Itchy Rash all over hands, neck, chest, shoulders and face along hairline

So, if you look through older posts, you will know I was dealing with a mysterious rash this winter.  It started around January 1, and has come back after treatments. 
My GP gave me Medrol in January, and when it came back Jan 30 (about 3 days after the Medrol pack was finished), I went to a dermatologist who prescribed me a prednisone regimen.  This helped greatly, and we were able to go on our trip to Vegas, as the rash stopped itching, cleared up, and I felt great. 
A week after the prednisone was finished, I started to itch again.  The rash came back and this time spread to my shoulders and arms.  It was a bunch of tiny raised red bumps.  My derm decided to refer me to an allergist.  In the meantime, I was given some 2.5% hydrocortisone cream.  Don't use this on your face, as I found out... it clears the rash, but then you have a feeling of sunburn on your face.  In retrospect, I should have known better, my skin is pretty sensitive anyway.
Here we are, into April, and I am still dealing with this rash.  I had my first allergy test (the prick kind, on your back) last week, and this week I will have another test.  Wow, its uncomfortable, I'm not going to lie.  Didn't like it one bit.  They poked my back with 40 pricks, each with a different known allergen.  Then, she said I didn't react to some of the most common ones, so she injected my arm with 13 additional -- to recheck!  Not fun, and very uncomfortable.
Two weeks ago, I decided to stop taking my last medication, which was a hormone pill (its just birth control) Amethia.  Amethia is a generic for Seasonique.   Guess what?  A week after stopping that pill, I began to notice less itching.  Was it from the removal of the pill or was it from the massive amount of maintenance on the cortisone cream and other skin creams I have been slathering myself in?
Now, today, I started itching a bit more again.  I'm wondering if this itching is because my skin is dry or if the itch and rash weren't from an ingredient in the pill but still from something else?  I'm wondering if it could be a simple ingredient or something in a hair shampoo.  I was on baby shampoo, and the allergist suggested Neutrogenia shampoo.  I bought both the once a week shampoo and the TGel therapeutic shampoo, which mentioned dermatitis and eczema on the label.  It stinks so I don't use it often.  I will be using it tomorrow, though...just in case the other shampoo is the cause. 

Update on Mysterious Itchy Rash

I'm almost 1 week in my prednisone script trying to get rid of the itchy rash (again).  So far, knock on wood, the redness is fading, the itchiness stopped (the first day) and rash is gone.  My neck, face and upper chest is still a bit red toned, and my boobies have little pimples on them, but I think that might be from all the moisturizer and goop I've been slathering myself in.  *please no weirdos here*


Prednisone, like most steroids I have been prescribed, really affect my digestive system.  Its been a lot of bloating and comfortableness.    I have been trying to ease the issue with prunes, low sodium V8, oranges, and lots of water, along with frosted mini wheats for breakfast.  Neil bought me some natural ginger ale..but trying to stay away from breads has been hard.  Gosh, I love bread.  I love baking, and during a snow storm, what is a girl to do? 


I hope everyone is enjoying the Super Bowl (those who watch it or the commercials!).  I'm not interested, so I'm going to read or do something else.  I'm not in the mood to knit or ramble any further, which is good for you!


Have a great night,
lisa

Update on life after chemo and maintenance: Itchy Rash!

Yep, chemo is done, maintenance therapy is done and I was feeling on top of the world.  Until 2 weeks ago:


I've been working hard, trying to lose weight (oh my gosh its so hard!), and now I have the worst dry skin ever.  Its funny, because I thought I had dry skin when I was on the ATRA or Tretinoid pills, but this is worse.  My face is so dry, I peel and flake all day.  It itches.  Its annoying.  Moisturize, Moisturize, and Sarna!  Plus, now my neck itches and has red marks on it.  I think I gave myself a rash.  The Sarna is starting to work a bit.  I've been dousing myself in Clinique moisturizers (two different ones) trying to soften and heal my skin. 


Well, I go to my primary tomorrow, hoping he will have an answer.  Part of me thinks its from my Zyrtec.  My skin and throat were very dry about two weeks ago, and I stopped taking my Zyrtec.  I thought I was overdoing it and maybe it was time to stop.  It has been almost 2 years of taking it off and on, and this last time I was on it over 2 months, every night I took one.  Zyrtec is an antihistamine, and it worked very well.  I took it at the advice of my oncologist when my nose wouldn't stop running after I came home from my induction chemotherapy (first round, the worst).  Zyrtec does make me sleepy, but you only take one a day, so I would take mine before bed.  Put me out like magic.  The only problem I thought was when I would stop taking it, I would wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling back asleep.  Of course, I still take naps during the day and sleep about 10 hours each night (8pm-6 am, roughly).


After the neck started itching a lot, I googled "Zyrtec and Itchy face neck" and saw a lot of sites where they talked about this happening to people and it taking sometimes over 30 days for the itching to subside.  Yikes!  I don't know if this is the case for me, though.


In the meantime, I've washed all my bedding and coat/hat/scarf in that fabulous Dreft (hypo-allergenic) for babies.  Now, I smell like my nieces, Sara and Izzy.  They always smell so good, lol, ha!  I know your secret!! 


I've also been moisturizing and not showering every day.  Makes it hard, but with short hair and it being so cold and dry outside, I'm always in a coat and hat...so I'm thinking no one will notice. 


The smell of the Dreft detergent will whiff them away to babyland anyways.


Any takers on this one?  Have you experienced any itchy skin/rash after quitting Zyrtec or maybe just part of the adjustment period after chemo or maintenance?  Just curious.