Is it an allergic reaction or a skin herxing rash

[Marianne Welch]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how to tell if a skin rash is being caused by an allergic reaction to a new product (Amazon A-F and/or Myco) or if the skin rash is causing a herxing reaction. Are there clues to help differentiate.

If someone gets a skin rash due to a herxing reaction how do they proceed. Ignore it and work through the rash (very itchy)even if it gets worse, lower the dose, or quit the product til the rash goes away and then start it at a lower dose?

Has anyone had a skin herxing reaction at RB and how long does it take to get through it?

Marianne

[lynnie_sydney]

Marianne – this piece on our main site discusses treatment of various herx reactions. https://www.roadback.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=education.display&display_id=124. Two possibilities for treatment are epsom salts/hydrogen peroxide baths and/or Benedryl. Lynnie

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Krys]

Hi Marianne,
I think it will help if you compare it to your past experience of rashes.
For me, it’s an allergic rash (to medication, food, chemicals) if it’s all over the body.
Localized rash is usually an allergic reaction due to contact with some offending chemical (like a detergent, deodorant, etc), then stopping the offender usually makes the rash go away within a day or two.
The only time I knew I had a rash due to a herx was when I tried Hulda Clark’s anti-parasite cleanse. I never even build it up to the initial dose, but for full six weeks I had a very itchy rash on the chest and the back of it and then on lower belly and the back part. I tried not to take strong antihistamines (regular strength Benedryl was helping for only a few minutes anyway) because I had this idea that they are immunosuppresive. I don’t really know if they are. Keeping the skin well moisturized may help. For me the biggest help with itching (worked for several hours) was cold pressed Black Cumin oil massaged into itchy skin. But I did not know back then of detoxification.
If it’s severe, please contact your doctor. Sometimes it may be dangerous.
Sorry I cannot be of more help. Warm wishes, Krys

[nspiker]

Hi Marianne,

I had the same question a while back, and the info that Lynnie supplied was really helpful. Mine turned out to be a herx. I had red, small, a little bit itchy, bumps on my legs. When I took double-dose benadryl, it didn’t help much. I also was flu-like and lethargic. My LLMD corroborated that it was most likely a herx. I was surprised that a herx could result in a rash.

Nancy

[hopefulmama]

Hi Marianne

I’ve been trying to send you a PM all day – for whatever reason it is not going through. I’ll keep trying. Take care!

A

[lynnie_sydney]

Andrea – if PM is just appearing in your outbox, PM’s do that until recipient picks them up – doesnt mean they havent been sent. If not working at all, you may need to delete some PM’s if your inbox/outbox/sentbox is full, as they will not go – it will tell you what your percentage is at top of each. Lynnie

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Maz]

@hopefulmama wrote:

I’ve been trying to send you a PM all day – for whatever reason it is not going through. I’ll keep trying. Take care!

Andrea, I’ve been getting this problem with PMs, too, intermittantly. When I click submit, it just times out and loses the PM, so I’ve been trying to remember to copy all PMs before sending, just in case. I don’t know what is causing this, but it’s temperamental…some days no probs and some days it won’t allow me to PM some people but will allow others. A couple times I rebooted my computer and it got sorted out, but not every time, either, so not sure it’s that either. I also wondered if it was due to PM length, but then this doesn’t make sense, either, as many of my PMs are long (Ms Rhubbarb here!) and go through fine. I think this might be something we need to ask the web master. 😕 Is this similar to what you’re experiencing, too?

[kerry23]

Perfect timing for this question, I need advice and/or help too. For the last 10 days, I have had hives on and off. I have no idea why. I have tried to eliminate anything and everything to find what the cause is. Dr. S. B. in Rhinebeck, NY, told me to get off everything (I am only on Minocycling twice a day, 100mg each) and this is day 2 and still have it. I never knew we could have it in a herx so maybe that is it because I dropped down on Mino to every other day. My doctor is very smart but he always tells me the same thing: Get off of meds and get in here. It is not so easy when you live 2 hours away. All I can say is that I have cravings for sugar, BAD, that is all I want to eat is sweets. I begged the DR office to give me something for yeast infection but they wouldn’t give me anything so this is my second week in misery. I don’t know what to do. I don’t like being off medication due to fear of the lyme coming back. I had 3 full months of Levaquin for Bart and have had nothing since and I feel that coming back hard and fast. That was over a month ago, he gave me Tindamax to start but I couldn’t handle it, it killed my stomach. I don’t understand why he wouldn’t focus on completing the treatment for Bartonella.
I wanted to ask Lynnie about her yeast issues and the treatment for it. Is this why I am so depressed and crave wierd things?
Someone here just said, tell your dr., it could be dangerous? How can it be dangerous? I feel do ignorant right now.
Does anyone get confused on what is what? Is the pain in my calf from Baronella, lyme, yeast, SD, sjogren or whatever? I am at that point where I don’t know which symptom is under what diagnosis? For example, this craving for sugar, is it the lyme or is it the yeast? I seem to have developed the yeast then shortly after broke out in hives in the buttocks area. I get nauseous suddenly, out of nowhere and it’s so strong, what is that from? What do you take for relief when you don’t know the cause?
I am lost and so depressed.
Kerry

[maz.aust]

Hi Kerry,

Just thought I would jump in & put your mind at ease. You can develop an allergy anytime to anything even though you ingested or touched whatever it is you many times before. It just happens! (ie I have a friend in his late 40’s who is a builder & has just recently developed a severe allergy to chipboard, chipboard is a material all builders use, he has been using chipboard for 20+ years & only now has developed the allergy). Allergic reactions generally take time to surface & usually look like a rash; however even if you know what you are allergic to & stop using/taking it it can take up to 10 days to resolve (ie it is not necessarily immediate!) & yes you can take an OTC antihistamine or if the reaction is too bad to bear & you find yourself at a doctor they will usually prescribe prednisone. The bottom line is if you have had a rash for a few days or a rash that comes & goes, although it’s itchy & uncomfortable it’s ok the chances of that reaction becomming life threatening is very very slim !

Maz – Aust

Dec07: Diagnosed PRA, (CTD; Fibromyalgia; suspected Lyme):
Mar08: Diet to heal gut/bolster immune system (no gluten, dairy, sulphites or sugar)

Jan 2018: ABX Mon/Wed/Fri (started AP 2008)
1/2 x 150mg Roxithromycin(Biasig), 1/2 x 150mg Clarithromycin (Klacid),
1/2 x Fungillin, 1 x 250mg Cephalexin (Keflex)

All off days Probiotics

[Krys]

Maz-Aust, great reply!!!
Kerry, sorry for causing a scare! If it’s very severe, you will know it. I only mentioned that it can be dangerous because if it’s a reaction to antibiotics, the doctor should be informed. I also remembered, while writing a response, my brother’s allergic reaction to some antibiotic (I can’t recall what it was, it’s not used any more): his head swelled up within hours and his earlobes were oozing puss. He was hospitalized for 2 months. But it was something totally out of whack, even doctors at the hospital had not seen such reaction after just 1 pill. That was about 40 years ago and he has never had a repeat performance! I had an all body rash on the onset of Lyme and when it did not go away I sought the help of an allergist. He prescribed over the counter antihistamine (something stronger and other than Benadryl) that I was taking on my own triple dosage and some non-steroidal ointment and advised me to keep moisturizing the skin all the time and to immediately stop using any regular shampoos, soaps, detergents, cosmetics. Use only baby natural ones devoid of any harsh chemicals. After 5 weeks it resolved.
Now on a lighter note: while going crazy from all the itching I sent a belated email to a friend whom I knew in a different capacity than a herbalist that he is, apologizing for the delay due to horrible itching that was not going away. I received a cute e-mail back: “My goodness….Are you taking CURCUMIN 2 pills 3 times a day and QUERCETIN 2-3 pills 3 times a day? Plus homeopathy (APIS for sure).. I have NEVER seen it fail in 30 years…” Once the order arrived, my rash had already been gone, but I kept taking the supps just out of scare that it might come back. And Curcumin and Quercetin are awesome supplements and are for keeps, especially Curcumin for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects and its stimulation of body’s cortisone production for joint joint pains.
And Kerry, I’m currently taking GSE drops for systemic yeast. My LLMD thought that that was the case when he heard of my ravenous hunger and uncontrollable desire for bread (I hate sweet stuff, so bread was the closest choice for cravings of my yeast friends). It’s helping and it also helps with budging the biofilms and cyst forms of Lyme. But one should not take it without the antibiotics for that purpose (i.e. cyst busting).
Much love to all, Krys

[maz.aust]

Thanks Krys,

I forgot to mention that my daughter is allergic to penicillin, bactrum & sulphur group abx as well as erythromycin; then, you may recall that I had an ‘immediate allergic reaction’ to latex late last year involving hospital, allergy specialists etc. Unfortunately allergies happen anywhere anytime for any reason, they seem to have a life of their own.

Irritant contact dermatitis. The least threatening type of reaction, classified as a non-allergenic skin reaction. It usually occurs as a result of repeated exposure to whatever it is.
Allergic contact dermatitis. A delayed reaction to whatever it is, but the reaction is more severe, spreads to more parts of the body and lasts longer.
Immediate allergic reaction (hypersensitive reaction). Is a very serious reaction & although rare, symptoms may progress, you should head to the doctor/hospital asap

BUT not to worry, if you do have an ‘immediate allergic reaction’ (& believe me you will know all about it within 1/2-1 hr) you will already be on your way to a pharmacist, or calling an ambulance, or walking into a doctors surgery, because you will know it’s getting that bad.

Dec07: Diagnosed PRA, (CTD; Fibromyalgia; suspected Lyme):
Mar08: Diet to heal gut/bolster immune system (no gluten, dairy, sulphites or sugar)

Jan 2018: ABX Mon/Wed/Fri (started AP 2008)
1/2 x 150mg Roxithromycin(Biasig), 1/2 x 150mg Clarithromycin (Klacid),
1/2 x Fungillin, 1 x 250mg Cephalexin (Keflex)

All off days Probiotics

[nspiker]

Hi Kerry,

When I had a rash from a herx, it didn’t go right away after I stopped the medication. It took at least a week or two to disappear.

Also, I was reading on lymenet that bart causes rashes too. I guess they come and don’t go away for a while.

nancy

[kerry23]

Thanks to you all for all your help and suggestions. I still have bouts of it throughout the day. It seems to hit after I eat or drink. Let me ask you all this, if you have yeast and you eat a doughnut, for example, that is when I break into hives. I don’t know if it is the sugar or what. This morning drank coffee with regular sugar in it and I did not get anything until much later after having cereal, something I eat often as yesterday, I had coffee and got hives almost immediately. Then again, I am on pain meds…..could it be them? I have been on them a long time. I want to know what script you all get for yeast, I know I have that.
Thanks again for everyones support and care.
Kerry

[hopefulmama]

Marianne,

Yes, I have received your two PMs.

I don’t know what is going on – I just tried yet again to send you two different messages in response (PM) and neither of them would go through. Which doesn’t make sense because my PMs to other people are working. Do you think it could be something in your permissions? If you PM me a private email address where you can be reached I am happy to send them again via regular email. Alternatively we can look into figuring out why I cannot get a private message to you!

So sorry about this!

A

[lynnie_sydney]

Marianne – a few things to try: go to your user control panel (above) and click on Board Preferences and make sure the box is checked to allow other users to send you Private Messges. Also, check on how full your inbox/sent box is. If full you wont be able to send/receive until you delete some. 500 is maximum. Lynnie

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Author]

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