Day 2, Tuesday 15 September 2015_erruption of an early rash

So after a surprisingly uneventful first day yesterday I didn’t sleep much that evening, probably due to the steroids and the ward environment was a bit noisy. I was woken up this morning at 06:00 to get my daily blood sample taken so that blood results would come back and dosing with the second Lemtrada infusion could be started earlier than we had the previous day. At 08:45 I had the pre dosing drug cocktail of paracetamol, chlorphenamine, acyclovir and cyclizine to ward off any infusion side effects. Started the 1g methylprednisolone (steroid) infusion after the doctor’s review and test results were confirmed to be ok at 10:45. Started getting a headache shortly into the steroid infusion at 11:00. Funny thing, when I started the Lemtrada infusion my headache stopped quite rapidly, which even more confirms in my mind that the steroid infusions were quite responsible for the headaches I was experiencing (although I didn’t always get headaches with steroids in the past).

By 14:30 I was in quite an irritable mood, the ward was busy and noisy with lots of visitors and nurses, so I escaped with my drip stand next door to the ‘visitor’s room’ where the room was peaceful (and empty)… what a relief. At 15:06 whilst ‘chilling out’ in the visitor’s room I noticed around 10 little red spots on my upper left arm (Lemtrada infusion arm), at 15:42 I took some chlorphenamine to try and bring down the red spots but by 16:20 I had even more spots which were now on my right arm too. Some of the spots became raised and like whelts on my skin, quite red and angry looking.

At 16:42 I was given IV hydrocortisone to try and control my rapidly expanding rash, it worked well and within 30 minutes it seemed that the red spots were reducing in size, intensity and number. 17:10 and the red itchy welts were now popping up over both of my legs and by 17:26both arms and both legs were quite covered with this spotty, slightly warm, itchy rash.

I didn’t feel unwell, but when I went to the toilet I noticed I was quite gassy (sorry for the unpleasant details) and ‘movements’ were a bit loose if you get my drift.

At 19:10I had more chlorphenamine and IV hydrocortisone after the on call doctor ws notified of my rash. The good thing was that despite the rapid spread and itchiness, my breathing was never effected, no tightness of chest, which was the most important thing (the rash was expected, although mine apparently came a day or 2 earlier than usual).

22:06 and most of my rash had gone down and resolved, I had a few spots on the back of my left arm still, but mostly finished for now!