Magical Chinese Cure All?

I wrote here about the rash that cropped up practically the second I started this cycles birth control regimen. It was itching like crazy and I still have no idea what caused it - hormones? All the medications? Detergent in my sheets? something I touched? A yeast skin rash from the birth control? A combination of the above?

I asked my acupuncturist about it and she said that from a Chinese Medicine stand point, rashes like that are the result of damp heat or "wind" in the skin. She used several points to help clear out heat and dampness in my acupuncture session and gave me this herbal wash that she usually gives to her post postpartum patients to help with healing tears, hemorrhoids, yeast infections and a whole host of other things.

Yin Care

I've been using this stuff for two days and I have to say it's friggin' magical. It's like there's nothing this stuff can't treat.  The ingredient list is full of herbs and extracts, some I recognize and others I'm totally unfamiliar with: 

Extracts & Essential Oils of:

• Di Fu Zi - Kochia
• Yin Chen Hao - Artemisia
• Du Huo - Angelica
• She Chuang Zi - Cnidium
• Shi Chang Pu - Acorus
• Ai Ye - Artemisia
• Bo He - Mentha
• Jin Yin Hua - Lonicera
• Zhi Zi - Gardenia
• Huang Bai - Phellodendron
• Huang Qin - Scutellaria
• Ku Shen - Sophora
• Cang Zhu - Atractylodes
• Tu Jing Pi - Pseudolarix

The list of things this stuff successfully treats is unbelievable. You can use it as a compress, rub, rinse, douche, soak, spray, mix it with a compounding cream and even soak tampons in it. Depending on the ailment you're treating, you dilute it with different amounts of water but you can also use it at full strength.

Topically, Yin care treats:

• Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, Rashes, Rosacea, Hemorrhoids
• Shingles, Cold Sores, Sty, Athletes Foot, Poison Oak, Poison Ivy 
• Fungal Infections in the nail, toe or skin, Insect Bites and Staph Infections 

 For Gynecological issues, Yin care treats:

• Yeast, Bacterial, Fungal, and Trichomonia Infections 
• Vulvitis, STD
• Cervical Dysplasia, Cervicitis

A herbal solution that treats everything from acne and hemorrhoids to poison ivy and yeast infections? How does this even exist? I can even use it on Milou's flea bite/lick granulomas. This stuff is insane, it's already helping to clear up some acne and a small rash E had.

OMG. Just this very moment I think I figured out what caused the rash on my groin. I'm fairly sure that the day I started birth control I also shaved my bikini line. With E's man scented shave cream. That I am obviously allergic to. Whoops.

I still don't know what caused the one on my stomach but that one is basically gone, so major points to Yin-care.  

Those little dots are the last remnants of the belly rash. Bye bye!

SO ITCHY

My HCG symptoms finally went away and I was feeling really good! I could wear my pants again and was basically back to normal when it was time to start up birth control pills again. I'm used to the pills making me feel exhausted and hormonal but this round came with an unexpected and miserable side effect.

Bane of my existence right now

Almost immediately after starting the pills, I broke out in small, ITCHY, red bumps. I'm used to having rashes, I get contact dermatitis all the time from detergent, chemicals, all sorts of things you touch by accident, but those rashes are usually gone in a couple days and they aren't too itchy. This rash makes me want to scratch my skin off with a fork and I've had it for a week - I can't seem to get rid of it!

Thus far I've tried cortisone cream, coconut oil, tea tree oil, benadryl gel, benadryl pills, and the left over anti-fungal cream from when Button caught ring worm at the vet. They all soothe the itch temporarily but don't seem to be helping the rash. The anti-fungal may actually be upsetting it but I'm not sure.

It started under my right breast so my first though was heat rash or retained detergent in my bras. I soaked all the bras and washed them by hand while airing out my skin. Instead of going away, it spread down my belly and is still as itchy as ever.

SO ITCHY. You can tell when I've scratched it :(

At the same time the boob rash popped up, the same itchy, red bumps appeared in my right groin area where I usually shave and on my thigh. I mistook it for razor burn until it started itching and didn't go away with a cool compress and some coconut oil moisturizer. Then I thought it must be from my pads, I was on my period and last month had an awful reaction to the latex in my pad adhesive - maybe I was having a reaction to this brand too?

At this point, I have no idea what's causing it. Since it popped up with the birth control my current theory is maybe a skin yeast infection? You usually see them as diaper rash in babies but you can get them from birth control and antibiotics. If so, the anti-fungal should help it but like I said before, I'm not sure if it's helping or hurting. It's hard to tell since I've been on so many medications and it could just as easily be some hormonal or immune reaction. It's also right where I lay on my side to sleep so it could be detergent in my sheets? Ugh.

I hate you rash. So much.

The only things I know for sure are that it's not contagious, it's only on my right side and it itches like a bitch. It's your standard nondescript red bumps so I'm not sure if I should make an appointment with the derm yet. In the past, they see red bumps, tell me it's contact dermatitis and to basically wait it out. If this is a birth control reaction and the price of success I'm willing to grin and bear it, but I'd really like to get it cleared up before I start stims.

I think I'm going to ask S, my nurse midwife/acupuncturist if she knows what it is and how to get rid of it. If she says I need to see the derm, I'll make an appointment ASAP before I scratch my skin off.

Birth Control ZzzZzzZzz

Today is day three of my birth control suppression phase for IVF #2 and I am SO. TIRED. I know that drowsiness is a side effect, but there's something about the combination of period hormones and birth control hormones that makes me feel like an absolute slug. My eyes feel heavy and sore and I'm pretty sure I'd fall fast asleep if I closed them for more than a few seconds. Zzzzzz.

The stims got really uncomfortable near the end, especially when I added in the trigger and my waist line blew up like a blimp but I think birth control still makes me feel the worst. In addition to being super, super sleepy, the combination of hormones and PMS has made me SUPER grumpy. I'm usually easy going and I let things slide off my back, but lately everything is bothering me. I just want to seclude myself with my cats, my dog, E and craft things like quilts, cloth diapers and paintings.

Of course, quilts and paintings take time, money, materials, space and skill, none of which I have at the moment. I don't think I've touched a sewing machine in 10 years but that isn't hampering my desire to start sewing owl and nature themed blankets. Not to mention, we need to actually be pregnant with a healthy baby to have an actual need for owl quilted blankets, so we should probably tackle that hurdle before I break out the sewing machine.

Adooooorable Owl Quilt

There is no way I should be anywhere near a quilting project but the hormones are insisting otherwise. In case anyone else falls in love with this owl quilt and has actual skill with a sewing machine and the ability to stay awake, you can buy the pattern here.