# Weird skin issue....



## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

Ok, just wondering if this has happened to anyone else....all of a sudden, when my skin gets itchy of course I scratch a little, not hard at all and my skin immediately turns red and the area puffs up...like I have welts all over my skin. My fingernails are very short and this happens for example even if I scratch through my shirt. It looks awful!! It honestly looks like someone beat me with a belt!! The redness and welts disappear after awhile but I can't figure out what's causing my skin to react this way in the first place!! I have not changed anything I eat or drink, I use the same detergent, fabric softener, soap and shampoo. Any ideas? Anyone??

I did have an allergic reaction to synthroid a few days ago(intensly itchy skin, broke out in hives on the back of my neck)


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> Ok, just wondering if this has happened to anyone else....all of a sudden, when my skin gets itchy of course I scratch a little, not hard at all and my skin immediately turns red and the area puffs up...like I have welts all over my skin. My fingernails are very short and this happens for example even if I scratch through my shirt. It looks awful!! It honestly looks like someone beat me with a belt!! The redness and welts disappear after awhile but I can't figure out what's causing my skin to react this way in the first place!! I have not changed anything I eat or drink, I use the same detergent, fabric softener, soap and shampoo. Any ideas? Anyone??
> 
> I did have an allergic reaction to synthroid a few days ago(intensly itchy skin, broke out in hives on the back of my neck)


The Synthroid is probably still in your system. It could take 4 to 6 weeks to be completely out.

What are you taking now?


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

right now Armour 60 mg twice a day. You think it could be because of the synthroid?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> right now Armour 60 mg twice a day. You think it could be because of the synthroid?


It could be because it is still in your system. It surely could be.

How are you feeling on the Armour? A bit better? It takes about 3 days to feel a little bit from the active T3 in Armour.


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

No not feeling better on the Armour like I did before~I suspect I might need a dosage increase, been really really tired, body aches and waking up with a headache! Still getting the rash, hives and puffed up skin..I guess I will call my doctor today and see if there's anything other than benadryl that I can take.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> No not feeling better on the Armour like I did before~I suspect I might need a dosage increase, been really really tired, body aches and waking up with a headache! Still getting the rash, hives and puffed up skin..I guess I will call my doctor today and see if there's anything other than benadryl that I can take.


Are you real active physically? Because 120 mgs. of Armour is a pretty good dose of Armour for the average person who is not into running, jogging, lifting weights, heavy yard work and stuff like that. And I mean on a daily basis.

I fast walk 8 miles a day, lift weights and do a lot of hard physical labor outdoors. I am definitely an outdoors woman. So, I require my dose. But, if I were to stop that, I would have to back down on the Armour considerably.

Wonder what your ferritin is like.
Ferritin http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081504.htm


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

My iron levels I think were 76 not sure about serum ferritin or if that's the same thing...and wouldn't you know, my doc is out of town til Monday and the nurse didn't know what to tell me when I was telling her about the skin issues.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> My iron levels I think were 76 not sure about serum ferritin or if that's the same thing...and wouldn't you know, my doc is out of town til Monday and the nurse didn't know what to tell me when I was telling her about the skin issues.


Please read the link; it is enlightening. Ferritin is protein that stores your iron. It should be 50 to 100; preferably closer to 100.


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

will do. I'm making a list of other tests that I want done at my next appointment. I had some really bad body aches for 3 days which I read you can have body aches with hives(dont' look like normal hives to me) I will be calling my doctor Monday since I am still having issues.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> will do. I'm making a list of other tests that I want done at my next appointment. I had some really bad body aches for 3 days which I read you can have body aches with hives(dont' look like normal hives to me) I will be calling my doctor Monday since I am still having issues.


What do these splotchs/hives look like? Are you sure you are not in a Discoid Lupus flare?


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

I don't even know if I have lupus, I will look up the discoid lupus flare though...the splotches are patches of red, no round/circular shape, no red border with white middle, no bumps that are fluid filled. I've looked at pictures and it doesn't look like the reaction one gets from an allergy to gluten.


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

I don't believe it's discoid lupus, however I found some pictures that look like some of what "ve been getting

http://cure4lupus.org/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=184&chapter=1

the first, third and fourth pic look like what I've had...but my skin gets itchy and the"rash" will pop up out of the blue for awhile, then goes away, then pops up again. It will also look like someone took their fingernails and just raked them across my skin....does that sound like a particular hives/rash to you?

http://cure4lupus.org/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=190&chapter=1
sometimes it will look like the 17th pic from this website

I still haven't figured out why when I scratch my back, long lines of red will appear...if you can figure that out let me know!

I've taken lots of pics and if we are allowed to post pics I can have my dh do that when he gets home


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> I don't even know if I have lupus, I will look up the discoid lupus flare though...the splotches are patches of red, no round/circular shape, no red border with white middle, no bumps that are fluid filled. I've looked at pictures and it doesn't look like the reaction one gets from an allergy to gluten.


Even though they are called discoid; they are not always.


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## BuffyFan (May 13, 2011)

Aha!! After some searching on the net it looks like dermographism. Weird. I can actually scratch my arm and red marks will s how up on my leg! I can also "write" or "draw" on my leg/arm(haven't tried anywhere else) with an unsharpened pencil or my fingernail wait a few minutes and yep it shows up.

haven't had any splotches now just the scratch marks.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

BuffyFan said:


> I don't believe it's discoid lupus, however I found some pictures that look like some of what "ve been getting
> 
> http://cure4lupus.org/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=184&chapter=1
> 
> ...


Of course you can post photos!


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