Help - Arvada, CO

B.,
Have you seen a dermatologist(sp)? Also try an alternative Md. They might have an answer.

I was really sick for 2 almost tree years and it does get depressing. Especially when the Dr. are not helping and don't take you seriously.

He is a little young but shingles? Dr. Nonas in centennial is a homopathic allergist. He is really good.

God help you!
C. B

Hi - you should go see a good dermatologist. A body rash without other more serious symptoms (high fevers etc.) is more likely due to a chronic problem rather than an acute infection like chicken pox. Bed bugs are becoming a bigger problem than in years past. The bugs do not necessarily live in 'beds' but can live in the carpet, behind wall board, under the baseboards and in apartments they may be in another dwelling. The only way to be sure that they are eliminated is by a professional extermination. Bed bugs feed on skin not covered by clothing so if the sores are in areas covered by clothing worn to bed it is unlikely. Morgellons disease is not a recognized medical disease by any professional or reputable medical society. A full body rash can occur from many causes and to get to the source of the problem your son needs to be seen by physicians who specialize in skin rashes.

YOu are right about very few physicians having understanding about Morgellons. In fact it isn't even defined by the medical community yet -- the first case definition of Morgellons is going to be published very soon. (I can tell you this because I'm a medical writer. I've been working with a physician researcher who has been studying and treating it for a number of years, and I just edited the paper for the journal).

If you suspect Morgellons, I would take your son to a physician practice in Colorado Springs, which is one of the few clinics to have a good understanding of the disease -- and has the experience to treat it successfully. You're lucky to be close by - many people have been traveling around the country or even farther to see the few physicians who understand this.

Traditional physicians will only know Morgellons as Delusional Parasitosis, which means they will think your son is crazy and making up the symptoms. But Morgellons disease has definite physical causes and can be treated. If this is what your son has, know that there is help available.

I am glad to help in any way I can. See private message for my phone #s.

Our doc at National Jewish recommended daily baths (not showers) for 10-15 minutes using dove or ivory unscented at the very end. Vanicream which you can get at a lot of pharmacies helped. It sounds to me like your past the point of a topical solution, though. Our doc has been very helpful with the allergies, but they also have allergists who would be more in tune with environmental stuff, also that know a lot about skin issues and diseases that are related.

Google HSP or Henoch-Schonlein Purpura and see if it looks familiar. My 16 year old niece battled it for about a year and it was just awful. She was in and out of doctors offices and on steroid medications and it finally went away. I'm not sure if your son has the same thing but at least check it out. Good luck!

You need to get him to a specialist quick. Maybe some one like an endocrinologist or internal medicine. Your son needs some validation for how he feels. I wish your son and you all the best of luck
Plus a couselor wouldn't hurt, some to talk to whose neutral.....

I think you should have him checked for Celiac Disease and something that follows with Celiac, which is a skin condition called DH. I couldn't tell you exactly how to spell it but it's like DermaHepeteritis. Again, my spelling is off. He could be having a reaction to wheat products, which causes not only skin issues, but depression, bloating, bowel issues. They can run a blood test and do a biopsy. If he tests positive, it will change his world!! You can look it up on celiac.com or google it.

Hi B.. This is a long shot but if your son is getting depressed and suicidal then I am betting you are willing to look into any possibilities. The cold symptoms are what is triggering my response. Does he get herpes (cold sores?). There is a condition where the cold sore herpes simplex virus manifests itself inside the body first and then comes out through the skin. If it doesn't come out of the skin it can be very dangerous, even lethal (if that is the correct term here). There is a medicine called Zorvirex and it is in pill form for those on the inside. It also can be applied in a salve form to typical cold sores on the outside. Taken as a pill it tackles the interior situation. Sometimes the skin rash looks like what you have described. Other times it appears like welts in various sizes. We got it mixed up with swimmer's itch once. The depression comes from the extreme fatigue induced by this condition. A couple of other things; I bet if you monitored your son's diet there is very little of the B vitamins present and he probably has candida which is an overgrowth of yeast that left unattended can also be deadly. If yeast remains unchecked it turns toxic and then begins to overload the bodies natural cleansing processes. The body reacts by shutting down in stages.........depression is one of the indicators that something is very wrong. We took our child to a place called "The Healing Touch" in Florence, Mt. for the yeast overgrowth and to Dr. Mark Stewart in Missoula, Mt. for the herpes situation. I hope this helps. D. PS When this first occurred in our child's life we took him to physicians and had the normal blood tests etc and were told nothing was the matter and that it was normal teenage depression and the suggestion was to take antidepressants. Rather than accepting the diagnosis we considered other alternatives because our child was not prone to "depression". We went to the Healing Touch natureopath (spelling?)and thus discovered the yeast situation. Amazingly enough treatment was less expensive and within 24hours there was obvious relief from the yeast overgrowth turned lethal. Our child started putting some weight back on and the depression left. I am now a firm believer that diet is the first thing to consider before meds. Dr. Guenzler at the Healing Touch saved our child's life and it was anything but a typical approach. None of us could deny the result of good health without drugs such as antidepressants. Zorvirex for the herpes also works immediately............no wait to see if it is effective. Your child's situation may be different but I am just describing for you our situation so you can compare. I am neither suggestion the above caregivers or the specific medication for any reason other than these are what worked for us and you could ask your caregivers about these things to see if they might work in your situation.

You don't happen to own a Hot Tub or maybe your son gets in someone elses hot tub? I have two daughters that unless the hot tub gets cleaned professionally weekly they get full body rashes exactly how you describe. They usually show up within a week after and are gone a week later

hello,
is the rash itchy? i have a friend who tried Arbonne's baby lotion and baby oil on her baby who broke out into a rash from immunizations. She had tne rash for a month, and 5 days into using Arbonne, it all cleared up!! i know of many success stories with this line.
I know that he is much older than that, but our baby line has helped many adults with rashes.

I am a consultant for Arbonne and can help you get it.

www.naomiforman.myarbonne.com

thank you for your time,
N.

If you try the suntanning and it doesn't work, I would recommend an allegist.

It could be an allergy. I would go to an Environmental Allergists (there's one in Colorado Springs and two in Denver and one is Grand Junction) not a regular allergist. Even if it isn't allergy related, they would probably know what it is.

Let me know if you would like the list of names of the docs.

B.,

Start from the inside out. It sounds like your son needs a good internal cleansing. RUN down to Vitamin Cottage there is one on about 80th & Wadsworth. They can help you. He needs to be eating live foods. Vegies, fruit, whole grains. Cut out all yeast products, bread etc, along with wheat, corn & corn by products, sugar, and dairy. After a while then slowly reintroduce these one at a time. He is best to stay away from processed foods and keep eating fresh food. A good way to rmember it is will it rot or sprout then it is good to put in my body. Shop around the perimeter of your grocery store. Also, have him drink water like crazy. We should all drink 1/2 of our body weight in water each day. He will most likely have to work up to that. Stay away from pop, energy drinks etc. Also Green teas are really good for you.

As for th deprerssion have him start taking GABA. This amino acid has research behind it to show it helps with depression, anxiety, and even ADD. I have not read this book yet but the doctor who wrote it suffered from anxiety and such. The Anxiety Epidemic is her book. You can call 800.669.calm for more details.

I hope this all helps. I am here in Golden if you have questions. I have struggled with my health for years and gave up for the most part on doctors and have gone to natural products and such. SInce GOd made everything I feel His stuff is better than man made stuff. Since I have done this my asthma has improved along with many other symptoms.

Take care,

J.

You may not want to hear this, but has he been drug tested?
What you are describing was my 16 year old until we got him into a treatment program. Have your physician run a full metabolic panel and a drug urinalysis. If the rash looks like chicken pox, it could be shingles, a frequent happening with kids using drugs.
Even if you are sure that this couldn't be the reason, eliminate it medically before you pursue other diagnosis.It will save you both time and money.

Dear B.

Xango mangosteen juice has been known to help. It seems to address so many of the uncomfortable symptoms and damage caused by this disease including inflammation, brain fog, muscle twitching, pain, brain damage, etc. We have known of distributers that actually has Morgellons and the reason she decided to sell it is because of wonderful results with helping to deal with the disease.

You can go check out this amazing product out at www.davidstephen.themangosteenrevolution.com

Sincerely

A. Stephen

I had a similar rash about a year ago that lasted for almost a month. The doctor told me to get some cortizone cream that was strong to help with the itching and would help the bumps go away. He said that anything can bring up this type of thing, including stress. I was very stressed out at the time. If your son is suicidal, I would say that something is stressing him out, other than the annoying bumps. He needs to talk to somebody about his problems that are making him suicidal to help him find ways to deal with them. Maybe after that the bumps will go away. It worked for me. Good Luck!

Have him checked for Celiac Disease....my son has Celiac and it sounds like the same come and go rash. Mine is only 2 and his moods are UNBELIEVABLE. Good luck.

Have you been to the doctor? It is quite possible that he could have shingles. Does the rash go from his spine and wrap around his ribs? Shingles are caused by the same virus as chicken pox, and will show up when the carrier's immune system is down from being sick or something. There isn't anything that actually cures shingles, but there is medicine that they can give to make the rash go away. If I were you I would talk him to the doc, and see what they say.

I am so sorry to hear that your son is going through this. I too have had a rash, but only since November. It sounds a lot like what he is experiencing. They just suddenly appeared and itch terribly. The itching never subsides and I have not found much help from the two doctors I have been two. They were both dermatologists and the first one immediately said it was excezma and gave me a steroid cream to apply and a very strong antihistamine. That was not much help at all, but very expensive. I tried it, but didn't agree with the diagnosis and went to another dermatologist. He wondered about scabies, but found no signs and even did a biopsy that resulted in nothing more than maybe a bug bite. I have decided not to waste anymore time at dermatologists. They have not helped at all. I told them of my symptoms - constant itching, and that I'd been sick with respiratory symptoms since about November. They just keep coming and going like my immune system is down or something. The rash with crust over in one spot (still itches though) and just continue on appearing right next to the part that seems to be getting better. I have them on my arms, legs chest and back. I have tried Benedryl, steroid cream, ibuprophen, caladryl, antihistamines, eucerine (it seems to give momentary relief as I am rubbing it on), cetaphil cream and cleanser, dove for sensitive skin, I have checked the matresses, washed everything, changed soaps and detergents, and someone suggested Vanacream? from Shopko which i haven't tried yet. I am trying to change my diet wondering if I may be allergic to gluten or eating too much sugar, just not sure what to do. I will keep you posted on the results if anything changes or helps. I am sorry to ramble on, just wanted to tell you of my symptoms and what I have tried. I would love to hear if other people are going through this or have any great suggestions. It is so hard! I hope he is feeling better soon.

did you mean 19 year old or 19 mths old? never the less your comment about this lasting a year.. sounds like a bit of a serious and ongoing problem. Seek medical help.. our skin is another organ of our bodies.. when it is reacting with red spots it is an outward sign of an internal problem. If you had a cold or a flu wouldnt you respond in some way to that medical condition either by rest, anitbiotic, cold remidies..hot tea something... especially if the condition lasted over a year..... your son needs to be seen by a doctor and then go from there..Nanny L.

Sounds like Measles - B.. Did you vaccinate?
There is a cream - Hydrocortisone - this will help the itching.
Also this is the time of year you can blow up chicks (the marshmellow Peeps) in the microwave.
This will take his mind off of the itching a bit. It's great fun too.
Cheers!
Sharon

I had a similar rash it was an over run of a natural occur fungus that is on the body. I put "Melrose" oil on for a couple of days and it was gone. Melrose is a blend of rosemary and melaluca, you can get it from youngliving oils. You might need to find a distibutor. Let me know if you are interested and need help.

Hi, my neice and nephew had something called molluscum. It sounded like this..little bites, starting in the lymph areas and spreading..a web site is www.molluscum-contagiosum.net a phone number is 1-800-694-6855 or a direct line is ###-###-####. I got all this info off the bottle because another friends son here had it and i recognised it . She ordered this stuff which is a natural remedy and you dab it on the dots..they went away in a week.the depresion was not a part of their symptoms though so that may be something else to recon with. Good luck to all of you J.

I have a rare skin disease called Pleva. I was on all kinds of medication and ended up on Methatrexate (spelling) which is a mild kemo medicine. I had to have my blood taken every week to see if my liver was ok. After speaking to the DR. I am now off of the medicine and go to tanning sessions. The tanning has almost eliminated the signs of the rash. If he does not have negative reactions to UV rays maybe that will help.

Take him to see Dr. Elliott Smith at Alternative Chiropractic off of I-25 and Colorado Blvd. He has a diagnostic technique called Electral dermal screening (EDS) that can diagnose him and help you get him back in balance. Going to see this man was the smartest thing I ever did for my son--let me know if you'd like the number.

J. :-)

My 15 year old son has developed a rash somewhat like you are describing on and off. We determined that he developed the rash whenever I put V8 juice in his school lunches!...(Of all things!) We have no idea what it is in the V8 that causes him to have this awful breakout, but all we know is the ONLY times he developed it was when he drank V8 for a few days...and it cleared up after he was off the V8 for a few days. I am guessing your son is presenting symptoms of an allergy to something he is being regularly consuming. Over time, chronic allergic response can make one sick and congested...
I hope you figure it out, mom! Give your son a big hug and tell him his amazing body is just talking to him and not to worry...you'll figure it out...

Sincerely,

L. in Cheyenne, Wyoming

I wouldn't mess around with the depression. Go and see someone about it. I had a friend that didn't do anything about her son's depression, and he is no longer here...

The bumps maybe mulluscus (sp): Are the red to start but then turn into a little blister with a white hard thing in the middle? If that is what they are, they are treatable, but you will have to get some medicine from the doctor. It can get better on it's own. I think what happens is when the immune system is week they pop up again.

Good luck.

Sounds like he may have some kind of a virus.
Has he gone to the Doctor.
I have a son who has been plagued with weird things all his life.
When he was 5 he was covered in warts. And that was not a picnic believe me.
And it could be your laundry soap, or the soap he uses to bath with.
I would change those first.
Doesn't matter if he already had the chicken pox, no matter what the statistics show, I had them three times before I was 18 years old.
If they itch, then get some calimine lotion.
And tell your son to hang in there. It sucks to have these kinds of problems at his age,but a solution can be found, just learn some patience.
Good luck.

Hi B.,
This sounds very scary. You didn't mention if you've taken him to the doctor or not. If not, make an appointment ASAP! If he's depressed and suicidal you need to take it VERY seriously and get him the help he needs right away.
You mentioned that it looks like chicken pox. I've heard shingles are a lot like chicken pox. I don't know much about it but it might be worth looking into.
Keep us posted, okay?

B.,

Have your son checked for Lupus....just as a precaution. My cousin was 27 years old and he came down with a rash. He got very sick and his organs started shutting down. He had Lupus.

Thanks...Married Mom of two...Son 15 and Daughter 8.

Morgellons is typified by fiber like substance emerging from the skin. You did not describe that. Have you seen a dermatologist? Has he been tested for allergies? He might have a big case of eczema. I would suggest he try a detox for two weeks. During this time he should drink a lot of water, no soda, coffee, alcohol, sugar, candy, no processed foods, no bread, pasta, red meat. He should eat lots of vegetables (steamed or raw), fresh fruit and small portions of chicken or fish (not fried). This may sound extreme to him but he can do anything for two weeks. You will probably see an improvement but anticipate that the condition might worsen as the body dumps toxins in the beginning. Good luck

Take him to see a specialist for this condition. Is it itchy?
I don't have any insight to his condition just that you must take him to see a Specialist. Maybe start with an Dermatologist then go to an Endocrinologist. Don't wait any longer! His life is at stake at this point. Act now before it's too late!

Michele

Mother of 3 ages 20, 21, and 24 and have a new granddaughter.

Dear B.,

WOW, your son has a lot on his plate! As do you! I really feel for both of you. What he has sounds very concerning. Has he seen a dermatologist yet? While you need to seek the "Allopathic" (traditional physician) route, I would strongly recommend seeing a Naturopath. Our skin is one way of releasing toxins from our body. We only have four paths for toxin removal: bowels, bladder, lungs and SKIN. If he isn't getting the toxins out of his bowels, or his bowels have an overgrowth of yeast, then it comes out of his other paths. Skin is one of the most common routes for release.
(I had chronic, full-body hives for a couple of years. In my case, I was exposed to a lot of chemicals during my nursing clinicals at various hospitals)

All of us can benefit from cleanse to improve our health. Something along that line may be the only thing that will heal him- that includes looking at yeast (Candida over-growth) as a previous response indicated. A Naturopath can greatly help, but your son needs to understand that NATURAL REMEDIES ARE A VIABLE, EFFECTIVE FORM OF TREATMENT. Sometimes we are almost forced into considering natural alternatives because there are no answers or relief with the traditional route.

Is he taking an antidepressant? National Public Radio has had several news reports of deeper depression directly related to using antidepressants- to the point of suicidal tendancies especially in youth.

I can appreciate that having a rash for a year would seem to be enough to cause depression in itself AND why he is so upset! Having such a rash is a constant drain. It's not only very uncomfortable, it's a visual problem that people probably ask him about and that can be very hard.

Please tell him I wish him the best. Investigate all your options. Look closely at his diet...that is probably one of the biggest culprits- sugar, refined foods, i.e. "junk food", inactivity and then exposure to toxins in his environment.

I hope the info is helpful.
God Bless,
H. B. MOM (mother of many-9)

B.,

I know how he feels I have been struggling with skin issues since I was 15 (I am now 39). It takes a trip to a dermatologist and maybe a few biopsies to see what it might be.My family and I have gone to Steven Brenman for forever.
He is great. I am not sure where you are located. He is near Porter hospital in the medical offices on 950 E. Harvard. Give him a call ###-###-####. Tell him that M. O'Cana refered you to him.

Good Luck.
Let me know how it goes.

M.
____@____.com

You really need to take your son to the dermatologist, or even the doctor, only they can correctly diagnose this, it could be very serious and needs to be looked at right away.

I would get him to the DR ASAP! Don't worry about responses here, you need to get medical advice. He could even get shingles if he has had chicken pox and they can make you very sick and are painful. Go to the DR NOW! You can see bed bugs or the remainder if there are bloodstains on the sheets, box springs or even on the wall area and if you have changed the mattress you are probably ok. Just go seek Medical attention.

Hi,
It is so hard for anyone to deal eith issues like this,but especially for a teenager. Has he tried acupuncture? I have worked with many people with various and often unusual skin conditions. Acupuncture looks at the body in a different way and comes upon a diagnosis depending on the individuals constitution and where the body is out of harmony causing symptoms. If he has not tried it I think it would be beneficial to try. I offer a discount to all families on this site.
Feel free to call or email to ask questions or set up an appointment.
In good health,
T.
T. Sobel, Dipl.O.M., L.Ac.
Acupuncture, Nutrition & Herbs
###-###-####

Look at this link (and any related to Molluscum). It's a viral rash that could be what your son has.

http://www.dermatologychannel.net/viral_infection/mollusc...

My young daughter got this at the age of 5 but the dermatologist says he sees patients of all ages. He had told us we could "pop" them like zits to get them to go away...but I don't recommend that because it could cause scarring. He also gave us a prescript for a cream..you just put a tiny dot on the top of each rash bump. The bad news...my daughter had this easily for a year (but it's completely gone now and she's 8)..and it can last that long or longer. Now the article in the link I just sent you says how it's passed from person to person, but talking to the doc, he said it's mostly contagious when the little bumps are open..so be sure to put antiseptic (to avoid infection/scarring) and a bandaid over any that might come open and wash, wash, wash. But...no one in our family (another child at the time plus myself and my husband) got it. Doc also said that some folk will get the virus but it never produces the rash...you may never know you have it. And once you have it.. you're done with it. It is related to a pox virus too. Please look more into this...I did when Kaidy had it and found pictures and reassurance that it would pass. I needed the info for those in her dance and swim classes so they knew she was not infectious to others..although we hid it when we can because some people are simply not nice. Kaidy's was under her armpit and toward her breast..another reason I was careful I didn't want scarring for her in future life. Good luck and hope this helps. Kimm

Hi, I don't know if this will help, but my 6 year old has spent the last year getting rashes all over her body. They would eventually clear up, only to come back again. We just recently found out that she is allergic to the chemicals in dryer sheets. The build up of this in her system, has caused her to have secondary allergies to other things as well. I was told that by completely eliminating the offending allergen, that her symptoms should clear up, and possibly the secondary allergies as well.
Maybe for him this started out with an allergy to something that just progressed.

B.,
I'm sorry your son has to deal with the skin issue, it doesn't sound like it's much fun to deal with. I have a four year old who has some skin issues and recently had a really bad flare up, all the things the doctors gave me did not work. I tried a natural product called Xango and it cleared it up in five days. Research that I have done on the product all say it is very good for skin conditions. It's made of a fruit called mangosteen that grows in SE Asia and traditional Healers have used the fruit for skin conditions there for centuries. There is also some scientific studies done on this that agrees with what the people over there have known for a long time. I love Xango so much I became a dist. for it. If you want more info on it go to my mamasource link: http://www.mamasource.com/business/7787468744074199041
on that link you can watch a video clip about how the founders of xango found the product and some of the science they found which led to them starting the company. I work with the sister of the founders and so have access to some good info about it. If you're into a natural remedy it may be worth a shot.
I've also got a website with more info: www.mangosteenalliance.com/ford
Good luck.
R.

If you haven't already taken your son to a dermatologist you need to take him to a really good one. If you have taken him to a dermatologist try going to another one. Many dermatologists aren't very good so you need to really ask around to make sure you find a good one. Ask some nurses who have association with dermatologists; they are the ones who really know the good doctors. I had a serious all over skin rash in high school. I couldn't get into my regular dermatologist so I went to another one. He completely misdiagnosed me and the rash promptly came back after the preliminary treatment ended. I finally got into my dermatologist and he was able to give me a correct diagnosis, get rid of the rash, and told me what to do to keep it from coming back. A GOOD dermatologist will know if it's allergies or some rare disease. Unfortunately many of the dermatologists out there aren't very good.