"Dyshidrosis" (small blisters on hands and/or feet) anyone?

[Forbin]

This is a just another odd condition that I thought I might as well "run up the flagpole," so to speak.

Dyshidrosis is a skin condition in which small, fluid-filled blisters appear on the hands and feet. If the blisters break, the skin can become crusty, cracked and inflamed. It heals slowly.

The exact cause is unknown. It was once thought to be related to excessive sweating, but that notion has been discounted.

I had this (mainly on my hands) for a few years, on and off, when I was a teenager. It cleared up on its own well before I developed CFS/ME symptoms. Still, it was odd enough that I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone else was familiar with it. Thanks!

[Warning: Somewhat graphic image.]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishydrosis

 

[Wonko]

so thats what it's called

had it for several years - nowhere near as bad as those pics however - only seems to show up when I am pushing harder than I should and have been for months (ie poor pacing) - always taken it as a sign of immune disfunction - when I clean up my act they pretty much disappear within a few weeks - start pushign again and they come back - so I use them as an indicator of long/medium term immune health - when they stop being localised to a few fingers and patches on my hands then I know it's time to significantly cut back - tho at times this can be tricky - how do you cut back significantly from zilch

afaik there is no correlation in my case with sweating tho

 

[bigmama2]

i do get the small blisters on sides of my fingers. they come and go- but definately appear in clusters. makes me wonder if they are related to ebv? when i was on valtrex i noticed i didnt get any blisters.

 

[kat0465]

i got them in my early years of this disease, not near as bad as the pic but they would pop up across my knuckles from time to time.
But it's been years since i've had em. thank god some things go away.

 

[Stone]

Both my sisters have CFS. One sister has dyshydrosis which appeared before she got CFS and continues. I also have a close friend who had dyshydrosis and then developed CFS. Her dyshydrosis had resolved but her hands always hurt her badly and are prone to be very weak at times and the doctors are stumped.

 

[tolduiwuzsic]

i get them on hands,feet and legs...used to think they were tiny flea bites....and these blisters leave lifelong scars

 

[Mithriel]

These are often associated with coeliac disease so it would be worth getting a blood test.

You can't give up gluten before the test or it will be negative.

Mithriel

 

[Tally]

Sorry to bring back up this old thread, but I thought it is important to say that these blisters appeared about a week after I developed ME (I've had it for almost 3 years now). They reappear every time I have a crash. Sometimes, I can predict an upcoming crash based on them.

I am not sure if it is truly dyshidrosis because for me they are barely visible, about a milimeter in diameter, on a few places on edges of my palms and fingers, but my skin gets bumpy from them and they look similar to the picture in wikipedia.

I wonder if they can be caused by a virus? What are your thoughts? It would be interesting to find out if it is more common in ME patients than general population.

 

[taniaaust1]

These are often associated with coeliac disease so it would be worth getting a blood test.

You can't give up gluten before the test or it will be negative.

Mithriel

Very interesting. Celiac disease and gluten issues keeps coming up with the the things Ive had.

I used to get these on my fingers when I was a teen and in my early 20s (before I got ME but after I got mono). Mine looked like the ones on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dyshidrosis.JPG (mine didnt look like the first more severe pic on wiki but this other pic but not so bad as that either). They were mostly just on my fingers (and just rarely appearing on my palm .. a small patch also used to appear on one side ofmy palm )

 

[ViaSwiss]

I have them on my fingers, not bad tho. Also i am not celiac.

 

[MartinK]

"Dyshidrosis is a risk factor for herpes zoster"

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25917643/

 

[Pyrrhus]

What is hand foot and mouth disease?

https://dermnetnz.org/topics/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/

Hand foot and mouth disease (HFM) is a common mild and short-lasting viral infection most often affecting young children. It is characterised by blisters on the hands, feet and in the mouth. The infection may rarely affect adults.

Hand foot and mouth disease is also called enteroviral vesicular stomatitis.

 

[pamojja]

Dyshidrosis is a skin condition in which small, fluid-filled blisters appear on the hands and feet. If the blisters break, the skin can become crusty, cracked and inflamed. It heals slowly.

Don't know if it was the same, but had in on both my feet-soles for a whole of 8 month in 1996 in Dharashala. Always when the blister broke, puss released, getting crusty, healing up and going again and again through such cycles. Nothing helped. For a medical visa-extension I saw Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, former physician of HH the Dalai Lama. Who diagnosed it as psoriasis.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n6ei5dky08101yt/Dharamshala.jpg?dl=0

Years later had it infrequently but only small spots between my fingers. And ceased completely after increasing preformed vitamin A above 20.000 IU.

 

[Tiger Lily 813]

I have this as well but sadly do not have the explanation. My other issues are sort of allergic in nature and if I was eating gluten I'd definitely suspect that... or post viral/infection reaction.

 

[EddieB]

Yes, I have something similar going on as well. Two different types...

One is like described above, an itchy blister that forms, looks/ feels like a mosquito bite. It will drain clear fluid and itch for several days, sometimes bleed as well. Then it will dry up into a brown spot that takes weeks to heal. The brown spot will remain for months after, but most eventually go away. Usually form on ankles and feet, but have had them in a variety of places.
This also fits the description of a mild zoster outbreak, that can occur after having the shingles vaccine.

The second looks like a mini version of shingles. The area will itch, burn, feel like stinging/ pins needles. Tiny blisters will form, drain, the dry up. These usually show up on my waist or back, but have happened other places.

It just happens that I have both currently on my right foot. The brown spot on the left began about 5 weeks ago.
The zoster-looking thing is about 5 days old.



Posted here elsewhere, Dr Chia says that tiny blisters can indicate a zoster virus/ shingles reactivating. I sent pictures of these along with my biopsy sample to him, waiting to here back.

 

[MartinK]

For me there is a question - can dyshidrosis point to viruses reactivations?
Apart from VZV, this does not seem to have been sufficiently explored in addition to opinions by dr. Chia.

 

[EddieB]

For me there is a question - can dyshidrosis point to viruses reactivations?
Apart from VZV, this does not seem to have been sufficiently explored in addition to opinions by dr. Chia.

I don’t know. Dr Chia seems to be the only one to make this VZV connection.

The first thing that comes to mind is an allergic/ histamine response. Which for me, if in fact I actually do have SIBO, would correlate. The lack of histamine-degrading bacteria = too much histamine = skin conditions.

It would be helpful to know more about the patients that Dr Chia diagnosed with VZV from observing these blisters. Did they only have fatigue, or digestive issues as well?

 

[SnappingTurtle]

I also had this off and on for many years before I got EBV and subsequent ME/CFS. I would get it on my fingertips, usually on my dominant right hand. Very tiny pin prick sized, but deep clear fluid blisters. I noticed it would be accompanied by nasal allergies and sinus issues. Cpuld be from food allergies. I also suspected these were burn blisters from cooking or contact dermatitis from cleaning liquids.

I did stop gluten 8 months ago, among other diet modifications. Even though tests didn't show celiac diseass, maybe I have gluten intolerance.

Many decades ago, I was given some ointment that seemed to help but was warned to use sparingly because it thins the skin.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I would get it on my fingertips, usually on my dominant right hand.

That's an interesting observation.

Since you use your right hand more than your left, the muscles and nerves in the right hand would be stimulated more than those in your left hand...

 

[lint7]

I used to get them on the sides of my fingers.