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View Full Version : Attack of the Blotches!



misskay
08-24-2010, 12:59 AM
I'm going on the assumption that this is being caused by the Cytoxan, because I think if it were the Pred or other meds it would have appeared sooner. (Been on the Cyt 6 weeks or so, much longer on everything else). And it seemed to get worse as we increased the Cyt dosage...

I am getting these wierd brownish/tan skin blotches all over my chest, abdomen and arms. Look like huge pale freckles... skin in these areas is kind of dry also. Not painful, itchy or anything else... just odd looking. On my abdomen, it runs almost along the ribs in straight lines and then connects to a large disclored area right on the sternal area. Was wondering if anyone else experienced this? If you did, was it permanent or did it go away after chemo?

Sangye
08-24-2010, 01:06 AM
If they're what I'm picturing, they are most likely caused by the hormonal disruptions due to pred and/ or ctx. The side effects of ctx increase the longer you stay on it.

However, you should definitely have this checked out. A dermatologist is the best one to tell.

elephant
08-24-2010, 01:10 AM
I agree with Sangye, should have your adreanl glands checked ( I can't remember what the labs are foggy brain). How much prednisone are you on? Have you been tapering off prednisone. Can't remember.

Jack
08-24-2010, 01:10 AM
Sounds like the fungal infections that I get. I have treated mine in the past with a type of shampoo, but I don't know the details. Get it checked out by your doctor.

Steroids can also cause darkening of the skin - I've got that too! :(

elephant
08-24-2010, 01:15 AM
Jack, I had that too on my chest it was blochy med to small patches and I had to put lotion on them daily. It goes away.
I hope Misskay that it is that. Easy to take care of.

Jack
08-24-2010, 01:28 AM
I had the lotion too, but the shampoo smells better. :)

misskay
08-24-2010, 01:51 AM
thanks all... I've had that fungal thing in the past (when I lived in FL)...think the shampoo I used was Tegrin. smells awful, but much cheaper than the rx stuff. This looks different to me, had itching with the fungal, none with this. Will check with the doc... I'm thinking it's just a side effect. Lucky me LOL

Elelphant, I was on 60mg Pred, reduced to 50 4 weeks ago, then to 40 a week ago.... some joint pain returned with the last lowering, but tolerable, and the Vasculitis in the fingers improving with lower dose... so I'll take the trade.

Jack
08-24-2010, 02:53 AM
I had no itching with fugal infection. It probably depends on the type you get.

elephant
08-24-2010, 04:06 AM
Glad you getting it checked out.

misskay
08-28-2010, 09:06 AM
Rhumy doesn't think it's med related, so now have an appointment with PCP on Monday, to get a referrel to a dermi... *sigh*

DuaneHart
08-30-2010, 09:14 AM
I was getting purplish/red spots and blotches on my legs and abdomen before I was diagnosed with Wegs. I would get the spots and they would be gone in a day or two, before I could get in to see the doctor so he could see them. Eventually, the timing worked out that I had the spots, I called him and he told me to come right in. He sent me to a dermatologist the same day at which time they did biopsies and found that it was Vasculitis, which eventually led to the diagnosis of Wegener's. Just curious because it sounds so familiar.

misskay
08-30-2010, 10:25 PM
I get the vasculitis spots and sores... these aren't them... more like large, pale freckles...
See the doc today, maybe we'll figure it out.

elephant
08-31-2010, 02:48 AM
It's not a yeast infection on the skin?

misskay
08-31-2010, 06:01 AM
just saw the doc. He took a skin scraping and looked at it under the microscope. .. even let me look LOL

Fungal. Called me in some meds to the pharmacy. Hubby will pick it up in the morning...don't remember the name but I take 1 pill a week for 2 weeks. If I still have it I take it after theat I take for 2 more weeks. If it still isn't gone I have to get liver testing before we can continue it, due to liver toxicity issues. He also gave me refills on it in case it goes away but comes back later on.

He said it's not caused by the meds, but with knocking out my immune system with the chemo, I'm more suseptible (sp?) to getting it... and it will be harder to make it go away.

I'll post the name of the med tomorrow when I get it... see if anyone recognizes it. I'll also do a search on the internet on it. He checked his computer to see if it was ok with the cytoxan and other meds... said no contra-indications, but I'll still check before swallowing it LOL

So Jack was right! He wins the cyber cookies!

Jack
08-31-2010, 06:20 AM
Thanks for the cookies! :)

Rather than take any more pills, can't it be treated with a topical lotion? I think I would prefer that if I had the problem again. (In fact I do have a touch of it, but I'm in denial at the moment. ;) )

misskay
08-31-2010, 06:50 AM
Apparently he wants to be aggresive because I too was in denial and ignored it for several weeks. Wants to get it under control asap.

Sangye
08-31-2010, 09:28 AM
You mean there's a fungus amongus? :ohmy:

(Oh come on, someone had to say it :laugh:)

Sangye
08-31-2010, 09:29 AM
Jack! Don't make me have to come there and wrestle you under a microscope. :biggrin1:

elephant
08-31-2010, 10:34 AM
Glad that issue has been resolved. Keep us posted on the medicines.

misskay
08-31-2010, 11:22 AM
sangye, I asked the doc if this officially made me 'a moldy oldie' LOL

Sangye
08-31-2010, 11:29 AM
ROTFL-- good one! :laugh:

Jack
08-31-2010, 06:42 PM
Jack! Don't make me have to come there and wrestle you under a microscope. :biggrin1:
I've had this blotch on my chest for a long time now. It doesn't get any worse and with all the other stuff I've had going on it doesn't even get on the scale of important issues. And besides, I like mushrooms! ;)

Sangye
08-31-2010, 11:21 PM
LOL-- I'm just teasing you. You probably don't need to worry unless actual mushrooms start growing from it. :rolleyes1:

misskay
09-01-2010, 01:20 AM
Did a little online research this morning re: fungal skin infections. From what I'm reading, the oral meds are actually preferred for people taking steroids or who are immunosuppressed. Lucky us, we're both. Also, we are more prone to these infections due to the steroids... something to do with the oils the skin produces while on these.

misskay
09-01-2010, 02:51 AM
Got my new meds... sort of freaked out until I looked it up online by name due to the fact that the packaging states it's for vaginal yeast infections. Um... chucky is fine, it's my skin thats not! LOL
PubMed Health - Fluconazole (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000890)

Sean48
09-03-2010, 12:13 AM
I had these before I was diagnosed. I got them all over my legs especially my knees. I chalked it up to the change of sheets from winter to spring. Some of them were darker and more prominent than others. I had no pain or itching either. They did a biopsy on them when I was in the hospital. Negative. Now they are just blotches of freckles like you have. I am on on cytoxin and pred.
Very strange that you got yours after you were on the meds. and I got mine were part of my symptons. Maybe we are talking two different things. Or maybe you are having a flare?????

Sean48
09-03-2010, 12:16 AM
well I guess I should have read all the threads before I wrote min reply. Must remember to do that. Glad it all worked out.....

misskay
09-03-2010, 12:17 AM
The way my doc explained it to me is that this is normal fungal bacteria that surrounds us all the time. Healthy people don't have a problem and it generally never effects them... but with no immune system, we WG are prone to it, just like any other infection. :/