immunosuppressants – Preventable: Protecting Our Largest Organ

NYC Mount Sinai Integrative Medicine Conference

New York City is one of my favorite places, so when I was informed by Henry Erlich that this conference was being held in the Big Apple, there was no hesitation in buying a plane ticket.

The conference was this past weekend, May 13th-14th. I was only able to attend the primary day. However there was plenty of information to be absorbed. My main reason for going was to hear the prestigious and awe-inspiring Dr. Xiu-Min Li spill her knowledge on allergic disease, ASHMI, and her take on Red Skin Syndrome. She will be one of the doctors I humbly get to interview for the documentary this summer, and I am stoked! Such an amazing woman whose research I know will change the way we treat eczema in the next decade. I see a Nobel Prize in her future.

Dr. Li has a phenomenal opportunity while working at Mount Sinai, bringing together both Western and Eastern medicine in a clinical setting. No Western doctor will be able to deny her results and her rigorous efforts to show how wonderful Traditional Chinese Medicine can be (and is!) for our growing allergy and eczema problems.

Besides Dr. Li, there were a plethora of doctors participating, some even flying all the way from China. We had headphones and a translator present in order to understand everyone speaking.

At the bottom, I will be posting a video of Dr. Li’s talk and all that I was able to film. Sadly, I was told we couldn’t video anything so I wasn’t prepared. It was only very late the night before that I was told I was misinformed. I did my best filming with my heavy camera and old phone while trying to listen. It’s a bit shaky, so I apologize. It had been down pouring that day, which soaked my shoes, so most of the conference I was bare foot, attempting to sit on my feet in hopes of warming them up in that already frigid auditorium room.

But here are a few highlights from the conference:

1st Speaker: Susan Weissman

Her son, Eden, had horrific allergies, asthma, and skin problems. She found Western medicine was not helping their son improve. She is an avid promoter of Dr. Li’s work and is happy to say her son is finally able to enjoy life because of her protocol. She is the author of Feeding Eden, a memoir about raising Eden with all of his serious health problems. I think the most profound thing she mentioned was her question to Western medicine doctors: “How do we treat the entity of allergic disease?” Medicine seems to be extremely narrow-minded instead of looking at the body (or a condition) as a whole.

2nd Speaker: Dr. Xiu-Min Li

She gave a brief oration before her longer one at the end of the conference. The merit of her work is astounding and she emphasized how necessary it was to be able to show how TCM brings results that Western doctors can believe in and not have them be able to dispute them as “false” or “not supported.” All of her work has to be proven through science.

4th Speaker: Shi-Ming Jin, MS

*Apologies since I skip over a few speakers* I loved how she spoke about how the integrative world is striving to be more innovative and adaptive to Western world medicine in hopes of showing how TCM is helpful and important in giving patients relief.

8th Speaker: Jing Li, PhD, FDA Botanical Review Team

Basically, there are FDA guidelines/guidance for using botanicals (herbs) in medicine. They are tested in clinical trials just the same as Western medicine, so they are treated equally. It can not be written off. A demonstration of quality control was given, and how they wish to minimize any chemical, biological and pharmacological variations to obtain consistent drug substances.

10th Speaker: Ke Xing Sun

He gave a speech about how using TCM is about keeping harmony in health with our whole body working together as a unit. We are individual people with individual needs, something Western medicine does not always provide. We should be more patient-centered with medicine. He also advocated health in daily life, reiterating how prevention is key.

11th Speaker: Arya Neilson, PhD

*She was a stellar speaker* She deals with acupuncture and the benefits it can give to certain patients, even those with eczema. One of the most interesting things was how this type of treatment post-surgery can help with opiod sparing since we, in the US, take up the vast percentage of opiod use around the globe. Opiod abuse it sky high and having this available is quite a remarkable treatment. Acupuncture is now even included by Western doctors in some therapies! When it comes to allergies and eczema, there was a study done to show how dust mite IgE levels were down regulated after using acupuncture, and how itching was reduced in eczema patients. However, acupuncture is more of a rescue therapy for patients and herbs should come first in eczema treatment. (She is featured on the video)

12th Speaker: Scott Sicherer, MD

He spoke eloquently about his field in allergy/immunology in babies and what could be causing such an exponential climb in allergies these past few decades. No one is for certain, but he feels having exposure to the skin could be a factor. For some reason, there has been found to be peanut dust inside of homes, which is where skin contact could become an issue. If babies have eczema, they are at a higher risk for allergies. He would use oral immunotherapy to try and desensitize the allergy, hoping to eradicate or raise the threshold. Scott touched upon using biologics (omalizumab) for some cases for 20-22 weeks (it’s an anti-IgE), but he says it doesn’t mean it’s going to be any more effective (just perhaps speeds the process).

14th Speaker: Rachel Miller, MD

Rachel continued to speak on allergies and issues in infants and children, focusing a bit on pregnant woman. She showcased how if a pregnant woman is under stress, her child is more likely to have wheezing. She also explained how methylation and DNA does play a role in some of these areas and how Dr. Xui-Min Li’s protocol, ASHMI, has shown good results in pregnant mothers.

16th Speaker: Anna Nowak-Wegryzn, MD

She gave a very in-depth speech about allergies and infant treatment. When she mentioned starting oral tolerance as early as 1 year old, a question popped into my mind. If we can detect and start to treat allergies at that age, why is it that Western doctors are so quick to lather steroids on a baby, but claim they can not test for allergies until about 3 years old? That’s something that I feel should be addressed. When it comes to peanut allergies, she said she personally thinks using boiled peanuts instead of baked are safer to use for desensitization without losing efficacy.

** Funny side note** Dr. Xiu-Min Li came up and asked a question during Q&A. She asked it in Chinese, and the speaker answered back in Chinese. Everyone asked what was said so Dr. Li offered to translate. She started to do the translation, but didn’t realize she was still speaking in Chinese, so someone stopped her. She didn’t realize she wasn’t speaking English. We all had a laugh.

18th Speaker: Julie Wang, MD

She spoke about a drug trial (See pics below)

20th Speaker: Dr. Kamal Srivastava, PhD

One of his best and to the point notes was that IgE is central to the pathology of allergic disease. Another subject he touched on was FAHF-2, which is another herbal formula much like Dr. Li’s ASHMI. Berberine, an herb, is the most potent at reducing IgE levels, and can even help lower glucose. However, it is very badly absorbed taken orally, so they are trying to make it more effective (perhaps, adding to a molecule).

22nd Speaker: Dr. Ying Song, MD

23rd Speaker: Anne Maitland, MD, PhD

She studies Mast Cell Activation Disorders. Anne used the Great Wall of China as an analogy, how it’s not always effective for keeping the bad out. Mast cells can release different things, like histamine or tryptase, and just like a police call, you want to send the correct team out to help for the correct situation. She also touches on how when we figured out how to decrease certain bacterial-based diseases (like Measles), hypersensitivity disorders increased (like allergies). Naps, apparently, are something we need more of to help with stress (which I totally agree!).

24th Speaker: Julia Wisniewski, MD

She spoke about our skin barrier and how we shouldn’t use alkaline soap on baby skin. The best thing she mentioned however was that at the latest AAD meeting, she saw a slide that said steroids do, in fact, have the ability to cause allergic reactions in patients. Near the end, she spoke about Vit D and how it’s definitely important for our bodies.

The last two speakers were Tiffany Camp Watson, the mother who gave her testament about using Dr. Li’s protocol, and then Dr. Xiu-Min Li herself! They are both on the YouTube video speaking. Most of the video is of Dr. Li speaking. After 6:30 mins, it is all Dr. Li and her presentation.

I hope this was informative and I can’t wait to have all my equipment in to shoot these upcoming interviews! 2.5 weeks to go!

ITSAN — Doctor Pages

As many may know, ITSAN.org is the non-profit organization that advocates to help fight against Red Skin Syndrome and stands as a refuge for those who are suffering and have no support. ITSAN stands for International Topical Steroid Addiction Network.

The team leaders, Joey VanDyke (President) and Kathy Tullos (Executive Director), have poured their heart and souls into this organization to help out everyone who is lost and weary while enduring this heartbreaking condition.

One way they give back is by making it as easy as possible for sufferers to advocate for themselves. These woman get paid hardly any money to do full time jobs in order to make this possible.

Kathy went above and beyond and created this detailed, incredibly informative page that we all can show to doctors in order to help them see that this condition is not only real, but should be taken very seriously.

DOCTORS PAGE

Please, use this page whenever you are trying to inform doctors of Red Skin Syndrome. Here is just some of the wisdom found on this page:

This page should be utilized in every way to spread awareness.

Feature #22: Zuzana & Kara

Zuzana

Age: 32

Career: Work at a help desk, but now on Maternity Leave (but may have had to quit due to TSW if it wasn’t for Maternity Leave)

When did you cease using topical steroids: Sept. 17, 2016 (Previous tries — 10/15, 12/15, 3-6/16) Also ended Cyclo (an immunosuppressant) 300mg in January 2017

What type did you use: Dexa- and betamethasone ointments, Hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone shots, 1 round of oral steroids – Prednisone in 02/15

What is your favorite product for comfort? Vaseline + ichthamole and zinc oxide, tea tree oil for scalp, Probiotics, gluten and alcohol free diet. When I use the bath: Dead Sea salt, Epsom salt, ACV, tea tree oil, but now I just shortly shower

What is the hardest thing to deal with during this condition? Insomnia – the nights, hair loss, how itchy and oozy it is, being scratched to death and not being able to do anything about it, to care for my baby, to wear clothes – People thinking it us just a rash and telling me not to scratch – Being a burden to my family – Skin and smell is everywhere

What is the first thing you will do when healed? Take my daughter to the pool as she loves water and to swim, enjoy life again, live again and touch my dogs again.

Kara

Age: 38

Career: Attorney and COO

When did you cease using topical steroids: September 30, 2012

What type did you use: Cloderm

What was your favorite product for comfort? Dead sea salt baths, castor oil

What is the hardest thing to deal with during this condition? Disfigurement of my face and anxiety about seeing people, especially at work because I was a trial attorney at the time.

What was the first thing you did when you healed? I got dressed up, took off my glasses, and went out to a nice dinner at a winery with my boyfriend. A couple of months later I also cut off my hair, which I had been hiding behind during my recovery.

Another New Drug

Very recently a new drug was introduced to the atopic dermatitis community: Eucrisa

This drug is different from Protpic and Elidel, which are immunosuppressants (Tacrolimus cream/ointment) that inhibit T-lymphocyte activation and the transcription for genes which encode IL-3, IL-4 and IL-5. (source) These drugs come with their own risks, one of which is the black box label (possible cancer causing agent).

Not exactly the best drug alternative from topical steroids, but we all know about topical steroids and their effects.

But now we have the new Eucrisa to examine.

I have been trying to do a little reading about it. It is not like Protopic and Elidel. It is a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE-4) inhibitor.

The trial seemed to fair well with most participants, although there were some adverse reactions. The most severe one was hypersensitivity to the active ingredient, crisaborole. Infections, from what I read in the source material, was the highest issue (11.7% of trial patients).

The trial lasted 28 days where participants applied the drug twice, daily. This is the expected prescription for the drug. Since we do not know much more about the new drug, I personally stress sticking to this prescription and NOT using this drug for more than those 28 days. Is there a tapering protocol in effect? Not that I can see. Just cessation after the 28 days .

I hope this helps everyone out a bit if their doctor suggests using this new medication, or the Protopic/Elidel. Again, personally, I would steer clear of the immunosuppressant creams and ointments. They seem to have many of the same effects as topical steroids.

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Different Atopics Podcast

Dr. Matthew Zirwas, an Ohio MD, gave a very poignant (albeit slightly arrogant) talk in Arizona this October about atopic dermatitis in adults and how he categorizes this condition in order to give the right treatment.

He starts off with saying he is able to fix 90% of his patients. About 1 out of 10 of his patients he just isn’t able to truly help. Perhaps they are those with Red Skin Syndrome?

He checks IgE levels to see just how atopic they are (and to help initiate compliance).

Overall, I don’t appreciate the way he spoke about patients (very condescending), and even stated he had no problem lying to patients to get compliance, but I do wish to write about his lecture because it had interesting points.

One of the first things he began to mention was how awful the mainstream treatment for atopic dermatitis is for patients, especially when it comes to topical steroids. Dr. Zirwas gave a scenario of what usually happened when he was a resident. His doctor would state,

“Here is your triamicilone ointment, use dove soap, wear cotton clothes, stay cool, don’t sweat too much, don’t shower too much, good luck.” And we should have said as they were walking out of the door, “you’re not going to get any better…”

He knew there needed to be a change. He wanted to help people actually get better. He said that topical steroids actually make the skin barrier worse. It may seem to help the symptom in the short run but it’s not fixing the problem, it’s actually causing a problem. He uses the analogy of using prednisone on bacterial pneumonia. The patient will feel great 12 hours in, but then will die because the steroids will have allowed the infection to get worse.

“Topical Steroids is probably one of the worst imaginable things you could do. If you were going to say ‘What’s the worst thing you could do for atopic dermatitis, it would be topical steroids.”

Now, I am going to get a little scientific on you. He used A LOT of big words. The lecture was riddled with jargon.

Dr. Zirwas explained the role of filaggrin for our skin. It is what brings together cyto-skeletal proteins. So, he uses the analogy of a hollow brick or shell as your stratum corneum (the outer layer of skin), and the filaggrin is what hardens it so nothing harmful can get in. It then degrades it into amino acids (which is our natural moisturizing factor, acting as a retainer for moisture in the outer layer of skin). Furthermore, it is a source of urocanic acid (a UV absorber). For those of us who are deficient in filaggrin, we are susceptible to friction, dryness and scaling, and fissuring (cracking).

While explaining this, he concludes that we shouldn’t be calling our condition atopic dermatitis, but cutaneous barrier disfunction. The biggest problem is our broken skin barrier.

Normal skin is like a wet sponge, moist and flexible and hard to tear. Atopic skin is much like a dried out sponge that’s hard, dry, and cracks.

He moves on to the main topic of the lecture: his 4 categories and how to treat them.

When it comes to mild-to-moderate atopics, it’s usually just water and irritants penetrating into the skin. With severe atopics, it is usually proteins leaking into the skin. Finding out which proteins these are will help you understand which treatment will work.

Main Goal: 1) Improve Skin Barrier and 2) Reduce protein exposure

The 1st Category, which everyone fits in, is barrier disfunction. This means lichenification, xerotic, usually worse in winter, and dull red. Treatment: physiological moisturizers (Ceramid based moisturizers). He feels these are effective because they penetrate the stratum corneum (outer skin layer), into the keratinocytes, into the golgi, and helps create natural skin moisture.

Ceramide based products, like EpiCerum, take time. Dr. Zirwas says no one will see results overnight. They need at least a week for results.

Here is where I get a bit off with his method, but it’s his way…

He mixes clobetasol steroid solution in with the creams for patients. He tells them to take the 50mg solution and pour it into a tub of new CeraVe (found at your local drug store) and use that for a month, 2x a day. That is a super potent steroid. Why give someone THAT potent of a steroid, regardless that it is diluted? His reasoning is that he feels the physiological cream makes the steroid less harmful to the skin barrier. Is there scientific evidence for this? I have no idea. I wish there was. And I am not sure if he has them do it for more than a month. If it’s just a month, I can kind of calm down about it, but if he puts his patients on this for a while, then it worries me.

The rest of the treatment for your barrier is: Shower at least 2 times a day and put a physiological moisturizer on right after – use a shower filter – double rinse your laundry or use vinegar in the mix – and use DryerMax dyer balls.

He also went into talking about how he feels ointments are not the best choice for topical steroids. His logic is that steroids are looking for the most oily environment. The more oil in our vehicle of choice (like an ointment), the less likely the steroid with leave and penetrate into the skin. So he sees it as ointment is the worst, then cream, then lotion, then solution is the best. I can see his logic in this, but I don’t know of any scientific research backing this. I know ointments are more occlusive, so I would think, no matter what, the steroid would penetrate.

Category 2: Airborne -type

Aesthetically, men have what Dr. Zirwas calls an ‘inverse t-shirt’ pattern. Everything under his shirt is fine, but all the rest of his skin exposed to the outside is not. And women usually have facial dermatitis. Also, these patients usually have asthma and bad itching at night time.

He feels these are the hardest to treat. The problems are protein ‘allergies’, such as dust mites, pollen, ragweed, etc. These allergins are protease, which means they cause itch and worsening of the condition. These are the TH2 and TH17 triggers (which, when imbalanced, cause issues).

His Treatment: Mattress and pillow case covers (keeps the dust mite poop down) – washing at least twice a day, women washing their face as much as they can (and then putting on physiological moisturizers)

Category 3: malassezia driven

It affects the head and neck area. Usually they have eczema as children, but then into adulthood, it gets bad on their face.

This is his favorite type to treat since it’s easiest to him.

His Treatment: Itraconazole (check LFTs — which is liver function) 100mg 2x a day for 2 months, and ??? on weekends 100mg a day (literally could not understand what he said) – or- Ketoconazole (always check LFTs). He feels the former drug is safer than the latter, and feels orals must be used, not anti fungal creams.

Category 4: staph driven

It usually looks like moist atopic dermatitis with fissuring, crusting, and scabbing. Fairly bad eczema but it explodes/flares

He says he doesn’t swab (which made me angry) because he feels most of the time it isn’t MRSA so he doesn’t need to check. Well, I had MRSA on my skin in Month 8 of my withdrawal. If he hadn’t swabbed me, then I would still have had MRSA.

He says there hasn’t been a decent research article written about this. He also touched on antibiotic resistance and how we will be screwed possibly down the road.

His treatment: Keflix, Doxycycline or Bactrim for 4 weeks – Rifampin for 1 week in the beginning paired with one of three above (says it’s for decolonization) – Bleach bath once a week with clean towels, PJs, and sheets – Antibacterial washes (he likes Dial moisturizing antibacterial body wash) – avoid ointments (since he said most are contaminated with bacteria) – Neosporin 1 week per month on nostrils

Also, another reason for staph- driven dermatitis is decreased cathelicidin production. That means Vit-D production. You need to take LARGE doses, about 4,000 units a day. He says a study says it’s safe to take that much. No idea where that study is, but you can try and find it.

After explaining all of the different categories, he goes into some of the other treatments he gives on top of these if the patients are really bad. Things like immunosuppressants (Cellcept, Cyclosporin, Methotrexate). He says he barely prescribes these things since he can usually get things under control with his normal treatments.

Overall, it was informative. His method of treatment interests me, but not so much the compound steroid with CeraVe. I wonder how these patients would fair without the use of the steroids and just the other elements of his treatment.

Feature #13: Ariana

Ariana Yunda

Age: 30

Career: unemployed due to TSW

When did you cease using topical steroids: August 23 2016 (third try)

What type did you use: I can’t remember every kind. I’ve been using for 29 years: hydrocortisone, prednisone, clobetasol, betamethasone, Elidel, Mometasone Furoate and tons of injected immunosuppresants like Bethaduo and Ciclosporine.

What is your favorite product for comfort? It changes, but lavender essential oil has helped as sleeping aid (I put it in my feet every night), zinc oxide when oozing and lately a spray called MR. Wheatgrass that I put on my skin when I get out of the shower and reapply every time I feel dry. Any other moisturizer, whether it’s a cream or oil, burns.

What is the hardest thing to deal with during this condition? Having the symptoms of the shivers, the oozing, the no sleep, the crazy diets stopping my life.

What is the first thing you are going to do when you are healed? Jump in the ocean, work out and dance without worrying about my sweat burning. Start working again! I became a therapist in the process 🙂 I want to help others.

Interview #4: Robin Winkler

Robin Winkler

Sugar Hill, GA

“…and never could I have known the taste of heaven, had I not swallowed the pieces of hell, first.”

1.When did you start using topical steroids? And why?

I was first prescribed topical steroids when I was 17 months old- I had an allergic reaction to detergent in some clothes my mom was trying on me.

2. What was the name of the topical steroid?

I started out using triamcinolone- the pharmacy would mix it into Aveeno or Eucerin for me. I remember that my parents would put it all over my arms and legs every night.

3. Were you ever prescribed more potent steroids?

As I mentioned, I had a nightly routine with my triamcinolone. It never stopped once it started, and became a norm for me. When I was about 10, however, my face started showing signs of ‘eczema’ so I was prescribed a different steroid called desonide for my face. Over the years, my eczema slowly consumed my entire body, and I would keep it at bay with triamcinolone, desonide, fluocinonide, mometasone furoate- you name it, I have probably been prescribed it. I also tried alternatives to topical steroids, such as Protopic or Elidel.

4. How did you find out about RSS?

I found out about RSS in May of 2015. I had a one year old, was working full time, was stressed, and I had used oral steroids for my skin. I actually got the shingles and then of course, more steroids. After the shingle was gone, I had a particularly bad flare, and none of the steroid creams were helping- not even the really, really, strong ones. So I googled “the steroids don’t help my eczema anymore” and it led me to ITSAN.

5. What made you feel you had RSS?

I observed the TSW/ITSAN Facebook groups and researched for a long time before I was determined this was indeed my same affliction. What I couldn’t ignore was the obvious rebound effect after stopping steroid use- and it was classic, and my skin matched every picture on the ITSAN site. The Red Sleeves are not something I have ever had with my original eczema. On top of all of these things was the fact that my original eczema had never affected these areas of my body before

6. Were you diagnosed by a doctor? Did you have a supportive doctor?

I was diagnosed by a dermatologist with ‘steroid dependent eczema’ – which at least meant she recognized that I needed to stop using them. She was key in helping me come off of the steroids, but the only way to do so was to use an immunosuppressant- basically, a drug that people take when they have organ transplants to keep their bodies from rejecting the new organ. I eventually sought, and am still working with, a naturopathic doctor. He has been immensely supportive, calls my condition TSA (topical steroid addiction), has helped me find the root cause of my original eczema, and has even helped me do research about topical steroid addiction.

7. What were your first symptoms?

I had been on oral prednisone for the shingles and topical steroids for my eczema; as soon as I ceased using them, my skin peeled and cracked and was just so tight and dry. That was immediate too- within 24-48 hours of stopping. One week into stopping, and my skin was not only tight and dry and flakey but simultaneously oozy and waxy and hot – my face swelled, my entire face, neck, chest, arms, legs- all turned bright red and there was an unbearable nerve pain. Like a million razor cuts in every square inch of your skin, or a million fire ants biting all at once. It was basically a cycle of hot, red, oozy skin to the crusty, scabby, painful skin, then to flaky skin that fell off everywhere…and then back to square one with the intense inflammation.

8. Is your family supportive? Friends?

My mom and my brother have been amazing. I am a single mom, so when this started and I realized I wouldn’t be able to work, I moved in with my mother. She has paid for medical expenses, taken on the duty of caring for me when I couldn’t even take a shower. She has helped me with my son, and helped me financially as well. I know it has been a huge strain on every aspect of her life. Friends who have little knowledge of eczema or RSS in general are supportive, but wary. They don’t understand why I don’t use steroids or why I needed so much help from my mom, and can be quick to judge or criticize. I worry people will see me as entitled or lazy, since they have no idea what’s really going on.

9. Have you ever been to a hospital for this?

I went to the ER on 1/29/2016. My scalp was green and yellow and bloody, my skin was peeling and cracked and bleeding from my scalp to my toes. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t shower. I couldn’t even think straight because the pain was unbearable. My brother says I’m a tough cookie, so he knew that this was serious when he saw me crying from pain. It takes a lot of pain to make me cry.

10. What has been the hardest part of this condition?

This is a tough question. Ask me the easiest part. HA. From one aspect, just not being able to LIVE in any measure of the word has probably been the most difficult part to adjust to. I was working full time, I took my son to daycare and picked him up-everything, on my own. Once RSS took over, I couldn’t even do the dishes. The other part that was/is infuriating is the lack of knowledge and research about RSS. I joke that everyone going through this is like a lab rat, because we have to find out what works for us since there are no medical guidelines, much less real recognition from the medical community. The stress is also a lot- there were days I wanted to crawl into a box and literally die. There was financial stress- I couldn’t contribute to my own life or my sons life, and living costs money. I tried to get on disability several times (temporarily) but was never able to. There was emotional stress- I vividly remember lying in bed, in a lot of pain, and thinking, why should I be still and do nothing if its STILL going to hurt?? Again, naming the hardest part of this isn’t easy.

11. How long have you been in withdrawal?

I started my withdrawal 8/12/2015. I would say I am about 14 months in, but I have used oral steroids during this time though, for asthma, and an anaphylactic reaction I had. I would not say that I am completely healed, but I am now about 85-90% better.

12. What do you use as comfort measures during this?

In the early stages, apple cider vinegar baths and zinc oxide paste (like desitin for babies) were life savers. As time went on, I was able to tolerate sea salt baths, and oatmeal baths. I really liked hydrocolloid bandages for very raw and deep wounds, as well as elaj (a highly concentrated oatmeal cream). As far as mental measures, I actually sought a health coach who helped me with stress management and meditation.

13. Are you employed? Has this affected your job status?

I was. I stopped working as a medical assistant purposefully so I could start my withdrawal. As I mentioned, though, I am a single parent so I tried to hold down a couple different odd jobs in the beginning, and I couldn’t. I’m hoping to return to work soon…

14. Have you gone to therapy/wish to go to therapy because of this condition?

As I mentioned, I did enlist a health coach for 10 weeks. Now that period is over, however, and I find myself wishing I could utilize her again. So, yes, I think therapy would be helpful. To be honest, I’m still scared that I will wake up one day, full flare, back at square one with no eyebrows and hot painful skin everywhere. It kind of keeps me from diving fully back into my life just yet.

15. If there is one thing you could say to another sufferer, what would it be?

It’s hard to narrow my advice down to one pointed piece. I would say, take pictures. Even if you don’t share them on social media; keep them for yourself. I wish I had taken more. Also, I think a lot of this journey is hard because we feel like we have lost ourselves and any sense of a ‘life by OUR design’- but please, remember, you are still there and you are still YOU. The most important thing during this journey is to truly invest in yourself, even if you cant take time off work- don’t’ obsess over what other people will think. Take it one day at a time, one minute at a time, or one second at a time. Get through it however you have to- remember no one’s journey is the same and the only real goal is to restore health to our bodies without steroids.

Thank you so much, Robin! You’re interview was inspiring!