I started Atkins 1 month ago. 1 and a half week ago I developed an itchy rash on my abdomen and breasts, it's blotchy and red and keeps getting worse everyday. Went to the doctor that after rulling out scabies thought it would be an heat rash.

It doesn't go away. Can it be something related to my high meat and fat content new diet?

Thanks,
H.

Hi Hellraiser--

You might want to check out this thread:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=125658

If it were me, I'd probably make sure I was taking my vitamins (especially Vitamin E), then I'd pick up a tube of mild steroid cream at the pharmacy before I bugged my doc, but if the cream didn't do the trick I'd be down at my doc's office to see if I was allergic to something.

Note: I am not a doctor nor a health professional...this is just my uninformed personal opinion. YMMV!

Thank you very much, I'll read it. I do take my Atkins#3 and essencial oils every day, so it can't be a lack of vitamins... but I never ate so many eggs in my whole life so it could be too much of eggs, red meat and dairy...

Thanks.
H.

I also have been trying Cortef ( hydrocortisone acetate cream 5%) for 24 hours now without any results...

H.

A good start might be to post what you've been eating for the past few days. There are specific food allergies that might send up red flags for folks here who've had similar problems.

Considering that you've tried the very steroid I would have recommended as worth a try, I'm thinking that there's another trip to your doc gonna happen in the near future, and he/she will take the easy out by telling you that the only new thing in your life is your diet. (can't fault that...but it doesn't really get at the root of the problem, either!)

My diet for the last 2 weeks includes:
red meat
chicken
salmon
tuna in water
eggs (2 day)
butter
olive oil
mayo
leaffy greens
brocolli
lemmon juice
garlic
chedar cheese
brie cheese
soft cheese
water
decaff coffee
Atkins #3
Atkins Essencial Oils
Psyllium Husks

I think thats all...
H.

Okay, I'm guessing that there are several items in that list that you did not use at all "pre-Atkins":

(my guesses?)
Atkins #3
Atkins Essencial Oils
Psyllium Husks
------------------> Did I miss anything?

I only started suplementing 1 week ago, after the itching was already here (though very light), so all these 2 things entered my diet after the dermatitis started.

Eggs and red meat on the other hand I went from once a week (1 egg) to everyday red meat and everyday 2 eggs...

H.

Okay, H. would it be possible for you to eliminate either eggs or red meat (just one) from your diet for 2-3 days, but continue with your same carb count?

That's waht I'm doing starting today. No more eggs for a few days and let's see how it goes...

SO itchy!


H.

Good luck with your investigations. If you go at it in a methodical fashion, you're certain to figure it out. And be sure to let us know what happens.

This morning the rash looks calmer... not so red ( pink) and no new marks... let's see how it goes.

H.

That's great, H. Have you ever had any problems with eggs in the past?

Nope, but I never ate more than a few eggs a week and never more than one at once and now I was having 2 everyday.

Hmmm.... Well, if it *does* turn out to be the eggs, you may need to be careful with some other things, too. If I'm not mistaken, some vaccines are still incubated in eggs. That's something you'd want included in your med records...assuming that your "exclusion experiment" ID's eggs as the culprit.