A Warning and Advice

[zantedeschia]

Two afterthoughts. Well maybe three.

 

Many skeptical comments about the rash -- do not discount the flu symptoms that lasted less than a day. They were severe. I was in bed, miserable. I couldn't understand how my flu shot failed. I was in bed miserable, less than a day. Wasn't the flu.

 

The incubation period was spot on. First symptoms showed two weeks after (AFTER) we returned from the cruise.

 

The third thing is this. I looked at lots of icky rash pictures. The first one where I sat back and went "ooohhhh that looks like it" was a Lyme tick bite. And it was AFTER that when I started looking at Lyme and other symptoms I was having started clicking into place.

[Coralc]

Oh for Pete's Sake...you didn't have Lyme disease. :rolleyes: Not from a tropical island. Whatever. It is easy to be a hypochondriac with the internet. Whatever. I won't comment further.

[read52]

My husband had shingles three times. The last time he got it on his face and got viral encephelitis (brain infection). He is now disabled because he has headaches, seizures, memory loss and other nerve problems. Shingles hurt because they are always on a nerve. It is almost always on face, arms and around the back and stomach area.

[ranchingal]

Sure seem to be a lot of Medical Doctors on this board.:rolleyes:

 

C'mon y'all. Go to a Doctor!!! Then , you can validate your own diagnosis.

 

Lyme disease and shingles are two of the most misdiagnosised diseases.

[cruisinfanatic]

Two afterthoughts. Well maybe three.

 

Many skeptical comments about the rash -- do not discount the flu symptoms that lasted less than a day. They were severe. I was in bed, miserable. I couldn't understand how my flu shot failed. I was in bed miserable, less than a day. Wasn't the flu.

 

The incubation period was spot on. First symptoms showed two weeks after (AFTER) we returned from the cruise.

 

The third thing is this. I looked at lots of icky rash pictures. The first one where I sat back and went "ooohhhh that looks like it" was a Lyme tick bite. And it was AFTER that when I started looking at Lyme and other symptoms I was having started clicking into place.

you can still get the flu even with the shot.

You risk a lot of health issues if you really got Lyme. Your self meds are voodo. Go to a doctor

[sherilyn70]

Yes, I realize I was foolhardy for self-diagnosing but I have encountered too many incompetent/less than knowledgeable doctors to trust your average doctor anymore. Especially with all the stuff about about Lyme being hard to diagnose, the blood testing being inaccurate, I could imagine going to see one, walking in saying "I think I may have contracted Lyme while I was in the Caribbean" and having him/her react just the way most of you did just now!

 

Then look for a doctor that does share your medical philosophy and knowledge/open mindedness. That is what I always do if I have to find a new doctor. All week I have been back and forth to the Dr's office for a mysterious illness, just a low fever between 99.5 and 99.9 with no other symptoms but it has been present for 8 days as of today. At no point did they just toss antibiotics at me. Both my main doctor and the other doctor in his office that I have been seeing have listened to me and discussed with me everything that I have read and disproved everything that the internet talks about.

 

I was talking to him about this thread and another yesterday and he was as horrified as the rest of us are about self diagnosing and self medicating with antibiotics. The CDC is not very happy about things like this or doctors that just randomly prescribe meds without any diagnosis (or even worse, in advance). As we discussed, yes sometimes patients are wise and know what they have... and that can help a doctor in diagnosing them... but the doctor still has the responsibility to listen and investigate to make sure they are right.

[Paulxyz2004]

*shaking head in disbelieve*

 

So you don´t trust dr.´s to diagnose you, but you because it´s such a hard to diagnose disease, but still you think you can make the diagnosis yourself from pics from the internet.:rolleyes:

 

Then you start eating pills like M&M´s and when one antibiotic is used up you just switch to another one:eek:

 

The advice people should get from this thread is to NOT self diagnose and NOT self therapy. The wrong use of antibiotics results not only in serious problems for yourself, but also for others that will have to deal with resistancies in the future.

[Ocean Boy]

Worst of all is that folks like the OP who like to self diagnose as well as self treat often times change the clinical picture enough that they make it far harder, if not impossible, to make a correct diagnosis when they finally "give in" and go to their physician.

 

That is all that I am going to say on this thread. I'll just sit here and shake my head in disbelief.:rolleyes:

[Wilda]

I'm not a "stick-my-head-in-the-sand" type of person but when it comes to illness and the internet...I'm very cautious. Ever heard of self-fulfilling prophecy? I think it's really easy to start finding all kinds of illnesses you might have based on the symptoms you plug in. Add to that the additional symptoms that are listed and you begin to add those in to the mix. And there lies the danger;)

[teddie]

My husband had shingles three times. The last time he got it on his face and got viral encephelitis (brain infection). He is now disabled because he has headaches, seizures, memory loss and other nerve problems. Shingles hurt because they are always on a nerve. It is almost always on face, arms and around the back and stomach area.

 

Sorry to hear about your husband, and hope that he recovers as best possible.

 

I work on a Brain Injury unit in a well-known rehabilitation hospital, and I have seen the devastating effects of viral conditions on the brain and nervous system. It is not uncommon to find that patients often either ignore or self-treat their symptoms, with life-long consequences. Very sad, and very frightening!

 

Teddie

[clean1owner]

As my yearly cruise looms -- this year on Mariner out of Galveston on Jan 22 -- I'm reminded of the post I wanted badly to make last year but never got around to it.

 

Last year we went on Voyager out of Galveston, first week of February. Everything went well, so I thought. I was especially smug in thinking that I managed to pack everything needed. It seems always there is ONE item I miss. Well there was one item I missed and it turned out to be a very crucial one.

 

Bear with me, I'm gonna do mystery diagnosis, or maybe House. :)

 

About a week and a half after we got back, I started having these odd symptoms. Inexplicably appear and then just as abruptly, clear up. (this is why I should have done this last year, I don't remember them all). I remember some really nasty stomach upset & diarrhea, lasted half a day.

 

Then at work a few days later, I came down with severe flu symptoms. Really odd, cause I'd had my yearly flu shot. I felt terrible, stuck it out at work, went home and promptly fell into bed. Malaise, chills, feverish, achy, you name it, I was positive I had the flu. Next morning I rolled out of bed and felt fine. This is getting curioser and curiouser.

 

It was getting out of bed was when I saw the rash on my ankle. I'll see if I can post a picture but it was already starting to form the classic "bull's eye" pattern. That was what drove me to the computer to try to put all the symptoms together.

 

Have you guessed it yet?

 

This is a self-diagnosis mind you, but I'm pretty sure I contracted Lyme Disease. Took a bit of researching to try to figure out what country I could have picked up it from, but I believe it was in Belize during the cave tubing excursion. Quite a bit of walking through the Belizean rainforest during that tour.

 

And the item I forgot? Insect repellent. Did not notice any tick bite, I'm fortunate it bit me on a visible location and rash did come up. Fortuitously, and felicitously, I happened to pick up some of the recommended antibiotics in Cozumel. So I self-treated as well and self-diagnosed. A Z-pack for 5 days, then 1000mg of amoxicillin daily for about another 2 1/2 weeks. Was planning for the antibiotics I snagged in Cozumel to last longer than that, but I was glad to have them.

 

Our upcoming cruise is the Cozumel/Jamaica/Grand Cayman run. I think I'll stay out of the rainforests. And I won't forget the bug repellent. :)

 

Picture one is what the rash looked like when I discovered it. Picture 2 is what it looked like after 3 days on the antibiotics.

 

 

We had a somewhat similar experience a few years back.

 

While in port in Cozumel, we visited some of the Mayan ruins, and toured some other areas. Just before dinner, the back of our 3 year old daughters hand started to swell something awful. Took her to the ships Doctor and he gave us some Benedryl ointment to rub on it, plus some liquid for her to take before bed that night. Shure enough, by the next morning the swelling had completey disappeared. We took her back to the Doc for a follow up, and looking through a magnafying glass, he found a very small mark that was in the center of the swollen area. Apparently, she had been bitten by some sort of insect that gave her an allergic reaction.

 

We were very thankful it wasn't anything worse than that.

[read52]

Sorry to hear about your husband, and hope that he recovers as best possible.

 

I work on a Brain Injury unit in a well-known rehabilitation hospital, and I have seen the devastating effects of viral conditions on the brain and nervous system. It is not uncommon to find that patients often either ignore or self-treat their symptoms, with life-long consequences. Very sad, and very frightening!

 

Teddie

 

It was 7 years ago that he got it. The problem was that several doctors could not figure out what he had. He did not have the normal symthoms because he was on Valtrax. One doctor said that he could not have a brain infection because he was not sick enough. When he started to act crazy our family doctor put two and two together. One year later he got prostate cancer. So for 1 1/2 years life was crazy. A year after the cancer we won airline tickets so we went to New Orleans and took a cruise. We have been hooked on cruising since then because even though he has some problems it is a perfect way to travel. His headaches would cause seizures (hand shaking, Todds, or it would look like he passed out). He has been on botox for 2 1/2 years to control the headaches and it also controls the seizures. He is almost 6 years cancerfree. He was 53 when this happened.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Why would anyone buy antibiotics in Mexico and then self-medicate with them. How can you be sure they are genuine medicines :eek:

[Cotswold Eagle]

Why would anyone buy antibiotics in Mexico and then self-medicate with them. How can you be sure they are genuine medicines :eek:

 

The "Warning and Advice" in the thread title should apply to the whole story, even though that was not the intent :)

 

OP - I don't care about your little fantasy that you cured yourself of Lyme Disease or what risks you want to run with your own health, that's your right. But, please, please, please STOP abusing antibiotics (assuming that stuff you pick up in Mexico has any active ingredient). That affects other people's health.

 

I sometimes need particular ABs for a recurrent nasty skin infection (which incidentally presents with the worst imaginable flu symptoms for 24 hours, but isn't Lyme....). One day those ABs will be less effective, or stop working completely, because of people like you. If that happens in my old age, I will likely die because there will be no treatment for the infection. Seriously, please stop.

[teddie]

It was 7 years ago that he got it. The problem was that several doctors could not figure out what he had. He did not have the normal symthoms because he was on Valtrax. One doctor said that he could not have a brain infection because he was not sick enough. When he started to act crazy our family doctor put two and two together. One year later he got prostate cancer. So for 1 1/2 years life was crazy. A year after the cancer we won airline tickets so we went to New Orleans and took a cruise. We have been hooked on cruising since then because even though he has some problems it is a perfect way to travel. His headaches would cause seizures (hand shaking, Todds, or it would look like he passed out). He has been on botox for 2 1/2 years to control the headaches and it also controls the seizures. He is almost 6 years cancerfree. He was 53 when this happened.

 

Happy to hear that your husband remains cancer-free, and glad that his other issues seem under control.

 

Cruising is the best! Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!

 

Teddie

[Oshawapilot]

The rash looks like a poison ivy encounter, to me..but I'm no MD. ;)

 

The fact it appears just above what would have been your sock-line lends credence to it - it's one of the most common places to get the rash since the ivy grows close to the ground and often gets this area in particular.

 

I speak from experience. I spend a lot of time in the woods in the summer and have had more than a few experiences.

[read52]

Happy to hear that your husband remains cancer-free, and glad that his other issues seem under control.

 

Cruising is the best! Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!

 

Teddie

 

 

Thank you!

[mommabean]

Why would anyone buy antibiotics in Mexico and then self-medicate with them. How can you be sure they are genuine medicines :eek:

 

A lot of ship passengers do this. Cruise critic people, too. With any luck the are NOT getting real antibiotics. People are nuts to take them without need or without a prescription. Most illnesses are viral.

 

OP appeared to have contact dermatitis unrelated to their first symptoms. Poison Ivy is likely. Being kept clean and dry is all that's needed. Cortisone cream soothes the itch.

 

There is no chance I'd go to a doctor for a rash like this unless it was terribly uncomfortable or had other symptoms with it - not prior like OP.

 

I hope no one touches the trees with the caution tape on the nature trail on Coco Cay. You might end up with the same symptoms as in the picture.

 

By the way, I get a rash like this if I contact mango sap. It never happened until I was over 40. Latex also causes the same problem in my older age. I didn't need a doctor to diagnose these sudden problems.

 

 

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[mommabean]

The rash looks like a poison ivy encounter, to me..but I'm no MD. ;)

 

The fact it appears just above what would have been your sock-line lends credence to it - it's one of the most common places to get the rash since the ivy grows close to the ground and often gets this area in particular.

 

I speak from experience. I spend a lot of time in the woods in the summer and have had more than a few experiences.

 

You are exactly right. It doesn't take an MD to diagnose poison ivy or oak.

 

I also get a rash like that if I wear crew length socks with latex elastic if I do heavy hiking. It's caused by the constant rubbing of the little elastic strips. It looks pretty bad for a couple of days and then goes away quickly.

 

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

You are exactly right. It doesn't take an MD to diagnose poison ivy or oak.

 

I also get a rash like that if I wear crew length socks with latex elastic if I do heavy hiking. It's caused by the constant rubbing of the little elastic strips. It looks pretty bad for a couple of days and then goes away quickly.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The OP wants it to be Lyme disease. Stop raining on her parade.;):D

[read52]

Unfortunately, if it is weird and medical it happens to my family. I am highly sensitive to poison ivy. I stay far away from it. This summer I was taking some weeds off a fence behind our shed (the fence is shared with a neighbor). Too late I realized that I had touch poison ivy with both hands. I immediately went in and washed and changed my clothes but it still got me. It was Sunday so I went to a quickie clinic when I saw a rash start. The doctor would only give me a cream even though I told him of my past experiences. By the next when I saw my doctor the next day, it covered both hands, up my arms and on my chest. My doctor put me on predizone which is the only med that helps. It took 3 weeks to clear up.

[PH8]

A lot of ship passengers do this. Cruise critic people, too. With any luck the are NOT getting real antibiotics. People are nuts to take them without need or without a prescription. Most illnesses are viral.

I dont understand why people still do that,when you get antibiotics free these days..........at least from Publux..

[Oshawapilot]

By the next when I saw my doctor the next day, it covered both hands, up my arms and on my chest. My doctor put me on predizone which is the only med that helps. It took 3 weeks to clear up.

 

You must have got into a lot more (and spread it on yourself) before you noticed, then. The resulting rash from Poison Ivy does not spread on it's own, it's a contact related rash that only occurs in areas where the oil from the leaves of the plant touch.

 

So, what probably happened was that you didn't fully wash it off and subsequently spread the oil on other parts of your body, or it got on an article of clothing which you subsequently "re-infected" yourself with. The oils that cause the rash can be easily spread, so if you scratch yourself on an infected area when the itch starts to present, and then subsequently scratch or rub yourself elsewhere, you are transferring the oil and starting another rash site.

 

It happens. I live in Canada, and Poison Ivy grows like wildfire up here during the summer months, so we're all familiar with it, and it's effects.

[reallyitsmema]

You must have got into a lot more (and spread it on yourself) before you noticed, then. The resulting rash from Poison Ivy does not spread on it's own, it's a contact related rash that only occurs in areas where the oil from the leaves of the plant touch.

 

So, what probably happened was that you didn't fully wash it off and subsequently spread the oil on other parts of your body, or it got on an article of clothing which you subsequently "re-infected" yourself with. The oils that cause the rash can be easily spread, so if you scratch yourself on an infected area when the itch starts to present, and then subsequently scratch or rub yourself elsewhere, you are transferring the oil and starting another rash site.

 

It happens. I live in Canada, and Poison Ivy grows like wildfire up here during the summer months, so we're all familiar with it, and it's effects.

Are you a doctor?

[Oshawapilot]

Are you a doctor?

 

No, and I clearly mentioned that in my first post in that thread, but I can speak with some authority on something as simple as poison ivy.

 

Anyone who lives with it in their neck of the woods has probably had more than a few bouts with it over the years, and as such, quickly becomes educated about it. How it "infects" and subsequently spreads is common knowledge amongst anyone who spend any amount of time in the woods.