We found one, and possibly two, new rashes tonight. I don't know what they mean or what to think.
One is a reddish splotch (roundish, but not really round like a classic EM) that looks just like the two "babesia rashes" I have on the back of my neck and head (both under the hair line).
The one that helped me figure out I had Lyme in the first place is the spot where the tick bit me, nape of the neck.
Over a year later we discovered another higher up on the back of my head and have no idea how long it's been there because my hair hid it until we shaved my head.
But this one we found today is on my chest. Otherwise it looks just like the one on the nape of my neck. Before Lyme, I never had rashes.
Also, on my upper belly, there are three horizontal/diagonal linear rashes that do seem *possibly* to resemble bart, but they are very very pale pink. They're so pale that we couldn't get a good digital photo to email my doc. T
They don't look like stretch marks. They look like somebody took their hand and pressed three fingers, spread out, against my belly and left an after-image.
In a way, I would like them to be obvious bart rashes, because I'm sure I have bart but haven't tested positive, so this would be validation to go forward with treatment. But I have no idea if bart rashes can be so light.
As for the other rash, I don't know what to think. I've only found one other person who knows about the "back of the neck babesia rash."
Do others of you have new rashes appear 2 years post-infection? Does this sound like it points to a particular co/infection? Can a change (increase or decrease) in treatment cause them to appear?
Thanks for any help. -Sharon
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
I treated for everything maybe you should?
Posted by FuzzySlippers (Member # 13658) on :
I agree with treepatrol on trying to treat for everything. Have you seen the photos at the Lyme Disease Association for comparison? Here are some links in case it might help:
Yes, I started having terrible issues with rashes around 2.5 years of therapy. Sounds kind of like yours. I believe they were due to both Ly e and babesia and started soon after heavy babesia therapy started. They've gradually lessened and now appear to be gone, at least they have been for a while.
Posted by LymeCFIDSMCS (Member # 13573) on :
The horizontal rashes are pretty characteristic of bartonella. Dr. S's book has a lot of pictures of bart rashes. On the other hand, all of these illnesses seem to cause freaky rashes.
I had a bart "rash" of sorts on my finger for over a year before treatment. It wasn't really a rash, more of a weird oozing cut that would not heal, very painful, red all around it.
It would close up sometimes into a big red lump, right at the crease of my finger.
The only thing it responded to was bart treatment. For some time, it would come and go depending on how well the treatment was working.
You really should just start taking houttuynia (what's in the HH capsules). Dr. S's book on bartonella also finds this herb to be as effective/more effective than the antibiotics for bart.
I believe it's pretty effective, much better than any other bart herbs. I buy Plum Flower brand and make my own capsules, and sometimes a decoction.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
You said..
"As for the other rash, I don't know what to think. I've only found one other person who knows about the "back of the neck babesia rash."
Babesia? Hmmmm.. interesting.
I hadn't heard that before.
Only heard it was a rash indicating chronic Lyme.
Can you share where you heard that?
As for the other rashes... did you see the rash post?
That may help.
Also Dr. Schaller in FL has a good collection of rashes in his books.
Hope that helps.
Posted by swachsler (Member # 18155) on :
Hi all,
Thanks very much to everyone for your replies. I must sheepishly confess that I freaked out prematurely.
I should have gone with my first instinct! (I used to be a self-defense instructor, too, and I always told my students, "Trust your instincts," and that's what I should have done here.)
We were doing a tick check, because I'd pulled the first deer tick of the season off the dog that day, and when my partner pointed in horror at something below my neck, I was like, "What? What?!"
And then when I held up a mirror I was like, "Oh, that? That's nothing." I was so relieved it wasn't a tick.
I have such sensitive skin, it goes pink or red from a touch or pressure or anything, and I said that's what it was. But then, after a couple hours, it hadn't gone away, which is not at all typical. Then I was worried it was actually something, and we took the photos.
It was still there before I went to bed, but in the morning, it was gone! So, I do think it was nothing, after all. And I posted here and now I feel sheepish. Baaa, baaa.
However, I did gain some useful info from your replies.
I have seen those photos before of other TBD. I found them when I did a fruitless search for a photo of a babesia rash.
None of them look like mine. Mine looks most similar to an EM, but without the clearing and not perfectly round.
I've had it for two years, and everyone says a CEM would've resolved after all this tx, and I got it biopsied for b.b. by Igenix and it tested negative.
The plan was to test it for bart and babs, too, but there was a miscommunication, and they didn't.
I read about the back-of-the-neck babs rash on another Lyme site many months back and have since PM with that person, who's also on Lymenet.
LymeCFIDSMCS, I just read recently about a TBD that causes that kind of rash that heals and opens and heals and opens, but I can't remember what it was. It wasn't bart, tho. But maybe it responds to the same tx?
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)