Fever and Rash & strange symptoms

[krbnctb]

About 2 weeks ago I started feeling really weak and started running a temperature.  Within 24 hours I broke out with a rash over my whole body except my face.  The rash was like red raised bumps that itched intensely.  I went to my PCP's office and he said it looked like a papular rash and said my left tonsil looked infected and thought it could be a strep rash.  He put me on Omnicef & 10 days of oral steroids.  It took a good week for it to go away, although it still itched slightly.  On my last day of Omnicef, I started feeling really sick again.  Really weak and if I stood up I felt very faint.  That was yesterday at which last night I went into my office where my fiance was & the light happened to be on & I noticed that I was starting to break out into the same rash.  Does anyone have any other ideas of what this could be?  I've been sick for the past 2+ years with strange symptoms.  First they thought it was Lupus, then Lyme Disease, now they are leaning towards an endocrine disorder Cushing's.  My sed rate has been high for over a year as well as having a low blood count and being told I'm anemic when I never was in the past, but my iron levels are fine, but blood count is extremely low.  Any suggestions?  Opinions?

[PlateletGal]

So you have inflammation and a low WBC. A low white cell count can be from an infection, viral infections, immunosuppression and certain diseases.

Can you tell us what your symptoms have been for the last 2 years ? And has your physician ordered an ANA test (bloodwork) to find out if you have an autoimmune disease ?

[alchris]

Hello

Were you tested for mono.  When I had mono I felt horrible and ended up with fatigue all day long.  Since your tonsil was in question, mono can also do that and of  course can cause a rash all over the body.  I had the mono rash (heard this is rare though) all over but not on the face.  Hope you feel better.  If its mono unfortunaltey rest is the only thing one can do.

[krbnctb]

Hi..I've actually corresponded via email with you in the past.  You were the one who gave me all of the information on Cushing's Disease.  At first my Dr. had tested me for Lupus because I was having a lot of those type symptoms and a red raised facial rash and a lot of rheumatic type symptoms.  Then I started having massive neurological symptoms with speech issues, but most of those have passed and can be blamed on my rheumatologist having me on an EXTREME high dosage of Neurontin.  They also had tested me for Lyme disease as I did have a tick bite a few years back, but they said that was negative.  Then I was admitted to the hospital for abdominal pain, high white blood count, low red blood count and they thought I had some sort of internal bleeding, but never could really figure that out and thought I possibly had diverticulitis on top of everything else & ended up getting discharged & had a colonoscopy done on an outpatient basis.  Now this past 6 months, it's just kinda gone downhill.  I have a different PCP who does seem to actually want to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure everything out, but still no concrete diagnosis.  He did a 24 hour cortisol urine test which was inconclusive, so while he didn't rule that out, he said he's not only going to go down that path because a lot of my symptoms overlap with other illnesses and he doesn't want to single one thing out when it very well maybe something else or more than 1 condition causing it all.  My more recent symptoms now are massive oily hair that within 1 day of washing looks completely wet, hair so thin now from falling out, upper left abdominal pain, upper left flank pain, thinning arms & legs, distended abdomen, abnormal weight loss/gain, strange stabbing ear pain, difficulty swallowing, constantly feels like there is a lump in my throat, frequent headaches, nausea, frequent black stools, deep down to the bone pain in my legs & hips, feeling that skin hurts (especially on hands), profuse sweating even when in cold temps, light headedness, extreme fatigue, just to name a few.  I have an appointment with a hematologist tomorrow & an endocrinologist on 4/6.

[PlateletGal]

Hi... I remember you !! I am so sorry to hear that you are still going through this and still don't have a diagnosis. I will keep you in my thoughts & prayers.

Have any of your physicians done an MRI of your pitituitary and/or adrenal gland? If they haven't, I think they should. It really does sound like an Endocrinologist is going to be the one to diagnose you. I'm just sorry that it is taking so long. When you see your physician, be sure to give him/her a list of all of your symptoms and when they begin. It will save time and time is important when you have a doctor's appointment. Also, you should give him/her copies of all of your medical records, if possible. I really do think that this problem you have is something that an Endocrinologist can help with.

Let us know what happens... okay ?

[Christine503]

QUick question...was the rash on the palms of your hands and/or the soles of your feet.  While there are a bunch of problems that can cause the type of rash you describe, the list narrows significantly if the palms and soles are involved.

[krbnctb]

I'll keep you updated.  I gave my new PCP Dr. copies of all of the testing that has been done & copies of all the bloodwork I had as well.  I had an abdominal & pelvic CT scan done (w & w/o contrast) that didn't show really anything.  It's also wierd but I felt these 2 lumps in my upper abdomen on my left side, which my PCP kinda dismissed and said if it was anything it would have showed up on the CT Scan, but I don't remember feeling them before.  He thinks that it may be scar tissue or adhesions.  I had an MRA done in the hospital back in 9/06 and that showed some gall stones in my gall bladder, an enlarged liver & fatty liver & possible adhesions.  I haven't had an MRI done of my brain or head.  Maybe the Endocrinologist will be able to figure out what it is, at this point I just want my life back.  It's hard because whatever it is so far hasn't been "clear-cut" on the testing that has been, I guess that would be too easy.  It's just frustrating.  I'll definitely keep you posted.

[krbnctb]

Sorry....no it wasn't on my palms or the soles of my feet.  Sorry should have included that.  My PCP called it a "strep" infection and put me on Omnicef & Prednisone.  It's just strange because the same day I took my last Omnicef is when I started feeling worse again & within hours started getting the rash back.  I have no clue.