Rheumatic fever, just rash from strep or something else?

[mama4]

Hi, I had strep and had to go off antibiotics for an allergic reaction after 2 days. Then 2 days later had anxiety, vivid dreams, severe insomnia which sort of resolved after a couple of days (I attributed this to the antibiotic, but maybe it was the strep? A PANDAS-like reaction?)

 

Was then tested twice over next two weeks and throat culture was negative. Now, 5 weeks after the initial infection- anxiety, insomnia has returned along with and an odd rash. The rash usually comes at night, between both knees, warm to the touch, red burning patches, which gradually fade and then turn into a few small raised white bumps with a red pinpoint in the middle. Am worried that this might be the start of rheumatic fever and we didn't get rid of the strep fully. Does rheumatic fever work that way? I thought you had to have a fever, full body rash etc. I know rheumatic fever is very rare in adults. Could it be hormones? Menopause related ( am 51 now)? The only other physical symptom are hot flashes and slightly swollen adenoids for the past month with postnasal drip which is fading now. I don't have any joint pain or any of the other RF symptoms. I just made the connection that the same thing happened years ago when I was about 35 (the last time I had strep, but without the rash).

 

Am seeing the Dr tomorrow eve, but would love to hear any thoughts.

Edited April 5, 2017 by mama4

[bobh]

I don't know much about rheumatic fever. Don't be surprised if you know more about it than the doctor you see - unless they are specialists in the area of a disease, I believe that it is not hard (with a few hours of research) to get as much or more information (and more up to date) that whatever the doctor last read, whenever he/she last had time to really dive into the latest understanding of a rare disorder. This only to avoid disappointment, and to say that your own knowledge, tactully inserted, could be very helpful.

 

If you google the half-life of your abx, you might be able to reasonably conclude whether there was enough abx still in your system (2 days after you stopped) to cause the anxiety and other symptoms. Does the abx have those symptoms listed as a possible side effect?

 

Are you familiar with herxheimer reaction, and did you have a good distinction between herx and allergy at the point you stopped? If you had a PANDAS-like reaction, that could have been part of a herx, which often lags the introduction of the abx by some amount of time.

 

Good luck with the doctors appointment tonight.

[mama4]

Turns out it was not rheumatic fever. I am starting to suspect it was a herx reaction as the same thing happened years ago right after getting strep. Luckily my ASO titers went down and the infection seems to have cleared, no more of the vivid dreams etc. Dr. said the rash may be lymes though. No other symptoms though. Anyway, now I realize that odd reactions to strep must run in the family...