immunotherapy

[Kirstyk33]

I have suffered with eczema for most of my 36 years and have tried just about every treatment there is steroids,wet wrapping,PUVA and am on azathoripine right now. It's not working. Where do I go from here? My face is covered in scars and the skin on my hands is so thin the pain last winter had me in tears. Had patch testing done and all I was told was not to wear perfume, which I have never worn in my life anyway. So depressed I have been off work for 7,months.

[Dr Anton Alexandroff]

Dear Kirstyk33,
I am very sorry to hear about how difficult your eczema is! Eczema can be very challenging to manage. I am sure that you are already very good with your skin care and use of topical steroids/ tacrolimus/pimecrolimus. There are other systemic agents besides azathioprine: ciclosporin, mycophenolate, methotrexate, toctino (some of which can be used off label to treat dermatitis/eczema). Have you tried to discuss other treatments with your dermatologist? And we are also expecting soon a clinical study with a new class of drug (injection) which hopefully will revolutionise treatment of eczema/dermatitis!

I hope this is helpful.
With best wishes,
Dr Anton Alexandroff MRCP(UK) PhD FAAD FRSM
Consultant Dermatologist in Leicester and Bedford
www.alexandroff.org.uk
twitter @bedford_skin_dr
blog: http://privatehealthnews.co.uk/category ... rmatology/