I have all these strange skin problems that have been appearing more and more regular but none really look severe or anything.
Most doctors just ignore them but to me they are getting worrysome. They may not even be that apparent in the photographs but I'd appreaciate the feedback anyways.
Photo 1: A spot on my scalp that was diagnosed as ring worm and then as a scar from an old ring worm infection when the treatment prescribed had no effect. It was completely unoticeable and painless until two weeks ago when it swelled a teeny bit and became very painful for one night. Since then it has only been midly painful when touched but otherwise once again unnoticable mostly.
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Photo 2: Stretch marks that I have had a long time are the white ones and the Pinkish ones are new additions which continue to pop up every year or so. Ive never had any significant growth or weight gains that would explain them. I grew a couple inches on summer and some may have appeared then but since then many more have appeared.
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Photo 3: The least photogenic of the complaints is these small red dots appearing in clusters in what seems everyplace. These on my upper arms have been around the longest I think. Some are raised up and seem vaguely like pimples or black heads but there isnt anything like pus or clogged pores in them. Others are just small red dots like veins ends or something. When scratched accidentally they sometimes scab up or bleed a tiny bit.
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Well I was just wondering if any of these would reinforce my thoughts to get a LLMD to redo a Lyme test making sure to not use the ELISE test. I am not positive but I believe the other times I have been tested it was with that method as its the most common and none of my doctors really seemed to think it was lyme.
This seems like only the tip of the iceberg for odd happenings and unexplained skin and other conditions going on with me no doctor seems interested in fully investigating...
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
Those "stretch" marks look an awful lot like bartonella.
Besides skin issues, do you have any other sympoms?
I would seek the advice of a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.
If you do have bartonella, there is (I think) a 60% chance you may also have Lyme.
You can post in Seeking Doctors with your state and city.
I am sure someone can direct you to a tick-borne specialist.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
I was wondering about sypmtoms, too.
The "ring" on your scalp could be a bullseye and the stretch marks and possible "papsules" on your arms could possibly indicate Bartonella.
I thing a visit to a Lyme Dr. is definately in order - especially if you have sypmtoms.
Kudos on taking the photos.
Posted by njlymemom (Member # 15088) on :
the first picture i would guess as a bullseye also
the next two look like bart
do a search for an llmd - you want to be tested for lyme and the co infections
even if you have a local doc drw and send to igenx - your chances of them interpreting the results correctly are slim
Posted by Gert (Member # 13584) on :
I certainly agree with the other posters....looks like lyme and Bart. I would find a lyme literate doctor soon. Take care.
Posted by Zoeyini (Member # 15583) on :
I posted in the seeking doctor forum and am hoping to go see someone if not to have someone literate rule it out. and I posted more of my symptoms in my first post so I wont repeat them here. thanks everyone for your suggestions and advice.
Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
Yes, zoeyini,
I am not a doc, but the first looks like a bulls-eye rash! You were diagnosed with ringworm--due to a bulls-eye rash. Ya. There was a doctors book many years ago that identified bulls-eye rashes as ringworm.
Naw!
Another picture--the one you said looked stretchy--looks like bartonella, a coinfection. (Bartonella is another tick illness.)
It's great that you took photos: these are documents. Show them to an LLMD who takes the ILADS Guidelines seriously. I'm glad you posted for one!
You may need to show these picture-documents to an insurance company executive to get treatment approved. You are very wise.
Yes, there are tests, but Lyme remains a clinical diagnosis. Your rash pictures show Lyme, better than any tests!
Have you been here: www.ilads.org and click "Treatment Guidelines" on the left menu. That brings you to both The ILADS Guidelines and to Dr. Burrascanos 33 pages of tips for 2005. You'll find tons of information.
These writings are starting points and essential.
Hang-in there. You are on your way!
daise Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi Zoe -
the Stretch marks look like Bart -
The last picture Look like Babs Rash-Arm Dose it Itch ??? Babs rash Itches like Crazy -
Do bumps have a nerve type reaction where you scratch one bump and you can feel it some where else on body ???
Its possible the head picture is lyme bullseye but they usually dont hurt
Did you see the rash on head around the time you started feeling Sick ??
-Jay-
Posted by Zoeyini (Member # 15583) on :
thank you daise I'm loving the atmosphere around her e already very welcoming thank you.
and no jay the ones on my arms dont itch much those my legs do and for no apparent reason. Though I saw somewhere else that the shiny looking skin on my legs could be another sign. I thought I was developing scar tissue on my whole leg! I dunno if Im relieved or sadden. lol.
Im not sure when I got the rash on my head as I had no idea it was even there till my hairdresser mentioned it. Id guess I was starting to get sick previous to the rash though but I cant be positive. Does it ever take a really long time for a bullseye to appear? Or can they reappear years later?
I cant believe that if lyme is such a clinic diagnosis that its been this long and this many possible signs and yet if I mention it to doctors they look at me like a hypochondriac! Rawr! lol
Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :
I got stretch marks and the tiny dots (petechia) after being
infected with Bb & Bartonella Henselae. The former are specifically
associated with the
bart, while the latter can be caused by many different
things (though they are common with numerous TBD's.)
I definitely think it'd be worth it to see an LLMD...
Posted by A_Caro (Member # 15191) on :
Hi Zoey,
"I cant believe that if lyme is such a clinic diagnosis that its been this long and this many possible signs and yet if I mention it to doctors they look at me like a hypochondriac!"
Most people on this forum have had the same experience, it is absolutely unacceptable! (many believe that this problem is political in origin). Lyme is not given the serious consideration it should get in med school. Doctors are told it is easy to diagnose (relying on blood test) and easy to treat. Everyone on this forum knows that this is not the case. Fortunately there are doctors out there who see past this illusion.
I agree with the above postings, I would definitely find yourself a doctor who is well read about lyme disease and other tick bourne coinfections. If you are unsure, ask him/her if they practice according to ILADS guidelines. This is very important.
These doctors know better than to rely 100% on blood tests when it comes to Lyme, as some patients do not have sufficient antibodies floating around to confirm that the infection is present. This happenned to me and it is not uncommon. I testing negative in spite of having neuromuscular symptoms of lyme and a history of a distinct bull's eye shaped rash two years ago. In spite of my negative blood tests (even the more sensitive western blot test from IGENEX was negative), I am now responding well to the antibiotic treatment for Lyme.
You are on the right path.
Best of luck! Caro
Posted by cjnelson (Member # 12928) on :
welcome zoey!
Posted by jblral (Member # 8836) on :
Hi--I pM'd you the other day with my recommendation for LLMD. Yes, the second photo definitely looks like bartonella.
Posted by Pixie (Member # 6977) on :
In regards to photo 1, I had a similar looking rash on my face. At first the doctor thought it was ring worm and gave me a topical cream, when that didn't work she determined that it was a strange rash from Bartonella.
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