Circular rash?

[Timaca]

Hi~
I developed a circular rash on my abdomen (like someone had drawn on my abdomen with a red pen) in 2006. It was just an outline, nothing in the center, about an inch and a half in diameter. It did not itch. It lasted less than a week. The dermatologist had never seen anything like it.

Lately, I'm getting the rash again. I've not found anything like it online. I was out of town when it hit, so couldn't make it to the dermatologist. I've attached a photo (with any luck it is attached, anyway... ) If you have any idea what it is, I'd love to know.

Thanks,
Timaca

 

[Sasha]

Hi Timaca (I seem to be following you!) - I have heard of "circular rash" in connection with Lyme Disease. It appears early after infection and then disappears. I don't know if it reappears. Here are some photos of it on a CDC page.

There are lots of people on PR with knowledge of Lyme - anybody?

 

[3CFIDS@ourhouse]

I have had this rash on my abdomen for a few months now- it doesn't itch, but it looks a little rough and red in the center. I've put antifungal cream on it, but it doesn't change at all. That you have the same thing is very interesting--I've wondered what it is, but not bad enough to go to the dermatologist. Maybe we should take a poll .

 

[Timaca]

HI Sasha~ I had thought of Lyme disease, but my rash doesn't look as red or as angry as those rashes (and other photos I've seen of Lyme rashes). I *think* Lyme rashes can reappear, however.

I do think my rash is caused by an infection. When it first appeared in 2006, it was part of a "herx" like reaction after I started bicillin. I got tachycardia, which put me in the ER, followed by a circular rash which happened on the same day as a flu like day, followed by a very, very stiff neck that I had for 2 weeks.

This rash was not accompanied by a flu like day. My doctor is running some infectious panels on me to see if anything shows up antibody wise.

But, if someone has ideas of what it could be or knows of some photos online I'd sure like to know!

Best, Timaca

 

[Timaca]

Hi 3CFIDS~ My rash is not rough and red in the center and has not lasted for months.....less than a week both times. So we are different in those aspects....

 

[Stone]

http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/sh...y-Rash-Pityriasis-Rosea&highlight=freaky+rash

Check out this thread. It looks EXACTLY like the rash I had twice. But it appears that you have only one leasion. This rash, Pityriasis Rosea, starts with what they call a "herald patch" and then others may follow. If you have only one patch, it could be a herald patch and others may follow. It does not itch in all people, and the herald patch I had did not itch, but the others that came later did itch a little. Pityriasis Rosea is also common in people who are immunosuppressed such as organ transplant patients, cancer patients and HIV patients. It's easily misdiagnosed by dermatologists. I'm not saying you have this, but your rash looks exactly like the lesions I had on my abdomen which later also appeared on my hips, buttocks and back of thighs.

 

[Timaca]

Hi Stone~ My doctor also wondered if I had Pityriasis Rosea. Here is a decent article on it: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0101/p87.html

I don't fit that pattern for these reasons: The duration of my rash is shorter. I haven't (so far) ever gotten the diffuse papulosquamous rash that is described which is supposed to follow the herald patch. It has reoccurred, which I guess is also unusual for Pityriasis Rosea. I've had more than one "herald patch" (if you want to describe my rash as that). One in 2006, two on Sept 30th and one on Oct 24th.... All in different places on my abdomen.

 

[leela]

Your photo looks a whole lot like the ringworm I got years ago. (Not a worm, fungal entity.) But ringworm usually itches like crazy, so I dunno...
Since I was traveling in central america at the time, I applied Grapefruit Seed Extract (Citricidal) which I had with me, and it got rid of it surprisingly fast, and it never came back.
You could give it a try...I rubbed it in straight out of the bottle, but it can be hard on sensitive skin, so you might want to cut it with a little virgin coconut oil or almond oil or some other nice natural thing if it stings too much straight.

That's my 2

 

[leela]

P.S. Here is a photo of ringworm I found on the web:

 

[Timaca]

Hi Leela~ I appreciate your 2 cents. Mine doesn't itch, and my husband hasn't gotten it (ringworm is contagious). Plus the first rash in 2006 was biopsied and checked for fungus (which ringworm is) and was found to be negative. So, it probably isn't ringworm....

Timaca

 

[leela]

I'm not campaigning for ringworm or anything, but I'll mention that none of the people with me (one was my partner) contracted it. On the other hand, come to think of it, I never got a Dx from a doctor, I diagnosed it myself; so the upshot is, what I had looked just like yours, though itched like crazy, and did not infect any of the people I was in contact with. You could always give the GSE a try if you felt like it and see if it went away. Two more cents for your piggy bank

 

[Timaca]

Thanks Leela for your additional 2 cents.

 

[Lotus97]

I didn't have a rash immediately after being bitten by a tick, but 15 years later I had a rash on the area where I was bitten by a tick. Since I had been doing reflexology there I thought maybe I bruised it, but 2 1/2 years later I had the exact same rash in the exact same place. Since I've never been tested for Lyme (partially because I've heard the tests are unreliable) I can't say with absolute certainty that I actually have Lyme. I do have a theory about why the rash appeared. Both times it appeared a month or two after visiting a chiropractor. I've heard of at least one other person with Lyme who said they were in remission, but then experienced a return of symptoms after getting a chiropractic adjustment. I believe it's possible that since the Borrelia spirochetes can live in the spinal area they could have been awakened by the adjustments.

 

[caledonia]

I do think my rash is caused by an infection. When it first appeared in 2006, it was part of a "herx" like reaction after I started bicillin. I got tachycardia, which put me in the ER, followed by a circular rash which happened on the same day as a flu like day, followed by a very, very stiff neck that I had for 2 weeks.

I'm not any kind of expert, but that really sounds like Lyme to me - bullseye rash, stiff neck, cardio symptoms. Maybe the bicillin stirred something up. The treatment for Lyme is long term antibiotics.

It might be worthwhile to see an LLMD (Lyme literate MD).

 

[Cynthia Robins]

It might be worthwhile to see an LLMD (Lyme literate MD).

x2 , especially if you were not tested when the rash first appeared. And even though it may not look exactly like the pics, some folks have lyme and never get a rash at all. It's a common test these days, so you might as well get your doc to at least rule it out.

 

[Timaca]

Caledonia and Cynthia~ Yes, I have seen an LLMD, and I have been treated with long term antibiotics for supposed Lyme disease. I've also been on antivirals for chronic viral infection.

Interestingly enough, the rash appeared two other times, and one time we just happened to do a WBC...what was interesting is that the WBC went to 10.3 (normal for me is 4-5); my % lymph count was 78 and % neutrophils 13. So it looks like that rash is bacterial in origin (an educated guess). I will be interested to share those labs with the dermatologist when I see her next. (That was back in 2010) but I had not organized labs and symptoms until recently.

At any rate, I am feeling better and I haven't had that rash in awhile. I think both the antivirals and antibiotics have helped me.

Best, Timaca