Brandi Glanville says she finally has names for several of the health problems she has spent years trying to understand, but her treatment is far from finished.
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said in a Sept. 8 Instagram post that she has been diagnosed with highly resistant ESBL Klebsiella, Enterobacter with biofilm, coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley Fever Demodex dermatitis and mononucleosis, according to PEOPLE.
Glanville, 53, also said she has what she described as a “fungal ball” in her face that needs to be removed. She said her treatment plan includes removing metal from old dental work and her current breast implants, along with another four to six months of daily IV treatment.
The disclosures mark the latest turn in a health ordeal Glanville has documented publicly since 2023. Her explanations for what is causing her facial symptoms have changed as she has undergone more testing and treatment.
Glanville Says She Finally Has Several Diagnoses
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“I’m finally ready to tell you what I’ve actually been fighting,” Glanville wrote before listing the conditions she says doctors have identified.
The medical terms describe several different problems rather than one single diagnosis explaining every symptom. ESBL refers to antibiotic-resistance mechanisms found in certain bacteria, including some strains of Klebsiella, while coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection commonly called Valley Fever.
She also included Demodex dermatitis on the list. Demodex mites commonly live in human facial hair follicles and usually cause no problems, although excessive numbers can be associated with inflammatory skin conditions.
In videos, Glanville showed the firm area running along the side of her face that she says doctors intend to remove. “It’s hard as a rock,” she said while becoming emotional about wanting it gone. Glanville also returned to the issue she has long called a facial “parasite.” She said the problem once seemed confined to her face but now believes it extends down her right arm.
Her IV Treatment Has Taken Up Most of Her Day
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The diagnosis announcement followed several videos in which Glanville documented the intensive IV routine she is already undergoing.
She said one recent infusion schedule kept her connected to treatment for roughly 18 hours a day. Entertainment Weekly reported that Glanville was using a PICC line for imipenem, with a home nurse assisting during part of the process while Glanville handled additional treatment herself.
“I feel like death. I look like death,” she said while explaining how physically difficult the regimen had become. She also said treatment had made eating difficult and that she was largely staying home except when recording her podcast. Glanville said she expects another four to six months of daily IV therapy and still has “a couple surgeries” ahead.
She estimated that the current medical costs are running between $3,300 and $6,000 per month even with insurance. Glanville said Brandi Glanville Unfiltered is currently the only work she is consistently able to continue and admitted that she does not know how she will manage another several months of treatment financially.
Her Current Implants Replaced the Ruptured Ones Removed in February
Glanville’s statement that her breast implants now need to come out adds another chapter to a medical story that appeared to reach a breakthrough earlier this year.
In February, doctors removed the breast implants Glanville had had for approximately 18 years after imaging revealed that one had ruptured and silicone had leaked. Glanville said silicone had reached lymph nodes and believed the damage was contributing to her broader health problems.
Her surgeon removed the damaged pair and replaced them with new implants during the same procedure. Glanville initially reported a significant improvement in her energy and mobility after surgery.
Her facial symptoms later returned. By June, she said doctors had found a benign tumor in a lymph node in her face, while she continued to believe that another unresolved problem was responsible for sensations and changes in her skin. Glanville says her current treatment plan now calls for her breast implants to be removed again, along with metal from older dental work.
Her Search for Answers Has Cost About $200,000
Glanville’s health problems date back to 2023, when she began experiencing facial swelling and other symptoms after filming The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco.
Her explanations evolved over time. She was initially diagnosed with stress-induced angioedema, later became convinced that a parasite was moving through her face and eventually learned that her longtime breast implants had ruptured. She has also discussed painful lumps.
In February, Glanville said she had seen 21 doctors and spent approximately $200,000 while trying to determine what was happening. That figure covered years of specialist appointments, testing and treatments.
“The treatment has NOT been easy and so far I’ve had very little improvement,” she wrote. “I want my health back. I want my life back. I want to feel like me again.”
