I have a rash that is on both sides of my body starting under my armpits. What is strange is that it is symetrical on both sides, and only in those areas. It is kind of along my reach if I put my arms aroung myself. It burns! When I first put my hand to my skin there, it felt like I had glass in my skin. I have been gardening and wonder if it is poison ivy. I never had poison ivy and I thought I wan't alergic to it. I also thought I may have gotten chiggers. I have been putting tea tree oil on it which does cool it down for a while, but it is not getting rid of it. I don't like to take meds so I am looking for natural remedies for relief. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks everyone for your responses! Thank God the rash is subsiding! I did manage to heal myself with tea tree, coconut oil, aloe (straight from the plant) and a soothing bath with lavander/peppermint/wild chamonile/tea tree essential oils (five drops of each). I narrowed down the source of the rash to a plant called "lantana" that I have since found out is poisonous and "irritates the skin of some people", or the detergent that I bought for the first time -- coupled with the stress of another court hearing with my X-husband.
I'm not a dr by any means but it sounds like you may have shingles. My mom had it last year and the pattern and pain you have seems to be very relative. I would get to a dr. And get some meds. My mom,s lasted for a good 6 months before it completley healed. Good luck and let us know the determination.
Off the top of my head, reading your discription of the feeling and placement of the rash I want to say it might be shingles. It usually only shows up on one side though, but I am sure there are exceptions to the rule.
Have you had chicken pox before? Get to the doctors. If you go early enough and it is shingles...like in the first 72 hours of seeing the rash...then they can give you some medicine that will ease the discomfort or pain. When I had it it was more along my waist line along where the belt line so my clothes irritated it. Others I know have had it along their spine and on their chest.
Hope this helps.
Is your rash horizontal, following along your ribs? It may be shigles. It hurts very badly, looks almost like bad pimples. Taking L-Lysine (an amino acid) can help tremendously. I would take 500mg, three times a day until one day after it is gone. I would see your family doctor to get it diagnosed properly.
What do you use for deodorant? Could you have gotten really really sweaty so that it ran down from your armpits and you had an allergic reaction?
Witch hazel and aloe are good, soothing, cooling things to put on skin rashes. (But if it doesn't get better in a couple of days, I second the Benadryl recommendation, with a topper of hydrocortisone cream)
Sounds like shingles to me.
Could it be shingles?? I would call the doc as soon as you can.
If it is poison ivy, it will also drain and ooze . . . it gets pretty gross, and at that point you'll have to cover it so the stuff that seeps out doesn't get on the rest of your body-- whereever it goes, it'll cause more rash.
Have you tried aloe ? I've never used it on a rash, but all you have to do is break off a piece of the plant and rub the "juice" on.
Natural remedies are good, but if it persists, I would see my doctor.
Hi N.,
Contact your local Dermatologist
Good luck. D.
go google rashes and compare it to yours.
I'd go to a doctor and have them figure it out.
take a benadryl pill
N.,
Are there blisters? Does it itch? Have you changed deodorants? Pure Aloe Vera (plant or gell)is good for the burning and healing. Tea tree oil is good, but it can burn. It could be any one of the Poison's: Ivy, Sumac. If it continues you should see a doctor. Although I don't think Shingles presents itself on both sides, it does feel like glass under the skin. Feel Better!
N.,
It might be shingles.....very common on the trunk of your body. If so, it will get more painful and you will most likely need medication. If it IS shingles, applying Maalox with a cotton ball will give some relief. Good luck.
Possibly shingles. You should really get to the doctor ASAP to make sure. Shingles can become excruciatingly painful and lasts for about a month. A friend of mine had it and he needed narcotic painkillers(and he is not a wimp). If you catch it in the beginning there is an ant-viral that can help a lot.
Could it possibly be heat rash? I've had that and it certainly does burn. Wow! I get ivy all the time, and it would start out like a bug bite, then turn to a blister after a few days. You may want to see a doctor so you can find the right remedy for you. Good Luck.
It would help to know a little more about the rash. Is it lacy, bumpy, scaly, blistered?
I had a poison ivy rash last year for my first time. It started out with little bumps that looked like bug bites (raised bumps, reddish skin). After a few days it blistered. I had no pain other than itching. Calamine lotion helped, as did cool compresses. It took about a month for the rash to heal. I read that a person's first posion ivy rash can take up to 3 weeks to show after the exposure to the poison ivy plant.
I always thought chiggers are more itchy than painful. I am wondering if you have a heat rash, yeast rash or just general irritation from something rubbing on that area. With the warm, humid weather those may be a possibility. Is it possbily sunburn - maybe you wore a lose fitting shirt or tank top outside?
