Pompholyx Sufferers

Browse our forums now - if you wish to talk to others you need to be a member. Simply follow this link, create a username and password, and you could be talking to others in our forums today!

Moderators: talkhealth, admin, Marcie Mom, AnnaB, StephanieJae, Koh Ming Shao

Post Reply
10 posts
_heidi_
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:06 am
Quote

by _heidi_ on Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:13 am

Pompholyx Sufferers

Hi all,

About 3 months ago I started getting little blisters on my finger that were extremley itchy. Eventually they covered my right hand and then my left. It would start as itchy blisters and redness then eventually dry cracked sore skin. After 3 GP visits and creams finally got a referal to a dermatologist who diagnosed pompholyx due to a nickel allergy as in the past I have gotten rashes from belt buckles and watches so I never wore them anymore. Anyway I tried to stick to a low nickel diet best I could aswell as applying diprosone ointment and moisteriser twice a day and doing vinegar water soaks for 15 mins (this dries up the blisters). It would start to clear up and I'de be hopeful only for it to flare up again. I was devasted and just wished for normal hands again as I have a 14 month old son and even changing nappies was painful for my hands and having to bath him with gloves on etc. Going to work was quite a challenge also as I work with animals. I kept a food diary to see what foods were responsible for the flare ups but it would happen after different foods. I also got a body rash not long after bad hand flare ups that just added to more unbearable itchiness. Finally I notcied that it was worse after having 1 or 2 cans of soft drink or vodka mixes with dinner. I thought cans are aluminium so it should'nt be that but after having nothing from a can for 5 days my hands are free of blisters and inflamation. I only have a bit of dry skin which looks like it's repairing along with frequent moisterising. They say there is no cure for pompholyx because they don't know what causes it but I think it's your bodys way of telling you it can't tolerate a certain type of substance that is going into it. It might be a different thing for everybody- the only way to pin point it is to do a food diary (very annoying but you'll figure out a pattern) It usually concertrates on the hands or feet but it is not a contact dermatitus. I've found other forums where people have found their pompholyx was triggered from eggs, corn, cheese or something you would'nt even consider so please do a food diary to try and rid yourself from this horrible eczema if you are a sufferer. I hope this helps someone as it is very depressing to have.

_heidi_
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:06 am
Quote

by _heidi_ on Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:53 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

Scratch everything I just said, eczema came back just as bad about 2 days after this post argggggggggg it's so frustrating especially when I thought I had found the problem. Anyone eles got any advice on this frustrating pompholyx???

andreajwu
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:03 pm
Quote

by andreajwu on Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:34 pm

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

I am brand new to this website and I have had eczema my whole life .. It pops up in different areas every year or so and its so discouraging and frusterating.. I just read your post about eczema on your hands and I can relate. About a year ago I had it so bad on my hands and fingers and it spread all the way up my arms .. to my elbows.. I was literally wearing long sleeve shirts in the middle of summer.. I know the feeling of being so self conscious and sad .. and in pain.. I couldnt wear rings.. close my hands in fists.. it was absolutly awful. One thing that has helped me the most with all my ezcema around my entire body has been going to a tanning booth.. Now I've spent who knows how much money on dermatologists co-pays and lotions perscriptions and what not... and nothing has helped more than tanning. Obviously the dr's dont recommend it .. but thank god I have thicker skin and I dont burn.. Going tanning once or twice a week definately helps and during my really bad flare up I went almost everyday. I dont even go the dermatologist anymore... they try to tell me the same thing .. try a different lotion that usually has a steriod which I hate because it bleaches out my skin.. I hope this helps.. tanning worked for me!

_heidi_
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:06 am
Quote

by _heidi_ on Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:18 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

Thanks Andrea, I actually went and tried acupunture 2 days ago for the first time and they arn't looking too bad. I also have to cook chinese hearbs and drink them twice a day for 10 days then go back for a revisit. My dad suggested acupuncutre as I am willing to try anything, I ended up having to get prednisolone tablets it got that bad and as soon as I started weening off them it begun to flare up again. So will see how we go.

andreajwu
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:03 pm
Quote

by andreajwu on Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:32 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

Heidi.. Glad to hear your trying something new and unique.. I've always thought about acupuncture but never tried it.. I remember when my flare ups were so bad on my hands and fingers I had two or three injections of prednisone and they also had me on pills.. It's miserable battle but if you are "lucky" like I was.. You won't have it forever.. It'll just show up on another area of your body in a year or so! Keep us posted on your acupuncture and herbal remedies.. Hope it works for you!

_heidi_
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:06 am
Quote

by _heidi_ on Thu Jan 07, 2010 4:49 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

Well it's been 1 week, they were looking good but then flared up again 2 days ago argggggg. The acupuncture and herbs may take a while so I will have to be patient. I forgot to mention that this eczema started out on my finger within 1 week of having omeprazole tablets for heartburn which I was on for 2 months and so the eczema progressed. Ofcourse all the GP's and the dermatologist are saying it was'nt the tablets, the dermatologist says it's a nickel allergy but I find it very coincidental that it started at the same time as the tablets. I've been off them now for 2 months and the hands are still shocking, I would have stopped the omeprazole straight away if I knew the eczema would be this bad but then again the heartburn was unbearable. Everytime it looks like it's getting better little blisters start to appear and the cycle begins again, it's so depressing. I have my 2nd acupuncture appointment tomorrow so will keep you posted. I tell you what if it was'nt for my little boy I don't think I could live with these hands, it really is destroying my life.

Angelstars
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:39 am
Quote

by Angelstars on Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:59 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

I know exactly how you feel! My hands are so painful at the moment I cant bear it.
The intensely itchy bumps that come up and then when they burst they are sore and sting like hell. I've tried emollients, antihistamines, steroid creams, exfoliating then e45 nothing works. I can have a few months with just one or two spots but then it flares up really bad for a long time. I have no idea what causes it food wise but I know detergents, soaps,bubble baths, shower gels and shampoos make it worse. I'm wearing gloves while in contact but I'm sure it may be something im eating too. A food diary is a good idea!

I hate it though, I look like a warty old witch hands sometimes or like i have some horrible contagious disease. I avoid showing my hands if i can. Sometimes it really gets me down, like it is at the moment. There doesnt seem to be a cure, only control hopefully.

Sammie
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:08 pm
Quote

by Sammie on Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:05 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

I have suffered for 20 years with eczema on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet . I have not suffered for many years now. In the time I have suffered I have seen a collection of gps, specialists, kept diaries, changes my diet, used every steroid ever made, read numerous articals..well you get the idea!
Finally, I was refered to another specialist, where I had patch tests. I was allergic to fragrence.
I have changed EVERY product in my house. I use surcare non-bio, and simple products.
But, as a result of being over prescribed steroid creams, my skin is very thin and hypersensitive.
I am now allergic to all animal fur, and fluffy toys, blankets etc.
I think you seriously need to think about another occupation? You can have a blood test to varify that you have an animal fur allergy. You may have to INSIST that your gp refer you.
I have the only pet suitable for eczema sufferers...a miniture poodle.
I think is is always a good idea to use unscented products in any case..others only agrivates the condition.
I also still occasionally bath in oilatum plus, this is very good when you have an aggressive case that is red with infection, you can get this from your gp.
I hope that you have found this info helpful, and wish you well.

Sammie

_heidi_
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:06 am
Quote

by _heidi_ on Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:32 am

Re: Pompholyx sufferers

Well I have been doing the herbs and acupuncture for 6 weeks now, it's not as aggressive but still red and dry and blisters trying to come through. I also got in to see a naturapath and he did allergy testing using a wired device that measures your intolerance from your hands using a computer. It's similiar to hair and blood testing. Anyway turns out I'm intolerant to cows milk, gluten and flour mainly among a few other things that are easier to avoid like pineapple, strawberry, oats, peanuts, cashews, sun-dried fruits, tomatoes. I also read high for a cobalt intolerance but not for nickle like the dermatologist insisted. They are both metal but it seems cobalt is'n't as hard to avoid as nickle. Just to top that off I also had low results for zinc, Vit D, Magnesium and bad results for the lymphatic system and small intestine so things are out of whack. He said it could have been building up for years and years and finally the body can't cope with it anymore so you either get stomach problems or skin problems. I asked him to test for animal fur incase I had all of a sudden become allergic and I tested ok for cats and dogs which is mainly what I work with, plus we have a dog at home so thankgod that's not a worry- Although I barley touch them at the moment without gloves and my dog at home gets foot pats instead lol. So he's given me all these pills to take to start things rolling and will be going back in 3 weeks time, I will continue the acupuncture and herbs for another 2 weeks as that's how long the acupuncturist said it should take so if it's not getting better by 8 weeks don't think it's going to work. Hopefully avoiding these intolerances and taking these tablets will get things back to normal.

dyshidrotic
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2022 6:07 pm
Quote

by dyshidrotic on Fri Jan 07, 2022 6:08 pm

Re: Pompholyx Sufferers

Hi – I’ve created this account to publish my experience with Pompholyx also known as dyshidrotic eczema or hand eczema which has the symptoms of small itchy fluid filled blisters on your hands (and sometimes feet). I’ve had it on my hands since I was in junior high school on occasion (I’m nearly 60 years old now) and it always went away after a short time. Forward 40 years… my pompholox got worse, staying longer and worse breakouts. Every morning a new set of blisters. Every evening my hands throbbing and burning. I had zero eczema problems on any other part of my body. The past year (save the last two weeks) was pure hell. I canceled my vacations to warm places because my hands were so bad. I also play guitar and had upped my practice time to over an hour a day the past couple of years (steel guitar strings are nickel coated – play with cotton gloves to see how much sloughs off the strings). My fingers didn’t get “contact dermatitis” from playing so I had no connection to nickel being a problem for me. I am going to now experiment to see if nickel from guitar strings causes blisters on my hands through absorption through the skin.

I’ve been down the road of doctors, dermatologists, elimination diets, leaky gut diet, candida diet, anti-fungal course of medication, and thank goodness after a year of horrible “hamburger hands”, the problem turned out to be too much NICKEL in my diet! Not an allergy, just too much nickel.

I was eating a rather healthy diet to address what I thought was a candida overgrowth - Nuts, sunflower seeds, green peas, avocados, whole grains, brown rice, spinach, beans, leeks, green leafy vegetables, bean sprouts, dark chocolate,… the problem? All of these have HIGH NICKEL content.

The biggest clue came when I noticed that the backs of my hands began to develop the blisters after wearing cotton gloves (my hands were really bad) and using a favorite cocoa butter formula cream on my hands several times a day covering it with gloves – it contained cocoa extract, cocoa seed oil, and sunflower seed oil (all high in nickel!). The red bumpy rash ended at my wrists. The last 3 weeks I did notice the red bumpy rash migrating to my forearms where I began to have small red itchy patches as well, but those have also subsided.

I stopped eating all the high nickel content foods and after a week and a half, I’ve had three days with no new blisters! My hands are nearly back to normal.

The human body is very complex. It could be any number of things that (my theory) the body tries to eliminate through the hands . Why the hands? Never had a problem anywhere else on my body.

Try a Low Nickel Diet! There are a few resources out there that explain it well, as a short summary:

Nickel is accumulated in the husks or shells of seeds and nuts. e.g. Wheat when “polished” loses most of the nickel content. White flour is okay, whole wheat flower is not. Peeling root vegetables significantly reduces nickel content...

Search the Internet for “nickel allergy sensitivity” to get a (surprising) list of high nickel foods and try avoiding those or minimizing them. It’s working for me!

Post Reply
10 posts