Rash

[GrandmaA]

Bug,
In case you missed it one patient said the only thing that worked for her rash (and she tried everything) was shea butter that she already had at home.
Take good care.

Grandma

[dperry10]

I found this on another website and thought it would be useful :

I have a suggestion. My best friend used to suffer from terrible skin rash untill her doctor advised her to experiment with her diet a bit.
She stopped eating dairy products and wheat (gluten). Basically she ate rice ( especially brown rice), pears, sweet potatoes, vegetables and other fruits ( she is a vegetarian too) U need to drink 2 liters of water a day too. Try this for a week. My friend is cured now and very happy  
Try it if you tried everything else...

[wyntre9]

I had rashes on both elbows the first 8 weeks.  

Never had that before.  Now it's gone and the rash is mostly on my back and chest.

It's not as bad as it was in the beginning.  (for now) Or maybe i just got used to it?

Just hope I don't get psoriasis, too!  (and I hope everyone else's goes away!)

[ladybug52]

I got the psorias right away. I've had it on and off for years and always noticed  stress was a precusor to the psorias. I wasn't surprised to see it show up on tx. It's just on my elbows, right more than left.
Thanks,
Bug

[GrandmaA]

I don't think you get psoriosis until the end of tx. That was what the young man said in his email.  

[ladybug52]

You're such a mother hen! I love that about you. Why wait till the end of tx, does it interfere with the tx or what?
Bug

[GrandmaA]

I write all these things down when I see them posted for future use, in case I get the problem sometime in the future.

For psoriasis treat with daivobet ointment (toward end of tx.).

[ladybug52]

Well I love copyman, BUT, he's not even treating so he can't tell us what our bodies are doing! It's like a man trying to say that heavy periods and pms have no correlation. Or even commenting on periods or pms!:)
Bug

[wyntre9]

"I was pleased that you had a little more than a 2 log drop. Maybe that's why your feeling worse, your body is starting to kick virus bootie!"

Yeah, that's what I thought.  i posted that on the other side when copyman was talking about how the body creates gamegazillions of virons every day and that's why we feel like cr** all the time coz the immune system is trying to ward off the invaders and i said well does that mean the worse you feel the better the TX is working coz if that's the case I'd celebrate except i don't feel up to it and he said unfortunately there was no correlation - between how lousy ya feel and how well the tx is working.

But I prefer your perspective.  It's more motivating!

[Pdilly]

I have very dry skin as well. My fingers keep cracking.  I can see little lines develope and within hours they are open and cracking even deeper.  It really is hard to use your hands with all the cracks.  I have bandades all over with all kinds of different lotions on them.  Since today was the last of the Riba I am hoping this stops like.....yesterday.  I too have used shea butter.  It works pretty good.  Some lotions seem like they dry my hands out more than they help.  

[ladybug52]

You sweetie! I bought benadryl first and thought I'd try one thing at a time. I was going to get the benadryl spray but along the way forgot about that. I guess because it's invisible, I don't think topical stuff will help. My Dad is on dialysis and always c/o the itching. Nothing helped him, but it went away after about 3-4 months. He was miserable.
The dr's office called and gave me a prescription for atarax. I'll try that tonight.
I read your lab report on the forum and I was pleased that you had  a little more than a 2 log drop. Maybe that's why your feeling worse, your body is starting to kick virus bootie!
Bug

[wyntre9]

Have you tried topical OTC Benadryl ant-itch spray?  I've been using it on my back where I get the invisible itchies.  It does help.

[ladybug52]

But my rash is invisible! I have the flakey psorias on the elbows but the real culprit is invisible. I have little red spots on my face that look like bruises but they don't itch either!
Thanks everyone, I found some shea butter of my grand daughters' The nurse from my P.A. called me back and I really threw some riba rage her way! I have been waiting over a week for a call, have had this night itching over three weeks. I didn't bother calling for the first two weeks because I get a lot more help here. Then when I break down and call...nothing. The last conversation was Monday at 3 when I was told 'don't worry we're gonna get this fixed right away!' Plus still not any help just found my chart and were following up to tell me they were going to talk to the P.A. to find out what she wants to do! I told them "my hemo rose to 13.3 and I called in to say I was stopping procrit "and no reply.
Now I think it's dipping again cause I know the feeling, so I had my PCP give me a lab slip to check it.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Bug

[nygirl7]

it's because the shea butter is thicker...I'm starting to realize if we could all walk around covered in a coat of vaseline all day ...we'd never have an itch again ;)

The good thing - I've been itch free about a week now.  It didn't stop right away but I just noticed last night that I'm not pulling and ripping my skin anymore.

There is life after treatment! I just pray I can stay off it for good. Those itches were just too much~!

HANG IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!

[dperry10]

That stuff called Sarna works really good for the itching, it has a cooling sensation after rubbing it in, but it smells weird,   then it dries up the rash so bad you are flaky, .. I have been putting Johnson & Johnson 24 hour moisturizer on the flakeiness and its helping, but then if I get hot, it starts the cycle all over again..    thats on my lower back.  Then I have 2 patches, one on each side, liver and spleen.. LOL  about a silver dollar on one side and a tiny patch on the other.   that itch and do the same thing from time to time.  but I do the same regiment and it works..    It goes from one extreme to the next.   I have a couple of small places on my face that I noticed are dryer and raised,    just no itching thank goodness. so not sure yet if thats the rash there too.    Its hard to see the rash on my lower back, but you can sure feel it..    I think sometimes when its dry, and not itchy..   you can hardly see it, but you can sure feel the aligator skin.. LOL

[ladybug52]

I did miss that. I have been taking cool baths with Aveeno oatmeal and a little bath oil. It seems to have helped some. I'll try the shea butter. I don't think Gold Bond works for me, I tried that on one side and Aveeno on the other and the gold bond itched more.  I didn't itch because of the Gold Bond like Wyntre, I just didn't get as good relief with the Gold bond.
It's usually at night after I fall asleep, but it happens during the day some too. Just worse at night.
Thanks for all your help!
Bug