Your Stories - Pompholyx Eczema

Chinese Herbal Medicines have been a miracle cure for my Pompholyx eczema - Amy, Cheltenham, UK

I have suffered from Pompholyx Eczema for several years. The way I try to keep it at bay is by not eating certain foods such as seafood, fatty foods and anything with caffeine in. My flare ups occur mainly due to seasonal changes, soaps and detergents, if I've eaten anything I shouldn't and stress or worry. I have tried several ways to treat it including several types of creams and ointments from the doctors but have always found these too harsh on my skin. I have found a very good private doctor who specialises in chinese herbal medicines. Many people will be sceptical of these methods but after boiling and drinking the juice from what looks like a bunch of twigs, I saw a real difference in my skin after a day of treatment. Although the mixture is disgusting it's so worth it as it's completely cleared up within 2 weeks. I have no idea what's in it but it really is a miracle cure! (December 2009) Contact Amy

Raw apple cider vinegar has helped clear my Pompholyx - Gabby, Orange County, USA

I would like to share some insights to my situation. I just realized today I have had Pompholyx for a few years.  I did not know what it was and when I got the blisters with the red, irritated, peeling rashes, I did not go to a doctor because I knew they would give me drugs.  I had this really bad a year and a half but only got two blisters this past winter and again last week. I do not get it as often as I used to.  I want to add that I have battled yeast problems for many years and changed my diet about 2 years ago.  It was interesting when some of you shared that antifungals worked or that flour was the culprit (yeast in it, most likely).  Because of my yeast issues, I heard raw apple cider vinegar kills yeast.  When I broke out with itchy blisters on my palms, I drank this vinegar 3 times a day for 3 days and blisters went away.  Coincidence? I don't think so.  I stopped taking the vinegar because I was losing too much weight (they say it burns fat cells and I am thin as it is)...I also hear it is great for skin though it is potent even in water. When I got a rash again, I started drinking it again.  I have been drinking it everyday
(once a day-1 tablespoon in 2 cups of water) for a while and I have not had a bad break out. After learning a lot about fungus and complications related to it, I feel reducing yeast and sugar in the diet reduces fungus overgrowth that may reduce skin problems. I will let you all know how raw apple cider vinegar is helping in the long run. It maybe the right cure for you....with no side effects like those from drugs! (July 2009) Contact Gabby

Eating cheese aggravates my Pompholyx - Deirdre

I've had pompholyx for nearly 7 years now and although its still there, I think I have it under control! I first developed it on one foot and the doctor prescribed antibiotics, the following week I went traveling in Asia and it got much worse to both feet and hands, another doctor prescribed steroids. This went on and I tried many different tablets and steroid creams, nothing worked. But a chiropodist recommended to me to stop eating cheese & then it dawned on me that I lived on cheese sandwiches while traveling, along with pizza & pasta! I gave up cheese & it improved greatly. I gave up all dairy and it cleared almost completely. I now only have it on one foot and it only gets really aggravated if I eat cheese. Also I can recommend Scholl foot powder for athletes foot to treat pompholyx, although its not for this condition, it immediately soothes the itching. Heat does worsen the condition so try keeping feet/hand cool. If I keep my foot out from under covers at night, it is much better. Hope this helps some of you..(May 2009) Contact Deirdre

I think I have Pompholyx Eczema - Alex

Having read this message board, I think I may have Pompholyx Eczema on the sides of all my fingers. However I am not entirely sure. For the last 3/4 months I've had terrible skin and been to the doctors what seems like 200 times! My forehead and just under my eyes gets very red sometimes and is unbearably itchy at night which causes a severe lack of sleep. My legs, neck and back are also very itchy. Now onto the Pompholyx Eczema... in the last 3/4 days I've developed lots and lots of little vesicles all over my fingers, only a few are pronounced when they get white/yellow with a red background. I am in real pain and feel really depressed and have lost faith with doctors. Please help! (June 2008) Contact Alex

My story continues - Yvonne, Canada

My name is Yvonne I wrote in about 1 year ago asking for help with my pompholyx eczema. I received many notes offering help and suggestions and kind words I thank everyone who took the time too write me! It's wonderful to know there's caring people out there. Good news my eczema has calmed. After trying natural paths, skin specialist, and finally Chinese medicine. It turned out my antidepressants were the culprits. The Doctor was so surprised because he thought anxiety and depression were making the skin disease worse he had prescribe me double the amount of effexor. So for the next 6 months it was and endless cycle of blisters/dry/blisters. The Chinese practitioner said throw those away their toxic and she was right! I went through tapering off then withdrawal and it's been 2 months and my skin is clear. And I'm not depressed with the -15 degree weather and lack of sun I'm still loving life! (February 2008)

Pompholyx is causing me so much pain - Melissa, Melbourne, Australia

I have been a sufferer of pompholyx eczema just on my feet, reading a few other stories I feel for the people who have it every where else as know one can begin to understand the pain. I have had this for the past five years. In this time I have gotten married had a child, and many other changes have occurred in my lifestyle. At the beginning I was told that it was a fungal infection, so my doctors kept feeding me fungal creams. Little did I know later on as time past and I had gone to see a dermatologist, the fungal creams were feeding my eczema and had made them worse. Whilst I was pregnant I had this and I could not walk, this got me so depressed and angry. I enjoyed my pregnancy but this just put a real damper on things. After giving birth I couldn't walk for 3 weeks as the infection blew up into these big ugly blisters. My eczema comes and goes I could go for a period of 6 months and not have it then when it does come back in comes back in full force. Dermatoligists have boiled it down to stress, but somehow I just believe there is more to it. I looked this up because I thought I was the only person in this world that had this, and that I was the only person that cried myself to sleep every night cause of the pain and itchiness. If there is anyone out there that can help me with some remedies that will relieve the pain, even just the itchiness or to tell me your stories please email me. I don't want to try for a second child cause I'm scared I'm going to go through all this pain again with my feet. It,s the worst feeling. (February 2008) Contact Melissa

My 7 year old daughter has Pompholyx Eczema - Rachel, Cambridge, UK

My seven year old daughter has been diagnosed as suffering from pompholyx eczema. It attacked both hands and feet violently leaving her miserable and unable to sleep and then travelled up her legs and arms onto her torso and back although the vescicles were not as raised and did not blister. Her feet eventually blistered open leaving her with a secondary infection and in hospital on intravenous antibiotics and unable to walk. I have been reading about this condition and it seems that it is rare in the pre-pubescent and the severity of the attack was quite breathtaking. I kept seeing more and more blisters appearing every time I looked at her - even in my sleep. Classic triggers - stress in the household, new baby coming, parents relationship poor and close, humid windy weather. Dear little soul was so excited about the baby too. I wonder if anyone else has had any pompholyx outbreak in children and how they treated it. (July 2007) Contact Rachel

I want to let you know about my Pompholyx Eczema - Chris, Near Brighton, UK

I just wanted to let you know about my pompholyx eczema. It started almost 30 years ago when my first child was a baby. Back then, it was a tiny, intensely itchy rash on my wrist. The doctor thought it might be fungal as the rash was round (like ringworm) and gave me some anti-fungal cream - which worked like magic!

Throughout the years since then, I have continued to get this rash, but it has changed. Nowadays, I only get it on my hand and I get horrible, enormous, weeping blisters. The blisters can be amazingly large! I have often had a fight to get doctors to give me anti-fungal cream - though the rash has never failed to respond to it.

The really strange thing about this rash is that I only ever get it now following an accidental cut to my hand. If I cut my hand on a tin, the rash will follow. Always!

About 3 years ago, I saw a skin specialist for the first time. He agreed with the succession of doctors who told me that the rash was not fungal, but was pompholyx eczema. They did however take some samples to test - and a fungus was found! I think what they then suggested was that the pompholyx eczema developed as a result of the fungus on my skin getting in through the cut; a kind of allergic reaction to the fungus, maybe!

H aving a logical mind, I then started to apply anti-fungal cream as soon as I cut myself and BEFORE the rash develops. And guess what, it stops the rash from starting!

I have never read anywhere else about anyone who only gets this eczema when they accidentally cut themselves. I also understand that the rash is quite unusual at my age (I am nearly 56). Maybe I am quite unique! (May 2007)

Pompholyx Eczema - Wendy, Harlow, UK

Every summer for as long as I can remember, the skin on the palms of both hands has peeled badly. I always put it down to the heat & just dry skin, and never thought any more about it until a couple of years ago. Small spots appeared on my left hand, and I couldn't hold the gear stick in the car to drive properly. The spots spread, and eventually my hands peeled until red raw. The soles of both feet became unbearably itchy, and peeled (gross!). This has now spread to both hands. At its worst, I can not hold any thing at all in my left hand, and am struggling to wear my wedding ring - all I can do is cover the skin until it has healed enough not to split. This stops me scratching it as well. I tried the cortisone (?) creams from the Dr, but it didn't seem to make much difference, so I stopped using it. I did, however, read an article that says rose oil can help. I have been using Dr Haushka's rose body oil on my hands once or twice a day for the last 6 months, and on the whole, it has been better. I still get break outs - but they don't last quite as long, and the skin on my hands heals better in between. It is also starting to flare up behind one knee - and this oil eases it. Worth a go. (April 2007) Contact Wendy

Pompholyx Eczema - Yvonne, Nelson, British Columbia

I had eczema all my life but for the past 8 years it's turned ugly. My hands burn and itch the fist night and then the next morning I start breaking out in tiny painful itchy blisters, these then join together and fill up huge. I've been given cortisone ointments before but they don't work to well. I've tried herbal teas/ salves. After a few weeks they dry out and then my hands become leather,while this is happening I can't work because of the pain I've tried popping them but they just refill and then constantly leak from the pin hole. I have a new baby that I can't even look after. Does anyone out the have something that works for this type of eczema, on the rest of my body it's just the normal red itchy type. Sad new mom. Contact Yvonne

Tips needed - Chris, Channel Islands

I have pompholyx, it drives me mad. I have it on my feet and hands and it looks terrible. I have used steroid based creams (Dermovate, Diprobase etc) and none seen to work. I will try the cream that someone else suggested on your site, thanks for that, but if there is anyone out there who can suggest anything else that might work that would be fantastic. Cheers Chris. Contact Chris

Keeping my Pompholyx Eczema Under Control - Robert, Ashfield, NSW, Australia

I have pompholyx I received this cream from my doctor it works for a while. Tricorton brand, Triamcinoline cream, tropical cream. Triamcinolone acetonide 0.02%w/w 100gm tubes. The doctor gave a script for 2 tubes I finished them but came back slightly. I find it does help me a lot. Whoever is out there talk to your doctor about it - this cream may help you. I contracted it in a factory working with flour, a few other people caught it as well. Just up from my calf on my legs. Sweat there, crease in my forearm, comes and goes. Noticed when I went on holiday in Britain I was fine. One day they will fined a cure, don't dismay people. Contact Robert

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