PR Not Going Away/Spreading!
Posted , 3 users are following.
I first discoverd the Herald patch on my left hip the second week of December 2016. It was the size of a dime and then grew to the size of a quarter. Within a couple weeks, several more patches about the same size began. They seemed to go straight to my pelvic area - basically all the areas that would normally be covered by underwear (I'm female) and my inner thighs. It didn't travel to my genitals...thank goodness. I never had anything like this and I'm the type who gives "weird" things like this some time to go away on their own.
Except, It didn't. I finally saw my Dr. on Jan 5th and was diagnosed with PR. At first I thought I had ringworm and was treating it with antifungal cream. It wasn't spreading much while I was using that. I could count the number of spots easily. When the Dr. told me what it was, I stopped the antifungal. A couple days later, I broke out in dozens of small red spots mostly around my lower back and butt. It was itchy, but not constantly. January passed and with each week it seemed that it was spreading more. It started to travel up the sides of my torso eventually reaching my breasts but no higher. It has skipped the area surrounding my belly button and the upper middle of my back between my shoulder blades.
As of now, Feb 22, it's worse than ever! I just noticed last week a few spots forming on my right forearm. It looks as though some of the original spots are starting to fade, but I can't be sure. They just don't look as scaly and feel more like my natural skin. I know they say PR usually ends after 3 months, but it's not looking like it's slowing down.
Today I decided to try tanning and bought a month package. I used a level 2 bed for 10 min. My skin feels a little warm tonight (and itchy) but I figured I'd give this try.
I know everybody's experience with this can vary, but should I see the Dr. again since it's been almost 3 months with no sign of clearing up? I'm getting worried.
1 like, 7 replies
lara68585 emfontana
Posted
Hello! I feel your pain as I have had this since August of 2016! Mine started out on my back from top of panties to where Bra goes across, then it started fading away, but it didnt...it just went to a new area, my butt and then the back of my legs followed that. Its currently on my inner arms, armpits, belly, all sides of breasts, and random other small spots. My first doc in Sep said it was PR, my second doc in Jan said it was a fungal infection and treated with a prescription dandruff shampoo which of course did nothing, now he is sending me to a dermatologist. Mine doesn't seem to be going away either. It makes me really exhausted an I get nausea and vomiting as well randomly a few times a week. If I was you Id wait the three months out and then go back to the doc. My thinking is because they will just say you have to give it time to go away if its PR. Also that gives your tanning a chance to work...Im curious to see how that works for you!
lindsay46000 emfontana
Posted
I understand how you feel, I currently have PR all over me as well. I have it on both arms and armpit, my stomach, back, neck, and even two spots on my face. I don't know what to do either. I have had this since December 2016. I have a biopsy done at the begining of Feb, and now the hold spots are fading but there are new ones popping up everywhere. My "mother" patch is gone which was on my upper arm and completely took the color out of my skin. I am trying to decide on going back to the doctor as well. I also thought about trying the tanning bed. I do have a lot of spots but I am not covered. Right now they are still coverable with long sleeves. If you find anything that works please share. If age matters for PR I am 21 and almost going on 4 months with it.
Lindsay
emfontana
Posted
Just an update - Thank you those who responded. I realize this condition doesn't have a lot of home remedies let alone any medical remedies, so it does help me to know that I'm not alone with this horrible thing.
I've been tanning 3 times in the last nearly 2 weeks and I think it's helped. Initially, the spots seemed worse - red, inflamed and itchy. But after a couple days I noticed a grouping of older spots faded away, some faded so much that I couldn’t tell they were ever there.
It seems like I got this in two phases or something. The older ones that came about in Dec/Jan, which was about half of them seem to be turning brown and feel more like my normal skin. They’re not scaly, red or itchy anymore, but I can still see the where the spots were. The “newer” ones are red, slightly raised, scaly and itchy. They’re smaller than the older ones. These mostly run along the sides of my torso and stomach, back and butt.
Even today, I noticed them STILL spreading, but slowly. There are now some on the lower half of my legs and there are more on my forearms. They don’t seem to be getting any worse anywhere else. It’s hard to know if I’ve gotten any new ones on my torso since there’s so many, but I don’t think so.
As far as suggesting tanning, I think it does help. I noticed a difference after one 10min session, but it did take about 24hrs to see anything. Tanning doesn’t make them magically go away, but it seemed to accelerate the healing of spots that were already beginning to heal.
Good Luck!
lara68585 emfontana
Posted
You should take photos weekly...then you will be able to see if it better or worse or just moving like mine are doing. 👍
emfontana lara68585
Posted
You're right. I should take pics. I've thought about it a few times but havent. I just don't understand why most posts i've read about this it seems to clear up for ppl before 3 months, but for you and I it's still making its way around the body.
lara68585 emfontana
Posted
emfontana lara68585
Posted
My mom has Lupus and I've been tested twice for autoimmune issues. My results come back that I'm likely to develop arthritis. I don't have lupus or anything else, at least that test results show. The only other thing could be that I'm pregnant. I found out I was pregnant on Jan 20th and already had this for over a month. The first month I had it, it wasn't bad, only like 10-15 spots around my pelvic area, but after a month, closer to discovering I was pregnant, it flared up. I'm thinking that could be it.