Scalp pimples and Prednisone?
 

Hey guys,

Just wondering if any of you have had strange rashes while on prednisone...I have these little itchy pimples all on my scalp, particularly behind my ears. They're really itchy, and I've noticed that I'm getting tiny bald spots around them...

Has anyone else had anything like this?


Thanks!
Nicky

This could be a scalp fungal infection.

There is a special OTC shampoo called Nizoral. Selsun also makes products that work. Give those a try.
People on high dose prednisone can get skin fungal attacks.
This is due to the reduced immune response in the skin and also the elevated blood sugar the pred causes. If you perspire alot, this also feeding skin fungal organisms.

There is also a liquid anti-inflammatory liquid called Scalpicin.
It works pretty well. The doctor can write an RX for stronger types, but the OTC one can work well and is less expensive.

What Mrs.D said sounds about right :)

I would add to that, it could also be folliculitis which is a staph infection of the skin. That's common to with steroids. You should really see your primary doctor to be absolutely sure.

Did you ever get rechecked for celiac? That can cause "bumps" too.

Thanks, guys!

I went to the doctor today, and he said that it doesn't really look like a fungal infection, but he gave me an rx for it anyway, just in case...He said that it's pretty mild, whatever I have...

I still haven't been re-checked for the Celiac's...It's weird, because I have had these pimples before, in the same areas--long before I started the prednisone...How does Celiac's cause these bumps?

Thanks!:)
Nicky

This article is pretty good.

http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologi...s_herpeti.html

Darn it, Nicky, get those tests redone!!!! If you have celiac, your small intestines are being destroyed. Prednisone may even mask celiac - some cases of refractory celiac have been shown to get better with Pred, since it IS an autoimmune disease!!!! GEEZ!!!!!

I get the itchy damn bumps if I get some hidden gluten.

It's a good thought to assume it's the drug but I have to wonder in your case if it is celiac. If the rash spreads, go back in. I had folliculitis on Pred really bad. But then I got an antibiotic and got the lovely secondary infection Clostridium Difficile. :eek:

Have a good night . . . and call your doctor (or a gastroenterologist since they deal with celiac) in the morning! Oh, and being on Pred can make the celiac antibodies disappear, just like the MG antibodies would. You may need an upper endoscopy where they take several little biopsies of your small intestines. It's not a horrid test - I had it done.

Annie

Hi Nicky!
 

Annie and Erin
 

Yeah...I'm definately going to ask my doc. to test me for Celiac's disease...I had no idea that this was a symptom! I've had these little pimples on and off for a few years, but they weren't as persistant as they are now....My hair's really oily, and some comes out while I'm taking a shower...

I have a lot of facial acne too-mainly on my chin. I got it after waxing, though...Basically, things aren't looking up in the looks depot...lol

Thanks for your help, guys! Things do suck right now, but hopefully, will get better! Have a good night! :)

:grouphug:Nicky

I am sorry Nicky...I hit "edit" instead of "quote" in response to your post....:o So your last post shows my correction for this error... :o I should never type without my tea in the morning!

Here is my reply:
I would clean the skin before the waxing, with alcohol...kill off any Staph that is there before the procedure.

Your description sounds alot like Cushing's or at least PCOS. The pred can cause it or make it worse if you have it already. Androgens increase the chin hair and cause increased oiliness. You can ask the doctor for a blood test for testosterone. You might be surprised at the result! I've had PCOS all my life and understand chin hair! Mine all stopped when I started a simple supplement made for PCOS patients (to help with fertility issues). This supplement is a form of inositol, called d-chiro inositol. It also helps with the increased blood sugar caused by the hormones. (insulin resistance) . I've been using it twice a day since last Feb, and it has been wonderful. No more facial hair! The 10 or so remaining resistant hairs I can easily handle now (they are thinner and don't grow fast)! heheheheh. I wish this was known when I was younger...I would have been able to have more children (I have only the one son).
Here is the website with information:
https://www.chiralbalance.com/store/index
I can't see this simple inositol having any conflict with MG either.

All the oily hair/face is gone too. And I have more energy.

Most of the rashes from Celiac/gluten intolerance also appear on the body. This rash is called dermatitis herpetiformis and is very itchy. Here is a thread that explains the results from blood testing:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread105601.html
and
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread104889.html

I think getting tested for this is a very good idea. Chronic gluten intolerance leads to all sorts of autoimmune neurological problems in some patients.

Hey Mrs. D


Thanks so much for that info., it's really helpful! I agree that I think it's the androgens. Funny, I've always had a few chin and neck hairs...Like really thick, black ones. I think that this is why I got the Cushing's side-effects from the prednisone so quickly, maybe because I already had sorta a bit of an inbalance in sex hormones (although my periods have always been pretty normal up until the prednisone). I also no longer have periods (since predinsone), so definately, the hormones are out of wack. I saw a gyno. a few weeks ago. He said that if I haven't had my periods by our next visit (in January), we'll try hormones to induce one, but I don't want to go this route. I think that I like your idea better. I'm going to gather up some info. on that supplement and bring it to him and see what he thinks. I actually miss having my periods. I feel like such a 'dude' what with the facial hair, and lack of a period! lol

I looked up the herpetiformus rash and it doesn't resemble my rash at all. Mine's not that severe. They're just like these dry, itchy pimples, mainly around my hairline. My hair also 'hurts' when I move it. It's possible that it's acne, maybe. Also, my wounds heal very poorly too, so I guess that they might get infected more easilly and cause an acne-like appearance. I also have high blood glucose.

I will definately ask my doc. for the antibody test for Celiac's. I don't know if I want to have a biopsy right now. Last time I had a stomach procedure (colonoscopy/duodenoscopy), it was sorta brutal. I couldn't eat for the whole day before, and I just felt really ill for a while after.


Thanks!
Nicky

A couple more comments...

The Chiral Balance site, gives the data on the fertility aspects of the product. If you visit some of the PCOS forums, the members really discuss this alot. I was impressed that it was just about equal in effectiveness to metformin (which is used for PCOS and insulin resistance too) but without side effects.
The only down side to it is cost... this has come down from $89 a month to $59 since I started. So that might be a factor for you. (but for me my copay is now $65 for brand names--so it is less than and RX drug for me). I have no side effects at all, and the chin hair was responding within a month at 2 x 600mg caps a day.

If you use alcohol along that hair line occasionally to remove the oil, it won't plug up the hair shafts so much and that might help. The oily skin is really hard on pores.

If you are slow to heal, I'd investigate some zinc supplements too.
This is a list of the nutrients that Steroids can mess up:
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTR...steroids.shtml

Zinc is really important because the reduced immune effects make infection more likely. I find OptiZinc the easiest to tolerate (some others can be really hard on the stomach)
and has the best absorption--and one a day is plenty for most people. Zinc is depleted by other drugs too, like ACE inhibitors, and some antiseizure drugs (Depakote).

Thanks, Mrs. D.

I get a bit nervous when it comes to zinc. I was taking a supplement before, and then I came across a woman who developed a copper deficiency from zinc toxicity (but that was due to using polygrip). Do you think that it's safe to take on a regular basis? I figure it must be okay now since the prednisone is preventing absorption so I'm at a low risk of toxicity sorta, but I'm still a bit apprehensive.

Thanks!
Nicky

The otc vitamins are not high dose. It is true when you go very high, on zinc the copper ratio will change. There is a condition called Pyroluria, which requires really high dosing of zinc and B6 (since these are complexed in the blood by kryptopyrroles that are left over from a genetic error in heme metabolism in the liver). Those patients should be monitored by a doctor when doing that treatment over time.

This is the one I use. It has a small amount of copper in it, to balance the zinc:
http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals...lets/1361?at=0
This is a quality product and not expensive at all.
If it really bothers you...you can try one every other day. But zinc is really critical for preventing infections and protecting the skin.

I take lisinopril for my blood pressure, and it depletes zinc.
I take the OptiZinc at night, because some studies show zinc is better absorbed then. (why, I don't know, but it is reported in some papers). This is not a high dose. The treatment for bed sores in bedridden patients is 220mg 3 times a day for comparison. I believe the PolyGrip thing is inflated. I saw one report from U of Mich stating that the zinc found in the small number of patients might be due to a genetic error in handling the mineral. Much like hemochromatosis is for iron.

Nicky,

Thanks for bringing up the subject. I am not taking Prednisone, but I have similar symptoms and have had them on and off for a long time. Is this related to MG somehow?

I have had an occasional minor rash and/or pimples...on my head, my chin or behind my ears is the usual place, but recently (since MG started) I have started to get a few bumps occasionally on my upper arms and legs and my face. I also have had two long dark hairs on my chin since I was 13. I have been to the doctor about this skin problem in the past and had lots of tests done with no results other than the assumption that these symptoms are related to allergies.

I did learn from my old doctor (this was about 7 years ago) that these skin problems might be due to having an abundance of yeast in my body, but not enough for the doctors to call a yeast infection. I don't remember too many details other than she recommended a change in my diet that included eating less sugar, this reduces the yeast in your body. It is worth looking into.

Now I am curious if there is something elso going on here. I have noticed that since I got MG these skin problems take longer to heal and that it happens more frequently. I guess it is time to go to the doctor again. It seems like with MG there is always another problem to deal with. I am tired of it.

I poured myself a glass of water and remembered one more thing.

Of course!

When I don't drink enough water is when I get skin problems and now that I take Mestinon I need lots of water, so much I feel like I can't keep up with it. Drinking extra water helps and even knowing this I still can't seem to drink as much as I need. Water tastes so yucky with the chlorine and who knows what else is in there. Time to get a new water filter.

Now if I could only get all my water from a natural spring I would love to drink water. I love spring water!

There is probably another cause for the skin problems we have, but definitely adding extra water to your diet helps.

Hey Desert,

Wow...It sounds like we have the same thing! I have them mainly behind my ears, around the hairline and on the chin. I also have 'hives' (very tiny tiny little itchy pimples on my upper arms and thighs). I've had these since I was very young.

It's funny that you mention yeast; I think that you may be right. As soon as I started taking prednisone, seems like my blood glucose skyrocketed. I had never previously been diagnosed with diabetes, but my doc. had given me a monitor to keep tabs on it in March as I was always thirsty and urinating like 15 -times a day, drinking like 10-large bottles of water. I also had problems with yeast infections often at various times in my teens and 20s. I know that yeast loves sugar, so perhaps this is the reason? I know that for some reason or another, MG and diabetes seem to be partners in crime (prednisone or not).

Thanks for the advise...I do drink tons of water and will continue to do so! :)

Edit: Wanted to add that my wounds heal very slowly as well. I started to notice this in May or so. I thought that it was possibly from plasmaexchanges, but my hemoglobin was practically normal at that time. I know that diabetes causes slow-wound healing. The soles of my feet having been burning a lot too lately, and I found out that I have denervation in my arms. Not quite sure what the denervation is from. It's scary. Oddly, I'm actually hoping it's from neuropathy of some sort as that seems like the lesser of the evils when it comes to what causes denervation. :S

ttys!
Nicky

Yeast & MG
 

I did a simple search and found a connection between chronic yeast infections and immune disorders such as MG. I wish I had followed through with my doctors suggestion years ago and change my diet completely.

Here is an example of what I have found (so many web sites on this subject!):
http://www.womentowomen.com/digestio...h/candida.aspx

I am going to slowly change my diet to avoid some of these foods that feed the yeast, maybe it will help.

Is it possible that a chronic yeast infection can cause MG?

Same here - acne from prednisone?
 

I have the same itchy bumps all over my scalp and a really bad patch on the back of my neck on the right side.

I read the side affects of prednisone (60 mg/day) and yup, acne is there. This really looks and feels like acne to me (If I remember rightly from my teen years!). I go to my PCP next week, so I'll have him check it!

Good luck and let us know if you find anything that works on it!

Well, I think I may have found something that sorta works since they've kinda dried up a bit...

I just wanted to add a little something else...My hair is so dry! Omg, it's like I was electricuted! I know that prednisone causes this, so this is a bit of a conundrum in light of the scalp acne/pimples...

I decided not to wash my hair as often, at least with shampoo, to alleviate the dryness. So I'm only washing with Head and Shoulders twice to three times a week. I'm using a leave-in conditioner for the ends of my hair only, and add a touch to the roots on the days that I use shampoo, and massage my scalp gently. I decided to only brush my hair if it's adequately 'lubricated' (with either leave-in or regular conditioner). I'm noticing that my hair is falling out in almost-clumps (I think because of the dryness and maybe the pimples too). So it's sorta a balancing act. The scalp has to be clean to dry up the pimples and prevent infection which can result in increased dryness, but the rest of the hair needs to be moist to prevent breakage and falling out...It's possible, but a little time-consuming! lol