Shantell PowellI've clued in that I'm experiencing another weird long COVID symptom. Since about February, I've had recurring itchy skin on the side of my left little finger. I had COVID in October. My finger gets so itchy that I've scratched the skin off before. It's often quite raw. Right now, it has a little blister from me scratching at it. I thought I was allergic to something at the gym and started wearing gloves. That helped for a bit, but it came back while I was traveling last month and it won't go away. It's driving me kinda bonkers. Not sure what I can put on it to make it stop itching. when I went to the doctor, he told me it was probably contact dermatitis, but why am I getting it in just that one small spot? At least it's not all over me. #LongCovid #LongCovid #ContactDermatitis #dermatitis #skin
I put hand lotion on but it doesn't seem to help. I tried polysporin and it seems to help a little bit.
I use a mouse with my right hand, so it couldn't be that. I'm left dominant, but I can't think of anything I do regularly which should affect just that one part of my finger.
Likely Jan LukasSome common skin disorders that can cause blisters or itching can ALSO have an autoimmune version.
I don't know where you are in the world but if you can manage it, it could be worth a trip to a dermatologist. (Perhaps rheumatology as well, but I have ironically and genuinely found them less useful in managing my autoimmune disorders than other overlapping specialities).
Sorry you are going through this--maddening (not to mention painful)!
@likelyjanlukas I'm in Canada. Guess it's worth another trip to the doctor. I do t hold out much hope for a referral to a dermatologist, though. I've been on a wait list for over a year to have a spot on my skin looked at, and that's with a history of basal cell carcinoma. I sure do hate the medical system now.
Oh, I hear you! It's awful out there, and I've already got decades of experience waiting months to see specialists.☹️
The good news? You're already in the queue to see a specialist. When you do see them, insist on them checking this other issue as you are having a lot of tissue damage from it and thus increased risk of skin infections, etc.
1/2
And as always, if the first one isn't competent (for either), request a new appt with a diff doc (even though it means a long wait).
Imo the wait to get a good doc is well worth staying with a crappy one who *still* won't take time to do proper assessments, and perhaps be likewise sloppy with diagnoses and treatments.
(Again, I've experienced this often enough to believe it is not uncommon.)
2/2
PS: And I'm not talking about how 'nice' the doc is or whatever, I'm talking about competence.
I'm currently dealing with a very tricky autoimmune problem that requires ongoing dermatology support.
First doc I saw was nice, but assumed my family doc didn't prescribe strong enough meds, wrote an Rx and waved farewell.
It was *exactly the same med and dose* my own doc had already tried and failed to solve the issue. 🙄
The wait for my current specialist was well worth it!
@likelyjanlukas I've only ever been to two dermatologists. The first one was really creepy. I'm sure he's a sadist. The bathroom at his office was blood splattered. And when he cut my skin cancer out of my leg (which was terribly painful), he slapped it down beside my face so I could see it and said, "See? That wasn't so bad." The other one was ok, but is in another city and I don't drive.
Jfc. Yeah, sadists are the worst. The first urologist I ever saw was one, and I didn't realise I could file a report on his behaviour.
Took me another 15 *years* to find one that could help me while also working around limitations imposed by yet another autoimmune disease rather than trying to handwave my concerns. 😡
I have survived into adulthood and onwards because I learned YOUNG to keep on top of this stuff. It's hard work sometimes. ☹️
Hopefully your current referral is to someone you can physically get to and also NOT a sadist.
*fingers crossed*
@likelyjanlukas I sure hope so!
Shae M Puckett@Shanmonster have you tried some OTC steroid ointment? Hydrocortisone. You can’t use it forever but if it lets the spot heal then you don’t have to.
@smp not yet. Guess I'll have to give it a shot. I used it for a bad folliculitis outbreak several years ago and it helped.