You know you have PUPPPs when...

It's mosquito season where I live. Pesky buggers.

BUT, you know you have PUPPPs when the mosquito bites barely itch in comparison to your rash.

My poor little girls have quite a few bites, complain about the itch, and I really don't have very much sympathy. Sorry, kiddos! Mommy knows what it's like to really itch.

Let's see...how else do you know you have PUPPPs...

You might have PUPPPs if...you're medicine cabinet is full of every over-the-counter itch cream known to man.

You might have PUPPPs if...it looks like the drug store exploded on your bedside table.

You might have PUPPPs if...you've considered joining a nudest colony just to avoid the hassle of clothing.

You might have PUPPPs if...you've fantasized about swimming in the ocean all day long.

You might have PUPPPs if...you seek out privacy in public places just to scratch the "awkward" spots.

You might have PUPPPs if...you have your dermatologist in your favorite contact list.

Got any to add? Feel free to comment!!

Current Discussions: Facebook Support Group

In my perusal of the PUPPPs Facebook community, I came across a pretty active group. For those of you on Facebook, this may be a good way to get your questions answered by other PUPPPs sufferers. It seems to get a lot of traffic. 

Here's a link: Facebook PUPPPs Support Group

Reader Comment: Do iron supplements play a role in PUPPPs?

Hello PUPPPs community,

I received a comment from a reader that I thought deserved more attention and input. She noticed a correlation with beginning an iron supplement and the development of her PUPPPs. While I haven't personally experienced this, I'm quite curious if any of you have! Please comment on this post and let her know if you have or have not experienced anything similar!

Here is her comment (You can see her original comment on my Current Discussion Forums Post.):

"There is a consistent discussion on the fact that PUPPPs could be related to the liver (hence I am running out on my lunch break to get some dandilion tea, etc. today to start that treatment). But, I wanted to know if others were originally prescribed iron supplements. This is my second pregnancy. I didn't have PUPPPs during my first. The only difference is that about a month ago, I was instructed to begin iron supplements, since I was severely anemic. I stopped taking the supplements yesterday, and I am hoping this may clear up the symptoms. Are you taking any iron supplements?"

That Wild Eyed Look

My rash is going through a flare-up right now, and apparently it's obvious to my husband. He says he can tell when it's getting bad, because I get a desperate, wild-eyed look when I'm scratching. I didn't even realize I did that!

But now that He mentions it, it's a pretty good indicator. I wish I knew what factors played into the flare-ups! Once a month, it gets pretty bad for a week or so and then calms down. I'm not pleased that this current flare-up coincides with a week of weather in the upper 90's and our ventilation system going on the fritz. 

It's going to be quite a week. 

By the way, I'm in the midst of testing the black cherry juice remedy! I'll post an update after I've given it a chance for a little while longer. 

Joined Facebook

I deleted my personal facebook page months ago. I was spending WAY too much time on it. But I created a PUPPPs facebook page to continue to spread the word about the rash and create another place for people to talk about it. I have no friends or followers yet (poor me!), so have pity on me and like my page. :)

Here it is:

PUPPPs Relief Facebook Page

Patterns in PUPPPs

Has anyone else noticed a pattern with their rash?

I've had PUPPPs for 3 months now, and I've noticed that once a month, it gets worse. For the most part, my routine keeps it under control, but it has peaked 3 times since the start. At each peak, a new patch starts in a new place! 

That makes me wonder if the inflammatory response in my skin is somehow related to hormone fluctuations. Anybody else experience this?

I Finally Made the Order

I did it! I ordered a seven star needle!

"What on earth is that??" You may ask?

Here's an excerpt from my "Treatments I've Tried" post...

Chinese Medicine 7 Star Needle: supposedly complete healing relief
This is a bizarre one! I recently found out about this treatment through puppps.org. It uses a Chinese medicine device designed to treat hives. Here's a pic...

Crazy looking, no? Apparently, you tap the hive until it starts to bleed, and then that hive NEVER itches again. The testimony on puppps.org is really compelling!!! Otherwise, I don't think I'd even consider this treatment! You can find videos on youtube if you want to see the treatment in action. I'm currently building up the courage to order one from amazon. I'll let you know!

Well, I finally ordered one! $5 on amazon with free shipping. That's pretty cheap if it truly gets rid of the rash. The shipping was abominably slow, sadly. It'll probably be 3-4 weeks before it arrives, but when it does, I'll test it on myself and let you know!