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I am 54 and have had several bouts of PR (and other inte...

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Guest
Guest

I am 54 and have had several bouts of PR (and other interesting skin rashes like lichen planus) on and off throughout my life. Doctors say that conditions like these are random and not caused by stress and they are not hereditary. I have never met anyone else who has had these skin conditions, so am guessing it isn't that common and on each occasion I have had an outbreak it has followed a particularly stressful time in my life. Each time I have been told it is merely "coincidental".

Now my 7 year old grandson has been diagnosed with PR. Although 7 year olds don't usually suffer from stress he has had some upheaval in his life over the past few months - a new baby brother, a house move and the prospect of moving schools in the near future. So is his PR just another coincidence or could there perhaps a connection between PR and stress - and could there be a tendency for family members to be more susceptible to this condition? I'd be interested to hear whether there are any other families where PR has appeared in more than one generation.

The last time I had PR the itching drove me mad and kept me awake - which just exacerbated the stress. The creams prescribed by the doctor did absolutely nothing. By chance I met a lady who taught a technique called Autogenic Therapy. I enrolled on a course and learnt techniques to help me relax and control my stress. The PR abated quite dranatically and there has been no sign of PR for the last 5 years, so I am hoping I have found a way to fend it off.

[i:5fde291512]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:5fde291512]

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I am experiencing my third bout of PR and although the second two episodes have not been as severe as the first, they have also occurred after periods of stress and also after taking a course of penicillin. I think that there may also be a link there, not sure. Not sure whether to go to the dr and discuss my theories as they can't do anything about it so will just get on with it. Shame it's the summer!
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I'm 34 years old and have just been told I have Pityriasis Rosea too! Nightmare. Although it's good to hear the rash isn't infectious, it's pretty unsighttly and itches like mad around my neck.

    Very inetersted to hear that many of you have had this following stress. My husband had a breakdown last year and I have a couple of young children and a stressful job to hold down. I often feel my head spinning and a sense of panic.

    This is my first outbreak and started with a patch on my back (about 3cm wide, 1 cm high) which I thought was a bit of ecezma (although I don't suffer from this). Around 3 weeks later I noticed 5 - 6 red spots on my tummy which I thought were insect bites. Over the next couple of days the rash has spread all over the front of my torso and onto my back - I must have 200 marks at least (I counted 28 on my right breast alone). I also have a few marks on my upper arms and have around 20 spots on my neck. I saw the doctor a few days ago who said it was a viral rash and that there was nothing she could do. I was also told the rash would go within 1 - 2 weeks - although I'm not so sure after reading up on PR.

    Just before this outbreak I was also suffering from headaches, back ache and had a kidney infection (which I have taken 2 lots of antibiotics for).

    Does anyone know if this is related to chicken pox? propbably just a coincidence, but my niece came out with CP 2 weeks before my rash started!

  • EssexM
    EssexM

    Posted

    My son developed what we now know is Pityriasis when studying O levels and then again A level exams. It continues to flare up occassionally as he is now an adult but does not appear to leave him with white scarring as mine does.
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Someone mentioned their niece having chicken pox 2 weeks beofre thay took PR. There might be something in your tinking I am a teacher and once my rash broke out I noticed a little blighter in my class scratching like mad at his leg and noticed his chicken pox when I think about it the incubation time associated with Chicken pox could have triggered my PR. Although I had been stressed but because of this my immune system could have been comprimised and being in contact with someone with chicken pox triggered this dreaded thing.
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