Granuloma annulare

Question

Mine started as just a red place on my leg and it kind of had a dimple and then it got more and more inflamed and dome shaped and the center started getting less red and the outer edge is still red. It made my ankle swell at first and it hurt pretty bad but now Im using a cortisteroid and it feels a little better. It looks horrible but is feeling a little better.
I have pictures of the progression if anyone wants to see.

Please respond!!

Lisa

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hi LisaI was just diagnosed (early). I'd love to see the pics to know what the future will bring. I am on steriods now but I'm told they only make it a bit easier.Sam

Anonymous · Answer

My name is Theresa, I'm 39 years old, I've had this condition since I was 32. It has gotten progressivly worse, leigions all over my trunk , inner elbows,hips, neck, shoulders. I'd heard it would go away after a few years but it is only getting worse. I've been to 3 doctors, one said there was no treatment, one wanted me to take Tetracycline for 2 months and one thought it was caused by excessive antibiotic use. I have never met anyone else with it. I am currently doing nothing to treat it since I have gotten so many mixed opinions.

Anonymous · Answer

My name is Cherie I started off with two spots one on each shin now I have 3 on one leg and one on the other.  I have had them about 5 years now.  I was told by another woman that I met at a yard-sale I was having that had the same thing on her legs that she has been on steriods and creams etc. and nothing had worked to get rid of it.  She said the best thing she found to lighten them was salt water and the sun.  I am 43 and will not wear shorts in public because they look so bad.  I wish I could make them go away.

Anonymous · Answer

Has anyone recieved any insight as to where this is coming from? I am in good health other than this and I have wracked my brain trying to figure out why this is happening. The info I've read says it's most common in children, then why are we getting it? I have an extremly good diet, I excersise, get outdoors alot and am not a high stress person. Now that it's warm, I'm dreading wearing shorts and tank tops, I don't want to deal with the looks and questions. I have it pretty bad on the insides of my elbows and I see people look at it,  I think they think I'm a drug addict.  The only thing I can trace back to is I had a kidney infection years ago. I was misdiagnosed and by the time it was caught it was very bad and I had to take a lot of antibiotics for a long time. The first lesion appeared about a month later.Theresa

Anonymous · Answer

To Everyone:I have had Generalized GA for several years.Like the other posters here, I  have a very good diet (the picture of health except for the lesions), work out on a regular basis; cardio and lifting weights, ride dressage, etc. and still I am plague with GA lesions.At first there were just a few lesions and I had them treated with steroid injections; cortisone injected direclty into the lesion.  They went away and stayed gone for about one year, only to pop up in other places.  The onset was slow, but now, 6 years later they are appearing too frequently, and don't go away as certain studies indicate.  Just the other day I noticed 6 new lesions starting on my left thorasic side in line with the left armpit.  I fought them for about 5 years (stopped with the steroidial injections about 4 years ago), with all kinds of creams.  Recently, I have lesions appearing more on the legs (back of knees, buttocks, back of calves, thighs and armpits.I have one lesion on the back side of my right armpit and it is now larger than a 50 cent piece.  I have watch it grow from a tiny dot.  The steroid creams seem to prevent them from getting larger.  I stopped using them only because of the inconvenience of dotting myself up after a shower, then the cream has to dry before dressing etc.As most people have indicated I don't wear shorts or bathing suits in public, and now since the lesions have started appearing on my lower legs and ankles my capris and crop pants will be sold at the next garage sale.  As for dresses and skirts, I stopped wearing them a long time ago.My dermatologist has informed me that there is nothing more we can do or try; they will go away or get worse; for me they are getting worse.The research  I have done indicates that GA could be a symtom of a larger issue.  Since I have splitting fingernails, diminishing thickness of hair over the last 3 to 4 years and this skin aliment, I'm thinking that my thyroid is causing this symtom.  Although recent blood tests indicate that my thyroid is within normal ranges, as is my CBC count, don't have diabetes, etc.I suppose that if these lesions were life threatening there would be more research on them like cancer and diabetes.Good Luck to everyone; if I find out any information I will certainly share.

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