Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I know of all things to complain about on an RA forum (non pain RA related issues) are probably the least popular but ever since being dx'd with RA in 2013 I've experienced this on & off again battle with facial redness/rash/ ITCHYNESS!!!!
It resembles the area's that Lupus sufferers get but I'm definitely Lupus negative. It will start out mild for about a week & then be crazy irritating, itchy & red for a solid week!! I'm in that zone right now uhhhggg!!!!
Does anyone else go through this? Is there any over the counter, prescription remedies? I have small tube of steroidal cream for those days that it's at its worst but it thins out the skin so it's not recommended for several days in a row use or long term use. But unfortunately I'm getting to the point where I'm using it almost every day! Yikes!
I've tried home remedies, like salt water facials, herbal oils crap & none of that works. I beleive it's because it's not outside related it's internal so anything other than a steroid isn't really going to be effective but I'm hoping someone else has some suggestions.
Oh yeah I take Methotrexate 5mg - 7.5mg every Sunday. But I also had this issue while being off MTX for a year. Although I'd say not as often as while on MTX.
If it continues, perhaps you need to see a dermatologist or allergist? But don't get allergy shots. They mess even more with the immune system.
I have more sensitive skin than anyone else I know in real life. Perhaps we can compare pictures one day?
Also, have you thought about eczema? I've had that on my face, but lately pretty good in not getting it.
Marlene, I asked my RA about what I was doing a few years ago and he said, "Just grease it up. If what you're using doesn't work then I'll prescribe you some cortisone cream". This is the same Doctor that when I told him I was using the flonase spray twice a day (bottle says one time per day) because it helped with pollen AND keeping my cough from happening (had a plueral what-cha-ma-call-it last year) and that the Flonase and 5mg of Prednisone daily had been keeping my lung clear (as supported by the Plurologist's tests/exams) my RA said, "Good. Don't worry about the small amount of cortisone in the Flonase or the 5mg of Prednisone. There are two schools of thought among Rheumatologists concerning steroids, one that will never use them and one that says they are a useful tool. I am in the latter group. At your age (55) at dosages that low, the RA is going to kill you long before the damage from the steroids. So if it helps, use it".
Remember Marlene, we are not MD's. We should not act like it. All of us are different and react differently.
I would definitely let your rheum know about this. There are so many associations with autoimmune disorders and rashes, and this may be another piece to the puzzle of your diagnosis. So many of these crazy rheum diseases morph into different ones over time as new symptoms emerge. Your rheum may send you to dermatology or even re-do some of your labs, since they can change over time.
Yes I've been to a dermatologist about it, in fact 2 different ones & they both come back with sebhorrhic dermatitis, which is just a form of dandruff on your face. I didn't really agree with this diagnosis but tried the prescription strength shampoos they told me to use it like a facial soap & soak into your skin. Didn't work.
I always forget to mention something at my scheduled Rheumy visits & the rash was the furthest thing on my mind since it was kind of controlled a few days ago & I wanted to discuss more about pain management, my labs & medications. So i'll email him & see what he says.
depot