Been almost a three-month process, but no ending in sight -- please help
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hey all! I stumbled upon this by accident while searching Google for information that can help me. But first, my story:
I noticed a red, scaly and dry patch beginning right under my bra line around Christmas. I didn't think much of it at the time -- just thought it was dry skin. After maybe two or three weeks, it didn't go away, so I tried some anti-fungal in case it was ringworm. That did nothing, so I stopped and made a derm appointment for the first week of January.
When I went in January, the patch had gotten somewhat better, but was still there. I had no other lesions, so my doctor said it was a patch of eczema and gave me some Cloderm cream to put on it and asked me to schedule another appointment in two weeks if it hadn't disappeared. In that time, it got better, but didn't go away, so I booked another appointment.
I was also having symptoms related to my hypothyroidism, so I made an appointment with my primary for the same day as the derm appointment, just to make it easier to get everything done. This was beginning of February.
Two or three days before my appointments, red spots appeared on my chest, neck, arms and abdomen. Not many, but noticeable. My primary diagnosed as tinea versicolor. Derm diagnosed PR, which seemed way more likely. She gave me a prescription for triamcinolone cream, and asked me to come back in a month no matter what.
The cream works wonders. Spots I had, including my "herald patch" that haunted me since December went away in a week, tops. I was feeling really great. I had a few more spots pop up on my arms and legs, but just kept doing the cream and they have been healing.
Fast forward to yesterday -- three days before my derm appointment -- and I have spots all over my back. They don't itch, just are unsightly. I can't actually see them, but my husband has told me they look like the other spots I've had and has helped me apply the cream to them.
My rash isn't itchy, just ugly. And I'm just disheartened because this is not at all typical of what I've read online about this rash. My question is -- has anyone had a PR experience like mine? Is it going to keep getting worse still or will I finally start to kick this? Is it normal to finally be getting daughter patches almost two to three months later than the herald patch (my derm says it's obviously possible, but not as common)?
Any help or reassurance is welcomed!!
0 likes, 8 replies
Lifebeautiful7 rebecca10966
Posted
Hi Rebecca.
It's been a while since I posted on this forum. However, I want to tell you that it DOES and WILL get better. It's been almost a year since my PR came out, and let me tell you, I felt like it practically ruined my life. Just when I thought it had started to clear up, more patches showed up. I'm not sure if I experienced multiple recurrences over a years period, but the last of mine is on its way out (after almost a year). I think PR is different for a lot of people. Mine was definitely not the typical PR you read about. Mine began on my thigh/upper leg, was contained from half way down my legs up to my waist (none on my back or arms) and it didn't itch at all (just appeared very unsightly!) and took a lot longer than 6-8 weeks to clear.
I used head and shoulders shampoo and I sat in the sun A LOT. I can't be sure, but for me, I think that is what helped. The patches I had were very unsightly, I had large patches as well as smaller patches, and as they often became inflamed, I was CERTAIN they would leave scars! But if I compared my body now to almost a year ago, you wouldn't even think the middle section of my body was covered in such an ugly rash.
It will only get better. Don't let the hard days win.
😃 x
natlie70703 rebecca10966
Posted
heyy so what helped me get rid of it in a month was hinestly tanning and prreze tanning sucked tho i woukd only do 3 min in a bed and afterwards i would be in pain and so red but then next day would be clearer so i suffered the pain lol
rose38172 rebecca10966
Posted
Hi all, I just wanted my to share my experience with PR.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SAVED ME!!
Let me start off with some background story. I had suffered with PR for about five months before finally getting rid of it. My doctor said it would run its course in about 4-12 weeks and that was it. But it never went away. I had searched the internet extensively seeking remedies. I had tried nearly everything but nothing worked and i was losing hope!! I tried head and shoulders as body wash twice a day for about 2 weeks and no improvement. I had tried preze cream since everyone raved about it but it didnt work. I made sure to use it for about 2 weeks but no results, it only dried the spots but did nothing else. i even tried coconut oil, lots of tanning in the sun, desitin cream, lysine tablets (finished a whole bottle) but none of these helped. I got so desperate that i even swabbed bleach on my spots hoping they would get rid of them but it only made them worse and it was too painful. At this point, I had given up and felt depressed about it, i really thought I would never get rid of it and it was incredibly frustrating.
Finally, i tried apple vinegar as recommended by a person online (I had not tried this earlier because it wasnt a popular remedy option for PR on the internet but i had nothing to lose but try to it) AND I AM SO GLAD I DID. I just soaked a cotton ball with it and applied (by dabbing) on the spots 2-3 x a day and saw a difference after about a week. My spots had whitened and were less red and inflammed. The spots on my back went flat and smooth and started to disappear quicker compared to my other spots (I had these spots on my legs, arms, torso, and back, and face too). Eventually, after about 1 week and a half, most of my spots had gone white and so i continued this method very consistently for more than a month. They were still fading nicely and i could finally start to wear singlets and shorts again.
Then one day, i went swimming and tanned for about an hour and the next day or two i noticed the sun exposure had completely burnt off the remainder of my white spots on my back and on my arms and torso. i was amazed! The white pigmentation on my legs are still slighty evident but I am continuing to rub apple cider vinegar on them because i know with time it will fully get rid of them. Additionally, i had used neem oil for the rash/spots on my face too and this finally got rid of them after using it for about three weeks. So in summary, give apple cider vinegar a go and if you see improvement, try it in conjunction with tanning and it'll work mircales!
Let me just emphasise that it may work faster for some areas on your body than others (eg. my leg spots are stubborn) but do not be discouraged and keep trying. It's all about patience and consistency, believe me, I had to really tell myself this all the time when all those other remedies would not work. But dont give up, try what you can!!
rose38172 rebecca10966
Posted
Yeah unluckily i had it in my face too- it was pretty awful and trying to cover it with makeup did not really help.
I did not have a biopsy done, the doctor just checked the spots on my arms and legs with a magnifying glass and diagnosed it
stazstaz rose38172
Posted
Having a diagnosis without a biopsy is paying for an educated guess. There are 5 rashes that look alike enough to be commonly misdiagnosed- about 30 percent of the time, which is a LOT in my book.
k95025 rebecca10966
Posted
I have had outbreaks for 10 years on and off and the follow treatments have worked quickly.
Kenalog shot to the bum (may require two shots two weeks apart) one shot clears it up right away if you catch it early.
Using a tanning bed 8 mins every other day up to 4 times for the week until the rash disappears. Tanning bed should emit uvb light or you can go to doctor for uvb light threapy or sun bath
No working out for the period, body heat seems to increase the spread
The above it the only thing that has worked for me but I have never had it longer than 3 weeks with the above treatment.
Hope the above helps.
stazstaz k95025
Posted
Are you sure you have PR? I know mine lasted 14 months, but once it is done, PR is almost always a "one and done" you do not get it again.... Have you had a biopsy?
k95025 stazstaz
Posted
100% positive, i am amongst the unfortunate few where it reoccurs. Because it flares periodically for me I know what to do to treat it quickly. When I got it 9 years ago for the first time I spent thousands of dollars to figure out what it was and how to get rid of it, now as soon as i see a mother patch on my skin I get a Kenalog shot and that usually does they job otherwise i go tanning.
People are different so what works for me may not work for anyone else.
Hope this helps!