[lenjan]

OK, so I've had this beet red, patchy, itchy crap all over my legs since the first week of August. I'm on two meds that cause rashes, and one of them also causes photosensitivity, and I was out on the beach for an hour and came home with this crap.

Pdoc eventually ruled out med reactions. Regular doc kept throwing up his hands and saying he had no clue until finally he had the sense to refer me to a dermatologist.

Saw the derm today. Since August, this junk has spread to my head, stomach, eyes and right arm.

Derm says head, stomach, eyes and arm are psoriasis, and he doesn't have a clue WTF is all over my legs. So he did a small biopsy, which is now itching like hell and I can't get it wet and I'm desperate for a bath! ACK! At any rate, it will be 2 weeks or so before the results are back.

Here's my question: What the hell can they find on a 1-cm skin biopsy? It's itchy, red and scaly. Psoriasis runs in my family, to the point that my dad had it on his head and legs and it got worse when he was in the sun. Derm said legs didn't look like "classic" psoriasis, so he wanted to find out what it was. I'm just wondering if anybody out there knows enough about this to know what I might be in for. I'm not expecting cancer or anything, but I hate not knowing things. (I'm a journalist. It's an occupational hazard.)

Candy

[misstonya]

Doctors can tell alot about a skin biopsy, I know this may sound silly to you but anytime I have ever got a rash that itched I use an old timers remedy for curing it works great for ringworm also. cut a limb or leave from a fig tree and there is a white milky substance inside the stem apply that to the rash. it will burn some but it dries it up and has worked for every rash that ever occured in my family.plus its all natural and What could it hurt.

[colors]

Oh so sorry Candybear. This sounds terrible.

Dermotologists are way smart thou, I am so glad you went.

Let us know how it turns out for you when you know.

Colors

[SS8282]

Maybe hives?

[lenjan]

Used to be, and not all that long ago -- 3 or 4 years, maybe, since the last attack -- that I would break out in hives for no apparent reason. I went to an allergist, who did all sorts of skin testing and only came up with an allergy to ragweed, which is only in the air from August to October. So, nobody ever figured out what caused THEM, either.

I have steroid cream for my face and steroid cream for my stomach and arm and liquid steroid stuff for my head, and things are calming down some (except for my head, i just picked that script up yesterday), but it's still a drag. I don't see the derm again till next week Thursday. If he figures out what's all over my legs, I'll let you know!

Candy

[SS8282]

Please do update me. I have skin problems all my life. Got sensitive skin. Hives are my biggest problems, esp. when I eat something I'm allergic to. Then i get in seriouse trouble cuz not only does my whole body break out, but my throat closes in too. I can use certain cream/lotion, and bandages - I can use only 'Band Aid' waterproof or for sensitive skin. Can't even use the plastic ones under Band Aid.

I know how you're feeling. Under stress, my face breaks out - red, lumpy, and swollen.