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Red blotchy rashes after trigger point injections?

I was wondering if anyone has ever broken out into red blotchy rashes all over most of your body after getting trigger point injections done? I had this happen to me the day after I got my 1st TPI's done with Marcaine and am wondering if the rashes are an allergic reaction to the Marcaine in the TPI's? I have Fibromyalgia and got 4 injections done that day(2 on each side of the back of my neck between my neck and shoulders).

The only other thing that happened that same day I got the rash is I increased my Vicoden from 1pill a day to 3pills a day. I didn't think it could be from the Vicoden because I had been taking 1pill every night for 2 months already before I increased it to 3pills a day. And during the 2 months of taking 1 Vicoden I never broke out into any red blotchy rashes all over my body.

My doctor doesn't know what it's from(the sudden red blotchy rashes) and I've gone back down to only 1Vicoden a day and I've had the rashes now everyday straight for 3 weeks now. What could these sudden rashes be from? Have any of you had this happen as a reaction to either Vicoden or Trigger Point injections? Or have you ever suddenly developed a rash like this just out of the blue that lasted this long? I'd really love some ideas of what you think this is from since neither I nor my doctor knows. Thank you
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Avatar universal
I've not been doing very good lately. I'm very anxious about these sudden hives along with being in a big pain flare with the RSD and Fibro ever since I got those trig.pt.injcets a month ago. How are you doing?Thank you so much for asking how I was, no one ever does that and it means so much to me.

Boy are you right about pain mgt and all other drs looking at you suspiciously if you ask for any medicine to help your pain but esp. narcotics/opiods. But it's so unfair bc what the chronic pain patient(I'm) really saying is "I am in so much severe Chronic Pain that I can't stand it. I'm miserable with pain. Can you please give me something/anything to make the pain less?" And when you've tried most meds except the narcotics, you're wondering/hoping that those will be the meds that will help take away some of your pain/lessen the pain. That's the situation I'm in. That's why I need a Pain Management Dr. I need a PM dr who knows and understands RSD and Fibromyalgia and who believes that I am in as much pain as I am in, a dr who knows what to prescribe for my pain and my conditions, and I need a PM who can and WILL prescribe high powered medicines such as narcotics for severe pain. I have not found a PM dr like that so far. Not that I'm trying to just find a PM dr to give me narcotics, I'm just trying to get some relief of my pain and try to reduce it some no matter what the medicine/s are that can accomplish that.

I've been taking the highest dose you can take in a day of Tramadol(which is an opioid although they call it a non-narcotic and supposedly it works like a narcotic but isn't one. So confusing.) for over a year and a half now. I tried Darvocet for 1day(bc my Rheumy wanted to see if that would give me more pain relief than the Tramadol) and I hated it bc it wasn't strong enough so I got off that and went back to the Tramadol. And I've tried taking Vicodin which I was on for a little over 7 weeks, until I had to get off it to see if it's what's causing the rash/hives.So those are the only 3 narcotics I've ever been on or tried. I've tried all the other medicines for RSD like the anticonvulsants and the antidepressants and the muscle relaxers. But either they didn't work at all for my pain, some made the pain worse, and some the dr took me off of bc I had adverse side effects that I couldn't put up with. Side effects like heart beating out of my chest and insomnia and feeling like I was on speed or something-I was so jumpy and talking a mile a minute while on them.

And I've tried all the other treatments for RSD such as nerve blocks, chiropractor adjustments, pain psychologists, meditation and deep breathing techniques, physical therapy both in water and not in water, cold laser therapy, massages, TENS units, and even Ketamine infusions for 3 days in a row. So that's why I'm wanting to try narcotics for my pain is because I feel that I've tried everything else for pain and I want to know and be given the opportunity and chance to try them to see if they'll help reduce my pain any.

So I feel like I want to give narcotics a shot and try them since nothing else has worked at all in reducing my pain. Well actually, I'm sure if I wasn't on the Tramadol that my pain would be even worse, but you know what I mean. It is just not enough pain control. I'm still in severe pain both from my RSD(which I have it full body) and my Fibromyalgia, along with the pain from Myofacial Pain Syndrome,TMJ, chronic daily migraine,etc. So I mean it when I say I am in severe pain and need better pain meds to help take some of the pain away/well to reduce it to a bearable level rather. Of course I do fear that I could become addicted to any of the narcotics that I may try including the Tramadol I take now. I worry even more than the dr does I'm sure, about possibly getting addicted to narcotics, even though they're worried about it for legal reasons and they're really not worried about what happens to me or other patients for that matter.

So even though I'm wanting to try different narcotics for my pain, I'm still very afraid that I could become addicted to one/some of them and then I'd have another really difficult problem to deal with. When I tried the Darvocet and the Vicodin at different times, I even told my Rheumy who was telling me to try them that I was afraid I'd get addicted to them. He said not to worry about that happening but I don't know why he said that bc he can't guarantee that won't happen to me. I just worry bc I've never done drugs in my life recreationally, but I see and hear it all the time where regular patients like me who never did drugs or alcohol before started taking narcotics for pain and got addicted. That lets me know it can happen to anyone and I never want it to happen to me bc I don't know what I'd do if that ever happened.

Would a physician help you get off whatever you were addicted to? Or would they just consider you a drug seeker/addict after that and put that in your permanent medical file to where you would never get another dr (esp. a pain mgt. dr.) to help you or prescribe you any narcotics for pain again?That's what I'd be afraid of most(not ever being able to get medicine for pain-even narcotics if that's what would help) besides being afraid anyway if I was addicted to some drug for fear that I could never get off it.

So I have 2 problems about a pain mgt dr.:
1.) I have to convince my parents to let me get one if I can ever find a good one who does all of what I said I need in a PM dr above. I'm so worried that they won't even let me get one/go to one and stay with one. And
2.) If they do let me find a PM dr and go to one, then I have to try to find a good one which is really hard considering this RSD is so rare and not all pain mgt drs treat it or treat it correctly. Also, I've been to many in my area who couldn't help me and I fear that there aren't any left where I live that knows about RSD and knows and will treat it correctly and treat my severe pain and believe me. I worry about both of these things all the time( that I'm afraid my parents won't take me to a PM dr and let me stay with him/her and that I won't be able to find one that can do all I described above and  will work with me and not get rid of me when they feel like they can't help me anymore( bc I seem to be resistant to the treatments they've tried so far). So they unfairly fire me when it's not my fault and leave me hanging with no one to help me just bc they're frustrated that they can't do anything for my pain. I wish they'd at least refer you to someone better who can help me or else keep seeing me and helping me as best they can.

I live in Northern Kentucky but I am close to Cincinnati, Oh so I could go to a PM dr in either state as long as they are the kind of PM dr. I need.

If anyone knows of any good PM dr's in either of these 2 states who treats RSD PLEASE let me know about it. I don't know how to find one or if there are even any more out there. I've been to several of the ones in my area and I don't know who's left to go to. I've asked my insurance company for names but they only gave me a few and I've been to most the ones they named and plus not all of them treat RSD. Also, I've tried searching the internet and haven't gotten any new names either.  And unfortunately I don't know anyone in this area who has RSD who could recommend a good PM dr to me. So it would really help me so much if anyone could give me some names of some good PM drs in my area who treat RSD. I need it bad. Thanks for listening to me and for all your help and I really would love it if you could tell me if you know of any good PM dr's in my area that treat RSD. I'd really appreciate it so much. Thanks again for everything.
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Avatar universal
Hi Tuck, I am sorry it has taken so long to respond. Okay, so I went to my Rheumy on Friday and just as I feared, the rash wasn't there when I was in his office so he couldn't see it for himself. I described it to him and told him when it happened and how long it's lasted(almost 5 weeks now). He said he didn't know what it was from and I guess, but I'm not sure,that he might have thought it was hives but again didn't know why I was getting them. He said sometimes people just get hives and he called it Idiopathic and said that means we don't know why some people get them suddenly for no reason. I was of course not happy about that. I was/am trying to find the cause so that hopefully I can get them to go away.

He said he's never had anyone get hives or a rash from the Marcaine(in the TTP's) so he didn't think it was from that. Also, he didn't think it was from the Vicodin either(I think he said bc he's only had that happen one time and it was just a rash that didn't last that long or something like that). I'm sorry....I can't remember exactly why he didn't think it was from the Vicodin, he just doesn't. I told him I wanted to go off the Vicodin to see if the reoccurring rash that's on most of my body would go away. He agreed to that bc he said that we should give it a try to see if that was the cause or not, even though he doesn't think it's from that.

So he told me to stop taking the Vicodin which I've been off of it since Friday(the last dose I took was Thursday night).He also gave me an antihistamine-Hydroxyzine 25mg to take 3x/day. He told me to give it 10days of being off the Vicodin and using the Hydroxyzine and if the rash(hives?) is still there after that, to call him back. I asked what he would do then if that didn't work and he said then he'd start me on a regimen of Zyrtec and Zantac for however long. I then asked what happens if even after that the hives don't go away? He said if that happens, then he'll refer me to an Allergist to get tested(and he didn't say if the Allergist would treat me or if he would treat me).

It's been 5 days now of being off the Vicodin and of me taking the Hydroxyzine 3x/day along with my usual 1Claritin a day and nothing has changed. The rash/hives still keeps reoccurring everyday and I'm still all itchy and burning and skin is even more sensative-painful ,same as before treatment.(I already suffer from Allodynia anyways but it's making it worse bc of the hives)The itchiness and burning feeling from the hives is driving me crazy on top of all my other symptoms I have on a daily basis. I'm even more uncomfortable with this adding to my Allodynia and skin sensitivity.

I'm worrying that they won't go away ever. I am worrying that since I'm in week 5 of having these hives(I think that's what they are) that they are going to become chronic hives bc I read they diagnose it as chronic hives if it lasts more than six weeks. And I read Chronic Hives are a lot harder to treat and are probably that way too bc usually they can't find the cause of the hives in Chronic Hives. I am frustrated that this is happening bc even though it seems like a small problem, I have enough medical problems to worry about and deal with, let alone suffer yet another symptom/condition.

I just wish so bad that I could figure out what's causing the hives and could make them go away.I really was hoping it would be from the Vicodin but it looks like it's not. If the rash/hives are from the Vicodin then how many days would it take for the hives to go away after stopping the Vicodin if it was from that? I mean does it have to be out of your system completely to go away if that's what it's from and if so how long will it take to get out of my system completely?

I wouldn't even be as discouraged about having Chronic Hives if I knew there was an effective treatment(medicine)that would completely keep the rash/hives from reoccurring each day and would take all the itchiness and burning away. I just don't want another problem/medical condition that is chronic and never goes away.

I have a lot of questions about Allergists and what they can test for/find out. If the Allergist saw the rash/hives when I was there in the office would they know just by looking at it if it is an allergic reaction and if it's hives or some other rash?Also, I know you said an Allergist cannot test for every medication to determine if you are allergic to it or not. But does that mean that they CAN"T test to see if you're allergic to any particular medicine or types of medicine(opiods,etc.) ? Bc I was really hoping to find out if I'm allergic to Vicodin or any other narcotics/opiods or allergic to any of the medicines I'm currently taking....can they find that out or not?And you say an Allergist can test to see whether or not you're allergic to dogs, pets,etc. and certain foods too, does that mean just most types of food or specific foods? Also, can they test to see if I'm allergic to gluten?Like to see if I have Celiac Disease? And can they test me to see if I'm allergic to my dog(a Maltipoo)? Sometimes I wonder if I am and just didn't know it so I'd like to know if I am.

I'd really like to go to an Allergist and get tested as you can see, I've got a lot I'd like to know if I'm allergic to and want to know what particular things I'm allergic to. The only thing I ever knew I was allergic to is pollen(like I have always had Hay Fever) and have had that since I was a child.So I always just thought I had "Seasonal Allergies" and didn't know if I was allergic to anything else. I want to know now ever since these hives came about suddenly. I am dying to know if these hives are an allergic reaction and if so to WHAT?Plus, I'm hoping if I go to an Allergist that they might be able to give me a medicine/treatment to hopefully make the hives go away and stay away permanently along with making the itching and extra skin sensitivity go away too permanently-Can they do that?But if it were Chronic Hives, could they even do that or would they just be trying to control the itching and hope the hives don't come back even though they might?

I'm gonna start another post to you about the pain mgt part since this was so long. I'm so sorry for that, there's just so much to say/ask?And I'm sorry for asking so many questions, I really hope you don't mind. Thanks for your responses and help!





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547368 tn?1440541785
Hi Again,

It's good to hear from you. As Sandee assured, I certainly am not angry at you. I have been away for a few days. I am anxious to know how you appointment went and what advice that physician provided you.  How is your rash? I hope I respond to all your questions. If I miss one please do not hesitate to ask again.

An Allergist cannot test for every medication to determine if you are allergic to it or not. However obviously their speciality is allergic responses. Often they can diagnosis an allergy just by your reaction to a medication or substance, inhaled, injected or by contact.They do numerous tiny allergen injections that will signify an allergy to dust, mold, pollens, dog or cat dander and similar substances. My allergist was able to tell me I was not allergic to penicillin but I am allergic to some of the additives they use in a few of the different forms of penicillin. I am very allergic to cats and my son is very allergic to dogs. Obviously we had an issue with having pets.  

At any age physicians will often look at patients that request pain medications suspiciously. Some physicians are content with their "gut feelings' and prescribe narcotics to those that they believe to be in real pain. Other PCP don't trust anyone because they have been burned so many times. Your right there are a lot of seekers out there that make it difficult for those of us with true chronic pain (CP).

If your state has PMP's that follow, treat and prescribe narcotics for CP patients than I urge you to search out a new PMP. What state to you reside? They should be knowledgeable of all conditions that cause CP. Because you basically have two conditions that cause CP I think it is on your best interest to be treated for both conditions by one physician. And Sandee is correct. There is more than opiates to the management of CP however it does usually include them.

How are you doing today? I'll look forward to your update.

Be well,
Tuck
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356518 tn?1322263642
Tuck is certainly NOT mad at you. She will be back soon, she needed a few days off.
As far getting you would greatly benefit. A PM doctor can offer you many more options than a PCP can. Explain there is more to pain than just trying to cure it to your parents. Medications are too only a small part of PM. I urge you to find one and have your parents speak with the doctor and they will then understand the importance of having pain management.
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Avatar universal
Lastly, what's really bad is that I don't have a Pain Mgt Dr. to treat the RSD. My Rheumy only treats me for the Fibromyalgia but not the RSD. My GP prescribes one of my pain meds, but that's only bc he agreed to keep prescribing it to me after I was let go by a previous pain mgt dr who just couldn't help me anymore. Thank goodness he did that bc otherwise I wouldn't have any treatment for my RSD. But really neither my GP nor my Rheumy knows how to treat RSD so they don't. Like I said, my rheumy treats me for the Fibro and I say that my GP treats me for my RSD but he really doesn't. He just prescribes that one medicine that I've been on since I was being treated by my last pain mgt dr who I no longer can see. I always get scared bc

I worry that by not having a Pain Mgt Dr. for the RSD, that I'll need more or different medicines in the future and present and neither dr I have now will know what to give me for the pain and other symptoms, nor will they prescribe anything to me bc
1.They don't know what to prescribe bc they don't know anything about RSD or how to treat it and
2.Therefore they can't and won't prescribe me any pain medicine bc of that(#1.) and bc they are not pain mgt drs and don't know what to give or how much to give of it.

I have told my parents my fears about this and told them I really want to find another Pain Mgt. Dr. who both knows both how to treat RSD correctly and who will also give me the proper pain medicines(even and especially narcotics) to treat my RSD. And who will recognize that I have RSD and will believe that I am in as much pain as I am(which is a lot) and will not just think I am a 25 yr old who is just trying to get drugs to take for recreational purposes. It angers me that there are people out there(esp. young people) who abuse these drugs bc then it ruins the chances that a young person who really has severe chronic pain will be able to get the necessary drugs(narcotics as well) that they so desperately need for their REAL pain.

So far I have not been able to find a good Pain Mgt. Dr. with all these necessary criteria who will and can treat me. So many drs are bad to not prescribe people the narcotics they need to control their pain adeqeately and effectively out of fear of whatever. So when they don't prescribe the sometimes necessary narcotics for pain control, they are not giving good enough pain control and it doesn't help the patient any. I speak this out of experience with pain mgt. drs who have been like this before. So I need to find a Pain Mgt. Dr. who won't be afraid to prescribe narcotics or any other med for that matter in order to effectively treat the RSD and keep the pain under control.

I told this to my parents that I needed and wanted to find a new Pain Mgt. Dr. to treat me but I don't know if they'll let me try to find/get one or not. See I've been through alot of bad drs and my parents said "what's the point of getting a PM dr to give you pain medicines since it can't cure the disease nor does it take away your pain?"

They don't understand that when you have RSD and all my other chronic pain conditions that you have to have a PM Dr. all your life to both monitor you and to try to control your pain and other symptoms the best they possibly can. Even if they can just take the edge off your pain so it's bearable and help you get some sleep and help some of your other symptoms like muscle spasms become less or at least not as severe, etc., then that's great and necessary for someone with RSD to have. Plus I need a PM dr too for my RSD bc there are questions I have about this disease(such as scary symptoms that you aren't sure if RSD causes or not) that only a PM dr who knows about RSD can answer and hopefully help you deal with the symptoms and other things, etc.

So all I can do is keep asking them for it and  pray that they will see my need for getting a Pain Mgt. Dr for the RSD and will let me get one and keep going to one. Then I pray that I will be able to find one in my area where I live that fits all the criteria I stated in the 3rd and 4th paragraphs above this one.
I really hope and pray they'll let me get one and stay with one and that I can get one who is good and believes I have RSD and have as much pain as I say I have and who treats me effectively.

Again, I'm so sorry this was so long. I hope you're not mad at me. I'd really like and appreciate your answers and advice/suggestions. Thank you so much.


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Avatar universal
It's okay. I totally agree and usually do follow all my physician's orders. However, this time I had 2 different drs disagreeing about how to treat the rash. So I didn't know which treatment to try first. That is why I did nothing. I was trying to decide which to try 1st and also wait to see my Rhemy(who was going to prescribe the cream) on Friday.

I wanted him to 1. See the rash himself(if it's there while I'm there) and 2.Tell him what my GP said and ask him which treament to take or should I take both at the same time? And 3. Have him tell me what to do about either stopping the Vicodin or not. I'd also like to know if he thinks I need to be tested by an Allergist to see what I'm allergic to if he thinks this was an allergic reaction so that he might know better what I can tolerate med wise. Bc I agree if I am allergic to the Vicodin, chances are probably good that I'm allergic to other narcotics as well and that's important to know since that's what my rheumy's and pcdr's using to treat my Fibromyalgia and RSD.  And I'd also like to ask if he(my rhemy) thought I needed to see a dermatologist too. I'm kind of confused as to why my PC dr didn't tell me to see an Allergist or Dermatologist so that' s why I want to ask my Rheumy if he thinks I should.

I haven't seemed to notice a difference in the rash since I've had it(almost 4 weeks now) either in the amount or intensity. I mean each time it occurs in the day/night, sometimes it's real bad and other times it's not as bad. But that's the way it is everyday, some episodes are worse than others. But it hasn't changed in any way depending on how many Vicodin pills I take a day.

I definitely will ask for a replacement if he wants to take me off the Vicodin to see if that's what the rash is from. I was wondering something though.....I've read different things on the internet saying different things. Some say that a rash and itching are just side effects or adverse reactions to Vicodin. Others say that a rash and itching and hives(again I don't know if my rash is hives or not) are all signs of an allergic reaction. So I wonder which it is? Either way, do you think my Rheumy will take me off if I'm having this reaction(no matter if it's a side effect or an allergic reaction) or do you think he could give me something to treat and  prevent the rash and itching from happening and still have me on the Vicodin for pain purposes?

I am going to see the Rheumy Friday(tomorrow) and will talk with him and ask him my questions and see what he wants to do about the Vicodin and tell him what my GP wanted to do treatment wise, I will ask him if I should just do what GP said(take Zyrtec 2 months and see what happens)  and ask if I can take that cream that he(rheumy was going to prescribe but hasn't yet) along with the Zyrtec. I just hope he doesn't give me a different opinion of what to do treatment wise bc then I won't know which drs orders to follow for treating this rash and itching. So after my apt tomorrow I will definitely try one of the drs orders for treatment, I just hope they tell me to do the same thing so I don't have to wonder which one I should do.

I can't help but want to go to an Allergist no matter what bc now I'm really scared that I could be allergic to many medicines that could be given to me in the future and I don't want to have an allergic reaction to them too. Plus I'd like to know if I'm allergic to anything else besides medicines. Sorry to ask this again but I'm not sure what you said, can allergist tell you exactly what medicines you're allergic to? And if they can, I was hoping that they could tell me if I'm allergic to the Vicodin. Because like you said, that way I could find the cause of the rash and treat it by stopping the Vicodin if that's what's causing it. And Allergists could probably tell you what's causing the rash, couldn't they? And treat it effectively to?

I by all means definitely want to find the cause of this rash so I can treat it effectively and stay away from whatever it is that is causing it(if that's possible) or at least know how to treat it effectively if they find out it's not an allergic reaction. I just hope someone can find the cause of it. That's why I figured an allergist would probably be the only one who would know how to do this. Or is it the dermatologist?

Do you think I should ask him if I can and tell him that I want to try to go off the Vicodin to see if that's what's causing the rash, no matter what my Rheumy's opinion is about whether or not I should go off of it? The reason I ask is bc if he doesn't want me to go off of it to see if that's what's causing the rash, again I'll never know if that's what the rash is from. And then I may just be covering up the problem by taking something to treat it but not REALLY treating it bc I'm still taking what's causing the problem if it is from that. I mean what would you do? What do you think I should do?



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547368 tn?1440541785
I am sorry that I assumed you were not of age. See what assuming can do? I am always cautious when talking to minors and that was what prompted my statement for you to talk to your parents. Again I am sorry.  

Yes either my allergist or dermatologist were able to at least tell my what type of rash I had and treated is successfully. If your PCP say your rash appears to be a histamine reaction that just means an allergic reaction.....to something. The histamine rash or  reaction is a sign of antigen-antibody reaction. There are many good articles on the internet that will explain this in greater and better detail.  

You should follow our physicians orders and take the things that were prescribed. If you are concerned about interactions with the other medications talk to your pharmacist. They are the experts at determining what can and cannot be taken together. I assume you have had all your meds filled at the same pharmacy. If not or if you take OTC medications be sure to inform him of that also.

If your rheumatologist suggest you go off the vicodin than request a replacement. Has the rash changed at all or become more pronounced? You want to be find the cause of the rash if possible. If you are allergic to vicodin there can be other allergic reactions that are more severe that may occur in time.

Please talk to one of your physicians and follow their advice. I am not qualified to offer any thing more than my opinions. I am sure that RSD is painful and disrupts your life. I have two close acquaintances that are afflicted with it and they too face many challenges and pain. I am hopeful that your physician will not expect you to go without any pain control.

Take care and please continue to let us know how you are doing. Good luck.

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Avatar universal
Hi again. Thank you for your advice and suggestions and answers, you've been very helpful to me.I'm sorry to admit that I am 25yrs old even though I don't seem like it talking about asking my parents if I can and what not. But I live with them and they help pay for my medical expenses bc I cannot work(I have several pain disorders) that make it impossible for me to work and plus I cannot take care of myself so I live with them and they take care of me. Unfortunately though, my parents don't pay much attention when I tell them what's wrong with me bc they get frustrated that so much is wrong with me and that it's always something the drs can't cure or treat effectively so nothing goes away. And they really don't know me anymore since I got RSD(Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) 3 yrs ago and my whole body,mind, and life has changed since then. My body is nothing like what it was before RSD hit it. RSD causes so many symptoms it's unbelieveable all that's happened as a result of that disease so far. So that's why I feel like I'm the only one who knows myself and how I feel bc they don't listen to me when I try to tell them what's wrong with me.

I did do the eraser test thing on my arm and all it did was leave a red mark(red line) all the way down the arm where I dragged the eraser down it. So I guess that means it's not hives that I have or what? Or would that even tell you anything since that' s one of the spots I never get the rash on?

My primary care dr said the rash looked like a histamine reaction to him but that's all he said. He didn't know exactly what it was or what it could be caused from.He didn't know if was an allergic reaction or not. He didn't think I needed to decrease or stop the Vicodin bc he didn't think it was from that, but I told him I probably would decrease it(which I have from 3 back down to 1 a day) to see if it would make the rash go away which it hasn't.

The only reason I decreased the Vicoden back to 1pill a day is bc when I called my Rheumy to ask what could be causing the rash, he said he didn't know what could be causing it. And his nurse, not him, said well he said he thinks it's def not from the Marcaine injections, it's something else.When I asked what could it be and she said I don't know, I said could it be from the increase dose of Vicodin? She didn't even ask my Rheumy but said well it could be.And then said why don't you take 1 less pill a day and see if the rash goes away in a few days. So I did that(went down to 2pills a day) and it was still there so after a wk on 2 pills, I went down to 1Vicodin, bc I figured that's what the nurse would tell me to do if I called her back and told her the rash was still there when on 2pills of Vicodin.

And now I'm especially afraid to call the Rheumy back bc if I tell him that the rash is still there while on only 1Vicodin, he or his nurse will probably tell me to go off it completely and I don't want to do that only bc I don't take any other pain medicine at night but that. Now if he were to substitute the Vicodin for another pain med then I would be okay with that. But I'm afraid he won't since he's trying to see if this was an allergic reaction to the Vicodin, he may fear that I'll have an allergic reaction to any other pain med as well if it were indeed from the Vicodin.

So right now I'm still on the 1pill of Vicodin and haven't called back Rheumy to ask what to do next about the Vicodin since I have an apt to see him this coming Friday if my parents don't make me cancel it. In a way, I wanted to be able to go off the Vicodin for a few days, if I had another pain med prescribed to me, before going back to him so that I could see if the rash would go away. But I won't go off the Vicodin completely unless I have another pain med to take in its place at nigh bc I'm in a lot of pain. In another way though, it would be good if he could see the rash for himself like my PC doctor did but it happens sporadically so my fear is it won't happen while I'm there in the dr apt. for him to see. Maybe it would tell him what kind of rash it is and maybe he would know then what it could be coming from or if it looks like an allergic reaction or not. So I don't know whether or not I should call the Rheumy in a day or two to ask what I should do about the Vicoden or to see if he can give me anything for the rash(a med or cream), or if I should just wait to see him Friday. What do you think I should do?

My PCdr told me not to take the cream that the Rheumy was going to prescribe for me to pick up at the pharmacy bc he thought that I should just take try taking Zyrtec everyday for a few(at least 2)months and only take that, not the cream, to see if the rash would go away. I haven't done that(taken the Zyrtec) nor taken the cream the Rheumy was going to prescribe but didn't bc I was 1st waiting to see if the rash would go away when I went down to 1Vicodin a day. But since it hasn't I still haven't started the Zyrtec bc #1.-I would rather try the cream that the Rheumy was going to prescribe bc the nurse said it would/should make both the rash and itchiness go away and I figured that'd be quicker than 2 months or more on Zyrtec, which he may want me to stay on permanently to keep the rash from coming.
and
#2.-The reason I don't want to take the Zyrtec is bc I don't think it will work bc right now I've been taking Claritin in the day and Benadryl at night and the rash isn't going away nor keeping it from coming back each day and the itchiness isn't being helped any by it. So I figure why would the Zyrtec be any different?
and
#3. I don't like the idea of just taking Zyrtec daily for maybe forever permanently to try to lessen/control the rash and itchiness or keep it from coming back when I don't know what's causing the rash. And I really want to know what's causing it bc if I could find out if it's an allergic reaction then maybe I could figure out what I'm allergic to and eliminate that and cure the problem rather than never knowing the problem and just covering it up.

And I didn't take the cream bc the Rheumy dr didn't actually prescribe it yet-his nurse wanted me to decrease the Vicodin down to 2 a day 1st which I did but haven't called her back to tell her it's still not gone away and I want to try the cream if the Rheumy will give it to me. Like I said, I would rather try the cream 1st then the Zyrtec bc I think it might be quicker to work and might be more effective than the Zyrtec but I don't know. Maybe it wouldn't.

I'd be ok with treating it with other effective medicines if I was tested by an Allergist and/or looked at by a Dermatologist and they said they didn't know what it was but they did have an effective treatment to make the rash and itchiness go away.

So what do you think I should do about the Rheumy and what treatment do you think I should try-the Zyrtec or ask for the cream from Rheumy? And do you think I should try both of the treatments 1st before I go to an allergist or dermatologist for the rashes?My parents will probably make me do both those things before they let me see an allergist or dermatologist bc they are out so much money on all my medical expenses. I guess I might also have to go off the Vicodin pending what my Rheumy says to see if that's what's causing it too-I'm just guessing he'll make me do that to rule it out as a possibility.  

Also, in the cases where your dr(allergist?) didn't know what the rash was from- what did they give you to make it go away? Did it work permanently? Thanks for all your help, advice, suggestions and answers to my questions. I really do appreciate it!
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547368 tn?1440541785
Hi Katie,

Yes you can become allergic to foods, chemicals, medications and so on, that you have not reacted to in the past. It is not uncommon. And yes allergist can do "tests" to determine allergies. I am not saying that they can come up with an answer to the cause of your rash. If you are having no response to the current treatment it would be my guess that the treatment would be changed.

Don't stop your Vicodin, especially because your PCP does not think the rash is caused from it. The "look" of a rash can give you a lot of clues and your PCP has seen it, I haven't. A good way to tell if it is hives is to take the eraser end of a clean pencil and run it along your inner forearm firmly. If a "rash" occurs along the line it is often hives.  

Another physician you may want to consult with is a dermatologist. Usually they work hand in hand with an allergist to determine what may be causing a rash or skin condition. The rash would be treated or not based on their findings.

Often even a specialist cannot determine the exact source of a rash so they will do a generalized treatment. Your rheumatologist may have an explanation for the rash. Not all rashes have to do with something that you some into contact with or ingest.

These decisions should be made by your parents with some input from you. Parents really do know their children best. (Yes I am still my parents child and I am much older than you.)

I hope you'll let us know how you are doing. If I missed one of your questions I apologize and please feel free to ask again.

Take Care,
Tuck
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Avatar universal
Thank you for responding and giving me some suggestions and ideas, I really appreciate it. The rash is red and blotchy and looks a lot like hives except that there is no swelling and the red spots/patches are not raised. I showed my mom and she said she doesn't think it's hives because of that. But other than that detail it does look like pictures of hives but I guess it's not so I don't know what it is.

I never knew that you could suddenly become allergic to something that you never were allergic to in the past. That is what you're saying isn't it? I never thought that I could be allergic to the Vicoden now after taking it with no problems or rashes for 2 months but I guess that is a possibility(although my doctor doesn't seem to think so) but it makes sense to me. My mom said she hasn't changed any of the laundry detergents or body washes that I use and I don't use any lotions or anything else on my skin. Also, I eat the same things most the time and haven't eaten anything different in the last 3 weeks I've had the rash. I stay inside my house all the time so I know I couldn't have gotten anything from outside.

Since I've already seen my primary care doctor and he doesn't know what the rash is from, I am going to call back my rheumatologist that gave me the Vicoden and trigger point injections and ask him if I should just go off of the Vicoden alltogether. That way I can see if the rash goes away or not and eliminate that as a possible reason for the rash if it doesn't go away. Although of course I don't want to have to do that because that is the only pain medication I take at night, and I would need something else to replace it if I were to go off the 1Vicoden I'm taking at night.

I really would like to see an allergist if this doesn't go away, but I guess I should try to go off the Vicoden first you think to see if that could be what's causing it? Can Allergists do tests or anything to find out what the rash could be coming from? And can they figure out what things you're allergic to? I was afraid that they wouldn't be able to do tests to know what the rash is from. I've never been to one before and I've never had this happen to me before so I don't know the answers to these questions, sorry! I hope you do.

I would love to go to an Allergist also bc right now my primary dr just told me to take Zyrtec everyday and see if it goes away in a couple months. And I don't think that's good enough treatment bc right now I've been taking Claritin in the day and occasionally Benadryl at night and neither one takes the rash away nor keeps it from coming back each day and it doesn't realieve any of the itchiness I'm having. So I definitely don't like the Zyrtec idea.

Do you think an allergist would have a different treatment for me to do/take?Hopefully it'll be something to take this whole body rash away for good and hopefully it won't ever return. Plus, I'm hoping I don't have to take long-term treatment forever to keep it under control(I hope this isn't a chronic problem such as if they can't find the cause of the rash so I can't ever get it to go away).

I will ask my rheumy about going off the vicoden and if it doesn't go away in what would you say-a week? that I will ask my parents if I can go see an allergist but I'm sure they'll only let me do that if they think the allergist will be able to tell me what the rash is from and can effectively treat it.

I'm sorry this was so long but there was so much to ask/tell. I'd really appreciate if you know the answers to any of these questions if you could tell me since I don't know anything about this. Thank you so much for all your help both past and hopefully future! Katie
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547368 tn?1440541785
Hello,

Your rash is sure a mystery. "Blotchy" sounds to me like a hive reaction.

Our bodies can react strangely with no rhyme or reason some times. You can develop an allergy to a medication or something that you some into contact with every day after a period of time. Your body could have developed an allergy to the vicodin, especially because your rash is not gone. I don't suspect any medication from the trigger point injections because again the rash continues.You could have also developed an allergy to a laundry product, a food or anything similar that you have used for a long time. Why our bodies develop these delayed reactions is often a mystery.

You may want to see an allergist if this is bothersome. I have had rashes that the actual cause was never discovered but at least it was treated. In other instances they can find what your body is reacting to as well as treating it. I encourage you to seek out some solutions and answers.

Please let us know how you are doing. I wish you the best of luck and apologize for the tardiness of my response. (My elderly parents are very ill.) I'll look forward to your updates. Take care.

Peace,
Tuck
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