skin allergies? - Allergies Message Board

MssBernard · 03-12-2003, 12:07 PM

My 52 year old husband with no chronic health problems except for some stomach discomfort from heartburn, has for the past 4 months been suffering from skin rashes that are intensely itchy. The lesions appear just about everywhere, forearms, shoulders, thighs, and trunk. He wakes up at night not being able to sleep from the itchiness. He has been to several docs. One said food allergy and gave him a shot of Kenalog, another said bacterial infection and gave him cephalexxion and prednisone, another said scabies, and went through the cream insecticide, and yet another said folliculitus. Everyday, alsmost, new little bumps appear, almost like a bug bite. Then he can't help but sratch. Most topicals don't help allieviate the itchiness. They are extremely itchy. No new foods were taken, although we had taken in a cat a few months before all this started. His job is in construction at the job site where they build new homes. There are also woods in back of the homes being built. It is very fustrating. Please post any feedback. It will be very appreciated. He's never been allergic to milk or wheat products, and he now eats oatmeal and milk every morning. I know I'm grabbing at straws, but He needs relief. Sorry for being so long-winded!
Thanks in advance for all your comments.

fntsyangel · 03-12-2003, 01:32 PM

Have you considered shingles? It is a form of chicken pox (cause by the same virus) and commonly aflicts older people more so than the younger ones. A doctor should be able to tell if that is the problem quite easily. I suspect that a sudden allergy is not likely.

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Angel, et al

Marie55 · 03-15-2003, 09:33 PM

A dermatologist would be the best type doctor to see for a skin rash.

There are many skin conditions that will cause itching.

Marie

Sarah68 · 03-16-2003, 05:30 AM

I disagree about the shingles. Basically shingles is very painful and the rash that appears follows the nerve pathways and is not diffuse and although itchy, is also extremely painful. Also, once you have shingles and the rash, that is it and it does not come and go in quite the same way.

I am afraid to say that allergies can appear at anytime during life and it does not matter at all whether you have had it before. That is the nature of the immune system and it can happen. If you do not have a family history of allergies, then it is less likely, however, is still possible for your body to overreact.

It does sound as though your husband is having an allergic reaction and I have to say that it might be linked to the cat in some way. Either he has become allergic to the cat hair by continued exposure to it. The more you come into contact with an allergen, then after time, the more likely you are to react to it. Also, it is possible that the cat has flees and that you husband has this. This is not the same as scabies but can cause the same irritating itchiness.

Has your cat had flee treatment? If not then perhaps you should treat it. Your husband should also try this too.

If you can find an ND then all the better, as natural therapies can work very well for this type of problem and he could help you get to the cause of the problem rather than just trying to treat the symptoms.

Hope this helps?