Hi all,
This is my first post to the forum. I checked around a bit to see if anyone else had already posted a similar problem...sorry this is a long post. I think I may be reacting to nickel or other metals.
about 6 weeks ago... I broke out in red patches, very defined and mostly over my joints on both sides. A band of redness across my knuckles, thumb joints. Red circles on my wrist joints, elbows, knees, ankles and a sharp red line running from wrist to elbow. My face.. from my nose down to my chin and slightly across.. a big red circle. Both ears.. screaming red. My face was hot but not itchy, there were no welts or hives. I had no trouble breathing. Just stared in amazement and horror at my skin...
Fifteen minutes prior, I had cleaned my ear piercings with some hydrogen peroxide... my ears have been pierced for 30 years.. and I had to stop wearing earrings 20 years ago as they became intolerable to wear. The holes never closed over so I'm left periodically cleaning out some.. for lack of a better word... gunk that accumulates. I felt I reacted to the metal in the earring that I used.
Anyhow, last week.. similar reaction, not so severe after shaving. Shaving in the shower went fine.... about an hour later I noticed a few stray hairs in the armpit area. Took the now dry razor to my armpits. 15 minutes later my neck is itching like crazy... my face feels hot.. my hands have those red patches again. My neck had no red patches which is odd because that's where I was so itchy.
Saw the doctor today... he's thinking "hot flashes"... I've had those before and I'm not yet in menopause to my knowledge, I'm 43.. he's sending me for a FSH test. I didn't go as I was worried that the needle for the blood test may set me off. I'm going to see an allergist as well. The doctor drew his fingernail deeply into my upper arm 3 times.. there was no instant reaction, but in a few minutes there were 3 red lines.. not surprising to me as I know my skin is very sensitive.. he says.. you have "dermographism"... I have since Googled that and I don't think so....
If you have read this far I sincerely thank you! If you have any thoughts or ideas of what this could be.. please share, thanks so much.
-kaslo