LymeNet Flash: Rashes in chronic patients

This is topic Rashes in chronic patients in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/18078

Posted by Cari (Member # 4244) on :

Greetings..This is the first time I have posted here. My name is Cari, and my boyfriend, Alex has been diagnosed with Lyme for about 4 years. He did get antibiotic treatment early on, and otherwise has been lucky to be asymptomatic. He wants to believe it will just go away. Well, he has gotten this rash popping up on both of his hands. Small white, hard bumps, mainly on the palms and in between the fingers, and on the pads of his fingers. He has about 100 on one hand and 70 or so on the other. The skin is kind of red around the bumps, but the bumps themselves are very white. At first it was an itchy rash, but now his skin just hurts. He does not have medical insurance, and is stubborn about going to the doc anyway. We have topical steroids, etc..Nothing is helping. I just want to know if this sounds like a rash that is characteristic of Lyme. I have been looking around the web for a Lyme chat, and while I found about 3, all of them were empty. SO I am hoping someone will read this and offer some input. Thank you, Cari.

Posted by dizz on :

Hi Cari:

I'm real sorry to hear that your boyfriend has lyme and this terrrible rash. LymeNet is THE place for people who have lyme to get friendly support and answers from knowledgable & caring people.

I don't know how much help I can be, but my mother used to get something like that on her hands when I was a girl. I think it was called egzema??

She had to keep her hands real dry. Even doing the dishes would mess them up. Had to wear rubber gloves to clean and stuff. When it got bad, the skin on her fingers would actually crack open. It was very ichy at first and then painful as you mentioned.

If I'm not mistaken it was caused by her nerves... like chicken pocks... She's prone to get shingles too, when she's under a lot of stress.

Lyme does work on the nerve endings, so maybe it is related. Like I said, I'm grasping at straws here because I've never heard of such. Besides that, I'm not the most knowledgable person here either.

Hopefully someone else with better info will come along. I know I'd head for a dermotologist if it were me.

Hope he figures out whats going on so he can relief soon.

Sincerely,

Carol

Posted by twoangie (Member # 1636) on :

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic264.htm

Maybe Lyme but I'm actually thinking it may be Candida (yeast) or fungal. Take a look at pictures 2 and 8 at the very bottom of the page on this site:
www.emedicine.com/med/topic264.htm

I don't remember having any white spots on any of my rashes related to my tick bite but that's just me. Others may have had this happen but I think most of the rashes with white spots in them are more in the line of fungal infections. Spots that are red are more likely to be tick related unless there is a central area that looks to be oozing and infected.

Oh, the other thing to consider is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It primarily causes a rash on the palms and soles. This can quickly be fatal if not treated early.
www.emedicine.com/oph/topic503.htm

A picture is at:
www.activedayton.com/health/healthfd/shared/health/adam/ency/imagepage/1014.000654.html

Take a good look at him all over and see if there are any other rashes. Usually, taking a hot shower first will make the rashes a bit redder so they show up better and are easier to find.

Whatever he has, Lyme, RMSF or Candida he needs medical treatment.

Angie

PS Here are some Lyme rashes. Remember, not all Lyme rashes look like these - they can be very individual but it may give you a better idea of what you are looking at right now.
www.emedicine.com/asp/image_search.asp?query=lyme

There are a couple of pages so make certain to click on next. These are pretty dramatic rashes. Many do not have Lyme rashes this large.

Posted by Nancy-OH (Member # 3567) on :

Me too....I don't remember anything like this with my Lyme.

Maybe fungal....maybe an allergy.

I get these welts on my hands which are an allergic reaction to artificial sweetners and also to sulpha medication.

Wish I could help more.

Posted by livinlyme (Member # 3773) on :

Acidophilus might help and sure couldn't hurt,, I don't think..
everyone in my family gets rashes of one form or another, not like the one you described and the location.. but my son has something similar, on his arms and his face, cheeks area... they used to tell us it was allergy.. they never went away, can you take a picture of it and email me it.. I would be interested in seeing this...since it is not in the private area...I get a bright red rash under my bra area and another delicate spot.. they both itch like crazy.. come and go as all the symptoms of lyme fade in and out... did you look on the internet for rashes.. usually you can find something that might match the likes of what you have...
I will look when I get back froming running right now..

------------------
Can't do better, unless you know better!

Posted by zoey (Member # 4146) on :

With rashes I think you should always see a doctor or at least get a picture so he can show his doctor later.

There are certain disease that cause rashes on the palms of the hand. For instance, syphilis can cause a rash on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet.

I am not implying he has syphilis it is the only one I can think of right now. I know there are others.

Maybe go to the general board at webmd and ask what can cause rashes on the palm.

Maybe one of the doctors will answer. Here's the url:
http://boards.webmd.com/topic.asp?topic_id=1169

Posted by David95928 (Member # 3521) on :

Cari,

It seems to me that, when a person previously treated for Lyme Disease develops unexplained symptoms, Lyme should be strongly suspected. That doesn't bring you and your boyfriend any closer to a solution to the immediate problem

Given the array of processes that can cause rashes he probably should try to get this looked into. I doubt there is a solution to this that doesn't involve a doctor.

The possibility or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is pretty alarming and should get him into see someone.

David

Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :

Perhaps a clue?

Magnesium deficiency and rashes

Atopic Dermatitis-like Symptoms in Hypomagnesaemic Hairless Rats Are Prevented And Inhibited by Systemic or Topical SDZ ASM 981
Neckermann G, Bavandi A, Meingassner JG
Br J Dermatol. 2000;142:669-679
Magnesium deficiency in hairless rats results in a transient erythematous rash within several days, the pathogenetic mechanisms of which are not yet well defined. However, the extremely pruritic rash closely mimics the acute clinical features of atopic dermatitis.

Owing to the similarity of clinical signs between hypomagnesaemic rats and patients with atopic dermatitis, this rodent skin condition holds promise as a model for the in vivo evaluation of new treatment modalities against pruritic inflammatory skin conditions. The efficacy of the new ascomycin macrolactam derivative SDZ ASM 981 was tested in hypomagnesaemic rats by systemic or topical administration using prophylactic or therapeutic treatment regimens. Oral treatment of diseased rats with SDZ ASM 981 (12.5 mg kg-1 daily) inhibited the erythematous pruritic rash within 1 day after the start of treatment. This was associated with a clear reduction in histaminaemia, leucocytosis, eosinophilia and serum nitric oxide levels. The same daily oral dose of SDZ ASM 981 administered before the onset of the rash proved to be an efficacious prophylactic treatment regimen to prevent signs. Topical treatment of the ears with 0.4% SDZ ASM 981 locally inhibited and prevented inflammatory changes in a therapeutic and prophylactic treatment regimen, respectively. The histo- and immunopathological skin changes, as well as the numbers of degranulated mast cells in the dermis, were reversed towards normal after oral and topical administration. The pharmacological activity of SDZ ASM 981 reported here corresponds well to its anti-inflammatory and antipruritic activity observed in atopic dermatitis patients, confirming the usefulness of this rat model in drug evaluations.

Posted by shassler64 (Member # 3479) on :

Hi!
don't put any steroid ointments on it as if it is Lyme steroids are the worst for it.
Sue from Downunder.
See a doc-LLMD

Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :

Hi Cari,
Welcome to LymeNet. Hope we can help you with the answers you need.

My first thought was - did he get adequate treatment 4 yrs ago when diagnosed with Lyme?
Does he have any record of what he took, how much, and how long?
This would give a pretty good indication of whether the Lyme is still present and could be causing the rash.

Another possibility is Bartonella.
In Dr. Burrascano's "Diag Hints & Treatment Guidelines..." he lists symptoms including
"papular or angiomatous rash."
I had a recurring rash that looked kinda like poison ivy, itched, would disappear and crop up somewhere else a month later.
I was treated for Bartonella and the rash has not come back since then.

Any info on the Lyme treatment 4 yrs ago?

Posted by badkitti30043 (Member # 2889) on :

I was misdiagnosed for many , many years with excema but I never for one minute believed it, it began about the same time as many of my symptoms.. apparently I had been on the receieving end of a tick bite way back then ( 18 years ago- rash stayed for 15 years)it was not til I began IV treatment (Oct. 2002) for a known tickbite/bullseye that took place 8 years ago that the rash on my hands and feet- which presented as very itchy/painful finally disappeared ..It has been gone about 7 or 8 mo. now..

My LLMD has pictures of a similar rash to mine on his wesite listed under Lyme ,as an ACA rash, I will not post that here for safty reasons but will email you that link.. Mine turned out to be an ACA rash ( aparently from the first strain I was infected with )and as I began getting Lyme treatment it got a little stranger and started the cig. paper like skin patches that were awful too..Then it just faded and hasn't resurfaced..again

but the other posters suggestions of rashes may also be it as well, fungal,RMSF, Bartonella, or a Lyme rash in general or ACA rash.. By the way I do have Bartonella, Lyme and babesiosis.. The other suggested causes are all very possible I just added my two cents in to let you be aware ACA was also in the running here.. I will send that link to you now.

I got to tell you it was the greatest feeling in the world to get rid of a rash I had lived with for 15 years and not one cream the ducks gave me ever helped.

Sandi

Posted by Beverly (Member # 1271) on :

Up.