Has anyone ever had a rash from stress?

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Registered: 07-18-2003
Has anyone ever had a rash from stress?
9
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 12:45am
I know this is really weird, but the week before last, I started getting a rash on the back of my neck. It was bumpy and red and itchy and spread up into my hair and behind my ears, and then spread down and across my shoulder blades. My lymph nodes in the back of my neck got REALLY swollen and sore, too - so sore that it was extremely painful to put on a shirt.

Anyway, I went to a doctor, who went over every possible cause with me - new hair products, perfume, jewelry, lotions, clothing, diet, etc etc. NOTHING had changed. After a long discussion she said it was caused by stress (I had just finished mid-terms and was just having a really stressful week in general). I didn't really believe it, but decided it didn't matter. She gave me a topical steroid cream to put on it, which made it go away in about four days.

So it was totally gone for a couple days, and then yesterday I had a horribly stressful day - my advisor made me realize I need to go to grad school, and the thought of two more years of school made me really apprehensive....Then I got home and talked to my parents about it, and my dad yelled at me for wanting to go to grad school (and told me to pay for it myself), which caused a fight. So sure enough, about an hour after that discussion, the spot on the back of my neck started to itch....and now it's getting worse and is just like before.

Has anyone else had anything close to this happen?? It just seems so weird. I want to know how to "fix" it (without constantly needing medication for it) but I guess I just need to remove the stress.....which is impossible! I wish I could figure out how to have stress in my life but not be so consumed and affected by it.

Ok, I'm definitely in a rambling mood tonight - just wanted to bounce that off you all and see if I'm just having some really strange reaction, or if it's more common than I think.

Thanks,

Jessica

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2004
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 8:16am
Stress can do crazy things to you. I've never personally had a rash from it but, I've come to learn that anything is possible. Are you on Lamictal?

Did the Dr. give you any thing for the rash? You may want to see about taking some benadryl for the itching or put some hydrocortisone cream on it. Check with the pharmacist first to make sure it is ok with your meds.....I'm not a doctor, just my opinion. Amanda
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 1:19pm
Hi, I've just been reading posts lately and not posting myself, but I wanted to tell you that I also get rashes from stress...I guess you could call mine "hives" most of the time. My sister and I both get them when we're stressed...hers have been more severe, to the point that she has had to take medication for it short-term...but mine have stayed mostly under control, with the occasional Benedryl if they get really bad.

I agree with Amanda that talking with your doctor is a good idea before you try anything, but hopefully this helps a little, to know that you're not the only one with this!

Hugs,

Rose

Edit: Oh, I wanted to mention...as itchy as those rashes can get, the best thing is to try not to scratch them...it only makes them worse, I've found.


Edited 10/28/2004 1:20 pm ET ET by rosa444

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Registered: 04-02-2003
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 4:50pm
YES YES YES I do get rashes. I came into work one day and I hadn't noticed it and my boss asked me what was all over my face, well it was on every inch of my body. Funny it didn't bother me until she made me aware of it. It didn't itch too bad, more of a bother instead of a pain. But I'm famous for it. That was 8 years ago. Now when they see I have a rash they stay away. I've also gotten hives from stress, that was murder. Seems you were in pain, and I am so sorry for that.

I wish I had a "cure" for it. I did use oatmeal soap that seemed to put moisture back in my skin, but for me I just let it ride. It usually for me anyway, goes away w/in a few days. My skin is super sensitive to things, but I guess where I use a lot of lotion I don't seem to itch as you did.

I hope you get relief. Stress and bp together can be horrible.

(((((HUGS)))))

Carla

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Registered: 04-02-2003
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 5:58pm

Jessica,

Avatar for redhedjess
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Registered: 07-18-2003
Fri, 10-29-2004 - 12:07am
Thanks SO much for all of your responses - I'm really, really sorry to hear that other people get this too, but at the same time I feel better knowing I'm not getting some rare, freakish thing. The cream my doctor gave me helps, but I'm hesitant to rely on it too much because it has prednisone (a steroid) in it. I didn't think of the wet cloth thing, but I'll try that next. I've noticed that my skin seems to be reacting to all of my emotions...The other day at work, someone upset me, and I walked into my boss's office to vent, and he said I was totally red from my face down to the top of my shirt (and probably below)...I was never one to blush, but it seems that my skin is becoming a tell-tale sign of how stressed out or upset I am! Benadryl knocks me out solid (for literally 12 hours) so I've so far avoided it, but if it gets really bad again I'll probably try it. I'm not on Lamictal so I know it's not that (although I'm going to ask my pdoc about trying it tomorrow...wonder what she'll say in light of the rash I've been having). I was prescribed ativan to take as-needed when I can't handle the anxiety anymore - that's another option I might consider. I rarely take it, but if I'm obviously so worked up that I'm getting hives, maybe it would help.

Marci - I totally hear ya on the costs of school. I guess the fact that they don't want to pay for it doesn't bother me anymore (I actually realized that I can go to grad school and be PAID to do it if I am a TA for 10 hours a week) - it was more the fact that my father didn't commend me for wanting to do it, but rather told me that "no one" he works with has a grad degree and that it was a waste of time. Ohhhh well, that's a whole other story. I'm sorry to hear your daughter is giving you a hard time about grants....Maybe if you encourage her to pay for part of the costs, even if it's just books, she'll look more seriously at grants and scholarships. I have many friends who were responsible for paying for part of their tuition, and they seemed to take it more seriously than my friends who didn't. I am lucky that I'm an only child and received really good academic scholarships, plus I live at home and commute, so I didn't have to pay for any of my tuition - but I knew better than to blow it off, and am the complete opposite of that anyway. I went the other extreme!


Again, thanks for all your advice... ((Hugs)) to you all!

-Jessica

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2003
Fri, 10-29-2004 - 9:44am
Jessica:

Sorry you have such a horrible reaction to stress. I know how badly benedryl can knock a person out (it does me too). One thing you might want to check out is the liquid benedryl that is for external use only. There is a cream benedryl also I think. My daughter is mildly allergic to mosquito bites (bad thing in MN) so we use a LOT of it in the summers - works like a charm!

Good luck!

Tracey

Avatar for redhedjess
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-18-2003
Fri, 10-29-2004 - 10:57pm
Thanks for the tip Tracey - I didn't even think of looking for something like that. Next time I get to the drug store I will check for it. In the meantime, I have to rule out Trileptal as the cause (I REALLY doubt it, but I saw my pdoc today and she wants me to cut back on the dose to see if the rash goes away, just in case that could be it). So, I'll see what happens.

- Jessica

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 8:54am
Funny you should mention that.

Christine

CL

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 9:05am
Hi Jessica-

Sorry to hear you are going throught such a stressful time. I know all about stress. I too break out from stress. The doctor says they are hives and I take a antihistamine to help the ithching and also steriod cream. I get hives all over. Wherever they feel like popping up. I really hate them when they decide to pop up on my face. Good luck deciding on whether you want to go to grad school or not. You need to do what is best for you and do what you can handle. Will grad school benefit you more on the position you are going for in life? If so then maybe you should go for it but only you can make that decision. Let us all know how you are doing.

Tina~