Hello. I do not have a lyme dx yet but have been dealing with a whirlpool of symptoms (i posted earlier with a list of them) My question is, i am also dealing with patches of dry skin, not too many, but here and there i will find one (one on my arm, 2 on my chest). they are dry and flaky patches that are raised and bumpy, but not discolored. It sort of looks and feels like elmers glue has dried on the skin. Could anyone relate?
i was first concerned with having lupus but i don't have the common lupus rashes and had bloodwork done to rule it out.. i read that lyme sufferers could also suffer from fibromalgia and the dry skin is a symptom of that. Again, is anyone dealing with a similar symptom?
Michelle
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Michelle:
Fish oil capsules might help with this.
Carol
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Breaking this up for us neuro lymies to read. Pru, please hit your enter button more often and double space to help us all out ok? Thanks :_)
quote:Originally posted by pru:
Hello. I do not have a lyme dx yet but have been dealing with a whirlpool of symptoms (i posted earlier with a list of them)
My question is, i am also dealing with patches of dry skin, not too many, but here and there i will find one (one on my arm, 2 on my chest). they are dry and flaky patches that are raised and bumpy, but not discolored. It sort of looks and feels like elmers glue has dried on the skin. Could anyone relate?
i was first concerned with having lupus but i don't have the common lupus rashes and had bloodwork done to rule it out..
i read that lyme sufferers could also suffer from fibromalgia and the dry skin is a symptom of that. Again, is anyone dealing with a similar symptom? Michelle
Bettyg
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
Hi, pru -
What you are describing is very familiar, especially the ``dried Elmer's glue'' description. I have a skin problem known as Lichen Simplex Chronicus which causes patches of body skin to become sort of shiny, often with a bumpy texture, some flaking, and some itching - the itching varies.
For a few years, I would get them in the winter, and then they would go away by themselves. But then they stopped going away on their own. Before the rash was actually tested to see what it was, and after no OTC treatments worked, my doctor did a punch biopsy of one of the rashes to determine what it was. I have to use an Rx steroid cream to get rid of it.
Apparently, this LSC is a type of dermatitis, so I use only ``free and clear'' laundry soaps and dryer sheets. I use Grandpa's Pine Tar soap for body soap. Plus, I use a heavy-duty body cream all over, every day. It helps, but I still get rashes from time to time.
BUT, long before I started getting these patches on my body, I had a similar thing start happening in little patches on my face. Lotions and creams helped for a few hours, and then the flaking was back.
I went to a dermatologist who diagnosed it as severe dry skin, and had me start using a 12% lactic acid (alpha hydroxy) lotion or cream, which was only available by prescription at the time. Also, I was told to use Dove soap to wash my face. It worked. You can now buy it without an Rx, but you have to ask for it at the pharmacy window.
You might want to try that 12% lactic acid lotion first. I think it is around $12.00 for a pint of the lotion. I use it twice a day, morning and night. It will tend to burn or sting at first, but that is not abnormal.
If it doesn't help after a few days, then what you have is probably not just ``severe dry skin'', and you may have to get a biopsy to find out what you have. I would recommend that you see a dermatologist for this, rather than your primary care doc. They seem to be better at knowing the best treatments for various skin conditions.
Just some thoughts that might help.
Tracy
Posted by pru (Member # 9070) on :
"What you are describing is very familiar, especially the ``dried Elmer's glue'' description. I have a skin problem known as Lichen Simplex Chronicus which causes patches of body skin to become sort of shiny, often with a bumpy texture, some flaking, and some itching - the itching varies."
This is exactly what has happened to my skin. Two spots on my chest have become dry, bumpy, and shiny. Not itchy...
Does this have anything to do with lyme disease, or are we talking about a totally different problem?
Michelle
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
Michelle -
Sorry it took so long to get back here and see your post -
I don't have an answer to your question. I've only known that I had Lyme for about 4 months, although I'm sure I have had Lyme at least 20 years. And I've been having these skin issues for at least that long.
I read recently that LSC is now thought to be an auto-immune problem, which might certainly fit with the whole Lyme scenario. In my opinion, I suspect there is a connection between Lyme and the LSC, but I have no evidence to back it up - just my own personal experience and the "timeline" in which the problems showed up.
I should point out that it is odd that your patches don't itch. Mine do - not all the time, but eventually, every one of these patches will itch.
Now the stuff on my face - which may be a different problem than LSC - never did itch, as I recall. It is just a scaly-skin issue, and it has been under control with that one lotion I told you about for many, many years.
I don't know how you feel about OTC cortisone creams, but you might try the highest % hydrocortisone cream you can get. Use it 3 times a day for 3 days, then twice a day for 4 days. If you see significant improvement, then continue using it until it is gone. If not much changes, then you should probably get it checked out.
Well, hope this helps. Rashes are a pain. Good luck.