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Strange skin blisters / possible extra-intestinal complication

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/3/2019 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
I went skiing a week ago and experienced dry, chapped skin. My skin became inflamed after a few days. At first I had small blisters around my knuckles, but they turned into larger blisters over time and some of the smaller blisters merged into one larger looking blister, especially at both lower thumb knuckles. At first I thought it was just a strange reaction to the dryness, but once the blisters really started to take shape, I also began to have flu-like symptoms with headache, sore joints and muscles, and night sweats. So, then I began to think my body was just run down and it may be the flu with strange rash. I was supposed to get the shingles vaccine in the midst of all this, but when my GI saw the rash, he wanted me to see a dermatologist before getting the vaccine. I saw my dermatologist on Wednesday. She thought the rash looked bacterial, put me on two antibiotics, and took two biopsies. On Thursday I continued to experience muscle and joint pain and became concerned it may be disseminated shingles, so my dermatologist added Valtrex to my cocktail of medications. I felt better on Friday, but then the muscle and joint aches came back yesterday. Today I'm doing better again, but still have awful looking blisters on my hands and now a few on my wrists. Has anyone else experienced extra-intestinal complications? I found information on pyoderma gangrenosum and am hoping that's not what I'm experiencing. I should have biopsy results back this coming week.
Posted 3/4/2019 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Wow.....I sure hope it's neither, but since you had fever, pains, sweats...could be viral or bacterial. Although, could be coincidence and separate issues and the rash be allergy or reaction.
Doesn't sound like PD....and it's awesome your doc took biopsies.
Im going to look up Pemphigus bullous since it kind of sounds like that.

Good you have had some relief....Hope you get the results soon! Please update us.
q
Posted 3/4/2019 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
Do a search images of bullous disease and see if anything matches. Look up dishydrosis and annular disease....and of course, shingles.

Your doc covered all the bases...I'm impressed.

q
Posted 3/4/2019 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you, Heather. I looked all those up and none of those look like what is on my hands, but I appreciate the input. I will reply back once I have results. When I stopped by my GI for the shingles vaccine, he told me I could stop taking my Apriso because he doesn't think it's helping. I started taking it about two weeks ago to try and get UC symptoms under control. Since I started so many antibiotics on Wednesday night, I decided to skip the Apriso on Thursday, especially since I started Valtrex on Thursday, too. Once I felt so much better on Friday, I figured my body was figuring stuff out, and I could try the Apriso again, just in case it's helping. Saturday I felt pretty bad again. I'm wondering if maybe I'm having a reaction to Apriso.
Posted 3/4/2019 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Whew, That's good not the same 🙄
Looking forward to your update.
It's worth going off the Apriso, but you're on many other meds, it will be difficult to know. At least you won't have to wonder while on it.

q
Posted 3/6/2019 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
I'm still waiting for my biopsy results, but am feeling so much better. I don't know if it's the antibiotics (which I typically avoid at all costs), the Valtrex, the prednisone or what, but I feel like myself again. My hands still look a little strange, but they are slowly healing. The prednisone has interfered with quality sleep a bit, but my stomach is better than since I started my flare over 1 1/2 years ago. Hoping once the antibiotics stop, the stomach remains calm. It could also be the IBD-AID diet helping my stomach.
Posted 3/7/2019 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
My biopsy results are back and it appears I had a staph infection. So, even though I avoid antibiotics, it was definitely needed in this case. Can't really mess around with staph. Just super happy to be feeling better!
Posted 3/7/2019 5:25 AM (GMT 0)
Definitely can't mess with staph!
Woohoo....the meds are helping and you're doing much better.

Did the doc give you a cream to use as well for your knuckles?

Thanks for the update....
q
Posted 3/7/2019 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
No cream. Just oral antibiotics. Hoping to never have that again!
Posted 3/8/2019 6:22 AM (GMT 0)
Gosh that sounds unpleasant! I'm glad it's getting under control. I suppose taking immunosuppressants can make you more susceptible to that kind of thing (rather than being a direct extraintestinal manifestation of the colitis)
Posted 3/8/2019 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I'm happy it wasn't an extraintestinal manifestation.... no need for any other chronic conditions in my life. My focus is to get my health and weight back very soon!
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