DEALING WITH CHRONIC DERMATITIS

I usually don't blog about medical issues but I felt compelled to write about my chronic dermatitis because maybe it will help someone else dealing with the same issue. I know that in the last ten years of battling this problem, I wish I had been able to read about someone else's experience.

My hand problem started about twelve years ago. I would get little bubbles under the skin of my fingertips and it would itch. I went to see a dermatologist about it and he prescribed a topical corticosteroid. That helped to alleviate the inflammation and the itching but it would just come back after a while. After I got married and had my first child the problem got worse. I switched to a new dermatologist and she told me it was common to see this with new moms. You are constantly exposed to things like diapers and wipes and laundry, etc. that your hands just get severely dry and irritated. I thought this diagnosis made sense. So over the next 7 years or so I continued with the corticosteroid. Over time I progressed to the strongest one available. My problem continued and I didn't feel like I was getting the right diagnosis. I thought if I stayed away from water that would help so I used gloves constantly, even in the shower. At one point I thought I was allergic to water! Finally I got concerned that I was using the medication too much. My mother-in-law has lived with chronic eczema for decades and I've seen the long lasting effects of steroidal medication on her body - thinning of the skin, being easily bruised, etc. I was also at my wits' end with this dermatologist. She never seemed to be concerned about the underlying issues. She continued to chalk it up to being a mother of young children. Finally I decided to take more control of the situation and made an appointment to see a different dermatologist. This would be the third one I'd seen about this problem. At my first visit he suggested something the other doctor hadn't ever mentioned - doing a patch test for allergies. After testing me for 20+ different allergens I realized I was allergic to four different things and that's what was causing the severe dermatitis on my hands. Those things happened to be in lots of baby products but they were also in makeup, shampoo and lotions. The other big one was nickel. As I left the office that day I realized I was allergic to the nickel plating on my clarinet keys! For years the problem had been right under my nose but it took three dermatologists to figure it out. So I started reading labels and trying to get away from the chemicals I was allergic to. The nickel was a different problem. We just didn't have several thousand dollars lying around to buy a new clarinet with silver plated keys. So I tried my best to avoid certain things, but the problem continued with still the same approach to solving it - corticosteroids. After a couple years of this I realized I needed to take charge again. I asked my dermatologist if he knew anyone else in the area who specialized in this area and he was humble enough to admit that he had done all he knew how to do but he knew someone who specialized in contact dermatitis. So a fourth dermatologist. By this time I was serious about solving this problem and we had saved up enough to buy a new clarinet. When I met this new dermatologist it was like an answer to prayer. My first appointment was in April and he had so much more information than any other doctor I'd seen. He told me about new medications that contain little amounts of steroids. He planned to do another patch test on me but instead of testing for 20+ allergens he was going to test for 62! He told me about the Mayo Clinic's work to get industries and companies (Proctor and Gamble, Revlon, etc.) to give up their ingredient lists so they could make a comprehensive list of safe products for people with allergies to certain chemicals. He also gave me new information about caring for my hands. The last week I have learned so much about taking care of my hands and they haven't felt or looked this good in years. The most important thing I've done to help my hands in the last week is use Vaseline and cotton gloves. People with my condition need to constantly moisturize and the best way to do that is to slather your hands with Vaseline at least 15 times a day and wear cotton gloves to increase absorption.

I really think I've turned a corner with this condition, but it didn't happen until I took control of my own health and refused to settle with what wasn't working. Doctors know a lot but they don't know everything. My experience with four different dermatologists in the same city is proof of that. Dermatology is a very broad field covering everything from acne to Botox to dermatitis. It's impossible for every doctor to be an expert in treating every condition. I hope someone was helped by this. If you want to know more about specific chemicals or anything else just leave a comment.