help!

[JuliaD]

I've encountered something here at Disney that I never have before... seems when I go to the pool, I get a slightly lumpy red rash on my arms and my lower neck area. It's itchy, feels like I have fiberglass on me. I had it yesterday, I used Aveeno bath and benadryl spray, and went to bed. This morning my skin was clear, the rash totally gone. I went to the pool today, and after 2 hours, it was back.

I use sunscreen. I can't figure out if this is a sun rash, a heat rash, or a rash from chlorine or my suntan lotion. It's NOT appearing where my bathing suit covers, my stomach etc is clear. Mainly the arms and around my collarbone areas.

Since it went away 100% overnight last night, I'm reasonably sure it's not fatal.

But I'm curious to hear if anyone's had or seen something like this before, and do you have suggestions for me on how to squelch the itchiness, it's making me miserable.

[Tim From Wisconsin]

I think it's called "Raspberryitis".

If you are on vacation and you are thinking about the Raspberries too much, your skin can decide to take on the characteristics and feel of Raspberries!

Though not deemed fatal, it has been known to cause constant smiling and chronic happiness!

The only known cure is attending as many live shows as possible - The vibrations from the speakers will help.

Tim

[aggiesjc]

Hey, Julia, better edit that "This morning my sin was clear..." line! I'm sure you meant "skin."

[JCraft]

I don't know---staying insunny FL.--motel room--hanging out wearing who knows how skimpy a bathing suit---might have been "sin"

JIM

[mannoman]

Julia - what is the expiration date on the sunblock? Don't apply last year's product. Even if it is fresh my first thought is you are allergic to an ingredient in the SB. Be sure it is PABA free.

If it was the pool water the rash would be under your suit. (I'll pass on the obvious line here). Go a day without sunscreen - wear a wide brimmed hat - and do your best to keep sun exposure to a minimum (almost impossible to avoid). If the rash comes back after eliminating the sunscreen, the sun is the most likely culprit. I doubt it is the pool.

Does any of this make any sense? It's a process of elimination.

Hey, which night looks best for you guys, Thursday or Friday (or neither)? I'll bring some anti-itch cream.

Ted

[AnneG]

Julia,

The puzzler is why only a portion of your body is affected (I presume you apply suntan lotion to your legs as well). Are you taking any new medications? Have you had shellfish recently?

Make sure your suntan lotion blocks out UVA as well as UVB rays - that will help if it is indeed a sunrash.

If this continues and gets worse, you may need prednisone.

Anne

[Tony Cartmill]

My wife has similar itchy rash problems when using most sunscreens.

[JuliaD]

okok, I edited the post, lol! I can't type worth a damn on a laptop, I miss letters all the time, so if my posts are weird for a few days, just interpret!

I too wonder about why my entire body isn't affected. Yes, the sunblock was applied everywhere.

No new medications, tho I did take tylenol twice when I first got here, I had new sunglasses and they hugged my temples a bit and gave me a headache, so I used the tylenol. Other than that, no new meds.

I don't eat fish AT ALL, so we can totally eliminate that possibility.

ted, I see no expiration date anywhere, but I bought the bottle new at home maybe a month ago. It says the active ingredient is padimate O.

One thing I failed to notice was there's aloe in it, and I once used makeup with aloe and got a rash. The doc told me it's not an allergy to aloe, but to the stabilizer they use in aloe products. But again, why is the rash helter skelter and not head to toe? (not that I want it to be head to toe, but I did put the stuff everywhere my swimsuit doesn't cover).

Just a thought... in past years I DID notice if I sprayed cologne on myself and went out in the sun, I got a rash where I sprayed the cologne. I didn't spray cologne on, BUT I have been using hairspray. Is it possible the hairspray landed on my skin and reacted with the sun?

One thing makes me happy here... no one who's seen it seems too concerned. Several Disney employees have told me they've seen lots of guests get skin rashes that look similar. Some swear to me it's a sun rash, some say a chlorine rash.

I made a paste of the Aveeno bath powder and water and slapped it on the rash, and it made it feel way better. I look like hell tho. <img border="0" alt="[blech!]" title="" src="graemlins/blech.gif" />

[Matthew C. Clark]

Use Noxzema to cure sunscreen! Matt

[WANNAMAN]

I get a rash from to much exposure from the sun... I got this in LA, Hawaii and in Florida most recently. You have sensitive skin. Dont drink the water from the faucet I made this mistake. Your better off buying bottled water even the water from Disneyworld is the worst I have ever tasted next to New York water. Must be an eastcoast problem.

[AnneG]

NYC water is very good!

I used to get whelps from cold weather; perhaps Julia is the opposite of me!

[LostControl]

Some medications make the skin more sensitive to the sun. Things like tetracycline (antibiotic), Prozac, hydrodiural (diuretic), etc. When the sun hits those spots, you have a photosensitivity reaction that causes the hives/rash you seem to have. As it clears up at night, it's not something that's on you all day, like make-op or perfume. Stay out of the sun and see if it doesn't come back (or expose only a small part of your body, and see if it's the only part that gets the rash).

Michelle (yeah, I've got a degree in pharmacology)

[JuliaD]

The only medication I'm on is synthroid, and my doctor said that wouldn't cause this to happen. And I didn't use anything new in the way of soaps or anything. I tend to agree with the ideas related to sun and/or sunscreen. The hives went away at night, thanks in part to my sleeping all night with a dried coating of Aveeno on the affected areas, and didn't come back the next day UNLESS I went in the sun for any length of time. If I spent a half hour in the sun, they started up again. The sun may not have caused them (or maybe it did), but it certainly aggrivated them.

I stayed out of the pool and out of a lot of sunlight as much as I possibly could for 2 days. The 3rd day I did go swimming, and nothing happened, the hives didn't return.

I dunno what it was, but it was horridly itchy.

Now my only problem is the dozen or so mosquito bites I got.

[AnneG]

Well, the Synthroid is a clue! If you have an auto-immune condition (e.g., Hashimoto's), then it could be possible that your immune system is attacking itself and hence the hives. Have you had a cold or sinus infection recently? Did you fly to Florida? (often pick up nasty germs on the plane).

Sure hope it goes away soon!

Anne

[JuliaD]

Nope, been on synthroid for 2.5 years now, and 5 trips to Disney with extensive sun exposure and never a problem. No colds no sinus infections, no flying.

I really think it's a combination of things, usually I have a base tan before going to Florida, this time PA weather has been crappy and I had no tan whatsoever. And in almost 2 weeks, I saw only 10 minutes of rain. So the sun was strong, and the pollen was flying,at least rain keeps pollen levels down a bit. It could have been pollen landing on my skin at the pool that triggered it.

Plus, I used a new sunscreen and it had fragrance in it, the fragrance could have reacted with the sun.

The rash is gone now, and I'm not itchy anymore. I guess we'll never know what caused it for sure.

[marlene]

Glad you're feeling better, JuliaD...and that you had some well deserved fun and relaxation. Marlene

[darlene]

If your skin felt like "fiberglass" was on it, then it sounds like an allergic reaction to something besides the sun, possibly an ingredient in the sunscreen. Sometimes the rash only comes out in certain areas. When I was in my 20s, one summer at work my dress felt like it had little particles of fiberglass sticking all over me. And my skin had blotches where the dress contacted it.

I went home immediately, and finally my mother realized she had tried a new laundry detergent (it had been Ajax.) After rewashing the dress in her the laundry detergent she had always used, I had no problem. I was allergic to something in the Ajax detergent. To this day, I use nothing by Ajax. The "fiberglass" feel definitely indicates an allergy to something. Good luck!

--Darlene

[kazumi]

JuliaD , I'm glad to hear that the rash is gone. Take care and enjoy the rest of your staying in Florida.

Kazumi

[JuliaD]

I'm home now, got home yesterday. *sigh*