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Red Rash On Arms And Thighs, Taking Sertraline. Could I Be Allergic To The Medicine?

Posted on Sun, 29 Jul 2012

Question: I have been taking Sertraline for about 10 days. Today I developed a red rash on upper arms and inside of thighs. Could I be allergic to the med? Should I discontinue medicine?

Answered by Dr. Neelam Ashish Vanjari (2 hours later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.

Sertraline do cause side effects like rashes and hives. But as you are taking medicine for 10 days now, we need to rule out other possibilities like insect bite / allergy to other products like soap or powder.

You may stop the medicine for 4-5 days after discussing with your prescribing doctor and see whether or not the rashes disappear. If they persist, other causes need to be ruled out.

In the meanwhile if the rashes are itchy, you can apply calamine lotion on the affected areas. Over the counter antihistamines like benadryl will give added benefits.

I hope I have answered your query. In case of doubt I shall be happy to help you.

Best regards,
Dr. Neelam.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Neelam Ashish Vanjari (9 hours later)

Thank you!

Answered by Dr. Neelam Ashish Vanjari (1 hour later)

You are welcome. I will be happy to answer any further queries in future. Please close our discussion here and rate my answer.

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar