My Experience with Pityriasis Rosea

So I haven't been around the blogging world in a while. My feelings regarding blogging are mixed, but something happened to me two weeks ago that I need to share with others. I had a virus called Pityriasis Rosea. If you are reading this, that likely means you have it to. I want to share what I did, how long it took to get better, and how I dealt with this nasty virus.

What is PR? -- It's a virus that produces a rash on your body for up to over a month! It is super itchy and looks disgusting. There is no treatment or cure for PR, so you have to just wait it out. Doctors don't know how it spreads - but it is viral. My doctor said I probably caught it orally. However, I will note that I live with my fiance and he did not catch it.

My Experience:
I woke up on a Friday morning and just felt itchy. (I'm going to call this "Day One"). I didn't have any bumps on my body, but my skin itched. I remember texting my fiance and asking him if he felt itchy too - we had gotten massages the night before so I assumed I was having an allergic reaction to the massage oil. He said he felt fine. I took a shower and didn't think anything of it.

Days 2-3: Same general itchy-ness. On day 3, I started to notice a rash. No bumps yet, just redness. One of the main treatment signs of PR is the "herald patch". I never had a herald patch, or if I did I did not notice it. There was one spot on my stomach that seemed to be bigger than all others and did appear on the first few days, but it wasn't like I had that spot 2 weeks before anything else like some other people.

Day 4 (Monday): I was getting itchier by the hour and there was definitely a rash. The bumps first came on my stomach and chest, but also started spreading on my lower back. I had a few on my upper arms and a few on my thighs.

Day 5 (Tuesday): I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with PR. He warned me that it would get worse before it got better. I worked out that night for the last time in a week. I was really itchy at my workout.

Day 6 (Wednesday): Spots got worse and the itchiness was unbearable! The rash started moving up to my neck, which was super unpleasant because I couldn't wear anything to cover it up. I started googling every single thing I could do for PR. I went to CVS and bought diaper rash cream (destin). I also read that UV rays help. I was reluctant to try tanning because I have very fair skin and know that I am more likely to get skin cancer than anyone else. I decided to try tanning while wearing sunscreen.

Day 7 (Thursday): I laid out by the pool (luckily I live in Southern California so I could do this even in Feb) for about an hour wearing SPF 30. After tanning, I would be Aloe Vera on the spots. The spots were still not getting better. I also started taking a daily oatmeal bath. I did more research about PR and went back to CVS to buy oatmeal lotion (CVS brand, knock-off of Aveno) and Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo. I also started to feel a lot more tired than usual.

Days 8-10 (Friday - Sunday): On Friday, I laid out by the pool again and applied Aloe Vera afterwards. I took an oatmeal bath in the morning and then washed my body with Selsun Blue. After the bath, I would douse my body with Oatmeal lotion. Before bed every night, I would apply Destin diaper rash cream on my spots. This was by far the WORST part of my experience with PR. I was SOOOOO itchy, especially on my neck. My neck during this entire time was by far the worst. I itched it, which made it even more red and raw. I felt constricted because I couldn't wear any of my clothes. I couldn't even wear a bra! I wore high-necked sweatshirts all day long but it was 80 degrees outside. I was frustrated I couldn't work out. I felt so hopeless because I had no idea how long it would last. I was depressed and tired all weekend. However, by Sunday night I did notice some of the spots were starting to dry out/flake off.

Day 11 (Monday): I woke up feeling good! My spots stopped itching as badly! My spirits were lifted.

Day 12 (Tuesday): I woke up and looked in the mirror and my spots were starting to fade! The bumps were still raised, but they looked less red. I wore normal clothes for the first time!

Day 13 (Wednesday): I went to Yoga! It was the first time working out in over a week and I needed it. I tried not to sweat, but that didn't work. However, even though I was sweating a lot, my skin was not itchy at all.

Day 14 (Thursday): The bumps were almost gone, but the spots were sometimes itchy (only a few and only a few times throughout the day). I could even wear a v-neck shirt to school.

Day (15 - Today, Friday): The bumps are gone!!! Now the spots are still light pink, but WAY less noticeable than before. They haven't been bothering me, except where the elastic of my yoga pants hit the bumps on my stomach. However, I went to my first spin class this morning and I was totally fine. I am still showering with Selsun Blue and using the Oatmeal lotion every day.

I can tell I am getting better and probably by the end of next week, the spots will be gone. I am not sure what made it go away, or if it was a combination of all the things I tried. Or I may just have a strong immune system that was able to get rid of the virus quickly.

Just a recap of what I did: Tanning 2x (with SPF 30); Selsun Blue as body wash daily; daily oatmeal baths; moisturize with oatmeal lotion 2x a day; stopped working out for 1 week; took a few more naps than normal; ate a pretty healthy diet (although I was still drinking the occasional glass of wine); applied Aloe Vera (refrigerated) after tanning or when a certain bump was itching more than normal; applied Destin diaper rash cream on my spots 2-3x a day, but especially before bed (when they were itching badly).

If you have PR, even if it feels like it will NEVER go away, just know that it will eventually!