itching

Just recently I was awfully itchy, and I had very dry red skin around my neck, almost like eczema. I discovered that the shampoo I was using was the cause. I stopped using the shampoo and the itchiness stopped almost overnight. It took a bit longer for the dry skin around my neck to recover. I applied hydromol ointment to that. I won't ever buy Tesco's own shampoo again.

I suppose shingles has been ruled out?

Shingles is painful I believe rather than itchy (chicken pox is itchy - it's not that is it? blistery spots ?)
I once had terrible iitchy mosquito bites - lots of them. A dose of my husband's hay fever stuff - i.e. over the counter antihistamine - helped a lot.

I had shingles a couple of years ago. It was very itchy at first - we were in Portugal and I thought the spots were mosquito bites. But I suppose as jeannie 's rash is not yet painful it probably isn't shingles.

You don't get shingles all over your body and the palms of your hands.

It does seem strange that the rash/itching isn't on your face jeanie, it does sound as though it could be a washing powder-type allergic reaction.

My brother suffered with something like this over Christmas. He had tests and they all came back clear so the docs didn't know what it was. He has had to just sit it out but he was in a lot of pain, off work as he is a teacher and not known if contagious, and it looked awful. He is a lot better now though. He said about not sleeping too, and had them all, over his body. I thought it might be stress related?

I have had to go to see the doc again today the rash is getting worse it's now traveled to below my knees and up my neck onto my face.
The strange think is I am not ill but my hands and the palms especially are very painful and sore and the itching is a nightmare, it's slow torture.

We arrived back from Egypt a month ago and I began thinking I may have brought back a parasite in my skin but doc had checked for this before I mentioned it. He said he would see the tunneling lines on the skin it's a give away so I am thankful for that.

He's put me on steroids for 5 days said that should do the trick if not, go back.

I ment to say thanks everyone for your input I have tried a couple of the things you have mentioned.

Cannot think of anything really that I have changed, we did go walking on Sunday can't remember if I touched any leaves or plants.

I was cleaning the garage out during the day didn't open any bottles or cans it was just very dusty. It's the sort of thing I have done many times.

The steroids should do the trick. They did for me and I did not have the rash again. Hope you are better soon. x

I hope you soon feel better jeanie.

I'm glad to see your GP has finally given you something for this jeanie, and really hope the steroids sort it quickly. x

My daughter had similar symptoms when she returned from Mexico. Along with the itching and rash, she lost weight and then I noticed she looked slightly jaundiced. She had picked up Hep A, which took a few weeks to recover from. The GP missed it first time, but it was a matter of days before she felt worse and then was quickly diagnosed. Hope yours goes soon, jeannie.

Update

My condition didn't improve even with a change of medication so GP put me on Steroids for 5 days, finished the course on Friday.
I saw the difference within the first 24 hours the inflammation had decreased was like magic.
I was very worried about side effects of this drug but I have been alright.
I am still getting the itch but it's not anything like it was and most of the rash as gone and my hands are not swollen now.
So fingers crossed over time this will get sorted.

hi there, I know you have been given antihistamines but try some PIRITON, my dr gave me these when I was itching although I didn't have a rash but they cured the bitching if not I would say you've got a viral infection and that word viral covers a multitude of things, hope you feel better soon.

sorry that should have read cured the itching lol

Hi everyone thanks so much for your comments,

The itching did stop eventually after all signs of the rash had gone but took about 3 weeks.

I guess I'll never know what caused it but next time I start clearing out the garage I'll be wearing a face mask just in case.