It’s amazing what a little topical steroid can do!
Pictures are usually pretty but because of the state of my hands at the time that really can’t be said for these four pics.
So it really starts back when I first started hitting puberty, I guess around 12 or 13. My hands started getting really dry during the winter and started peeling like mad. It would get so bad at times that I couldn’t fully extend my fingers because of the pain. And I couldn’t cut my nails either because if I did the skin would peel even worse in those areas and sometimes bleed when the nails started growing back. It was pretty aweful. The only thing that really seemed to help was a triple antibiotic gel that would help soothe it but it didn’t really treat it properly. Regular hand lotions are a total waste of money for this too. Finally after it came back the second year I went to the doctor and he prescribed this one drug I don’t remember the name of, I do remember it was this really really strong topical steroid. I used it for two months and my hands got better. I started noticing side effects though so I stopped taking it.
So around 3 years go by and my hands were just fine. We always thought it might be something in the Joshua Tree area making things worse. It didn’t turn out that way since it was fine when I moved down to Palm Springs for two years as well. Being in Manchester, England for a year didn’t bother it either, only side affect of being there was that my allergies cleared up from the cool moist air.
In June, as soon as I get back from Manchester, I started noticing that my skin was acting up again. After two weeks it got the point where my entire palm was peeling. So after putting up with it for a while I finally went to go see a dermatologist in Palm Desert last week and he prescribed this stuff called triamcinolone. It’s still a topical steroid which I’m just a tad nervous about but he said it’s probably not nearly as strong as the original prescription. It’s not like the small tubes of gel I had before either, this cream came in a full 1 pound jar!
The coolest thing was that after applying the cream for the first time, after five minutes I already was noticing an improvement and knew it would work. So I put the stuff on twice a day and I don’t really worry about it after that. Even washing my hands regularly doesn’t seem to make the cream “wear off“. I’ve been a tad OC about washing my hands since they first started acting up. That’ll probably continue but I don’t think the eczema will 
, well I shouldn’t say that. This stuff isn’t a cure, it’s just a treatment. There is no cure apparently. So there’s a chance it could flare up yet again some time down the line.
Of course not having insurance I had to pay for the doctors visit, that was $100. And the cream was another $27. Not too bad I guess, but it’s a shame I couldn’t use NHS like I did in England.
Finally! My hands are free from the torture of the peeling. I can now type without pain. And even worse I won’t have the urge to help them along in the peeling process. They’re free at last woohoo!
June 13th, 2004 at 5:17 am
Hi
I am sorry for bugging you,but i have the same exact condition you once had. When i saw the pictures of your hand, i thought they were mine. I have been searching the web for some kind of remedy but, nothing came close to what i saw on your site.
Please, can you contact me and tell me what brand of triamcinolone topical steroid you used? I have had this headache for more then 1 year. It is so embarrassing sometime. This has made my life a living hell. Please contact me and please help me . Thank you for your time and patients.
June 13th, 2004 at 6:30 am
It’s no problem. Glad I could get the chance to possibly help someone else. The cream I use is just some generic prescription triamcinolone, afaik, you can’t buy it over the counter. At any rate, it’s best to request it from the doctor in a 1 lb. jar for home, and a smaller type container for travel or work. You have to apply it 2 or 4 times a day. The actual stuff I use is made by Alpharma which I bought at Wal*Mart for $27. The rest of the label reads triamcinolone acetonide cream usp, 0.1%. That .1% means there’s 1mg of triamcinolone per every 1 gram of cream. It applies easily, it’s thicker than regular hand lotion, goes on white but once you rub it in you can’t see it. It’s not really sticky or annoying like many creams and lotions out there. After a minute I don’t think twice about typing on the keyboard and getting it clogged up with cream. Of course… I’m no doctor. You really should go see a dermatologist about the condition, ask him to tell you about the types of eczema, what causes it, symptoms, etc. From what I’ve read on various sites and from what 3 doctors have said it seems that there are two types of skin conditions that doctors sometimes just lump you into and collect their cash. Ask about any possible side effects of using a topical steroid like this one no matter what strength or how minor those side effects might be. For example, the topical steroid suppresses your body’s natural immune system, ask about how, and what that’ll mean (I personally have my allergies go mad). Also ask about new treatments out there like Elidel, it’s the main one I’d ask the doctor about since it’s steroid free. Do a search for "new eczema treatment" on google, and read the first page of results, including the first one from WebMD.
Anyway, I hope that helps you out. Be sure to post with your results.
- Corey
September 14th, 2007 at 8:26 am
I’m glade for you. I hope you’ll wont have the same problem from now one.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:47 am
I know that this posts are very old but I would love to know the results. I see that you didn’t post them. If you have them please post. Thanks.