Severe heat rash

Morning all

I hope you’re all enjoying the warm weather. I’m enjoying it but it hasn’t been kind to me as it has brought me out in the worst heat rash I’ve ever had.

I have had heat rash off and on since I was a child but usually only on my arms or the back of my neck and if I can cool down enough to give myself goosebumps then it will go down and not bother me any more that season. However, this rash came up midweek when the weather warmed up. I recognised it on my chest as soon as I woke up so I had a cool shower, let myself drip dry, have been wearing cool cotton clothing, I have a massive fan beside the bed at night, am sleeping under the summer duvet with arms and legs out, have the window open etc etc. All the usual things that keep me cool and usually work.

This heat rash has got worse every day, is very itchy, and is now covering the whole of my trunk, groin, thighs, feet, arms, shoulders - in fact so far the only bits of me not covered in heat rash are my shins and calves. This morning I thought I would take an antihistamine but thought I had better check I can take it with all the other meds so was checking the info leaflets for them and there was a warning on the amitriptyline about an itchy skin rash. I thought I would have reacted long before now if I was going to but all the same I decided I needed to see my GP because I’ve never had the rash this bad before. To make matters worse it’s now progressed up my neck and onto my face and my son wants to print my photo in the paper where he is a trainee journalist as I am holding my Cake Break at work on Friday. Aargh, not with this blotchy skin!!

My GP confirmed it is just heat rash, albeit the worst I’ve ever had. He says I’m doing all the right things but gave me some moisturising cream to apply which he says to keep in the fridge so it’s cool and soothing when I apply it. He also promised me some cooler weather by the end of the week :wink:

So please wish me luck because when I go to bed (probably under a very light sheet now that I’m even more itchy today), I’m hoping to wake up and find the rash subsiding. The urge to scratch is hard to resist although I’ve been very good so far …

I also need to bake cakes every afternoon this week (near a hot oven!! ) in readiness for Friday’s Cake Break and when I do get to bed I really don’t need to lie awake itching for an hour each night. I think I may need to buy another can of Cool Spray because I used a fair bit last night …

Tracey xx

Hi Jen

Yes, I’ve taken an antihistamine as GP confirmed it’s safe with all other meds. So far no relief, I think I just have to wait until the weather cools down! Right now, Jen, I wish I was a polar bear! I bet they don’t suffer with heat rash …

I’ve slapped some cream on and put it in the fridge to cool it down for later. I would put a hot water bottle in the fridge to take to bed with me later but the fridge is already chock full of butter and soured cream and other cake ingredients … Great timing, eh?

Tracey

i dont get this you have heat rash and i have chilblanes what will it be next oh the joys. keep fighting. katy

Hi Tracey,

Sorry to hear about the heat rash. I have suffered from these rashes/prickly heat over the years from my teenage days and can sympatise. I used to take anti histamnes and use calamine lotion to dampen them down but since being on Vit D for the last 2 years the rashes have subsided so much so that I can sit out in the sun for 30 mins without any suncream on to absorb the natural vit D-I then do apply cream. So if you don’t already take Vit D maybe consider it.

The cooler weather will be here tomorrow I think so you should get some relief soon.

Cathy

[quote=“tiggerjones47”]

i dont get this you have heat rash and i have chilblanes what will it be next oh the joys. keep fighting. katy

[/quote] I get them too. I only went into sandals this week as I have to be very careful to keep my feet warm. My toes go blue and white when they are cold, then swollen, red and itchy when I get chill blains. I carry slipper socks in my handbag so that when I take my shoes off when I visit people I can slip them on over my normal socks and keep my feet warm. All these extra things to consider, the joys indeed. It’s a good job is MSers are made of strong stuff :slight_smile: Tracey x

[quote=“Cat66”]

Hi Tracey,

Sorry to hear about the heat rash. I have suffered from these rashes/prickly heat over the years from my teenage days and can sympatise. I used to take anti histamnes and use calamine lotion to dampen them down but since being on Vit D for the last 2 years the rashes have subsided so much so that I can sit out in the sun for 30 mins without any suncream on to absorb the natural vit D-I then do apply cream. So if you don’t already take Vit D maybe consider it.

The cooler weather will be here tomorrow I think so you should get some relief soon.

Cathy

[/quote] I take 5,000 iu per day of Vit D. I didn’t have heat rash at all last summer and then this! I wonder if it’s because it went very warm all of a sudden. My body seems determined to get me used to doctors and hospitals and change my attitude to them, ha ha! Tracey x

Hi Jen

Thanks for asking. It is still much the same over most of my body but has now progress to below the knee as well (the only bit of me that was clear). This is so unlike any heat rash that I have ever had before.

I’ve been googling (I know, I know) and it seems that antibiotics can cause this even after you have finished the course. I finished a course of antibiotics on 9 May due to a UTI and I need to go home and check the box (if I haven’t already thrown it out) because some of them (particularly the one most commonly prescribed for UTIs) shouldn’t be mixed with amitriptyline! They can cause photosensitivity.

I still have a healthy mistrust of my GP. I’m sure this will clear up but if I have a UTI in the future I will mention this incident as this is NOT the kind of heat rash I am used to and nor do I want it again.

Tracey x

Hi Jen

I had a Eureka! moment this morning when I noticed that, although it was cooler last night, the rash has still managed to spread onto my hands and further down my legs . On the plus side I think it is abating a little on my stomach although my upper chest is as red and itchy as it ever was.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had had antibiotics when the surgery asked if I was allergic to penicillin and I said ‘No’ as I was certain I wasn’t. I have remembered the last time I had a rash like this.

It was when I had glandular fever (at age 30, would you believe?) and my GP at the time believed I may have a chest infection at the time as my chest was apparently a bit crackly but an X ray hadn’t revealed anything untoward. My blood test however showed glandular fever. I had been exhausted for weeks but had carried on dragging myself in to work and looking after my 14 month old son. I had only gone to the GP on the day that I couldn’t breathe properly. So the GP signed me off work for 2 weeks and gave me antibiotics and told me that because of the glandular fever I would probably get a rash. Some rash! Just like this one in fact! It started on my trunk and worked outwards until it reached my extremities and was very itchy. I think it was about Easter time and wasn’t even warm weather but I was in summer clothes, ha ha!

I think I may now be sensitive to antibiotics but I had totally forgotten about that time mainly because I thought it was 19 years ago and I was told the rash was purely because it isn’t normal to have antibiotics when you have glandular fever.

All the same, my GP had my records in front of him and must have noticed that I finished a course of antibiotics on 9 May and this rash started on the 14th. Dr Google tells me that a penicillin rash can occur up to a fortnight after finishing the course … Do you see why I have no faith in my surgery?! I don’t see any point in going back to them but I will make sure I let them know if I have an infection in the future!

Tracey x

Sounds awful, and can’t be easy to cope with when it’s warm as it’s been. I hope the pesky rash clears up a lot more today and gives you a bit of a break from feeling so itchy xxx

Thanks, Beverly. It’s actually better when I’m at work as I can keep busy and also very cool. My employer gave me my own office a few years ago and they gave me the coldest room in the building as they know I overheat easily . They also allowed me to buy an air cooling unit instead of a fan and I can have my windows open without the other ladies complaining about the draught lol! I have goosebumps at the moment which is bliss!

Tracey x

I’m sure it’s not glandular fever. My glands were up for the first few months after starting on Gilenya but have actually gone down after having the antibiotics. I also don’t feel ill in any other way. In fact I have been feeling very well for 2 whole weeks now apart from this flaming rash. I have an appointment to see my nurse the week after next so I will tell her then. I almost feel sorry for my hospital as I always have lots of ‘incidents’ to notify them about!

Tracey x