Help! This itch is ruining my cruise!

[Regal Eagle]

Greetings from the Crown Princess! We are having a great cruise, but my wife has an itchy rash that will not go away and seems to be spreading. Here's what she says about it since she cannot remember her CC password: "It started before the cruise and it was on my inside ankle. Since I've been on board, it has spread to my other leg on the inside knee. I went to the ship's doctor and she gave me Prednisolone, Chlorpheniramine, and Desloratidine. I have the anti-itch creams like cortizone already that I took along. I also take some blood pressure medicines but my dosages have not changed lately. It is a bumpy rash, very bright red and itches like mosquito bites. Can anyone help or tell me other info to give to the ship's doctor? Thanks."

[Toto2Kansas]

Has she been in the hot tubs or the ships pool? I know you say it began before she boarded, but this could irritate what was already there, and possibly spread it to other passengers!

 

Lots of anti itch meds that might help, but I am sure they are not available in the shops. Sure hope she feels better real soon.

[LARGIN]

No disrespect but why do you think we are smarter than the ship's doctor? It could anything from an heat rash to an allergic reaction to food, soap, etc. Presnisolone is a steroid, the other 2 are antihistamines..

[Ula]

Wow, I bet your wife is miserable. What I take for rash is Benedryl. Do not know if that can be taken with BP medicine.

[bubbadog]

did you change laundry detergents lately?,i know some powdered detergents will give you a rash if to much is used on laundry,but it could be a ton of different things,just try all the antibiotics:)):p ;)

[morriscats]

I just battled an unknown rash and it got really bothersome. I got some Benedryl anti-itch cream and took 1 tab of 50mg Benedryl at night (makes you sleepy) and it is better.

[Fuzzzy]

No disrespect but why do you think we are smarter than the ship's doctor? It could anything from an heat rash to an allergic reaction to food, soap, etc. Presnisolone is a steroid, the other 2 are antihistamines..

I agree and the antihistamines should help with the itching.

[Fuzzzy]

Has she been in the hot tubs or the ships pool? I know you say it began before she boarded, but this could irritate what was already there, and possibly spread it to other passengers!

 

I agree, I was in Mexico once and my legs were bitten by very small fleas. While a warm bath made them feel better for a while, my doctor told me that the warmth was actually irritating the situation.

[Ula]

I do have to say since reading this thread the song it's going to take an ocean of calamine lotion has been running through my head.

[agabbymama]

Is your wife susceptible to heat or sun? Sounds like heat rash or sun poisoning. Happended to me the 4 weeks in Italy. I tried everything the local pharmacies could give me. Soaking in cold water actually offered the most relief, until we hit Germany where it was cooler and raining, the rash went away all by itself. When I returned home and discussed with my doctor, he advised me to be careful of hot, sunny places, as it could return.

[2theship]

I really hate to play amateur doctor but I had something similar a couple of years ago and it wouldn't go away with antihistamine or hydrocortisone. After we got home I went to the family doctor who diagnosed it as a fungus. Don't ask me why - it looked like any other rash to me. But he prescribed an antifungal cream along with a pill and it cleared up in nothing flat. Hope she feels better soon.

[Clutterlady]

If she had it before the cruise, sounds like poison ivy to me:eek:

[cusyl]

Check for bed bugs, maybe you had them at home and brought them with you. :eek:

You might check webmd for more information. The link is posted here:

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/skin-problems-treatments-symptoms-types

[Pam in CA]

I would suggest she call her own doctor who has her medical history and knows of any allergies or medications she's taking. A rash that's not responding to topical ointments or antihistamines could be a whole range of things, including some serious issues. There are some good suggestions here but your own doctor is your best source. If it's spreading and not going away, I'd go back to the ship's doctor or call my own doctor. Rashes and itching are not always something minor.

[Regal Eagle]

Thanks to all for your suggestions. We are thinking it may be sun poisoning. We will find out as we intend to go back out in the hot San Juan weather to visit El Morro.

[jerseycruzers]

On a different board i had read about quite a few people having similar symptoms in Disney. Some people thought it might be a reaction to heat and sun bouncing off the concrete. i don't know if this is posibly what your wife may be experiencing. The suggestions i read were to keep the area dry and limit the exposure (wear light cotton pants instead of shorts). i hope she feels better.

[mary.scott]

Has your wife been eating lots of crab and shrimp.....that can create rashes.....been there and done that!! Benadryl does the trick for me. Hope she feels better soon!

 

Regards!

[muffydawg]

The ships doctor and your wifes doctor will know best.....as I've aged (shucks) I've learned that over exposure to the sun in combination with no sunscreen gives me a rash! It manifests as little red bumps, gets worse at night and after hot showers and tends to occur on my arms and upper legs so I pack cortisone cream and sunscreen.

[Missybud]

I had a rash on one of my cruises and the ship's Doc prescribed the same Rx. It takes about 5 days for the rash to start reversing after starting the prednisone, awhile longer before it was gone. Just another "mystery rash".

[Boo2]

I had exactly the same thing on my cruise on the Crown Princess just last week! It started after my first day in the sun and got red and itchy after each sun exposure but better in the evenings and on cooler days. I believe it was sun poisoning. It was completely gone two days after our return home.

[azsunshine]

I will throw in my comments, though I have no idea what may be causing the rash for her. Did she by chance wear a new pair of dark colored pants? Black, Navy, something like that before the cruise? I discovered after 3 Internist and a Dermatologist and about 6 months of non stop hell, that I was allergic to the dyes in the new dark fabrics. Particularly those from countries other than America. I had little tiny bumps that grew to a huge patch, even though I had washed and was not wearing the pants or shirts. The only thing that helped me was Clobetasol Propionate cream or ointment applied several times a day. I know how uncomfortable a few little bumps can be, and then a lot of bumps. I hope she feels better very quickly.

[Regal Eagle]

A rash update (grin)... my wife slept better last night. She did see the ship's doctor again last night after our return from El Morro. She gave her some calamine lotion and said there was nothing else that she could do. The rash looks worse than yesterday, but feels better. Thanks again to everyone for your suggestions!

[DanBoy]

had the same thing.. not on a ship though...Prednisone for a week cleared most of it up, but it actually took about 3 weeks after that to absolutely disappear...What I mean is it left a slight almost imperceptable pink where the rashes were,,, very gradually that cleard up to...used a lot of gold bond, Aveno and now that I changed my liquid soap to a non allergenic my overall skin is tons better...lots less blotches

[ilovetocruisetoo]

Have your wife try Monistat or something similar to that on her rash. Trust me, it will work wonders. Any kind, even the generic brand of vaginal yeast medication will work.

 

Did you happen to stay somewhere before the cruise? If so, I would suggest she got either bed bugs or sand flea bites. Sand fleas usually are always around the feet and ankles.

 

But trust me, the Monistat WILL work.

[azsunshine]

Yes that will work if it is fungal. So will lotrimin. (or any atheletes foot medicine. )