Hey guys! Haven't been around a lot lately.
I had an experience, that I thought I would share, just in case it ever happens to you, and what you can do, and look for the signs.
I woke up Monday with a sore throat, and typical Flu-ish symptoms. I was a little light headed, I was coughing, and I had
a bit of a sore throat. I didn't think much of this because my wife has been sick for a week, and I figured that she gave me
what ever she had.
Now for those of you who don't know me, I have an immune system like a brick wall. When others are sick for a week, I am
sick for one day or not at all.
The next morning I woke up feeling much better, fine even. When I went to take a shower, I noticed crease marks from my
sheets (I assume) and kind of a red rash on my left hip. Figured I just slept weird and my skin got irritated. This turned out
to be what is normally known as a herald spot.
After an hour or two of tootling around the house I felt some itching higher up on my side. I noticed that I was having an
allergic reaction to something, but I figured it was because of some new laundry detergent we had. I took a second shower
changed my clothing, and changed our sheets.
By 5pm I was covered in hives, that were raised and were itching (Not scratch your skin off itchy, but definitely irritating.
They went from my knees to my neck, and began appearing all over my face.
Getting a little nervous, I decided to call my Mother in Law who is a head RN. She recommended just taking some Benadryl
and asked if my tongue and throat was itchy or scratchy. I stated that it wasn't, and she said I would probably be fine.
Within an hour the hives were gone, and I was feeling fine.
Laura got home from her shift, and I showed her pictures of my hives from earlier. Within two hours I felt itching on my
thighs. Then my chest. I went into the bathroom and lifted my shirt, and noticed new hives. Within three minutes I was
covered again with new hives around my neck, chest, thighs, and abdomen. We called my mother in law again, and she
suggested just to take Benadryl again, as whatever it was (Inhaled, or ingested) probably hadn't left my system yet.
After an hour I was fine again.
Laura and I watched a movie and I fell asleep on one couch, while she fell asleep on another.
At 2:30am I woke up. I was burning up and and felt swollen. I went to look at myself in the mirror and found my body
(from kneecap to upper neck) covered in Hives which had formed into solid areas of swelling known as "plaques" There
was maybe two areas on my chest that looked normal, but ever other area of my body was swollen itchy, stinging, warm,
and raised by a quarter of an inch. I've never seen anything like it before. My skin was tight, and slowly over time my
throat began to close up.
I was going into full Anaphylactic shock.
Thinking in this last few minutes, thoughts came of dying, leaving Laura with my mess of a corpse, or how I currently don't
have any health insurance that could cover an ambulance, let alone a visit to the emergency room, I woke up Laura and
had her call her mother. Her mother said to double the dose of the Benadryl and try to calm down to decrease the
adrenaline running through my system. We printed out directions to St. Vincent's Hospital, and waited to see if i would
get worse.
I have sliced open major arteries, fallen off of roofs, almost drown twice, broke my femur in three plsces and had to have
120lbs of traction to pull it in place, and had a car jack fail on me, and I have never been as scared as I was while this was
happening.
After 2 1/2 hours my swelling reduced and I stopped feeling like I had been stung by a thousand bees. I began taking
25mg of Benadryl every 2 1/2 hours when symptoms would return.
Now I am doing much better.
Come to find out I have Pityriasis Rosea, which literally comes out of nowhere. It affects people between the ages of
15 to 35 on average and is normally comes after having Flu or Cold like symptoms for at least 24 hours. They believe it is
viral, though not contagious. It creates hives in full plaques, and last anywhere from 3 days to 12 weeks. People rarely
get it more than once. It literally comes of of nowhere, and many allergists and dermatologists are not aware of it.
People are normally prescribed a Cortisone shot in severe cases, and the Atarax, or high strength Benadryl as histamine
blockers (Antihistamine).
I have continued my regiment of 25 mg of Benadryl every two hours for the last 26 hours. My hives are completely gone
but I need to watch things. I'm loopy as a space cadet from the Benadryl, but that will pass soon.
This strikes young people out of nowhere, and after it has run it's course
it rarely ever returns again. I figured I could let some people know of my experience if they ever find them self in the
same position, because it scare the **** out of me, and honestly while I am a pretty rational person, I truly thought I
was going to die.
Here is a link to describe a bit about Pityriasis rosea
PubMed Health - Pityriasis rosea
This is after the second attack. around 10pm:
While I did not get pictures at the time...because I was too afraid I was going to kick the bucket, this is what my "Plaques"
looked like. Though mine were even worse then this:
[IMG]http//img203.imageshack.us/img203/97/hives1.jpg[/IMG]
I post this because it scared the s
hit out of me, and my mother in law possibly saved my life, and saved me thousands in medical bills. ( I'll never live this one down).