Postpartum allergies: Anyone else dealing with this?

redbadger26 said:Lindy, this has nothing to do with an allergy. From what I can tell, it’s either a bacterial infection—though that seems less likely—or maybe herpes, or even shingles, depending on whether they already had chickenpox. What the OP is dealing with is something else entirely.
Hope your kid is doing okay!

Look, I never actually said it was an allergy...😁

He had some chickens... I mentioned before I couldn't remember their names...
He had chickenpox about four years ago.

It cleared right up, no scars at all, thank Bog... his skin is perfectly clear now...

As for the OP... who knows? There are hundreds of different skin conditions out there... I just posted her photo in case she recognizes it as something she's dealt with before...

But seriously, she needs to see a dermatologist. This isn't something to mess around with.

rapidrider3 said:I managed to grab a photo from my phone of what my little guy went through when he had that flare-up. It started out with just some spots, then turned into blisters, then scabs, and eventually just patches of dry, rough skin. It lasted a really long time...

This was when the blisters first broke out—definitely the worst phase. It looked absolutely revolting. It’s spread up toward my shoulder too, though that part is just dry, rough skin. There are a few other spots here and there, but nothing major.

I’m dropping a link here instead of uploading the photo directly because it’s pretty gross... consider this a fair warning if you have a weak stomach.

http://i29.tinypic.com/k3r58j.jpg

Poor guy, he must have been itching like crazy...

Thank God, my skin is finally starting to dry out. I’ve been applying some Eucerin cream, and so far, it seems to be working—the spots are actually beginning to fade. I’ll see how things look in a couple of days. If it doesn't settle down soon, I'm going to request a referral for some tests or just head straight to the dermatologist.

I dealt with an allergic reaction right after giving birth, though I actually noticed some mild symptoms about a month before my due date as well—it wasn't nearly as intense back then as it became postpartum.
Once the baby arrived, the reaction spread everywhere and it was just miserable; the itching was so relentless that I ended up scratching myself until I was bleeding.
My skin looked almost like a bad case of hives—very swollen and inflamed—but that only happened when the itching peaked. Once the itch subsided, the swelling would go down, leaving behind nothing but raw sores and scabs from all the scratching. It lasted for about a month, and honestly, nothing seemed to touch it, not even antihistamines or injections... Niko didn't have any idea what was causing it.
It turns out later on that my liver function was in a pretty catastrophic state, and doctors suggested that the rash was likely a symptom of that underlying issue.
In any case, everything just suddenly cleared up after that month passed.

restlesscobra22 said:It isn’t exactly a mild itch—it’s more like a relentless, maddening urge. I’m trying my absolute best to just leave it alone, really, but the second I actually start scratching... well, there’s no stopping. It becomes this unstoppable cycle. Why does that even happen?

Same here.
It was mostly concentrated on the right side and just underneath my breasts—it doesn't exactly itch, but once I actually start scratching, it becomes absolutely unbearable.
So, I headed over to my doctor’s office today, and get this—she flat-out refused to give me a referral. Just total nonsense. 🙄
So, I ended up pulling an all-nighter in the ER—yes, really—and they had to give me an injection just to get things back under control. It took me a little while to connect the dots, but I finally figured out what triggered the whole mess: almonds.
I’ve always loved them—they're easily one of my absolute favorite snacks—but... well, things took a turn. After that emergency room visit, I didn't touch any of them all day; I waited until the evening to try again, and after only about half an hour, everything just came right back up.
So, there's a chance it might be tied to some food you used to eat without any issues—you know, stuff that didn't cause a stir before. 🤷

😲

Nicole Rodriguez75 said:I had the exact same thing.
It was worst on my right side and just under my breasts; it didn't itch, but once I started scratching, it was unbearable.
I saw my doctor, but she wouldn't give me a referral for testing. 🙄
Anyway, I ended up spending a night in the ER and got an injection. I eventually realized it was caused by almonds.
I’ve always eaten them—they're one of my favorite snacks—but... after leaving the ER, I didn't eat any all day, only in the evening, and just thirty minutes later, everything flared up again.
So, it might be something you used to eat without issue. 🤷

I'm really hoping it's just food and not some skin condition, 😲but I noticed my skin was incredibly sensitive there yesterday. I wore a tighter bra, and it left these marks everywhere—like those tiny red dots you get when you suction blood on your arm.🙄
But it's fading now, and I'm definitely going back to get a referral for tests. I really need to know what this is. 🤷

Oh, absolutely! Especially those areas where you're wearing something tight—like a bra, for instance—it would be an absolute nightmare.
Just try asking your doctor for a referral; at least then you can finally get some peace of mind.

I had something pretty similar break out while I was on vacation by the coast last year. It wasn't perfectly symmetrical—more on the right side than the left—but the ER doctor told me it was likely just from handling raw meat and then touching my skin, especially since my immune system was a bit run down at the time. Anyway, after a few days of Sinopyen shots and a course of Benadryl, it cleared up and hasn't come back since.

Interesting... I stumbled upon this thread completely by accident...
Anyway, I dealt with the exact same allergy after giving birth. It lasted about two months, and the patches didn't fully clear up for six months. Of course, my primary care physician had absolutely no clue what was going on, and honestly, nobody did. I was extremely careful with my diet, and from then on, I was super picky about detergents and skincare too... eventually, it just cleared up on its own. I tried a few creams that were recommended to me, but since I was breastfeeding, I decided against them and stuck to Aveeno washes to soothe the itching. I'm not sure how much of a coincidence this is, but it occurred to me later: a home health nurse told me about a year later that she noticed most women who had received an epidural ended up dealing with allergies! 🤷
I really don't know what the cause is, so I'm curious—did any of you happen to have an epidural?
... I mean, I'm not sure there's actually a connection, but it's the only thing I can think of since I don't usually suffer from allergies at all.
Thanks

I’m not sure how much my experience matters here, but here goes—I deal with allergies. Before I got pregnant, pollen was a struggle and spring was always rough, but after having my baby last year, this past spring was easily the worst one yet. Even summer felt heavy. For the first time, I actually developed dermatitis under my eyes; I’ve never had skin reactions before. My mother also developed allergies right when she gave birth to me, though she didn't have them prior to that. Maybe it's just what happens to the body during pregnancy. I did have an epidural, but she didn't, so I wouldn't assume that was the deciding factor.

Just bumping this thread again... honestly, I’m one of those "lucky" ones who ended up with a nasty allergy right after giving birth. I’ve got this horrible hives situation going on, pretty much looks like that photo someone posted earlier. I took some meds for two days just to get it under control, but since I'm breastfeeding, I'd way rather try to fix this naturally if possible. It seems like most people just get over it on their own, right? But an allergy to what????????? This hit me 18 days postpartum, right after having a C-section with spinal anesthesia. Is there actually a connection between epidurals, spinal blocks, and allergies? Or am I just overthinking it? Then again, your body is so completely wrecked after childbirth that basically any weird reaction feels like it could be happening.

Hey,
Honestly, looking at those photos you posted... I saw myself immediately. Gross.
I went through the exact same thing! Only for me, it hit during my pregnancy and spread all over my stomach. It was an absolute nightmare—itched like crazy! I couldn't get a wink of sleep at night. I was literally crying from the discomfort.😢
Eventually, I finally bit the bullet and saw a dermatologist. They prescribed some pills and a liquid foundation/cream combo. I’d apply it at night, and by morning, everything had cleared up. Thank Bog. 🙂
My advice? Just go see a dermatologist.