Pityriasis Rosea, ever had this condition?

I was curious if anyone else has experienced this condition?

About five or six years ago I woke up one day and noticed a strange mark just above my waist line. I noticed it after a nice hot shower because it was itching and had “brightened” up because of the heat of the shower. I looked at it and seen what appeared to be a oval with a discoloration inside of it, after hearing about ringworm as a child I was somewhat discouraged to think that might be my issue (I had never had it or seen it but assumed it to be that). I started putting rubbing alcohol on it thinking if it were ringworm this would surely teach it not to afflict my body. Well rubbing alcohol burned horribly but I figured it would be okay. I did this for a few days without seeing any affect on the spot.

Well several days after noticing the spot I woke up itching in many spots on my torso (because I had been under the covers and gotten somewhat warm). I took a shower and was looking at these now bright red spots on my body wondering what was going on. I knew this was not the chicken pox or something similar because it seemed more like a rash in a way. Well after doing some research I discovered what it was that was plaguing my body.

It appears I was stricken with a case of Pityriasis Rosea which surprisingly has no cure at this moment and doctors really don’t know what causes it. Needless to say if you get warm or have dry skin already you are in for a great deal of itchiness. The good thing is you can feel free to scratch as much as you like with no ill effects such as scaring. The bad part is it can last well over a month before it just up and goes away with no indication of ever having had the problem.

Most of the time it seems people never get it again though there are cases of people getting it multiple times.

www.webmd.com...

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These are not images of me but just a few I have found on the web these can give you an indication of the “herald” spot (the first to appear) and the little spots that are soon to follow.

Seeing as this is one of those unknown “viruses” I thought I would find out if any others have had this problem since it does seem to be common or so I have read. But mostly I was wondering if anyone thinks this might be a result of the ever growing pollution problem or possibly a nonlethal testing of manmade viruses.

Part of me thinks it might have more to do with the pollution of our world and how it is affecting life around us though I could be wrong.

Raist

Mod Edit: Image Hotlinking – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 22/6/2008 by Mirthful Me]

I get that occasionally but not to the degree of that picture. One time in college I broke out in shingles, which the MD atrributed to the Smallpox Vaccine. This looks similar so it could be some variation caused by one vaccine or another, brought out by stress, or possibly the heat which you experienced.
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My son had this when he was about 12. I took pictures of it but they are not digitally scanned. They lasted a few days then disappeared. He is 24 now and healthy as a horse. They covered his whole body like yours do. Nice to put a name to it now, I never sought treatment for him.

Rhain,

You say his only lasted a few days? That may not have been the same thing maybe something similar though. From my reading on this is that it lasts three weeks minimum but can last much longer. My case stayed with me for almost two months.

Maybe your son got a mutated version of it that lasts a shorter time would be my second guess. Not sure if it is a virus that causes it or not as they are unsure also but if it is there is a possibility of his case being a mutated version of it.

Raist


[edit on 1/3/08 by Raist]

about 8 years ago my girl friend got this. we liked to call her fungalina the princess of fungus. she loved it you can bet. she was told a good treatment was sunlight and so as we lived in vermont and it was winter she went tanning and sure enough it went away in, if i remember correctly, about 1 or 2 weeks.

i must make a note that i am not 100% sure she had what you do, but i feel pretty confident that is what it was. i haven't talked to her in a few years, but maybe i will drop her a line and see if she remembers.

Had it myself just last year and it took over 3 months to start clearing up but mostly gone now (nearly a year in total so far). Did some research and it appears related to the chicken pox virus that flares up into shingles in later life and it's very similar in the way spots appear at particular nerve endings forming patterns.

There's no actual cure or treatment for this little inconvenience except to just wait for it to burn itself out like all viri. The worst times with it would have to be after a hot shower - makes it itch and burn for an hour or more but there's topical anaesthetic creams to help there and not getting soap on it makes a big difference.

One thing it doesn't seem to like is sunlight so it rarely gets on your face or forearms so doing a little suntanning while you have it may accelerate its demise - all unproven of course.

reply to post by Animal


I am sure she really loved that little pet name lol. The tanning bed thing is an idea I had heard about but did not try it.

reply to post by Pilgrum


Your right about the sunlight thing that is what is weird about it. I had never heard of a virus/rash that had a preference for sunlight or not. That is the first I have heard of it being related to chicken pox best I have found is they believe it is caused by a virus. Though I did see that without the “herald” mark it is most likely another virus that could be one of many.

Regardless it was something I would not look forward to getting again. Showers and to much physical labor made the itch a real pain.

Raist

i did not see that it was repated to pox /shingles.

i had a friend who got the shingles and she was in bad shape. the docs gave her meds that did not do anything.

being a lover of natural remedies i went to her house. simmered hops and applied them to her shingles, after about 15-30 min of soaking them they would disappear. not permanently, but it was enough so she did not have to cry all the time.

Link 1

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Originally posted by Raist
Your right about the sunlight thing that is what is weird about it. I had never heard of a virus/rash that had a preference for sunlight or not. That is the first I have heard of it being related to chicken pox best I have found is they believe it is caused by a virus. Though I did see that without the “herald” mark it is most likely another virus that could be one of many.

Regardless it was something I would not look forward to getting again. Showers and to much physical labor made the itch a real pain.

Raist

I thought it was more a case of skin that's normally exposed to sunlight like face and arms is conditioned to that UV light and maybe that's what the virus doesn't like.

Getting hot and sweaty (clearing scrub off my land) was how I discovered the spots when they started burning & itching. At first I thought it was insect bites until the spots started developing fine silvery scabs over them (dead skin)

I had punch biopsies, extensive blood tests, you name it and the diagnosis still wasn't definite - they just said it *could* be pityriasis rosea among several other things. All I wanted it to be was GONE

[edit on 3/1/2008 by Pilgrum]

I was diagnosed with Pityriasis Rosea around the age of 12. This would've been in the late 1980s. Mine manifisted as a rash all over my hindquarters. The doctor gave me an injection of something and it completely cleared up within a week.

the shot was cortisone, or so i would believe.

Animal,

For those who might face this later on I thank you for providing the links. Though in the one it recommends hiking and walking to relieve stress, that might be good for you but if it makes you sweat while having this you will be driven crazy by the itching lol. That stuff makes physical activity dreadful sort of like having hundreds of mosquito bites all over your back and chest.

Pilgrum,

I totally agree with the wanting to get rid of it. It started during August with me when I had it and at that time I worked in a warehouse/factory that was sort of like standing in an oven, so you can imagine the fun I had and the joy of the warmth.

BlueTriangle,
You’re lucky you didn’t have to deal with it for very long. I mostly tried to keep cool (this helped the most) when I could and maybe rub some lotion on when my skin would start to get somewhat dry.

Raist

What a coincidence I just got over a case of PR literally just days ago. It lasted for me about a month and started at the waste line, didn't really itch too much.

My doc was actually pleased to see someone with the disease as he had learned about it but never actually had a patient with it. Three other doctors came in to look at it. It only effects 0.14% of the population so it's pretty rare apparently.

Hi. I have had this for about 11 years now on and off. What I do, which seems to work, albiet temporarily, for a couple months or so, is to by Selson Blue, and rub it in like a lotion and let it sit for about 5 minutes before taking a shower. Do that before every shower for a few weeks and it should go away. The longer you wait, the more it spreads, and the longer it takes for the Selson Blue to start working. It is annoying and itchy. The pigment that gets eaten will re-tan with time. I get mine on my upper back, arms, and chest. Right now I am nearing the end of my selson blue treatment. I know it will come back eventually, but that works every time.

reply to post by ANOK
My doc was also more excited than I to find a live specimen.

I had to have a rush hernia operation while it was still active on my back and the anaesthetist who noticed it while checking me out was obviously surprised - even had to ask me what it was (had to spell it for him too). He seemed reluctant to touch me without gloves and a mask

I must be special - I always seem to get the less mundane conditions.



[edit on 3/1/2008 by Pilgrum]

I've got something like that, I've had it on and off. I figured it just came from exercising, seeing as how I'm a little loose around the middle, when I bike I fold a bit and the sweat makes for a great place for the fungus or whatever. Generally scrubbing real well and bathing often helps, but I've got eczema on my hands now, and I've found cortisone helps or this stuff called Bag Bomb. I picked up the eczema from working in the coolant at work, stuff is nasty. Me and my dad figured i probably got the other stuff from the coolant hitting my shirt, and then getting on my skin when I got my bike to go home. Never can get rid of it completly, so it's now just something I put up with.

Originally posted by Pilgrum
My doc was also more excited than I to find a live specimen.

We should tell our Docs to come to ATS, seems PR is not so rare here...

I had this (or some other form of Rosacea) a few years ago. Stress may be a cause, as I had lost my job, found out my mother had cancer, and was contemplating a new career at the time. It lasted for a few weeks and went away. I would suggest natural/alternative/homeopathic ways (there are tons of ideas on the Internet - I won't list them here) to strengthen your immune system.

I am sure those who like me have had it are not that pleased to have had it but at least now I know I’m not some sort of freak.

Well okay I am a bit of a freak but at least I’m not the only one who has had this stuff.

Like I said above it has been 5-6 years since I had it and I hope I never get it again.

Raist

reply to post by Raist


hey, i have the same thing and it has not gone away...what is there i can do....ive dried tanning but it didnt work...and it has been 4 months