This is topic dark eye rings.. why? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


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Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
hey,

im wondering everytime when im looking in the mirror..
everytime i see this dark eye rings around my eye.. before i got sick, i didnt have dark eye rings.. not a little bit.

what causes this dark eye rings?
my ferritin in blood is ok.. my doc suspect that i have babesia too...

can babesia cause an anemia which u cant see on the normal blood analysis?

i have bart and borrelia.. thats for sure.. and we think babesia too..

greetz
 
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
In kids Dr. J calls them "racoon eyes".

Usually an indicator of Bartonella.

Adults can have this also.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Toppers (Member # 20083) on :
 
yeah I had them for a year solid and bart positive here. Definitely clearing up a "tad" with treatment but not totally gone.

Dr's said I was "just tired and stressed". They were so bad it was like obvious black patches, not cool.
 
Posted by liesandmorelies (Member # 15323) on :
 
It's called lack of deep restful sleep and stress.

Mine are better when I am going through good periods and worse when I am in a flare.
 
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
 
Allergies and dehydration are 2 common causes.
 
Posted by Cass A (Member # 11134) on :
 
Bags under the eyes are a common symptom of allergies.

I'm not sure if you're talking about that, or about rings around your eyes.

Best,

Cass A
 
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
 
I think it comes from just being sick in general, and can't really be traced to once specific infection. It goes away as you get better. Make sure you are well hydrated, get sleep, and also....some MAC under eye cover up!
 
Posted by LittleBite (Member # 22622) on :
 
My son has Panda eyes which I call it. He has lyme, bart and barb. During flares, the rings are burning red, then they cool down and become dark.
 
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
 
Mine are TERRIBLE. I hate them!!!! They make me look reallllly sick.

Tincup, who told you that they are Bartonella? Was it a certain LLMD?

I have been dying to know what these are. I know groovy2 told me his got better with babesia treatment, but who knows...he could have been killing other infections at the time too, so it's hard to know.

I had a period where I was only on a maintence dose of abx and was feeling somewhat better, and the darkness was better then. So it was either just feeling better, or not being on the antibiotics.

Now that I'm sicker, of course I'm back on tons of drugs, and the dark circles look horrible. So I dunno if it's from the infections or killing off something, or from the drugs we take.

It is not puffiness at all, it is just a very dark pigment under the skin, that makes me look like I'm dying. People notice it.

I would love some kind of explanation. [Frown]

And yes, it does look like a Panda, because it's above and below the eyes.

It seems like children are more likely to have it...but I'm 25. I got very sick when I was 17 though, and got my first bite much younger, though I never had the dark eyes until age 17.
 
Posted by IckyTicky (Member # 21466) on :
 
I remember my daughter, when she was 5...she was put on IV abx for three days for a double kidney infection. Then she was on low dose Macrodantin for almost a year because of bladder reflux.

The WHOLE year she had dark circles under her eyes.

Now that she just got diagnosed with chronic Lyme...I put two and two together.

I agree it could be Bart. We have all tested neg. but all of us have symptoms and my LLMD thinks we have it.
 
Posted by julielynne4 (Member # 20336) on :
 
I know this doesn't really answer the original question, but....

My 12 year old son had dark circles under his eyes when he was little...I remember asking the doctor about it, and people would ask me if he had asthma (he did not).

Now that we have finally all been diagnosed with Lyme (and he and his siblings have had it since birth), I understand that his circles have been due to this infection.
 
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
 
-

Milk, wheat (gluten), corn, soy, eggs, etc. Any of these can also cause this for those with sensitivities.

-
 
Posted by lightparfait (Member # 22022) on :
 
I have had them since my youth, and now that I am lyme free, I still have them.

don't think they will ever go away. I believe they are caused by multiple infections and allergies.

My grandmother with asthma had them and I always believed they were hereditary...now I don't.

Would love to know any way to get rid of them as well.

I just use cover-up! Otherwise I get comments about how sick or tired I look.
 
Posted by jkmom (Member # 14004) on :
 
I have recently noticed that I have dark circles under my eyes. I never had this before I started treating. I am treating for Bart and Lyme now.
 
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
 
My mother sent me a CD with family pictures.
There was a picture of my father in his late teens, it may have been his high school graduation picture.

He has dark circles around his eyes.

Carol
 
Posted by Siciliano (Member # 15920) on :
 
My daughter had this with her eyes years ago

and Dr. called them "allergic shiners" and it

was also due to mild asthma. Don't rule these out.
 
Posted by Thyme2heal (Member # 15767) on :
 
I have the dark circles, there very noticeable, is there anything we can do??

do creams work??

What is the actual cause of the change in pigment?
 
Posted by asus (Member # 13881) on :
 
I have these and I hate them. they started with my illness. constant reminder that I am walking dead...
 
Posted by lyme2health (Member # 19981) on :
 
Do they go away?

I've had them all my life, but this year found out about wheat allergy. I've been gluten free for 6 months, but dark shadows still there.
 
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
 
asus,

That is how I feel about them too. They just add insult to injury with how bad I feel.

It's like, it's not bad enough I feel horrible, I have to get up every morning and be frightened at what I see in the mirror.

It is always a reminder for me.

And I can definitely tell people treat me differently, when I don't cover them. They probably think I'm hung over or something, or someone who has bad hygiene. It's like if you look tired, people assume you don't take care of yourself and are a bum or doing drugs or something.

And sometimes they ARE better, like if I'm feeling better.

I just have a hard time believing that for me they're due to allergies. And if they are, what can you do about it? I mean, I tolerate all foods just fine. No gas, etc. Avoid dust? I have no clue what the solution would be.
 
Posted by Peedie (Member # 15355) on :
 
I got the dark circles around the eyes also - add to that bloodshot eyes! My look is tragic, would much rather they look magic.

I used to think I had pretty eyes - this is not a good look for a gentle smile.

Used to get flowers from my lover, now he appologizes while he runs for cover.

Need some shades and a darkened room
Where I can be me again, if only for a while.
-p
 
Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
mh i dont think that this has something to do with allergies.. maybe some people have the eye rings, because its inherited.

i havent these until i became ill so i guess it is a symptom... but from which bug? when i or my friends get sick because of a "normal" bacterial infection.. they wont become dark eye rings.
 
Posted by jkmom (Member # 14004) on :
 
My daughter that doesn't have Lyme was sick over the weekend and also had circles under her eyes.

My symptoms were pretty mild before treating and I didn't have the circles. Now that I am treating with abx, my symptoms are even milder but I have the circles under my eyes.
 
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Hooz said... "Tincup, who told you that they are Bartonella? Was it a certain LLMD?"

Yes, Dr. J in CT... and it is a pretty common thing amongst long time LLMD's. In other words.. it has been around a while.

I THINK he even wrote about it at one point in his notes. Don't make me promise I saw it in writing.. but I believe I did.

It was the way we diagnosed kids.. or at least suspected there could be Bart in the mixture years ago.

We had to try to help and try to diagnose kids the "old-fashioned" way back then, especially if funds for tests for the kids were limited.

Another comment- I never had them and I've had allergies.

Then I got sick with Lyme. Didn't have them then.

Then I got sick with Bart and they appeared.

I treated Bart and they went away. Still had allergies and lack of sleep many times.

I relapsed with Bart and they are back.

In other words...

I have had allergies and unrestful sleep.. have had them on and off for years. I didn't notice a connection to the "racoon eyes" when I had the other two problems.

Keep in mind.. a zillion and one doctors have never associated the dark eyes with an infectious disease so they wouldn't know to suspect Bart.

In that case, they could easily blame it on whatever you complain of while there that day.... making their statement make sense at the time.

Or they can blame it on the standard line, a catch all phrase like stress or lack of sleep.

I am not saying everyone with raccoon eyes has Bart... but it is something to suspect, consider and test for if this sign is present.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by asus (Member # 13881) on :
 
How long did it take them to go away once you started treating for bart and what did you do to treat bart?
 
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
 
Tincup,

Thanks for taking the time to write up such a thoughtful reply! Gave a lot of good info there.

It is always interesting to hear what other LLMD's are saying!
 
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Hey to Ann Arbor, MI...

You said.. "How long did it take them to go away once you started treating for bart and what did you do to treat bart?"

Truth?

I can't remember exactly when they went away (the exact day or month it happened) as I treated for Bart for about 18 months... most of it a maintenance dose.

My thought is.... it was several months.. possibly 4-6... after treatment started.

They faded out slowly, so it wasn't a sudden "POOF, they are gone" type of thing.

Back then, early 1990's, the only thing we knew to use to treat Bart with, was Doxy.

It had been tested in the little dishes by one of our labs doing research and the Doxy Bart did the job on the Bart.

Hope that helps.

[Big Grin]

Hey Hooz...

You are very welcome.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by ukcarry (Member # 18147) on :
 
I too have alarming dark circles [and the inner 'sides' of the eye are dark grey too] and rather bloodshot, unhealthy-looking whites of eye.

For a special occasion, I use eye drops for the whites, but concealer patted over the dark parts is the first thing I do when putting on make-up. It makes a big difference to the morale !
 
Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
up
 
Posted by jarjar (Member # 8847) on :
 
I agree with tincup as I have read the same things that it is associated with bart especially with children. I remember a pic of a group of lyme patients at a retreat several years ago and they were making comments about all the raccoon eyes they had.
 
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
 
WOWzahs! I've had these since becoming infected and have never heard about the association with Bart. *lightbulb*
Thanks for this post.
 
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
 
I still have mine. I am thinking it's Bart or Babs, since not all Lymies have them.

I dunno.

I would be soooo glad if they went away. Something recent was making them better. I think it was Levaquin. But I had to stop it due to tendon issues. Now they are really bad again.
 
Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :
 
"Allergic Shiners" is what they are called by doctors who know allergies. Allergies usually affect absorption causing leaky gut followed by misery until the allergies are corrected. see
Allergie Immun thread.
 
Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
i didnt hear of people that u get some raccoon eyes when u are allergic.

in my case.. im allergic too and had asthma for several years.. i NEVER had raccoon eyes... that symptom occured 1-2 months after i got sick with lyme
 
Posted by jarjar (Member # 8847) on :
 
I took allergy shots for years and my allergies cleared up. Guess what the "allergic shiners" underneath my eyes never did clear up even though my allergies did. They do fluctuate though.
 
Posted by Kirk (Member # 24483) on :
 
THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION! I have had this development for the past 3 or 4 months. Must be Lymes or Bab related, I test negative for bart.

I've read that dehydration can cause this so i've been drinking excessively and i think i notice a slight improvement.

I have also developed allergies since all this happened ( never had'em in my life).
 
Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
up [Smile]
 
Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
up 4 mo
 
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
 
It sounds like some people are misunderstanding the "dark circles" or "eye rings" description.

"Raccoon eyes", "eye rings", or dark "circles" means completely around the eye, not just underneath.


I developed the *under eye* dark bags when I was about 12 or 13. Various doctors have called them allergic shiners, which is probably true in my case. It is just dark bags UNDER my eyes though.

However, I also have tons of symptoms of Bart, even though I tested negative for it. I have never had the dark circles (never had it ABOVE my eyes).


It sounds to me like some people with Bart get these rings around their eyes, but not all.

I have read somewhere (forget at the moment) that it can be a symptom of Bartonella, but I'm not sure if can also be caused by Borrelia or Babesia, or any other tick-borne infections that aren't talked about here as often, or studied as frequently.

I wonder if they can also be caused by opportunistic infections.

Just wondering aloud.
 
Posted by BackinStOlaf (Member # 23725) on :
 
I also have slightly dark circles under my eyes that I never had before. I thought it was just stress. I have to use concealer now. :/
 
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
 
I've been intrigued by this chart which talks about dark circles and other facial discoloration and a possible connection to thyroid or adrenal issues (very common in Lyme Disease):
http://www.drrind.com/Default.aspx?PageID=1492341&A=SearchResult&SearchID=526252&ObjectID=1492341&ObjectType=1
 
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
 
I have had them my whole life so can't blame them on the bartonella. Vitamin K is supposed to help as it helps with bruising. There is a cream you can buy with vitamin K to put under your eyes. I forgot the name of it but it is very expensive.
 
Posted by daniel (Member # 22201) on :
 
i have spoken with some german people and 1 of them said, that he never saw so much dark eye circles else where as on the lyme conference in germany lol ... first i thought it is a bartonella or babesia sign, but now i believe it could be some detox issue too
 


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