Docs can you take a look at Charlotte's skin rash please? She's sore...

[porsche4life]

I just reread and saw you mentioned the Claritin(Loratadine). If you can't get anything else that might help assuming this is an allergy...

Might try Cetirizine(Zyrtec) too...

Those last two are 24hr meds, and more for seasonal allergies, but its the same general principle.


Another thought. Over here we can get diphenhydramine in a topical. You might see if that is available. It is pretty good for itch relief.

[porsche4life]

If it is viral as richard suggests, all you can do is treat symptoms, and try to make her comfortable until it runs its course.

[lisa_spyder]

Richard,

Itchy and sore? With almost dry patches amongst all the redness and little bumps? Like I said at the beginning there has been a virus running around here...

[911mnypt]

The sore part has me thrown...every time our girls would get a virus, they would breakout around the neck like the pic shown. Red little splotchy bumps and would sometime itch.

[lisa_spyder]

Well for the moment Charlotte is suitably distracted with her homework; which means she isn't thinking about the rotten itch...

No spicy food tonight (bugger)...nothing that will put the heat back in...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by lisa_spyder

Charlotte is absolutely useless with taking tablets; at least most of the anti-histamine type tabs are tiny .

Try putting it in some cheese.
Hey, it works for my girl Madison.

[dennis in se pa]

I had something similar that came out of nowhere. Hydro cortizone and diaper rash meds did nothing. Then I tried Stridex pads. That seemed to work. Or maybe it just ran its course. I would at least try Stridex pads. You can get them at the grocery store.

[livi]

Hi Lisa,

Sorry to see your girl having these rash. Skin rash is a very common phenomenon with children at all ages. They are actually rarely a result of a specific allergy (as in IgE related atopy). Particularly if she at this age has never had any food reaction before I don´t think food is the cause. Genuine food allergies typically develops during early childhood. There are exceptions of course. There are all kinds of unspecific reactions that could result in urticaria like this. Many times probably from a combination of trigger factors. Most likely the initial culprit is a infection of some sort. Generally a virus. May not give any other symptoms but a local war with the cellular immune defense system of the skin. Some times it will come an go for a day or two, other times it takes weeks to clear up for good. The treatment, hence, is usually limited to symptomatic relieve. We usually recommend oral antihistamine (like loratadin, cetirizin or similar), double doses daily (twice daily) which mostly has an effect on the itching. Many times a cortisone cream will help too, but the mildest forms like Hydrocortisone is usually not very effective. I am fond of for example Mometason or Betametason derivatives. Once daily is usually sufficient.

[lisa_spyder]

Morning guys...

Try putting it in some cheese.

If only ...Neither Charlotte nor Billy (11) can get the swallow reflex or whatever right to take tablets or capsules...our dog OTOH chomps them down .

Livi,

Thanks...biggest problem now is that we are going to have a warm sunny day and we are spending it out in the sun at the international air show. I am NOT telling you this because I want to rub it in that we have sunshine at the moment (don't worry we've had a lousy summer)...but more because Charlotte will have to use sunblock on this rash. Even with a big hat on she won't be able to avoid the sun on her throat...

I'll have to wake her soon and I'll take a look...I know it may look worse after a night snuggled up under her doona.

[flatbutt]

Let us know how she's making out Lisa. BTW that child of yours has one pretty smile. She get that from you?

[livi]

Lisa,
We actually had a sunny day here too today. Although only 4 dg and windy..
Do you have any antihistamine at all at hand? Any kind will do basically. Any cortisone of any kind? Cream? Tablets? Can she wear a light scarf or something?

[lisa_spyder]

Not a damned thing in the cupboard and the problem with living in a country town is that nothing is open late or early . Tried yesterday afternoon to get to a pharmacy but they were all closed.

Light scarf is a definite thanks Livi...although finding one that Charlotte will wear is another problem - she is 13 and fashion conscious ...

It's 7.00am Sunday here...the only thing open is the supermarket. I'm scouring the phonebook now to see what pharmacies along the way to the air show may be open early.

The rash is around her shoulders and back of her neck now too. NOT sore this morning though, just really itchy. Doctor tomorrow for sure...

Flatbutt she's a mix of the best of both us - and yes we think she is simply beautiful (we're biased of course )...

[porsche4life]

Lisa, is there not a local ind pharmacist that has an emergency #? One if the main reasons not to use the chains. My boss will open up 24/7/365 if you are in need.

[KaptKaos]

I had read of people using oatmeal to help sooth a rash. See if you can find some tips online.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Nice pic!

"Spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down", as they say.
A severe allergic rection could be caused by many sources: food, water, air, pollution, genetics, etc.

As a child, I used to take baths in "medicinal oil" to get rid of excema during the winter months. Hated that, but it seemed to work.

"Outgrew" even the pollen allergies during the teenage years, with few problems in the middle years of adulthood.

[Zeke]

What happened to old fashioned calamine lotion?

[jyl]

Hang in there, mom. Monday will be here before you know it.

[lisa_spyder]

Sid,

No after hours numbers for pharmacies here...if things are really bad we all either call the surgery after hours numbers or head to the emergency ward of the local hospital. Geez it would be a great idea if we did have emergency access to pharmacies though...

Milt,

Nothing has happened to calamine lotion...I didn't think of it for some reason Plus...Miss 13 would never let me dab calamine lotion on her if it could be seen

Oatmeal to soothe - yes and I forgot that too...

We managed OK today. Lots of aqueous cream (mixed with a little olive oil) applied several times through the day, lots of sunblock that is unperfumed etc so it didn't sting. Stayed out of the sun as much as possible as well.

The rash is spreading though...so we'll see the doc tomorrow.

Thanks guys...yet again .

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by pavulon

have you tried hydrocortisone cream and/or diphenhydramine tabs?

This

cool compress maybe

been cool here lately, wind and cold can be rough, as Markus says, scarf is good. Cover the kids ears especially. Vaseline if the corner of your lips crack. If you get the cracks on your fingertips, wear gloves, you can even get some cotton gloves to wear at night with whatever you use to grease them up.

As I understand it, there is some sort of gluten in oatmeal that turns angry and red to happy and pink.

Will she wear a hat?

[lisa_spyder]

Because you have all been so wonderful we owe you an update .

Just seen the doc who was very sympathetic. The front is ezcema and the back is some form of urticuria (I think - we covered a lot of ground with the doc). Doc agreed with me that Charlotte should start a diary and write down everything she eats, whether she has been out in the sun, been to the beach and therefore in the sand etc...we're looking for the trigger and if she writes things down we may find a connection like 'citrus and sun' as an example.

It could be juice and sun for instance...Charlotte goes through stages of drinking a couple of glasses of juice a day (mostly water is drink of choice though). She's on the orange juice fetish at the moment. It may be the trigger along with being out in the sun...

The doctor was great - she asked me if I wanted just one small tube of cream or two bigs ones so I can keep them in the fridge for future use ...you guys can guess which option I took of course!

So we have Celestone-M Cream 0.02% (Betamethasone valerate) which we can mix in with the Aqueous cream and olive oil mix we already have (I got brownie points for having this bit sorted). For the scalp itch we have Elocon Lotion (mometasone furoate) and for the skin infection we have Bactrim suspension(sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim)...and all of this is twice a day so as not to interfere with school or inconvenience Charlotte any more than necessary.

No soap, shower wash, perfume etc...no wool next to the skin whilst all this is clearing up. Sorbalene is Charlotte's 'shower wash' from now on.

The doctor is keen to help Charlotte sort this out. She is happy to see Charlotte in one to two weeks if necessary...and not charge. I am not worried about the doctor's bill; but I thought it exceptionally nice that she has offered to do this.

So let's hope that we can get on top of this and try to find a trigger so that Charlotte can learn to avoid whatever that trigger or set of triggers is until such time as she may grow out of this.

Photo from yesterday at the airshow...from left: Billy, Matt Hall (Red Bull Air Race pilot) and Charlotte...she forgot all about the itch when she had the chance to meet him after his AMAZING aerial display, get his autograph and a photo