Why am I itching???????

[ny biker]

Okay the rash is back, but on different parts of my body -- lower back, butt, more on my arms. And the Claritin hasn't worn off yet.

I guess I'll go to the urgent care clinic. I assumed they were closed last night but it turns out that they are now open 24/7. I'm really not looking forward to spending the day in the waiting room. Oh well.

[NbyNW]

Sorry to hear things haven't cleared up ... I've occasionally had something similar happen but was unable to figure out what seemed to be causing it.

Good luck at the clinic, and hope you feel better soon!

[malkin]

Itching is crazy making.
I hope you get rid of it soon.

[ny biker]

Well happily my regular doctor's office was open this morning and they were able to see me. I got an Rx for prednisone, and she also told me to take Zantac in addition to the Claritin. I also talked to my sister, who is both a nurse and has way more personal experience with allergies than anyone should ever have. She agreed with the drug regimen and mentioned a few other possible causes.

I'm adding to my "possible" list: granola with dried strawberries, blackberries and kiwis plus soy milk, which I had for dinner on Thursday night for the first time in a long time.

First thing Monday, I will call an allergist and hope to get an appointment in the not too distant future.

BTW I asked the doctor if there was any reason I would not be able to ride my bike tomorrow. She said no, except I'd be more comfortable if I stayed sedentary in the A/C. (She also looked at me like I was kinda crazy. ) But if the rash clears up enough by then I will be out there doing 40 miles of hills and testing my new saddle tomorrow morning. I can always cut the ride short if the itching gets bad.

[bmccasland]

Considering that your body is stressed, I wouldn't recommend riding your bike 40 miles tomorrow. On the other hand, once the Prednisone kicks in, you'll probably need to do something to deal with the jitters.

If it was the crabs, it could be when you're tested for the food allergy, that you won't test positive (allergic). Sometimes it isn't what you ate, but what the food ate - ie, what seabed your food came from. You may never know. Or that's what the ER Doc told me when I had full blown anaphalytic shock after eating squid or octapus at a restaurant. On testing, I wasn't positive for that antigen, but I won't eat those creatures ever again either.

I'm glad you're going to an allergist.

[ny biker]

Considering that your body is stressed, I wouldn't recommend riding your bike 40 miles tomorrow. On the other hand, once the Prednisone kicks in, you'll probably need to do something to deal with the jitters.

If it was the crabs, it could be when you're tested for the food allergy, that you won't test positive (allergic). Sometimes it isn't what you ate, but what the food ate - ie, what seabed your food came from. You may never know. Or that's what the ER Doc told me when I had full blown anaphalytic shock after eating squid or octapus at a restaurant. On testing, I wasn't positive for that antigen, but I won't eat those creatures ever again either.

I'm glad you're going to an allergist.

I'm already prepared for the "we have no idea what you're allergic to" conversation. Hoping for the best but prepared for otherwise.

Looks like riding tomorrow may not be an option -- I took a nap earlier and when I woke up, I had red itchy lines and spots where my t-shirt and pajama shorts were wrinkled and pressed against my skin by the mattress. Sigh. So it may take another dose or two of the prednisone to really clear this up. Especially since my bike clothes are not what you'd call loose-fitting.

I really needed to do a hill ride tomorrow for Livestrong challenge training. I guess I could do a shorter ride in the late afternoon if things clear up more by then, but it will be hotter and traffic will be worse. Oh well.

[ny biker]

Aieeeee!!! The rash came back around midnight and is worse than ever now!! It's now mostly on my arms, legs and a little on my face, plus the back of my head itches. The itching is worse than it's been since the symptoms first showed up. Still no problems breathing.

I don't know if I should go back to the doctor or if this is normal and I just need to wait for the prednisone to kick in more. I took one dose so far, about to take the second with breakfast.

THIS SUCKS.

Does anyone know if it's okay to take benadryl in addition to the prednisone, claritin and zantac?

[bmccasland]

Call your pharmacist and ask him/her - they're the best ones to know what drugs will interact in combination with others.

Considering this has been continuing, are you certain it isn't something you've ingested and continue to ingest, or is it a new bottle of laundry soap?

Hope you get in to see the allergist on monday.

[ny biker]

I called the pharmacy but they don't open until noon (it's in a grocery store). I will call them then. I checked drugs.com and they don't list any interactions with the drugs I'm already taking, but I'll check with the pharmacist anyway.

I don't think this is contact dermatitis -- I could be wrong but I've had that so much in the past that my gut tells me this is different. I do realize it's possible that the problem is something I'm still eating, but I just don't know.

Since the latest outbreak is almost exclusively on my arms, hands, legs and feet, and it started on my torso, I'm thinking (hoping) the reaction is just working its way through my body. My experience with other allergic reactions is that they take several days to a week to subside, although I had been hoping the prednisone would have kicked in sooner. Maybe the second dose will turn the tide.

Fortunately, the Urgent Care clinic is now open 24/7 -- it used to be open only during the day -- so I can head there at any time if I feel like things are getting worse.

Thanks for the support.

[Owlie]

Does anyone know if it's okay to take benadryl in addition to the prednisone, claritin and zantac?

I wouldn't. While benadryl doesn't do much to me, Claratin makes me foggy (even though it's supposed to be "non-drowsy"). If you're one of those people who gets sleepy with benadryl, it's probably a bad idea.

Cold shower? That's what we told a friend to do until she could get to the doctor and home to re-wash all her clothes. She said she still spent the weekend in the shower.

(Turned out she was allergic to her boyfriend's laundry detergent.)

Hopefully it clears up soon. I had a bad case of hives all over a few years ago (viral), and I was miserable, so I kind of understand how that feels.

[NbyNW]

Maybe you could try pHisoderm or Aveeno in the shower? Might give you a small amount of relief until this either clears up or you figure out what's going on.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

After using it for years, I suddenly developed an allergic reaction to chemical-based sunscreen a while back. Had put some on back of my neck, and broke out in awful itchy rash and HIVES all over my neck, back, and chest. It lasted for about 5 days! I switched to the titanium/zinc sunblocks instead....no more problems. I noticed you mentioned that you did use a couple of different lotions that morning. Sounds like an allergic reaction to some ingredient in them to me.

[marni]

did you possibly get into some chiggers outdoors who hitched a ride in and migrated to underwear and or bedding? You might try washing all of your undies, any clothing you were wearing, and you bedding in extremely hot water and bleach if there is any possibility of it. Ditto for bed bugs which can cause all sorts of problems.

chigggers are so common here in the hot humid south that it has become a fact of life for us in the summer. If it isn't use riding past them, through them on the trails, they come in on the animals fur. I used to think it was fleas in spite of the anti flea stuff but now I know better.

Just my two cents worth.

marni

[beccaB]

I'm getting a rash on the tops of my legs near the silicone grips, Pearl Izumi shorts. I'm wondering if it's sunscreen, sun poisoning or the silicone. I've done 7 centuries before this year, but this just started recently. As a kid, I was deathly allergic to caramel coloring, as in eat it and nearly stop breathing. Hives would start it. The rash doesn't even itch, it's just there. Scary.

[malaholic]

I'm getting a rash on the tops of my legs near the silicone grips, Pearl Izumi shorts. I'm wondering if it's sunscreen, sun poisoning or the silicone.

I get this too, regardless of which shorts I'm wearing (all of mine have a silicone strip on the leg grip). I can't figure it out. It only happens after long rides where it's hot & sunny, so some combination of the silicone, sunscreen, and sweat? The weird thing is it only happens on the top, not all around the leg. And it doesn't hurt or itch, but I'd like to prevent it if possible cause it looks bad. If anyone has any idea what this is or how to prevent it let me know.