[stolt]

Hi everyone, really looking for some advice. We are worried about our 2yr old daughter keira, she has beendiagnoise with juvenile arthritis about a year and half ago, she has 15 joints infected and has been to great ormand street and had those injected with steroids and is now on a methotrexate and upto about 3 weeks ago was great and was making great leaps forward. All of sudden she was scratching at her hands(palms) and the soles of her feet, red raw and the side of the hand has gone flaky and slighty cracked. She was admitted to hospital on friday and had some steriods via a drip and she has to go back on tuesday for another dose.

The doctors don't know exactly what it s but mentioned stills disease and also lupus. Tonight has to hae been the worse, she cried solid fr 30 mins because her feet are itching badly, she will sit on my lap and want me to scratch her soles! We dont know what to do for the best.

I'm reading about lupus andi'm starting to think this is what she has, she has a red rash aswell ad her hands and feet are hot to touch.

Anything people can suggest would be great. She is booked in for her arthritis at great ormand street on friday (which i can't wait to come)

Ive put some pics below, i wonder if someone an confirm or deny that it looks like lupus

thanks

 

[goats]

Hello, I am sorry I can't answer your questions.
I just wanted to say that when I get a horrible itch I find putting a cool cloth on the affected area really helps. the other things that help are for adults, would something that is used for chicken pox work ? my grandchildren were put into a bath of oatmeal, and an anti itch product put on after whenever they get rashes. my six year old grandson is allergy to a lot of things so he wasn't able to use those products, but they used a paste of baking soda and cool water and that helped take the sting out of rashes
that is about all I can think of

I hope things improve soon and you find your answers for the little one.

 

[onetay]

stolt,
I am sorry that you are having so many problems with your young one. Some questions come to mind about the test they have or have not done like, ana test? I have to say I have not looked at the pictures, because it would not matter what I think as it is a doctor that has to make the dx. There are many reasons why someone would have the reactions you have discribed and one would be that she is having a reaction, have they even thought of that one? My daughter had reactions to diapers, laundry soaps, and even some baby soaps. Little ones can be so easily irritated by so many different things. I only say this because though she may have lupus, they have not ruled out other possible easy problems. I hope that it is not lupus as it is a tough thing to handle at any age. I hope she starts feeling better soon and that you also start feeling better. Good Luck and we are here if the tests show lupus for your little one.

 

[greenhaggis]

Welcome to the site!

I am so sorry to hear about Keira, she's already been through a lot since birth!

Lets just all hope she will not have Lupus or even Stills Disease.

I'm not sure there is anyone but an expert that can give you any confirmation of why the rash has appeared.

Just a thought though....has 'Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease' been investigated. The rash appears like your daughters and I have heard from some Mum's that the skin has also blistered/cracked/peeled. Rash can appear in just one of those areas, 2 or all three! The spots/rash appears inside the mouth! Not diagnosing anything at all with your daughter, this was just an idea that should be investigated.

Hope things go well at the hospital on Friday!

 

[stolt]

thanks for al the replies. The doctors did a ANA test on friday which i'm assuming they will tell us about on tuesday when she has more steriods.

The thing is she has been fine apart from the arthritis and now this, so i'm not sure if we are doing something different and thats causing it, i wouldnt say she has been under anymore stresss than usual . One area is the mouth which we havent checked thoroughly so will do that and see if thats a area where she is affected too.

 

[KarolH]

I am so sorry your daughter is dealing with illness at such a young age and has been dealing with it for some time now. It is equally hard on you and your husband too.

I was wondering the same thing as Greenhaggis, hand, mouth, foot disease. Has she been tested for this? Certainly keep us posted about the results of her ANA test results.

I do hope you get some answers soon.

 

[pollianna]

Hi Stolz, am sorry your little one is going through this and you too. I haven't any advice except to say that if they are talking about other illnesses at this stage then you can rest assured she's in good hands. They sound as though they are doing a great thorough job of checking what's going on with her.

Hope you feel better soon, don't forget to rest when she sleeps, warm regards Pauline

 

[BigSis]

H Stolt,
You have my sympathies.........there is nothing more worrying and exhausting than a sick child.

She will be in good hands with GOS Hospital
Remember that she will be more prone to viruses like the foot and mouth since she is immunosuppressed by methotrexate so the symptoms may not be all connected to just one condition.
Very best of luck

 

[Maia]

I can't answer your question but can offer that with kids, sometimes simple viruses can cause these things. We had 5th's disease last year in our household (my daughter and me!) and I had the red hands and feet that itched insanely and my skin peeled off my fingers too. Lupus rashes tend to not appear on all four extremeties at the same time from what I've read though...

My daughter is 4 and she has had 2 or 3 viral infections that resulted in various types of rashes on her body, one similar in overall appearance to your daughters. The doctors never identified for sure what caused it, but assured me it was just a viral induced rash and in her case she did get over it before too long each time. Hope it's the same for your little girl.

PS There are some good links in the Pediatric Sticky section which goes over lupus in kids and how it's diagnosed.

 

[stolt]

hi, many thanks for the replies. So much to take in and try to work out. We are back at Southend hospital tomorrow which i'm assuming they wll give her more steriods via drip.

She has her great ormand street appointment on friday so lots of hospitals over he next couple of days

This is our own opinion but we have looked and she has no mouth ulcers or white spots in her mouth at all and the mouth, han & foot disease looks unlikely aswell. Again its only our opinion but it doesnt look the same. I tried putting some filled hot water bottles in the freezer and let her put her feet on them but tonight when i got in fro work she still wanted me to scratch her soles.

Thanks ever so much to everyone that has offered suggestions.

 

[angieD]

Hello,
I'm also with Greenhaggis, I thought it looked like hand , foot & mouth.
Hope the docs sort it out for you soon.
Love Angied

 

[stolt]

hi just got back from the hospital earlier on and my wif has just got her off to sleep. The good news is that its not Lupus and probably not stills, They are still looking into the hand, foot and mouth but its probably some skin condition the blood result show inflamation but that could be the skin condition rather that a big flare up of her arthritis. So even though we dont knwo what it is its a step forward in on way because we have eliminated some biggy's

 

[pollianna]

Great news, hope she's feeling better soon. Don't forget to look afrter yourself in the meantime :hug:

 

[greenhaggis]

Glad things wernt' as bad as you thought! Our bloods can show up whether certain childhood viruses have occured to get a diagnoses (perhaps not all of them but many). Whilst pregnant my bloods were checked for slapped cheek 5th disease), measles, german measles, chicken pox etc.

Hope your daughters arthritis gets more controllable again too!

 

[stolt]

thankyou for the well wishes, I hope its just a simple skin problem that she has now. Doctors didnt seem to fazed yesterday. Although sleeping is a real problem, well shes tired its just going off to sleep because she scratches like mad and makes herself cry and bleed.

 

[Queenlawson]

Praying for your strength, your daughter's health and the doctor's wisdom.

 

[stolt]

Thanks for all the well wishes, we see prof harper at GOSH and he was annoyed that she had been given steriods because now he can't do a skin biopsy, the red rash has gone now but hour hands and feet are still itching like mad and regularly gets me and her mum to scratch them for her. She was running around yesterday which is good to see. But no firm answers from prof harper but he did say if it comes back he will see us and find out what's wrong. Can't praise the doctors and staff and GOSH enough.