Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ] 

nick007
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 27,622
Location: was Louisiana but now Vermont in capitalistic military dictatorship called USA

31 Oct 2024, 11:37 am

I haven't felt like posting on WP lately but I kind of want to b!tch about my skin eczema & nasal allergy issues a tad & would appreciate advice about what to do but I kind of doubt anyone will have any.

My skin eczema(Atopic Dermatitis) was very bad as a kid & teen & I seen at least a few dermatologists & allergists & tried various creams, lotions, & ointments & none of them helped much. I have bad sensory issues with them though so my parents had to majorly fight with me to put them on so I may not of given them a fair enough chance. I missed a couple weeks of elementary school once because a dermatologist recommended I have wet towels wrapped around me for two weeks. That was no help but at least I got to miss two weeks of school & stay in bed watching TV all day :mrgreen: The only treatment that ever majorly helped my skin was steroid shots & pills like Cortizone & Prednisone a couple times a year to reduce flareups. I also used to get frequent sinus headaches & a couple times a year sinus infections probably related to my nasal allergies(Allergic Rhinitis) & the shots & pills helped with that as well.

I kind of outgrew those issues when I became an adult but they started getting worse again in my 30s. I talked to the three GPs about this that I've had since I became 30. I also I seen a an allergist & a dermatologist a few years ago. I tried various antihistamines, a couple nasal sprays & have been taking Singulair(Montelukast) for 10 years now. I asked the allergist & dermatologist about trying a biologic med like Dupixent & they both said I was not sever enough for insurance to approve it. The dermatologist prescribed me a cream that I tried for a month & it did not seem to help. She also told me to try CeraVe lotion witch caused my skin to have rashy bumps so I'm probably allergic to CeraVe. The allergist told me there was nothing else he could do for me. I took Prednisolone regularly & I built up a tolerance where it quit helping & I had rebound flareups when I tried weaning myself off. My current is GP lost as to what to do. He would be very willing to prescribe Dupxient but my insurance will not cover it. My skin issues are not sever enough to get it for eczema. Dupixent might would be covered for allergic rhinitis with nasal polyps & my GP had me get a CT scan done on my sinuses but I don't have nasal polyps. I have both Medicare & Medicaid for insurance so I won't qualify for any assistance programs. Without insurance Dupxicent cost about 5x what I get from Social Security Disability 8O so it's no f#ckin wonder insurance does not want to cover it.

I've done lots of online research & old-school immunosuppressants like Cyclosporine & Methotrexate were sometimes used for long-term treatment of moderate to sever Atopic Dermatitis before meds like Dupixent were out. Cyclosporine was even approved as a third-line treatment for it in Europe & their insurance requires trying an immunosuppressant before trying Dupixent(or at least used to require it). There are various case reports of those meds helping with allergic rhinitis as well. My insurance would likely cover those immunosuppressants so I asked my GP about trying one. I emailed him a couple links to medical articles & told him I would be OK with having regular bloodwork done to monitor me for side-effects. My GP really tries & hears me out but he said he's not comfortable prescribing those types of meds & would prefer another doc to which is fair. He suggested referring me to a dermatologist &/or allergist. I told him how I've seen at least a few of those docs & they were useless for me except for giving me steroid shots or pills that ware off in a couple months. He said he would look into my med ideas. I first suggested that over half a year ago & I seen him a couple times since then & nothing is happening. My sinus headaches have been getting more frequent as well & my doc doesn't know what to do about that either.

I'm stressing about money a lot lately & really need to look for a part time job but the three jobs I had were custodial type stuff & my eczema & allergies would prevent me from doing that these days. I highly doubt I could get away with robbing a pharmacy, I know bad joke. I'm lost as to what to do. I'm feeling very dismissed & discouraged & depressed about it all. Almost every time I watch TV lately I see a commercial about how to get Viagra & Cialis online & I'm wondering How the f#ck can I get an immunosuppressant prescription online :scratch: I might could get em online without a prescription but they would likely show up in my routine bloodwork & I cant afford the one that I think would be safest for me(Cyclosporine) without a prescription. Plus online meds without a prescription may be fake sh!t. My GP did say he would rather another doc prescribe an immunosuppressant to me but How can I find a doc who would actually be willing to write out a prescription for one :?: I'd be willing to pay/slip a doc a $100 every couple months to pick the med up at my pharmacy if it helped.


_________________
"I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem!"
~King Of The Hill


"Hear all, trust nothing"
~Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #190
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ru ... cquisition


Carbonhalo
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,076
Location: Musoria

31 Oct 2024, 3:55 pm

I can't imagine anyone seeing that many specialists without one suggesting to stop using soap.
Stearates are fatty acids that can trigger an immune response.
My eczema vanished when I started using aqueous lotion instead.
When it became unavailable locally I made my own by diluting aqueous cream.



SendInTheClowns
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

Joined: 29 Nov 2021
Gender: Female
Posts: 126
Location: South Pacific

31 Oct 2024, 5:22 pm

I too inherited these conditions. Until I was middle aged, doctors kept giving me the usual ointments and nothing else. I had allergy tests and was tested for Celiac disease (positive). Eventually I was referred to an immunologist who found abnormally low levels of immunoglobulins, blood abnormalities. It was good to know the bigger picture, though made little difference to managing the excema flareups. Sometimes I get months of reprieve, and then for no apparent reasonthe excema returns. I found that body brushing helped a bit, on my legs, under a warm shower.



nick007
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 27,622
Location: was Louisiana but now Vermont in capitalistic military dictatorship called USA

02 Nov 2024, 7:29 am

Carbonhalo wrote:
I can't imagine anyone seeing that many specialists without one suggesting to stop using soap.
Stearates are fatty acids that can trigger an immune response.
My eczema vanished when I started using aqueous lotion instead.
When it became unavailable locally I made my own by diluting aqueous cream.
Since I was a little kid docs said I needed to use Dove soap so I only ever use Dove to wash my body. 10 years ago my GP suggested I shower every couple days instead of everyday. I'm not sure if showering less helps any or not. I shower more frequently when I have things going on. I have bad nasal allergies as well that take turns with my skin. My skin is worse during the winter & my nasal allergies are worse during the summer. Since systemic corticosteroids help both my skin & nasal allergies, I think both issues are related to the same underlying cause. I wish I had access to a systemic treatment that would help both more than the tiny amount Singulair & antihistamines help & will not rapidly build up a tolerance & quit working like corticosteroids have. Since I cant get Dupixent approved by my insurance, it's too bad I cant at least find a doc who would readily prescribe me oral Cyclosporine to try if I agree to get frequent bloodwork done & sign a waiver stating I'm aware of the potential risk & promise I won't sue.

I don't know anything about Stearates.


_________________
"I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem!"
~King Of The Hill


"Hear all, trust nothing"
~Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #190
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ru ... cquisition


Carbonhalo
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,076
Location: Musoria

02 Nov 2024, 8:08 am

Dove soap contains stearic acid.
Try using shampoo instead.

It sounds like your condition is much more complicated, but it won't hurt