Can anyone help? Guttate? Pics

[jigglypuff83]

I hope someone can help, because even the dr's are baffled! Sorry - it's a very long story

I've always had a few small dry / eczema-ish patches of skin, but not enough to bother me. A few weeks ago a patch on my left calf got very itchy and red and bumpy. Within a day or two my elbow had become very itchy and bumpy. I bought it up with my GP as I was seeing him anyway; he prescribed an eczema cream. I also had a rash on the inside of my thighs, which I thought was heat rash.

Within a couple of more days I began getting small bumps on my feet. They looked a bit like bug bites. And were very very itchy!
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...808_140101.jpg

Went back to GP - he told me to get antihistamines. These bumps had also started getting like small water blisters - but only on my feet. The rest of the places were just red bumps.
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...40808_0142.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...40808_0208.jpg

Within another couple of days the rash had spread over all of my legs, thighs, bum and both elbows and upper arms. My left ankle was so swollen and infected that I could barely walk. Off I went to the emergency out-of-hours GP who thought it was a bacterial skin infection and prescribed antibiotics.
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...808_183601.jpg

After taking the antibiotics for 4 days, they didn't seem to be making any difference at all. My foot was so swollen I could barely wiggle my toes, and I was sooooo itchy I just kept crying constantly. Off I went to A&E. By this point I'd been told by 3 different health professionals that they'd never seen anything like it before! The A&E Dr got a second opinion and said she thought it might be pustular psoriasis. She said she'd get me an emergency appointment with a dermatologist the next morning.

So I saw the dermatologist. She said she didn't know what it was, but it was possibly acute eczema. She prescribed 30mg Prednisolone for 5 days, some steriod cream, some cream to reduce my ankle swelling and a huge tub of epaderm moisturiser. Within a couple of days it was itching a lot less and looked like this:
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0887.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0889.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0900.jpg

I felt so much better! Then two days after I stopped the steroids, I started getting itchy... then came the red rash - again it looked more like little red bumps - a bit like heat rash or an allergic reaction to washing powder (although it definitley isn't, re-washed all my clothes sooo many times now!) But this time it was all over my back, chest, belly and top/outside of thighs. After a few days of antihistimines and steroid cream, it's calmed down.

The rash on the bottom part of my body is now flat, very dry, a bit purple or brown looking and feels a bit like reptile skin.
The rash on the top part of my body is a bit redder but flattening out, and it starting to feel a bit more scaly like the bottom.
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0911.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0913.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0916.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0927.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/101_0931.jpg

I've been scouring the net for similar pics, and I think it bears a resembalance to guttate P. It doesn't look like any eczema pics I can find. I'm desperate to know what it is, and my biopsy results won't be back for another month.

Can anyone give me their opinion (obviously I know you can't diagnose or anything), but does it look like anything you've seen or had? I'm so fed up.

Thanks in advance

ETA: Derm thinks a viral infection (throat) started off the rash. Any dad and grandmother both have plaque P

[RichJ]

hi jigglypuff83,
im sorry that i can't help much but welcome to the p family. you will meet some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you. maybe some one will come through and help with your ?

try and have a good day all

richard

[DottieD]

As someone who had a bad guttate outbreak - and still is battling relapses - I looked at your pictures to see how they compare to my guttate. A couple of the earlier photos bore a resemblance to my skin, but the last set of 5 did not. The reason is that my bumps are more distinct - more of a red area that's a little raised, but the skin adjacent to it is normal looking. Your lesions seem to have spread out a bit, with a "rim" around them of a lesser intense inflammation. The picture of your finger shows a group of raised areas, with inflamed but less raised tissue between them. I don't have any of that.

I have no idea if this is a significant difference, or whether this would be another example of our all being unique in our disorder. Wish I could be of more help.

DottieD

[mlmattes]

It looks like my guttate as well.. when it was on my hands it looks like how your finger looks in the pic.. same with the feet-mine looked the same..

Hope you're able to get some relief!

[lpagano]

Ohhh honey, looks like you are having some major activity. I have plaque p, but when I flare up I look like you, some large areas completely covered and then a lot of smaller spots that morph into larger areas. I have never had the blisters, but I have had swelling, it is not uncommon to have more than one type of p at a time. A throat infection most definitely can start a flare up. Did your derm tell you why it will take a month to get results? I am surprised with p in your family that they can't at least start treating you for p. A word about oral steroids, you have to be weaned off of them or they can make you flare back up. I hope you can find some relief and answers soon. Don't be afraid to call your doctor back, a month is a long time to wait for answers.

[zeldah]

I'm so sorry about your outbreak. I have both eczema and guttate psoriasis on a limited basis. The first photo of your feet with the small water-filled blisters looks very much like the eczema when I've had it on my feet and fingers. It itches like crazy until the blister is broken (probably not smart to break them as it might help it spread). Hope this helps.

Every success getting a diagnosis and getting it under control.


Zeldah in NE

[MikeK]

Hi jigglypuff83,

Welcome to the board. Nice to meet you. I'm sorry that you're going through such a rough time and that both you and your doctors are struggling to figure out exactly what's wrong. (Sigh)

I've been scouring the net for similar pics, and I think it bears a resembalance to guttate P. It doesn't look like any eczema pics I can find. I'm desperate to know what it is, and my biopsy results won't be back for another month.

Can anyone give me their opinion (obviously I know you can't diagnose or anything), but does it look like anything you've seen or had? I'm so fed up.

I'm not a doctor, but it looks like guttate psoriasis to me too. (Guttate psoriasis is often described as looking as if someone took a paintbrush and spattered wet paint all over someone's body.

You mentioned:

ETA: Derm thinks a viral infection (throat) started off the rash.

More then a few people have posted here that either their psoriasis or their child's psoriasis was triggered by some sort of infection. (Strep throat is the usual culprit -- especially in the case of guttate --, but just about any infection can trigger a psoriasis outbreak.) To further complicate things, many of these same people have also reported that the psoriasis outbreak was often the only sign that they had psoriasis because they were asymptomatic (i.e., no sore throat or fever in the case of strep throat) for the infection. So if you notice that your psoriasis has suddenly started to spread, especially at an alarming rate, you need to go to the doctor and get tested for strep. Insist on a culture, because the so-called "quick test" is often unreliable. Some people have to get a blood test, called an ASO blood test, to confirm that they have strep. Here's a link to some previous discussions about psoriasis and infections:

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...nce+strep+test;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...entation+strep;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...&highlight=uti; and

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...&highlight=aso. (The ASO blood test is discussed in this thread.)

You also mentioned:

dad and grandmother both have plaque P

Unfortunately, given your family history, I'd say that the odds are pretty good that you have guttate psoriasis. It's possible to have eczema and psoriasis at the same time.

I hope this helps.

Good luck. Keep us posted. Let us know if you have any other questions and please don't be a stranger.

Mike

[Mourningdove]

Is there ANY chance at all that you have been around some sort of chemical that could cause this (contact dermatitis)? I say this, because in February of this last year I had an EXTREME outbreak that turned out to be caused from allergens. Has anything changed? What are you putting on your skin? I DEVELOPED an allergy and would have never suspected that that is what it could be. My heart goes out to you. I have been where you are.

[stametst]

Dear jigglypuff83:

I am so sorry you are having this experience and wished there was something I could do for you. I have plaque p which looks like the pictures that I saw. If you dermatologist does not know what it is, my advice to you is to seek one that knows what he / she is doing. My patches on my legs look like yours, some are big some are small and itch constantly. If you do not have it get some Eucerin Cream/Lotion or some Aveeno. I think the Eucerin is the best but it is expensive. It is worth it!!

In the meantime, you might want to purchase some Aveeno Oatmeal bath to calm it down. It has helped me tremendously!! I am just starting some light treatments at a derm.'s office which I think I am starting to see some improvements. You might want to check that out but as I said, find a derm that knows what they are doing.

Keep us posted on your treatments. Take care.......

[jigglypuff83]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all your replies.

Unfortunately I'm stuck with my derm as I'm in the UK and you get what you're given on the NHS! The Dr I'm seeing is the top one in the hospital though. I've checked and my results are in and she's reviewing them tomorrow, hopefully I'll find out by the end of the week and wont have to wait for my follow-up appointment in October.

Mourningdive - I'm pretty sure I've not been in contact with any chemicals. At first I thught it was my washing powder, but changed it and it still kept getting worse. I can't think of anything else I came into contact with.

I've been looking at more pics and these two look very similar to mine:

http://www.dermnet.com/image.cfm?ima...dArrayIndex=80

http://www.dermnet.com/image.cfm?ima...ArrayIndex=110

Especially that last one - not as red any more, looks a bit more like scarring IYKWIM. I'm still convinced it doesn't look like eczema.

Although I don't get scales. My skin is peeling but not scaling (although my elbows did at first). Is that just because I'm keeping it moiturised? Some pics of P I've seen have huge white scales, others (like the two above) don't?

[mdrbase]

Hey just wanted to let you know Those pics look just like what I have. Took the 3 docs and a month and half for a dermatologist to diagnosis it as psoriasis. Ive been on topical meds for 5 days and have shown some massive improvement. I would really talk to your talk about being treated for psorasis..

[LivingTheLife]

Here Is some pictures of my RED Spots on legs. I have had to deal with these spots for a year now. I had not seen a Dr. for it because I thought I ate something that didn't agree with me, plus it wasn't that bad and it went away in 3-4 days. This time (see Pics) It got worse as the day went on.. On the 2nd day I had TO SEE A DR. I could hardly walk, it even spread to the bottom of my foot. After seeing my Dr. He referred me to a dermatologist which I will be seeing in 2 days.. I wasn't about to leave my Dr.'s Office without some kind of lotion, or something..ANYTHING to help ease the pain.. was my exact words.. He gave me some cream for the itch and swelling (Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream) This cream is awesome.. I wanted to BATHE in it.. lol It did help the swelling, pain, itching.. Along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pills called (NAPROXEN) used to relieve pain/swelling/inflamation and a Bacterial infection medication which I'm to take for the next 7-days. Its called (DOXYCYCLINE). I hope the dermatologist can shed more light on this RED SPOT/Patches PROBLEM.. I will let you all know how that goes.
Aloha,
LivingTheLife with RED SPOTS!! lol

[TaraFIU]

Hey jiggly puff. Hope that you are doing better. Any update?

Ouch, living the life. That looks painful and itchy. If the topical steroids are helping, chances are it's p.

Good for you insisting on some treatment from your dr. to tide you over until you see the derm.

You may want to check out the guttate psoriasis club thread http://www.talkpsoriasis.org/showthread.php?t=19807
to look at photos (although some of the older posts, the photos don't show anymore) and read other's stories.

[LivingTheLife]

Thank you TaraFIU

[xa1mostfamousx]

I have not suffered from psoriasis, but I saw this image and wanted to help... I had an exact breakout of red itchy spots on my legs that looked identical to what you posted... here are the events leading up to said breakout...

I started to get a sore throat with white lumps, which I assumed was strep. The doctor did a strep swab to send to the lab, but he thought it appeared to be thrush. So he prescribed a medicine similar to that which is prescribed to patients with yeast infections. The following day I woke up and went to go to the bathroom, and when I pulled down my pants I was shocked to see these patches of red all over my legs, and they were incredibly itchy. I lifted my shirt to find small red bumps all over my stomach and chest as well, though they were smaller than the ones on my legs. I had no choice but to wait it out for another day because the doctor was closed. So I purchased some benadryl, which helped with the itching, but didn't really do anything to make the patches go away. Finally, I got to go to the doctor again... and he had the results from my strep test. Turns out I did have strep. I assumed that the medicine the doctor prescribed to me when he misdiagnosed me was the cause of the bumps. They also gave me a shot of penicillin this day to help rid me of this outbreak, anyways, after starting the meds for the strep, all was well within a day or two.

I'm pretty sure it was all an allergic reaction, or just the results of the strep virus not being treated right away, as it can affect other things than just the throat. Hope this helps!!

[RichJ]

hi xa1mostfamousx,
welcome to the p family. you have meet some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you.

have a good day all

richard

[sacdp29]

I was diagnosed with Gutate also. It was after I had had strept throat. I broke out on my back and then it started spreading to arms, legs, feet, etc. The pictures of the first ones with your feet looked like what mine has looked like, but the other pictures don't. I have more like small little raised spots. But they can be really itchy.