I am a 60-ish married engineer that has dealt with moderate eczema my entire life, primarily through the use of topical steroids. In early 2012 things started going wrong, and this blog is a personal diary of my journey through Topical Steroid Withdrawal, also known as Red Skin Syndrome, Topical Steroid Addiction, or Steroid Induced Eczema. I have been completely free from all steroids since July 9, 2013. Please see www.itsan.org for more info and feel free to post here!
That is what the backs of my legs look like. My hands have been spared this go around, minus one crack that I just got yesterday. In years previous to this one, my hands were dangon horrible! Itchy, swollen, painful, tight. I thought I was getting premature arthritis but this year…oddly, going thru TSW, hands and feet are fine and even soft. Go figure...
Damn Dave, you need to quit putting moisturizers on your skin for a few weeks and see the benefits! I just read most of your blog and here is what stuck out to me, besides not seeing anything about MW:
August 20, 2013 - I Meet the Chair Several times per day I am to coat my body with vaseline and wrap myself in warm damp towels.
September 26, 2013 - 4 Hours Per Day... in the bathtub.
November 19 - More of the Same I have tried to update my blog a couple times lately, but I find I am writing the exact same thing I did before. Right now I am not making progress.
Dave, moisturizing while your skin is hypersensitive is very bad and it has prolonged your healing and caused you much unnecessary suffering. And, soaking in water for longer than 20 minutes is also not good for your skin. These are facts that I back up with well established studies on my blog.
Compare my progress reports and pictures to yours and see what I mean. My hands were seriously messed up in the beginning of my tsw. I didn't think to take pictures at the time but trust me on that. They were scary even to my GP who sent me to a Derm the same day I went to see him, and two Derms I went to. Multiple skin splits, large fissures, burning hot as fire, and swollen nearly double their normal size.
If I hadn't moisturized the first two months I'm sure I would be in even better condition right now. I am about 80-90% healed by doing MW at the beginning of month 3. I would probably be 99% healed if I had done it from the get go. I'll post some new pics of my arms and hands that I took a couple days ago on my blog tonight.
Thanks Dan! I am aware of MW thanks to you posting here before. My statements about slathering myself with moisturizers were made prior to my knowledge of MW. I use far less moisturizers now than I have in the past. I don't even take baths regularly anymore. I take one shower a day and apply just enough moisturizer to keep my skin calm. Honestly, right now my body is telling me to stop scratching. I think if I could not scratch that my healing would progress much faster. Twice now I have tried not using moisturizers after a shower and the results are that I itch (and therefore scratch) an order of magnitude more than if I moisturize, and that causes me to reverse any progress. My plan is to use moisturizers only as needed and slowly reduce their use. I am making progress using this approach.
You are very welcome Dave! If you can get past those first couple weeks you'll never go back. Please don't hesitate to ask questions on my blog. I know how hard it can be in the beginning, and then again when flaring. But, once you go moisturizer free your flares will be short as in 1-2 weeks instead of months. You may find not moisturizing makes you itch more at first, but after you get through it the itching isn't near as bad when using moisturizers. And, once you do full MW you will find your skin becomes much stronger and can withstand the scratching a lot better. Anyway, best to you in your healing.
Ouch mate, that looks sore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your photos though. When you improve you will be able to look back at these photos and see how far you have come.
Hope you get a break soon. X
That is what the backs of my legs look like. My hands have been spared this go around, minus one crack that I just got yesterday. In years previous to this one, my hands were dangon horrible! Itchy, swollen, painful, tight. I thought I was getting premature arthritis but this year…oddly, going thru TSW, hands and feet are fine and even soft. Go figure...
ReplyDeleteGosh, Dave - ouch! Hang in there friend xxx
ReplyDeleteDamn Dave, you need to quit putting moisturizers on your skin for a few weeks and see the benefits! I just read most of your blog and here is what stuck out to me, besides not seeing anything about MW:
ReplyDeleteAugust 20, 2013 - I Meet the Chair
Several times per day I am to coat my body with vaseline and wrap myself in warm damp towels.
September 26, 2013 - 4 Hours Per Day...
in the bathtub.
November 19 - More of the Same
I have tried to update my blog a couple times lately, but I find I am writing the exact same thing I did before. Right now I am not making progress.
Dave, moisturizing while your skin is hypersensitive is very bad and it has prolonged your healing and caused you much unnecessary suffering. And, soaking in water for longer than 20 minutes is also not good for your skin. These are facts that I back up with well established studies on my blog.
Compare my progress reports and pictures to yours and see what I mean. My hands were seriously messed up in the beginning of my tsw. I didn't think to take pictures at the time but trust me on that. They were scary even to my GP who sent me to a Derm the same day I went to see him, and two Derms I went to. Multiple skin splits, large fissures, burning hot as fire, and swollen nearly double their normal size.
If I hadn't moisturized the first two months I'm sure I would be in even better condition right now. I am about 80-90% healed by doing MW at the beginning of month 3. I would probably be 99% healed if I had done it from the get go. I'll post some new pics of my arms and hands that I took a couple days ago on my blog tonight.
Thanks Dan! I am aware of MW thanks to you posting here before. My statements about slathering myself with moisturizers were made prior to my knowledge of MW. I use far less moisturizers now than I have in the past. I don't even take baths regularly anymore. I take one shower a day and apply just enough moisturizer to keep my skin calm. Honestly, right now my body is telling me to stop scratching. I think if I could not scratch that my healing would progress much faster. Twice now I have tried not using moisturizers after a shower and the results are that I itch (and therefore scratch) an order of magnitude more than if I moisturize, and that causes me to reverse any progress. My plan is to use moisturizers only as needed and slowly reduce their use. I am making progress using this approach.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome Dave! If you can get past those first couple weeks you'll never go back. Please don't hesitate to ask questions on my blog. I know how hard it can be in the beginning, and then again when flaring. But, once you go moisturizer free your flares will be short as in 1-2 weeks instead of months. You may find not moisturizing makes you itch more at first, but after you get through it the itching isn't near as bad when using moisturizers. And, once you do full MW you will find your skin becomes much stronger and can withstand the scratching a lot better. Anyway, best to you in your healing.
DeleteI enjoyed readiing your post
ReplyDelete