I would suggest one other alternative for the laundry. My entire immediate family is allergic to Tide. I have eczema and I have had this follicitis that you mentioned many times. It is basically what they say for "rash of unknown origin". Usually, that's what contact dermatitis is.
Benadryl was already mentioned, so no need to say much more on that, other than I concur that Benadryl is a huge life saver for allergic conditions of all sorts. The only drawback is that it is very sedating. In fact, if you research OTC sleep aids, you will see that the main ingredient in those medications is Diphenhydramine. If you ever need a sleep aid, be very careful not to double-up with Benadryl, because it is all basically the same thing. The sleep aid simply costs more money for the Diphenhydramine. Just something people need to be aware of is all.
If you still find you are really itchy after making all that effort to re-wash all your clothes try this: Re-wash with just half a cup to one cup of plain old baking soda per wash load. This is what people used before all those laundry aids were added to modern life. Most people, even with the worst allergies can tolerate baking soda just fine. One thing about it, baking soda won't ruin your washable clothes. It is very gentle and does a good job of cleaning your clothes. For extra dirty clothes, wash with regular laundry detergent, then re-wash with plain baking soda.
For anyone with sensitive skin and allergies: ALWAYS run the washer with the extra rinse cycle. The more your clothes truly only have only water leftover in them, the better off you will be.
For folks who insist that their clothes need fabric softener who also have this sensitive skin, here is a very useful tip that also saves money and won't irritate your skin: If you use a commercial washer, just add 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener section where you add your detergent. For the home washer: Just add the white vinegar at the start of the rinse cycle as you would any liquid fabric softener. This sounds contrary to everything we've all been told since all these chemicals have been introduced to modern life. However, the vinegar smell does not linger. In fact, by the time the clothes are finished with the first rinse, the vinegar is gone. After the clothes go through the dryer, you would swear that someone had added those smelly dryer sheets. So, vinegar is actually a good natural fabric softener.
Once I had a neighbor come in from outside who announced to the entire first floor where the laundry room is located: "Why does it smell like pickles in here?!!" Nevermind this kind of critic. Chemicals have been so ingrained into modern society that the majority believes that everything has to be perfumed. What this person clearly did not understand about why you can't get the pickle smell out of the emptied and cleaned multiple times pickle jar has absolutely nothing to do with the vinegar used in making pickles. That smell is really from the garlic and other spices having become infused into the glass. Vinegar by itself does not do this. How you can test this: By a small glass jar of white vinegar. Then, when you have used all the vinegar, rinse the glass out as well as you can with hot water. Then, just leave it out to air dry WITHOUT the cap. You will notice that the vinegar smell will be completely gone once that glass is dry. I have also cleaned with undiluted vinegar. The vinegar smell does NOT linger long at all. Plus, vinegar is an excellent natural disinfectant with both antibacterial and antifungal properties. In as little as twenty minutes to half an hour after having used undiluted vinegar to clean with--anyone visiting my place would never know I had used the vinegar.
Hi again,
I was searching for photos that fit your description and photo and that lasts 2 months or more and I think it is a pox virus after all. It may be Molluscum contagiosum. It is contagious as the name implies and can last up to about 2 years if not treated. Bumps are usually on the buttocks and inner thigh in adults and children can get it and transmit it too. I hope this helps. I would head for the dermatologist!
mkh9
I posted a comment on your photos but now I don't think it is chickenpox or pox, because of the long time you have had it. Sorry, I am just trying to figure it out too. It is too big for dyshyrodtic eczema. I would post a comment on the dermatology site here but they sometimes take a long time to answer. I would try going to a dermatologist next. Did they always look the same? Did they do a bacterial culture on them?
mkh9
Wow! Really?!
Well thats just great! ☺
Take a look at my pics to see what it looks like to you.
One of them feel almost like some sort of wart.
I hate to say this but Tide is one of the worst for allergies and skin rashes etc. So good luck. The scent free detergents are best such as wish free or cheer free. I also use Costcos lavender environmentally friendly detergent. It doesn't seem to aggrivate my allergies or eczema either.
mkh9
Hello,
Thanks for your response.
I am actually, as I type, re-washing all of my clothes in Tide.
I have been washing with Gain forever and although I dont THINK this is the cause it is definitely worth a shot.
I will try the All Free detergent once I see how the Tide works.
I am also researching to find a great dermatalogist that can help me.
The only problem is that I am a Auditor and travel a lot, but I am going to try to make an appointment for next Monday when I get back home
It's really not a good feeling at all.
Diphenhydramine is our life saver for itchy skin or painful skin even a bad sunburn no offense to doctors but they will load you up on all kinds medication and sometimes it makes more problems, this sounds crazy but it also could be way to much detergent in your laundry change asap to ALL free detergent it has helped my sons exzema tons and also try for 3 days to a week hydrocortizon 1% twice a day if possible on the bumps if they are super bad it burns a pinch but then stops but for sure get on generic benadryl its way cheaper and will save you tons of doctor visits it can make you sleepy just take one a little goes a long way and if it makes you to tired the try Loratadine for daytime its non drowsy, It just sounds like you have allergies to something your eating wearing or breathing think of things that may have changed that could be different from before you had this, good luck you can reply back if you need help, good luck
Perhaps a drug or food allergy that you still eating or taking and perhaps the steroid can't work because you keep getting exposed to it? Although, I would think the cortisone shot would work for a while. I have eczema that itches badly, but steroid works well for this. By the way don't put steroid (clobetasol) on your face for a rash like I did! You get rebound rash and it is really hard get of too! You could experiment by taking benedryl to see it that helps if it is compatible with your other meds. Call up your phamacist to check if you need to. I can't think of anything else at this point. Have you tried calamine lotion? They are giving the you antibiotics because you got infected from the scratching. I wish had more info.
take care,
mkh9