I told everyone I'd come back and post when I got a diagnosis for this ongoing skin issue I've had since last year - so here I am! There are sooo many new people here, hopefully this will help someone.
To recap - I started having hives around this time last year, which turned into an itchy, red, irritating rash that has moved around from my chest and back up to my neck and face and scalp. It looks sort of like acne, and sort of not like acne, kinda hard to describe. I have been sent to an allergist (who said I had rosacea), to my regular dermatologist twice (who said it was my Remicade and to get off of it. Eh...no thank you, I NEED that medication!) and to a rheumatologist so my GI could get the OK for me to keep taking the Remicade. They were concerned that maybe it might have been lupus or DILE (drug induced lupus erythematosus). Rheumy cleared me to continue Remi but uncovered another abnormal blood test (yay!! pile it on!). My GI said it was time to go to an immunological dermatologist at this point to try and get it resolved because she said it may just be Crohn's related skin issues. So - off I go.
The resident read my history and gave me a good look over. She then returned with the derm doc who immediately said she thinks it is melassezia folliculitis, or basically, a yeast overgrowth on my skin that causes this irritation. I wasn't buying it until she gave me the print out, and it mentioned use of sunscreen which is exactly when the rash broke out in a massive way, and the rest of it sort of fit. They took a punch biopsy (ouch!) and she said for me to bath with Selsun Blue shampoo all over until the results come back (ahhh - I get the spa treatment!). If they are positive, she will put me on a week's worth of ketoconazole pills, and that should fix me up! If it isn't that and she can't figure it out - then just shoot me, I give up!! And needless to say - I won't return to my original derm - she missed it twice even after putting eyeballs on me because she was very stuck on the Remicade related diagnosis. She never even mentioned the possibility of it being this.
Another side note for anyone finding this who is experiencing skin issues. In December I was on a short round of steroids for my Crohn's and it really seemed to help the rash on my back and chest a tremendous amount. Didn't make it go completely away - but helped with the redness and itching. But...it returned within a few weeks of being off the steroids. My first derm also gave me Cutivate lotion for the itching which is a steroid based lotion. The new derm said that while these steroid things actually help with the redness, inflammation and itching - in the long run they will actually make this condition worse because it sets up for a continued overgrowth of the yeast. I'd have to agree because the lotion seems to have made my face MUCH worse instead of better. Soooo...if you are trying to combat a skin issue with steroid stuff and it doesn't seem to be working - ask questions. Clindamycin solution (antibiotic) didn't do the trick either.
I'll report back once the biopsy results are back. Until then, I'm off to scrub up with my Selsun Blue!
To recap - I started having hives around this time last year, which turned into an itchy, red, irritating rash that has moved around from my chest and back up to my neck and face and scalp. It looks sort of like acne, and sort of not like acne, kinda hard to describe. I have been sent to an allergist (who said I had rosacea), to my regular dermatologist twice (who said it was my Remicade and to get off of it. Eh...no thank you, I NEED that medication!) and to a rheumatologist so my GI could get the OK for me to keep taking the Remicade. They were concerned that maybe it might have been lupus or DILE (drug induced lupus erythematosus). Rheumy cleared me to continue Remi but uncovered another abnormal blood test (yay!! pile it on!). My GI said it was time to go to an immunological dermatologist at this point to try and get it resolved because she said it may just be Crohn's related skin issues. So - off I go.
The resident read my history and gave me a good look over. She then returned with the derm doc who immediately said she thinks it is melassezia folliculitis, or basically, a yeast overgrowth on my skin that causes this irritation. I wasn't buying it until she gave me the print out, and it mentioned use of sunscreen which is exactly when the rash broke out in a massive way, and the rest of it sort of fit. They took a punch biopsy (ouch!) and she said for me to bath with Selsun Blue shampoo all over until the results come back (ahhh - I get the spa treatment!). If they are positive, she will put me on a week's worth of ketoconazole pills, and that should fix me up! If it isn't that and she can't figure it out - then just shoot me, I give up!! And needless to say - I won't return to my original derm - she missed it twice even after putting eyeballs on me because she was very stuck on the Remicade related diagnosis. She never even mentioned the possibility of it being this.
Another side note for anyone finding this who is experiencing skin issues. In December I was on a short round of steroids for my Crohn's and it really seemed to help the rash on my back and chest a tremendous amount. Didn't make it go completely away - but helped with the redness and itching. But...it returned within a few weeks of being off the steroids. My first derm also gave me Cutivate lotion for the itching which is a steroid based lotion. The new derm said that while these steroid things actually help with the redness, inflammation and itching - in the long run they will actually make this condition worse because it sets up for a continued overgrowth of the yeast. I'd have to agree because the lotion seems to have made my face MUCH worse instead of better. Soooo...if you are trying to combat a skin issue with steroid stuff and it doesn't seem to be working - ask questions. Clindamycin solution (antibiotic) didn't do the trick either.
I'll report back once the biopsy results are back. Until then, I'm off to scrub up with my Selsun Blue!
Can't wait to hear the results of the biopsy.
