improvements after stopping augmentin

[Johnsmom]

June 2010 - IVIG HD

 

Did not see good results until September 2010. Only lasted 2 weeks. Re-exposure. upped augmentin

 

Novmeber 20, 2010 - took off of augmentin. DS is irritable, poor speech doesnt make sense, handwriting is awful, math is not good.

 

5 days later son appears to be doing MUCH BETTER but groin rash is really bad! Dr k told me it was excema.

 

What is this rash??? Can you have scarlet fever and no actual fever? This rash has come and gone for the past 3 years.

 

Dr k wants DS back on 500 mg of augmentin.He is better off of it.I have proof that zithromax worked for my son on 3 occasions and even showed him but Dr k says in his experience, augmentin is superior.

 

Does anyone know just WTH this rash is?

 

Thanks!

 

Ann

[colleenrn]

Can you describe what the rash looks like and where it is in his groin? Is it really red aroung his anus? Do you see little triny red spots or it is just red all over?

Yes, my children have had scarlet fever rashes and perianal strep with no fevr whatsoever.

Colleen

[LNN]

I'm so sorry your son can't catch a break. You both must be so frustrated.

You mention that it took a long time to rebound from IVIG, brain fog is a problem and he has a groin rash. I have a friend (not on the forum) whose DS12 had similar issues (had a a terrible recovery after 2 HD IVIGs for Pandas). Pediatrician said the marks were stretch marks. The mom went to Dr J and he determined it was actually cat-scratch fever marks from Bartonella and his rough recovery from IVIG was due to untreated lyme/Bartonella.

 

The week before Thanksgiving, her son could not stand up (kept falling down), had numerous compulsions and had to leave school several days in a row because he was ticcing so badly. He had every Pandas symptom you could list. But he also had symptoms that didn't match (e.g. severe headaches). She was looking into home-bound programs. They saw Dr J last week and within 48 hrs of starting bactrim, her son has had significant relief from many symptoms. Is now back in school. He is far from "cured" but he is so much better than he was a few weeks ago.

 

I really hate to beat the lyme drum. I know it's a sensitive issue and I really don't want to come across like just because it was true for me, or my friend, it must be true for you too. But it took me so long to see the lyme in my own son (and we live in CT - you'd think I wouldn't be so stubborn). Now that we're on the right treatment - for him - we're finally making gains that seem to be holding (he even lost a tooth the other day with only minimal neuro symptoms but no OCD).

 

So please don't read this like I want your son to have lyme like it's some sort of club. I just know how frustrating it is to try to do everything right and still not get the results your child deserves. Take pictures of the rash so you have documentation. Maybe try google images to see if you can find something similar. Or consider an LLMD. Keep insisting on answers and trust your gut.

[Mary M]

Have you had the rash swabbed and tested?

 

My dermatologist swabbed and tested for everything, including strep just from swabbing the skin.

 

Our dd had a perianal rash at age 2.5 and it tested positive for "multiple strep pyogenes" at that time. Topical biaxin (I think it was biaxin--that was a long time ago) and oral augmentin treated it.

 

I'm going to toss this out there for what it's worth. I have had excema all my life (it has come and gone for varying degrees of time). It is typically on my hand. When dd was at her worst with PANDAS my dh and I slept (hah-lay awake waiting for the next bizarre PANDAS event to occur) at opposite ends of the house to cover front and back doors. My excema disappeared (mostly stressful horrible time of my life and NO EXCEMA!) When my dh's ASO and AntiDNAse B titers came back elevated he was placed on augmentin...NO EXCEMA on my hands while he's on abx. Curious? Yes.Substantiated in medical lit? No. But my hand says there is a connection between my excema and strep states in my home...And yes, I did have my excema biopsied for strep. It was negative.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Not to, in any way, dissuade you from having the rash swabbed and checked by a professional, but I will say that our DS13 has eczema and has had it, in varying degrees, since he was about 3. Eczema is fairly common among kids who have hyper-immune issues like allergies, and our DS's increases, too, commensurate with his mental state. The more anxious or the more pronounced his OCD, the more the patches of eczema, and the longer they hang around. Also, our DS also has a patch in his groin area, extending a bit down one leg, though this is rare and it tends to show up first in the crooks of his elbows.

 

You might try keeping your DS as dry in the effected areas as possible as that tends to irritate the condition. Change underwear frequently, make sure he's good and dry after a bath/shower before getting dressed, etc. We found using creams or ointments, especially in places like the groin that don't get a lot of air, only serves to make it worse. Roomy clothes and dry conditions seem to improve things considerably.

[Priscilla]

have you tried a topical lotrimin? Hard to say if in groin, but dd had pretty bad fungal rash on her legs, just a few days of lotrimin and it cleared. It may be worth a try, and shouldn't hurt anything. Available over the counter at the drug store.