Allergy to meds

cris

Hi can anyone help me here I have had RA for over 33 years I am 54 now. I have all sorts of other meds that I take and I am on enbrel too.
I have had a rash for over six months they are like tiny hives but very very itchy.
the doc seems to think it was my Tramadol so she took me off it, she put me on zomorph twice daily. I am still getting the rash and the itch. they are talking of taking me off all my medication to see which one is the culprit. and believe me there are a few I take for diff various reasons like high blood, pressure underatcive thyroid ,stomach tablets due to taking meds for years.
Has anyone had any allergy to any of these meds
listed below
Enbrel
amlodipine
levy thyroxine
Tramadol
zomorph
omaprazole
indomethacin.

I am off the Tramadol so it cant have been that.
it could be that the zomorph has the same ingredient though.
please someone help I am at the end of my tether I can't take much more of this and to tell the truth I get no help or sympathy from my husband these days as he says all I do is moan!!!

cris

jillyb1

Hi , Cris , notice you're on amlodipine ; many bp tablets are known to cause itching and rashes , but not being medically trained , I'm not in a position to advise at all . Hope you and your doc can get to the bottom of this , we all have enough to contend with without adding itchy rashes to the mix . Jillyb

stickywicket

Hello cris and welcome to the forum. That's not a very good predicament you have there. I can well imagine you don't want to go cold turkey with all the meds.

The first thing that comes to mind is that, if you are on Enbrel, you must be seeing a rheumatologist. When you speak of 'the doc' do you mean your rheumatologist or GP? If you haven't seen the rheumatologist about it I think an early appointment might be a start. or just phone up your rheumatology nurse for advice.

If it were me, I'd be scouring the med leaflets for side effects, although I doubt there's a med on the market that doesn't list 'rash' as one of them.

I guess there's always an outside chance it's nothing to do with the meds. Try changing your laundry powder, shower gel etc.

Sorry, I'm not much help. I hope someone else'll be along soon who can be.

dreamdaisy

Like jillyb1 I am most emphatically NOT a doctor but I too suspect the BP meds. My Ma was on Amlodopine and boy did she itch! Was any new med introduced to your regime at the time the itching and rash began? If not it could well be an intolerance to something and I can understand your fears about having to stop everything to find out. I have a history of eczema so studiously avoid biological washng powder, I use only Simple soap and I moisturise with aqueous cream (that is lanolin-free). I remember my mum bathing my eczema with a mixture of salt and water, I think she used a teaspoon of salt per pint, that helped to ease matters but was not a 'cure'. I still us that remedy on the odd occasions it's required!

I hope you find an answer to this soon, it must be very uncomfortable. Please let us know how you get on with finding an answer and I wish you well. DD

GraceB

Hiya Cris,
I was also gonna suggest looking at the leaflets but I see that's been covered already.
From my experience with meds, they seem to list most things as possible side effects. I was once put on meds for anaemia - possible side effect: they could make me more anaemic! Doesn't make sense to me but there you go. Some of them even say there's a risk of heart failure - in other words they can kill you! Lovely.
Have you thought about keeping a food diary? There's a slight chance it could be a food intolerance. A basic system does the trick as long as you write down everything you eat/drink and how the itching is. After a couple of weeks you can have a look through and see if a pattern is emerging ...
Grace

frogmorton

Hi Cris

Lovely to meet you.

I have to say along with the others that we although we aren't trained medically we do have some experience of drug reactions!!!

I have heard of reactions to NSAIDs (anti-inflams) and in fact may have had one myself, but it was after a trip to America where l finished my back off so would not be able to tell you what it was.

You may well have to read the leaflets and pick you most likely suspects with your doc and do as suggested...one at a time see what happens if you leave them off.

Do let us know how you get on

Love

Toni xx

CJHunter

stickywicket wrote:

Hello cris and welcome to the forum. That's not a very good predicament you have there. I can well imagine you don't want to go cold turkey with all the meds.

The first thing that comes to mind is that, if you are on Enbrel, you must be seeing a rheumatologist. When you speak of 'the doc' do you mean your rheumatologist or GP? If you haven't seen the rheumatologist about it I think an early appointment might be a start. or just phone up your rheumatology nurse for advice.

If it were me, I'd be scouring the med leaflets for side effects, although I doubt there's a med on the market that doesn't list 'rash' as one of them.

I guess there's always an outside chance it's nothing to do with the meds. Try changing your laundry powder, shower gel etc.

Sorry, I'm not much help. I hope someone else'll be along soon who can be.

Sticky says it all for me.
I do hope this is with consultation from Rheummy and not just G:P

Hope you discover whatever it is.

cris

Hi thanks for the replies,
I have been to the GP about it, I did see the rhuemy a few months ago and told him about it , he didn't seem concerned at all that it may be any of my meds. he said it might be washing powder or something. I went down that route the first time I got the rash/spots. and itchies. I don't use soap and I use E45 itch relief cream that does n good. a second GP at the surgery gave me Hydro cortisone cream and antihistamines to take at night. but they don,t work either. still itchy.
I have them in my head and at the base of my neck they are the worst in size. I even thought I may have lice. but I don't thank god.
they thought it may be the Tramadol but I am off that and its still there.They look like heat spots,I haven't had any new meds added the very last one was for my thyroid and that is going back two years ago now.

I am so fed up they don,t seem to be doing anything. I am going to ring the rhuematolagist nurse and get an appointment to see the rhuemy.

Thanks for your support I will keep you updated .
cris x

cris

Hi thanks for that I will mention this when i go see the doc again.
I have the spots all over my body and when my clothes are tight it is worse so maybe that is what i have .
they certainly look like the spots I have, and the ones in my head are very sore. I found that today I have sore lumps, they are not actually a spot yet and they are quite large really compared to the spots I have in my head and at the base of my kneck.but will keep an eye on them.

nothing seems to work so iam going to go back to the gp tomorrow.
fingers crossed for me please.
and thankyou delboy u may have a valid point here.

cris x

ruby2

Hi Cris (thanks for the welcome too)

I have a similar thing, sounds like your spots, I noticed it since starting BP meds and I also take lanzaprozole.
They have said its PA but I am not too convinced as it is more spot like than patchy.

Roo

cris

Hi Ruby
I have just been looking on the net about the side effects of the enbrel and delboy is right it def looks like I have Folliculitis .

I noticed once that after I had scratched the spots at the base of my kneck that my hands smelled a bit I know this coz I scratched my nose not longer after. i was appalled I thought i had an infection of some sort when i smelled this. (sounds disgusting) I never told the doc about this. but I will now.
also a few years ago I got septic arthritis, I now know that its the same bacteria that causes Folliculitis that caused the septic arthritis. it was in my shoulder I was hospitalised for 6 weeks. on an antibiotic drip.they were giving me the inequivalent of a days does in one bag an this was changed as soon as it ran out so maybe three times the does in a day. I am taking no chances with this I am going to tell them what I think its is and see what they say.

god the things we have to go through to try to get out of pain . my hands and most of my joints are ruined through my RA nothing has stopped it doing that to me but I know that i am one of few that this happens to or so I am led to believe.

will keep you all updated

cris x

skezier

Hi Cris,

Hey i so agree no H!

Glad you found the forum and it could well be the Folliculitis but you need to get it sorted with the rumo or rumo nurse and the g cus as Sticky says there aren't amy drugs that don;t mention 'rash' in their side effects.

You know the moaning thing struck a chord.... I do a lot but thankfully I am alone and only the employers get the brunt of it (they are a motley crew of unwanted and damage animals) If they could talk they would tell you i do really chunter on and on and on....

Sometimes it feels as if moaning is all that's left.

The good thing about here is your free to moan, scream and yell as needed and this lot are always there to help an support you or just listen so never worry about going off and moaning as much as you need here.

hang in there flower and with luck they will get that sorted for you and you will start to feel better. Nice to meet you adn made my day you didn;t have an H Cris x

cris

Hi there everyone hope you all having a good day.

I am for one am not :evil
been to see the gp today she agrees it may be folliculitis, she gave me some antibiotic cream 30g tube. whats that gonna do I weigh 10st 10.
its all over my body!

she said she can;t help with the itching i just have to put up with it. :evil

i have been crying all day I am so itchy my poor husband got up from sleeping.(he works nights) as he heard me sobbing in the bathroom ,
I am so fed up, I told the doc I am not sleeping and that i keep getting upset coz I am so itchy and its soo frustrating when u can't itch yourself properly yourself. my hands just wont allow it my arms wont go behind my back or above . what am i supposed to do. I left a message for the rhuemy nurse at Rochdale. hopefully doctor smith will do something. I can't take any more itching. its driving up the ruddy wall.

the GP gave me a sheet on folliculitis told her I din't want it I have read all I need to know . pity though I had to tell her what was wrong with me after three months. of antihistamines itch relief cream and hydro cortisone and scabies treatment!!!

keep you posted

skeizer you made me laugh thank you..

cris x

cris

No progress as yet still waiting for the rhumey to ring me. the rash is no worse but its not getting any better either the antibiotic cream does not seem to be working.

I am off the enbrel as of Monday.

not getting much sleep and cant relax have resorted to staying in my pj's as they are cotton and seem to keep me cool coz if I sweat it feels worse and itches even more.My hair is all gunked up with the cream, will have to keep washing it. so fed up
thanks for reading and for all your support and advice.

cris x