Thanks for the in-depth understanding of what is going on. I posted on this Community because I though it might be a delayed (or delayed detection) of a rash from my now 3 month experience on a CCB... which does cause me some minor ankle swelling. Nice we have such broad expertise on our group of regulars... thanks again.
I don't have a problem with "BO"... my wife would tell me if I did, so I rarely use deodorant. I carry some along when on business trips (still have some on occasion) as at a "pressure" conference meeting one needs all the help they can get :)
My wife wondered if an antiperspirant would help keep me dry... suppose so, but not now while using the medication. My history is no past problems, maybe my aging skin just can't take it any more, that is the HHH weather here in NJ and me still trying to run a small vegetable garden and a large grass, tree, and shrub area. I suppose we'll move to a condominium or other reduced overhead living arrangement in the next few years, but I'd like to wait for the economy to improve some before trying to sell our property.
kewl, sounds good on the med.
Air out those pits Jerry!!!
:-)
If you use a contact deodorant, might want to throw it away. When I had Pityriasis Rosea I threw away my deodorant and didn't use any until it cleared up. When it cleared up I started a brand new one. As long as I showered every day I didn't stink up the place :-)
OK then, the Clotrimazole is great for fungal infections. I'm thinking the "Beta" is maybe betamethasone. Hmm, that's a steroid. Wonder why they didn't just go with the basic antifungal med. Maybe because you have some inflammation. I haven't seen your armpit. LOL
Perhaps you could wear tank tops to keep the pit aired out. Easier than doing the chicken dance all the time. Take care.
Thanks, I mention cortisone from memory... could be a mistake, I didn't write anything down as she sent a prescription to my local pharmacy. This got me a tube of
Clotrimazole/Beta DIP CR. I have not idea what any of those words mean.
Fortunately, the one spot I found seems to be the only one I have. The rest of the therapy is to keep it dry and try to expose it to open air as much as possible. Exposing an arm pit isn't exactly polite, but I can do it at home I suppose.
Fungal infections are stubborn. But I thought steroidal medications were contra-indicated in fungal infections. At least I avoid them at work when dealing with fungus. I know my steroid inhaler tends to open the door for fungus like candidiasis. Anyway, just take care and let's hope it clears up soon.
One of my kids had pityriasis rosea as a child. He had the "mother patch" show up on his back. Looked like ringworm. Then a bunch of smaller red patches showed up. I freaked thinking he was going to be one big blob of ring worm. That's just the way it works out: one big patch, a bunch of tiny spots afterwards. Yuck.
I just got back from an visit with my primary care nurse practitioner who diagnosed my red spot as a fungus infection. She said to try to keep it dry, hard in the NJ summer weather, and prescribed a cortisone ointment. She said it should be gone in a few days.
I am seeing "second-tier" medical personnel more and more and expect that to get more prevalent in the future as the US health care system continues to evolve from what I consider the best to something else. I don't say this to say I disrespect the second tier and I consider the diagnosis today entirely satisfactory - time will prove it one way or the other. Doctors don't get it right 100% of the time anyway.
I'll call my primary care to have him take a look. I bet I can get in there the quickest, save the emergency room - which this doesn't seem to be. It also appears it is not a reaction to my new medication.
I had a Lyme disease immunization about 5+ years ago. I think that program was discontinued due to poor results, the stuff didn't work. As mention, my wife was diagnosed with Lyme and she too had one of the immunization shots... we may have had two shots in a series.
Could be ring worm (which is a fungal infection just under the skin).
I once had something called Pityriasis Rosea, which was a red oval with a raised border. Not much I could do for this except wait it out. It was under my left arm pit. I had it looked at by a friend of mine who is a top dermatologist in the philly area.
I don't think the cardiologist would help, but hey give them a call. Should be something they can address over the phone.
The way I would go about it is to get an appointment with my GP. Get in quickly. Either they will know what it is or refer you to a dermatologist. I was lucky to have a friend who is a derm, and I just went to his office after he was done for the day. Getting in to see a derm can take weeks sometimes.
Always take these rash thing seriously, ya never know what could be up. The earlier you treat the better.
I googled Lyme disease and there are stages. Not everyone feels flu like symptoms in the first stage. The spot you have is perfectly described in the description: right size and type. The article said a dose of antibiotics in the early stage can be a big help. In any case, if you suspect a tick bite, you have to watch for problems for 30 days. I still think it might help to see a doctor in case he decides to put you on meds to prevent further problems.
Thanks. I live on a large piece of property and mow (less during the current drought) about 3 acres of grass, about half of it "natural" field grass. Then too we walk a couple of dogs around the property too. A tick bite is a real possibility.
I do not have any other symptoms, no fever that I am aware of and no other spots that I have noticed. The under the arm spot seems a little less bright in color this morning and is not tender, as it was.
I am taking a wait-and-see stance ... and will call my doctor before the close of business today if I don't see further improvement.
My wife was treated for Lyme disease a year or so back.. She had a lot of back body pain, but she was also diagnosed with a failing hip joint. I understand the tests for Lyme disease are not 100% accurate.
I agree, allergic reactions are usually more than 1 spot. If there is any chance it could be a tick bite...get to the doctor. I had Lymes Disease and it was no fun. And ticks love places like under your arm.
Do you have a fever at all? Have you been out hiking or walking in the woods where you might have picked up a tick bite? I agree that you should have a doctor look at it, especially if you think it's been there a few days. I'm not sure it's the CCB. Typical allergic reactions involve more than one red spot. But I'm sure a cardio has enough general knowledge to figure this out.
Fungal, like Irene said, shouldn't be treated with cortisone. It will mask it, and it might look better for a time, but it could worsen it in the long run. She said not to use it for longer than 7 days, as it could mask a fungal problem and atrophy your skin, make it thin out.
The Cortisone will work if it's contact dermatitis or eczema but could return if the underlying condition remains.
If it is fungal, like irene said, they can be tough to get rid of. It may require an oral anti-fungal if it comes to this.
Wifey said you should still try to get into a dermatologist. If it clears up while you're waiting for the appointment you can cancel it. If it holds on while waiting at least you'll get in to see a skin specialist.