Sea Lice aggravate tinea versicolor?

[mikerault]

I have tinea versicolor on my back, my arms and chest were essentially clear with occasional spots if I got overheated. I snorkled through several groups of sea lice in Grand Turk on my last trip (juvanile jelly fish larva) about 4 months ago, I noticed some slight stinging on the arms when I did so but nothing on the chest (I wasn't wearing dive skin). When I got back to shore I noticed red spots on my arms and passed it off to the irritation form the sea lice. They didn't go away but got larger. I've included a photo. Looks like the sea lice stings aggravated my tinea versicolor and caused it to spread to both arms and my chest.

Any idea on how to reverse this or control it? Other than looking unsightly it doesn't itch or hurt in any way. But now if I get the slightest bit hot or sweaty I look like leopard man.

Mike

 

[CON8IV]

Hi Mike,

I think you mean sea "lice", not wasps. A sea wasp is a potentially deadly critter, whereas the juvies you describe are often described as sea lice. I have experienced similar circumstances to yours. I always wear a steamer now and have avoided any further aggravation. Benedryl may or may not help your symptoms but may be worth a try. Best of luck to Ya!

 

[CameronMartz]

Any idea on how to reverse this or control it? Other than looking unsightly it doesn't itch or hurt in any way. But now if I get the slightest bit hot or sweaty I look like leopard man.

Mike

Diflucan does the trick, though it might take one pill a week for a few weeks to clear up a bad outbreak. Ask your dermatologist for a prescription.

Cameron

 

[mikerault]

Thanks Jaybird, I realized my mistake and was probably correcting it when you posted! Anyway, I've tried benedryl and hydrocortizone, the benedryl didn't do anythng, the cortizone seemed to help but as soon as I stop putting it on twice a day the red spots come back. If it is tinea then there may be no help for it.

Mike

 

[mikerault]

Diflucan, thanks! I'll ask my Doctor as I am going in this week for a checkup.

Mike

 

[east-ender]

i had the same problem in grand cayman. a little bit of pee will help. no joke

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Mike,

There are a variety of approaches to controlling tinea versicolor, largely involving prevention and topical preparations. Since oral triazole antifungal agents like Diflucan (fluconazole) tend have more side effects (e.g., headache, dizziness, diarrhea, stomach pain, heartburn, change in ability to taste food), they often aren't tried until topical treatments have proven not suitably effective.

I think it is not appropriate to directly ask one's physician for a prescription of any sort. However, after having done some homework it is appropriate to ask the doctor what he or she thinks about a particular drug's potential to resolve the medical condition at issue.

In this regard, there is some evidence suggesting fluconazole's effectiveness and safety in treating tinea versicolor (*see below).

Drugs used to treat tinea versicolor would not be expected to have any healing effect on sea bather's eruption ("sea lice" bites) and vice-versa. SBE is best prevented and treated as outlined in the following article:

Dealing With Sea Bather's Eruption (SBE)
http://www.awoosh.com/Doc Vikingo's Resource Page/SBE.htm

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual and should not be construed as such.

Regards.

DocVikingo

*"J Dermatol. 2005 Jan;32(1):19-21.

Oral fluconazole in the treatment of tinea versicolor.

Karakas M, Durdu M, Memisoglu HR.

Cukurova University, School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Adana, Turkey.

This study was designed to assess the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of oral fluconazole given at 300 mg once weekly for two weeks in the treatment of tinea versicolor. Enrolled into the study were 44 subjects with tinea versicolor, provisionally confirmed by the detection of fungal hyphae in KOH wet mounts and Wood's lamp examination. Four subjects were classified as dropouts because no information was obtained from them after the baseline visit. Subjects were treated for two weeks orally with fluconazole 300 mg weekly and followed at the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 12th weeks of treatment. The study included 40 subjects (26 males and 14 females, mean age 29 years, range 19-48 years). At the week 4 visit, 30 (75%) patients showed a complete cure and 31 (77.5%) patients showed mycologic cure. Ten (25%) patients had no significant response to therapy. At the final follow-up visit (week 12), none of the patients showing complete or mycologic cures exhibited a recurrence. No adverse effects were observed in any of the patients treated. We believe that, due to the low incidence of side effects, shorter treatment duration, and increased adaptation of the patients, fluconazole can be used in the treatment of tinea versicolor with confidence."

 

[mikerault]

So 1 300 mg pill a week for 12 weeks or less and it is gone? "given at 300 mg once weekly "

Mike

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Mike,

As regards your question, the study abstract indicates:

1. Subjects were given just two doses of oral fluconazole (Diflucan); 300 mg the first week and another 300 mg a week later.

This treatment regimen for tinea versicolor is consistent with various other references indicating a once weekly dose of anywhere from 150 to 300 mg for anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.

2. Subjects' responses to the medication were assessed at the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 12th weeks of the study.

3. At week 4, 77.5% of subjects showed no evidence of the fungus which causes the condition (Malassezia furfur); 75% showed no signs, symptoms or lab findings whatsoever; 25% manifested no meaningful improvement.

4. At the final follow-up visit (week 12), none of the subjects who showed improvement exhibited a recurrence.

Only continued follow-up of the subjects could demonstrate whether or not a permanent cure was effected.

Helpful?

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[CameronMartz]

Only continued follow-up of the subjects could demonstrate whether or not a permanent cure was effected.

Just to clarify, while a tinea versicolor flare-up can be cured, the underlying genetic predisposition can not. The vast majority of people have regular recurrences after their first.

One way to think of this is like an allergy to poison ivy. It can take some exposure before you see your first outbreak, and then you end up more easily affected by it...

...only instead of poison ivy, you're "allergic" to yeast that is naturally present in your skin. So, a person susceptible to tinea versicolor should develop an ongoing strategy to manage levels of yeast in their skin with a dermatologist. Diflucan is the big gun when things get out of hand, but it is no cure-all.

Really, go to a dermatologist. This is relatively common, and they deal with this every day. A dermatologist will be able to provide you with all the help and advice you need.

Cameron