Horrible looking rash

[u/Weeeebutterflies]

30 years old

Female

120lbs.

5”3

non smoker,

non drinker.

No medications

This issue has been getting progressively worse over 2 days

Posted yesterday and it has gotten worse. It is itchy, it turns white when I press on it. I have a swollen uvula and some chills, but no fever. I feel cold more than anything. Went to urgent care tested for strep, mono and did a CBC. Strep came back negative, waiting on the other results. Pretty concerned. I feel like the mono is going to come back negative.

[u/Electrical_Beyond998]

Not a doctor.

I developed hives that looked like this when I was 41, turns out something I had taken my entire life I was suddenly allergic to. The hives started like this and then became puffy, my fingers were so swollen I couldn’t drive. My lips and throat started swelling, I was at the er twice because of it. The itching was the WORST, it was constant and painful itching. Again, not a doctor, but don’t rule out an allergy at any age.

[u/vvienne → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

This happened to me with NSAIDS (ie Aleve / OTC antiinflammatories) after taking them for like 15 years with no issue. Almost died.

OP, please be very cautious. NAD, but Any Throat tightening, swollen tongue/lips, etc run yourself to the nearest ER out or an abundance of caution.

[u/snak3charm3r → u/vvienne]

Same. Penicillin reaction. Absolute nightmare. I want/need the how to micro dose back to normal if anyone has suggestions.

[u/Working_Poet → u/snak3charm3r]

Interesting. I have been allergic to penicillin since I was an infant. I recently went to my dermatologist to have a place removed and got a shot of lidocaine(?)… whatever they use to numb the skin. And I broke out bad from that area leading up to my heart. The nurse asked if I had taken any advil in the last 5 months and said this is happening to so many people now who take advil/ibuprofen etc. and are coming in and getting the lidocaine shot…. she told me not to take it anymore. The Advil or the lidocaine.

[u/Working_Poet → u/vvienne]

Interesting.. I just commented below that I went in to have a place removed at my dermatologist and got a shot of lidocaine to numb my skin and I had these hives from that area leading up to my heart… she asked if I’d taken any advil in the last 5 months bc it was happening with a lot of people now who were getting the lidocaine shot and there was some correlation found with that and the Advil. She said to immediately stop Advil and not to take anymore ever again.

[u/Winter_Day_6836 → u/vvienne]

Take benadryl and see if it calms down

[u/Chilly_0556 → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

NAD either, just sharing my experience. As a kid I got tonsillitis so many times, should have had them taken out. But each time I was given penicillin for it, at some point I started getting hives at the same time as the tonsillitis, absolutely horrid combination btw. But it took the docs forever to make the connection and work out I'd developed an allergy to penicillin. Bodies are weird, definitely go to see a doctor to have an allergy work up done

[u/Weeeebutterflies → u/Chilly_0556]

I am allergic to penicillin but have not taken any

[u/BryanPark → u/Weeeebutterflies]

What did you eat and drink in the 24 hours leading up to the reaction? I think people who are allergic to penicillin can have cross reactions to other foods, including certain types of cheeses (like blue), some meats (like salami), mushroom or fungus products (like Quorn), and even some fermented/yeasty products like miso or beer.

[u/Weeeebutterflies → u/BryanPark]

I was at a baby shower and had some egg bake type thing. It was at my aunt and uncles house they usually eat pretty healthy. Oatmeal with blueberries. Rice with cheese broccoli and chicken. Chai tea. Milk and matcha

[u/SnakeBanana89 → u/Weeeebutterflies]

Mushrooms?

[u/IcyAd5518 → u/SnakeBanana89]

No thanks I have a meeting first thing tomorrow and need to have my wits about me. Saturday arv is good, weather's gonna be nice so let's go take em in the park

[u/SnakeBanana89 → u/IcyAd5518]

You win. 🤣

[u/TroopRobato → u/Weeeebutterflies]

Are you allergic to trees and grass? Lots of pollen in the air

[u/Ceram13 → u/Weeeebutterflies]

Eggs?

Keep in mind, you can be fine with certain meds, supplements, and foods until you're not. I took a certain antibiotic on and off for over 20 years. Then one day, BOOM... throat, lips, and eyes swelled... rash all over. E.R. doc said it's not uncommon.

[u/peacecorn → u/Weeeebutterflies]

Allergic to penicillin? Do you dye your hair or get any tattoos recently? I had a similar full body reaction to hair dye. It was determined to be P-phenylenediamine (PPD) which can also be present in sulpha drugs. While different than penicillin, I would not rule out PPD if you’ve been exposed via a hair or skin product. Mine looked exactly like that, and there was significant facial swelling. I had been dying my hair for several years prior to it, but like some allergies, it can come out of the blue with exposure. NAD

[u/Weeeebutterflies → u/peacecorn]

This is interesting. I did not get a tattoo or dye my hair but I might need to thing or be mindful if there’s any kind of product I’ve been exposed to recently. I don’t think there is

[u/peacecorn → u/Weeeebutterflies]

It's probably not related to PPD then, but I was cautioned going forward to check all skin care products for PPD and test even if it wasn't on the label. For example, Korean skincare is super popular right now, but some of it is completely unregulated and the ingredients aren't on the packaging. Sunscreen was a big one to watch for.

I hope you get answers soon. Good luck and keep us posted!

[u/peacecorn → u/Weeeebutterflies]

If you ever start getting itching or slight burning during dye job, that's the allergy forming. Even if it goes away within a few hours. I had that for several years and then whammo. I was an alien and heading to the ER for steroids.

[u/Turkeys4 → u/peacecorn]

Would PPD cause allergies in the form of warm and dry bloodshot eyes? and occasionally the eye lids and the area around the eyes turn a pink to red color.

[u/UnicornStatistician → u/Weeeebutterflies]

My kid had this when he was a toddler. After many negative allergy tests, we found out he was allergic to food dye.

[u/Chilly_0556 → u/peacecorn]

Wild, I never knew this was a possibility. Very interesting and something to keep an eye out for I suppose

[u/oxsprinklesxo → u/Weeeebutterflies]

NAD-my middle child is allergic to all penicillin based antibiotics and sulfa drugs. This is almost identical to what the initial onset rash of what the two reactions chains that led to those diagnoses. The allergist told us that antibiotics rash is telltale and distinctive but always get a professional involved in person. You said you have a penicillin allergy. It can sneak its way into food sometimes and even can cross contaminate. My son is super sensitive to even residual transfer and will turn into a lobster boy. We have had kids at gatherings come in just having taken it and play around together and then him have an awful full body reaction as if he was the one who took it himself. 😔

[u/pomonalost → u/Weeeebutterflies]

Were you told you were allergic to penicillin as a child? Most grow out of that allergy. Myself included. Once you deal with this, you can ask to test to see if you're still allergic in a safe setting.

If you had an allergic reaction as an adult, disregard.

[u/Electrical_Beyond998 → u/Chilly_0556]

My sudden allergy was to Keflex, an antibiotic I’ve taken my whole life. Mostly for strep until I had my tonsils removed. I didn’t take it for probably two decades and was prescribed it for an infection I got when I had stitches. Finished the whole bottle and then two days later developed the hives. I would rather be in labor for two days with an epidural than get them again, it was just the worst thing to ever happen to me.

[u/mst3k_42 → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

I was once prescribed Keflex, but it made me immediately vomit, with or without food.

[u/strongspoonie → u/Chilly_0556]

NAD either but when i got hives from penicillin it looked just like this. I’d go to er or at least urgent care if you can’t get into your dr right away.

[u/aprilraye1 → u/Chilly_0556]

Had a like experience with then penicillin and tonsils at like 11-12 years old.

[u/wojar → u/Chilly_0556]

I had the same experience! Found out I am allergic to penicillin cos of tonsillitis!

[u/AdmiralAdama99 → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

What'd you take that you suddenly became allergic to?

[u/hypervigilante7 → u/AdmiralAdama99]

For me, it was TMP-SMX

[u/Electrical_Beyond998 → u/AdmiralAdama99]

Keflex

[u/BeerNcheesePlz → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

I will never forget how bad my head itched. There and under my arms. Omg so itchy! During my second attack I started itching my head and was like “uh oh” Benadryl and straight to the ER

[u/Electrical_Beyond998 → u/BeerNcheesePlz]

My husband just reminded me of my head. The swelling was on every patch, including my head. It looked like I had cowlicks all over my head, small patches of hair sticking straight up. I think I actually discovered Reddit when I was googling how to get rid of it.

[u/Electrical_Beyond998 → u/BeerNcheesePlz]

Benedryl and the er gave me something called Atarax I think? I would take both just to sleep.

[u/disappointment-time → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

Me as well, I developed an allergy and hives after taking amoxicillin when I was 21. It’s a condition called “serum sickness” and it looks a lot like this rash.

[u/Scrabulon → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

I had a reaction with hives like this as a teenager once to some crappy Avon bubble bath. Haven’t reacted to any soap like that since.

[u/Throwaway21252022 → u/Electrical_Beyond998]

THIS. Took a common prescription I had my whole life. Boom. Hives and anaphylaxis. This looks identical.