Doc says not shingles

[septemberwoman]

I have been suffering from an intensely itchy skin condition for almost 2 weeks now. It started out looking just like poison ivy, trailing with blisters and itchy. Now it has spread to various parts of my body in form of individual tiny bumps with blisters. It itches like mad--really intense. After a few days, a few more pop up in a random place. Thye raise up eventually into large whorls and get very dark reddish purple. Seems to be in no set pattern and they are painful when touched but not independant of touch like shingles are suppose to be.

Doctor gave me a "med-pak" and I took that course. The ones on my face by my eye got better, but none of the rest and now after finishing the pak they are reproducing like crazy. The doctor was my Physiatrist I see for pain control but he went next door and got a GM to look and they neither one thought it was shingles. They said it looked by contact dermatitis but not poison ivy or such--basically they didn't know.

I am 50 yrs old and did have chicken pox as a child. Had measles--basically all the childhood stuff. Anyone got any suggests? I am applying alternately coritison cream 1% and Caladryl.

[Monkeyboots]

Hi,

I hope you find out what it is so you are able to treat it correctly. I am frustrated trying to treat my skin condition at the moment it also is very itchy and is most likely a fungal skin condition like ringworm. Got an appointment to see a dermatologist but not til December.

Have you looked at pictures of pityriasis rosea (I think a viral skin condition) or tinea corporis ringworm on the net to see if you think it could be that? Some pictures are terrible but you might see something that looks like yours if that is what it is. Just the fact its spreading and they turn into large whorls makes me think possibly ringworm.

Best wishes
M.B