Well, the Uvistat stuff didn't seem to help either. The spots were smaller, but the itch was worse than ever apparently.

Which type of antihistamine are recommended? From what I can remember, you can buy two sorts with different active ingredients. Something like loratadine and citrazine?

There are some tips here that maybe useful:-

http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/conditions/prickly-heat/

Mobor One, Loratadine has quite a long list of contraindications and hence is only available on prescription

http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?condition=Allergic%20conditions&medicine=Loratadine

Your GP would be the best person to discuss this with and whether it would be suitable for you.

The other one that you are thinking of is probably Cetirizine

http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?medicine=Cetirizine%20tablets

It is available over the counter in such things as Piriteze or Zyrtek hayfever remedies.

http://www.boots.com/en/Piriteze-Allergy-Tablets-12-Pack_867870/

Neither of the above are usually used to treat sun-related rashes but most usually allergic reactions eg hayfever and contact rashes so it might be that neither of them will help in relation to true prickly heat. I can't take any antihistamines now because they interact with a medication I now have to take daily for a chronic condition but in the past I found taking Chlorphenamine Maleate very helpful but what I had was definitely PLE not Prickly Heat. The higher dosage tablets and injectable forms are only available on prescription but it is available over the counter as Piriton tablets.

http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?condition=Itching&medicine=Chlorphenamine%20Maleate&preparation=Chlorphenamine%204mg%20tablets

http://www.boots.com/en/Piriton-Allergy-Tablets-30-Tablets_11235/

Not sure how helpful the above info is but the key thing is to be clear about whether what you get is prickly heat (ie it tends to be in areas that are covered up by clothing) or sun sensitivity (ie PLE and it only occurs on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun).

SM

Definitely PLE

In that case the way to go is with Chlorphenamine Maleate as found in Piriton not Piritese. I bought the latter one time thinking it contained the same active ingredient as Piriton and found that for me it was nowhere near as effective for my PLE. You can but give it a try.

SM

Thank you. I have written it down. How long before you travel do you start to take them?

I found that there was no point in taking them until I did start to expose my skin to the sun. It won't necessarily stop the rash from developing (though Boots own Soltan sun sensitive range did do that for me) but it will reduce it and certainly it always took the itch out for me. Now that I am definitely the other side of the menopause it has become less of a problem for me anyway because my PLE was definitely linked to my oestrogen levels. Once they started to fall it became less of a problem which was really good news for me because I can no longer take anti-histamines. Next time you go away it might also be worth considering taking a tube of Anthisan or similar cream with you because that will also reduce the itchiness between pills if you have a severe problem.

SM

It's not for me, it's for the OH, so he might get offended if I tell him his oestrogen levels are too high! I don't think he minds the spots, it is the itching which does it for him, so will definitely try the tablets.

It's not the only thing which can make your skin sensitive to the sun but, yes, probably best not to mention it to him! Hope it proves successful for him - it really did reduce the itching problem for me. Just one last thought, some of the ingredients in some perfumes, colognes and aftershaves etc can also make PLE worse so it might be worth suggesting to him not to splash it on until after dark

SM

Thanks for all your help SMa. I'll report back in a couple of months when we give the tablets a try.

If I catch him splashing on my perfume, I really will worry about his oestrogen levels!

now, yes, that would be something to worry about! But seriously, when in The Gambia and at the height of my own PLE problems there was a male guest who had a seriously worrying case of what he thought was Prickly Heat but I was fairly sure was a case of PLE, especially since it was particulary bad around the lower part of his face and neck and upper chest - not areas that Prickly Heat usually strikes.

I had a discreet chat with his girlfriend and she confirmed that he had not only been using aftershave but that he had also been dabbing it around his shoulders and chest (where the rash was also very bad) because he thought that the astringent action would help! It must have been agony doing that! I suggested to her that she try and get him to stop doing that, use the Anthisan I had seen her applying to a couple of insect bites instead but more importantly to wear a light shirt to keep the sun off him. He did start using the Anthisan but still lay out in the full sun because he wanted a tan! At that point I gave up

SM

You can only help people so far. I know the best advice is to try and stay out of the sun, but I know that won't happen. Trying to at least make my life easier by not getting woken up by constant scratching!