posted
What fun, another new symptom for our daughter.
This rash appears & disappears on her back. It does not hurt or itch, but looks scary. It's mottled and purplish, sort of the color of bruises. It spreads out and covers much of her back, then goes away after a while.
She is 24, probably has had Lyme and Ehrlichiosis for years, just became acute last winter. Igenex positive. On Doxy for 3 weeks now, and taking supplements.
PCP doc is a duck, and her first LLMD appt will be in May. So, no doc. to ask about this.
Could it be caused by the doxy?
Could it be caused by the many hours she spends lying on the heating pad every day? (there is no clear cause & effect here)
Sometimes it happens after she takes a hot shower, but other times not.
Should we worry, or do something? Or is it just another Lymie mystery?
Posts: 228 | From Mass. | Registered: Feb 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Doxy caused a bunch of rashes for me. Silver dollars sized ones but they did not appear and disappear like you describe. They said for about ten days after I stopped. (Each time. I tried this about 4 times before I knew I could not take doxy as my rashed did burn and itch unbearably.)
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AND the heating pad has, too, has caused that mottled looking "rash" for me, as have hot showers.
Many hours on a heating pad, if lying on top of it, can make many sorts of marks. First, eliminate the heating pad as you have to know for sure if that is causing it.
Or - turn it on and put in between towels, heat it up and turn it off before lying on it. I know she must be in pain to lie on the heat for hours a day, but you have to know if that might be causing the rash.
The fact that it does away after a while (each day) has me thinking the heating pad is contributing to it. That is covers much of her back - is it mainly the area where she lies on the heating pad?
With doxy, exposure to the sun is prohibited. I wonder if the heating pad would not also cause the skin to react as if it might be in the sun. It's not the sunlight, but the heat can be reactive.
Whatever, you might take some photos and keep a dairy of when it appears and when it disappears.
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If this rash ever happens WITHOUT the heat before it, that is a clue. Google doxycycline and read some of the mfr. info. It may mention a rash as a side effect and you can find out more about how that might behave.
But, if the rash every appears without her having been exposed to heat, it would seem to be the doxy - with the heat then also aggravating it when applied. If that is the case, you might try Olive Leaf Extract or Allicin capsules until the May LLMD appt. or call that LLMD for suggestions on what to do until then.
posted
Thank you Keebler. I did read the tract that comes with the meds, but good grief, how could I have not thought to Google for more info?
I'm also going to call the pharmacist and see what she says about it.
Those are great ideas for tracking down the cause. We took a photo, and will watch for more opportunities.
The lower half of her back is covered with the rash, less on top, and she lies on the heating pad all the way up to her neck. That's partly why we're confused.
we'll keep trying to get to the bottom of this.
Posts: 228 | From Mass. | Registered: Feb 2009
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
take photos of the rashes, use dollar bills or coins to show the size comparison and TODAY'S DATED NEWSPAPER IN OBVIOUS location so it can be read easily in case you need photos later on.
did you check out the rashes on left side?
did you look at my newbie links, table of contents and click on links of many types of rashes?
posted
Oh thank you BettyG, will do. I see I'm not fully trained on this site yet, to look in the newbie links first, before asking questions. Learning!
Posts: 228 | From Mass. | Registered: Feb 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Check the wires on the heating pad. Some may be loosing their coating.
If so, cut the plug off and throw away. See if you can find "moist heating pad" that you don't add water to add all but it is a more gentle heat.
Also, still always use a towel. And the instructions say never lie with the heating pad between you and the bed. I started a fire in my bed that way years ago.
Sure, I still do that but as it's very hard to get good heat from it lying on top of my back. But, my pad now had a button lever so that I have to hold it to be on. If I let up on it it turns off. Impossible to fall asleep that way as long as the control is handled correctly.
Still, I have to wonder about the heat and hold off for a week or so completely.
Also a contributing factor may be sweat from the body - salt from that.
posted
Ok Keebler, we're working on it. Will let you know when we figure it out.
Good reminder about the hydrocortisone cream. That is a staple in our 1st aid box -- but we have to remember it's not for darling daughter any more.
Posts: 228 | From Mass. | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Hi Richard, ""The lower half of her back is covered with the rash, less on top, and she lies on the heating pad all the way up to her neck. That's partly why we're confused.""
I think, the rash is happening, because the lower part of her back is cold and the blood maybe pooling there.
I am not sure what this is, I was told its part of raynauds syndrome. I get this alot in my thighs & legs when they are cold { I don't feel cold, but my legs do, weird huh.} or when I sit too long.
When I have showed it to several drs, they commented it was because I was cold. I didn't feel cold! Yet when I touch the area with my hand, its cooler than the rest of my body.
I would get it in the heat of the summer, walking through the air conditioned stores, with shorts on. Or sitting in the drs air conditioned office, waiting to be seen.
Mine goes away as soon as I apply heat to the area or take a warm shower.
The drs had me on circulitory meds for a few yrs, but they didn't stop it, so I stopped them.
Warmth and movement is what helps me. {I have alot of low back/ spinal problems and damage.The Ortho thinks it could be from the back issues.}
I don't know if this is your daughters problem or not. Perhaps you should mention it to your dr and get her checked out.
-------------------- Take Care, DakotasMom01 Posts: 371 | From NJ | Registered: Dec 2007
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blaze
Unregistered
posted
That heating pad may be contributing to the cause of the mottling...
posted
popped in to read this thread. mottling is what is seems is happening. .so- gonna guess that her pain is mostly upper back/neck from use of heat in those area?
if she is lying down for extended periods of time, with heat towards the top of back, she may very well be having a mottling effect to lower back, same with the hot showers. standing up in shower after lying down for long time and focusing hot water on uppper back can cause the same heat effect.
i have empathy for her and you to be in that kind of pain- i had posted on pain myself. now, i have got into the hands of good, local pain doc and the change in meds is helping. not pain free yet, and my heating pad is still in play but i am able to get up and move more.
try to have her move, do stretches in bed. laying still too long on daily basis can lead to problems with circulation. her heart needs to be pumping blood from head to toes. and heat to one area will cause the blood to dialate there, leading to mottling effect. mosit heating pad with timer/auto shut off may help, as well as moving the location of heat to lower back as well- esp. if this is most of her day.
i get mottling to my legs. started to lower feet/ankles 4 yrs ago and just thought from pregnancy. now since last jan. with consetlation of sympotms getting worse (MS turned lyme but will be left with MS after tx? prognosis anyhow) now this happens to entire legs, both. and newest to to hands to at times- iknow that means time to move
laying down for prolonged times also can be an increased risk of blood clot to deep veins. moving around every 1-2 hrs, doing things that make leg muscles contract/relax in reps. even if she needs help with this and someone to help move a leg, gently stetch, passive range of motion, use of exercises.
bless her heart, and yalls. there is nothing like pain constantly that would leave you to a bed, parked on heat for any kind of relief..
i pray her LLMD appt is helpful to get her some relief. and maybe LLMD can recommend pain mngt dr. for her??
i have found use of hot showeres, hot bath, hot tub (jacuzzi), steam room and have been getting weekly massages has helped the muscle pain- now more with the right pain control. massage evny does program for $39 massage with membership- has pain for itslef 4 times over in 5 mo. there are 2 therapist it use, one does craniosacral and the other with muscle movement and massage and reflexology.
-------------------- i am not a Dr. any info is only for education, suggestion or to think/research. please do not mis-intuprest as diagnostic or prescriptive, only trying to help. **
dx in 08:lyme, rmsf, bart, babs, and m.pneumonia. Posts: 422 | From TX | Registered: Oct 2008
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