Treatment FAQ

after treatment what do bartonella marks look like

by Dr. Coy Boehm Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

Do Bartonella marks go away?

My bart marks are on my legs and thighs an look like stretch marks except they brighter and go in these weird directions (like horizontally). Sometimes they will fade a little or migrate but they never disappear. Yes, they go away. Right now your treatments are still stirring up the bacteria - which is why they are responding with skin symptoms.

What are the symptoms of Bartonella?

Another classic bartonella symptom is pain in the soles of feet upon waking in the morning. This is associated with trauma to blood vessels in the soles of the feet with walking. Ankle and knee pain, one side or both, is also relatively common. Anemia can occur from bartonella scavenging nutrients from red blood cells.

What is the shape of Bartonella bacteria?

Bartonella bacteria are gram negative (have a double cell wall), are slow growing, come in different shapes, and are very difficult to isolate in the lab. They can live inside cells and in isolated locations in the body, protected from the immune system and antibiotics.

How is Bartonella infection tested?

However, Galaxy Diagnostics (based in Research Triangle, NC) performs an amplified version of PCR called ePCR that is more reliable. The presence of bartonella in blood is amplified with special culture media and then tested with PCR. The test takes 2 to 4 weeks to perform and tests for all known forms of bartonella.

See more

image

Do Bartonella marks go away?

Although in most patients the disease resolves spontaneously within 2-4 months without treatment, in people with severe cases and/or patients with a suppressed immune system, such as HIV/AIDS, antibiotic treatment is recommended.

Does Bartonella look like stretch marks?

Bartonellosis Symptoms Early signs of bartonellosis include fever, fatigue, headache, poor appetite, and an unusual streaked rash that resembles “stretch marks” from pregnancy.

How long does it take to treat Bartonella?

The usual duration of therapy is 3-6 weeks. Patients who are bacteremic require at least 4 weeks of therapy. Patients with HIV and other immunocompromising diseases require more prolonged therapy. Patients who have vegetations due to bartonellosis often require valve replacement.

Does Bartonella cause skin problems?

Cutaneous lesions are the main manifestations of BA but the disease may not affect the skin in up to 45% of cases. 47 They may be solitary lesions, but, more frequently, are multiple and widespread. They may be papules, plaques, angiomatous tumors, rarely hyperkeratotic, or nodules with skin-colored surface.

Can Bartonella cause pans?

Bartonella, a common coinfection, can cause a plethora of neuropsychiatric symptoms similar to the ones described above in children with Lyme disease [76-79], as well as a host of autoimmune conditions [80-94]. In fact, Bartonella is a documented cause of PANS [6].

What causes a rash that looks like stretch marks?

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) rash is an itchy rash that appears in stretch marks of the stomach during late pregnancy. While the exact cause of PUPPP rash isn't known, the stretching of the skin seems to be a trigger for the rash to occur.

Does doxycycline cure Bartonella?

There are various genospecies of Bartonella that can cause infections that range from benign to highly life-threatening. Most people with acute infections are cured with standard antibiotics, such as azithromycin or erythromycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and rifampin.

What does a Bartonella HERX feel like?

These symptoms include chills, fever, headache, and/or intensification of skin rashes. Despite being described more than a century ago, it is still difficult for researchers and physicians to explain the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to JHR and the variations in patient susceptibilities.

What does Bartonella do to the body?

The symptoms of Bartonella can vary from mild to severe, and usually begin 5 to 14 days after infection. Common symptoms include fever, headaches, fatigue, poor appetite, brain fog, muscle pain, and swollen glands around the head, neck, and arms.

Can Bartonella be chronic?

It is possible to be chronically infected with Bartonella and not have disease symptoms. The extent to which persistent infection in outwardly healthy individuals ultimately contributes to organ system pathology is unknown.

What are the neurological symptoms of Bartonella infection?

Fatigue, insomnia, memory loss and/or disorientation, blurred vision and loss of coordination, headaches, and depression were the most commonly reported symptoms (Table ​ 1). Seizures, severe paresis, and debilitating migraines were the predominant neurological abnormalities in patients 1, 5, and 6, respectively.

What is a cutaneous lesion?

Cutaneous lesions are characterized histologically by the formation of multiple vesicles within the epidermis that contain cell debris, erythrocytes, and rarely syncytial cells.

How common are stretch marks?

According to Medscape: Approximately 90% of pregnant women, 70% of adolescent females, and 40% of adolescent males (many of whom participate in sports) have stretch marks. Stretch marks, also called striae distensae, are not harmful to anyone’s health. Below is a photo of typical stretch marks:

What is the most common type of bacteria that causes cat scratching?

Bartonella is a genus of bacteria. The most common species is called Bartonella henselae, which causes cat-scratch disease because it is spread by cats (and not ticks). This is a photo of papules caused by Bartonella henselae after a cat scratch:

Is Bartonella a tick borne disease?

Bartonella is not a tick-borne disease or Lyme co-infection, but this fact is not stopping victims from being falsely diagnosed with both. Celebrity Chrissy Teigen calls her stretch marks “stretchies” while actress Jameela Jamil proposed renaming them “Babe Marks.”. Stretch marks are very common. According to Medscape:

Is Bartonella more severe?

The illness can be more severe in a small minority of patients, for example the immunocompromised. There is significant disease mongering about Bartonella. This means that the diagnostic boundaries of Bartonella are being expanded and that Bartonella is aggressively and disproportionately being promoted to the public.

Do stretch marks have a bacterial infection?

The dermatologists also found that stretch marks: Have nothing to do with bacterial infections, including Bartonella and Lyme disease. Are associated with rapid growth spurt, tall stature, and family history of stretch marks. Are not related to chronic medical conditions or anabolic steroid use. Are not a reason to order more medical testing.

What organs does Bartonella affect?

Bartonella is also known for infecting red blood cells, the liver (raising its enzyme levels), the spleen, the heart (making fat deposits that disrupt the heartbeat), and every other organ in the body.

What is the function of bartonella?

When bartonella enters the body, it is well known for infecting and living in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells are simply the cells that comprise the innermost wall of blood vessels and the lymphatic system (lymphatic vessels). Bartonella is also known for infecting red blood cells, the liver (raising its enzyme levels), the spleen, ...

Why is it important to know the thickness of the peptidoglycan layer?

Determining ​peptidoglycan layer thickness is important for knowing the antibiotic resistance capabilities of the bacteria. Bartonella can be transmitted through the bite of a tick, as well as the scratch of a cat, or the bite of a flea. When bartonella enters the body, it is well known for infecting and living in endothelial cells.

Why do bacteria retain violet dye?

Bacteria that retain the violet dye do so because their peptidoglycan layer is much thicker, allowing it to hold onto the dye, and they're considered gram-positive. Bacteria that don't retain the violet dye are then dyed red, which means their peptidoglycan layer is much thinner, and are therefore considered gram-negative, as bartonella is.

What are the most common skin manifestations?

Skin manifestations include rashes, acne, papules, nodules or lumps under the skin, and the most well-known skin manifestation, striae, also known as "bartonella streaks" or stretch marks.

What are the symptoms of a bacterial infection?

As with the many infections one could acquire, there are many symptoms these infections share such as fatigue, brain fog, and joint and/or muscle pain. While these symptoms are important to identify the cause of and address, it's important to look for signs and symptoms that tend to be more indicative of a specific pathogen. ...

Does bartonella cause numbness?

While the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease can cause neurological symptoms as well, bartonella does so on a different, more deleterious level. The nervous system really takes a hit when bartonella is present, as the better known symptoms of intense pain, numbness, crawling, burning and buzzing sensations, and a "pins and needles" type feeling, ...

Why is Bartonella a significant obstacle in diagnosing?

A significant obstacle in diagnosing Bartonella as the cause of symptoms or illnesses is the reduced sensitivity of laboratory tests that identify the infection. For years I would rely on a clinical diagnosis of Bartonella because the laboratory testing was lacking.

What is the infection strategy of Bartonella?

Pestilence, persistence, and pathogenicity: infection strategies of Bartonella. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria attach to red blood cells. Bartonella possesses specific proteins, enzymes, and genes that allow the bacteria to invade red blood cells.

What ticks have Bartonella DNA?

This time they looked at the western black-legged tick, and the Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis). Bartonella DNA was found in 11.6% of the ticks. None of the ticks from Los Angeles County were positive for Bartonella, which contributed to a lower percentage than the previous study.

How does Bartonella spread to humans?

In lice, the transmission of Bartonella to humans occurs when lice feces enters a break in the skin when a person scratches their scalp. “One of the most fascinating aspects of a Bartonella infection is the intracellular parasitism of erythrocytes (red blood cells), a practice termed hemotrophy.”.

What is the role of bartonella in small vessel disease?

Bartonella Contributes to Small Vessel Disease. Bartonella has a preference for the cells that line blood vessels called endotheli al cells. Bacteria inside of the vessel wall create inflammation and fibrin deposition, causing narrowing of the vessel where blood flows.

How many squirrels tested positive for Bartonella?

Surprisingly, 69% of the squirrels and 31% of the fleas tested positive for Bartonella. The same year, another research group tested squirrels from two northern California counties for Bartonella. Similar to the other group’s findings, 71% of squirrels harbored Bartonella bacteria.

What ticks are positive for Bartonella?

This was the first study that detected Bartonella in nymphal western black-legged ticks. In 2006 researchers tested western black-legged ticks for Bartonella, Borrelia (Lyme disease), and Anaplasma from Santa Cruz County. This study identified 6.5% of ticks tested were positive for Bartonella.

norcalmom

Has anyone had experience with the "strech marks on the torso" type rash - does it go away with treatment, and if so, how long did it take to see if it fading (or disappearing overnight?) Thanks!

lismom

My son has the stretch marks all along his back. They started on the lower back and went away after about 6 months. Then with each change in antibiotics they have reappeared and moved up his back. This has gone on for 15 months. Getting rid of this is not easy for us. He has gotten better in so many ways though.

evergreen

Has anyone had experience with the "strech marks on the torso" type rash - does it go away with treatment, and if so, how long did it take to see if it fading (or disappearing overnight?) Thanks!

tpotter

My son's stretch marks have faded dramatically. That's how we actually knew that we were dealing with Bartonella. We were quite convinced that lyme and co-infections were NOT the problem, as he only seemed to be getting worse (enlarged spleen, elevated liver enzymes,) and we assumed that was from all the abx.

dpet

How quickly did these show up? Right After a known bite or were your cases gestational Lyme?

norcalmom

Im not sure they are bartonella marks - and neither is our LLMD who looked at them. They are on the "love handle" area - a common site for strech marks, and he's growing, and tends to plump up a bit and then shoot up, so they could be either.

norcalmom

I just took some photos of the rash and put them side by side with the photos I took 3-4 weeks ago. They are definately faded. No doubt. About half as many streaks and less intensity. I don't think strech marks can fade that fast - but I'm not sure. He did loose a little weight on the Septra - it reduced his appetite.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9