New glitch - any ideas what the heck this is?

[Donna]

Hi Amazing Group,

So, my radiologist wasn't happy with the appearance of my skin and gave me Trental. Couple days before that, I had a fever and felt like I was coming down with something.

Now the breast skin is covered with a red rash - little red dots all over - it's filled with fluid and hard as a rock and hurts - so does the arm area where the lymph nodes don't live anymore.

The Dr. was surprised (maybe even stumped) and gave me antibiotics just in case......

Any ideas what the heck this is? Trental shouldn't cause this - it looks and feels like the description of IBC...but that's impossible, isn't it? I finished rads in January.

Any ideas?

Thanks so much - Have a great day!

Donna

[Margerie]

Could it be shingles? Is it really painful?

[Hopeful]

Donna,

My best friend developed something similar to what you describe in her treated breast 4 years post-treatment. They did biopsies, and sent the specimen to a second lab for analysis. The conclusion was dermatitis; she may also have had some sort of staph infection (hence, the reason for antibiotics). She had the same fears that you do, and said it was really gross looking after a while, but it was not life threatening, and she was able to sucessfully treat it. I hope you have a similar result.

Hopeful

[Mary Anne in TX]

Hi!
Not sure of the description really, but does sound similiar to the shingles I had this past year. Hurt like the dickens!!!!! But any doctor should recognize shingles, I think. What is the pain like?
ma

[dhealey]

Donna, Sounds alot like shingles. It runs along the course of a nerve and is a red rash that looks like it has pus in it (like chicken pox) can be very painful. Any family practictioner would be able to recognize this. Takes several weeks to clear up.
Debbie, North Carolina

[Melinda]

Donna,
I too had/have a rash develope in the pit of my left arm and at the top of my left thigh. Originally I thought I was allergic to a skin moisturizer that I just started using since it started on my arm. Then I noticed the same type of bumps on the top of my thigh. Boy did they itch. I tried a couple of anti itch creams and topical oitments that did absolutely nothing. The itch continued. My thigh started to get warm and redish and a hard bump formed under the skin. Now I thought it was some type of spider or insect bite. With no other idea as to what was going on I went to see my primary Dr on Friday. She was quite concerned that it was an infection caused by staph or as she said she was treating it as if it was MRSA. She Adamant about me seeing a surgeon ASAP to have it lanced. She took a culture and I made the appt for the surgeon for Monday. I told her and she asked if there was anything earlier! I thought I was doing well to find one so quickly. She advised me to keep a check on my temp, and to make sure that the area of inflamation did not grow. ANd if so to get to the ER. She gave me a sript for Bactrum and told me to soak it frequently. TO make a this story shorter... I had it lanced... the surgeon said it was cellulitis, caused by a bacteria infection. I had no open woulnds previously so I have no idea how or where I got it. The Bactrum is working and I see after only two days after lancing a great improvement. FYI the lancing did not hurt at all, just some clear drainage. OF course after having completed all my treaments only 2 weeks prior one has a tendency to think the worse. Thank goodness it was not. I am on the mend. My arm is getting better as well as my thigh. I continue to soak it and take the BACtrum. My primary got the results from her culture and yes it is a staph infection. The surgeon concurs and is calling it cellulitis. The hardness was caused by an inflamation of the fatty tissue in my thigh. I told him if that was the case I have even more fat elsewhere. BUt that explains why the pit of my arm was not as bad.... very little fat there.
At any rate.... have it checked out, I hope its not shingles. My thigh hurt but nowhere near what I have heard shingle can be like.
You are in my thoughts
Keep the faith
Melinda

[Donna]

Hi Amazing Group,

Thanks for your replies. The type of pain is like my breast is bruised - and it appears the tissue is "full" - there are not blister like bumps, they are more like red dots and in some spots just big red blotches. Weird looking. There are no spots on my underarm, but it feels like the skin is stretched.

I am really, really hoping the antibiotics work and this passes more because it's really hot where I live and it's going to be in the 100's for the rest of the week, making this really not very much fun.

I will let you know how this plays out - thanks so much for thinking of me!

Have a great day!

Donna

[Sherryg683]

Sounds like shingles, I have been battling them for 6 months and they are awful. I did not get blisters either, just dots and patches. They hurt like crazy. When they first broke out, I did not know what the heck was happening, the area was hot and inflamed. Most of the time they disappear within 6 weeks but occaisionally (like me) the pain can last for up to a year. I have had 3 out breaks of the rash in 6 months. The rash disappears quickly but the pain lasts, it's getting better but still at times can be awful. It usually follows a single nerver patch and wraps around one side of your body. Mine was in 3 nerve paths. They are common in cancer patients due to our immune system being low. .sherryg683