alee_grrl | One woman Itchy and Scratchy show (Reply)

So the Tuesday night before I quit my job I increased my antibiotics and also noticed a slight rash on my lower legs. Little red bumps that looked a bit like razor burn and itched like crazy. Figured it was probably stress hives and took some benadryl and went to bed. Over the course of the next week the rash got worse (though I kept trying to tell myself it was getting better). It spread up my legs and then started on my lower arms. I used some calamine lotion and benadryl to try to control the itching. Since I wasn't sure about the state of my insurance I held off going to the doctor. For a while I thought it was a viral rash as I had had a head cold the week it showed up. When it spread to my neck and back I called both Lyme doc and my PCP. Good thing too as it spread to face the next day.

PCP ruled out Strep and determined allergic reaction. They focused in on the tetracyline that I had been taking. Lyme doc does not think it was an allergic reaction to the tetracycline, but was probably a bad herxheimer reaction or a yeast reaction. At this point I was basically "I'm more worried about stopping it before I go completely nuts." Thankfully the treatment for bad herx and allergic reaction are the same. Stop the antibiotic, take all the antihistamines (three different types), and do a round of methylprednisone. If it is yeast the steroid pack would not help at all. So we've managed to determine it is not yeast as the steroid are helping.

Unfortunately it is taking longer for the face and neck to get better and anytime I get overheated they flare up a bit. The skin there doesn't itch so much as feel tight and tender. I think the drive to my PCP worsened things because even with the sun avoidance protocols in place I spent longer in the sun than I should have. I've learned that overheating makes it more aggravated. It is getting better, though very slowly. The only spots that is still driving me mad is the neck and face. I'm doing my best to avoid things that make me hot, as that inflames things. I'm taking the steroid and all the antihistamines. I'm drinking lots and lots of fluid and avoiding the sun. I have a follow-up appointment with PCP on Tuesday.

But damnit do I want this to go away. It will, but I'm so out of patience. Probably because it has affected my sleep.

So that is why I haven't been around much.