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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 9:11:35
But I still think that fear stinks. I can usually tell how much anxiety I've had overnight by my smell in the morning. I read somewhere once that it's apocrine secretions?
But now I wonder if fear doesn't also burn, or cause sweat to have a different ph or something. Because my underarm eczema seems to really be acting up over the past two nights of middle of the night anxiety attacks.
My doctors don't seem to know anything about this phenomenon.
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 23, 2004, at 9:43:19
In reply to Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 9:11:35
I'm no doctor, and can only talk about my eczma.. But I do know that how anxious I am makes a huge difference.
the first sign of an anxiety attack in me is normally a strong stinging itch in my armpits..
I'm now, quite sure that I am allergic to my own sweat.. and the more anxious I am, the more I sweat (I suffer hyper hydrosis, so I sweat quite alot anyway), and in those areas that tend to stay damper (armpits, groin, waist band areas etc) my ezcma and other allergy flare ups are always ALOT worse.
So.. I beieve in your theory, even if I cann't offer practical advice.
Nikki x
Posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 9:48:53
In reply to Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 9:11:35
Dinah- it might be gross- but I'm wondering about that too. I talked to my primary doc about it and she told me that it was my anxiety and to bring it up with my pdoc, because it might be a side effect from meds too... I know how you feel
> But I still think that fear stinks. I can usually tell how much anxiety I've had overnight by my smell in the morning. I read somewhere once that it's apocrine secretions?
>
> But now I wonder if fear doesn't also burn, or cause sweat to have a different ph or something. Because my underarm eczema seems to really be acting up over the past two nights of middle of the night anxiety attacks.
>
> My doctors don't seem to know anything about this phenomenon.
Posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 10:11:58
In reply to Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 9:11:35
It makes perfect sense to me, but, as the others said, I'm not a doc.
Actually, I've never pieced together the whole eczema-anxiety thing, but my eczema is pretty much just on my face (joy...). However, I know that anxiety causes my acne to flair up, so it would make sense that the eczema is affected as well. Especially with what you were saying about pH.
Hmmm...Have you looked on the NIH website? They always seem to have info on whatever it is I'm looking for.
P
Posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 10:24:40
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Dinah, posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 10:11:58
I'm going to a brand new internist next week, and I'll bring it up with him. So far the answer seems to be cortisone, which doesn't work for very long. :(
It was just a new theory I had, given my previous research on anxiety and smell. Maybe I'll do a search on apocrine and ph.
Posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 10:39:18
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 10:24:40
Have you tried Cutivate cream? I don't know if a topical would work for you or not...
P
Posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 11:30:36
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Dinah, posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 10:11:58
This is so weird to me, I thought I was just a weirdo. I have the eczema on my face, thighs and upper arms... though it always seems to go in the summer. I wonder if I'm less stressed in the summer and that's why... hmmm.. I wonder if there is a psychodermatolist somewhere... and if not, maybe we discovered a new profession!
What I dislike most is that panic attacks turn me into this gross, red-faced, sweating person... and that only adds tot he anxiety. Every night I wake up to some sort of nightmare, sweating, smelling... it's really something that has been bothering me for a while, but I'm always told, "Paxil makes you sweat, that's all it is"... well then the sweating can't be just your everyday run of the mill kind...
Man, what else can we be affected by- there is so much to consider in an equation of mental health and psychical health, but it seems that there is a slight gap because a doc that takes care of all your phsyical needs, then one for mental needs, and they seem to contradict each other so often...
I did go to a dermatologist about the eczema. I told her that my anxeity makes it so much worse. She gave me some sort of cream (that did nothing helpful except make me smell like a grammy) and she told me that there is nothing she can do to help my mental state. Thanks for the bill doc.
Sorry- rant. Too much coffee... so much anxiety right now.
> It makes perfect sense to me, but, as the others said, I'm not a doc.
>
> Actually, I've never pieced together the whole eczema-anxiety thing, but my eczema is pretty much just on my face (joy...). However, I know that anxiety causes my acne to flair up, so it would make sense that the eczema is affected as well. Especially with what you were saying about pH.
>
> Hmmm...Have you looked on the NIH website? They always seem to have info on whatever it is I'm looking for.
>
> P
Posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 11:31:35
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 10:24:40
I think I'll start looking into it too... let me know what you find and I'll be sure to share anything I find too. :)
> I'm going to a brand new internist next week, and I'll bring it up with him. So far the answer seems to be cortisone, which doesn't work for very long. :(
>
> It was just a new theory I had, given my previous research on anxiety and smell. Maybe I'll do a search on apocrine and ph.
Posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 11:32:30
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Dinah, posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 10:39:18
Does it smell like a grandma? :) Just kidding (if you read my previous post...)
Can you get that OTC? Have you been using it?
> Have you tried Cutivate cream? I don't know if a topical would work for you or not...
>
> P
Posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 12:05:33
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic., posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 11:32:30
The Cutivate cream doesn't have a smell. It's prescription - I don't know what's in it, but it works WAY BETTER than hydrocortisone. I have eczema in my ears (outer ear area) too, which is HIGHLY annoying, and I had tried everything, but nothing worked. The cutivate cream gets rid of it, but the catch is you can't use it continuously for some reason, so I get rid of it, it comes back, I treat again, and so on.
My dermatologist also prescribed Elidel, to use as a preventative treatment after I get rid of it using the Cutivate. But it doesn't work for me, and I never could get over the 'burning sensation or feeling of warmth' side effect. Jeez.
As for eczema and winter - in the winter, you're in indoor heat, which tends to be drying, then you go out into cold air, which can chap skin, so it causes the eczema to be worse. Sunlight, humidity, etc., like in the summer can improve eczema. You might consider a humidifier. I've been thinking about trying one.
P
Posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 12:28:10
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Dinah, posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 10:39:18
I looked and Cutivate is what they gave me for my underarms. The cortisone must have been my ears?
I actually find that smearing a liberal amount of Neosporin for a couple of days works better. That and going braless, which will be tougher in sweaterless summer. :)
I just get so sick of it all. The anxious sleepless nights. The eczema. The migraines and the IBS. I spent all morning sick from a combination of some harmless looking macaroni and cheese and the glucophage I have to take. So my grand plans to catch up on my work fell apart.
I am just plain sick of being sick.
Sorry to turn this into a rant.
Posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 12:37:44
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Penny, posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 12:28:10
> I am just plain sick of being sick.
>
> Sorry to turn this into a rant.No apologies needed. Rant all you want.
P
Posted by sb417 on January 23, 2004, at 13:02:42
In reply to Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 9:11:35
Dinah,
I've found that some medications can cause a characteristic body odor and/or breath odor. Actually, one of the worst "drugs" for me and body odor is coffee! Phew!
sb417
Posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 14:01:13
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Angielala, posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 12:05:33
Thank you so much for the advice, Penny :)
> The Cutivate cream doesn't have a smell. It's prescription - I don't know what's in it, but it works WAY BETTER than hydrocortisone. I have eczema in my ears (outer ear area) too, which is HIGHLY annoying, and I had tried everything, but nothing worked. The cutivate cream gets rid of it, but the catch is you can't use it continuously for some reason, so I get rid of it, it comes back, I treat again, and so on.
>
> My dermatologist also prescribed Elidel, to use as a preventative treatment after I get rid of it using the Cutivate. But it doesn't work for me, and I never could get over the 'burning sensation or feeling of warmth' side effect. Jeez.
>
> As for eczema and winter - in the winter, you're in indoor heat, which tends to be drying, then you go out into cold air, which can chap skin, so it causes the eczema to be worse. Sunlight, humidity, etc., like in the summer can improve eczema. You might consider a humidifier. I've been thinking about trying one.
>
> P
Posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 14:05:03
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic. » Penny, posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 12:28:10
IBS... I hate IBS... I told my doctor to just get rid of my small intestine and give me a colostomy bag, because it would be much better than IBS. I hate my IBS, it's so annoying and embarassing and uncomfortable. GAH
> I looked and Cutivate is what they gave me for my underarms. The cortisone must have been my ears?
>
> I actually find that smearing a liberal amount of Neosporin for a couple of days works better. That and going braless, which will be tougher in sweaterless summer. :)
>
> I just get so sick of it all. The anxious sleepless nights. The eczema. The migraines and the IBS. I spent all morning sick from a combination of some harmless looking macaroni and cheese and the glucophage I have to take. So my grand plans to catch up on my work fell apart.
>
> I am just plain sick of being sick.
>
> Sorry to turn this into a rant.
Posted by gardenergirl on January 23, 2004, at 14:30:14
In reply to Re: Warning, gross topic., posted by Angielala on January 23, 2004, at 14:05:03
Excema??? Anxiety??? Hmmmmm. I've had this recurring rash type thing on the outer corner of my eyes. It seems to hang out under one eye for awhile, heal, and then later jump to the other. The derm. diagnosed it as dermatitis and gave me triamiclone (sp?). It's hard to find something to put so near my eye, as it starts right at the outer corner.
Anyway, is this excema? It starts looking red, as if it's sunburned. Then it gets tiny bumps which eventually turn kind of scaly, dry up, and the whole thing heals. But it always comes back!!! It itches sometimes. I've been toying with the idea of going without any makeup or skin care products around my eyes until it's gone for good, but I'm too vain to cope with this.
Any ideas?
Posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 15:12:02
In reply to excema, oh no!, posted by gardenergirl on January 23, 2004, at 14:30:14
I get mine on my eyelids mostly, usually on the top, sometimes on the bottom. When it was really bad, when I was younger, my skin would crack and it burned like crazy! What ended up clearing it up in college was a combination eucerin (the skin cream) and hydrocortisone - but pharmacies apparently won't make that for you anymore. Then I started using regular hydrocortisone, but that doesn't really work, and it's not good to use hydrocortisone too much on thin skin (like eyelids) b/c it can thin your skin even more. Great. The Cutivate cream, though, clears it up faster than anything else, so I don't have to use it that long. And the Elidel commercial and website say you can use it 'anywhere' even on the face and on young children, but it made my skin burn, so I refuse!
And I wonder what took me so long to find a doc who prescribed Cutivate. Hmmm...
Yeah, you have to be cautious about medications that close to your eyes. Make sure that whatever skin care products you are using are hypoallergenic (not that this means they won't cause a flare up), and make sure that you aren't getting any soap or shampoo near your eyes when you shower. That's been my biggest challenge - how do I keep shampoo from touching my ears when I wash my hair??? Oh well...
When did you first notice the rash? Had you started using a new skin or makeup product? Or, if you were using the same brands, did the manufacturer change something in them about that time? Could be an allergy.
Or you could just be cursed, like the rest of us. :-)
Posted by gardenergirl on January 24, 2004, at 11:50:17
In reply to Re: excema, oh no! » gardenergirl, posted by Penny on January 23, 2004, at 15:12:02
> I get mine on my eyelids mostly, usually on the top, sometimes on the bottom. When it was really bad, when I was younger, my skin would crack and it burned like crazy!
That's like mine. It burns more than it ever itches, and it looks a bit like a burn at times.
>What ended up clearing it up in college was a combination eucerin (the skin cream) and hydrocortisone - but pharmacies apparently won't make that for you anymore.
I wonder if you can mix it yourself, mix the Eucerin with some hydrocortisone from a tube? Probably too much cream, then. (sigh)
>Then I started using regular hydrocortisone, but that doesn't really work, and it's not good to use hydrocortisone too much on thin skin (like eyelids) b/c it can thin your skin even more.
Good to know. Hydorcort. hasn't worked for me, either.
>I'll think about asking my doc for Cutivate. Right now I'm tempted to just squeeze some aloe gel on it and see what happens.
> When did you first notice the rash? Had you started using a new skin or makeup product? Or, if you were using the same brands, did the manufacturer change something in them about that time? Could be an allergy.
I have been using mostly the same products. It seems like it's been close to a year, now, since I did not get into a derm. for four months, and that's after trying to work with my GP. I use all Clinique products, so allergies shouldn't be a problem unless they changed something.
>
> Or you could just be cursed, like the rest of us. :-)That's my fear. But I guess if it means I have something else in common with such a good group of people, then it can't be all bad.
:)
Posted by gardenergirl on January 26, 2004, at 6:41:33
In reply to Warning, gross topic., posted by Dinah on January 23, 2004, at 9:11:35
Okay, based on my experience this weekend, I think anxiety does play a role. Whatever is going on under my eye, and I think it likely is excema, has gotten much worse, I think because I've been obessing about it.
I'm going to try to go without makeup or contacts for a couple of weeks. Please wish me luck because I am really vain about my appearance. I'm such a girl! Hope my clients recognize me!
gg
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