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Now I know its NOT ringworm!!

Posted , 9 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Hello All! This is my story...Around two and a half months ago a red, oval shaped, raised patch appeared on my right forearm. It was approx. 3cm in diameter and there was a similar, slightly smaller second oval patch next to it. I had been giving my kitchen a good spring clean the day before and thought maybe it was some kind of burn caused by some cream cleaner or the like that has splashed on my skin and hadn't been washed off.

I now know, thanks to this forum and other websites that it was a Herald Patch, an indication that more were to follow. I thought little of it, thinking it would fade and disappear until approx. two weeks later more began popping up on my right arm and around the top of the left arm, as though it was working its way across my body.

This prompted my first visit to the GP who diagnosed it as some kind of eczema and gave me a topical cream. I wasn't happy with that diagnosis at all, I told the GP that I have never had eczema and neither have any of my family suffered from eczema in their lives - parents, my brothers and sisters and their children - no one. Also, my gut instinct was this thing was going to spread and I told this to the GP, who just ignored me..

Nevertheless I dutifully started applying the cream but it had no effect. With the blotchy rash with fine ring like scaling spreading uncontrollably over my body I went back to the GP, who this time diagnosed ringworm and prescribed nausea inducing Terbinafine tablets. I've been taking them for three weeks and it was getting worse and worse.

It was really getting me down and began to believe I had some ultra-resistant ringworm. I also was terrified that my condition would spread to my little four year old boy and to my husband.

Through searches on the internet I now know I have Pityriasis Rosea and hopefully it will clear itself and that its not fungal. I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow and hope to confirm this.

I also, like others on this forum, believe that I probabaly caught it. The reason for this is because about two weeks before the Herald patch, I attended a Market Research event. The lady I sat next to and had to partner up with for the day had a skin condition on her arms that I had never seen before. I remember her arms and discussing it with my husband that evening. She had red blotches all up her arm and they must have been itchy as she had scratched some until they bled. It knew it wasn't eczema nor psoriasis, neither acne ( I do have acne ). Her arms and chest looked awful, yet her face had really lovely clear, peachy skin.

I can't say for sure but I think maybe I caught it from her - I vaguely remember getting a cold a week later and not long after the initial patch on my arm.

I really wish someone would research this virus, looking at the dates on the postings on this forum this thing is quite active with lots of sufferers. I have warned all my family about this condition and insist their GP take samples before diagnosing eczema / ringworm should they have unexplained patches appearing.

Sorry to go on and on, I feel that the detail may help others figure out if they have Pityriasis Rosea too. I would also love to know of any research to prove this is contagious. Many thanks - a77c

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Yes, your post certainly helped me. My herald patch is also on my right forearm and also looked like a burn before it spread to other places.

    My doctor has also misdiagnosed ringworm even though I've been using anti fungal cream for two weeks before seeing him.

    I'm doubting myself now as he was [b:a971268d11]so[/b:a971268d11] adamant it was not PR, but all he knew was what was written in his textbook.

    When I go back to the doctor in a week I will not accept another treatment for ringworm (he said \"we'll try oral tablets next\" i.e. terbinafine) and will beg for penecillin and steroid cream, as this seems to have worked remarkably well for many people here...

    Here's hoping...

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I thought my herald patch, on my back/shoulder was ringworm, and used a blacklight to see if it would fluoresce, but it did not.

    i tried to get into my doctor asap, but she was busy so i couldnt get in for a week. during that week i felt like i was catching some kind of cold. one night iw as feeling especially sick (nausea etc) and i fell asleep kind of suddenly, woke up in a sweat and spots covered my neck!

    finally after getting into my doctor about 10 days after having the herald patch, she took one look at me and immediately told me it was this horrible disease and told me to google it. so here i am. i've had the little spots for about 10 days. ive had the large patch for probably at least 3 weeks now.

    every day i get new spots.

    i am itchy...sooo itchy.

    i feel like a freak... i dont want to go out in public! you tell people it's not contagious and they still stand far away from you.

    this sucks.

    im starting my own club. you're all invited.

    BYOS (scarf). :P

    • maureen_47184
      maureen_47184 Guest

      Posted

      My doctor told me i need to sit in the early morning sun and i did that and it's all gone in a few days. Pityriasis rosea i think its called

    • mckenzie_85257
      mckenzie_85257 Guest

      Posted

      Hi I really need help I'm in a saturation dive chamber where you live under pressure for dive work.

      I'm in Ismailia Egypt on this job

      Anyways got one of these spots on my left hand then got it on my right arm now they are all over my 2 legs and got got all over my butt

      The stupid local doctor gave me some cream and it's not working.

      What is it and How do you treat it ? Thanks

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    id like to add that im from ontario canada.

    anyone else from ontario?

  • sandra29194
    sandra29194 Guest

    Posted

    Hey there I am from remote Western Australia and have similar or same problem........I have lesions all over my arms, 2 on my scalp and now a defined ringworm like circle on my right ankle......doctor first diagnosed as Impetago on my Care Plan (I have numerous snowballing disabilities) then he changed Chronic Skin Infections til he saw the Ring and gave me Canesten Cream......this has all happened since I had 3 White Tail Spider Spider Bites, one ending up so infected Cellulitis that I was flow to nearest city for Plastic Surgery to remove a section of the top of my hand.....arriving home from hospital a letter soon followed saying I had been diagnosed while in the hosp. with MRSA, Shortly thereafter my I mute system failed with rampaging Rheumatoid.....leading to a year of Methotrexate (Chemo) treatment .....which then (I believe) led to Chronic Fibromyalgia.....sheesh.....deep breath.....anyway still suffering from the skin condition and have had the ring for about 6mnths...wondering if anyone else can see some similarities with my issues and could MRSA be the cause of the lesions......or could u diagnosed MRSA be leaving people immune to the Meds they are using especially antibiotics??????  Just saying.....I've tried coconut oil which lessened thei tense look of the ring and sores???? 
  • camille35646
    camille35646 Guest

    Posted

    I also thought I had ringworm by the way the small red circles started on Thursday but my dermatoligist took one look and diagnosed my red circular splotches as Pityriasis Rosea when I him visited the following Wednesday. By then the circles that started under my right armpit had joined together and appeared to be spreading to my chest. Two days before then I had been to my regular doctor who look baffled and admitted that she was stumped. She wanted me to see a new young dermatologist that was supposed to be hot but I insisted on seeing my "old school" dermatologist. He was spot on. He prescribed Synalar cream and it went away after a few uses, but it showed up in other places like around my pelvic hair and my other armpit. The cream works. I just apply it twice per day on the infected area and it disappears after a day or so. The brochure he gave me says it's harmless but can last 2 to 20 weeks before disappearing. It usually occurs between the ages of 10 and 35. (I'm 60.) It usually occurs once in a lifetime and does not return. Strenuous activity is discouraged until it disappears. And lukewarm baths are advised. Medication is not necessary as it disappears on its on with time. The brochure was published by the American Academy of Dermatology. I hope this helps someone else.

    • cathy503
      cathy503 camille35646

      Posted

      Oh wow I was diagnosed with that in my early 20s and they said it would never come back! but it appears that it's back 😐

  • mckenzie_85257
    mckenzie_85257 Guest

    Posted

    Hi I really need help I'm in a saturation dive chamber where you live under pressure for dive work.

    I'm in Ismailia Egypt on this job

    Anyways got one of these spots on my left hand then got it on my right arm now they are all over my 2 legs and got got all over my butt

    The stupid local doctor gave me some cream and it's not working.

    What is it and How do you treat it ? Thanks

  • cathy503
    cathy503 Guest

    Posted

    OMG thank you so much for posting this! The same thing happened to me!

    I had these circle shaped dry red patches on my chest and abdomen and went to the dermatologist and she told me that I had the worst case of ring worm that she had ever seen!

    So without testing the skin she prescribed me a dangerous antifungal pill that can potentially cause liver failure and kill you and a topical treatment.

    I was terrified of spreading it to my family so I

    bleached down everything in my home and threw

    out anything that couldn't be bleached.

    When the rash got worse after taking the treatment, I

    went to a different dermatologist who actually

    scraped a tiny bit of the skin and tested it and said

    their is no fungus in the sample and I did not have

    ringworm at all! I'm so p*ssed at that first doctor for

    that misdiagnosis which caused me a month of

    Horrible panic and stress which probably made the

    condition even worse!

    Moral of the story- demand a lab test when you go in

    to see the dermatologist. They can't tell just by

    looking at it bacsuse many of these conditions look

    the same. I still don't know what's wrong with my

    skin, I get these patches randomly a couple times a

    year now usually in the winter but at least I know it's

    not highly contagious, severe ringworm!

  • Jessica199022
    Jessica199022 Guest

    Posted

    Hi,

    The same thing has happened to me before. I had the herald patch on my back and about a week later they spread all over my torso and onto my neck. It was difficult to not itch them! Something I read to help the itchiness is to put head and shoulders shampoo on your body. Weirdly enough it helped. They say it's a seasonal rash that comes at the beginning of a new season, and normally you only get it once in your life and that's it, but unfortunately for me it returned two years after!! But it's been five years now since I last had it so hopefully it's gone for good!! Fingers crossed.

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