LymeNet Flash: Has anyone had ring worm like rash???

This is topic Has anyone had ring worm like rash??? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by jmardis (Member # 6643) on :

I was recently diagnosed with lyme disease. But now I am getting worried about my husband.

He keeps getting this ring worm like rash. It began under his arm pit and stayed there for 2-3 months. Fungal remedies didn't work.
Then it spread down his side and to his thigh.

Doc took biopsi and it came back as dry skin. However, before the biopsi came back he gave him an ointment (anti fungal/anti bacterial) that cleared it up. Now its back.

He also started taking Vit C (1500 mg/day) about 4 days ago. He is down sick tonight. He never gets sick.

Any ideas.

P.S. He had a tick bite about 4 to 4 1/2 years ago on the back of his knee. It was really infected with pus running out at times. It took at least 3 months or longer to heal. Don't know if was bull's eye (can't remember exactly what it looked like).

[This message has been edited by jmardis (edited 03 February 2005).]

Posted by Corinne E (Member # 4670) on :

Hi jmardis,

I had exactly the same thing, except doc cut thus thing out, about 2" across out and sent to lab for testing. Came back as "nothing". I have two patches like that on back. When on abx they went away, now off abx they are back, so.... I will be shortly going back on abx. Had tick behind left knee, was very ill. Doc gave me nothing, said I would be fine. NOT!!

Get him to your llmd, quickly. The pus part worries me. Others will be along with better and more info. You both will get better with time, just takes time and patience. Let us know what happens. We care.

Corinne

Posted by pattiecake (Member # 6424) on :

I have had an ever persistent rash due to lyme and possibly bartonella. and at times I had 2-3 ring worm looking rashs. light red circular slightly raised with a darker red edge all the way around. I would definately get him to a llmd a.s.a.p. (ps-my rash's have gotten much better since starting ABX, the ring worm looking part went away very quickly)
Pattiecake

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

Could be a yeast causing the rash.

Posted by jmardis (Member # 6643) on :

Thanks for the info. His rash is probably 50 to 75 ring like dry scaly 1/4" places.

We are planning to get him tested. The problem is no insurance and LLMD so expensive. We are figuring it will be May before we can get back to LLMD (so far away).

jmardis

Posted by sapphire101 (Member # 6638) on :

I just wanted to say hi to a fellow Kentuckian. I think you are the first person I've seen from KY.

I was recently dx'd also and so was my husband and daughter. I haven't made it to an LLMD yet. Since you have lyme I would say it's a good possibility your husband does, too. I would definitely have him tested.

Take care,
Sapphire

Posted by jmardis (Member # 6643) on :

Thanks Sapphire,
Nice to here from another Kentuckian too! I am amazed at the amount of people I have heard have it here and those that have contacted me since they found out I have it. Several are people who have positive WB but ducks won't treat since its so "rare" in KY.

Did you know that turkeys were brought in here several years ago to replenish the hunting. My LLMD said that they are one of the worst carriers for the Lone Star tick and are usually infested. We typical them turkey ticks or turkey mites (same thing).

This might explain the huge increase in lyme disease and misdiagnoses in KY. According to my LLMD, these are a major carrier of "Starri/Master's Disease.

Just thought I'd pass on the info.

Keep in touch.

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

I got something thats cheap Bagbalm works on tons of stuff.It was made for animals originaly but I have used it on everything, also you can make a poultice Spelling? out of burdock root its good for psoriasis. http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_burdock.htm http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Burdockch.html

There ya go.

Posted by Pitnum (Member # 4906) on :

My original rash was misdiagnosed as ringworm.
No antifungals or cortisone creams has any effect. I was on IV rocephin for 3 months and added an antibiotic cream to the rash. After 3 months it gradually faded.

Two weeks after stopping the antibiotics and cream, the rash came back (in almost the same location). It has been been 8 months now and
the ringed rash is still present. It doesn't itch, has a raised outer edge and very slowly expands. I give up!

I'm sure it is the lyme rash again because all other symptoms have returned also. Doc wants to do another round of IV treatment,
but insurance co. is insisting on another positive PCR.

Good luck to your husband! I hope he makes out better than I have. Do have him see an
LLMD asap.

Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :

I think TC has some pictures of rashes in this link.

Tincup's Links for new members
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/009342.html

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oops!
Lymetutu

Posted by sapphire101 (Member # 6638) on :

I know what you mean about the ducks not wanting to treat lyme even with a positive WB test. My daughter, hubby and I all went to the dr(PCP) Monday and he said he would write a paper if a whole family had lyme.

we had our test results to show him and he said there is alot of false positives. I don't agree but didn't say anything (yet).

At first, he didn't believe me but did all kinds of tests and nothing showed up and he knew I was sick so started treatment. Although the dose is too low but at least, he is trying.

Which LLMD do you see? Are you seeing any improvement?

Thanks for the info. I had never heard that before about the turkeys.

Take care,
Sapphire

Posted by flygirl (Member # 6669) on :

interesting info, sounds like what I may have. thanks.

Posted by ivebinlymed2 (Member # 7330) on :

Flygirl, My daughter had a rash last fall that looked like ringworm. It went away on its own. We think that it was her EM rash.

EM rashes have all different kinds of presentations apparently. Changes things up and keeps it fresh doesn't it, trying to figure this crazy disease out?! HA!

Posted by flygirl (Member # 6669) on :

thanks! what is EM rash though?

Posted by bigmamma (Member # 7181) on :

quote:
Originally posted by flygirl:
thanks! what is EM rash though?

EM stands for Erythema Migrans. Erythema means it gets red or pink and migrans means it migrates or expands in size.

Here are some good pictures for you.
http://www.lyme.org/gallery/rashes.html
http://dermnet.com/thumbnailIndex.cfm?moduleID=10&moduleGroupID=128&groupIndex=0&numcols=0

I had the EM rash, which looked very similar to what you describe. I thought it was Lyme right away, 2 ducks said it was likely a spider bite. Grrrr.

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Posted by shazdancer (Member # 1436) on :

Dear Sapphire,

Send your PCP a copy of today's Boston Globe, complete with a picture of a whole family with Lyme.

Heck, for that matter send him a copy of Polly Murray's "The Widening Circle," in which she tells the story of her whole family's Lyme problems.

Then tell the doctor he's too late -- the articles have already been written.

Regards,
Shaz

Posted by brainless (Member # 6771) on :

Take pictures of ALL rashes and ask your LLMD.

Perhaps your husband should see your LLMD to rule out Lyme.

Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :

Sapphire's post was written in Feb.

Posted by ivebinlymed2 (Member # 7330) on :

Flygirl, I replied this morning on your topic: "totally off topic - ringworm" you also had posted. Some of it may be old news by now, but here goes just in case:

Flygirl, EM stands for "erythema migrans". It is the bullseye rash from lyme disease also referred to often as the EM rash.
(Any of you more seasoned lymies jump in to to help if I am wrong.) The rash can have many differing appearances on different people. (It's not a yeast thing.)

The rash involves a circular pattern that can sometimes look like that of ringworm.

I thought perhaps you were already infected with lyme disease and knew about the EM rash. I didn't know about them all that long ago either. You can look at some rashes online: http://www.lyme.org/gallery/rashes.html http://healthlinks.washington.edu/nwcphp/lyme/figure7.html http://images.google.com/images?q=erythema+migrans&btnG=Google+Search

Sorry that I jumped to that conclusion.

I always learn from someone elses questions, too. Thanks for your entry, because of it I now know to suspect cat scratch fever in my daughter as a co-infection.

You wanna know something real funny (ironically speaking). This will make you feel better, Flygirl.

When talking to docs all this time, I didn't know that cat scratch fever was really a disease and I would refer to that (cat scratch feva, you now the old rock tune) as the angry reaction my daughter's lyme brought on.

Ei: Jokingly telling the ducks, "It was cat scratch fever getting her outta the car today." Get it?

These really trying moments push us into laugh or cry without ceasing mode, don't ya think?

Flygirl, in short, I agree with Tincup, please have yourself tested by a lyme literate doctor for lyme disease and its lovely companions known as coinfections.

It's good to hear that your cats stay indoors. Maybe there is little chance that it is lyme/coinfections at all!

Take care and keep us posted!

Posted by Kaykay (Member # 6732) on :

Had "ringworm" rash even before lyme rash. It's hard to get rid of, too

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KayKay