I had my first outbreak of Pityriasis Rosea about 6 year...

Skin, nail and hair health
1

I had my first outbreak of Pityriasis Rosea about 6 years ago. I was not unwell in any way but noticed a funny red spot on my arm which gradually spread to about an inch in diameter. It was very red and raised.

After a week or so I started to notice what I thought were flea bites on my upper body and went to the doctor. He thought I had been bitten and advised me to throw away my mattress. However, within a week the spots had turned into lesions just like the one on my arm, only a little smaller. The doctor then diagnosed scabies and gave me some cream which after a couple of weeks made me worse. By this time I was covered from neck to ankles and in great distress (although no pain or itching). This time the doctor diagnosed ringworm and gave me some other cream. The rash continued to spread and worsen. At its worst point you could not see my skin for spots, although I only got 2 spots on my face and none on hands or feet. Luckily as it was early spring I could cover up most of them with clothes and scarves. At this point I had been signed off work for 2 weeks ( I worked in an infant school) and was suffering extreme stress and embarassment. My doctor eventually refered me to a specialist, but at eight weeks in, I thought that whatever I had was permanent and slipped into depression. After about 10 weeks the spots lost their colour and the centres started to peel. I was most relieved to see the back of this skin problem even though my body peeled from head to foot and looked awful!!!

Anyway, after it went I had slight scarring for a couple of weeks and then even that went completely ( I really thought I would be scarred for life).

After another 3 months I eventually got an appointment with a specialist and I went to see him as I really wanted to know what it was I had had. He looked at my skin with ultra violet light and told me all about Pityriasis Rosea. He said it would not reoccur and I was really pleased.

Unfortunately this is incorrect. Two years later I gave birth to a daughter and the following day I suddenly had an outbreak of the familiar rash on my stomach. I tried to explain to the midwife what it was but the doctor diagnosed ringworm and isolated me! They put me in a seperate room and wouldn't let me touch my baby for 3 days until they started to fade! I was furious that no one listened to me and it seems that NOBODY in the medical profession that I had come into contact with, seems to know what it is!

Since then, I have had constant outbreaks (small and mild and usually localised). This has happened for the last 3 years and even though the thought of another serious outbreak scares me silly (it just looks so disgusting), as I know it is not serious I just hope it's not too bad. My doctor still won't acknowledge it and he says he thinks it is some form of excema (even though I have classic symtoms).

This week, I seem to have lots of little flea bites on my upper body and arms. Upon closer inspection I seem to have one bigger patch hidden under one breast. This patch is late in its life cycle (it is already peeling) so I assume it is another herald patch. I have counted 36 spots on my body and arm in various stages from small flea bite to 1-2cm lesion. Oh well, it looks like I am in for another major bout and this time they itch! Isn't life wonderful! At least I know that there's hope!

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2

Your not alone! I too suffer from constant reoccurances. It's been three years for me and I've never really recovered. My first inital attack was on my back, chest, arms, neck and face! I had ugly welt like marks all up the sides of my face for one year. I see a specalist and he refuses to believe it is PR! Always says it is something else...but he has no clue to what? Heaven help us! LOL~

J~

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3

Hi I had PR 6 years ago, MAJOR full body and itching when under alot of stress guess what? last weekend I saw the Herald Patch thought I had ring worm/allergies/hives NOPE...PR I'm covered and it's in my scalp HELP> N.

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4

I’m writing this because I want to reach out to all those people who suffered the same ordeal as mine. This has affected my social life. I was so depressed that I wanted to end my life. I though I will never survive this until I was healed. Thank God!

Origin of my illness is UNKNOWN. Therefore, there is no known cure but there is HOPE!

My Story

Actually I noticed a crust on my feet thinking it was just a corn/callous peeling off. Not until I went to my dermatologist for my monthly derma check up when she noticed wrinkled circles on my back. She said that it was just PR. I thought it was just some form of skin disorder and would go away if i followed her prescription, she gave me a cream and tea-tree soap. After 2 weeks, I noticed an itchy red spot on my arm which started to itch, then it got bigger and bigger and started to multiply. I sought another doctor, a skin pathologist. Same diagnosis. I put on a steroid type of lotion on my skin and used oatmeal soap for my bath. It just got worse and worse. My skin was filled with crusts, my back, whole of my arms and even appearing on my legs, my chest, my arms, my soles and my palms. I went back to my doctor and he wondered why i have crust on my sole. Though he said in rare cases the crust could form there. I was really worried because it has the same symptoms as syphilis or psoriasis.

I was really depressed. I even took a vdrl test to rule out syphilis. My crust was not as thick as psoriasis but with the same areas it manifest unlike the normal pityriasis rosea. I even went for nude sunbathing hoping that photolight could lessen the crust. I was like a walking peeling zombie. I can't even wear my sleeveless or even a 3/4s. I needed to wear longsleeves and jeans/slacks. It was already my 6th mth and it hadn't improved. We even experimented on erthromycin intake. 2 weeks and no change at all. My doctor was suspecting inverse psoriaris but thickness of the patch was still questionable.

I decided to put all my medicine away... My father recommended virgin coconut oil. Every day, I took 2 spoonfuls and put on coconut oil on my entire body after taking a bath. After my morning bath, I just put on lotion. But in my evening bath, I put on the coco oil before I sleep. And after 1 mth, the spots just faded away and in my 8 1/2 months of suffering of pityriasis rosea, it all disappeared. Though I still get some spots every now and then but they are not noticable and they are manageable. I just rub some coco oil on them and in 3 days they disappear. I am not a medical doctor to say that virgin coconut oil cured me but it's safe to try. Of course, do these with prayers and faith. It is always good to ask God for help. If you have any inquiries, feel free to email me at **** :ok:

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5

Hi, I had PR last year and now have it again, the last time was in 1999. It always occurs at the beginning of the year and always at times of extreme stress. The trigger is using a bath/shower wash or foam. The skin is sensitive because of stress and the stuff in the bath is all that is needed. I have now had it 2 months, getting worse and dreaded getting bathed as it looked like measles and would feel a sinking dispair. Elocon cream - fairly strong hydrocortisone cream, is what has taken it down 80% in 3 days. Just hoping it is the end of things and more 'lesions' don't appear but so far seems OK. Don't ever use anything perfumed in the shower. I have switched to organic shampoo/bath stuff - if anyone wants the urls of where to get these things at a decent price email me.

sally

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6

right now my husband is in his 5th week of what seem like PR but the doctor said it can be secondary syphillis since he has few on the soles. what makes their assumption worse is the fact that he works as a chef aboard a cruise ship meaning there's a chance that he has acquired a venereal disease..but my husband assured me and I trust him that much that he never had any relationship much more have sex with other women. His rash resembles PR but I'm concerned about the ones on his sole. tomorrow we'll see his doctor again and we'll get the results of the skin biopsy and TPHA and I know they are both negative for VD and hopefully the good doctor can prescribe a treatment to lessen or hasten my husband's rashes cause he is scheduled for medical examination in order for him to work again. I hope there is someone who right now who could assure me that the PR rash could also affect the soles.

7

I've been suffering for over five years, it never really subsides enough to not have any spots, I'm covered entirely on both legs . My herald spot was on my left upper thigh , and now it has gone. I get really itchy, no baths helps only showers and I'm going to do the tanning bed thing again it really helped. 

I have scars and will probably never wear shorts, but I'm alive, it's not so serious that my over all health is at risk. So no matter how bad it gets remember that we can breathe , and that is a blessing , even with this horrible skin curse.