I felt like I was burning alive after sudden rash ravaged every inch of my body for months – miracle cure banished it

WHEN Mersadies La Caze suddenly noticed red spots in the centre of her back six months into her pregnancy, she dismissed it as a “typical rash”. But, within weeks the itchy patches had spread across the now 31-year-old’s back and to the front of her body. Mersadies La Caze suddenly noticed red spots in the centre of her back in February 2024 Credit: Kennedy News Mersadies was diagnosed with generalised postural psoriasis Credit: Kennedy News Concerned by sudden rash, she made an urgent appointment with a doctor but said she was assured that it would clear up on its own after she’d given birth. Stark photos show Mersadies covered “head to toe” in spots that were painfully breaking, peeling and making her skin feel like it was on fire when she showered. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! When the “unbearable” rash didn’t clear after giving birth, she claimed she “broke down every day” feeling “emotionally and physically wrecked”. A biopsy then revealed Mersadies had generalized pustular psoriasis, a rare, severe and potentially life-threatening inflammatory skin disease. Pictured, the beginning of the rash covering Mersadies’ stomach Credit: Kennedy News Within weeks the itchy patches had spread across the now 31-year-old’s body Credit: Kennedy News Mersadies’ rash didn’t go away once she had her baby Credit: Kennedy News “Showering became impossible because the water set my skin on fire and inflamed everything all over again,” she said Credit: Kennedy News The mum-of-three from Lexington, Kentucky in the US, was prescribed the drug Spevigo through an IV drip and to her delight her psoriasis cleared within a month. Now, hailing the medication for “changing her life”, she is urging women to push for a diagnosis if they think something is wrong and for greater awareness of psoriasis. Recalling her ordeal, which began in February 2024, Mersadies said: “It was the typical rash and it was itchy. “I went to see my obstetrician and she said after I give birth it will go away so I tried to ignore it but then it started going to my front. Most read in Health “It was head to toe, scalp, face, ears, neck, mouth. Literally every single inch of my body. It did not discriminate and my body freaked out. “I got to the point where I was so miserable and in so much pain that I went to the hospital but they never knew what caused it. “Showering became impossible because the water set my skin on fire and inflamed everything all over again. “I did not want to leave the house so I only left to see a dermatologist. “I was breaking down every single day crying. It was so unbearable. “It is something that completely wrecks you mentally and emotionally.” Pictured, Mersadies with her two daughters Credit: Kennedy News What is generalised pustular psoriasis? Generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare, severe form of pustular psoriasis. It is characterised by recurrent flares of widespread sterile pustules, which are pus-filled skin lesions, fevers and painfully inflamed skin. Pustules often cover large areas of the body and typically presents with fever, shivers, intense itching, a rapid pulse, fatigue, headache, nausea, muscle weakness, and joint pain. But symptoms can lead to critical complications such as sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome and organ failure, if not treated properly. People with GPP tend to have sudden flares that last for a few weeks, followed by spontaneous remission where their skin partly or completely clears up. It can appear in any age group, although is most common in adults between 40–50 years old. GPP is thought to affect roughly one in every 10,000 people. Source: DermNet and the National Psoriasis Foundation Mersadies said doctors at Georgetown Community Hospital, Kentucky, advised her to have the baby earlier and put her on medication for relief. But due to her spots, she claimed doctors struggled to find a clear patch of skin to put the needle in for her planned C-section. Mersadies, who hadn’t had the issue during her previous two pregnancies, was referred to a dermatologist who deemed her condition “severe”. Despite the risk of infection, Mersadies decided to proceed with the C-section and gave birth to her son, Maverick Payne, on April 12, 2024. The mum was shocked to find that her skin was not clearing up when she returned home so she returned to the hospital for tests that finally gave her an answer. Mersadies said: “He [the doctor] took one look and said they can’t put a needle through my spine because they don’t know if it’s clean and if there are bacteria. “He discharged me to go to the dermatologist that same day and said it’s so severe at this point. “I was in so much pain that I said ‘let me have my son, just find a spot. If there’s an infection we’ll deal with it, let’s do it.’ Photos show Mersadies covered “head to toe” in spots that were painfully breaking Credit: Kennedy News “I was breaking down every single day crying. It was so unbearable,” says Mersadies Credit: Kennedy News “I had my son and he was out in record time. “They said [the rash] will start clearing up but it didn’t. It was peeling, it was breaking, burning, and I could not shower. “It was red and angry, you couldn’t hide it. “He [the dermatologist] said they need to do a skin biopsy. “It was generalised postural psoriasis. I finally had an answer. I never had psoriasis before.” Mersadies was referred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in May where she was given the “life-changing” medication Spevigo. Spevigo is prescribed in the UK, but availability depends on where you live. It is recommended by the NHS drugs watchdog NICE for use on the NHS in England and Wales for treating flares of generalised pustular psoriasis in adults and children. Mersadies was referred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where she was given Spevigo Credit: Drugs.com Mersadies says the treatment “changed my life”. She is pictured recently with her son, now two Credit: Kennedy News However, it is not currently recommended for routine use on the NHS in Scotland. Treatment is restricted to specialists, meaning it must be initiated and supervised by a doctor experienced in managing inflammatory skin diseases. It is not prescribed in primary care by GPs. Mersadies said her skin had begun to clear within two weeks and the rash was fully gone by the end of May. Mersadies now aims to raise awareness of psoriasis and potential treatments and is urging future mums to get their symptoms checked. Mersadies said: “The University of Cincinnati were like, ‘it’s the worst thing we’ve seen.’ “They said there is a brand-new medication called Spevigo but [after the first round] nothing happened so we did another round. “It was fading on May 18 and it was fully clear by the end of May. “It was like it never existed, there was no scarring and my skin afterwards was so soft. “It absolutely changed my life, I felt relieved. “[You should] absolutely see a dermatologist as soon as you can because you need answers and you need them as soon as you can get them. “I wish I had gone a lot sooner and it sounds like a lot of women went through something similar.” Comment now