Very itchy, spreading red rash/welts on thighs

[Katesz]

I've developed this rash on my legs that itches terribly. It started out as a few little red bumps, and those grew into huge swollen welts. It doesn't itch constantly but whenever I touch it or my clothes brush against it, it starts to itch really bad. It doesn't hurt or anything.

Here's some pictures I took:

http://s1066.photobucket.com/user/ExcellentOw...

http://s1066.photobucket.com/user/ExcellentOw...

http://s1066.photobucket.com/user/ExcellentOw...

http://s1066.photobucket.com/user/ExcellentOw...

I went to my doctor and he had no idea what it was. Tested for fungus but didn't find any. He prescribed me an anti-fungal/steroid cream, but the rash is spreading faster than the cream is helping. The redness is going away, but the spots are spreading all over my legs and I think it's on my arms now too. A friend who works in an E.R. said it looks like impetigo.

I'm trying to get a dermatologist appointment but until then... Any help?

[MaureenMc]

About nine months ago a rash started on my right leg. It was about two inches in diameter but not exactly round.  After a while it formed a kind of crusty skin on top so nothing I put on it would penetrate.  I decided to exfoliate the top layer with lactic acid and tried just about everything for bacterial infections. I noticed in time that anything creamy oily or coal tar ointment, just caused it to blister so used dry powdery things instead which seemed to help it.  It spread out in little tiny spots gradually.  If they were opened by scrubbing they grew bigger and looked like little red craters.  

Then at one point it became infected so I had to go to hospital.  They gave me antibiotics which caused an allergic reaction so I stopped after three doses.  However that killed the infection on top of the rash but the rash wasn't going anywhere.  I looked into absolutely everything I could find to see if there were any pictures resembling what I had.  Nothing matched exactly.  A few days ago a doctor friend of mine looked at it and said that is not bacterial.  It looks herpatic. In other words shingles.  Looked up some pictures of shingles on the legs and bingo there it was.  So what I had been doing was treating for bacteria when it is a virus. I had been aggravating and helping it to spread itself.  Shingles can appear in many forms.  Some are very extreme and painful and sometimes it is mild.

It is a virus which lives in most people and first appears as chicken pox.  Then it lies dormant sometimes for decades waiting for an opportunity to break out. The immune system keeps it in check for a long time but as soon as immunity is compromised either through illness or aging or bad diet it will flare up.

Little blisters appearing occasionally can be a sign of it attempting to appear.  There are certain places on the body, especially along nerve lines where it is most common and painful, but it can appear anywhere.  A trauma to the skin could cause it to appear which I think is what happened to me.  I had been using a derma roller and may have been a bit too aggressive with it, but it seems that was enough to get it going.  It stayed in that one place and is still there.  It itches when touched by clothing but if it's not covered  it's okay.   Apparently it is appearing more and more as our lives become more stressful.  The rash can go away in three to four weeks if properly treated but if people don't know what they are dealing with it can continue spreading as it did in my case.  People give advice about bursting blisters to get them to heal etc but if it is shingles this is the very thing you should not do.  I would advise anybody who has a blistery rash which is not going away to look up shingles and compare their symptoms.  Youtube has a lot of informative videos. It can be very dangerous if it appears on the face, around the eyes, or the tip of the nose.  It needs to be treated quickly with antivirals and not antibiotics which are ineffective against viruses.  

I am writing this message because I don't see very many people who are offering diagnostic advice online saying much about shingles.  I think it could break out in a spot which has already been weakened by something else.  Where there has been a trauma of some sort to the skin.

Hopefully somebody might accept this as another line of research and inquiry when trying to self diagnose.  In the past nine months I have thought I had everything from leprosy to MRSA, psoriasis, all forms of eczema, cellulitis etc and was doing all the wrong things for shingles making it worse.  It was purely by accident I ran into the doctor friend and told her about it. The very thing I had neither looked for or thought of and that was it.

Take care out there
Maureen

[Katesz]

The dermatologist thought it was an allergic reaction and gave me another steroid cream that didn't help... I went to another doctor and she thought it looked like eczema. I've been moisturizing since then and haven't had as many problems with rashes. :)

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Unfortunately the pictures could not open but from the symptoms, it can be dermatitis (atopic, contact, allergic), heat rash, viral rash, scabies or excessive sweating causing sweat dermatitis.
You may try calamine lotion on the rash. You should also maintain hygiene and try to keep the area clean and dry, wear loose-fitting cotton clothing. Also use an antibacterial soap or mild soap like dove.Avoid deodorant / cosmetics. You can also use a barrier cream with zinc oxide paste applied directly to wet skin after bathing. Take some antihistaminic lie Benadryl or Claritin for the itching.

If the rash persists then it will be best to get it evaluated from a dermatologist.

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.