Recurring Rash?

My usually very healthy mother (no ME/CFS, etc) has developed a rash over her entire body the past two mornings. It's red and splotchy and warm to the touch, but not itchy or painful. It fades after a couple hours.

She had a mild fever the first day during the rash, then a low body temp afterward. Her temp was very low today during the rash (albeit on antibiotics now, which can lower body temp a bit). She feels fine in the morning until the rash appears, then feels very wiped out for a few hours, but is pretty much back to normal by bed time.

Nothing has changed with her daily routine or foods or chemical exposures. Yesterday she was drying her hair right before the rash appeared, and today she was doing mild stretching exercises before it appeared - so maybe heat is triggering the rash.

She was bitten by her 100% indoor cat while medicating her three days ago, and the puncture wound did get red and lumpy on the first day, but is now fine. Cat-inflicted wounds can be pretty nasty, which is why she immediately went to the doc and was given antibiotics when the rash appeared afterward.

We're on a small-ish island in the Pacific Northwest. A friend of my mother's that we saw last week (a coffee barista) also had a full body mystery rash when we were visiting, which looked similar. At the hospital yesterday, my mother met someone else she knew who was also there for a new rash. We don't know if their rashes did the disappearing-reappearing trick.

So any thoughts on what it might be? Can something environmental or infectious cause these symptoms?

 

Valentijn

Did the doc consider Bartonella in his choice of abx? I don't know how long it takes to test positive for Bart, but it is something to consider. (It is on my mind, in my life, so it comes to mind.)

Sushi

 

That was my first thought as well ... but the nurse practitioner didn't seem to think it would be, based on the puncture wound itself not showing the rash symptoms. Seems a bit silly to both me and my mother, but at any rate she is on erythromycin now.

 

I think it is the erythromycin that could be causing the rash Valentijn.

I remember taking it years ago and I felt yuk and feverish on it. So much so that I have asked not to have that one again if possible. Hope your mum feels better soon. x I think from memory it can cause a flush of the skin.

 

The rash started before the antibiotics - it was the reason that she started taking the antibiotics.

 

Ooh, I have to slow down my reading, am reading to quick. x

 

Heh, no worries!

 

getting hot usually makes rashes worse or brings them
out.

since she knows others who have it it sounds viral.
I'd take her to her doctor so he/she can look at her
for other signs. If it's viral, her doc is probably aware
of what's going around.

Other than that I find homemade chicken soup really
makes me feel better when I'm sick.

hope she feels better soon. x

 

Today she got the rash for the third time in a row. Not at the same time as the past two days, and no problems after a luke-warm shower. But while in the car with the heater on, she got too hot and it came back. So it does seem likely that regardless of the underlying problem, heat is triggering the rash to emerge.

Maybe just a virus, which would explain the other people with the same - but I haven't heard of any going around lately where a lot of people get a rash from it.