tree oil is really good on anything like that.

Thanks till later...will be entering the land of fog soon!
Love and Hugs to all!
Dragon Tamer 577  

[Lady Lauri]

Hey DT. Your still on my friends list under old name?? You sure it was bumped or have your password wrong? Remember last year or so I couldn't get on, over and over again. Fix it, change code, wouldn't work again. People were posting for me!

Sorry your having such a rough time. Can't help much on the rash tho, I also didn't have it too bad, got lucky in that. I think the others are right on tx, interferon causing it, not Lupus. It's hard not to panic in things during tx, especially odd things and so many auto immune issues tx can bring on.

The feeling like sh*t, the worst ....could be the meds building up over time, hitting you harder. Unless your just one that can't take synthroid. The timing on the dots and starting that ??? What is with the can't get app. until Feb!? Thats just wrong!

Keep calling, bugging the Dr.!

Your almost done! Thats good news.
Hope you feel better, dots go away or you can add some green and blend in this mth ;)

[geterdone]

Damn, that’s even grosser than mentioning nad bleeds early on and was scared *hitless of having a stroke but cleared up when reducing the riba. Good Luck with that.

jasper

[Deb_c430]

never? Holy cow trini!   I have had everytime, Drives me crazy, told rita once its a wonder that  people who itch for a year,  Don't all end end killing someone!  

Ok fungus?  Dang we could of started a  mushroom  farm!  

[Trinity4]

I guess I've been lucky, no rash ever.  Not a bump or red mark or dry skin or an itch.  Did have fungus under the armpits this summer.  That was gross

[Deb_c430]

I get awful riba rashes, or inteferen, i think its the riba,  itch like crazy, mine on my back and hip, I have gotten the rash all three times I have treated,  It travels,  

Goes away when after I stop!

DebNY is right don't freak your self out, everything else on txt, it takes work but can be controlled.  

Take care and  let me know about that dog!    I found a cute breed, minature doxy, so cute!  

Jasper once did a funny music stream about the itch, you should re post that jasper.

[nygirl7]

I would calm down I don't think it's Lupus.

Unfortunately many of us have developed autoimmune problems later in treatment that are skin related.  They DO go away after treatment if (and most likely) that is what this is.  The riba rash that we often speak of is little tiny red spots the size of a pinhead that itch like crazy (either it's them or the skin in general hard to tell).  Just because yours don't itch I don't think I would assume that it's not the same type thing.

I went hyper then hypo myself.  Have been on Synth almost three years now. My TSH is kept at a perfect .60 which is fine with me (better than my original .00 or the 6.2 when I went hypo).

At the end of my 72 weeks I developed a DREADFUL skin rash. Of course I thought it would go away but it didn't. Finally I went to the GI who looked at me in horror (i had giant bumps on my face that were like the size of a half dollar and itched SO bad that I'd try all day but by 5pm would lose my mind then itch like mad and they would bleed and I swear you could see my heart beat in them).  He sent me to the derm who put me on a lotion that killed the itching IMMEDIATELY and then they were gone in three days. To me that was a miracle.

The same thing tried to come back a couple times after I finished treatment but 6 months after all the rashes were gone for good.  Every one in a while now I get an itch and think it's coming back.......but of course it's in my head.

I would definitely get to the derm doc ASAP.  GI and Hep docs are great for hep but when it comes to your skin you need the pro to help you out. Guarantee they get rid of it right away for you.

Sorry to post so long - but I wanted to tell you that I tried to self diagnose my bumps too I was sure I knew what I had but when I went in the guy was like nope this is an autoimmune problem..........which figured and it DID go away.

Don't let your imagination make the worst out of it.  It's just a skin thing from the interferon. You will be fine.  Just get to the doc.

Good luck DragonTamer.

[DragonTamer577]

I like your therory about them going away after treatment!  They are like little pin head dots....under the skin for the most part. some ittch some don't.   None ozzing though.
They are more  like those little blood blister bumps. It could very well be the interferon building up low platelets/wbc etc....been bruising to beat the band as well. Not even knowing it. Just a huge bruise will appaear out of no where! Thankfully none of this is on my face! I hope it stays that way.    One would think my doctor would have given a simple answer as you just have!   She just kind of shrieks when she doesn't know anything! I don't know about her!!!! ;)   Trying is to get me into the dermatologist though.

I just found it so strange all this started with the Hypothyroidism and the new synthroid drugs. Though I know many have had no problems at all with it. I thought perhaps the mix of these toxic coctails together might have brought this on.

Well I hope you are doing well!    Thanks for your input, every little bit helps to put the puzzle together. At least I know if others had the same reaction I am not alone!  So happy yours cleared after treatment.  2 more shots and I am done!  I can't believe it is right around the corner!  I am more frightened now than when I began, than something could go wrong I know I have to keep stronger than ever!!

Thanks Jasper...
Be well and stay dotless! :)
Dragon Tamer

[geterdone]

Could you clarify the red dots? What size are they? The size of an eraser, head of a pin? Do they itch? When scratched do they ooze fluids? Or are they just red dots a little bigger than a pin head just under the skin that don’t itch? I had developed red none itchy red dots just under the skin six weeks into TX due to low platelets on legs and torso, then red dots that itched like a dog with flees and oozed fluids when scratched on arms and upper torso when exposed to the sun light and took weeks to heal. The eraser type red dots were a constant pain and were all over and itched all the time and stayed with me until the end of treatment. All are all gone now and will find out next summer if the itchy pin head dots come back when exposed to the sun. But for me personally I think it is due from the saturation of the INF and will dissipate when treatment ends. Hope this helps.

jasper