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Pityriasis Rosea - just before xmas - great

Posted , 5 users are following.

miss_chief
miss_chief

:roll: Well I noticed the herald patch about 2-3 weeks ago now and just thought that I had a bit of excema - so I used a cream I had from the doctors ages ago for excema in the hope it would go away - it didn't. I started to get patches all over my skin, my chest, my stomach and back. I got a bit freaked out as my boyfriend did the meningitis test (rolling glass over it to see if it goes away - it didn't - freak out :shock: ). So I went to the doctors, obviously I didn't realise what I had, but said it had started with the patch on my side, the doctor told me I had pityriasis rosea - got a junior doctor in to come and guess what I had...she didn't get it. Then I got told there is nothing they can do!!!!! What - I've got to look like this till it goes away??? Over christmas too??

I've taken the advice on here, got myself some simple anti-dandruff shampoo, sounds like the weirdest advice I've ever heard (!) started using that yesterday and got some milk thistle (can you tell I'm desperate??? sad ). Also bought some aqueous cream with calamine, which seems to take some of the itching away and settle it down a little bit. Also doesn't stink like calamine lotion does, bad memories of chicken pox when I was a kid with that!

I'll keep you posted about whether the anti-dandruff shampoo works or milk thistle, bit sceptical but willing to give anything a try to make it go away quicker! Any other advice would be appreciated!

It's very upsetting to hear that the doctors can't do anything. No idea how I've managed to get this either. I seem to have an ability to pick up any viral infections over winter months very easily - last yr it was suspected viral meningitis which landed me in hospital for a week and floored me for about a month. Asking santa for a new immune system next xmas - cause god I need it! sad sad sad

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • nixpr
    nixpr

    Posted

    Hiya,

    I have had PR now (well, the hideous spots) for almost 3 weeks, and only in the past 3 days or so have I seen them minimising. Since saturday I have been taking milk thistle drops 3 times a day, and i've been using BIO OIL twice a day. The spots really seem to be fading, and I am praying to whoever is up there to get rid of it before Christmas (it's my birthday on Christmas too and just want to look a bit normal!).

    The itching is driving me craaaazyyyy though - nothing's changed there.

    I went to the gym on monday, found the smallest corner i could to do my work out, but after getting very hot and sweaty the lesions felt like they were on fire and i had to stop (nevermind the embarrassment of looking like a freak). I've been wearing polonecks everyday as my neck looks awful, but today is the first day I've gone without since they are a lot less even since yesterday!

    I think BIO OIL is the miracle cure here!! I will keep you posted.

    GOOD LUCK!

  • jellie-baby
    jellie-baby

    Posted

    Aw, I do feel for you - I'm on my second bout of this horrible thing. Dr just shrugged 'one of those things' but it certainly felt like the end of the world for me.

    This time around the spots seemed to be much worse, but they've cleared more quickly - much paler patches now, flaky not red and almost gone on my arms competely. The anti dandruff shampoo has definitely helped.

    For a time it felt like they were never going to go, but this bout has been 5 and a half weeks to now, last time it was double that.

    I did also increase my general vitamn intake as I read that it mightbe triggered by a vitamin a deficiency. his would be logical as i've just had a baby and had done last time too - all pregnancy vitamins have no vit a in them!!!!

    good luck and let us know how you go on. I suppose our only consolation is the fact we can wear jumpers and long sleeves...

  • miss_chief
    miss_chief

    Posted

    I've got to say that this website has been a life saver in itself - all I got given by my doctor was the name of the condition on paper (she knows I'll probably check it out!). It's so useful just to know that your not alone in having this & feeling horrible! :cry:

    Nixpr I really hope yours clears up before xmas and in time for ur birthday! That's what I'm thinking, what do I wear on xmas day to cover it all up! It's just really quite depressing, knowing you just have to wait for it to clear up itself! I want a miracle cure to viral infections - asking santa for a new immune system next xmas....! Feel so tired & disgusting looking just now, no idea how long this is going to last either. All in all I feel a bit sorry for myself :cry: but I know that it will go away & it's not life threatening, so lets be honest, I should stop being so vain! At least my boyfriend, bar the odd jibe at me, is being very supportive about it! wink

    I think my PR is currently still coming out, it's itchy and gets worse when I'm hot. I'm using anti-dandruff shampoo, taking milk thistle and using aqueous cream with calamine in it. I will keep you updated on how things go & lets hope to all who've posted recently on this board, that it gets better (or just calms down a bit) before xmas & NYE!! xxx

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Mine was diagnosed this morning after I noticed my herald patch yesterday, and about 8 small spots on my stomach/ribs, so it seems this is only the beginning for me! Do you think it's stress related? I've just finished some exams (3rd year degree). Probably just run down I think.

    I was wondering - how long did your spots take to develop after you first noticed the herald patch? So far, thankfully, it's only on my trunk, and there's only a few. It itches like hell though sad

    Jessie

    xxx

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi there - well my spots started about 2 weeks after the herald patch was noticed, to be honest I thought my herald patch was a bit of excema and nothing more at the time. I think I'm still getting spots, about 6 weeks in (I know that's not the news that you want to hear!) but just the odd one.

    I have been taking milk thistle and echinacea and multivits and I think something there is helping to contain it a little bit (touch wood) - it doesn't seem to be getting too much worse (i hope I'm not speaking too quickly about this!).

    If it's itchy I would recommend aqeous cream with calamine in it, seems to help my patches a little bit, didn't get given anything by the doctor so it seems everyone is kind of self prescribing!

    As to whether it's stress related, that would make sense for me too and there are a lot of posts on stress causing this. But it seems to be a viral infection that causes this condition, so who knows??!

    Hope your skin gets better soon.....

  • Tracelle
    Tracelle

    Posted

    Hi ButtonJessie. I'll try to keep this quite brief as I have posted at length my 'timeline' and don't want to annoy anyone by repeating myself.

    I had a herald patch on my forearm for about 4 weeks before I noticed a slight rash on my neck & surrounding area. Exactly one week later I had a huge outbreak, it had spread everywhere seemingly overnight.

    I had a lonely splotch on my bum and one on the back of each knee too! Odd!! Over the next 4-5 weeks it continued to spread, covering my neck, chest, back, stomach and finally my arms.

    Suddenly - almost immediately after I stopped using treatment for ringworm :roll: - the rashes started to fade very quickly indeed.

    My herald patch was gone after 8-9 weeks. The splotches on my stomach and back have also cleared up completely. I now just have some red/pink splotches on the tops of my arms (the last place they appeared) and dry patches on my neck (the worst affected area).

    There is hope. Hang in there.

    xxx

  • jellie-baby
    jellie-baby

    Posted

    Just to echo the 'hang in there' post above. On 9th Jan I'll have had PR for two months, but by that stage the lesions may well have cleared up completely. They were at their worst at 4-5weeks, and since then they're fading! fast! hurray.

    My best thing was definitely anti dandruff shampoo. just seemed to help lots, especially with the itching. But I started using a proper multivitamin at about the time it started to go. Before then I'd been on a special multivitamin for pregnant/breastfeeding women with no vitamin A in it. Hard to say if either were relevant or helpful. I'm just grateful theyre going!

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