Rash Extermination Advice Needed

[Eve]

I have a thick itchy scaly red warm rash on the back of the top of one of my arms. Been putting a lot of E45 on it but it's not making any difference and been there about 2/3 months now.

I figured it was initially just some dry skin then maybe something had irritated it esp as I had another rash on the front of my arm a while back though that has finally cleared up :) Have tried to leave it alone save for the E45 as the skin surface seems very delicate and breaks if scratched much.

I went for a massage today and the girl who did it remarked on how red and sore it looked and how big an area it covered, I hadn't realised until I looked in their big mirror it is all up the back of one arm and started to spread across my back.

I was on antihistamines for the previous rash and currently on antibiotics as have an infected leg wound and neither of them seem to be having any effect on it so trying to work out what else I can try to clear it. I maybe shouldn't have left it so long, esp as I left the leg wound a couple of weeks before getting it seen and treated (I know!) and had a very bad bout of cellulitis on my foot back in the summer...I don't think my skin likes me much at the moment!

Am at the races on Saturday so that has spurred me on to try and get rid as I am wearing a dress and will have to cover up otherwise and it's all red and not very pleasant looking.

Tried to take a pic but it has come out a bit bright...

http://tinypic.com/r/2wc30y1/6

Any suggestions welcome....

[tamborine]

Ooooh looks nasty Jenna - tho' it doesn't look like psoriasis. Are you sitting on leather furniture or foam filled armchair. The heat from your body against the chair back could be causing a sweat-rash. Try a sea salt bath to heal it up and change your armchair to kapok/cotton stuffed.

[Sqad]

Is the antibiotic that you are currently taking Ampicillin?

If so, it is almost certainly an allergic response.

[S_C]

your already seeing the doctor for other treatments.

See your doctor and point this out to him / her , it maybe related to medication your taking.
but i do suggest a visit to the doctor " especialy with time scale " for this problem

[Eve]

Thanks all, have had a think and don't tend to lean against arms of chairs, with that arm anyway. Will see if I can come up with something though. Sure I have some of those dead sea salts at home so will try a nice bath in them later.

I'm on Flucloxacillin Sqad, only since last week and have had the rash since a while before Christmas. Just put it down to dry skin until it started to get worse and realised yesterday how bad it looks and how far it has spread.

It had been irritating me and could feel show dry and scaly it was but had just been whacking on the E45 and didn't get a proper look at til yesterday when the girl who did my massage showed me.

The only stuff I know I'm allergic to is septrin which brings me out in a rash but all the doctors have this on their records.

I have picked up some hydrocortisone cream in the meantime on advice from a pharmacist who also recommended washing it with clearasil wash as it will gently exfoliate and clean it and has some kind of anti-inflammatory agent apparantly.

Will give that a go and if I have no joy I will try and get a doctors appointment this week.

I'm trying to distract myself so I'm not tempted to itch it!!!

[Gowergirl]

Many people are allergic to E45,as it contains lanolin.This may be your problem

[Teleph0ne]

Coal tar soap can be very successful or the shampoo vosine if it is psoryosis (excuse my spelling!)

[Eve]

Ahh that's interesting, will maybe lay off the E45 and see if that helps any in case that is what has made it worse.

The hydrocortisone cream hasn't had much of an effect yet but will persevere and it rather amusing trying to be a contortionist and get the bit on my back covered haha :)

Both that and the clearasil wash just seem to have irritated it even more so will have a look for some coal tar soap too and have also had the Simple moisurising range suggested as it is unperfumed so may try the gentle approach.

A colleague suggested changing my washing powder to non-bio in case it is a problem with that, will have to check mine when I get home but using Daz which is apparantly biological.

I have a leather (or at least effect) work chair and sofa though my arm doesn't rest on either of them, will keep thinking though.

[broadbeans]

You say the doctors have a record of your allergy; unfortunately they don't always take in all the information they have when reaching decisions. It's OK to try to treat yourself briefly, but nothing is working for you so get back to see the doctor.