Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with rash

Is my baby ok?

lodie6 — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:47:47 -0800

First Child Filter: My 3 week old son had a diaper rash which we treated with diaper rash ointment. Now it has gotten weird and we don't know what to do. Please help! Most of it around his anus and buttocks cleared up. He also developed small red bumps around his entire groin region, and the area in the folds of skin between his scrotum and thighs became very raw looking and the skin appeared to be peeling a little. We tried to treat this the same way. Now, in addition to the bumps his penis has developed a white coating that will not wash off, and there is a white coating on the irritated region in the skin folds as well. Could this be a yeast infection? Everything I google about this mentions the red bumps, but nothing mentions the white coating. I know YANAD, but if you have experience with this sort of rash or problem, I'd love to hear about it. Also, I know that antifungal creams should be used on a yeast infection, but we're snowed in and the drugstores will probably be closed until Monday. Is this urgent enough to dig out my car and drive across town? Thanks in advance!

Did I permanently break my sweat glands?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:10:49 -0800

I think I permanently broke my sweat glands. I've been using Certain-Dri not as directed; basically, 2 or 3 swipes under each arm in the morning, instead of the one at night as recommended. Again, I am aware this is not as directed. But here's the mystery. One day I put on the stuff and my left armpit started screaming bloody murder; I washed off the residue and saw I had a huge rash. The right armpit was fine. A week later, after using nothing under my arms since the rash/bad reaction, I realized that while the rash is almost gone, my left armpit does not sweat at all. At all. The right armpit, which never had that reaction, is happily sweating away.

Is this permanent? While I feel weird that I fucked up my body, it's actually kind of awesome. I googled pretty much every term I could think of but asymmetrical sweat gland malfunction is not the easiest thing to find.

Scratch my rash.

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:40 -0800

Erythema annulare centrifugum... ...sounds like the Latin motto of a fancy college, but is in fact a skin disease that, according to my dermatologist, is what is causing the periodic rashes on my upper thighs.

The good news is that I can now give a name to my previously mysterious and incredibly painful itching and swelling. The bad news is that a name doesn't mean a cure: they don't seem to know much about the underlying causes or have any treatment other than topical (generally steroidal) creams to reduce the itching and swelling when it comes up. First-round googling doesn't help much, and I'm not getting far with the medical literature.

Recognizing of course that YANMD, I ask you, fellow mf-ites, especially those who might be someone else's doctor, if you have any experience or suggestions that might point me towards a longer-term cure or relief.

Found the "bullseye", now what?

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:21:21 -0800

After a week of what was diagnosed as some form of Viral Syndrome Meningitis, I just found a big target-shaped rash on the back of my leg. Looks just like the pictures. This started on Sunday of Labor Day weekend after camping. Now that I'm pretty sure it's Lyme Disease what should I ask for and do first? I'm about 10 days into the infection. My doctor is on vacation so I've been getting bounced around. I have an appointment with her back-up who I saw last Wednesday. When I saw him then the rash was a solid purple, like a bruise. It's sort of migrated to the edges forming a target with a dark center and outer ring. I'm almost positive this is Lyme Disease and he wants me in the office at 8 in the morning. I know I want antibiotics but what else do I want and need to know? I understand there's an advantage to catching this early. How do I maximize that advantage? Throw away account at metathrowaway@gmail.com for anything you'd rather not share.

Rash on palm of hand, please not buggie bites.

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:51:25 -0800

I've got some kind of rash on the palm of my right hand, and it's got me pretty confused. Thoughts? Here's a picture, though it doesn't photograph very well. I also noticed a patch of it on the top of my right foot now. It itches sometimes, and is pretty uncomfortable on my hand, like the skin feels tight.

My mother threw out "bed bugs?" and now I'm terrified. I looked up pictures of bed bug bites, and they seem more like mosquito bites, this is more like a rash. I think it might be some kind of allergic reaction to soap (I switched to a new bar of soap a couple weeks ago), but I first noticed this rash last Friday evening.

If I go to the doctor, she'll probably just tell me to put hydro cortisone cream on it, which I'm doing. I can handle it if it's just a rash or allergic reaction (though I don't know what from), it's the possibility of it being freakin' bed bugs that doesn't make me feel to great. Any thoughts on that? Thanks!

What is causing this rash?

pyjammy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:40:11 -0800

What is this (non-itchy) rash on my toddler? A few days ago (Monday), when I picked up my sons from daycare, I noticed that one of them (Linus) had a bit of a rash on his upper thighs and upper arms. It didn't seem to be bothering him at all, so we decided to just wait and see what happened.

On Wednesday, it hadn't gotten any better, maybe a bit worse, so I took him to the pediatrician to have it checked out. She gave me a few ideas on what it could be, but no real treatment options. (I don't want to list her ideas here, because I don't want to influence your answer.) Basically, she wanted us to take a wait and see approach, and if it isn't better in a week, we'll take him to a dermatologist.

Here are some details that might be relevant. He is an identical triplet, so one would think that anything he's exposed to, his brothers would react in the same way. But neither of the others have this rash. However, one of the others (Miles) did develop these acne-like spots on his face over a week ago. The pediatrician (who saw both of them) didn't seem to think Miles's rash was related to Linus's rash, and told us to put hydrocortisone ointment on Miles's (since it was on a smaller area of his body.)

Anyway, third triplet (Oliver) has no rash at all, so it's definitely not contagious.

The only real difference between Linus and his brothers is that he has a more severe case of asthma. He is on a daily dose of Budesonide via nebulizer, but other than that, everything's the same. (Have to admit, it's handy to have three genetically identical children in situations like this.)

(I also notice that the entry I linked to on Budesonide mentions a rash as a side effect. This is a possibility, I suppose. Linus did get a terrible rash - again, not itchy or painful - when he was on Amoxicillin as a baby, about a year ago. Not sure if that is relevant.)

We haven't changed detergents recently, I asked daycare and they haven't sprayed any chemicals or changed their detergents lately either. If it's an allergy to something environmental, I wouldn't even know where to start.

Here are a few pictures of the rash I took this evening. We can't tell if it's spreading or getting a lot worse, or if we're just noticing it a lot more. I think it's gotten a little worse, and spread some since it first popped up on Monday.

I know you're not my kid's pediatrician...just looking for some opinions from someone whose kid might have had the same kind of rash.

How do I get rid of this rash on my chest?

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:58:52 -0800

What is this rash (warning: man-boobage) on my chest and how do I get rid of it?

What caused a sudden facial and joint rash?

vickyverky — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:55:05 -0800

Sudden facial and joint rash after taking vitamins with food. Allergy, or cross-reaction? Last weekend I had what I thought was a hot flash (I'm female, 42, but have never had a hot flash before as far as I can tell) around lunchtime.

My face suddenly felt burning hot, like sunburn, and went bright red. My arms and legs and chest also developed a hive-like rash, concentrated around my elbows and knees. It burned like mad for about half an hour, and then faded.

The exact same thing has just happened, and I'm now wondering whether it's linked to the vitamins I just took before lunch (as I did last week). Is it an allergy? Or could they be reacting with the food?

Vitamins I took each time: Rainbow Light Women's One Multivitamin/Mineral, Finest Natural Natural Vitamin D 1000 IU, and Berkeley Bowl brand of Niacin 100 mg.

Last week I took them just before eating a bacon and tomato sandwich. This week I took them just before eating a salmon and cream cheese bagel. I drank just water both times.

I'm not allergic to any foods, as far as I know, although I once ate some roasted chestnuts and came out in an all-over rash for two days.

Could this be a case of the vitamins and supplements reacting with each other, or is it some other sensitivity? I'm not very good about regularly taking my vitamins, and often forget to take them during the week (which is why I noticed this reaction now). Should I take them after eating, instead of before?

Best immediate treatment for severe wetsuit/nappy rash?

lndl — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:38:56 -0800

What's the best way to immediately treat severe wetsuit rash on neck? Hey all,

I've been a surfer for years. I wear a rash-vest and am careful about choosing my suits and the fit of them. No problems there.
However I'm also a long distance swimmer. In the winter I swim short distances without wetsuit. However in the spring (in Ireland) I have to wear a swimming wetsuit as I swim longer distances before the water gets up to 60F in the summer and I can go without the suit.
I wear a rash-vest under suit and I also put liberal lanolin on my neck (thicker & longer lasting than vaseline or Bodyglide, preferred by swimmers for long distance). However a few hours of swimming will still cause sever neck rash.
After a 2 1/2 hours, 8KM swim yesterday my neck is raw.
I've previously tried Sudocrem & Morhulin, both Zinc Oxide treatments for nappy rash. But they don't really help in the short term. I've used Germoline, a topical off-the-shelf anaesthetic antiseptic mainly to reduce the pain.
Any other suggestions? (Since I'm in Ireland, any suggestions would need to generic rather than specific, unless you know the Irish/UK market) But I'd really appreciate any suggestions.
(Yes, it will pass in 4 to 5 days), I'm thinking about a 5 hour race soon where I'll be completely raw afterwards. (Actually the race is split. I'll be raw and have to get back into a wetsuit for a few further hours swimming.)

Powder your bum with food.

Foam Pants — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:15:24 -0800

Starch is food. So, why do we put cornstarch on skin to prevent, and dry up, topical skin infections, like diaper rash? I know from experience that it works. Why can't the infection use the starch as a food source?

What is your experience with Lichen Planus?

anastasiav — Sat, 02 May 2009 05:23:30 -0800

What is your experience with Lichen Planus? I was recently diagnosed (via biopsy) with the skin condition Lichen Planus, although with a very atypical presentation. The dermatologist recommended topical Clobetasol, but I declined treatment because I've had very negative experiences with the side effects of topical steroids in the past, and because I'm concerned with my toddler son coming into contact with the Clobetasol while its on my skin. Everything I've read says that it will go away on its own, although it might take a couple of years. While the rash is ugly, it doesn't itch and its covered by my clothing when I'm in public. However, I noticed yesterday that its starting to spread again (after more than a year) and so I'm rethinking my decision to avoid the Clobetasol.

I'm wondering if other folks here have experience with Lichen Planus, especially where the rash did not itch and the mouth or scalp were not involved. Did you treat it with steroids? How long did you need to use them before you saw improvement? Did you experience serious side effects from the treatment (esp. weight gain or mood changes)? If you decided not to treat, did the condition go away on its own? Have you had another outbreak? Is there any chance that this could have been misdiagnosed despite the biopsy? (My case looks nothing like anything I've found on the web.)

My understanding from everything I've read is that this is categorized as an autoimmune disorder, and that I'll be living with it for the rest of my life. I've also come across some stuff on the web that correlates Lichen Planus with thyroid disorders. Is this theory cutting edge, or bunk?

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

What kind of doctor do I need?

kpmcguire — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:21:14 -0800

I have a rash. I've been on two different courses of antibiotics and it keeps coming back. What do I do? At the tail end of January, I started developing a rash. Red sores started appearing all over my body, and they were crusting over with a brown fluid. I went to a walk-in clinic, was diagnosed with impetigo and given a 10-day course of antibiotics (clindamycin). It started going away and I was relieved. After the antibiotics were gone, it came back. I went back to the clinic, and the doctor and I agreed that I just needed more antibiotics. I was prescribed prednisone to get rid of some of the skin irritation and a 14 day course of clindamycin. It was almost completely gone, but now it's come back again.

So what do I do now? Should I go back to the walk-in clinic? I guess it's possible that the doctor misdiagnosed me. Or should I go see a "real" doctor? Or maybe a dermatologist?

I'll admit I've been doing a lot of "research" on the internet and I am freaking myself out. Maybe it's shingles, scabies, bedbug bites, the plague, an allergic reaction, etc.

I just don't know what to do. I don't have a lot of experience going to doctors, mostly because I haven't had insurance for most of my adult life. For example, I have this vague notion that I can't just make an appointment with a dermatologist; I need to get a referral, and it will take weeks to get an appointment. I don't have a regular doctor. Oh, also, I am unemployed and don't have a lot of money. That was why I chose the walk-in clinic in the first place.

I'm not looking to get diagnosed by strangers on the internet. I know I need a doctor. I just don't know where to go.

I need to start living my life again! This sucks!

Hand Rash

jckll — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:04:19 -0800

You are not my doctor: Rash on the back of my hand? Past day or two I have noticed a rash on the back of my left hand. It runs in a thin-ish (7-8mm), jagged-ish line from the first segment of my index finger down the "crook" of my hand (between index/thumb), about 1" up my thumb (just past the 1st knuckle) then back down the "base" of my thumb (the backside of the meaty part).

Its outline is almost boot-shaped. Take Italy, put your hand over it so the first knuckle of your right index finger is on rome, and that's about what my rash looks like. Except much thinner, and on my left hand (so reverse it). And the only "Italian border" that is on my hand is the Western border; the Adriatic coast has not been created yet. And no Sicily.

This is all on the back of my hand. It doesn't extend to the side or palm. It is only on my left hand. Moisturizing it appears to make it a bit less red, but hasn't (so far) made it go away. It isn't particularly itchy or painful at all, but it's only been maybe 24-36 hours since I noticed it.

Any ideas? I have had ringworm before (like 4 years ago) and it doesn't look anything like that. Not circular at all. I do have vitiligo, but I don't think that has much to do with it. Had that for ~10 years and never had a rash like this before.

I know YANAD(or maybe you are)/YANMD. I will not sue.

I need help figuring out my baby's food allergies

mdiskin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:49:19 -0800

Help me figure out my baby's food allergies! Symptoms: eczema, rash around mouth, itchy hives, and broken sleep. And I can't seem to keep a truly accurate track of her food. So we finally figured out that our baby has some food allergies. Problem is, it's really hard to figure out what it is she's allergic to. (Or maybe I'm just stupid.) She's 1 yr old, just started on a little Zyrtec and a steroid cream for her bad patches, and here's what her diet's like now:

- soy formula (switched this week from milk-based)
- cheerios
- sweet potato, peas, carrots (cooked/soft), avocado, peaches, bananas, pears, some apple
- protein: beans, chicken (cooked, ground, and mixed with the sweet potato)
- blueberries (as of this morning)
- occasional corn products, like grits

- no dairy or pasta, in an attempt to get rid of wheat (yes, cheerios do have some wheat). No bread.

Just this week her bad patches went away and the rash on her cheeks disappeared. and yet she still had a mystery flareup. I wipe up the floor constantly to make sure she isn't picking up crumbs of other things, so I'm pretty sure the above is what she's eating.

Also: I'm trying to keep a record of everything she's eating, but it's really hard. I'm pregnant with #3 , potty training #1 (age 3), and trying to keep #2 happy with this diet (she was far more omnivorous before this week and is fussy off and on with this more limited diet. Because of her sleep issues -- which I hope can be solved with her diet -- I'm getting less than 5 hrs a night and have for a year. (I stay home, husband works, he's very helpful -- but we are both zombies.)

Her skin looks great this morning but was patchy and red yesterday. Nothing about her diet seems to have changed, though!
Does anyone have insight here? And is there a food tracker that I can post on the fridge? I sound like a whiner but I literally fall asleep on my feet these days. I lost my list of her food already this week.

What is this rash?

jacquilynne — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:18:35 -0800

Can you identify this rash from this poorly focused photo? You're not my doctor. I know that. You're also not her secretary, who I dislike immensely, and who drives me to avoid seeing my doctor unless I really must, so I'm asking you anyway.

Any idea what this rash is?

It started out as little individual patches a couple of months back, and some of those individual patches have started to fuse into big giant patches. It itches periodically throughout the day -- when I'm in the shower, when I'm working out, some other times that I can't pin down to specific things. The patches weren't as red until I scratched them, but damnit, when they're in itchiness mode, they really itch.

The patch in the photo is between 4 and 6 inches across, and the little individual spots are usually about half to three quarters of an inch, though some are smaller. They are mostly on my hips and stomach in areas that are routinely covered by my underwear, though there are some on my legs and arms, as well.

So, thoughts on what this might be? What might be causing it? How I can cure it?

If the answer is that I have to go to my doctor, I will, but I'd rather not.

Fire down below!

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:58:27 -0800

I am a girl with incredibly sensitive skin. Help me stay free of rashes AND hair "down there"... or convince me it's not worth it (men, please reply). I've tried waxing. I've tried shaving. Epilator? Check. It doesn't seem to matter what method I use, I ALWAYS get a rash.

Sure, it looks good for about a day, or even a week. But my skin is insanely sensitive, and I inevitably get a horrible, painful, scary-looking rash, especially along the edges where my groin and my legs meet. These rashes last 3-7 days.

I have had two long-term relationships where the guy didn't care down about having hair down there, so cool, I trimmed it. I'm single. Every time I am single, I feel OBLIGATED to be hair-free. So I try, but no method seems to work AND be non-irritating.

So far I have tried all of the following:

1. Using a new razor and sensitive skin foam after a bath
2. Professional waxing
3. Home waxing
4. Plucking all the hair with a rounded set of tweezers to avoid wax irritation
5. Nair (dear god never again lol)
6. Electric razor
7. Tend Skin and variations of that stuff
8. Clear deodorant
9. Only wearing skirts/dresses, no tight pants
10. Only shaving in the direction the hair grows
11. Epilator (yes really)
12. Exfoliating the area by every means possible

I feel like I want to have sex in the future, hence the grooming. But I can't always predict when sex will happen! So, guys... if you were going to have sex with a girl and there was some razor burn, primarily obviously on the... um... edges, how grossed out would you be? What if the girl had an STD test and showed you she was disease free, would that reassure you? Is a little hair better than no hair at all and a few red bumps? Ugh I feel so undignified even asking this. Help.

This is embarassing as hell. Throwaway account: embarassingashell at gmail.

The heartbreak of... what?!

arianell — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:56:55 -0800

Over the past week, my skin has developed a number of flaky red spots. What could they possibly be? About a week ago, I noticed a small patch of scaly skin on my left shoulder... quite red, vaguely elliptical, about an inch across, not itchy or painful at all. Since then, it seems like 1 or 2 new spots appear on my body every day. I now also have one on my neck, one on my chest, two on my stomach, and three on my lower back.

My first thought was ringworm, but that seems unlikely since my lovely cat doesn't have any signs of it. Also, my spots lack the characteristic "ring" shape and they aren't raised at all.

These things aren't responding to my vigilant moisturizing efforts, or to hydrocortisone cream or antibiotics. Any idea what they might be?

Hey Junior, why are you so rashy on your wrists and neck?

Overzealous — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:52:24 -0800

Is there anywhere that sells all-cotton winter coats for toddlers? My fragile son has skin allergies and while the usual mountain climbing gear may be great for all of those two-year-olds who are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, what about the kids who need their skin to breathe free, man? My two-year-old son is a delicate flower with bad skin reactions to Acrylic, Polyester and Nylon. Living in Michigan as we do, he needs a winter coat. Most winter coats are awesome sweat-wicking powerhouses but I'm looking for somewhere (mail-order, interwebs, enterprising hippie shop) that sells a jacket capable of handling sub-freezing temps but not made of wool, polar fleece or anything made by Dupont. Anyone?

This scarlet fever isn't making my toys Real.

bonobo — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:45:38 -0800

YANMD: What other illnesses could be mistaken for scarlet fever? Bonus question: If you've had scarlatina, what was it like? Brief timeline:

Sunday P.M. = fatigued
Monday A.M. = fatigued + nauseous + achy joints
Monday P.M. = all of the above + fever + vomiting + awoke from a nap with a few random itchy red bumps on my waist and leg
Tuesday A.M. = fever + more bumps + call to my doctor's office for an appointment
Tuesday P.M. = Diagnosis of scarlatina + a prescription for an antibiotic.

Problem(s)? While my throat does appear stripy & raw, it hasn't been sore like strep throat. The doctor (new partner in my GP's office) didn't take any blood tests or swab my throat. She stated that this strep is a different strain and wouldn't show up in the culture. My tongue doesn't have the classic "strawberry" appearance of scarlet fever (although it does have a white film), my skin isn't red in blotches--just pustules appearing here, there, and everywhere, and my lymph nodes aren't swollen.

She did state that scarlatina is a childhood disease and that adults rarely get it. Since I run a community computer lab in the evenings, she thought I might have picked it up from one of the kids that visit.

Now, I'm still running a temperature and even more pustules are appearing. I'm itching like mad and feel worse than before, despite the antibiotic. I took some more Benadryl and will try to sleep without clawing myself apart. If I'm still running a temp in the morning, I will schedule another visit.

Basically, I'm curious if anyone here has had scarlatina and if it was anything like this. What the hell else could it be? My first thought was chicken pox, but I already had a (mild) dose sixteen years ago.

Thanks.

Allergic To My Own Sweat?

carterk — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:17:43 -0800

Can I be allergic to my own sweat? The past couple summers I've developed itchy rashes on my neck, forehead and inside my elbows. I saw a dermatologist in January when, naturally, I had no symptoms. He actually implied that I was imagining this rash (!) and offered no remedies. Recently a biologist friend suggested I might be allergic to my own perspiration, and I'm increasingly feeling that the evidence supports this. Can this be true?

Mysterious rash

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:53:44 -0800

Over the past ten days or so, I've developed a severe rash on my arms and legs. What could it be, and how can I treat it? The rash appears in the form of smallish raised bumps (not always red, but often) clustered mostly around my elbows and kneecaps, but also spreading to the whole outside part of my limbs. The outsides of both arms are especially bad. The itching is not all that bad during the day, but by nighttime I'm scratching constantly. If I rub everything with cortisone cream, it gets a bit better, but only for a few hours. It has gotten noticeably worse since it started last week.

I have psoriasis, but the skin isn't noticeably hardening except on my elbows, and it's always been a fairly mild case. I have no other diseases that I know of. I moved into a new apartment on July 1st, so it could potentially be bedbugs (I live in NYC), but I haven't gotten new (used) furniture since early July. I have been under a lot of stress recently, because I'm essentially working 14 hours a day, but aside from a lack of energy I haven't noticed any other problems. There aren't any other recent lifestyle changes I can think of that could have caused this.

I'm going to the doctor on Monday, most likely. In the meantime, have you ever heard of something like this? I looked up the usual suspects--scabies and bedbugs--but I'm having trouble figuring out why it's only my arms and legs that are affected and nothing else.

I'm an early-20s, sedentary male, average build, shower twice a day.

How can I get rid of this horrible knee pad rash?

capnsue — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:47:07 -0800

Horrible rash on my knees from roller derby knee pads, what can I do? I play roller derby for the Charm City Rollergirls in Baltimore. If you're on the east coast, you'll know that it's been HOTTTTTTTTTTTT these past few days. On Monday night we had a 3 hour practice in our minimally-air-conditioned home rink. Needless to say, it was about 97,000 degrees in there. The heat, the sweat, and some extended falling drills led to my knees feeling a bit grosser than usual when it finally came time to take my pads off. There was a little redness on my knees and the skin around them (front, back, above and below) but nothing too awful.

However, when I woke up Tuesday morning, my knees and the surrounding area were covered in an extremely itchy, painful rash. I'd apparently been scratching in my sleep and there were even some bloody gashes from my fingernails. i know, EWWW. I put some neosporin+pain on, but the itching and burning continued through the day.

Last night I slathered them with Bio-Freeze (which actually made them feel better due to the numbing effect) but there is still a raised, itchy, painful rash on my skin.

I'm not too familiar with babies, but is this basically diaper rash on my knees?

I have another 3 hour practice tonight, and would like to not aggravate this any more than I have to. I've been wearing these pads for about 5 months, so i don't think it's an allergic reaction to the pads, i think it's more sweat/heat/friction. Does anyone know what kind of, like...lotion, ointment, slave, whatever I could use to lessen my agony and help this heal? Do you think neoprene knee gaskets might help?

also, my pads are Six Six One DJ Knee.

ps OUCH!

Andropause or hypochondria?

markhu — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:08:15 -0800

I am about to turn 40, and the last couple years have not been great for me physically, so if this is middle-age, then I don't want it. In my case, the problem is dry skin, which has plagued me more or less all my life, but looking back, it seems like in former decades it was a relatively minor annoyance compared to the scourge it has become. Sometimes I go into an itching frenzy. Not good at night when I'm trying to sleep or when out in public. In a certain sense, you could consider my question a male version of http://ask.metafilter.com/59650/Hypothyroid-or-hypochondriac from last year. FYI, andropause is the medical term for "mid-life crisis" and is like a male version of menopause. In summary, the idea is that for various reasons your hormone levels begin to deviate from normal.

For me, about 2 years ago, at the age of 37, my dry skin started going from bad to worse. Before, my dry skin was made tolerable by simply doing extra dollops of hand lotion on my hands and face throughout the day. I grinned and bore the jokes if it happened to be scented stuff. But now, my skin is dry and cracked and flaky, and regular lotion doesn't help at all and some brands even make it worse. I've been trying lots of different creams and ointments, and have accumulated quite a collection. Then I developed a tenacious jock itch.

The skin between my fingers often erupts in a yellow-crusted rash. Sometimes something similar happens behind my ears, such that if I sleep on one side during the night, then I wake up in the morning with that ear plastered flat to my head.

The dermatologists only seem to offer stronger prescription creams with various side effects. Then they prescribed oral antibiotics which really messed up my digestion. I fired him and went to an Osteopath.

The Osteopath put me on a bunch of vitamin and herbal supplements and told me to avoid dairy and carbs/sugar in favor of protein and fats. She also put me on hormone -replacement therapy (testosterone cream) and oral hydro-cortisone capsules. The jock itch went away, but the rest of my skin is as dry and itchy as ever. In fact in some ways it seems worse and the rash has spread to the backs of my knees. Also, my shins are so itchy I sometimes claw them raw.

I started a homeopathic remedy last month, but the homeopath said it might take a year to work. Sometimes I wonder if I'll have any skin left by then.

The osteopath's next suggestion is for me to see an acupuncturist. Other un-tried suggestions include: 1. buying a $400 cranial-electrical stimulation device; 2. undergoing a $700 genetic test for hormone deficiency.

One thought I've had is to try hypnotherapy because I think I'm "addicted" to scratching myself. Sometimes it feels good (endorphins?). But I almost always regret it--sometimes within a few minutes, although sometimes it isn't until an hour or so later when the pain kicks in.

Another recent symptom is that I'm often cold and hungry in the afternoons: More so than just the snack-cravings from my younger years. These days I find it hard to wait until noon for lunch, and can still pound down quite a lot of snacks only a couple hours afterwards.

Icky skin cooties.

missuswayne — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:59:03 -0800

Are these blemishes a result of cooties on the vinyl cover of my physical therapist's massage-type table? I recently have been visiting a physical therapist once or twice a week (back pain) and each visit starts with me lying face down on an adjustable massage-type table with my face resting in the cushioned ring at one end. The ring is vinyl covered, and there is a clean rolled-up washcloth that my forehead rests on - however, my cheeks rest on the vinyl.

Right around the same time I started going to PT I also developed some blemishes on the left side of my face. Coincidentally, they are right around the area of my face that rests directly on the vinyl, although only on the left. These blemishes are not like normal pimples. They are red, slightly raised, and were itchy at the start, kind of rashy. Now they are just red and kind of blotchy and ugly. They won't go away. Tea tree oil, which usually works for me on zits, just seemed to irritate them. When I wash my face (with Cetaphil only) the blemishes intensify and then calm down a bit after a while.

I have a dermatologist appointment in 3 weeks, but I'm just curious if it would be possible for me to catch some kind of disease from the vinyl. (I see pictures of the "impetigo" on Amy Winehouse's face and wonder if that's going to be me in 3 weeks.)

Who do I see for a butt rash?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:11:45 -0800

Never-ending, super itchy, flaky butt rash. What kind of doctor do I see? Male in his 20's here. Rash between the cheeks has not responded to Lamicil, 1% hydrocortisone, gold bond or yeast infection cream. It comes and goes on a weekly basis and has been for months. It itches so bad that lately I'm up half the night scratching. Bits of skin are flaking off.

My fiancee is making me go to a doctor because we have exhausted all over-the-counter possibilities. At my local hospital/clinic, I have the option of seeing a GP, a dermatologist, or a gastroenterologist. I would feel most comfortable seeing the gastro guy, if only because he (and it will be a he, if I get my way) looks at and puts things up butts on a daily basis and I am terrified of and embarassed about going to the doctor for my delicate issue. I have had hemmorhoids in the past and perhaps that could have something to do with it, but I'm not sure if gastro guys deal with the, erm, external issues relating to the butt. Or do I see a dermatologist for what seems like a skin issue? Or a Family Practicioner (GP), who might treat stuff like this on a daily basis? Who do I make the appointment with?

And what precisely should I say on the phone when they ask why I need to visit? I can't just say that I have a mysterious rash around my anus. Maybe that I have a "rash in a delicate area"? Does the receptionist always need to know the dirty details?