Ringworm - Doc Tells Me to Get Rid of My Pets

[bobandlucy]

Well, a week after getting Missy I got ringworm. She has no symptoms and neither does the cat. But they can be asymptomatic carriers.

I now have the welts over a large percentage of my skin. If I don't cure it, it can invade bones and organs. This does not happen to most people, but my immune system is compromised because of the celiac disease. I had no idea.

Tomorrow I have a video visit with Kaiser, to get authorized to have liver panel done to see if I can take oral antifungal meds, as my case is too extreme for prescription creams. These drugs can kill the liver.

The doctor I saw at the urgent care joint told me to get rid of my pets. I have a call into a vet to see if he agrees, but I'm pretty sure that's how it's going to go down.

I'm heartbroken. I love that puppy.

b

[trents]

All over your body? Wow! That's a bummer. Do have dermatitis herpetiformis or eczema or some other skin condition that causes lesions? My understanding is that ringworm enters through breaks in the skin.

[bobandlucy]

17 minutes ago, trents said:

All over your body? Wow! That's a bummer. Do have dermatitis herpetiformis or eczema or some other skin condition that causes lesions? My understanding is that ringworm enters through breaks in the skin.

No other skin conditions. I read a lot about ringworm and did not see that a skin break is necessary. It can enter through hair follicles and pores.

[bobandlucy]

Also, in any case we all have micro-abrasions of the skin, at all times. The issue is I'll never be able to rid the house of it, because it can be passed back and forth between humans and animals. I may not be able to withstand multiple courses of the drug.

[bobandlucy]

Sorry all, I am making some assumptions here. Since Celiac is an immune system disorder, and people with those disorders have a hard time when they get ringworm, I made the assumption. The doctors did not disagree. It could be that I am more sensitive for another reason.

[RMJ]

As I think you figured out, celiac disease does not make one immune compromised, our problem would be better described as immune enhanced.  Many doctors don’t understand celiac which may be why the urgent care doctor didn’t disagree with you.

Animals can be tested for, and treated for, ringworm. It would be sad if you had to give them up.

How did they test your welts for ringworm?  Did they use a UV light? Fungal culture? Any chance some of them are fleabites from your new puppy?

[bobandlucy]

42 minutes ago, RMJ said:

As I think you figured out, celiac disease does not make one immune compromised, our problem would be better described as immune enhanced.  Many doctors don’t understand celiac which may be why the urgent care doctor didn’t disagree with you.

Animals can be tested for, and treated for, ringworm. It would be sad if you had to give them up.

How did they test your welts for ringworm?  Did they use a UV light? Fungal culture? Any chance some of them are fleabites from your new puppy?

Thanks very much RMJ. You have helped improve my understanding of celiac disease. 

Yes, the animals will be tested. There is a quick test with UV light, and a culture test, which is more accurate. Unfortunately, the culture can take a month for results.

I was not tested. The doctor seemed positive that it was ringworm. I'll follow up with Kaiser and get tested myself if the video visit is not conclusive.

I'm am positive it's not fleas. I've seen that before, and I examined the puppy thoroughly.

I'm sorry to have posted without thinking this out more. Being sick for so long has kind of got me running scared, I guess.

Thanks again.

Bob

 

 

 

[fllstuart77]

15 hours ago, bobandlucy said:

but my immune system is compromised because of the celiac disease.

 

not sure why people say this..  immune system is not compromised because of celiac..  its working normally beyond the malfunction when gluten is eaten.

it isn't weaker because of celiac...     I had tests on my immune system function and its operating normally...

I had Covid 19 and had nothing but minor symptoms while other younger perfectly healthy people drop dead from it.. so my immune system must have handled it pretty well.

immune system is compromised when you're taking an immunosuppressant drug that reduces the strength of the body's immune system....   celiac doesn't do that.

 

[cristiana]

I've been told that my immune system was "somewhat compromised" due to coeliac disease by a consultant gastroenterologist, with reference to repeated bouts of shingles. But I wonder if that's because I've taken a long time to heal and perhaps it was somewhat compromised while my antibodies were still relatively high.

As you can see, I'm not a scientist and haven't a clue what I'm talking about probably 😃 - but might that be what people mean when they say that?   

Edited September 7, 2021 by cristiana

[trents]

2 hours ago, cristiana said:

I've been told that my immune system was "somewhat compromised" due to coeliac disease by a consultant gastroenterologist, with reference to repeated bouts of shingles. But I wonder if that's because I've taken a long time to heal and perhaps it was somewhat compromised while my antibodies were still relatively high.

As you can see, I'm not a scientist and haven't a clue what I'm talking about probably 😃 - but might that be what people mean when they say that?   

It depends on what you mean by "compromised." If you mean "dysfunctional" that isn't necessarily the same as "deficient." Dysfunctional can mean the immune system is hyper vigilant which is the case with celiac disease. So dysfunctional might be a better term than compromised.

Edited September 7, 2021 by trents

[AlwaysLearning]

Yeah, keep the pets, just get everyone treated, including yourself. 

[Wheatwacked]

I think it would be wise, before starting an antifungal that may damage your liver, to see a dermatologist and get a definitive diagnosis. A consult with a nutritionist familiar with Celiac Disease would also seem appropriate.

It is possible that you got it from someone other than Missy. That seems to have been a quick assumption by the ER doctor, who in my opinion is a ..... for his thoughtless comment.

Celiac is a disease of malabsoption affecting seven essential vitamins and minerals, not to mention other deficiencies common to the Standard American Diet, especially gluten free.  You might try a bottle of Geritol Multivitamin Tabs because it has 100% or better of most of the essentials as a base. By the way, 100% of the RDA does not mean it is enough. 100% RDA is the minimum required for adeqate health for the general population. Less than 100% means you are at risk.  It may not help the ringworm specifically, but will certainly improve your immune system. The other option is to try to identify specifically what you are lacking in your diet, and that would take more time than you have right now.

Quote

Among the cases with extensive Tinea corporis infection, only 20% of cases were found to have normal levels of serum vitamin D3 whereas 48.3% of cases were found to have serum vitamin D3 insufficiency and 31.7% of cases had deficiency of serum vitamin D3   https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344090513_Serum_vitamin_D3_deficiency_among_cases_with_extensive_Tinea_corporis_infection

 

[cristiana]

10 minutes ago, Wheatwacked said:

I think it would be wise, before starting an antifungal that may damage your liver, to see a dermatologist and get a definitive diagnosis. A consult with a nutritionist familiar with Celiac Disease would also seem appropriate.

Reading this reminds me.... my son was diagnosed with probable discoid eczema a few years ago.  The rash looked exactly like ringworm to me - although I have to say I'm not an expert.  Thankfully a very experienced doctor saw it and told me he thought it wasn't ringworm.   Whatever it was it eventually faded.