TBI rashes

[smartyjones]

WHAT is the cause of tick borne illness rashes? specifically bartonella? is it the parasite near the skin -- bartonella is a parasite, right -- or is it bacteria? an immune system reaction?

 

for both bartonella and lyme, the rash does not necessarily occur where the bite occurred, right? i totally understand a bite at the site of infection, even much later -- however, how could a bite on an arm result in a rash on a leg? does the size of the rash have any correlation to the strength of infection?

 

thanks!

Edited December 20, 2010 by smartyjones

[PacificMama]

Smarty,

 

I'm sure I can't explain exactly why rashes occur. But llmd's will tell you that TBIs can cause all manner of skin rashes, and skin problems. I can only imagine it's because the skin is a very important part of our immune system, and it is a body's largest organ. It would be likewise detrimentally affected the same as other systems in our body. And unlike the inside of our body, we can actually see our skin -- offering us a glimpse as to problems with our immune system.

 

No, I do not think that there can be any correlation made between size, severity, type of rash, etc -- and the severity of the illness. Skin problems/ rashes come and go, may constantly change. Or may never appear at all.

NO, there is also no correlation between the place of bite, and the site of rashes (although there may indeed be a mark/rash at the site of the bite).

 

As to Bartonella, stretch mark rashes are a telltale sign. But again, you do not have to have stretch mark rashes to have bart.

[sf_mom]

I initially thought the Bartonella rash was only the typical stretch mark rash seen on the internet. I've since learned it can appear in all different ways. I have two very rashy kids. It looks like they have Livedo Reticularis over their entire body up to their cheeks, on top of that they have a rash on their face and it feels like sand paper when you run your hand across it. Plus they have darker or more predominate areas of rash in certain areas of their body. Our LLMD thinks this is all due to Bartonella. We have a confirmed diagnoses in the one twin of Bartonella and with treatment it is fading and resolving slowly.

 

Recently, we added herbs for Bartonella to our older son regimen and he broke out in the typical stretch mark rash on his neck about 6/7 days after starting. So, I am thinking it might be due to die off...... but I don't know. As quickly as the rash appeared it also disappeared.

[JTs-Mom]

My son also has various types of rashes. He has the sandpaper rash on his face that SF Mom mentioned, and I've noticed that it seems to get much better after a 2-week course of Diflucan. It cleared almost entirely after a 4-week course of Diflucan, but then returned since he was on abx at the time. So, I'm fairly suspicious of yeast. He also has a similar rash around his elbows, and when I mentioned yeast to his PCP (a DAN doc), he immediately looked at his elbows (without me mentioning the rash).

 

My son was taking approx. 400 billion cfu of probiotics (200 twice per day) while on abx. It still didn't seem to be enough to keep the yeast at bay.

 

He also gets random, larger bumps (more zit-sized) on various places of his body... mainly back and buttocks, but he recently had one on his eyelid and 2 near the corner of his eye, plus a couple on his hands. I don't really know what these are from. I was suspicious of rickettsial organisms because he has antibodies for RMSF and typhus fever, though he never had acute disease for either of these.

 

I don't recall seeing these bumps prior to treatment. It seems the treatment is stirring things up.

[sf_mom]

I wanted to add we are treating rashes with cream and LYME herbs topically. Sandpapery rash is 'almost' gone. We have had patches of eczema that have also resolved with same cream/herbs. We did have cradle cap in our older son at 5 years old that went away after first hdIVIG.