Anxiety & Panic Community

I was getting this, but it was occurring when i was scratching (unknowingly). it turned out i was allergic to sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate, the two main foaming agents in shampoos and body washes. i had to switch to organic, namely Burt's Bees, and no more problems.

if yours isn't related to scratching, are you feeling particularly anxious at the time? my psych was telling me to take a xanax when i would feel the need to scratch (didn't help, of course), doc was telling me to take an antihistamine (didn't help either). if you actually feel anxious, it is probably an anxiety attack. of course, if the blotches make you anxious, they are probably causing a secondary anxiety attack, which doesn't help things.

talk to your psych and your primary care about it. tell them both exactly what you feel when the blotches occur. don't leave out any information or you will wind up like i was, wrongly medicated. otherwise, try a simple change of body wash to something without artificial dyes, fragrances, or sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate. your neck is one of the most sensitive areas of the body, and your chest is where you would break out if you were sensitive to your laundry detergent, or at least that is what my mother told me. (i changed that to a free and clear formula as well.)

good luck!

have had this my whole life!!!!! i am 35 years old. are you very fair skinned>? i am very fair with red hair. i used to do it a lot more than now but even yesterday it started when i was talking excitedly about something. on my wedding day i was a mess! but you learn to deal with it...that's just something i do. i don't believe there is any cure as i've researched it on the 'net and aside from taking histamine blockers and heart medication of all things! no thanks, i'll live with the blotches! it is embarrassing but things could be a lot worse! i just think it's odd you're just getting it now, outta the blue? it might be anxiety related as i get it during times of stress. but i don't get it as much as i used to anymore. do you blush a lot too?

im so fair im almost transparent! lol. mine started about the time i started topamax; my mother said she thinks the med just made my skin more sensitive i trust my mom on most things, and i dont know why i didnt call her sooner; i went to my primary care first, and he prescribed antihistamine, which, of course made me all floaty and did nothing. i was still itchy and blotchy. and my scalp would be scabby and bleeding. then i asked my psych if my meds had any side effects of itchyness and he said it was anxiety and take my xanax; so i tried that, and it didn't work, so i was all dopey from that. then i decided to call mom, and she said to change my body wash and shampoo to something hypoallergenic or just organic. so i bought Burt's Bees shampoo and body wash and it stopped. went ahead and changed to free and clear laundry detergent to be safe, and stopped using bleach on all my whites (i love the smell of bleach). no more itching, and much less blotchiness. i still get some if i get really anxious or angry. i have noticed that i blush a lot, if i am embarrassed.

I am 37 and this started out of the blue for me when I was 23. I have no clue why but any time I'm excited or nervous or basically any emotion I get blotchy on my neck and c hest. I'm SO sick of it. It's so embarrassing when people ask you whats wrong. I'm at the point of having ETS surgery which is for excessive sweating but is also for blushing! It's weird cuz I'm really calm and can talk to anyone but for some reason when I interview or at the doctor or confront a person it just gets way outta control. I hate it!! It's held me back in a lot of ways and I'm looking into the surgery. I guess I have social anxiety but at times I dont think I do cuz I'm loud and outgoing. I talk to strangers for crying out loud. I don't get it but it is extremely embarrasing and I wish it would stop as fast as it started.

Hi,

Im 23 and i also have the same problem as you with the red blotches on neck and chest, out of the blue when any sort of emotions come up. It has only become a more usual occurance in the last couple of years.I have always attributed it to social anxiety because in the past i suffered anxiety. But i dont suffer anxiety anymore, i just get this reaction to the same emotions you noted > embarrassment, excitement, anger or situations where i have to be assertive. I also dont have a problem speaking to people, or being social. Im happily assertive with my opinions as well. The red blotchy reaction is out of my control, and will occur even when im feeling quite calm. I think its all related to the nervous system, as most skin reactions will be connected to the nervous system and the respiratory system. Maybe trying some sort of herbal relaxant for nerves would help. And exercise for the respiratory system. Mega B vitamin, and st john wort are a good combination, i found it has made a difference.

I have never taken prescribed medications for this, even when i suffered anxiety i didnt take any medication. I just moved past it. But this recent thing with the red blotches is really very annoying, im sick of it too, its a social burden! I would love to find a cure as well. I dont know about surgery though, there has to be another way! Also, the thyroid glands control your hormonal balances, relating to emotions, energy, all that, and can bring about uncontrollable flushes (although usually to menopausal women). I have a large nodule in my thyroid, and it is due to hypothyroidism. This influences the red blotches, by making me hyper sensitive.. might be a good thing for you to check out! Im in process of having mine looked at and i believe having it fixed will alter the occurance of out of control red blotchy syndrome..Low or high blood pressure can also affect your nervous system.

Have you ever had social anxiety, or emotional problems? Do you think some sort of emotional thing brought it about in your case? It would be interesting to see if this is all related to emotions, or problems with bodily function!

Hi do not be embarrassed about this it happens to many people and is just your bodies way of expressing emotion. You owe no one an explanation and they shouldn't be asking anyway. Come up with a little zinger for them when they do ask, such as I always do this when..... and turn it around on them according to the situation. As you come to accept it as being part of you, you will find it will happen less and less. Plus many people find it a cute addition to a great personality.

Thanks for replying! No, I've never tried any medication for this problem. I certainly don't want weird side effects just because I get blotches. The blotches aren't as bad as some of the side effects of medications. I just figure it's the way I am. I do want to try surgery but I think it's a bit extreme. I can go weeks without getting blotchy, just depends. I think I can control it more now or something. I talk to people all day, sit at lunch with coworkers, talk to people in line at the store, talk to customers face to face and on phone, etc and it doesnt happen. I can pretty much pinpoint it to like interviews or being extremely nervous like at the doctor or something. The funny thing is I've never considered myself socially anxious. I mean I talk to anyone and everyone, laugh and joke with strangers even. When I do get that way I just keep on talking or doing whatever it is I'm doing, It doesn't make me run away or anything. It's just strange that it happens with some people who are anxious but not others. Like I read some of the posts on these boards and I feel horrible how some people feel. I'd hate it if I were so anxious and panicky all the time. And I wonder why they don't get red and blotchy with all they have going on yet I do with a simple interview?? Anyway, if anyone would like to email I'd be more than happy to. A blotchy support group so to speak haha. Plus it takes forever to get back to this post to see if anyone replied, unless there is a better way to navigate these boards than just hitting next page? I just try not to let it bother me and it seems the more I do that the less I get blotchy!

Oh and yes I am hypothyroid as well. Have been for the last several years but the blotchies started well before the diagnosis. I am seeing a specialist next month about it instead of just my family doctor, mainly because I have to keep upping my dose of medication and I don't get that so just want to see if there is something more going on! I've tried to think of some emotional reason I started getting this but I cant think of anything. I do, however, remember the day it started. I was at lunch with some coworkers and one girl asked if I was ok b/c my neck was all red. I went in the bathroom and was like wow maybe I'm allergic to something. It went away within 15 minutes or so and I never thought about it again. It happened after that as well and I just couldn't pinpoint it until I finally realized it seemed to do with emotions and nerves but never once did I attritubte it to social anxiety disorder, if anything I feel I'm the opposite. And since then it happens mainly at interviews and such. I wonder if I'll ever grow out of it or if I'll be 80 and still blotchy? LOL

On a side note, it's good to know there are other fellow blotchers out there lol!

Oh and I forgot one more thing! If I drink like even a couple I get really red as well. Ive seen a lot of people flush when they drink though. I'm not an alcoholic or anything but I do notice I get red after a couple of drinks whether it be beer or wine. Anyone else? It goes away after a few minutes like the regular blotches.

I have the same thing happen to me. I can be sitting and having a conversation and if i get excited my neck gets all blotchy. If i have drinks it happens - sometimes. I just gave a presentation at work and my neck got all blotchy - people always ask me what is wrong - and there is nothing wrong. It is frustrating. It can happen anytime. If i am upset i know it will happen. But it happens when i am really happy and excited about something. Totally sucks because no one knows what to do about it. I am glad it is not just me that it happens to. If anyone has any idea about what to do for this blotchy neck please let me know.

found the cure. at first i had read that acid blockers were the way to deal with it. i am an artist and in perpetual critiques and interviews. you won't believe what works....homeopathic drugs for hot flashes. it comes in a tri-pack and the herbs are: glonoinum (sudden flush)lachesis mutus (hot flashes associated with menopause) and belladonna (fever with thirst and moist skin associated with colds and flu). can say nothing else worked, but these indeed did!

Hi,

I've had the same issues!! conquerthis, I just ordered the hot flash medication you were talking about, what dosage did you take it in, did you take it everyday? Please let me know.

Thank you!

~If this works, I'll report back;)

It's not uncommon to have this type of emotion-related experience and I see that a lot of people have already responded, so I'm sure you can see it's not abnormal. Usually, you need some help handling emotion and, perhaps, social situations. This can be done with cognitive therapy or some self-help techniques such as positive self-talk, relaxation breathing, etc. See my Self-help page on my website for more things to consider and links to helpful information.

Hi Conquerthis...do you take this combination of herbs daily or only when you need it before a stressful situation? I am currently seeing a naturopathic doctor to help me with my social anxiety disorder. I am receiving acupuncture, which hasn't helped at all so far, and she has started me on glycine and aconite. I wanted to ask her about this tri-pack at my next visit. My GP wants me to start taking Cymbalta, and antidepressant, but from past experience, they only help numb the situation, not cure it. I will be trying CBT this month and hopefully it will help re-wire my brain so that I can finally control my blotching! I have had this since public school and I am so tired of it....I'm 39 yrs old!

Here lately, when I would drink a few my ears would get red and hot, then a headache would come along so I almost quit drinking all together. Here in the past week my face, ears, neck, and chest will get red blotches all over them, almost like hives and it drives me nuts! Makes my head hurt, too. It's worrying me. I can't drink, i'm not really stressed about anything or excited,so that can't be it. I can't find anything and cannot afford to go to the Dr. no insurance. Someone please help me! My ears are burning now as i type, lol.