Yoshi – I think they told me that it’s eczema and not an allergy. I don’t really remember, because I’ve had it on my hand for almost 6 years already. No one knows what it might come from.
I wouldn’t say that they didn’t give me a proper diagnosis or treatment. Just that everything we tried (including topical steroids, probiotic powder…….) didn’t work.
Health – I’m sorry for offending you. I just didn’t understand exactly how you wanted me to answer. Okay, so now that the whole CR’s gonna know my personal hygiene and daily habits…. My rash (which IS eczema, by the way, or you’re telling me that 3 dermatologists, an allergist, and two pediatric physicians are wrong) is pink and inflamed, the skin is broken and scratchy to the touch, and at times I develop cuts that don’t go away for a while. These cuts usually appear on the first third of my finger – above the first joint, but I have had on other parts of the finger also. I have it on one hand, in the palm of my hand (besides for a little circle of clear skin in middle) and on the insides of my fingers. Some of my fingers have it on the outside also, but only on the top third – before the first joint. Sometimes my fingers get very swollen (usually when I have a cut, but sometimes just “randomly”), and I can’t bend them a lot or straighten them. Most of the time when they’re very swollen they throb a lot, and only raising them fingers-up above my heart lessens the throbbing a drop. In addition, my nails on that hand grow differently than on my other hand (rounder right over my finger, and the part that grows out – off my finger bends down instead of growing straight out), and I have no cuticles.
In general, I do not wash dishes. (I managed to get out of that one – with approval of the doctor. 😉 ) I shower 4 times a week. The water probably is a little too hot, but I’ve been trying to keep it cooler. I think that’s the worst of my problems, though. I use Dove unscented soap, and head and shoulders shampoo. I used T-Gel at one point, but it didn’t help. We use Melaleuca detergent, and everything else makes my eczema even worse – including Tide Free.
Like I said before, it’s on my palm and inside of my fingers and a little bit outside on one hand, and a little bit on the wrist and bottom of my thumb bone (not the thumb itself) on the other hand.
I’ve tried practically every cream on the market (except for the new ones that came out since last September) including topical steroids, and probiotic ointment. I’ve also been on medicine (probably steroids or antibiotics) for very short periods of time (like a week maybe) to reduce the swelling. In addition, I’ve been on Dr. Rosenthal’s (I don’t know if you know who he is) GFCF diet and it didn’t help.
I’ve had it on my hand since the winter of ’04, and it’s been there constantly except for the summer of ’08 – I was in camp for two weeks and it got almost better, but then came back full force when I went back home. And also this past year I was in seminary in E”Y, and in the beginning I still had the eczema, at some points REALLY badly, but during the last few months of the year it disappeared COMPLETELY and then came back a drop. When I came back home in June, it came back.
Any other symptoms? Like what? I don’t have rashes anywhere else, but when I was younger, I had eczema on my elbows.
I think I covered everything you asked.
Smile_its_EZ and Yoshi – thanks for the tip, I’ll ask my mother about those creams.