Hello - I developed a rash that started with one raised itchy patch on my face and over the past 8 days has spread in raised blotchy form to my chin, neck, thighs, cheeks and stomach and gotten progressively worse. I don't have any boils or blisters. I have tried over the counter cortizone, benedryl both internally and topically, calamine lotion, even a low dosage topical steroid and the rash has not only not healed, but continued to spread. I've also been on antibiotic for the last three days in case it's something bacterial. Nothing seems to do anything for it, with the exception of Noxema making it feel a bit less itchy for a short while.
Noone can diagnose specifically but I've been told it looks similar to poison sumac. I've read that it's a myth that poison sumac can continue to break out because it's in the blood stream - only that it can break out where you've been exposed to the oil. I'm on the verge of taking prednison even though it's a class C drug for pregnancy because I'm desparate and don't know if this is really poison sumac and will go away or if it's something else that will continue to get worse or could be dangerous. There may be poison sumac at my local park, but I was far away from the areas it would be and had jeans on so I'm not sure how it could continue to spread to my upper thighs a week later. Neither my daughter or husband who were also at the park have shown any sign of this rash and my nanny takes my daughter there all the time and has never picked anything up. Apparently I had poison oak or sumac when I was 10 but that's over 20 years ago and never had it since.
Does anyone know how long it's reasonable to think the oil from poison sumac would stay on your skin assuming that you shower every day? Is it probable that poison sumac that broke out 8 days ago would still be coming out in different areas on my body 8 days later? Could I have spread it over days with sheets or towels that would lead to it continuing to break out days later even if I only came in contact with it from a swing set or something? I'm freaking out that people are misdiagnosing this and that something is wrong! Anyone know how bad it would be to take 5 days of prednisone when pregnant? I'm 9 1/2 weeks along and soo incredibly itchy not to mention I look like a monster...
Any ideas would be helpful.
Many thanks!
Mom to be in agony. |
