Dyshidrosis relapse-- the dots are coming back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =(

Ohhhhh noooooooooo................! My dyshidrosis is coming back! I see signs of a new outbreak!! This would be my fourth outbreak of the year!! Observe! Look closely at the circled area! (Ignore the random line on top).

Right foot

Left foot

I found out because I noticed a slight itch on the side of my foot. I understand it's normal to get a slight itch here and there, but coming where I come from recently, I had to check. Lo and behold-- there were the terrifying dots. Probably because I stopped using the clobetasol cream. Those creams cannot be used forever! They're corticosteroids, they thin out the skin. Look at the skin on my feet! I don't think they can tolerate more abuse! I thought the injection would keep me clear for a long time.

My problem is that it seems I will ALWAYS have to use the cream. Those creams should NOT be used more than a few days. I used clobetasol for a little over a week, I just stopped a couple of days ago.

Over time these creams thin out the skin. Already my skin looks very thin and brittle. So if I'm not hurt from the dyshidrosis, I'm going to be hurt from the cream

You could BARELY see it, of course, but that's how it starts! And believe me, once it starts, it doesn't stop until it ruins the whole foot!!! Those of you who suffer with dyshidrosis know what I'm talking about.

At least there are no signs of relapse on my hands, though. At least not yet. I say "not yet" not because I am a pessimist, but because in this short history, I've noticed that when I get it on my feet, surely the hands follow. But no, nothing on my hands, no matter how closely I look under the lamp.

I have a follow-up visit with the dermatologist next week. Also, the county dermatologist finally responded to the referral, so I might be getting an appointment soon. However, I'm starting to lose hope. I foresee much of the same-- they'll look at my feet, they'll give me a corticosteroid cream to clear the symptoms (not the cause), they'll give me tips on how to stay clear-- tips that I am already practicing to no avail! And finally, they'll say that it's a mysterious disease with no cure. 

I don't know how much more abuse my feet can take. 

Thin, wrinkled skin as a result of extensive corticosteroid use. I'm not even 30 yet!

Epsom salt for dyshidrosis

I heard that Epsom salt has many uses and that people with dyshidrosis use it, so I decided to buy some. I was surprised by how cheap it is-- only $4-something for a 3 lb. bag. I am not currently undergoing an outbreak-- in fact, I am clearer than a summer day thanks to the steroid shot and the clobetasol cream. However, I decided to get some anyway because it's good as a foot soak, and I want to do everything within my power to prevent another outbreak. I soaked my feet in warm water and about one cup of Epsom salt, and it left my feet feeling like silk. The aroma is very soothing as well. I used a pomice stone to get rid of a bit of dryness on my heels. Epsom salt can also be used to take a shower, which I did this morning. I sprinkled two tablespoons of Epsom salt on the Aveeno shower gel on my lather. Aveeno has no fragrance, so it was refreshing to smell nice after so long of not being able to use anything that's scented. I also bought a soak made especially for eczema skin, but I haven't used that yet.

If anyone has any recommendations on what works, please post it in the comments!

Clobetasol and steroid shot-- miracles for my dyshidrosis

I am amazed by the results on my feet and hands thanks to the steroid injection I got last week at the dermatologist, combined with the clobetasol cream I was prescribed. I did a bit of research on clobetasol, and apparently many others with the same condition speak wonders of it. My only concern now is how long will I be clear. After suffering with this for so many months, I am grateful for even a week of healthy, normal skin. I had almost forgotten what that looked like! However, the dermatologist and others say that dyshidrosis is a lifelong condition, so I am to expect another outbreak sooner or later. Hopefully later than soon! The derm said the effects of the steroid injection should last a few months at least. Also, I know I shouldn't be using the cream for a long time (corticosteorids never should). However, compared to the other corticosteroid that I was prescribed, which was betamethasone. Betamethasone leaves my skin drier than the Sahara. The clobetasol cream that the dermatologist prescribed for me is based on petroleum jelly and other moisturizers, and only has 0.05% of the active ingredient. It feels like I'm putting on soothing Vaseline. :)

My feet now. What a difference from a few days ago, as you can see from my other blog posts! Now I can actually wear flip flops without pain, air out my feet without overdrying them, and put on socks without leaving wet spots. What a weird thing it was, to be so wet, yet so dry! Now, I am quickly going back to normal and I am so grateful.

My First Dermatology Visit

After so many months of suffering with dyshidrosis, I finally got to see a dermatologist. The wait time was almost three hours, but it was worth it. When the dermatologist saw my hands and feet he confirmed that it is indeed dyshidrotic eczema. He was honest and said that there is no cure, but only preventive care. He advised me to use unscented soaps, to wear gloves when I do the dishes (which I already do), to not wash my hands all the time, etc. He said I shouldn't wash them more than once or twice a day. It's going to be awkward going to the restroom in public and have others give me weird looks for not washing my hands, after having been conditioned my entire life into doing so.

The dermatologist gave me a steroid injection, which he said should keep me clear for a few months at least. He was realistic and said that I will probably have this my whole life, with recurring outbreaks. However, he stressed that preventive care is important even during my clear months. After suffering with this for months, I'd be grateful for a few months of good skin health! He prescribed me a cream, clobetasol propionate, which is based on petroleum jelly and is therefore so much smoother than the clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream that the general county doctor had given me. He also prescribed antibiotics (azithromycin, 500mg) to take once a day for three days. I show no signs of infection, but he says it will assist the healing.

We'll see what happens!

Peeling badly, signs of third outbreak

August 3, 2013

August 5, 2013

August 5, 2013

If my skin weren't constantly peeling off as it has been lately, I would have a new crop of water-filled vesicles. As you can see in this photo, there are those little dots on the raw skin beneath that piece that fell off. My socks often exhibit wet spots from the serum that is pouring out of the little holes. You would think the trick to this would be to air them out-- to just like there without socks. Tried that, bad idea-- when I air out my feet, they get so dry they crack and bleed. So I continue to wash them at least twice a day, apply the Target brand of Neosporin on the cuts, and Eucerin cream on the whole foot right before putting on socks.

I am so tired of this, I don't know what to do. Online research seems pretty useless sometimes because everyone experiences this differently, and everyone has different relief methods. No cures, mind you, just methods that they think work. I have tried apple cider vinegar, and it doesn't work. I have heard hydrogen peroxide works wonders, but others say it's bad because it kills the good cells. Tried it anyway, didn't work. I've tried leaving them unpopped, doesn't work, they only spread. I have tried popping them, it gets rid of them, but they always come back. I tried bed rest, and that didn't work so I continued my exercise routine as normal. It doesn't bother me that much when I exercise, ironically. I figured it's the softness of the running shoes, so I got myself comfortable walking shoes as well. It helps, but when I come home and take off my shoes, I face the reality of my crumbling, peeling, rotting skin. On some days I have to use a gauze.

I got tired of waiting for the county dermatologist to get back to me. I went out doctor-shopping today-- first to the allergist, then to the dermatologist, before choosing one and making an appointment. The allergist would be great because I can take an allergy test, but oh, it is so expensive! It's $250 for the test, plus the $75 visit, plus any other medication I might need. That's my whole unemployment check for two weeks! Then I went to the dermatologist, who charges $100 per visit, plus $20 for a steroid injection, plus whatever medication I might need. Well! That's much closer to my budget, at least. My mom was kind enough to offer to help me with $200, which should cover this.

In the future when I can afford it I'd like to go to the allergist and take the allergy test, which I hope will help me figure out what is my trigger. For now, blindly treating this with a steroid injection without knowing the cause is just going to have to do.

Right foot. August 5, 2013

My second outbreak, right after healing from the first

Toward the middle of June 2013, I noticed little clear dots again, forming on top of the dry, recently healed skin. I thought they were remainders of the first outbreak, but no-- they were signs of a second. By the end of the month, my feet and hands were covered by the vesicles. In addition, I had rashes (atopic dermatitis) on my wrists, arms, and upper thighs. I used to get those rashes on my arms and legs as a child, so it looked very familiar. Now they were back with a vengeance, in addition to the new condition, dyshidrosis. On June 28, 2013, I was desperate enough to go to another free county doctor, this time armed with all the information of dyshdrosis I could find. I liked this lady much more than the first doctor who saw me a month before. She confirmed that indeed, it's eczema, and took photos of my arms, hands, legs, and feet, and wrote a report to send to the county dermatologist. That was the official referral to a specialist. She said that if the dermatologist wishes to see me after seeing those photos, they will contact me. If not, well-- it's the bureacratic county hospital system, not much we can do.

June 2013

June 2013

June 2013

June 2013

In the meantime, she gave me hydroxyzine pills (strong antihistamines), which honestly do nothing more than put me into a deep sleep; she also gave me more of that clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream, which I wasn't too thrilled about because it leaves you drier than the Sahara, but I suppose those vesicles should be dried somehow. And they did dry up, they dried me so much that I went through a period where I was so dry my skin was cracking like glass and made it painful to walk. Vaseline worked immediately after application, but an hour later they were dry again. I did more research, learned through trial and error (and lost money, because these creams are not cheap; it's expensive to get sick in America!). Tea tree oil-- not. Aveeno cream? Not too much, Vaseline was better still. I read about emollient-based creams, so I bought Eucerin for my feet-- that worked to keep them moist much longer than Vaseline, which only moisturizes superficially, and doesn't go in deep like the emollient-based products. I also bought Curel cream for my hands and body. I used to use Suave Advanced Therapy for my whole body, but that simply doesn't do anymore. I also replaced my usual Dove bar with Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash so as to not make my condition worse. It hasn't gotten better, but it certainly hasn't gotten worse. In the meantime, at least, while I wait for the county dermatologist to contact me... I still hope they do.

How my dyshidrosis began

Where do I begin? Well, it all started with dryness on my left big toe summer 2012. I thought it was just that-- dryness. I am a runner, so I thought it was just one of the effects of this hobby that I'll just have to live with. I didn't think much of it. I chuckled when my stepdad said last summer, "That looks like fungus. I have some medication if you'd like." I had NO clue was he was talking about, and laughed it off, subtly changing the subject because I was a bit embarrassed to have him look at my feet. Over time, I noticed the dryness wouldn't go away, and I started blistering there, with little clear dots. Remembering my stepfather's diagnosis, I was certain those dots were fungus, so I treated it with over-the-counter antifungals from Target; it didn't show much progress. Around January 2013 I told my mother about my condition, and she gave me an antifungal medication she purchased while vacationing in Peru. It's called Iconyl(r), and it is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal. It contains betamethasone, gentamicin, and clotrimazole. WHOA! That thing worked like a charm. I was amazed by how quickly it showed results, compared to the stuff I had been trying.

A few months later I started developing the same little dots, but now on the bottom of my foot as well as on the same left big toe. I was certain they were fungus, so I bought Tinactin spray-- yet, the unsightly thing continued to spread despite my efforts! By May 1st, 2013 had a circle about 4 inches long and an inch and a half wide on the bottom of my right foot, and a growing cluster about half an inch wide and long on my left foot. I did apple cider vinegar foot dips, but that didn't work. It seemed to get worse despite my efforts, and now even my hands were showing those little clear dots that I thought were the fungal bodies. I was so disgusted and desperate!

It was frustrating. It was difficult to walk. I didn't want to walk barefoot either, lest I get a secondary bacterial infection. I didn't want to cover it in socks and shoes either because I heard that gives fungus the warmth, moisture and darkness they need to thrive. I was damned either way. I got two pairs oversized men's sandals. NOT pretty or flattering, but they gave my feet the comfort, air and protection they needed.

I finally went to the doctor on May 3rd. I'm unemployed and have no insurance, so I went to a random county doctor for this because I qualify for free service. The doctor looked at it and said it didn't look like fungus;  I was almost certain it was, considering the white clear dots.  He observed that it MIGHT be fungus in combination with some sort of rash or irritation, so he prescribed a clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream. That cream actually worked-- it dried up the vesicles and dried up my entire foot so bad it started to crack. I did my research, posted on forums, shared photos, and found it was DYSHIDROSIS. I wasn't diagnosed by a doctor because the free county doctors almost never conduct tests unless one is DYING, and the regular doctor is TOO expensive. However, after months of online research, this is dyshidrosis.

Right foot. May 3rd, 2013

Left big toe, May 3rd, 2013