Wait, what?
Blimey.

Concerned people are concerned, but otherwise - what he said.

Also a concern - Big Sarge.
He was VERY down when he last posted which was days ago.

I am getting really hacked off with this never-fucking-ending eczema flare-up.

It's been going on for weeks. I've tried all my usual creams and potions. Am wearing bandages at night to increase the absorption rate and prevent unthinking scratching. Still fucking horrible. Head to toe.

I hate being like this. Aside from the obvious physical discomfort I feel so disgusting. My skin is sloughing away, and I know most people find that a revolting thing. I find it revolting. I don't want to be around anyone when I am like this. I leave a fucking trail. I can't wait til this is over.

I'm sorry to hear this D. Its unpredictable how long it will go on?

Dana, have you tried latex gloves and saran wrap to incease absorption? Uncomfortable as all hell, but it works sometimes.

Will it cheer you up if i call you Danana, as I originally typed accidentally?

Are the creams working but slowly, or making no damn difference at all? If the latter, maybe a trip to the doctor again? last time I had a flare like this (20 years ago thankfully), they sent me to the hospital to get sorted out. they gave me potassium permanganate soaks which helped soothe the skin and made it better prepared to absorp the medicine and moisturizers. Probably way out of date as a treatment, but the point is they went for a different approach than the GPs and it worked.

Do you take anti-histamine to help with the itching?

No idea :p

I went to the docs last week and got some medium strength corticosteroids. I am going to phone on Monday and suggest it is time to break out the big guns. It may also be time for antibiotics. With 70-80% coverage the risk of serious infection is quite high.

I've bene using tubigrip dressings and cotton gloves. Can't use latex as I react to it.

Am taking hydroxizine, which is an anti-histimine combined with a sedative. Three times a day. It helps but also makes me a little zombielike:p

I am fortunate in that there is a GP at our surgery who specializes in dermatology. I think it's time to pay her a visit. She and I usually work out a regime and then I just get the meds I need accordingly after that. Every so often, maybe once every year or so I have to go back and we work out what's what.

This is what the worst areas currently look like: apols if anybody is eating when they see this. I know it's pretty gross looking. Thank heavens for small mercies, my face just looks flushed and swollen, but you;d only spot that if you knew what I normally look like. To anybody else, I look like I caught the sun a little. TRhe left pic is my forearm, the right is obviously my foot :p

I don;t think I ever posted any pics of a flareup before. I never want the dwellar fellas to think of me like that. But hey, after seven years I might as well be brave ;P

I think it helps everyone realize the universality of suffering. Thank you for sharing yours. Continue to be brave.

It boils down to "you are really smart, you really know your job, you are awesome, but you don't work and play well with others."

Shit, we're all in trouble then. 19 years and its a problem now?

Fuck, Wolf, that's horrible. How can 19 years of service and experience count for so little?

Wolf, you got fired?

Yeah, Dana, I used the cotton gloves and roll stuff too, but they in turn wick up moisture that would be better off going to the skin and plastic doesn't. There are latex-free versions -I am also allergic to Latex -and that gets worse as I get older. I am so sorry, that looks terrible. definitely time for a visit to the doctor.

Is there a pattern for the flare-ups? Is it seasonal allergy-related? Can you see an allergist?

I don't think it's seasonal allergies no. This can occur at any time of year. I think what set this particular one off was a bout of depression a couple of months ago, followed by 11 days of hotel living (starched sheets and towels, shower and no bath for oilatum, eating lots of fast food like a dickhead). It's been brewing for months but the London trip seemed to kick it into overdrive.

Once it's really kicked in it can be difficult to shift. I think the doc was too cautious in prescribing eumavate. Should have gone straight for betnovate. This is why I need to see the Doc who specialises in skin conditions. She's a lot less cautious.

I'll ask her about the plastic wrap. My one major concern with that is if it makes the skin sweat. Sweat makes me itch like someone's thrown itching powder all over me, even after it's been wiped away. It can start an itch that lasts for hours.

Thanks for the sympathy. I am feeling a hell of a lot better than i was when I posted earlier. Back to my sunny (ish) self :)

Just went for a great valley walk with the Pilster. Was hot as hell and it kicked the itch off a little, but I don;t care because it was so glorious. Enjoyed every minute of it as did He Who Must be Fed.

Also just spoke to my local 'farmer' friend and he says there'll be something smokable for this evening. Yey! That always helps put a better complexion onto my day *grins*

Dana that looks itchy as fuck. Sorry. Tried oil of cloves to numb the area?

I tried that once, years ago. The thing is, the itch isn't on the surface as such. It's deeper under the skin. The top layer already feels slightly numb. That's what makes the scratching so damaging. I can't just lightly scratch the skin and deal with the itch that way. All that does is make it worse. Sometimes I can't even feel it unless I really scratch hard. But it's only the surface that's numb. Underneath that it's sore and itchy. If that makes any kind of sense lol.


One of the problems with eczema remedies is that they tend to take an anaesthetic approach: lightly anaesthetise the skin surface. The trouble is, that itching is not actually related to pain, as was once believed. It involves different receptors in the brain. It is entirely possible to numb an area as far as pain is concerned but still feel the itch. All numbing it does is disable your ability to touch/scratch the itch.

One of the most horrible things I have experienced is having had anaesthetic for dental work and my lips left completely numb, but itching like hell. Can't even feel my fingers touching the area, but the itch was there. Untouchable.

I'm glad you did. The way you describe it sounds awful, but putting a real image to it helps make it clear what you're really going through. I'm also glad your face had the decency to avoid the party, for your sake.

yeah, it does. Some times I get contact dermatitis from various stuff, especially if I am in the midst of a full blown hayfever festival then I am hyper sensitive to lots of things. One way I've found to satisfy the itching craving on my forearms w/o itching is to fill a basin with the hottest water I can stand and stick my arms into it. The sensation of scratching is similar. In fact I read somewhere recently that the same pain receptors are involved, the difference being that the response to heat is to pull away and to itching it is to move towards. Anyway, that can feel really satisfying. Not sure how the heat and water would affect the dry skin. I'm sorry you're going through this, wish I could help.

I knew a gal who got poison ivy on her brain and the only way she could scratch herself was to think about sandpaper.

F3 that would set mine right off.

From wikipedia:
In England, an estimated 5,773,700 or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.[4]

What's up with that?

Yes, Danan, the plastic does increase the itch and the sweat from that, but the result is worth it. I find a night like that with dermovate on makes visible progress overnight. But I have to grit my teeth to do it, especially as it also prolongs the sting of when you put the cream on (you may not get that). Sometimes I use ice packs to reduce the itch. I use Clarytin for the itch too, but no sedative.

So you are a luke warm shower kind of guy?

me too! ice is good, but the water in itself is drying

Poison ivy on the brain??? How the fuck is that even possible?

Actually, I seem to recall you mentioning it before. I must have blocked it from my memory. That's like all my worst nightmares wrapped woth a feckin bow lol.

I musthave misread the report about pain receptors, but that kind of makes sense. The hot water. Oh yeah that helps. In fact I can't bear the sensation of water on my skin unless it is mad hot. I do that sometimres when my hands are really itchy. I'll be washing my hands or rinsing a cup out at the sink and I'll hold my hands under the hot tap (faucet) til it almost feels like a scald. Not terribly sensible in the long run, as it probably makes it worse overall. But for that moment of relief? Hell yeah. :p

Cold and quick or [I'm not racist]Mexican[/racist am I]

Seems about right to me. I read once that around 1 in 10 adults suffer from eczema. But apparently it's on the increase. Chronic eczema is less common though.

I went to school with a girl with chronic asthma and eczema.
She had skin like a crocodile. That's an awful thing to say, but it's how I saw it. And that was her normal state, not a flare-up, I guess from what her skin had been through in the past.

The girls in our year were kept behind for a special assembly because girls did not want to partner her in Games, in case they caught something when they touched.
It made me feel awful, even though I had never reacted that way to her. Our only real contact at that point was when we tried out for netball and she made the team (I didn't).

Fast forward four years and we were being handed our GCSE Drama practicals.
All I could think was "Please don't let me be paired/ be on the same team as her!"
Nothing to do with her skin, and she was quite a cool chick in many ways. But she was a lousy actress.

Sorry it's so very bad.
I think my worst experience ever was when I had hives from a still unspecified food allergy. The palms of my hands were the worst. One week of it drove me batshit, and that comes nowhere near close to what you live with.

the only way to scratch it was to think about sandpaper...

think, Dana, think

Dana, you poor thing. The only skin affliction I suffer from is hypersensitivity to mosquito bites and mine are looking exceedingly manageable compared to what you're going through. Hope that the dermatologist on Monday can give you something that works and alleviates it.

Wolf, that really sucks. I'm with Griff on you writing your memoirs now.

sorry, wolf

sorry dana

damn

Well that Sucks Wolf !!!!
Who was the Whiney Little Byotch that Narked on ya ??

Feel Betterer Soon Dana !!!

lol. I was the subject of at least one such mini-assembly :p After a particularly bad few months when I was ostracised completely. Nobody would pair with me in sports, allow me onto their teams, or even allow me to sit next to them in class.

That girl's crocodile skin was probably due to the constant need for corticosteroids. I still have a little of that around my hands, but nowhere near as bad as when I was a kid. They used to say mine looked like a lizard.

None of this is as bad as when I was a kid. That's probably why I am so impatient with a bad flare-up these days. Just not as used to it. This is bad now, but that was near to my baseline for most of childhood and early teens.

Thank FSM I only have to put up with the really nasty shit for a few days or weeks at a time now.

wolf and DanaC, I sympathize with both of you. That sucks. And Dana, I'm glad you posted the pictures. It really shows what you are dealing with.

I'm glad I did too. It's something I hide from all but my closest family and friends. It feels a little like I've been hiding from you all too, having only ever let you see me when I am at my clearest.

Not that I intend to make a practice of these pics ;p You've seen what it looks like, that's enough. But at least now you have. That's as much me as the chick in the nsfw shot is. At different times.

@Monnie: sorry for your losses :(

@Wolf: WTF? Want revenge ideas? We got a thread going. I hope you find something better. Maybe writing your memoirs is a good idea. You'd just have to do so in such a way to protect yourself from legal backlash.

@Dana: Oh my FSM. You poor dear. If the hot water helps, have you tried just a really hot pack? You don't want to burn yourself obviously, but it might give the benefit of relieving the itch without the drying of the water? Plus it would last longer. I would think ice packs would help too but I don't have much experience with that sorta thing.


My poor sis, she was doing better because they put her on embrel (injectable immune suppressant), but she's got an infection and can't take the embrel or one of her other meds, methotrexate, which is also a chemotherapy drug and her antibiotics increase its toxicity.

If the sun doesn't come out some time very soon Imma gonna LOSE IT!

three weeks of unmitigated DREAR and GLOOM.

It's making me fookin' NUTS!

Focus on lunch, babe, focus on the lunch :)

Damn! Just like that? After 19 years? That is awful of your employer! Any other jobs on the horizon? Can you afford to just take some time to regroup? Sorry to hear, Wolf. :(

My mom passed away this morning. I don't want to go into details, since I'm still processing this all and since I don't use a handle other peoples privacy is involved.

Funeral on Thursday, which is late by Jewish standards, courtesy of Passover. Monday was too soon for everyone to get together and Tuesday and Wednesday are the more religious portions of Passover so no burials then.

Also because of Passover, the shivah will be cut short, but we're supposed to go ahead with the Seder.......

It's sort of like being told that since your relative died on Easter there can't be a wake but you're supposed to have Easter dinner.

First seder tomorrow night is going to be strange.


P.S. Sorry to hear about your job Wolf.

Sorry, Rich :(

Rich, I'm very sorry for your loss, and that Passover is making it harder.

RIP, sorry for your loss Rich. The loss of a parent is difficult. My wife has lost both of her's, I have lost my father and I fear my mom is not far behind. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this difficult time.

I'm so sorry Rich.

My sympathies.

I'm very sorry Rich.

Aw sorry for the loss Rich. I'm not familiar with Jewish traditions, but that sounds kinda suck :(. Maybe you can honor her later with a follow-up memorial? Kinda hard to get everyone back together again, but the people who really matter will take the time to be there.

Mildly upsetting: Just watched the Nat Geo special on the Tsunami loaded with tons of home video of the actual event at the moment of impact. Moving. Upsetting. My heart goes out to those people and their future.

Sorry for your Loss Rich .

Sorry to hear the bad news Rich.

So sorry Rich. I imagine the expectation of continuing with the ongoing religious observances and celebrations adds to the sense of the surreal right now.

Warm thoughts are with you, mate.

Sorry for your loss, Rich.

So sorry Rich.

So sorry for your loss, Rich.

Sorry to hear about your mom, Rich. :(

This is a day for ducks or platypus :(

Having a really hard time being motivated to get my work done for this semester. I think some depression has creeped in.

Oh me too kiddo, me too. Where the frig did my enthusiasm and capacity to focus go to? It's like I am physically incapable of making myself work. And when I do it's fragmented and nothing hangs together. Reading the books just makes my eyes want to close...

You are not alone m'dear. Recognising that it's depression is probably a good sign that you're on the way back up soon, at a guess.

Well, I just realized that I never turned in a proposal for my paper, thats an immediate half off the grade, so now I'm not even sure its worth writing the damn thing. I've been so distracted by my own self loathing. The paper is due tomorrow. :(

Ouch. Fuck me, that's a sucker punch. How much of your final grade is the paper worth?

Thanks for the messages.

The funeral is tomorrow, followed by an on-again off-again shivah schedule at my sisters house.

Sometimes members of the family will go out to dine together after a funeral, although this is not in accordance with any Jewish custom. Not much chance of that happening with Passover, since it's pretty much impossible to find a restaurant that even comes close to serving Passover meals outside of downtown Philly.

I'm going with my dad to services at my sister's synagogue on Friday night. Shivah is I think Thurs evening, Friday day, Saturday evening. This is according to the Rabbi.

Almost 1/3rd