POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Cojo on March 05, 2013, 07:41:17 pm
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I've had the unfortunate challenge of dealing with a rash and burning in the inner thigh, genital and back of the legs area for the last month now. When it first acted up, I just went to a walk in clinic and all was well until the doc heard me say " HIV " at which point she said " well then it could be anything...see your own doctor" and she gave me a cream with a corticosteroid and anti-fungal in it in the interim. Didn't work and the rash spread and blisters popped up and burst all over the area - ouch!
I went to my own doc who thought it was fungal (yeast) and gave me a cream called Clopax and took some scrapings for the lab.
A week later, he called and the lab confirmed impetigo and I have been using a bactobam cream (antibacterial) for a week now. The spots are all gone, but the skin is still itchy/burning.
So with a whopping 310 CD4's, I am concerned this is HIV related. I think this because I am generally anxious and fixated on my numbers being below 500 and from the reaction of the walk in clinic doctor. It also seems pretty stubborn to last this long.
Anyone with similar experience or insights?
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I'm sure I replied to this once...
Anyway, I had impetigo when I was a teenager, I feel for you - it's gross. Your treatment only started when you got he antibiotic cream, the fungal cream will do nothing, so you've only had a week on the mend. If the blisters have cleared up then you should be fine I should think, the rest will clear up in due course. I can't remember how long it took for me to completely clear it but if its not shown notable improvement in the next week I'd get further advise from your doc.
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Cojo, Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial infection. While it is more common in children, it can also affect adults. Adults who play contact sports are particularly prone to it - and in a way, sexual contact can be classed as a contact sport. ;)
Impetigo is notorious for being slow-healing. None of this is very likely to be due to your hiv infection. It's just one of those bacterial infections that anyone can pick up who is unfortunate enough to come into close contact with someone who has the infection.
The bacterium that cause impetigo can remain viable on objects in the environment for short periods, so it is also possible to pick it up from gym equipment or sharing towels, razors or other personal care items.
You should be carefully washing the area several times a day with an antibacterial soap, taking care to only use a washcloth or towel once on the area before washing them. You can spread impetigo around your body if you're not careful. Also make sure you wash your hands each and every time you touch the affected skin.
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I had a whole body case of Impetigo , That was my first clue I had
turned FULL BLOWN AIDS !
After I started MEDS the Impetigo went away .
The Volcanic Eruptions of my skin is something I will never forget :'(
Weasel , Pimpole free now :)
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Ugh, I feel for you Cojo! I had it this as a very, very young, a couple of years ago :P
I am not sure which is worse, having it down there or on your face, which is where I had it. Of course kids being kids I was tormented but survived. Some fool suggested using corn starch to help with the issue and that only added to the ridicule.
Hope it gets better soon!
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Ugh, I feel for you Cojo! I had it this as a very, very young, a couple of years ago :P
I am not sure which is worse, having it down there or on your face, which is where I had it. Of course kids being kids I was tormented but survived. Some fool suggested using corn starch to help with the issue and that only added to the ridicule.
Hope it gets better soon!
I had it on my face also. Extremely horrible.
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::)
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I had bullous impetigo the same week I was diagnosed with HIV (@CD4 353).
It was in a form of supertiny vesicles/blisters at the base of the (facial) hair follicles.
(When I tried to shave myself, these vesicles would pop and bleed)
I used an antibiotic cream, and it went away in a few days... ;)
It never came back (because I soon started taking meds, and my CD4 are always in the 700-1400 range). I was thinking of seeing my family doctor, but eventually I decided not to scare her away...
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So how's it going, Cojo? It's been about ten days since you first posted this thread and you haven't replied once. It would be nice if you took the time to let us know how you're healing up, since some of us took the time to talk to you about it.
I'm not "getting at you", I'm genuinely interested to know if you're feeling better (as in more relaxed that it wasn't necessarily - and most likely was not - hiv related) and whether or not the infection has completely cleared up.
I always worry when someone posts about a problem that is obviously causing them stress (and pain or whatever) and then never follows up with a post to let us know how things turned out. I suppose it's the mother hen in me that makes me worry and suspect the worst.
Ann
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Ann you are such a sweetie; you can "mother hen" me anytime as care can never offend me!
I have been off grid for about a week. I was on a trip and I decided that I just needed a break from it all ...I don't know if that resonates, but I just resisted logging in.
So the impetigo....
After about 6 days of antibiotic cream called bactobam, the lesions all healed up. What's odd is that I still have a very real and irritating presence of itching, burning a little pain intermittently when the skin rubs together. I have been putting gold bond powder on it and the menthol seems to help.
I have my labs in the next two weeks so if the tingling is still happening I will bring it up.
On the lab front....you'll notice that my labs took quite a dip last time so I have apprehension a little more than usual...oh the joys of HIV
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I have been off grid for about a week. I was on a trip and I decided that I just needed a break from it all ...I don't know if that resonates, but I just resisted logging in.
Resonates? It positively makes me quiver! I get it. Yes, I get it. Boy oh boy do I get it! ;D
I'm glad to hear the infection has cleared up, but it's weird that you're still experiencing a burning, tingling pain at the site. That sounds more like shingles (herpes zoster (http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Shingles_6797.shtml)).
Thing is though, shingles normally only presents on one side of the body, and it sounds like you had it on both legs. Please do mention this lingering pain to your doctor.
Ann
(who will resist going off-grid - Jeff would have my guts for garters!)
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LOL...thanks Ann, and hold tight to those garters!