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Have Fever, Fast Heart Rate, Itchy Skin, Pain In Ribs And Back. What Am I Suffering From?
Question: I been having pain , gnawing pain around my right side (ribs) now going into my back. Nausea , occ dry heaves. Hurts worse after eating (fatty foods or not. Anything really). I been having these issues for several years now. The start is when I had cat scratch and ended up in the hospital. I was one of the few that ended up with a gnarly liver after the fact and my body went septic. Sometimes the pain is unbearable. I have or had a low grade fever. But now, every now and then, my heart rate goes up and so does my blood pressure. Stools change , constipation to soft. Not Jaundiced at all although it happened once, several yrs ago. My skin itches when my side hurts, no bumps or lumps. It just itches.
Hello,
You are probably suffering from a disease called as Cat scratch disease.
It is a disease caused by Bartonella henselae.
This disease is caused by scratch by a cat.
Usually it is a self-limited disease and manifests as enlargement of lymph nodes, fever joint pains headache and skin rash.
In few people, it may involve any system like hepatic, respiratory, cardiac etc.
You have many symptoms and these may be related to it.
Here is my advice
1. Get blood culture for Bartonella done.
2. Liver function test and renal function tests.
The treatment of this condition is capsule doxycycline.
Kindly XXXXXXX a physician and discuss regarding this.
Feel free to ask any further query.
Wishing you good health
Thank you .
You are probably suffering from a disease called as Cat scratch disease.
It is a disease caused by Bartonella henselae.
This disease is caused by scratch by a cat.
Usually it is a self-limited disease and manifests as enlargement of lymph nodes, fever joint pains headache and skin rash.
In few people, it may involve any system like hepatic, respiratory, cardiac etc.
You have many symptoms and these may be related to it.
Here is my advice
1. Get blood culture for Bartonella done.
2. Liver function test and renal function tests.
The treatment of this condition is capsule doxycycline.
Kindly XXXXXXX a physician and discuss regarding this.
Feel free to ask any further query.
Wishing you good health
Thank you .
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Yes, i had cat scratch several years back. Ended up in the hospital under the care of on Infectious Disease Dr....I had treatment already. But the question in now. The pain on the upper right side, etc. Do I have symptoms of scarring on my GallBladder? Does it sounds like its functioning? Liver etc?.....Bartonella is in the past, but all my health issues stem from that.....
Hello,
Thanks for writing back.
As I mentioned earlier, Bartonella can take any form.
You have taken treatment but that cannot totally protect you from complication.
Bartonella is not that easy to treat.
Sometimes it maintains a very low level in body and still keeps existing, giving rise to various complications.
Regarding your question on whether the gall bladder or liver is involved or not: this can be commented upon only after a Liver function test and ultrasound.
Bartonella has a high propensity to involve the liver.
May be your liver was involved at the time of infections itself but it is showing symptoms now.
So please get the tests that I already mentioned to you, and talk to your treating physician for another course of antibiotics.
There might be a relapse of the same disease hence it is worth giving a try.
Wishing you good health.
Thank you
Thanks for writing back.
As I mentioned earlier, Bartonella can take any form.
You have taken treatment but that cannot totally protect you from complication.
Bartonella is not that easy to treat.
Sometimes it maintains a very low level in body and still keeps existing, giving rise to various complications.
Regarding your question on whether the gall bladder or liver is involved or not: this can be commented upon only after a Liver function test and ultrasound.
Bartonella has a high propensity to involve the liver.
May be your liver was involved at the time of infections itself but it is showing symptoms now.
So please get the tests that I already mentioned to you, and talk to your treating physician for another course of antibiotics.
There might be a relapse of the same disease hence it is worth giving a try.
Wishing you good health.
Thank you
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
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