Viral Infection

[livingwith]

I came down with your average cold, stuffy/runny nose, congestion and fatigue and after about a week and a half it cleared up entirely and I was feeling a 100%. 2 days later, I began to feel a tightness in my chest which evolved into almost sever pain in my chest and back muscles. It hurt to move and I didn’t get much sleep as I would wake up because it hurt when I’d move while sleeping. I didn’t go to the doctors until on the 4th day after the pain started I woke up to find a...Read the full article

[gena001]

I am a 36 old female, mother of two small children and have broken out in a silimar rash twice. Once two years ago after a trip to Florida, then came home (sub of Phila., pa) and broke out in a severe rash on my face, neck, chest and back. Because I was in Florida and it almost had a sun exposed area look, my dr. diagnosd me with a severe case of contact dermatitis, from an allergic reaction to sunblock, of all things!!!! It took almost 6 wks for it to go away! It was itchy and very painful. Not to mention it took about a full week for it to totally come out!!!
Now almost two years later (1 month shy) I am faced with the same rash!!! Only it totally consumed the same areas (not so much on my chest this time) within minutes instead of a week. I literally watched it evolve in the mirror. It is itchy and very painful. I went to the dr again and instead of treating me they sent me to a dermatologist. I got in right away and they were stummped. They took a serious of blood test and even a biopsy off my back (not fun). The test came back 1 week later as an allergic reaction to DRUGS! I was stummped because The only drug I am on is Topamax for Miagranes which I was not on the first time I broke out. They basically said they could not do anything else and it was up to my regular dr. and me to figure out what drug it was. Like I was a raging drug addict or something!!! ANyway I no sooner hung up the phone with the derm office and called my nurse prac. She consulted another dr. in the office and they decided to wean me off of the Topamax. But I did tell her the common bond that I beleived it to be was I had had a cold prior to each break out. Last time I had severe fever (up to over 104) that sent me to the emergency room. This time I spiked a fever the night before the rash appeared too. Although I haven't had a fever since I still beleive it has something to do with me being sick prior. The only other drug I have Taken was an over the counter Tylenol cold med. which I have taken several times in between. I have shared every bit of this info with my doctor and I am extremely fustrated and now have to deal with what will ultimatley be taking me off a medication that has helped me function since July 2008. I am already starting to suffer miagraines on a daily basis and until we find out if it is the medication.
Did your Doctors run any test to dtermine if it was viral or perscribe you any medication? I am almost ready to just start going from Dr. to Dr. until I start to get some answers!

[chrissie]

Short Story
march 2009 Scalp began to itch like crazy
no flakes just welps
May 2009 Rash appears on trunk-itchy
Fam Doc presribes 9 mg of predisone and a topical steroid cream
July 2009 Now on arms and shoulders too
Ob Gyn tests for Lymes and Rocky Mt
offers valium for itching tests come back neg xanax for stress.....
Aug -moves to back and all around waist-often bleeds
Allergist tests for audio immune and blood work for lupus ect....negative
takes me off hormone supplement and offers aderan and anti-depressants
rashes continue to get worse
dermatologist says she sees this in "middle aged women" that it could have come from a thorn prick or a bug bite puts me on 40 mg of predisone for 3 weeks RASH DOES NOT SPREAD AND ORIGINAL ONE dries up,.
6 days after completing predisone- IT all comes roaring back
now on topical steroid -wants to run allergy tests in 3 weeks...
went to holistic chiroprator yesterday
esplained about virus in my system
put me on $100 dollars worth of Guna virus and guna herpes
DOES ANYONE HAVE INSIGHT OR SOMETHING THAT #1 identifies specifically what this is?
#2 a treatment that worked for them??

[gena001]

Chrissie,
After everything I have gone through, I finally think I may have a common link to the rash! I have kept a log of almost everything I put in and on my body! The rash is not gone and I still have a "flare up" as they call it but not nearly as bad as it was the two times I got it! I have a question for you? Do you color your hair? And if you do what brand do you use and color tone? I know this sounds crazy but I am constantly changing my hair, blond , platnum blond dark blond and sometimes brown with highlights! I even color my eyebrows. With this said I have found that I have a severe reaction to Lorel Haircolor especially the dark tones! Not sure if this helps you but after everything I have gone through, the pain the discomfort, the ugliness! It seemes that it all comes down to that timeline of the week after I color my hair! I have gone to derm., family doc., and even an allergist but I seem to have figured it out on my own. I use Hydricortisone cream, and take Clairitin. So simple but it works. If its bad I will put the steroid cream the doctor gave me too and that helps but I try not to use that because it does a number on your skin! I feel like I have age about 10 years using all the s*%t they have given me to put on. Anyway I looked up hair color reactions on line and everyone reacts differently and even though you may react everyreaction you have may be different. Its crazy how the body reacts to things. I seem to be okay with the Garnier brand but I stick to the blond tones. Like I said it has to do with the darker shades. I hope this helps. If it does I'm glad. If not good luck!