561.rash on chin - caused by Staph Moderated discussion and help for gluten free, coeliac, celiac, wheat allergies or intolerance, Cookery and recipes
Re: rash on chin - caused by Staph: from Lucy on 2010-07-05
Could both the rashes and gluten intolerance be caused by a systemic 'occult' Staph aureus infection which damages the gut lining and causes skin eruptions?
I also have the weeping red pin dot rashes and bumps, preceded by itching/ stinging that you describe - there follows a detailed description for others who may be experiencing various intermediate stages of this rash - sorry for the length. I am in my late 30s and previously have not had bad zits/ skin problems for over 10 years. There was a definite onset to these symptoms which seems to have coincided with a (new) adverse reaction to wheat as well as soy and oats - consumption of these makes me feel rather ill and hungover the next day or two. I am convinced that a bacterial infection (Staph/MRSA?) is the cause of both the gluten/ carb issues and rashes. (I also never previously had mouth ulcers).
My gluten sensitivity arose a year ago following a severe illness with high fever, very runny nose, painful chest, night sweats, diarrhea, and flu like symptoms including bad headaches, weakness, body aches and tingling nerves. Some of these symptoms have recurred since then periodically and I have lost about 20 pounds since (unintentionally).
I have also developed scaly, burning, rashes, starting at the corners of the mouth which split. Initially, I was only getting isolated red bumps around the mouth/nose area which seemed to be painful zits that took 10 days - 2 weeks to go away. These progressed to include scaling, intense itching and a papery skin texture along the vermilion border.The rash is exacerbated by sunlight (quickly comes up with redness, swelling and pain), and was initially incorrectly diagnosed as herpes. More recently it has come up as large, linear welts which subside leaving a rash of gritty, weeping red pin dots as others here have described - extremely painful/ stinging and spreading down to chin and up across cheeks - also hideous to look at - resolves following a crusting/ scaling stage. The rash erupts with stress. An allergist diagnosed this as a Staph infection and prescribed antibiotics (Bactrim and a nasal ointment) which helped a lot but did not get rid of the problem entirely.I have had a few, much milder flare ups since, comprising scaling lips, redness/ discoloration and gritty bumps around the mouth and chin.
Most recently, a dermatologist diagnosed this rash as perioral dermatitis. One of the oral treatments for this is doxycycline - also prescribed for staph - hmmm. I was also prescribed a topical ointment (Finacea) that I am trying which has azelaic acid as the active ingredient. It stings a bit and has not helped as yet. Other advice is to avoid toothpaste with sodium laureth sulfate and cinnamon flavorings - these suggestions have also not helped yet. I am on a gluten free diet and supplementing with probiotics and allicin (garlic derived) in an attempt to lessen any residual infection without engendering resistance - a naturopath suggested these and they seem to be helping rather slowly. I'm also limiting starchy carbs and avoiding sugar (which bacteria love) and alcohol.
Other intermittent symptoms include periodic diarrhea (severe - episodes lasting up to 10 days), irritation and reddening of mucus membranes, especially in eyes, abdominal pains, mouth ulcers, hair loss, fatigue.
Diagnoses since onset include: Herpes simplex (I am negative for HSV I and II), contact dermatitis, eczema, Staph infection (given Bactrim antibiotics but no culture was obtained), lupus (a repeat test was negative), perioral dermatitis
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