Strange Skin Rash All over my body except face

[Lisakayb99]

I took the drug Chantix 3 weeks later I got some sort of flu virus, a few days when I was better and quit smoking for 3 days, now I have to try again (getting easier everytime) I started itching and getting small red bumps which usually just show up when I scratch the area it started on my buttocks and then in between my fingers, my wrist, under my breast, my thighs, back of my thighs and my ankles...pretty much everywhere but my face..I thought it was just me..but a few weeks after my itching began now my boyfriend is itching too..my son lives here but he is not having this problem..we have lived together a year used the same various products..we moved to a new house in November but this problem just started about 3 weeks ago! Even Cortizone and Benadryl doesn't seem to help that much...any idea what this could be?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms that both you and your boyfriend have this rash, it can either be a fungal infection or some contagious disease like scabies. Scabies is an infestation of the skin with the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. It is characterized by intense itching, usually at night and by small insect-type bites lesions on the skin. Diagnosis of scabies is made by scraping the skin and viewing the material under a microscope to see the characteristic mite or eggs.
I suggest you to consult a dermatologist and get a KOH examination of the skin scrapings to rule out any fungal infection and microscopic examination for scabies done.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[morenasian]

I'm not sure. It sounds like a type of fungus. Tea Tree oil has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. I had a rash on my neck once and after applying the Tea Tree oil at night, I noticed the swelling went down the next morning. I then applied it every morning and night. It eventually went away and stopped itching. Might be worth a try. Hope this works for you!