KathieB Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I've been taking antibiotics for a strep infection for a week. This morning I woke up with a slight rash on my back. During the day it spread all over my back, across my chest, up my neck, into my ears, upper arms. Tried to tame it with calamine lotion, but no change. Finally went to the emergency room at 7 tonight. The doctor says it could be a reaction to the antibiotic, it could be a strep/viral rash (the pattern is right). Or it could be anything else. We haven't changed laundry detergents or dryer sheets, I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary in the past few days nor come into contact with any new materials. All he could do was give me some benadryl and prednisone and send me home with a prescription to continue taking them for the next few days or until the rash disappears. I swear he was grinning when he told me it would take at least 6 hours before the meds start making a dent in the itching. And to watch out for anaphylactic shock. I'm hoping the benadryl will knock me out for 6 hours so I can sleep through the worst of it. If I'm not doing something with my hands, they are busy rubbing and scratching, and that doesn't help, either. Lloyd is threatening to tie socks on my hands. So ... here I am, typing while fire ants crawl all over my body. Aaaaarrrgghhhh!! Okay, venting over. This is so minor compared to what others on here are dealing with, but it sure has my attention at the moment! Thanks for listening. Oooh ... the bit about going to Arizona -- one of the uncles used to look at my niece's pimples and tell her she should go to Arizona so the sun could cure her. She managed to turn our a beautiful girl without making the trek west, but his saying hung around, becoming a "solution" to almost any malady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butlerestates Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I feel so bad for you! Sounds to me like it would be from the antibiotic. Remember the name of it and don't take it again next time could be worse. I fear this sort of thing because I'm allergic to Benadryl! That kinda messes things up huh. It affects me the complete opposite than the rest of the world. i get mean and angry and itchy and feel like my skin is crawling and sleep is the last thing I could do. Not good. I envy people who can take that and go to sleep peacefully! Feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Sounds awful Kathie....horrible to itch and not be able to scratch! Poor thing! Hope it clears up soon for you! Socks won't work by the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vertigokitten Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Yikes! I feel for ya. Calamine lotion does absolutly nothing. Eat the benadryl 2 at a time. Do you have any cortisone or benadryl cream? Water is really good for itching. Try taking a bath. Don't take the antibiotic anymore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyinOR Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I had a rash once with strep throat, mine was from the strep. It's called scarlet fever. If you've been on antibiotics for a week now, it's likely from the antibiotics. I hope the benadryl helps! I also get restless with Benadryl. I have found that one tab works great, it's when I take 2 I get restless. Different strokes for different folks. I hope your feeling better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 Thanks, all ... your kinds words are most welcome. It's 12:30 am, and there's no way I can sleep. The itching woke me up. One of the first things the doctor said was to stop the antibiotic. It's Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim (Bactrim). I just looked it up on line. Side effects can include a peeling rash, nausea, running nose, coughing, and a few other things, all of which I'm experiencing. That's interesting, Amy. I had scarlet fever as a child. The house was quarantined. My dad had to go live with my aunt for a couple of weeks or he wouldn't have been able to go to work every day. The doctor told my mom to have me drink some warm milk, and then have my sister and brother drink from the same glass. He said if they would get then, too, then we'd all have immunity for life. They didn't get it. I don't think they ever got it. It was 60 years ago, January 1948. I was seven years old. I know the date because I got sick right after a family wedding on Jan 24. The family consensus was that I caught it from a drinking fountain at the reception. Sitting here in the cool house (62 F) is having an effect. I can feel a slight lessening of the itch. I'm thinking the warmth from the blankets got it stirred up while I was asleep for an hour or so. I think I'll get good and cold before I go back to bed. Or I may take Alli's advice and try a cooling shower. Thanks for listening. It help to know there's somebody out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyinOR Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I am soo sorry to hear you're up! Did they give you another antibiotic to take? Augmentin (sp) is a good one, that's what I had for the scarlet fever. Wow, I did not have to isolate myself and I have two little girls and a husband who works in a hospital I could have infected! Yikes, luckily no one else got sick. Is it time for another dose of Benadryl? I hope that antibiotic is out of your system soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 Yes, Amy, still here. I last took the antibiotic early this morning. I can take another 50 mg dose of benadryl in a half hour or so. The ER doctor didn't prescribe another antibiotic. He said since I'd already taken it for 8 days, just to stop it. When I was sick with the strep last week, our regular doctor was out on vacation. I don't know why his stand-in didn't give me penicillin. I've had strep throat several times as an adult and the penicillin knocks it out with no side effects. He was quick to tell me that they are now dispensing some drugs in the office so as to save their patients a trip to the pharmacy. This struck me as a little odd and a way to make more money. I'm wondering now if his choice of drug was influenced by the drugs they have on hand. I'm certainly going to look into this when I feel better. Back in the day, quarantine was used for several diseases. The police had to come to the house and nail a bright red sign on the door warning visitors away. We watched the policeman nailing the sign. His arms were so outstretched that he was leaning at an angle, and he had his head turned aside except for quick peeks at what he was doing. He was so afraid of catching the bug that he didn't want to touch the house! And after I was well, I had to go to the dentist for him to swab my mouth out with some foul liquid. I don't quite remember why, but I do recall that the skin on the inside of my mouth shed in sheets. I was pulling bits of skin off my tongue for several days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redneck princess Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Kathie, If it is a reaction to the antibiotic, they might have to put you on an oral steroid...sorry can't remember the name for sure...I think prednisone (?) My daughters both had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic years ago, they were covered in extremely itchy rashes, my younger daughter actually broke out in hives. Benedryl helped to some degree, along with Aveeno baths, but the steroid did clear it up fairly quickly. I hope you feel better soon. I've not experienced it myself, but I know my daughters were miserable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I'm so sorry you're going through that. My youngest is allergic to sulfa and did the same thing, the one time he took it as a baby. Try an oatmeal bath, we took them for chicken pox as children and it does help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I've been allergic to both penicillin and sulfa drugs since I was 3, had to have my tonsils out before I was 4 because of it, and I don't take Bactrim or ampicillin. Both DS#1 and DH have penicillin allergies and had terrible hives reactions. I can take cephalsporins, though, and mycetins. I find that steroid creams also help topically to control the itch that calomine won't touch; there's also Calodryl, a calamine lotion with topical diphenhydramine (Benadryl) in it that's marginally helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esther Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 You'd think the doctors could do something for a rash better than to just say "use Benedryl and lotions". I had a rash last year about this time that about drove me crazy. It lasted for about two months. Doctor said he didn't know what caused it, probably some allergy and told me to take Benedryl and put cortisone lotion on it. None of that really helped much. It still itched like crazy. Hope your rash disappears quickly, Kathie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninky Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I hate to even talk about it in fears of jinxing myself but last winter some of you might remember I had hives from Sept to May! Badly at that! I also suffered from several asthma attacks during that time period as well... I took all the new medications to try and cure it but it had to run it's course... I sure do hope that they gave you some good meds.. prednisone does work wonders even though they do not like for you take it long term.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I hope you will be better soon. Hubby said to be glad it is just a rash. He has seen people have their skin slough (??) off. I too wish they would have a better way of treating rashes. Bendryl and lotions do not work when you are in the thick of it! Remember Chelsea had that weird rash all over her body during the summer? That girl suffered for 2 weeks. It itched but it hurt to itch. Take care Kathie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfieldzoo Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 My mother had the same reaction to the same drugs. She ended up in the emergency room. I hope you feel better soon. Itching is annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 ooo I hate to hear about you feeling under the weather!and itchy rashes are worse than some illnesses! sounds like you are doing all that you can for relief so I will offer no suggestions...stay cool and I hope you get to feeling better SOON! nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Sending soft-non-itching hugs your way Kathie and hope that it is giving in by now!!!! HUGS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grynche Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Bactrim made me feel worse than the kidney infection it was prescribed for. A few years ago I had what I think was shingles, and was left with too huge patches of raw skin on my shinbones. Lasted for months. I'd have gone stark raving mad with that kind of itching all over my body (and what show is that a line from: Laugh In? allllllll over my bohhhhhhhhhhhh-dyyyyyyyyyyyy?) Hope you feel better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 More thanks for your good wishes. The benadryl is keeping me slightly groggy, so I've been able to doze a bit before the itching awakens me. It's the prednisone that's going to cure this, but I can take only one dose a day. I got the first one in the ER last night at 8, so now I have to wait until 8 for today's dose. It's all I can do not to eat all five doses at once and hope for an immediate disappearance of the rash. If I could focus on somethinge else, I'm sure it would help a lot. But I can't concentrate enough to read or watch TV or work on minis. If so many people get this reaction, why in the heck is this drug still on the market?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyJudi Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Hang in there Kathie...8 pm is comin'! I am sorry you are having to go through so much. Not being able to do anything due to lack of concentration really bites. Yeah, socks don't work, but those oatmeal baths sure do! I say go have a soak. Sending gentle hugs your way as to not irritate the rash. I hope you get to feeling better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I have been known to use ice on a really itchy rash, just until the itch subsides and keep applying it like that, and eventuallly it would get to the point I could focus on something other than not scratching and ice. I hope you get relief soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 It is subsiding, although not nearly as fast as I'd like. Holly, Lloyd ran a bag of frozen peas over my back for a while yesterday, and it really did make a difference for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Kathie, if you have an icemaker (better yet, an ice crusher), put some in a ziplock bag and use that for up to five minutes, stick it back in the freezer and you can use it again in 10-15 minutes. I have been known to run a tub of cold water and throw in a tray or two of ice cubes to calm the itch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Hi Kathie! I truly feel for you! And I hope you feel better quickly. One thing that I've learned is to take things like rashes, etc. seriously. It's good that you are making sure of it's cause. Get well soon! Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 Glory be! The end is in sight! Many of the rash spots have sort of blended together this morning and are becoming lighter. Lloyd says I'm going from leopard to American Indian. The itch has subsided considerably. I guess the prednisone is finally kicking in or the rash is running its course. I really don't care which it is, maybe both. In any event, I'm not going to take the benadryl today, so am hoping to feel more like myself. Thanks for all of the warm wishes and supportive messages. They are very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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