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General health

Mystery rash!

13 replies

berolina · 22/11/2004 17:01

Hi there everyone. Wonder if anyone has any experience of this?
For a few years now, DH has been occasionally getting a flat, red and somewhat itchy/sensitive (i.e. doesn't like contact with hot water, for example) rash on his hands. Some of it is round spots, some of it slightly larger uneven spots merging into one another. His dermatologist was pretty flummoxed the first time she saw it - took a sample for tests, said she didn't know what it was but she thought it might be something fungal, and that it probably flared up in a very specific set of circumstances which included stress and an allergy trigger (we can see no pattern as to what the trigger might be though - also difficult as he only gets it about twice a year - as he only ever gets it on his hands, though, it seems likely that it might be triggered by something he comes into contact with). When he gets it he does find an anti-fungal cream helps a bit. We've never really worried about it as he only gets it occasionally and I've never caught it from him (dermatologist reckoned it wasn't contagious but, as I said, she didn't really know what it is). However, he's just started with it again today, I'm now 13 weeks pregnant and am worried I might catch it due to immune system being altered and/or it might have some effect on the baby. Has anyone ever experienced something like this and might be able to advise me? Thank you!

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MrsBigD · 22/11/2004 17:20

berolina
have no medical advice I'm afraid.

The rash you describe though reminds me of my fathers psoriasis, which in his case was partly driven by allergies, stress and other factors nobody could determine. Definitely didn't like soap or warm water.

I wouldn't worry too much about it being contagious, considerin that your DH has had it for a few years and I'm assuming has been around you in that time and you've been in contact? If you haven't caught it yet, it's very unlikely you'll catch it now. Though when your newborn has arrived I'd say better err on the side of caution until you know what it is

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gingernut · 22/11/2004 17:24

Have you ever tried a steroid cream on it (e.g. hydrocortisone)? If so, how did it react?

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berolina · 22/11/2004 17:27

Thanks for the replies!
Gingernut, we haven't (or not that we can remember) - just the anti-fungal stuff which seems to help. It tends to go away more or less on its own after a few days.

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gingernut · 22/11/2004 19:46

If it were something like psoriasis it probably would respond to steroids so it might be worth just trying hydrocortisone cream. It also sounds to me a bit like contact dermatitis (an allergic reaction) which again would respond to steroids. Neither are contagious. Would expect a dermatologist to recognise both of those though so maybe not. I would try steroid for a couple of days just to see. (If it's fungal it will probably get worse with steroid). Which anti-fungal have you tried?

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Twiglett · 22/11/2004 20:04

Berolina ..its not psoriasis .. psoriasis is an auto-immune disease and would show up on tests .. psoriasis also doesn't improve with anti-fungal creams

one thing that I hope helps is that your immune system will probably be stronger being pregnant than not .. and if you haven't 'caught' anything in the last few years its very doubtful you will now

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Twiglett · 22/11/2004 20:05

oh and a dermatologist would be able to diagnose psoriasis

a lot of skin conditions mimic others though

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berolina · 22/11/2004 21:41

Thanks everyone for the replies. Gingernut - can't remember the name of the cream.
It might even be that the spots go away on their own and the cream doesn't help - we don't really know. The whole thing is very confusing. His latest attack seems to be disappearing again already. It did occur to me that maybe our dermatologist was just incompetent, but you couldn't really be incompetent enough not to recognise a really common condition, especially not if you'd had tests done, could you? Anyway, he's off to our new dermatologist tomorrow (we've since moved).
Twiglett - thanks for that, I didn't know that. I actually thought the immune system was depressed in pg. But if it's boosted that would explain why my last cold took ages to get a hold and I then had such an easy time with it!

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Twiglett · 22/11/2004 21:56

The main problem is there are only 3-400 dermatologists in the whole of the UK (put this in perspective of 800 in Paris alone)

it is a very difficult speciality (but not well-thought of)

20% of patients visiting their GPs are there about a condition to do with their skin

GPs are notoriously bad in being able to diagnose skin conditions .. they do so mimic each other that even dermatologists can get caught out

I am impressed that you've actually seen a dermatologist (unless you've gone privately of course)

Good luck with tomorrow .. a lot of thes things are trial and error .. I would suggest if you're not sure its the cream that's working that he applies it to one hand and not the other in the next outbreak

HTH

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berolina · 22/11/2004 22:27

Twiglett, we live in Germany where there is a specialist for EVERYTHING on bog standard health insurance. It's really good on the one hand - the health care is a lot better than the NHS - but on the other it can get out of hand - GPs send you to specialists 'just to be safe' even when you've got something really simple and their diagnosis turns out to have been correct, and you can't so much as get the pill without having to go on the gyn's chair and get your insides poked around with. Now though I am extremely grateful for my gyn - he's trained in ultrasound and has his own machine so I've had several reassurance scans for my spotting in this pg without having to wait at all really.

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berolina · 22/11/2004 22:27

Oh thanks again for your tips. That's a good idea with the cream.

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Twiglett · 22/11/2004 22:30

AHA .. that's how come you've seen a dermatologist .. them's like gold dust round these parts

(you're very welcome BTW, glad to be able to help)

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berolina · 23/11/2004 17:55

Well - the mystery is solved. DH was at the new dermatologist today and according to him it's... a form of eczema or dermatitis! You MNers were right . Can't believe, though, that our other dermatologist didn't manage to diagnose it. Anyway, now I know there's no danger I can relax, and DH isnt really suffering with it this time either, so it's all round.

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Twiglett · 24/11/2004 08:55

glad you can relax .. enjoy your pregnancy

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