[mistofviolets]

But...you guys seem to know so much, I'm hoping you can possibly help me figure this out.

What could cause a rash that starts on the inside thigh and spreads up under the pany-line?

My youngest has been dealing with a rash (diaper rash without diapers? Yeast like infection? Vulvitis? I don't know what to call it. The dr says when its really bad its vulvitis. But, has no cure. GRRR! He also said it looks nothing like a yeast rash.) Its been going on for about 3 weeks. I can not for the life of me figure out what is triggering it to worsen or improve, but yeast treatments and various ointments are NOT cutting it.

Then tonight, my oldest came in and said her bottom was bothering her. And showed me her legs, which have a nice pinprick rash on the inside thighs. She's prone to this kind of rash...I usually think of it as some sort of allergy...but realize that it always happens worst this time of year. At least, the past couple of years.

All I can think is yeast or mold (its been a little rainy, not overly so, but...enough) I'm doing acidophilus, and using an antifungal cream (now on both kids) with pain killer in it...the dr says to just give them tylenol (he's obviously a *he*) Can anyone think of anything else I can do or am missing? I know its not gluten related...but if anyone can come up with really great ideas, I figured it would be you guys. (At least...you won;t give me the "Well, why don't you take them to the dr?" spiel. LOL)

[KimS]

When dd had a staph infection on her face, I made up a cool (meaning not hot ) tea with oregano and garlic and used a bandaid to hold a cotton ball that was soaked in the tea, on it.

I never understood why this worked better than the steroid cream the doc. gave us (every time I stopped using the cream it would come back).

Then, just this year I started looking at oregano and it was very well explained by what I found:

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/can...Study/Oregano/
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...hlight=oregano

Also, I have not researched this yet but I have some homemade coconut/B vitamin/CoQ10 skin moisturizer I made... Both children were starting to get that 'eczema look' on a spot on their faces... so I thought that I would put this 'moisturizer' on it before it developed into staph... and see what happened... both children's faces were clear when I looked at them yesterday. It took about a week to clear.

I do remember reading something about coconut oil being an anti-fungal or something. I'm not sure though if I'm getting confused with something else... but it may give you a lead somewhere.

[orthomolecular]

Could it be an undiagnosed yeast overgrowth in the GI tract that has spread to other parts of the body. Women will have recurring vaginal yeast infections because of a systemic yeast problem that originates and goes untreated in the GI tract.

Sometimes a man can have atheletes foot problems that won't go away also. Not so unlike a nail fungual problem. If that symptoms is not going away then you may need to look internally.

Any type of fungal yeast skin problem that is recurring should be viewed as a symptom of a systemic issue that may be originating in the GI tract.

The probiotics may be too little, too late. But you do have the right idea. You can expect that only some good bacteria to change this problem now. It may have gotten to the point that you need something more than just probiotics. Caprylic acid kills only the yeast. There are many, many products OTC that can help with GI yeast problems. The specific carb diet can help too. Usually when it gets to a certain point the probiotics don't really work, and may be a food source for the yeast. (I met someone who said that probiotics made his GI yeast problem worse. I have read that probiotics can make it worse too.) You do have to use something that will kill off the yeast, and the probiotics alone may not be enough.

I have had GI yeast problems myself and used a number of different things together like Aqua Flora, a homeopathic liquid, Candex, enxymes that digest the yeast outer cell membrane, and caprylic acid with psyllium. Some think that one product may be effective for one strain of yeast, so trying more than one product may ensure you will kill off potentially more than just one strain at a time.

I am not sure about cocunut oil and how to use it.

[NancyM]

Have you consulted a dermatologist? I think sometimes MD's just don't have the answers and a specialist might.

[LettieB]

This may sound crazy but my daughter had a slight rash like this before. I did some research at school and it seems the cleaning lady was wiping the toliet lids down with pure bleach and not rinsing it, just letting it dry. I had to ask her lots of questions before I got my answer. I could not believe she did not rinse it off! You might want to ask at school.

Beth

[jccgf]

Beth... that is an interesting possibility I would have never considered.

Have you tried using Desitin on it? Just to see if it helped at all?

Do they do any activities that could be causing any extra sweating or friction of clothing in those areas? Horse back riding might be the obvious, but anything like that? Any new laundry products or soaps? Any saunas or hottubs where they might pick something up?

Cara

[mrsD]

or incomplete rinsing during bathing can cause this.

Also I'd suggest double rinsing all clothing including underwear. Activity, leads to sweating which can dissolve harsh laundry soap residues onto the skin. These can be very basic and burn sensitive skin.

Soap burns the skin, and can give a confusing rash/event.

I'd only use Dove unscented, and rinse really well, for personal cleaning.
Even baby shampoo, might do. People tend to "overclean" and then that
can irritate!

[mistofviolets]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the replies! I was feeling like I'd hit a wall, and couldn't think of anything else to do. Now I'm starting to feel proactive again!

Yes...tried desitin on youngest, she cried that it hurt worse Pain wise, the analgesic in the antifungal cream I found seems to help the most, longest...but...well, I've been using it for well over a week.

No new activities, really. Youngest takes gym, but has for awhile. They were sharing a bath on and off until last night. (I was thinking it wasn't contagious, but, maybe it is.)

I hadn't thought about cleaning supplies! That wouldn't be an issue for youngest (4 yrs, no school yet) but I'll ask oldest if she remembers to line the lids at school (I try to have her use a liner in public restrooms, though don't make a big deal about it) That could explain it for her!

I *had changed the flushable wipes (was using Kandoo, switched to pampers in a prettier package) but stopped when this started for youngest...so about 3 weeks ago? She should be over that by now, if it were the cause. No other soap changes. I'm using the only corn free laundry detergent I can afford that I know of...please tell me its not that!!!

I have not gone to a dermatologist...In the area its in I just hadn't even thought of it! I'll have to see if I can get a referral.

I just don't know on the yeast. The dr says its not, but...I can't think of anything else. I'm just at a loss I figured the probiotics were the "no harm done" solution. I'll see if I can look around WF though for more options. Do you know if homeopathic remedies are safe in the under 10 group? And especially under 5? (dds are 4 and 8 respectively)

And thanks for the oregano tip...thats something I definately feel safe trying. I'll see if I have any to brew into tea, or at least pick some up ASAP Youngest seems to be in a coming and going phase, and oldest is dealing well...but I feel so bad for them, and then to have both with a similar issue in the same area...well, makes me think its got to be something more treatable than "wait it out". *sigh*

[KimS]

Yes, coconut oil is like a moisturizing antiseptic. I thought I had read that somewhere...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum

Dermatitis. 2004 Sep;15(3):109-16. Links
A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis.

• Agero AL,
• Verallo-Rowell VM.

Department of Dermatology, Makati Medical Center, Makati City, Philippines.
BACKGROUND: Xerosis is a common skin condition (1) characterized by dry, rough, scaly, and itchy skin, (2) associated with a defect in skin barrier function, and (3) treated with moisturizers. People in the tropics have effectively used coconut oil as a traditional moisturizer for centuries. Recently, the oil also has been shown to have skin antiseptic effects. A moisturizer with antiseptic effects has value, but there are no clinical studies to document the efficacy and safety of coconut oil as a skin moisturizer. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effectivity and safety of virgin coconut oil compared with mineral oil as a therapeutic moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. METHODS: A randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted on mild to moderate xerosis in 34 patients with negative patch-test reactions to the test products. These patients were randomized to apply either coconut oil or mineral oil on the legs twice a day for 2 weeks. Quantitative outcome parameters for effectivity were measured at baseline and on each visit with a Corneometer CM825 to measure skin hydration and a Sebumeter SM 810 to measure skin lipids. For safety, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured with a Tewameter TM210, and skin surface hydrogen ion concentration (pH) was measured with a Skin pH Meter PH900. Patients and the investigator separately evaluated, at baseline and at each weekly visit, skin symptoms of dryness, scaling, roughness, and pruritus by using a visual analogue scale and grading of xerosis. RESULTS: Coconut oil and mineral oil have comparable effects. Both oils showed effectivity through significant improvement in skin hydration and increase in skin surface lipid levels. Safety was demonstrated through no significant difference in TEWL and skin pH. Subjective grading of xerosis by the investigators and visual analogue scales used by the patients showed a general trend toward better (though not statistically evident) improvement with coconut oil than with mineral oil. Safety for both was further demonstrated by negative patch-test results prior to the study and by the absence of adverse reactions during the study. CONCLUSION: Coconut oil is as effective and safe as mineral oil when used as a moisturizer.
PMID: 15724344 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

This was just plain interesting:

Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage.

• Rele AS,
• Mohile RB.

Research and Development Department, Nature Care Division, Marico Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India.
Previously published results showed that both in vitro and in vivo coconut oil (CNO) treatments prevented combing damage of various hair types. Using the same methodology, an attempt was made to study the properties of mineral oil and sunflower oil on hair. Mineral oil (MO) was selected because it is extensively used in hair oil formulations in India, because it is non-greasy in nature, and because it is cheaper than vegetable oils like coconut and sunflower oils. The study was extended to sunflower oil (SFO) because it is the second most utilized base oil in the hair oil industry on account of its non-freezing property and its odorlessness at ambient temperature. As the aim was to cover different treatments, and the effect of these treatments on various hair types using the above oils, the number of experiments to be conducted was a very high number and a technique termed as the Taguchi Design of Experimentation was used. The findings clearly indicate the strong impact that coconut oil application has to hair as compared to application of both sunflower and mineral oils. Among three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. Both sunflower and mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss from hair. This difference in results could arise from the composition of each of these oils. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results. In the case of sunflower oil, although it is a triglyceride of linoleic acid, because of its bulky structure due to the presence of double bonds, it does not penetrate the fiber, consequently resulting in no favorable impact on protein loss.
PMID: 12715094 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]