Rash Detective Help Please

[Mom2J112903]

So J has had a low grade temp (hovering between 100.0 and 100.3) for two weeks now. In those two weeks he has also developed a rash on his back, and only his back. There are times in the day where he has red splotches as well, these come and go without pattern. They are not raised either, like you would see a hive. His rash is very fine, yet noticeable, feels like very fine sand paper, and I guess you could say it looks like sand paper as well.

 

He also has a runny nose and a morning cough. I would be coughing up junk too however after laying flat for 10hrs. This is the *first* time a head cold has not traveled to his lungs and developed into bronchitis. We usually see a head cold turn into a chest cold and into bronchitis within 72hrs.

 

We really do not like taking J to the pedi since he almost *always* goes in for one thing and ends up contracting something else while in the waiting room.

 

J is on a med that can weaken his immune system and we will be calling the doc that prescribes this medication to see what his view is. I am wondering if his immune system is just at its limit :-(

 

Yes, it does itch, sometimes worse than other times. I finally gave in and dosed J up on Bendaryl, we shall see if I have a child literally bouncing off the walls here shortly or not. In the past Benadryl has caused this child to literally bounce off the walls from being so hyped up.

 

We have not changed anything in our home ie laundry detergents, soaps, etc.

 

I am just getting annoyed that whatever this junk is my son can not shake it.

[Perry]

His rash is very fine, yet noticeable, feels like very fine sand paper, and I guess you could say it looks like sand paper as well.

 

The classic illness that is associated with a sandpaper-y rash in kids is scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is strep throat with a rash. I'd take him in.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Since the fever has been going on so long, I would definitely take him in to see the doctor.

[FordFamily]

Strep that has developed into Scarlet Fever.

I would take him to the Dr. because Strep left untreated can

effect the heart. (rare!)

I hope that he feels better soon

[Mom2J112903]

I have had DH look in his throat, there are no white splotches.

 

When J would develop Strep Throat as a toddler, he would develop temps of 103+ and his whole throat would be covered in the lovely white splotches. He would also test for Group D Strep, a very un-common strain. No one ever said J was normal :tongue_smilie:

 

He is feeling pretty good, suprisngly. We have been doing our normal routine, and none of his friends are sick and neither are DH or I.

 

I will definatly call the pedi back and see what they say. Kinda hoping that one particular doc is their today since she knows J well (he went to School with her kiddos) so she can tell us *exactly* what to do.

 

I will definatly be looking more about Scarlett Fever and Strep Throat.

[Perry]

Does he, or did he, have a sore throat? You can have a pretty normal looking throat and still have strep pharyngitis. Usually scarlet fever is accompanied with a sore throat , but very rarely you can have the rash without the sore throat.

 

There are other things that can cause a scarletina rash, but they aren't as common, like Kawasaki disease.

[Mom2J112903]

No sore throat, unless you count coughing so hard in the morning.

 

The rash was/is never present anywhere else, just on his back. So no strawberry tounge or anything else that is a hallmark symptom with Scarlett Fever.

 

We are almost 100% positive we are dealing with a viral rash, since it is only on his back and his temp has not gone over 100.3 Yet UGH, when is he going to kick it?!

[H.S. Burrow]

No sore throat, unless you count coughing so hard in the morning.

 

The rash was/is never present anywhere else, just on his back. So no strawberry tounge or anything else that is a hallmark symptom with Scarlett Fever.

 

We are almost 100% positive we are dealing with a viral rash, since it is only on his back and his temp has not gone over 100.3 Yet UGH, when is he going to kick it?!

 

 

I think that I would take any child that has had an unexplained fever accompanied by an unexplained rash for 2 weeks to the doctor.

[Matryoshka]

No sore throat, unless you count coughing so hard in the morning.

 

My kids get strep with no sore throat. That's not uncommon, actually - other common symptoms of strep are headache and stomachache (not nausea/vomting, just tummy hurts). If we've been exposed, I just test now - and I test my whole family at once because DH can be a Typhoid Mary and have it with no symptoms at all (and he does test negative normally, so he's not a chronic carrier).

 

Strep can be very serious, and scarlet fever even more so. A throat culture is quick and easy.

 

As a teenager I had a friend get rheumatic fever from untreated strep (she also 'wasn't that sick' and didn't get tested), and she was bedridden for a year and has permanent heart damage - so I get really squirrely about strep.

[Mom2J112903]

J has a viral rash and his immune system is weakend from the rx med, so it is going to take him a little longer to "kick" it than any other "normal" child.

 

We are going to up his immune builders (vitamins and other supplements) and hope we can get his immune system back in balance.