Polymyositis & Dermatomyositis Support Group

Polymyositis (PM) is a type of chronic inflammation of the muscles (inflammatory myopathy) related to dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. The inflammation is predominantly of the endomysium in polymyositis, whereas dermatomyositis is characterized by primarily perimysial inflammation.

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Muscles & Bones
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Antibacterial gels

amberhere
amberhere
Hi all, I have been racking my brains now for almost a year trying to find an answer to when I actually got DM or what triggered it off. It may be a shot in the dark but just before I started getting the rash I worked for a company who insisted on using antibacterial gel on hands all the time. Being on reception I had to use it every time someone used the pen to sign in etc. I know it probably isn't but it makes you think could it be? I did have a quick look up on google and the results were quite surprising!
autumm
autumm
Hi Amber. This is an interesting post. They do say environmental things can be a trigger so why not antibacterial gel which would come under this heading. Wouldn't it just be wonderful to know. Hope you are keeping well. Autumm
amberhere
amberhere
Hi Autumn, I am keeping OK thanks - doing the steroid taper that Shawna suggested - 9.8.988.9888 etc - so far so good but still got to get the results of bloodwork in a weeks time to see if white cells still going down. It is frustrating as I expect all of us don't really know the exact trigger but can make a good assumption? I also have read on these posts about the overuse of antibiotics - I also have had bad sinus infections before DM and every time it was a prescription for antibiotics and if they didn't work I would be given a spray and if not another course of antibiotics. I wish like you we could all really know. Take care. Amber
trpt1
trpt1
Hi Amberhere, Doctors use antibacterial soaps, foams, and gels in hospitals to sanitize their hands. An antibacterial gel is not a trigger for myositis.

I also had a bad sinus infection about one month before my first DM flare. The sinus infection was not the trigger for my DM; however, the timing of the infection is interesting. My first flare was just a couple weeks after I finished my antibiotic.

Your doctor should be the one to answer questions about your myositis trigger.
roxannak
roxannak
Hi Amber
In my life prior to DM I worked in the operating room as a scrub/circulating nurse on a casual basis and about 8 years prior to that I worked full time in the OR. Interesting thought about the gel. I avoid the alcohol disinfectant gels as they bother my hands. Also the waterless scrubs that we use in the OR bothered my hands to the extreme. I would rather scrub the full five minutes with bridine soap than use the gels. The particular one that the rep said no one reacted to, I reacted to. So your thoughts are interesting.
I can remember having skin issues for about 10 years prior to the DM diagnosis.
I wonder if someone would like to do a qualitative retrospective study on this. . .
I don't have an answer to the cause of my DM and do think of it often. My docs don't know what causes it only how to treat they symptoms
So we just keep plugging along. . .
Good luck!
Roxanna