Drug rash despite being on high steroids
Posted , 6 users are following.
Despite taking 45 mg a day of prednisolone for GCA I have developed a tremendous drug allergy rash. I took a small dose of codeine linctus to help with a cough and the next morning I noticed spots all over my chest and abdomen. It has gradually got worse and 5 days on the spots have run into each other and formed flat pink areas. As prednisolone is used to treat drug rashes how is it possible that this happened? 5 days on it seems to be spreading.
I have just been prescribed an antihistamine which I hope will help as the itching is driving me crazy.. Has anyone else had this experience whilst on high steroids?
0 likes, 5 replies
elizabeth20640 Lizfor
Posted
Hi Lizfor I was on high pred.I was on 80mg. And don't have a rash. But have a burning sensation on top of my back, almost like sunburn and numbness drives me mad as it becomes red from scratching,
But I know it's from pred and don't know weather it skin damage.
I know I was on penicillin years ago and developed a rash. So it turned out I was allergic to penicillin. Take care
Lizfor elizabeth20640
Posted
Thank you Elixabeth, I can relate to the 'sunburn' feeling.
EileenH Lizfor
Posted
I replied with this on the steroid thread you started:
"I developed an allergy to the ACE ihibitor I was given for atrial fibrillation despite being on 20mg steroids at the time. An antihistamine didn't do much at all and I wasn't impressed at being handed a wet wash cloth to soothe it overnight! (I was in hospital). The nursing staff were very dismissive - the doctor jumped a bit when I showed it to him and stopped the drug immediately - the rash had started around my neck and then spread outwards and downwards and by then was half way down my arms!
t all depends what the mechanism of the allergy is I suspect. Is your GP SURE it is an allergy to the codeine linctus? It may be coincidence it happened then if it is continuing to get worse.
dermnetnz has a good article about morbilliform drug eruption - the fancy name for it. They say autoimmune disorders are a predisposing factor and that antihistamines often don't help.
And the University of Maryland medical center site on their cutaneous drug reactions says corticosteroids may also cause it - so it may have been the combination of steroid plus codeine or whatever it was in the linctus that triggered it. They also make suggestions for things you can try to heal the reaction more quickly. Their site is very good and reliable - so worth a google search."
gillb EileenH
Posted
That is very interesting, I shall google search the univ of Maryland med centre site. I have suffered with itching skin for just over a year now - and take antihistamine daily after coming up in huge red weals at the slightest touch of my arms etc and acute itchiness. Am on low doses of steroids but have had pmr since 2007. I thought it was probably triggered by stress of moving house and had hoped it would just go away again as quickly as it came, but hasn't. Rheumatologist queried it as said that steroids usually given to treat irritation and suggested I go back to GP and ask for it to be further investigated but I must admit that I haven't followed it up - but i am very interested in things I can heal the reaction more quickly.
?I must admit this is the first I have come across prednisilone linked to rashes.
EileenH gillb
Posted
dermnetnz has a good article about urticarias - they have some good info on that site generally.
Seems to be some thought urticaria can be autoimmune in origin - well there's a surprise...