My Son Has A Rash-Update Post #11

[Christine]

My DS (11) just got back from a 5-day trip to North Carolina. According to my DH, on the very first day they were there, he got a rash. They drove for 5 hours and then when the got there, they went boating. My son wore sunscreen that day and *may* have gotten in the water. When the got back to the room, my son had developed a rash of little white bumps on his face, chest, and back. It did not itch much at all and would seem to disappear at times and then come back.

He has now come home and gotten out of the bath. I guess the heat of the bath exacerbated it and I got to get a good look at it. The front of his torso is COVERED in this rash. They are just small white bumps, really. You can feel them more than see them. It feels like really rough sandpaper. They are not red (like hives) at all. He has less on his back. It is not on his arms or legs. He has it to a lesser degree on his face and neck. After being outside earlier today the "neck" part of it did flare up and become kind of red. So, I guess this is some sort of hives??

I'm going to watch this through the weekend and if it doesn't go away by Monday, I will take him to the doctor. I suspect that this could be a sunscreen allergy since it happened so quickly after they got there. But, he is a very allergic person and it could be the hotel they stayed in (different detergents in the bedding) or he could have eaten something odd although DH doesn't think so.

So, have you ever experienced or seen a rash like this? I googled "sandpaper rash" and just got stuff for scarlet fever, but this is not a scarlet fever rash.

 

[Sparx]

I'm not sure. It sounds a little like poison ivy or oak, but its not itching. I think a food allergy would also itch.

maybe its an allergy to scents. like scented detergent on his clothes and bedding. But it seems like it just all of a sudden covered him, which wouldn't happen.

the only thing I can think of is that its something to do with the water and heat. but that doesn't make too much sense.


but I'm no doctor. I just play one on the internet.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

It sounds like an allergy to sunscreen to me. PABA actually causes allergic reactions in certain people.

I'm allergic to limes, but found out about it by being tested for sunscreen allergies. I developed huge hives all over me, some the size of grapes, while vacationing in Cancun.

When I got back, my dermatologist said it could be one of three things; allergy to the sun, allergy to sunscreen, or allergy to limes. Thankfully it was the latter.

(I was squeezing limes into my beer and then rubbing sunscreen on me, without washing my hands first.)

However, there will be no more Coronas in my future.

Good luck with your son! I hope he's better soon!

 

[Jpgirl]

My dd had that rash and it was Scarlet Fever. Has he been tested for strep? Strep is going around here in Texas and if untreated will go into Scarlet Fever which can cause heart damage if untreated for too long. I'd get him to the doc sooner rather than later

 

[tiggersmom2]

It sounds like an allergy to sunscreen to me. PABA actually causes allergic reactions in certain people.

Yes, his rash sounds exactly like what I experienced after using sunscreen at WDW in May.

 

[Christine]

My dd had that rash and it was Scarlet Fever. Has he been tested for strep? Strep is going around here in Texas and if untreated will go into Scarlet Fever which can cause heart damage if untreated for too long. I'd get him to the doc sooner rather than later

He has no symptoms of being ill at all and the rash has no red on it as has been described for the scarlet fever rash.

 

[Christine]

Yes, his rash sounds exactly like what I experienced after using sunscreen at WDW in May.

This was a brand of sunscreen we have never bought (although I think the active ingredients were the same). It was Hawaiin Tropic for Kids with a 60 SPF.

Also, this rash is actually "white" if that makes sense. It is not hive-like with the redness.

 

[Lil_Tink]

I suspect an allergy to the sunscreen. The same thing happened to my friend. I was also suspecting Swimmers Itch but he hasn't been itching so I guess thats not it.

 

[tiggersmom2]

This was a brand of sunscreen we have never bought (although I think the active ingredients were the same). It was Hawaiin Tropic for Kids with a 60 SPF.

Also, this rash is actually "white" if that makes sense. It is not hive-like with the redness.

Yep, the sunscreen I used was for kids....a 50 spf I think, not sure what brand but it was in a pink bottle. My rash was just "white" little bumbs EVERYWHERE I had applied it. It didn't itch or anything, just felt like sandpaper.

 

[hydster]

It sounds like he may have polymorphic light eruption. It is an irritating and distressing skin condition and is also known as summer prurigo,ezcema solare or delayed photoallergic dermatitis. It is thought to be due to an increased sensitivity of the skin to ultra-violet light and is often at its worst at the beginning of the summer.

Does it look similar to this? http://www3.dermis.net/dermisroot/en/28969/image.htm

If so I'd contact your doctor to make sure and the doc may send your ds to an allergist for a skin patch test.

Hope you can find out what it is soon!
Heidi

 

[Christine]

It sounds like he may have polymorphic light eruption. It is an irritating and distressing skin condition and is also known as summer prurigo,ezcema solare or delayed photoallergic dermatitis. It is thought to be due to an increased sensitivity of the skin to ultra-violet light and is often at its worst at the beginning of the summer.

Does it look similar to this? http://www3.dermis.net/dermisroot/en/28969/image.htm

If so I'd contact your doctor to make sure and the doc may send your ds to an allergist for a skin patch test.

Hope you can find out what it is soon!
Heidi

hydster--no it doesn't look anything like that (thank God).

Also, I check the sunscreen and there is no PABA in it. There are 3 active ingredients, one being Parsol and the other two I can't spell (don't have the bottle with me right now) but they are chemical sunscreens.

My son woke up at 4:30 a.m. to put some "lotion" on it. I guess it is irritating him in some manner. I looked at this morning and it was a bit more red than it had been. I guess I will give the pediatrician a call this morning and see if DH, who is off today, can take him in.

 

[Christine]

Well, DH did take DS to the doctor today as he seems to be itching now and the rash has more "red" to it.

As I figured, the doctor was fairly clueless. Called it contact dermatitis. DS was given a strep test to rule out Scarlet Fever.

All I can think is it must have been the sunscreen but he has this rash in some places where there was no sunscreen. I hate not being able to figure it out.

 

[miss missy]

Rashes/skin is the hardest to diagnose. If it is contact it would be only where whatever it was came in "contact" with his skin. If it is a food of something, that could be all over... stinks not to know tho.

 

[Christine]

Rashes/skin is the hardest to diagnose. If it is contact it would be only where whatever it was came in "contact" with his skin. If it is a food of something, that could be all over... stinks not to know tho.

It's in the *typical* areas now. The whole front of the torso but no below the waist, shoulders, entire neck (but more so in the front), across the bridge of his nose and cheeks (to a mild degree) and on the inside areas of his arms. It is not on his hands, legs, feet, butt.

I do worry because he is allergic to peanuts but he is always very careful with his food and ate nothing out of the ordinary. Also, his food allergy reactions are more typical wheal/hive things.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Well, DH did take DS to the doctor today as he seems to be itching now and the rash has more "red" to it.

As I figured, the doctor was fairly clueless. Called it contact dermatitis. DS was given a strep test to rule out Scarlet Fever.

All I can think is it must have been the sunscreen but he has this rash in some places where there was no sunscreen. I hate not being able to figure it out.

Contact Dermatitis is such a catch-all diagnosis. Maybe it was from the detergent that was used. I know I'm allergic to Tide.