Bumpy rash appeared overnight (pics incl)

[Soybean]

Hey Guys,

Was wondering if anyone had any ideas re this rash that has appeared overnight on my trunk and forearms. I'm on 6MP (since June 29th 2011) and Remicade (since May 17th 2011). So just a bit of backround on yesterday cos I'm wondering if it's related to this or not. I had my first hydrotherapy session yesterday afternoon. The pool was heated to 35°c and was chlorinated. I was in the pool for almost an hour. When I got out of the pool I rinsed off under the one shower (as did everyone else), but it wasn't a contained shower where I could use bodywash etc. So anyway once I got home I was quite exhausted from exercising so didn't shower (bad Siobhan lol) just chilled out for a couple of hours and then went to sleep (for 13hrs :ywow: - it's been a long week, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it :ybiggrin: ). When I woke up today my sides were really itchy...whats the best thing to do when you are itchy? itch of course lol! not a good idea as you will see from the first pic!

I'm kinda thinking it might have something to do with the chlorinated water (although before when I've been swimming and only rinsed with water and not bodywash, this hasn't happened but maybe it's happening now because my immune systems being suppressed) but I'm also a little bit dubious because I've been for a wee this morning and it was very dark, this concerns me only because when I was on azathioprine I had a bad reaction and the symptoms were very dark urine, itchy rash all over body (mainly legs), vomiting and yellow eyes. I haven't been for a wee since though so it could just be dark cos I was asleep for so long

I'm seeing my GI on Tuesday so I'll discuss it with him then but was just wondering if anyone else has experienced a rash like this whilst on 6MP or Remicade.
I can't upload the pictures here cos they're too big so click here to load my picasa album
Thanks for reading,
Soybean xx

 

[Brindle]

Hi There,

I think that you should call the pharmacy or hospital/DR and ask about the 6 mp. If I am not mistaking azathioprine and 6 mp are the same drug, they just break down differently in you system. Hope all is ok. Good luck

 

[Goldfish]

I had this rash from February to June and had a flare from May to July. I hadn't been diagnosed and wasn't on anything until July when I went to find out why I had constant D and got diagnosis. It was terribly itchy and drove me mad. I even cut the skin from scratching. Naughty I know. Could it be a flare coming on? My rash was on my arms- all over and I thought it was going to my legs but didn't. Hope it gets sorted.

 

[Lydia]

Try a bath with some baking soda in the water.

Aza and 6mp are the same thing. Aza is broken into 6mp by the liver, where as the 6mp doesnt need to be converted. Other than that they are the same thing.

 

[lookame]

I know if your urine is super dark like that it CAN mean that your not getting enough water. Drink a lot of water today or drink a lot of gatoraid type drinks. I've had the dark urine too and when I started drinking more water the urine went to normal.

The rash looks like a heat rash. I used to get them badly in high school. It could be brought on by a combo of the chlorine, sweat and the heat alltogether. You could put some corizone cream on it and wait for it to go away. I'd also let your GI know and maybe if your super concerned about it go to urgent care

 

[tayandky]

heat rash?

 

[Jennifer]

Looks like a rash i used to get as a kid. I think it might have been a fungus actually that required a cream of sorts. Time to see the doctor for sure.

 

[Soybean]

Thanks for your advice guys
The rash has spread up and down my trunk, a bit more on my forearms and a little bit on my calves?? It's flattened out a bit but looks very red. It's mega itchy when I first wake up (I guess cos of heat) but doesn't bother me so much through the day. I work in pharmacy so I asked one of the pharmacists to take a look at it today, she reckons that if it were the chlorine it would have calmed down by now, and def wouldn't be spreading. I've got the GI 2moro so I'll b sure to mention it to him. Oh and my urines back to normal so that's good (did think it was probly cos I'd been asleep for a long time with no fluids!)
I've only got a teeny bit of baking soda left, but I've got a shed load of Epsom salts so I'll have a bath with them instead.

Thanks all,
Soybean xx

 

[KWud]

It looks like hives to me, allergic reaction? Stay cool. Aqueous cream with 2% menthol is brilliant for the itch, your doc can prescribe it for you. Hope it goes quickly. Good luck.

Paula
X

 

[Soybean]

Just a quick update.

Went to see my GI dr this afternoon and showed him the rash. Before seeing the rash he was gonna increase my 6MP to 75mg daily (as my bloods from 2 weeks ago were fine - wooyey!) but is gonna air on the side of caution and leave me on 50mg for the next 6 weeks. He advised me to not go to hydrotherapy for a week and take some fexofenadine (anti-histamine) and see how things develop. If the rash stays I'm to stop the 6MP and inform my IBD nurses. Here's hoping the rash is to do with the chlorine cos I think my next option is methotrexate and I deffo don't wanna take that!

Thanks for all your help xx

 

[Goldfish]

Fingers crossed for you