I think my son has pmle!

[fairydust1278]

I took my sons swimming yesterday for about 2 hrs. Neither of my boys are used to getting alot of sun exposure during the summer since its usually so hot we tend to stay inside. Well my oldest woke up this morning with a red rash all over his upper body and arms. I looked up pmle since I had read about it on here and he has the symptoms. I would never have thought you could get it from swimming at the pool!

 

[CleveRocks]

The water in the pool acts as both a magnifying glass and a mirror. In other words, being outside in a swimming pool gives your kids MUCH MUCH MUCH more sunlight exposure than if they were to stand outside on the front lawn.

Especially for the parts of their skin that are above the water line, imagine if they were holding a mirror instead of standing in water ... their skin gets hit not only by the direct sunlight, but also gets hit by all the light that would have missed them (would have hit the grass instead, for example) but instead gets reflected off the mirror and onto their skin. The water acts as a mirror, in this example.

I apologize if this is hard to follow.

 

[MelanieC]

Wow-I hope he gets better soon. I've never even heard of it.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Since I'm sure the OP doused her DS with sunscreen before, does that mean that sunscreen won't prevent this PMLE? And why does only one of her boys have it? This is scary!

 

[stacythatgirl]

Maybe it could be folliculitis?? Caused from swimming pools & hot tubs that aren't chlorinated properly. It's basically bacteria that irritate the hair follicles. You can get a prescrip for a cream to take it away or use warm vinegar water, that takes away the itching! I've had it before. It looks terrible, but isn't too bad.

 

[LoveToDisney]

Your son could also be allergic to one of the ingredients in your sunscreen that you used on him. The chemical breakthroughs that were made in the last 2+ years have resulted in brand new sunscreen ingredients that are suppose to "work better" but can be too harsh for those sensitive to them. The chemical reaction that takes place to diffuse the sun's energy sometimes doesn't go quite right on those people who are sensitive the to chemical's ingredient resulting in overall redness and/or rash where the sunscreen was applied and sun was received. I personally have that trouble and have to be careful with which sunscreen I choose.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Take him to a dermatologist ASAP! Trust me, I didn't right away and I could have had some wonderful vacations if I knew I had it! Hopefully it was something else he was exposed to and they can just rule out PMLE. In my case I only get PMLE flare-ups at the beginning of summer (or winter vacations) when I have lost my tolerance to UV, and as summer goes on I build the tolerance back up (some call it 'hardening'). But I know there are cases much more severe than mine.

In my late 20's I started to develp PMLE and had no clue what it was. It nearly destroyed my Maui honeymoon, and then we went to Prague a year later I was miserable, it is a very itchy, burning, prickly rash. I finally went to a dermatologist, but I had no flare-up and the woman was cluless and I left in tears. I called my PCP and she found me another dermatoligist, his sister has PMLE so he knew right away what I have.

When I was first diagnosed (2003), the only sunscreen that worked for me was Coppertone Spectra 3, it is very thick and now you can't find in the US. I called the doctor last year to tell him I couldn't find it anymore and he recommended Neutrogena with Helioplex. IT IS AMAZING! I use the 'cooling spray' on my arms and have not had a flare-up, even on my cruise last November. I will now call the doctor every year or so to see what new products he recommends.

We are going to Cancun in December, since I will have lost my UV tolerance by then I bought a long sleeved rash guard on clearance from Lands End. I am preparing now so I am not searching in December for one!

EDIT- By the way, when I get a PMLE flare-up I don't get it overnight, I start to get it right away and get itchy. I am keeping my fingers crossed it is something he was just exposed to and was a one time thing. When my DD was 2 she woke up with non-itchy hives, the hospital and her ped. figure she had an allergic reaction to something and to this day we still have no clue what it was and she never had a reaction again.

 

[aurora23]

I agree with the pp who stated you should also check the sunscreen. When I was a kid I had a similar experience and it turned out I was allergic to an ingredient in the sunscreen. I had used the same sunscreen before going, but since that trip to Florida I cannot usde that type of sunscreen without breaking out in a rash.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I have been thinking more and more about this since last posted. Is his rash raised (starts out as red dots), and very itchy, burning, feels prickly to the point he is in tears? This is what PMLE feels like, I mean you feel like stratching your skin off (sorry to be graphic but it really feels like that.)

Google for images of PMLE, it looks different from hives and some other rashes.

 

[fairydust1278]

i did look it up but i do now wonder if it was actually just the sunscreen. i used sunscreen that is a sensitive skin formula. it's also spf 50. he still has it this morning and it hasn't decreased any as of yet. he's not itching as bad as he was yesterday though. hopefully it will clear up in a few more days. i just thought it weird that he was the only one to pop up with it.

 

[fairydust1278]

I have been thinking more and more about this since last posted. Is his rash raised (starts out as red dots), and very itchy, burning, feels prickly to the point he is in tears? This is what PMLE feels like, I mean you feel like stratching your skin off (sorry to be graphic but it really feels like that.)

Google for images of PMLE, it looks different from hives and some other rashes.

i looked at the images but still not 100% sure. the rash is raised, you can feel the bumpiness of it. it's noticeably red in color. if it doesnt clear up in a few days i will take him to the doctor.

 

[Manda]

My son came back from a day at Typhoon Lagoon with a bumpy, raised, itch rash all over his back, belly, shoulders, neck, and arms. It was tiny bumps everywhere, a little raised, fairly red, and very itchy. It calmed somewhat the next day (at least wasn't as red or itchy - and I was applying hydro-cortisone cream), but the bumps stayed for several days. I don't think it was anything light related or sunscreen related because I had him in a sun-blocking swim t-shirt (and life jacket) and most of the bumps - but not all - were in areas that were protected from the sun physically. He's in water and sun all the time and we'd never had that issue before. He also got a pretty severe outer ear infection (swimmer's ear) from that trip - which he's never had before. I really think it had to something specifically with the water in those pools or one of those pools, but I'm not sure and there's not really any way to know. I wonder if it could have just been a reaction to the chemicals or bacteria in the water for yours, too?

 

[fairydust1278]

My son came back from a day at Typhoon Lagoon with a bumpy, raised, itch rash all over his back, belly, shoulders, neck, and arms. It was tiny bumps everywhere, a little raised, fairly red, and very itchy. It calmed somewhat the next day (at least wasn't as red or itchy - and I was applying hydro-cortisone cream), but the bumps stayed for several days. I don't think it was anything light related or sunscreen related because I had him in a sun-blocking swim t-shirt (and life jacket) and most of the bumps - but not all - were in areas that were protected from the sun physically. He's in water and sun all the time and we'd never had that issue before. He also got a pretty severe outer ear infection (swimmer's ear) from that trip - which he's never had before. I really think it had to something specifically with the water in those pools or one of those pools, but I'm not sure and there's not really any way to know. I wonder if it could have just been a reaction to the chemicals or bacteria in the water for yours, too?

yep that's exactly what my son's looks like. i've been giving him benadryl and aveeno baths. the itching has subsided for the most part but today he was running a slight fever and complaining of a headache as well. he seems to be doing fine right now. im definately keeping an eye on him. as far as a chemical reaction, my mom was thinking the same thing. if it's the chlorine, then what do i do? i would hate for him to not be able to swim at all.

 

[anlashokna]

I know I got a rash on a September trip to Florida. Upper chest and neck. Bumpy and red. Turns out it was prickly heat caused by the heat and humidity. I had originally thought it might have been caused by the pool but never got my neck or head wet. Went away as soon as I got home and out of that weather.

Have a doc check it. Might be nothing, might be something. Didn't have a fever but the fever could be from the irritation / reaction.

 

[taylor3297]

My dd would get a rash after using sunscreen that had an SPF higher than 30. The chemicals were too harsh for her skin. Since we started using Blue Lizard for sensitive skin she has not had a single problem. Our dermatologist recommended Blue Lizard.

 

[monkeybug]

yep that's exactly what my son's looks like. i've been giving him benadryl and aveeno baths. the itching has subsided for the most part but today he was running a slight fever and complaining of a headache as well. he seems to be doing fine right now. im definately keeping an eye on him. as far as a chemical reaction, my mom was thinking the same thing. if it's the chlorine, then what do i do? i would hate for him to not be able to swim at all.

If your son has a fever, a rash and a headache, it would probably be best to take him to a Doctor. Chances are it's nothing, but better safe than sorry as they say.

 

[Manda]

If your son has a fever, a rash and a headache, it would probably be best to take him to a Doctor. Chances are it's nothing, but better safe than sorry as they say.

Agreed. With a fever and headache, it's probably a viral rash and not caused by any environmental factor at all.

 

[fairydust1278]

well it turns out that most likely he has fifths disease. this was the last thing i would have thought of. im just glad that its not plme or anything else that would inhibit him going swimming. thank you all for taking the time to respond to this thread.

 

[pooh4evr]

What the HECK is PMLE- I have never heard of it.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

well it turns out that most likely he has fifths disease. this was the last thing i would have thought of. im just glad that its not plme or anything else that would inhibit him going swimming. thank you all for taking the time to respond to this thread.

I had it a few months ago, got it from my stepson (thanks buddy!), its a little itchy and annoying, but it will subside in a few days and he will never even remember it. Tell your son I said ice cream makes it all better.