pompholyx / Dyshidrotic Eczema : Anyone else got this?

[snowathlete]

Dyshidrotic Eczema is only seen on palms, soles, and sides of fingers and toes. Tiny opaque bumps called vesicles, thickening, and cracks are accompanied by itching which gets worse at night. A common type of hand eczema, it worsens in warm weather. It is often referred to as pompholyx, vesicular palmoplantar dermatitis and even housewifes eczema.
The word pompholyx is derived from the Greek word cheiropompholyx, which means "hand and bubble".

Ive had it since i was 18, and it fluxuates. Im fairly certain that it gets worse along with the ME. I wonder if there is some link. Its unberably itchy. I mainly get it on my feet, and the worse is bettween the toes as the skin often cracks and hurts as well as itches.

After about 10 visits to the docs, my GP eventually prescribed a strong enough creme to knock it back most of the way. But i lost it somewhere, and i feel gutted cause i just spend LOADS of energy trying to find it but to no avail.

I'll go back to the docs and try and get some more but they are really retisent to prescribe the strong stuff, which is because it can thin the skin, but if they only give me the weak stuff then i have to use it for months on end which ultimately is worse than the stronger stuff for two or three days a month.

Anyway, back on topic - anyone else get this?

 

[Googsta]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001835/

Yes unfortunately. Sorry someone else does, especially between the toes. It must drive you nuts
mine is on the palms & in between fingers. It developed a couple of years following M.E onset. I also get psoriasis on my ankles & from time to time, my scalp.

It has become infected a few times so when it is weepy I wear cotton gloves part of the time. I have tried numerous so-called topical 'cures' all react, even sorbolene or vasoline. Now I use Vit E but it only helps with moisturising.
One useful tip is to avoid wool, it really aggravates it.

It is linked to stress & the immune system (I read 'over stimulated' immune system), and would you beleive, CBT is recommended . I had CBT, helpful, but not for PHYSICAL conditions.

Last time my GP took a scraping, don't have results yet. He was sure it was Candida related but that treatment worsened it significantly. He say's the cream I have been using is the strongest stuff, Betamethasone Valerate. But my skin is so thin I cannot continue using it.

One thing that was recommended to me to try was Coconut Oil, eating the stuff. I haven't tried that yet, sounds like another wonder cure to me (hope I'm wrong).
If you can manage avoiding the high cortisone cream do so, it is better in the long run IMHO.
All the best

 

[snowathlete]

It is linked to stress & the immune system (I read 'over stimulated' immune system), and would you beleive, CBT is recommended . I had CBT, helpful, but not for PHYSICAL conditions.

Grief! i dont think even the NHS would try giving me CBT for it, and they prescribe it for EVERYTHING over here. Both my parents are therapists and use it for treating phycological trauma etc, but they say it is just nonesense using it for everything they try to use it for. They do it because its cheap.
the immune system thing is interesting. As i dont get colds or anything like that (with the exception of when i started methylation treatment), my immune system does seem to be overactive - at least one part of it.

sounds like you have it worse than me, as mine is controlled by the stronger creams. I tend not to need any cream on my hands most of the time because its not as bad there. But on my feet its essential that i treat it in some way, you know what its like, its just the most unbearable itch, and bettween the toes the skin breaks and that hurts pretty bad.

Regarding the coconut oil, i dont know if that will work or not but its worth trying. I have read putting it topically on the skin helps too with certain conditions. I might try that as i have some. Its gross to eat IMO. Its like eating coconut flavoured lard. Dont drink it with hot water thats even worse. If your going to eat it do it on a spoon and try and get it down quick. Also, dont eat too much at once as it can make you feel pretty sick.

Best
Joel

 

[Googsta]

Thanks Snow, I'm not crazy on the idea of eating the stuff but I would give topical application a go. I still don't see how it could be a cure-all, but a treatment for outbreak possibly yes.

I found anything that 'smothers' the little volcanoes really infuriates them so finding something that can moisturise & not do that a real pain.

Have you tried an elimination diet with any success? That's about the only thing I haven't tried, though I avoid lactose due to intolerance.

 

[Googsta]

Probiotics for Eczema

http://www.iherb.com/healthlibrary?kwh=http%253a%252f%252fhealthlibrary.epnet.com%252fGetContent.aspx%253ftoken%253de0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4%2526chunkiid%253d38395

 

[baccarat]

I just have a normal type of eczema affecting mainly my hands. It's got much better and now almost gone since introducing lacto-fermented foods in my diet.
Raw milk kefir, raw milk yoghurt (I make it) and sauerkraut are my key fermented foods which I take every day. Overall I feel much better, less inflammation although I doubt it's gonna cure me.
I got the idea from Annesse Brockley's book "Autoimmune The cause and the cure" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Autoimmune-...HNJK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334572791&sr=8-3. Great book.

 

[Hanna]

one tip or two...

Hi Snow and Googsta,

I used to have terrible deshydrotic eczema (D.E) for more than 20 years. Same thing, between toes, sole of feet and bese of two fingers. Interestingly, it was always coming on right hand and left foot only. just before period, there was worsening too. And the good news now : I don't have it any more (and pray that it will continue!) since last summer. What did I do ?

First, creams didn't help (sometimes there was a temporarly relief but never for such a long period). Even, they may worsen the situation if you are allergic to some of the components (pommade is better than cream for some of us). And I tryed many of them. Deshydrotic Eczema worsens with mycoses (sorry if my english is not exact) as an allergic reaction too (my husband who is a dematologist asked me to do antimycotic pommade courses for 3-4 weeks, which brought amelioration but not cure).

Since last summer, I added two new treatments that brought complete disparition of the D.E : dead sea bath salts and bentonite clay foot baths. I know that it seems simplistic and not serious, but after several weeks of this regimen (two or three foot bath a week), all the "bubbles" disappeared and have not made their come back yet.
No more itching, no more bleeding!!!

Hope that it can help you also,
Best
Hanna

 

[snowathlete]

Since last summer, I added two new treatments that brought complete disparition of the D.E : dead sea bath salts and bentonite clay foot baths. I know that it seems simplistic and not serious, but after several weeks of this regimen (two or three foot bath a week), all the "bubbles" disappeared and have not made their come back yet.
No more itching, no more bleeding!!!

Hanna, thanks so much for your post.
This sounds really fantastic and im very keen to try it.
Are there any particular brands/products i need, or just whatever i can find online?

Best

 

[Hanna]

Hi Snow,

I don't think there are particular brands for dead sea salts (just plain sea salts). Concerning the bentonite, I followed Wayne's suggestion and bought NOW brand. I find it really good.
Good luck,
Hanna

 

[Googsta]

Thanks Hanna & Baccarat, sounds really promising! Let us know how you go Snow

 

[Hanna]

Hi to all "Pompholixers",

Bad news... those little bubbles returned on my left foot toe this week after a 8 months total remission. Too bad. But I have to say that I did some changes lately.
As I began the B2-protocol in April, I have been reintroducing some cheese for two weeks now (2-3 times a week). That was a major shift from my nearly no diary-no gluten and 95% vegan diet. I don't know if this is the reason, or the different supplements (b2-protocole) or the fact that I wasn't so dedicated to my foot-bath routine (I resumed yesterday and intend to stick to it more seriously).

 

[bigmama2]

hi
i do have this or something similar. its little red dot/blisters that appear only on sides of my fingers. they dont bother me too much. i dont recall having them before cfs. now they do appear when my cfs is worse and i dont have them when i am doing better. very interesting. when was on valtrex anti viral i didnt have any at all.

 

[GypsyGirl]

Old thread, but in case someone like me is going through old threads for info...

I had/have dyshidrotic eczema on my hands for years, on and off. Sometimes just a blip on one finger, sometimes covering my hands entirely - looked like a leper, there was so little skin.

Frequent hand washing (while I was a waitress), extremes in weather, and most products (cleaning products, especially Windex, and most lotions) made it worse. Tried every dermatologist treatment under the sun.

The biggest help I found was going gluten free. (Accidental discovery after going gf for other reasons.) It took a couple months to heal up, comes back if I eat gluten. My other triggers are mild compared to gluten.

Smaller helps:
thin cotton gloves during winter (avoiding the common winter gloves - fibers stick to oozing eczema).
Avoiding latex gloves to clean (slight allergy)
Icing affected area (with ice packs, plain ice, ice water)
Adding food enzymes before larger meals
Probiotics as needed (at worst stage, with every meal. Because they're pricey, I do well with fermented pickles/saukeraut)
Neutrogena fragrance free hand cream (MUST be fragrance free) - works better than any prescription cream. I mix in a bit of OTC cortisone cream (not ointment - too heavy) with Neutrogena for unbearably itchy areas.

Much non-itchy thoughts to you all!

 

[WillowJ]

I am so sorry for everyone who has this, as I know someone with it and I can see it's misery. Liquid bandage products bring some relief but the best brand is no longer sold.

I will mention the clay and things in case helpful, thanks.

 

[Annesse]

Thank you so much baccarat. I recently made a post on this on my Facebook page. Here is the post:


DYSHIDROTIC ECZEMA AND PSORIASIS

Rebecca, a patient with fibro and autoimmune disease, has a question about dyshidrotic eczema. She asks: " Does anyone else with fibro or lupus suffer from dyshidrotic eczema on their fingers and feet?"

Dyshidrotic eczema (dyshidrotic dermatitis) is a skin condition in which very small, fluid-filled blisters appear on the palms of the hands and the sides of the fingers. The soles of the feet also can be affected.

The blisters that occur in dyshidrotic eczema generally last around three weeks and cause intense itching.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, relapsing/remitting, immune-mediated systemic disease characterized by skin lesions including red, scaly patches, papules, and plaques, which usually itch.

Due to a lack of the enzymes required for dietary protein digestion (protease and DNase 1) patients with fibro, ME/CFS, and autoimmune disease have elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which have been shown to be directly involved in the pathogenesis of eczema and psoriasis. For instance, in the following study the researchers concluded that the levels of TNF and IL-6 in skin blister fluids from patients with psoriasis showed significant correlations with the psoriasis area and disease severity, suggesting a direct relationship between these cytokines and the clinical manifestations of psoriasis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7955493

In the following study the researchers concluded that patients with atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema) produced significantly higher levels of IL-6.

Increased interleukin 6 production by T cells derived from patients with atopic dermatitis.
Akito Toshitani1, et. al.

"patients with atopic dermatitis produced significantly higher levels of IL-6
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8440909

In our previous post we demonstrated that patients with autoimmune disease, CFS, and fibro have elevated levels of IL-6.

Research confirms that patients with fibro, CFS, and autoimmune disease also have elevated levels of TNF. For instance, in the following study the researchers concluded that TNF was elevated in patients with fibro.

Cytokine patterns in fibromyalgia and their correlation with clinical manifestations.
Bazzichi, L., A. et. al. 2007. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 25(2):225-30.

“Higher levels of TNF-alpha were found in FM patients than in controls. Significant correlations between the biochemical parameters and clinical data were found.”

In the following study the researchers found that TNF was significantly increased in patients with ME/CFS.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10535608

Research also confirms elevated TNF in patients with lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Bechet's disease, celiac disease, diabetes, and Sjögren's syndrome. For instance, in the following study the researchers stated that TNF is a primary neurotoxic molecule in patients with multiple sclerosis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23886826

In the following study the researchers stated that cytokines are likely to have a role in the initiation and perpetuation of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and discovered that TNF was present in "all" of the tissue samples studied.

Intrathyroidal cytokine gene expression in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Ajjan RA1, et. al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1996 Sep;105(3):523-8.

"Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease in which cytokines are likely to have a role in the initiation and perpetuation of the disease...interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were expressed in all tissue samples studied..."

 

[Mels]

I have been suffering like crazy with pompholyx and inflamed body wide ezcema for the last few weeks.

I have never had any skin conditions in my life other than a life long issue of having to be very careful in the sun due to being fair skinned, freckled and red headed.

I began itching randomly about 3 months ago but nothing was visible until maybe a month ago. The worst itching was under my foot and I could see tiny little blisters ; these became huge and I could not walk for a week. When the blisters burst they oozed a foul smelling fluid(sorry-TMI!).

I saw 3 Gps who just wanted to throw pharma products at me including steroid cream and antibiotics even though there was no proof of infection and even though I pointed out my ridiculous sensitivities to all things pharma.

I was referred to a dermatologist who said it was pompholyx and that for some reason it had triggered the body wide inflamed ezcema. Her solution was to throw very potent steroid creams at me and tell me that it would be safe to use three times as much and for twice as long as the leaflet outlined. I am improving but am not using the pharma stuff. I have used coconut oil to keep my skin moist and tried various essential oils. The dermatologist saw me on TUesday and thinks I am improving because of the steroids.

My concern is that nobody has tried to work out why this ezcema broke out- I have asked if it could be related to candida(+2 on stool test in Nov) or to my sluggish liver- nobody is interested in finding out why but only in trying to get rid of what they can see. The steroids only mask the symptoms anyway, they don't cure.

I also wondered if my attempts at methylation triggered it, too- but knew the docs would look completely baffled at that. My own GP has told me that I know more about bodies than she does and that she doesn't understand the tests my naturopathic doctor does.

This has been another of those cases where the NHS treats the symptoms but not the cause and certainly not the patient. Which is exactly what put me in this poorly position in the first place. As we know, the whole allopathic world of medicine needs a big shake up.

So for now I am going to focus on my gut again and try to get my immune system functioning properly....

@Hanna How is your skin now? Did the clay footpaths help again or not?

 

[snowathlete]

Thank you so much baccarat. I recently made a post on this on my Facebook page (Autoimmune The Cause and The Cure). Here is the post:


DYSHIDROTIC ECZEMA AND PSORIASIS

Rebecca, a patient with fibro and autoimmune disease, has a question about dyshidrotic eczema. She asks: " Does anyone else with fibro or lupus suffer from dyshidrotic eczema on their fingers and feet?"

Dyshidrotic eczema (dyshidrotic dermatitis) is a skin condition in which very small, fluid-filled blisters appear on the palms of the hands and the sides of the fingers. The soles of the feet also can be affected.

The blisters that occur in dyshidrotic eczema generally last around three weeks and cause intense itching.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, relapsing/remitting, immune-mediated systemic disease characterized by skin lesions including red, scaly patches, papules, and plaques, which usually itch.

Due to a lack of the enzymes required for dietary protein digestion (protease and DNase 1) patients with fibro, ME/CFS, and autoimmune disease have elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which have been shown to be directly involved in the pathogenesis of eczema and psoriasis. For instance, in the following study the researchers concluded that the levels of TNF and IL-6 in skin blister fluids from patients with psoriasis showed significant correlations with the psoriasis area and disease severity, suggesting a direct relationship between these cytokines and the clinical manifestations of psoriasis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7955493

In the following study the researchers concluded that patients with atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema) produced significantly higher levels of IL-6.

Increased interleukin 6 production by T cells derived from patients with atopic dermatitis.
Akito Toshitani1, et. al.

"patients with atopic dermatitis produced significantly higher levels of IL-6
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8440909

In our previous post we demonstrated that patients with autoimmune disease, CFS, and fibro have elevated levels of IL-6.

Research confirms that patients with fibro, CFS, and autoimmune disease also have elevated levels of TNF. For instance, in the following study the researchers concluded that TNF was elevated in patients with fibro.

Cytokine patterns in fibromyalgia and their correlation with clinical manifestations.
Bazzichi, L., A. et. al. 2007. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 25(2):225-30.

“Higher levels of TNF-alpha were found in FM patients than in controls. Significant correlations between the biochemical parameters and clinical data were found.”

In the following study the researchers found that TNF was significantly increased in patients with ME/CFS.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10535608

Research also confirms elevated TNF in patients with lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Bechet's disease, celiac disease, diabetes, and Sjögren's syndrome. For instance, in the following study the researchers stated that TNF is a primary neurotoxic molecule in patients with multiple sclerosis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23886826

In the following study the researchers stated that cytokines are likely to have a role in the initiation and perpetuation of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and discovered that TNF was present in "all" of the tissue samples studied.

Intrathyroidal cytokine gene expression in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Ajjan RA1, et. al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1996 Sep;105(3):523-8.

"Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease in which cytokines are likely to have a role in the initiation and perpetuation of the disease...interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were expressed in all tissue samples studied..."

Are there any studies showing a link between pomphlox and TNF-a though? Psoriasis and so are different skin conditions entirely.

I would think it's possible.

I tried coconut oil and that didn't work.

But I found that Epsom salts help. But I've not had a problem for about six months which is excellent.

If the popped blisters smell them they will be infected (which can happen) as the liquid is sterile normally, so no smell.

 

[Mels]

Dermatologist confirmed no need for antibiotics as no infection and was very aware of the smell! The nature of this particular beast.

Have enjoyed baths with Epsom salts, must buy some more- thank you! Long may you stay clear! It is truly horrible.

 

[Hanna]

@Mels , I havn't used the clay for a long time now, I prefer the epsom salts baths that have a calming effect on my whole body.
The skin is generally OK, though here and there I still have some pompholix bursts. When situation worsens, it is usually linked to presence of fungus (and I am doing 21 days cycloderma cream topically), or to allergy (if there is some nylon in socks etc... I have to wear cotton).

 

[GypsyGirl]

By accident/using for other purposes, I found soaking in Himayalan sea salt dried up the blisters (without drying out the rest of my skin!). (Guessing the unprocessed salts are probably disinfecting while restoring PH balance?)

@Mels - with it being systemic, coffee enemas might help support/detox your liver. (I started doing them out of desperation for horrible nausea, and it's helped the eczema.)

Also, probiotics enemas. Some of the research I read said that if you already have gut issues (leaky gut/malabsorption/etc), probiotics enemas can be more effective than taking them orally.

...enemas might sound drastic and daunting, but it is much less scary/gross than I thought it'd be.