My husband is still waiting to see a new doctor and has not started on any antibiotics. Since having a bout with dehydration in July,and starting to vomit in June, he has had terrible flaky skin and hair loss.
When he washes his hair it just falls out and he has terrible dry skin always in his ears and looks like cradle cap on his head, also hands and feet turn purple and his nails have a white line across the middle since this episode.
Anyone else had this problem and what can we do?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Ooh, this sure sounds rough. It can get better. Really.
#1. Steroid check. If he's taking any prescription steroids that can make lyme worse. Nothing you said makes me especially think that, but it came up as the first thing to rule out. Check all items, even skin creams and eye drops, inhalers. You may have to google the ingredients, but ANY - ANY - steroids can make lyme blossom.
Now, if for a life-threatening event, antibiotics together with steroids in a particular method has been used by some LLMDs.
(Edited to add: if taking any sort of steroid prescription, though, be sure to consult doctor before stopping it or even tapering down. Expert advice on how to proceed would be needed. Typically, unless a doctor knows alot about lyme and TBI, they may not be aware of the contraindication.
Sometimes steroids can be life-saving. A LLMD would know how to treat simultaneously to tend to lyme problems if a steroid drug is required. There is a section on this in the treatment guidelines at www.ilads.org )
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Since it's winter and cold in Illinois, has your husband ever been evaluated for Raynaud's ? It can cause purplish toes and fingers due to circulation problems. If it fluctuates, can you take a photo or two and note times, conditions?
He has to be the judge of how serious it is. But this sounds like a doctors apppoint right away would be best. I have to assume, though, that he's already been and gotten some sort of advice, especially since vomiting began in June (is it on-going ?).
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez is PubMed's site for searching medical abstracts from all over the world. This might help. Raynauld's may also have a foundation or association you can find through Google or Yahoo search.
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Dry skin and flaky scalp can be candida/yeast infection. Zinc deficiency comes to mind, too. Dry skin and hair loss can be thyroid problems. As you may know lyme can affect the entire endocrine system. If your husband is already on thryoid meds, just check to be sure of the dosage, etc. Any change in dose or brand since June/July?
--------- To help with skin - and the body in general: Getting good essential fatty acids -EFA -/ proper blend of the Omega 3-6-9 is vital. Fish oil capsules (be sure to get a good brand that is certified mercury-free). can help with dry skin.
Olive oils, and raw coconut oil (not hydrogenated) can also help with the EFA and thyroid. I'd start slow on the oils, though, if digestion is challeged. GREENS, GREENS, GREENS. Kale, collard, any dark leafy greens that you can steam will help alot.
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Neutrogena makes a special shampoo, T/SAL. It comes in unscented, too. I get it at a pharmacy. You might also ask a pharmacist's suggestions for shampoo in the meantime, but my guess it you already have.
Nizoral makes a shampoo, too, it used to great but it is so perfumey now it knocks me over. A prescription shampoo may be needed. ---------
" . . . since starting to vomit in June. . . " That could a symptom of many things, and if on-going, I'd get in to see a good GP. In the meantime, a gluten-free diet might help sort out some things. Avoiding colas, alcohol or anything that irritates the GI lining is good. The vomiting coud be any number of things, of course. In the meantime, this might help soothe the GI lining:
DGL (you might search Vitamin Research Products at www.vrp.com at their library for this). It may say "research center" in their menu.
DGL - which can be chewable - is licorice with one ingredient taken out, but I forget how to spell that - deglycerinated ??? licorice. DGL will do for a search. Vitamin Research Products has one of the best libraries on line that I've seen regarding nutritional products.
I'm no expert, but this has helped me: 1. Gluten-free diet 2. all the probiotics he can handle. start slow, also roll some around in the mouth for a while, then swallow. 3. DGL 4. Sugar-free diet, too.
Stevia is a nutritional supplement that is very sweet and will not feed candida. Or (a very tiny bit of) agave syrup - from cactus - does not spike blood sugar but might still feed candida.
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While all of these could be checked by most doctors and they could be unrelated to lyme, if they are related to lyme (TBI - tick borne infection) it sure would be great if you could just get one very thorough eval by the LLMD.
When is your appointment with a LLMD or are you just circling in limbo looking for one ?
If it will be soon, and you are already scheduled, you might call the LLMD's office and ask to talk with the office mgr for suggestions on if he should be seen ASAP by a GP or if he can get on the LLMD's cancellation list. Can they suggest a doctor for this in-between time?
You might ask if taking olive leaf extract (antimicrobial) would help settle down some of the symptoms until he can get in ? You can search these on - PubMed, or VRP to start.
One Earth Herbal Sourcebook web site is another excellent place to search and not just about particular herbs and history, but he had good info. about how all body systems work. www.oneearthherbs.squarespace.com
Best of luck. Please let us know how this goes.
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[ 14. November 2007, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by listenswithcare (Member # 10719) on :
My hair was coming out alot more than usual. I am hypothyroid and on thyroid medicine (T3 and T4), and those tests where in the normal range.
My doctor did an Iodide urine challenge test and found that I was low in Iodide. So he had me supplement it and now my hair is not falling out like it was.
I think thyroid problems can also cause the dry flaky skin. I would look it up.
Robin
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
My hair has thickened back up with treatment even though I'm not better yet. I lost a substantial amount, but fortunately it's thick to begin with. People are starting to comment on how thick my hair is.
I had to get about three inches of the old stuff cut off ... about two inches to go and it will all be healthy hair ... I've been in treatment for 10 months, so that might give you an idea what you might expect.
My skin rashes went away almost right away .... within a couple weeks of starting treatment.
Be sure his thyroid is checked.
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
My skin looked horrible there for a while, and my hair was falling out in gobs. Some if it is starting to grow back now, but so much fell out.
Minocycline seemed to be the one abx that helped the most. Metronidazole was probably second. It could be something fungal, too.
This is my problem. I have it so bad that the heater makes me sick now, and that includes my skin.
Posted by mixedfeelings (Member # 13404) on :
thanks for the input from all.
He has not been on steriods and PCP was called out of office today, new appt. on Tues. will talk to him about it. Also have emailed Dr. Z in Chicago for an appt. hoping he will work w/PCP.
Another post about spleen swelling was interesting as his does this as well. Dr's say it is fine.
You guys really are helpful with your info for a wife that has been telling dr's for almost 3 years hubby has lyme and them telling me he doesn't because tests have been negative.
New PCP told me to research and give him my input, so he is looking over a ton of info I collected.
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
make sure you get copies of his "negative" test results, "for your records". Very often a non-LL doctor considers negative for "CDC" reporting to be negative. It may actually reflect positive bands.
Babesiosis can also interfere with Lyme testing so make sure he gets a Babesiosis IGG/IGM as well as Lyme. Babesia can cause awful nausea.
I was just reading about those symptoms & systemic yeast.
I think California Lyme had also posted something recently about a chronic salmonella as a newly recognized co-infection. I could be mistaken on that one.
He can have Lyme & still test negative. I think there's a long list of reasons for false negative tests in treepatrol's newbie links up top.
I would also say some good probiotics would be in order. They can't hurt and if it's yeast he'll probably get some herxheimer reactions from the die off.
He might find some ginger helpful too.
Good luck, I hope you can get to the bottom of it.
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