Do I Have Dh?

[Zeb]

Every year starting when the weather here in UT begins to get cold I start to get what I call a rash. I still get it throughout the rest of the year but not as severe. I'm a 51 year old male and have had this condition for about 16 years.

The "rash" is usually located around my front waist line in various places there as well as the sides of my waist, it is redish-pink, raised/swollen but never blisters and never fills with fluid, is extremely itchy and gets bright red and swollen when I scratch it, when I shower the warm water really aggravates it and makes me want to scratch it even more. The rash can be one tiny spot that itches like crazy or it can be a larger raised red spot that also itches like crazy. I never get more than 3 big ones about the size of a nickle, and maybe about 6 others that are small. Like I say they usually show up in various places around the front part and sides of my waist but they can also be up next to my nipples or other places further up the trunk. I have one spot of it on the side of my foot. They don't ever get crusty nor do the crack and peel. The only thing that relieves it is a Dr. prescribed steroid cream that takes away the itchiness and reduces the swelling of the red spot. This usually takes care if it for 3-4 days then it comes back. I used to scratch them so hard I know of scars on my waistline.

What do you think, is this DH?

[ravenwoodglass]

This is going to sound like a strange thing to ask but here goes...Do you wear thermals or 'long johns' I get mine out as soon as the weather cools and they stay until it gets really warm. The fact that the lesions are at your waist makes me wonder if you are wearing something that has a form of 'elastic' band that might be causeing the reaction.

The waist would be an odd place for a DH breakout but it is not impossible. You may want to have a derm look at the lesion and biopsy the skin next to the lesion to look for the antibody reaction.

[Dixiebell]

My 9 yr old has had the same type of rashes. We are pretty positive it is a latex allergy. Not knowing this was a prob at the time, I had purchased him some new, a different type, undies and the prob he was having around his waist went away. He had a biopsy done on his bottom and the bandages we were using, spongebob, were causing blisters under the bandage. He likes to play in the bath sometimes and the bathmat for him to sit on made him break out in hives. At first we thought it could be the bubbles, so we waited 2 days and it happened again w/o the bubbles. I did buy a new latex free mat. He also has a problem with t-shirts w/ print on them. It causes him a painful rash. We have noticed he has more prob when heat is involved, sweating, warm bath.

[Marz]

This is going to sound like a strange thing to ask but here goes...Do you wear thermals or 'long johns' I get mine out as soon as the weather cools and they stay until it gets really warm. The fact that the lesions are at your waist makes me wonder if you are wearing something that has a form of 'elastic' band that might be causeing the reaction.

The waist would be an odd place for a DH breakout but it is not impossible. You may want to have a derm look at the lesion and biopsy the skin next to the lesion to look for the antibody reaction.

I second this suggestion - I was wearing tight fitting undervests during a very cold spell recently, and oh boy after 2 days was I scratching myself to pieces! The vests are cotton, but I think the constant and tight fit irritated my skin greatly.

I also get a rash on my ankles - I blame this on wearing socks with boots for too many days in a row. I think it's a fungal infection of some sort, anti-fungal cream took it away. It was also *extremely* itchy, but was red and skin was scaly-like, which you've said isn't the case with you.