I made a decision last month to use Tacrolimus (generic version of Protopic ointment) while on Dupixent (a biologic eczema medication). Not one time, but in an ongoing manner. It was not an easy decision to make - considering the many fellow eczema fighters that have ended up in withdrawal from Tacrolimus. What is Tacrolimus Withdrawal? The eczema community says it’s just like Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), which I went through during my first pregnancy. It’s what can happen when you overuse the Tacrolimus ointment on your body to combat flareups. The ointment stops working (or you may sudd ..read more

Here I am with a flare-up “beard” 2.5 months after my restarting Dupixent (after a 5 year break). It’s been spreading and it’s still spreading. And on my face; the forbidden area! It’s on my arm too. My skin hasn’t been in clear mode at all since I restarted Dupixent. It got better, but has progressively gotten worse. I’m trying to figure out if it’s better right after my Dupixent injection and then gets worse again after a few days. Sigh. I guess overall it’d be worse without Dupixent at all. Damn silver lining. I’ve said for years that Dupixent helped finish clearing me from my Topical Ster ..read more

Why I Started Dupixent 5 Years Ago I've had eczema for decades now, from mild to moderate to severe. During my first pregnancy it became insufferable, because I went through Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW). I wouldn't wish TSW on my worst enemy (not that I have them!). I'm grateful that my TSW improved after my pregnancy, but my system was still out of whack. At the time, Dupixent had just been approved by the FDA and I was lucky to be able to access the medication. I got on Dupixent on May 2017 and it quickly helped, ultimately clearing me completely. Why I Stopped Dupixent After Nearly 1 Ye ..read more

It’s a double Benadryl night It’s been awhile, thought I could cope But this year has been rough And this flareup won’t stop No lotions or ointments; They don’t work anyway I’m to avoid my triggers, ha. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, The bubble I must live in Doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s time to do real meds again. For tonight, it’s two Benadryl. Tomorrow is another day (And I’m sure I’ll be drowsy ..read more

Why?! Is it my house? Is it my intense dust mite allergy? Or my ridiculous colophony allergy? Or is it my high work stress? Is it because I got stuck at an airport hotel a few nights ago without my checked luggage, which ironically held my packed dust mite allergy mattress/pillow covers? Whatever it is, I don’t even care at this point. It’s impossible to avoid my dust mites and colophony allergens. I remember the good ol’ days where I was just worried about my fragrance allergy. That’s such an easy one at this point. I can’t live in a bubble and I can’t throw enough money at these allergies ..read more

I sat somewhere bad and probably had on shorts Now my thighs are raging, hot, itchy and weepy, leaving my pants sticky and crusty Spread to my face and some on my neck and now my inner elbows too Is this going to stop soon? Where did I sit? Was it the fabric couch in the waiting room? Or my leather couch that somehow still makes me itchy? or the leather seats in my car? maybe it was somewhere dirty - is this the dust mites allergy or one of my many other allergies? Does it even matter? No. Maybe. Who cares. Stop soon, body ..read more

’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the night, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Wait, what’s that? It’s me scratching my itch, itch, itch. On my forehead, that’s new. near my hairline, how odd. Ah, I remember! An elf costume I wore for my two little kiddos. A hat on my head for just one hour Ho, ho, ho Itch, itch, itch Dust mite allergies are relentless, the worst Christmas grinch. But an itch is okay it’s family and cheer that matter. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night ..read more

There’s a scene in 90s movie The Craft where a young lady is full of burn scars and suddenly (through witch craft!) her damaged skin starts to wipe off to reveal perfect, healthy skin. I watched this scene 20+ years ago and it’s just as powerful for me now as it was back then - even more powerful, probably! At the time, I didn’t yet know the feeling of being trapped by your skin. Right now, I’m lying awake in the middle of the night because my neck is doing that thing where it is so itchy that it burns. What is that sensation called? It’s not just an itch and not just a burning feeling. A bur ..read more

Published on WebMD blog. My eczema flare-ups have two main stages: the worsening, which leads to peak flare-up, and then the recovery, which leads to clear skin. In the past, the two phases together have lasted a few days, a few weeks, or, terribly, a few months. Not long ago, I was in the recovery phase of a bad flare-up on my hamstrings. They were no longer burning or unbearably itchy. But the skin was still swollen and dry. I completely forgot about my thighs, though, when my sister invited me to the spa for a massage. I would’ve never gotten a massage if my skin was actively flared up – m ..read more

It was date night and a delicious red snapper dish was in front of me. I was distracted, though, because my flared-up ankles were screaming with itchiness. I started scratching … and then kept scratching - the kind of scratching that takes over your senses. After about ten seconds, I stopped and paid attention to my surroundings again. I almost felt awkward about it! “Isn’t it crazy how I can have orgasmic-like scratching at a public restaurant?” I asked my husband? He didn’t understand what I meant and I explained that scratching a really itchy spot felt incredible for me. “No - I think that ..read more