Skin rash on arms related to hip? Allergy?

[Dessay]

Hi all!


I've had a red, pimply, mildly itchy rash on my forearms since late September. Nowhere else, just my forearms. Started at about 6 months post-op and persists.


I've been to a derm and tried everything- steroid creams, antifungals, Benadryl. It seems to ebb and flow of its own accord. No pain in the hip, no swelling, no warmth, no rashes there, either. My external rotators are still a little weak, but I think that's normal at 1 year.


I started walking consistently on my new hip around September 1st. Could this be an allergy to Cobalt or Chromium? Keith Brewster over at Yahoo Groups has a chelation program that he came up with himself. I wonder if I should have my blood levels tested- March 30th will be one year.


Anyone experience anything like this? I wonder, if it were metallosis, if the rash would have shown up on my hip, or leg or butt...? Weird.


Thanks!
Cara

[blinky]

That is weird.


Sure, ask if it is hip related. Ask Dr Gross' office if they have seen anything like that and get your blood tested. The blood test might be high since the hip is new, higher than it will be in a year. I think there is a running in period initially.


I will offer this as an alternative theory, though. I had a rash maybe four-five months post op. It came out in mid April, when we first had a hot, humid day and I was outside for a long time. The rash came out on my forearms or neck and came out when I got too hot. My first thought was hips, but then I remembered I had trouble with a heat rash when we first moved to south Texas, way before I had new hips. When I adapted to the climate I stopped getting the rash. I stopped getting the post op rash after the first few hot days and it hasn't come back. So I ask now to think back if you have ever had a rash like this before. If no, think if you are doing something or are exposed to something in the environment that might cause the rash (heat? pollen? friction? new detergent? doing planks on the gym floor?). Can you prevent it if you wear long sleeves? If you keep yourself cool? Does Benedryl help at all? Once my rash left, my theory was 1) I had lost my heat adaptation from being so indoors and sedentary with OA and 2) my body was stressed by the surgery and the rash when I got too hot was a manifestation of that. Just a thought.


You have probably done this with your derm, but I'd brainstorm about other sources of the rash. Do you have any autoimmune disorders? Hormonal changes? Thyroid issues? Didn't you move less than a year ago? Could there be something new and triggering about where you live now?


Good luck. I hope this is self limiting.

[Dessay]

Hi Blinky- hope you're well.

Met with my derm again yesterday- he put me on a stronger steroid ointment for about 3 weeks. He did say that it could be related to the hip- most metal allergy skin reactions look like eczema, which is what I've got.


As far as other health issues, I'm working with a functional medicine practitioner and she tested me for everything under the sun. My diet is super clean, and we've detected and are treating hormone imbalances and gut health. If it were any of those things, the rash would've improved by now.


I dunno. I've got a bad feeling. I've read here that Dr. Gross is pretty dismissive when it comes to this, so I may just get the LTT testing done up here in Chicago and not even ask his office. I'm sure my angles are great, and I don't have pain or problems in the hip itself. But if this is the beginning of something ominous, revision surgery is in the near future.


Crap. Seriously. This is a real drag. I did a ton of research before I pulled the trigger on HR, and I knew this was a possibility. But the point was to put off THR until I'm around 60, and it's looking like that may not be an option.

[blinky]

Yeah, I don't know what Dr Gross will say. I'd still contact him and offer this scenario. Press for them to offer another explanation.


Could you revise to a non metal HR? With Pritchett?

[catfriend]

This is a weird one, so I don't know what to say. I'm really hoping it turns out to be some environmental cause/allergy, and not the HR device.

You had such a difficult and slow recovery I would hate for you to have to go through it all again so soon.

Let us know what the tests reveal.