Gym Rats in the summertime

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-30-2003
Gym Rats in the summertime
6
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 7:17pm

Hey everybody, just need to rant for a minute.

So for the past week, the skin on my chest has been irritated, and I just assumed it was acne or something because it is summer, it's 90-plus degrees outside and, well, people sweat and it happens. But since it wasn't going away, I went to an urgent care to get it looked at.

The doctor, clearly crabby from a long day, said that it was an infection in my sweat glands. He prescribed an antibiotic and an antibacterial soap to wash with twice a day. He also said that sweating "in the area" would aggravate it, so I shouldn't. And it may take 10 days to go away.

OK, first of all, telling me not to sweat when it's in the 90s outside and it's possible to break a sweat just walking into the store from one's car? Stupid. Secondly, telling a Gym Rat to avoid workouts for 10 days when I'm not even injured and the rash doesn't itch or hurt? I mean, my Krav Maga classes (including the new Fight class I'm taking) are my life!!!

The only thing that really bugs me about the rash is that it limits my wardrobe options a little bit-well, and the fact that it exists (ha!) But there has got to be something I can do before/after workouts to take care of it. I know the antibiotics will wipe it out regardless, and I really don't care if it hangs around for a little longer because I end up sweating, it's just.... UGH!!!!! Didn't appreciate waiting an hour for the crabby doctor to tell me that stuff.

Rant over. Thank you for reading :)

sydfriend

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 7:52pm
Bah! I'm sure if you wash with that soap after working out, you'll be fine.




Lilypie First Birthday tickers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 9:21pm
That's a crazy suggestion not to sweat in the summer!





iVillage Member
Registered: 04-30-2003
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 9:30pm

I figured if I woke up tomorrow morning and was still irritated (hee) at the situation, I'd call my own regular doctor and see what she thought. Since it was the weekend, her office was closed so I went to an urgent care and the doctor was just one of the staff doctors there-I'd never seen him before. Probably not a dermatologist.

The only reason I decided to go at all is that the rash wasn't responding to hydrocortisone cream or anything else I tried. And I don't think it's allergies because I'm on allergy meds as it is (and have been for quite a while).

Grr.

-sydfriend

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 9:33pm
Some urgent care doctors I've seen seem really quick to say something is an infection and prescribe antibiotics when they're not necessary.





iVillage Member
Registered: 11-15-2004
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 9:51pm

I had intense itching on my chest for months and it was maddening.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 07-11-2005 - 9:40am

i agree, i'd call my real doctor and ask about it. i say, if you are doing the antibiotic wash, and if you always shower or clean off quickly after exercise, then i'd personally ignore the instruction not to exercise.


hope all sources of irritation are relieved soon!