M@rla writes:
For years—years years years—I’ve had problems with a rash of acne underneath my breasts, and sometimes around the groin area. Oh yeah, VERY attractive! I’ve discussed it with several different doctors, and each time the result is “It’s caused by being overweight. You sweat more than normal people. If you weighed less, you would sweat less*, and this problem will go away.” You know, the typical “lose 50 pounds and call me in the morning” advice. And I would sometimes be given a topical acne treatment, either prescription or OTC, and it never did any good, because you know my problem was caused by THE FAT.
(*And of course this is hilarious, because now that I actually DO weigh less than before, I sweat MUCH more, because I exercise much more. You can’t freakin’ win with doctors.)
So a few months ago, I stumbled across something on the Internet about elastic dermatitis. Allergic reaction or sensitivity to the latex in elastic. Which is the reason why some doctors can’t wear latex gloves. And in a related concept, when elastic is bleached, it is even more irritating. Hmm. And here I have this RASH in the areas of my body—and ONLY in those areas of my body—where I consistently wear ELASTIC. Elastic which has frequently been bleached (thank you, menstruation!)
After reading about this, it suddenly dawned on me, “This isn’t acne.” The articles I read suggested treatment with a simple OTC hydrocortisone cream. So I went to my local drugstore, bought a store-brand cream for $5, and within TWO DAYS I could see improvement. Within six days the rash was GONE.
Gone. Just like that. Now seriously, how fucking hard is it for a doctor to misdiagnose this??? It’s nothing exotic, it’s not some kind of obscure tropical disease, it’s a very very very common condition! BABIES get it! Medical professionals get it! And those very same medical professionals could not recognize it in ME, because they were blinded by my fat dripping into their eyes. And they wonder why people consult Dr. Internet instead of wasting their money on a “real” doctor…
This isn’t one of those life-or-death stories, but it’s a damned good example of the blindness. And it was a big deal to me! those rashes were very disfiguring, and my skin has been permanently affected by them. Fortunately not in areas generally available for public viewing, but it’s not a healthy thing mentally to know you’ve got a hideous secret going on in your underwear, either.
First, Do No Harm 
pewter
/ June 6, 2009I hope m@rla goes back to her physician and tells him/her that they are wrong about her diagnosis.
Sarah
/ June 6, 2009Eeep! I’m glad you finally hit on what was wrong, and I’m sorry your doctors ignored you. If I can put in a shameless plug, Decent Exposures has latex-free bras and underwear that are startlingly comfy, should you want to invest in some.
S
/ June 7, 2009At first I thought you had the same condition I do – acne inversa, which occurs in similar areas (armpits, under-boob, groin) due to the presence of apocrine glands (but I know I’m not allergic to latex). I have *never* discussed it with a doctor because I have always expected to get the same reaction you did…even though I’ve had it since puberty, when I weighed about 150 pounds less than I do now.
Oh, and I sweat a lot too – but I don’t have spots in all the places I get damp (like my back and the backs of my thighs). Just one more proof that they didn’t have any clue what they were talking about.
So glad you got relief for your condition.
Brandi D.
/ June 9, 2009Oh man, I have the exact same thing! Luckily for me, it was an easy diagnosis because I went almost straight from no reaction into hives — an obvious allergic reaction that showed up in lines which mirrored the elastic of my bra and panties. It sucks big time. Jockey’s string bikini design has completely covered elastic and has saved my life, but I have no help on bras — still can’t find one that will fit me (I’m between an A and a B). Good luck, and yeah, you need to change doctors. Rashes should always be tested for allergies.
Lexie Di
/ July 17, 2009Eesh… I hate when doctors act crazy!
Actually, I’m fat and I hardly sweat at all! Even when I work out, I barely get damp! My mom went with me to the doctor to get it checked out because I was afraid my doctor would think I’m lying about being physically active and not sweating. (I took my mom along because we work-out together and she knows that I don’t sweat.)
I’ve also had one lady in an aerobics class (for big women, ironically) say that I wasn’t working out hard enough because I wasn’t sweating.
People are stupid sometimes.
Magrovela
/ March 30, 2012I’m 25 years man wight 106 kg my problem is i sweat too much everything i do i sweat whether i walk slow or fast even when am sleept,i don’t know wats wrong with me HELP ME
Roni Dorris
/ November 28, 2012I am also given pills to remove body heat. Please inform me why have i got so many rashes on cheeks? is it due to cream?…my daughter is 16 months now and has a pimply rash on the again of her neck and between her shoulders, and a little of it on the entrance of her its all red and pink with pimply white heads what sort of rash could this be? perhaps a heat rash?… she hasnt been feeling wel the last few days with a bad… I am thirty and suddenly my face has broken out into rashes and pimples on the ends of my cheeks closest to my ears.