I have been having open sores on various parts of my body that heal and come back for the last 20 years.

I have asked multiple doctors of different types if what I was experiencing was a parasite... it just felt at times that things were crawling under my skin. Only to be told no that I was crazy.

I went down a rabbit hole a few days ago which started with the online Encyclopedia Britanica and their description of Sand Fly Larvae (I was in the U.A.E., Thailand, and Hong Kong) which are prevalent in the Middle East and Southern Asia.

That led me to a link on Oriental Sores in the Encyclopedia, and the photos look very similar to some of sores I have been battling, this link led me to Leishmanaisis which is a protozoan parasite transmitted by the sand fly bite.

I will be starting Ivermectin today or tomorrow (whenever the pharmacy gets it in) for a 30 day regimen along with the antibiotics.

According to the CDC there are less than 1000 cases in the US per year... yay I am now a freak.

I sent the photos of my wounds and the links to that I followed to a Dermatologist Nurse Practitioner who after taking a look at what I sent prescribed the Ivermectin as we have been trying to clear these up for years.

I know nothing about this but it sounds awful and I wish you healing with the medication that has been prescribed.

Wow. and to think you've had it for 20 years.

Did you not have a primary or main doctor all this time? You would think if you kept bringing it up, the doc would say, "Okay, I'll humor this person and see if there's anything."

At least you finally figured it out.

I had bouts with scabies. Mainly from stupidly hiding a pet mice in my underwear drawer in the Navy barracks. I think shortly after, I brought the mice back to the store where I bought it.

Ivermecterin is an effective anti-parasitic; we use it on the horses as it is multi-species capable.

Keep it away from your dog(s) however. It is poisonous to them.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
Wow. and to think you've had it for 20 years.

Did you not have a primary or main doctor all this time? You would think if you kept bringing it up, the doc would say, "Okay, I'll humor this person and see if there's anything."

At least you finally figured it out.

I had bouts with scabies. Mainly from stupidly hiding a pet mice in my underwear drawer in the Navy barracks. I think shortly after, I brought the mice back to the store where I bought it.

Every doc in the last 13 years when the larger sores showed up and wouldn't heal said it was staph, MRSA, folliculitis, and other ailments... none would entertain a parasite. Yes I have primary care, and even she hadn't thought parasite.

it was 30 years ago when I was in the Gulf, and this parasite can live in your organs indefinitely without any external symptom.

Internal symptoms are enlarged liver and anemia or small red blood cells, along with low white cell counts. I have the enlarged liver (discovered during radiology and ultra sound for heart and gal stones.. both came out negative), and I was diagnosed with anemia by the VA over 5 years ago and with small red cells two years ago.

External can be small white head / acne like sores which is what I had from 1990-2010 so I never thought anything of it until I got a couple sores on the top of my head and back of my neck that refused to heal in 2010 these have healed, and now there are new sores on the back of my neck). In 2013 I got sores on my belt line that we were able to get to partially heal, but they are still there.

last year my doc referred me to a surgeon who diagnosed my issue as a condition where the body creates cysts... no lab tests just a visual inspection.... he was wrong as he said I didn't have cysts in my groin... yup they were there, and a physicians assistant cut them out for me.

I think part of the problem is that this is so uncommon in the US. It has three versions (skin, sinuses, organs), and I have symptoms of all three types.

I think because I bathe in bleach water and put alcohol on the wounds that that has slowed the spread.

If what I was diagnosed with were correct my wife and kids would have sores too... and they have no symptoms.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Ivermecterin is an effective anti-parasitic; we use it on the horses as it is multi-species capable.

Keep it away from your dog(s) however. It is poisonous to them.

I will keep it away from my dog. Thankfully she doesn't lick people so that is a good thing.

Are you a Gulf War Veteran??

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Are you a Gulf War Veteran??

Yes I am. Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Since the Gulf War, one chronic infectious disease - viscerotrophic leishmaniasis - has been definitely linked to service in the Persian Gulf. This sandfly-transmitted infection has been diagnosed in ust 12 U.S. veterans, but not in any of the other coalition troops.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Since the Gulf War, one chronic infectious disease - viscerotrophic leishmaniasis - has been definitely linked to service in the Persian Gulf. This sandfly-transmitted infection has been diagnosed in ust 12 U.S. veterans, but not in any of the other coalition troops.

Sigopedia info always amazes me...

Since the condition has been clearly established as service connnected as part of Gulf war Syndrome it is compensable. Whether there are effective treatments available is another matter. VA dermatology should know.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Since the condition has been clearly established as service connected as part of Gulf war Syndrome it is compensable. Whether there are effective treatments available is another matter. VA dermatology should know.

Ivermectin and other anti-parasitic drugs kill the protozoan that causes the condition.

I don't know if this nurse practitioner will in fact write up a diagnosis as this was all done by phone and email (I did send her photos of the new sores).

I will call the VA and see what we can do, but the Walla Walla, WA District of the VA is about worthless except for optical.

In addtion to treatment, your condition is quite compensable under the Gulf War syndrome. Just keep plugging away. There is a clear nexus from what I can see.

quote:

Originally posted by lizardman_u:

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Keep it away from your dog(s) however. It is poisonous to them.

I will keep it away from my dog. Thankfully she doesn't lick people so that is a good thing.

Ivermectin is frequently given to dogs... It's the active ingredient in most monthly heartworm preventative medication for dogs. It's used in higher doses to treat dogs with active heartworm infections, as well as to treat other parasite infections in dogs, like ear mites and mange.

I'm not saying that you should let your dog gorge themself on your Ivermectin pills, but mere incidental exposure to it (like licking you or interacting with you after having taken it) shouldn't be a concern.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
In addtion to treatment, your condition is quite compensable under the Gulf War syndrome. Just keep plugging away. There is a clear nexus from what I can see.

GERD, Diabetes, and Sleep Apnea are also compensable under GW Syndrome, but I was denied those claims as I didn't seek treatment for them when I was Active Duty (I had mild GERD, but wasn't diagnosed until 2010 with GERD; I was diagnosed in 2010 with sleep Apnea, and in 2012 I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes).

I understand how physicians are usually guided by the “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras,” principle, but based on my superficial research at the time, I cautioned my sister-in-law about Leishmanaisis when her unit was alerted for deployment during the first Gulf War. And it’s one thing to not think of the rare zebra or quagga, but I believe it’s unconscionable to dismiss a possibility when it’s specifically raised. I’m no medical provider, but I learned long ago that when I was trying to solve a mystery that was my responsibility, it was simply stupid to not at least consider other people’s ideas.

Best wishes your treatment.

quote:

GERD, Diabetes, and Sleep Apnea are also compensable under GW Syndrome, but I was denied those claims as I didn't seek treatment for them when I was Active Duty (I had mild GERD, but wasn't diagnosed until 2010 with GERD; I was diagnosed in 2010 with sleep Apnea, and in 2012 I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes).

^^^^^^^^^
If you have some proof that these symptoms were present during your service they are service connected. In some instances that is indeed very difficult.Good luck.

quote:

I don't know if this nurse practitioner will in fact write up a diagnosis as this was all done by phone and email (I did send her photos of the new sores)

^^^^^^^^^^^
It is standard to diagnose, because it was telehealth is irrelevant.

Has anyone tested you for leshmaniasis? I think that tissue tests are pretty definitive. They can see the protozoan.

You couldn't feel the protozoans - they are microscopic, the size of your own cells and smaller.

Wow, trust that the anit-parasitics will resolve the long term issue for you!

Knowing nothing about this (and not a doctor), I looked up Aussie references on the National Center for Biotechnology Information:

Molecular Epidemiology of Imported Cases of Leishmaniasis in Australia from 2008 to 2014

Makes for an insightful read, one you could likely share with your GP, clinician, epidemiologist.

In Australia, imported leishmaniasis is becoming increasingly common, due to an increase in global travel and immigration.

A history of travel or residence in Afghanistan was noted in the majority of Aussie cases (n=24), while 13 patients reported travel or residence in other Middle Eastern countries.

Antarctica is now the only continent thought to be Leishmania free.

--chris

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Has anyone tested you for leshmaniasis? I think that tissue tests are pretty definitive. They can see the protozoan.

You couldn't feel the protozoans - they are microscopic, the size of your own cells and smaller.

No nobody has tested for much more than staph which came back negative.

I am following a logic trail, not a medical trail especially since very little has worked to heal these up, especially the ones on my legs that are keeping me off the bicycle, waking me up at night, and making it painful to wear pants.

I sent my logic trail to a Dermatologist NP and she agreed to try me on the Ivermectin.

I am in a town of 3300, and while willing to drive can't get appointments with the right type of doctor who deal with parasites (infectious disease specialists).

We have treated it for staph, for fungus, for ringworm, for MRSA (even though no culture was taken... this was an Army Captain doctor who did this when I worked as a civilian for big army in 2010), and also treated for folliculitis.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

If you have some proof that these symptoms were present during your service they are service connected. In some instances that is indeed very difficult.Good luck.

I have no proof other than I would bring up bile and sometimes small amounts of food after eating, and I snored. The diabetes wasn't diagnosed until 2012 by the VA.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I understand how physicians are usually guided by the “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras,” principle, but based on my superficial research at the time, I cautioned my sister-in-law about Leishmanaisis when her unit was alerted for deployment during the first Gulf War. And it’s one thing to not think of the rare zebra or quagga, but I believe it’s unconscionable to dismiss a possibility when it’s specifically raised. I’m no medical provider, but I learned long ago that when I was trying to solve a mystery that was my responsibility, it was simply stupid to not at least consider other people’s ideas.

Best wishes your treatment.

Thank you for your wishes.

It seems many of the medical personnel around my area and in this district for the VA think they are gods who know all.... I have proven many of them wrong in the case of me having cysts, or by my body not responding to their treatments... Dermatologist diagnosed some of these sores as adult acne... the Accutane did nothing but make matters worse and make my diabetes glucose super high (a known side effect of Accutane).

quote:

Originally posted by cjevans:
Wow, trust that the anit-parasitics will resolve the long term issue for you!

Knowing nothing about this (and not a doctor), I looked up Aussie references on the National Center for Biotechnology Information:

Molecular Epidemiology of Imported Cases of Leishmaniasis in Australia from 2008 to 2014

Makes for an insightful read, one you could likely share with your GP, clinician, epidemiologist.

In Australia, imported leishmaniasis is becoming increasingly common, due to an increase in global travel and immigration.

A history of travel or residence in Afghanistan was noted in the majority of Aussie cases (n=24), while 13 patients reported travel or residence in other Middle Eastern countries.

Antarctica is now the only continent thought to be Leishmania free.

--chris

Very interesting that this information is available as the WHO and CDC websites would have you believe that it is only in a few countries in SW & SE Asia, India, Africa, and South America.