Got my 5th infection since going on enbrel and had to go off both MTX and enbrel. The infection was a low grade fever, some diahrea, inflamed eyelids, great fatigue burning in my ears and nose, and headache. I couldn't get out of bed for 2 days. The doctors were all too busy to see me other than to consult by phone and tell me to go off the immune suppressant meds.Anyway, I'd been off them 5 days when I develop this crazy rash on my scalp and forehead and one eyelid is puffy. It itches like crazy. None of my many docters could see me for a week so I resorted to going to Doctor's on Duty where The Md told me it was probably contact dermatitis-to what I have no idea because I haven't changed anything. Does anyone have any insight on this. Is there a rash other than psorasis that can go with RA? He upped my prednisone and said to come back if it doesn't go away.Said it doesn't look like psorasis or scabies, or impetago or lice or any of the other lovely things teachers can get from unsavory kids.,
I finally got the half-time reduced work load position even though it means moving to a new school and grade level and starting all over. I get to work full days T,W,TH one week and T, W the following. I hope I have the energy to pull this off. I got lost finding the place the first time I visited and I don't exactly look lovely with a rash all over my face. Monday I meet with the principal and have to figure out how to tell her about me without looking like an invalid. Wish me luck.
Okay Linda, I have officially stopped complaining about my rashes, 'cause yours sounds much worse. I dont even know what to say other than I am so sorry you are having such hell....is it maybe time for them to try something besides the Enbrel?
Maybe, but I hate to give it up. I'm not sure it's not the MTX or plaquanil that's sausing the trouble too. I'm off enbrel and MTX and I'm still dizzy and fatigued.Crunchy, do you think the rash could be staff or a bacterial infection? Would they itch?Sounds like you're having one heck of a time there Linda. No advice or answers for you...just hope you're feeling better soon.
The bacterial infection I am not sure about, Staph infections usually cause a big abcess...I dont think it is Staph...I would hope that your doctor would have picked up on it if it was. I have gotten rashes on my scalp too...some shampoos make it worse. Herbal Essence really makes me brake out. Your eye...is the white of your eye red too? If you pull the bottom lid down is the inside of that red too? Itchy and painful? If so, that sounds like conjunctivitis.I think it's a shame that none of your doctors could be bothered to see you. If I called any of my doctors and reported something so mysterious they would squeeze me in that very same day!! Being on such strong medications it's your doctors responsability to monitor your health and if you called them with these side effects and they didn't say "Come in today!" They are neglecting your care in my opinion.
How long would it take for your RD or his nurse to look at you and say "Oh, it's nothing" OR "HOLY COW girl; this is serious!!"? I would be very concerned with their lack of attention to you.
Sure hope it passes quickly. It sounds horrible. Hope you're feeling better real soon. Good Luck with the job.
Thanks crunchy and lovie . I've upped the prednisone to 10mg per day per doc on duties advice. I'm not convinced that this is just contact dermatitis. It is one spot on my forehead and several all on one side of my part on my scalp. They started out as boil like erosions that hurt and then flattened out and became itchy. The ones in my scalp are very red. The one on my face is red and has one blister like part that is yellow. One eyelid on the same side of my face is inflamed and puffy, not the whites of my eye like with conjuctivitis. I had an infection earlier in the week with low grade fever, some diarhea, headache and light sensitivity. I almost wonder if I have shingles. Or maybe it's impetago. I work with the migrant population and anything is possible. I've been off enbrel and methetrexate for a while so my immune system is messed up.
I can't believe I have to go to an interview tomorrow for my new school and put in a full day there. I am so fed up with the medical system in our country. Hopefully if I call around tomorrow, I can see one of my many specialists. Usually I'm lucky if I get in in a week. They tell me to go to the emergency room but my insurance doesn't cover our local hospital so even if I make the hour drive to a hospital they cover, my doctors don't have priveleges at those hospitals
That's terrible. Your doctors should see you. How else can they tell what it is? I know Enbrel makes you much more susceptible to picking up things. I got a bacterial infection and bronchitis right off the bat. The bacterial was a common fungus that you would normally just fight off.
The boil like appearance sounds like what they suggest might be vasculitis with me. But they've never gotten definitive with me on it and it's such a scary complication - oh, we just don't go there. But it has never gone completely away and that was a long time before Enbrel.
Can you see the school nurse while you are there? They might recognize it right away. At least you might get treatment.
I'm glad you got your schedule figure out. If they ask, just say you are already under treatment for some skin problems. That's enough of an answer.
Good luck. What a way to start out.
Thanks Deanna. I will try to see if one of my doctors can see me tomorrow after my school duties are over. One actually said I could come in at 9:30, right when I'm scheduled for my interview with the principal. It is so hard to be sick and have any kind of a normal life. All my doctors are at least a 45 minute commute from where I'm going. Considering I don't know the school or neighborhood I'm going to tomorrow I'll have to allow some extra time. Thank you for your concern.My husband works in a meat department he always has to wear a beared net. Well between the net and the blood and every thing he developed this horrible rash on his upper lip. He went to urgent care and got some kind of cream for an infection it seemed to work although it didn't fully go away for at least a couple of weeks. Have you tried benadryl I know it sounds silly but my son woke up one morninig and was red from head to toe especially in Around his face happened a couple of times each time a little less tramatic. We gave him benadryl and he gets better within a couple of days he also takes zyrtec and has an epipen. Maybe stress is the cause of the rash. It could be a number of things.Hi Nicole, Thanks for the suggestion. I tried benedryl and it helped a little. I am supposesd to try the Zytrec but decided to wait until after my interview since I get allergic reactions to many meds. I think you may have a point with the stress. I sure have been under the gun lately.