INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

queenmomcat

Spookie: two different things going on with my skin at the moment. The posited eczema would be on the surface--I need to press my PCP for more details about that, and possibly a referral to a dermatologist or other appropriate specialist. What landed me in the hospital over the weekend was a textbook case of erysipelas (cellulitis in the face), and it is that which was not associated with any skin break. Well, other than the possible eczema.

sas-schatzi

Quennie, Were you able to work through all the jibberish of my last post to you?

here's my definition of paintball therapy.

Drug affects can occur outside the CYP450 system, but unless we test, we can't be sure if it's something that could have been avoided. Otherwise, it's PAINTBALL Therapy. I coined this phrase so long ago, I can't remember. Perhaps 30-40 years ago. Definition: when a paintball is thrown at a wall it will splatter all over. Drug development even now produces drugs that have not just direct affects, but many side affects that are problematic. The side affects are the splatter. The goal of drug development has been to get the targeted affect to a specific spot with out affecting other body areas. Reduce the splatter.

sas-schatzi

Spookie, I went to 2d6 thread to find the definition of paintball therapy. It was in a post to you. Small world..............Try the vinegar soaks. 20 minutes to 30 minutes twice a day to begin with. Then slide down to once a day in time. Sounds awful, but I used the same vinegar for along time. I used a plastic container that I could fit both hands into at the same time. It had a plastic lid for storing.

sas-schatzi

Ah-hah----okay Quennie.......I had the hand eczema since 2001. First episode. Mild. Always responded to topical steroids. Then whatever it went bonkers in 2013. Daily care and topical steroids for months. No progress. Then bless Chevy for saying what she did about vinegar. I haven't had a hand problem since. But it took months to fix it. It was so strange in the healing process. What I saw was in some ways scary. I worried that I was doing the right thing. But each soak made it feel better. I just went with it.

sas-schatzi

Quennie in the wiki description on vinegar. In the section on medicinal use. It said it would turn the skin white. That's exactly what it did to my skin. Then the white bumps that were the worst would break open. There was no seeable drainage. Something was being drawn out. Then they would heal. No scarring. The skin is perfect. I still have to find the dilute chlorine baths links.

Krips I've been up since 8 am yesterday. Not even close to being sleepy.

queenmomcat

Sas: ah, yes, that makes sense. My thought was "buckshot therapy": the doctors were (and still are) giving me broad-spectrum antibiotics, in the hopes that one will work. Which they seem to have done (though gonna finish the Bactrim, never fear@) Remembering a quote from Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time: "Connie, my apple blossom, they are all effects." Sometimes this is good: aspirin serves as a comparatively gentle blood thinner for those with clotting issues, Benadryl serves as a gentle sleep aid. Sometime's it's just a pain in the bleep.

sas-schatzi

I should send the definition to someone. It makes even more sense now since the word targeted therapy is accepted.

sas-schatzi

Quennie (jacfin too)this isn't the link I was looking for, but it's to a thread I did allot of work on for wound care and evaluation. Then it got to be a place I stored stuff.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/754935?page=1

sas-schatzi

Quennie, I'm going to link in this box.

This link is to a web page that has been updated recently July 0f 2015, on eczema definitions and treatments

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/14417.php

This link is an article written in April 2009, about the study I found in 2009. It's nicely written in layperson English

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/news/20090427/bleach-baths-may-help-kids-with-ezcema

Medscape description of atopic dermatitis. Medscape is a very trusted site for medical information.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1049085-overview

Another Medscape article about the pediatrics study, this one describes in greater detail the process used in the study

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707974

This is the abstract for the study. This study was the first to actually apply the scientific method to the evaluation of effectiveness of dilute bleach baths. It is the benchmark study. Can't believe it took me this long to get to it.

http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/19403473

Steps for a dilute bleach bath from the American Academy of Dermatology( governing body of dermatology)

https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/a---d/atopic-dermatitis/eczema-bleach-bath-therapy

Loveroflife

Queenie, have you tested for food allergies?? Nephew had eczema in both of his ears. I asked his mom to ask the pediatrician for test for food allergies. Turned out he is allergic to peanuts among other things (pollens, grass, ect.). Stopped the peanut butter and skin cleared up.

Ms. Sas, were you thinking about Dakin's solution?

Ms. CHEVY, what am I going to do with you????

Ms. Sas, I changed my avatar last night so SOME people won't mistaken me for someone else. I chose the ape because Dad used to call me monkey( I know ape and monkey are not the same, but in Vietnamese there is only one word for primates). I think the nickname was given to me because I was born in the year of the monkey and I couldn't sit still for long as a kid.It is hard to be me too Jazzy.

sas-schatzi

Loverly, I new last night something was different. I'm so observant LOL. Dakins has been around forever. The peds study of 2009 was the first to do a double blind study on the dilute bleach baths. Historically it was used for along time, but again this study used the scientific method. That's why it is referenced in all the literature since. The first link describes the different types of atopic dermatitis. Allergic dermatitis is one of them. You're right. It should be used in a systematic differential diagnosis.

Quennie have you had a workup by a dermatologist? They aren't perfect, but they are the specialists for skin. With all my problems a dermatologist was involved, I needed to help them through The peds study hadn't deciminated into the medical culture when I found it in 2009. Plus, then I had my Chevy to help me with the vinegar.

My PCP is particularly interested in allergy testing. She tested my DH and I in late 2009 by a blood test. I have about 20 food things on my list. Strange things like coffee, chocolate, pepper, all grains except oats, nightshade stuff(tomatoes in that group). I paid attention for along time, then started eating/drinking some stuff on the list. Oh well...........

SUSAN hootie hoo......what caused you to go on a gluten free and dairy free diet?

susan3

sas, intestines aren't working as well as should be. Having enormous problems....your paintball theory. Lots of chemos over 4 years and the splatter has gotten to intestines and stomach. Been really good taken gluten and dairy out of diet. The pregnant tummy went away and all is working as it should. And yes, yesterday I had 2 angry orchards while cheering on the Cubs. I am a cheap date to get drunk...lol

I think queen bee should go to the Dead Sea. I hear that cures all kind of skin issues. Can we make up a Dead Sea bath??? Sas??.?

Off to see my friends new place

queenmomcat

Totally on board with a Dead Sea bath.

Lover: that's the bleach+ solution Sas was talking about, right? I notice it has baking soda in it--isn't that a common treatment for itchy skin, kinda like oatmeal? No known allergies here, but then I've never gotten a comprehensive workup for same. Just the anecdotal stuff, and haven eaten a range of foods over the years (strawberries, nuts, eggs, wheat, blah blah blah) with no obvious reaction.

Sas: thank you for the links! I'll pore over them. Definitely gonna ask about seeing a dermatologist, though, since there's clearly (serious understatement here) something amiss in and around my ear area, and they might have a better guess than my PCP.

sas-schatzi

Dead Sea Salt on sale from many places. Based on how many people are selling it, they're shouldn't be any water in the sea.

Susan BBL with a link to the weight thread. Lot's of reading material on Microbiome. It's the study of bacteria and us. It was an evolution of learning. Skip what doesn't interest your need. I lost interest once I learned what I needed. I should have followed it through to the end of the diet. It lead to Paleo. Instead of my wine a paleo diet recommends hard cider. I kind of left my lurkers hanging.

Gut Bacteria Can Affect Brain Health

My Hypothesis About Sudden Unexplained Weight Gain in Cancer

They're folks in the Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment forum have been posting on the Microbiome for a long time. Microbiome is a science now with heavy research being done. It's exploding(pun). The bacteria in us have a huge impact on all systems.

Spookiesmom

Regular 5% brown Apple vinegar? What if it's on your face too? Wipe with cotton ball, let dry?read the links, think Definately that. Have derm appt soon for skin check.

Chevyboy

Spookie.... yes! First I had the itching, and then the little bumps, then blistering on the tops of my hands and fingers..... Docs could NOT find any apparent cause... but gave me prescriptions for all sorts of creams and ointments...

But they said I had to figure out what I was getting into.... I swore I was doing nothing wrong.... But one day, after treating Lacee's "hot spots" with her medicine, and rubbing it in, I started thinking that I could be allergic to it.... I then put on gloves when I did it.... This went on for maybe 2 years. I would sleep in cotton gloves, trying to heal my hands.... nothing helped.... Even the chlorine bath....

But even though I wore the gloves, when I would pet her,or brush her, I was STILL getting that medication on my hands! I looked it up.... It had mercaptibenizol or something like that.... (It's how they vulcanize rubber).... I was allergic to THAT... But it didn't clear up until I had to quit using it on her...... So I had to find the "cause"......

I could have put ANYTHING on my hands, but until I got rid of the cause, it would not go away. I'm allergic to tape also, and inhalants like epoxy, paint stripper, bug spray, and stuff like that...

I don't think Vinegar could hurt anything.... or even a mild mixture of clorox.... Just don't try and clean your tub with clorox, and ammonia! I did that one time.... just ONCE!

queenmomcat

Husband tried to clean the cat box with bleach once. Once.

Spookiesmom

I remember when you went through that with her. Her hot spots and your hands made all of us crazy.

There are white spots under the skin. Sometimes they will clear, like a water blister, then get like a black pin dot. Sort of like finger pokes for diabetes. But I don't do pokes there.

Itches, burns and stings.

Not into any chemicals, non dominate hand, always wear gloves if cleaning.

Years ago derma said was cousin to excema. Getting bothersome now. May be on forehead too.

Loveroflife

Queenie, the purpose of the baking soda is to buffer the bleach solution. Bleach is acidic. The sodium bicarbonate is used to bring the PH up to make the solution less acidic which in turn makes it more easily tolerated by the tissue. Hey, the chemistry classes I took in college come in handy. I agree with Ms. CHEVY regarding finding the cause. You have to get to the root of the problem in order to prevent or treat it effectively.

Ms. Spookie, just saw your post...you too?

sas-schatzi

Spookie, Well, cider soaks in tub but I know that's a problem for us all. I used two cups to a garden tub. I suppose the towel wrap like a facial would work for the face, if one can't get in a tub

Loveroflife

Ms Sas, you are still up? You must be exhausted. Did you get your nap? I want a nap right now, but need to pick up DD2 from school and head to piano lesson.

Chevyboy

And one other time, I had this "rash" on my lower right leg.... drove me CRAZY.... And someone told me about Domeboro.... It's in little packets, and you mix it with a little waterr, in a plastic container, and you blot it on with your fingers... about 3 times a day.... It finally went away.... this was something "internal" .... And I never did figure out what started it....

They were painful little blister itchy things.... But I got the Domeboro from Walgreens.... Just something you might want to try....

Chevyboy

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_8?url=search-alias=hpc&field-keywords=domeboro&sprefix=domeboro,aps,275

Spookiesmom

no tub bath. Too hard to get up, even with grab bars. This is only on left pointer finger and thumb.

sas-schatzi

Loverly, please,take time to read the links if you can,. Particularly the first one It's an a-z template of dermatitis. If one were to use soda along with the cider vinegar in a tub what proportion do you recommend.

Yes, still up now it's been 34 hrs, Usually when this happens when I crash , I crash.

queenmomcat

Lover (and Chevy): def. interested in finding the root cause of the eczema. The cellulitis is clearing up beautifully though we may never know what, specifically, triggered the infection just now. One of the attending doctors guessed 'compromised immune system as a result of cancer treatment', though my oncologists never mentioned that. Hmph.

Loveroflife

Aw Ms. Sas, I ain't no compound druggist. They are rare nowadays. I can try and find something.

Queenie, I think what the attending doc said makes sense. Stress, diabetes, not enough sleep, certain meds can also play a role in suppressing your immune system. Local radiation, from what I understand, should not have a major impact on your immune system. But if you throw in other factors, I can see how it would affect a person's ability to fight infection. Don't ask me to explain it at a cellular level. Forget most of the materials I learned in the immunology class I took over 20 years ago.

Jazzygirl

Loveroflife

Oh gosh Jazzy!! Who are you arguing with? I can see Ms. Sas doing that when she finds the bread crumbs to her research

queenmomcat

Sas: my deepest sympathies in re. your disrupted sleep. (definitely see a bit of Kermit there)

Loverly: thank you--that makes sense in it being a combination of things. (I did have purely local radiation, and no chemo.)