# Fungul Growth On Skin From Weight Belt



## JBS (Feb 2, 2012)

Before anything, I will just state right here, right now, I have zero training in the medical field, and I am just posting this as a personal experience.

I will try to keep this short:

About a year and a half ago, I had a strange circular rash appear on my skin, around my rib cage, towards the back- roughly in the area of my liver.  I asked others what it might be, and being a bit of a hypochondriac (I always feel the symptoms of any medical problem I read about, lol), I began fearing all kinds of issues.  After talking with some of the awesome medical types here at SS, I eventually listened to their advice and went to see a doc.  I was given anti-fungal cream by my doctor, and after about 6 - 7 weeks, the infection cleared up and my skin was completely clear again.  At the time, I had no idea where I got the fungal infection, or how it got into my mid-section.  After a lifetime of being an athlete, a wrestler in school, and in the combat arms field, I have no history of such things, except for the most minor 2 to 3 days of a foot fungus many years ago which I promptly treated and cleared up.  This fungus on my skin was a strange fluke, in my opinion.


Now, fast forward to about 2 months ago.  I get a rash around the rib cage again, except this time I know what it is, and it quickly dawns on me that I must have gotten it from a weight belt at the gym which was hanging on the wall.   It also dawns on me just how dumb I've been for using a communal leather weight belt at the gym.  I deduced this as the source based on the fact this is the only possible point of contamination, and this time the location of the rash on my body is more pronounced.  In other words, it was obvious this had to be the source.  So I run out and get anti-fungal cream and start to massively slather it on all over.   I applied the fungal cream for about 7 weeks, and despite an initial lessening in the size of the infection area, the infection made a sort of resurgence, and then wasn't getting any better.  About the 7th week of treating this, my hypochondriac ass was surfing the net looking for anti-fungul treatments, and then wondering if maybe in diagnosing myself I was making a mistake.   I was convinced this stuff on my skin was resistant to cheap pharmacy lotions and creams. In my search on the topic, I came across an article about Tea Tree Oil.

To sum up the results, I bought several bottles of the stuff, and after 3 applications (one time per day every other day), my skin cleared up.  That's less than a week.   This is compared to fighting a losing battle with a half dozen little tubes of $12 Lotrimin and other worthless crap.

This Tea Tree Oil is the most powerful stuff I have ever seen, and I now have about 12 little bottles sitting under the sink - probably a lifetime supply since I plan to never use a communal weight belt again.  I will point out that *Tea Tree Oil is toxic under certain circumstances,* so I am not giving out advice of any kind, just wanted to point out to anyone who ever dealt with this fungus as a result of wrestling mats, training gear, flak jackets, etc., it might be worth doing research on this oil, and getting professional advice on this.  It really worked for me exceedingly well, and wanted to pass it on.


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## JBS (Feb 2, 2012)

Also, don't use the free weight belts at the gym! For me it was fungus but for you it could be MERSA!

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-...a-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus


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## AWP (Feb 2, 2012)

Tea tree oil is good stuff. It will even slowly clear up toenail fungus.


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## RustyShackleford (Feb 2, 2012)

JBS said:


> Also, don't use the free weight belts at the gym! For me it was fungus but for you it could be MERSA!
> 
> http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-...a-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus


 
Yeah MRSA...I am a two time victim, courtesy of the criminal population of our country.


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## Dame (Feb 2, 2012)

Tea tree oil was recommended to me about 7 years ago for a bite on my hand that just would not clear up. It worked.
Before that I'd never even heard of it.


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## medicchick (Feb 2, 2012)

I love tea tree oil, it can be used for many different things.  It's good in a body wash to help with odors, or for something like your infection as a preventative step.


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## x SF med (Feb 2, 2012)

Tea Tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia) has been proven to have broad spectrum antimicrobial properties and does have a positive affect on even the highly resistant MRSA (a form of staphlicoccus aureus) but can be toxic in high doses, but does work very well when mixed with a mentol base for the narrower spectrum synergistic effects. High dose/long term, treatments/use has been shown to cause gynomastia in young males, especially when mixed with lavender -- the gynomastia is self reversing in a couple of months when use is stopped.

Good stuff, but use care, it is still a drug/chemical that has side effects and drawbacks.


Hey, JBS - using a public weight belt?  Twice, even...  after the first incident you should have known better - and spent your $35 on a decent weight belt of your own.  Friggin cheap assed Maroon...  I hope 0699 and Teufel beat you up verbally for that one....  

You have been Trollerized...  Drive on.


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## Headshot (Feb 2, 2012)

It is great for clearing up scalp issues, put 10-12 drops in your shampoo bottle and shake it up and you'll feel the difference immediately.


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## JBS (Feb 2, 2012)

x SF med said:


> Hey, JBS - using a public weight belt? Twice, even... after the first incident you should have known better - and spent your $35 on a decent weight belt of your own. Friggin cheap assed Maroon... I hope 0699 and Teufel beat you up verbally for that one....
> 
> You have been Trollerized... Drive on.


Roger, I deserved that.  To tell the truth I didn't put it (the source) together the first time around; the infection was high and to the right, as opposed to a clear band along the (weight) belt line (like it was moreso the 2nd time).

Lesson learned.


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## x SF med (Feb 2, 2012)

JBS said:


> Roger, I deserved that.  To tell the truth I didn't put it together the first time around; the infection was high and to the right, as opposed to a clear band along the (weight) belt line (like it was moreso the 2nd time).
> 
> Lesson learned.


 
Please don't cry...  Chesty Puller would come back to haunt you.   :-"


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## medicchick (Feb 2, 2012)

Oh, and NEVER drink it, it can kill you.


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## x SF med (Feb 2, 2012)

medicchick said:


> Oh, and NEVER drink it, it can kill you.


 
Or cause Dain Bramage...  look at Sasquatch, he drank the melaleuca kool-aid...


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## Centermass (Mar 7, 2012)

Sounds like it may have been dermatitis. One of many reasons I use my own gloves, straps, belt and towel.

Too many possibilities of  crap floating around the gym to the point that I disinfect any item I plan to use, pick up or sit down on. I do the same as a courtesy to others and wipe down everything after I'm done using it. I also avoid the shower point until I get home.


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## Frank S. (Mar 18, 2012)

Centermass said:


> Sounds like it may have been dermatitis. One of many reasons I use my own gloves, straps, belt and towel.
> 
> Too many possibilities of crap floating around the gym to the point that I disinfect any item I plan to use, pick up or sit down on. I do the same as a courtesy to others and wipe down everything after I'm done using it. I also avoid the shower point until I get home.


 
Nice to see someone smarter than this schmuck...







But then...


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## Headshot (Mar 19, 2012)

Frank S. said:


> Nice to see someone smarter than this schmuck...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If only....


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