prickly skin

[sue]

I have had the following symptoms for about eight months.    They are prickly skin, hands particularly, which go red when I have an 'attack'. At the same time I have catarrh in my throat, ears feel as though they are blocked and my chest feels "heavy" and breathing is laboured, which I find upsetting.    I have been referred to a dermatologist at my local hospital but there is nothing noticeable to see on my skin at all except when it erupts.  Have you any ideas?  Thanks

[Loretta]

Prickly Scalp

For the past two months, my scalp "prickles."  It feels tingly in isolated spots.  At first, I thought because I sat under a cooling unit where I work, that that was the cause of the prickles.  But now it occurs many times during the day and at different area in my scalp.  I have no pain, no itchiness, no rashes.  I am a 51-year-old woman, have not had menopause and am in pretty good health.

Please advise me what is the cause and the cure.

[please help :(]

in early february i noticed some dry skin above my upper lip. i thought i just had really bad chapped lips.  then i noticed the dry skin on my chin...then my eyelids.  it didnt bother me too much but it has gotten unbearable!  my eyelids are all red & they sting & my chin & upper lip are very itchy.  I have tried all kinds of moisturizers, night creams & hydrating masks & nothing helps.  i am extremely uncomfortable & cant get a doctors appointment for 2 weeks.  is there anything i can do in the meantime to stop the itching and help the flaky peeling skin go away?

[Can never post - can you help - Skippie]

Hi doctor and sorry for trying to post like this but I never seem to be able to post a message. I have searched the web and looked in books but can never find what I am looking for. When I lay flat and have my head up (so my neck is bent) I always seem to get a rash that is blotchy on my neck. I sometimes get this rash for no apparent reason also such as in a car when maybe its a bit warm. The rash then tends to spread to my chest especially down the sides as far (but never further) than my nipples. The rash will normally go in about half an hour max and is never itchy. I am tearing my hair out on this and worried. I am a white male of 30 years and have suffered this for quite a while now. Thanks in advance.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Sue:

To be honest, the symptoms you describe are outside the range of my experience, and remind me of nothing I have seen or read about.  Perhaps if a dermatologist saw the outbreak at the time it appears --  hard to schedule, admittedly --  that might shed some light.

What do your regular doctors make of the intermittent catarrh, etc.?

Dr. R