Red Cheek Rash

[cobbiemommy]

DS, who has always (since 4 month shots) had red cheeks is undergoing a change in appearance. We changed one antibiotic from Ceftin to Minocin and now the redness has changed from below the surface of the skin to rough sandpapery redness on the surface of the skin. I am hopeful this is the medicine doing its job.

 

I know I have posted about this before, but has anyone went through these stages with the red cheeks? Hopefully, someone will confirm what I am seeing as a Herx reaction.

 

Here's hoping we are one step closer to getting well. Also, the hump between his shoulders is getting smaller, but the ability to concentrate is getting worse.

 

Cobbie

[tpotter]

DS, who has always (since 4 month shots) had red cheeks is undergoing a change in appearance. We changed one antibiotic from Ceftin to Minocin and now the redness has changed from below the surface of the skin to rough sandpapery redness on the surface of the skin. I am hopeful this is the medicine doing its job.

 

I know I have posted about this before, but has anyone went through these stages with the red cheeks? Hopefully, someone will confirm what I am seeing as a Herx reaction.

 

Here's hoping we are one step closer to getting well. Also, the hump between his shoulders is getting smaller, but the ability to concentrate is getting worse.

 

Cobbie

 

 

Interesting. My brother always had very red cheeks. I always wondered what it might be. I'll be interested to find out...if anything specific.

[NancyD]

My DD15 started getting red cheeks since starting treatment for Bartonella. At first it was often and worse after showers but now much more infrequently.

 

DS, who has always (since 4 month shots) had red cheeks is undergoing a change in appearance. We changed one antibiotic from Ceftin to Minocin and now the redness has changed from below the surface of the skin to rough sandpapery redness on the surface of the skin. I am hopeful this is the medicine doing its job.

 

I know I have posted about this before, but has anyone went through these stages with the red cheeks? Hopefully, someone will confirm what I am seeing as a Herx reaction.

 

Here's hoping we are one step closer to getting well. Also, the hump between his shoulders is getting smaller, but the ability to concentrate is getting worse.

 

Cobbie

[RNmom]

DS, who has always (since 4 month shots) had red cheeks is undergoing a change in appearance. We changed one antibiotic from Ceftin to Minocin and now the redness has changed from below the surface of the skin to rough sandpapery redness on the surface of the skin. I am hopeful this is the medicine doing its job.

 

I know I have posted about this before, but has anyone went through these stages with the red cheeks? Hopefully, someone will confirm what I am seeing as a Herx reaction.

 

Here's hoping we are one step closer to getting well. Also, the hump between his shoulders is getting smaller, but the ability to concentrate is getting worse.

 

Cobbie

 

My ds15 has had a red cheek rash since 2010 when his illness began. It was the first symptom I tracked (now I have a list of symptoms). This red cheek rash has never been adequately explained to me. But, I can tell you that it is the single most consistent "warning sign" that his symptom constellation is flaring up. First, the cheeks get bright red, then the hands get red, then the agitation follows, sometimes cognitive changes also accompany this process.

 

The red cheek rash!!!! I am with you - if anyone can explain this to me I would be grateful.

 

AND, as with your child, my son's red cheek rash is also "like sandpaper" in texture. If I press on it it will "blanch." That means there is a vascular component (Bartonella is known for vascular rashes). I will say the only thing that has had an impact on the "red cheek rash" is Rifampin treatment for Bartonella. After 4 months of Rifampin this rash has actually almost disappeared for brief stretches of time (5 days tops at any one time). However, it is not completely gone yet. It "cycles" back in weekly.

 

Right now his red cheek rash has got my attention again because we did a trial break of the Rifampin last weekend. I have been against "pulsing" Rifampin for a number of reasons (that is for another post) but I finally agreed to try it and stopped the Rifampin last Sat. and Sun. To my dismay my son's cheeks, which were pretty well cleared up, got redder and redder over the weekend. Sure enough by Sunday night he said "I feel agitated but I do not know why." Mild OCD followed. It took a full week of being back on rifampin before he "calmed down" and the red cheek rash began to clear up. Sadly, it is not all gone yet. After I shared this with his LLMD, we agreed to keep him on Rifampin continuously and "pulse" other things instead.

 

Interestingly, the weekend following our "Rifampin break" my ds15 had a big Herx from his usual weekend pulse of Tindamaxn (he has been doing this since August). I think there was a lot more Bart in his system than usual and the die off was bigger. As a result, by Sunday evening he said, "I do not know why but I am feeling agitated again." His agitation was observable... and of course his cheeks were redder - and like sandpaper.

 

I have wondered about this red cheek rash that looks like sandpaper for a couple of years now. Frustrating that no one has been able to give me a good explanation of a symptom that is so consistently observable and consistently associated with flare ups of other serious symptoms. It means something. This is the first time I have been able to track s series of events that points to his Bartonella as the possible explanation for his red cheek rash. I will keep on tracking this rash. Hope this helps.

[cobbiemommy]

I have wondered about this red cheek rash that looks like sandpaper for a couple of years now. Frustrating that no one has been able to give me a good explanation of a symptom that is so consistently observable and consistently associated with flare ups of other serious symptoms. It means something. This is the first time I have been able to track s series of events that points to his Bartonella as the possible explanation for his red cheek rash. I will keep on tracking this rash. Hope this helps.

 

RNMom, you hit the nail right on the head!! This has been a symptom for my son since he was four months old!!! I kept asking doctors about it, and no one till the LLMD gave me a viable answer. What is interesting is how we finally went from subcutaneous to surface redness. He is a bear right now and soooooo HYPER!!!! So now we have an agitated bear! UGH.

 

Here's hoping that this is a step towards healing.