Please help - eczema - dry/itchy skin on face

I also meant to say:
When the weather is damp/cool/humid my skin feels worse. It has been raining a LOT where I live lately.

I HATE to be cold.
I am severely irritable prior to menstruation but I take Shu Gan to help alleviate those symptoms. As I have gotten older I am more patient but can be pretty easily aggravated.

My acupuncturist has indicated I'm a Liver person.

My ayervedic constitution is mostly Vata, some Pitta.

Yesterday I filled our a homeopathic questionnaire that indicated my constitution (can't remember what it is right now) but I don't feel like it matches who I am as a person.

Thank you again (in advance) for your time and help. I would really appreciate a response.

Hello Rishimba – Here are the answers to your questions. Please let me know if I have not answered them appropriately enough.

Patient ID: Sex: Female Age:37

Please answer the following questions in a descriptive manner after careful analysis and recollection of previous experiences and happenings.

1. Describe your main suffering? ( please state exact locations, sensations, modalities, probable cause and since when)
-- Dry, sometimes flaky, itching ( sometimes intensely and burning), somewhat hard-ish/leathery patches in the following places – both eyelids. On left side, there is also a small patch under the eye and a part that has crept up by my eyebrow. On my right side there is also a spot on the very inside of my nose near my tear duct and a little spot underneath my eye – plus a patch in the shape of a “C” about the size of a dime next to my right eye. An inch or so long line goes down my face from the right side of my nose to the corner of my mouth and then a two in long half inch wide swath on my jaw line and under my chin on the right side. There is a small patch of it about the size of a ring on my left ring finger and a two inch long one inch wide patch that comes and goes on my elbow. This patch will also have small white bumps. I used to think the cause was food allergies, which may still be the case, but it is definitely most prevalent in times of great stress. It also used to be seasonal – switching from Winter to Spring and then from Summer to Fall – however I have had this bout with it consistently since roughly December 2008. I don’t find myself having any more stress that “normal” these days. However, I do have a daily commute that is roughly four hours total (120 miles round trip) which has begun to wear me down. I have been doing this commute for 11 years.


2. What other physical sufferings do you have in your body which are associated with your main suffering? ( please state all details as above)
--I’m not sure what is meant by this question – unless you are asking if I have other chronic maladies, etc? If that is the case then I do have rather constant low back pain, which used to reside mostly in my hips but as of late has been at the base of my spine closes to my spinal column.


3. What mental sufferings / feelings do you have associated with your physical sufferings?
--I feel frustrated and sometimes angry. I also sometimes pity myself, b/c I’m not sure what can be done to help myself.


4. What exactly do you feel when you are at your worst?
--I feel anxious and irritable and I guess a little insecure, since I think that everyone can see these giant red, unsightly patches glaring from my skin.

5. When did it all start? Can you connect it to any past event affecting you mentally or physically ? Did you suffer from any other disease just before this ailment started?
-- Like I said above; this used to be seasonal or when I ate foods I had allergic reactions to (too much wheat or processed sugar for example) but this bout with the itching, dry, painful skin has been going on for about the past six months. I have recently self diagnosed that I have wheat/gluten allergies. I was suffering a great deal of stomach pain at the end of last year and beginning of this year and as soon as I cut all those foods from my diet I felt markedly improved. No more stomach pains or acid reflux. However, it is possible I am still eating foods I’m allergic to and I don’t know what they are b/c I haven’t been properly tested/diagnosed. In addition, for the past year or so I have been helping my widowed mother deal with things in her life, health problems, moving twice, etc. in addition to my commute and not having much time at home, which is quite possibly taking it’s toll in the form of this skin irritation.


6. Which time of the day you are worst? Is the suffering periodic?
I will wake myself up with scratching, but I don’t look at the clock so I’m not sure of the hour. It’s pretty uncomfortable in the morning and at night before I go to bed and is bothersome at different times during the day. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific.

7. What are the things which aggravate your suffering and which are those which ameliorate the same? ( eg. washing, cold or hot application, rubbing, pressure, physical exertion, sleeping, jar, movement etc.) Wet, cold, humid weather makes me feel worse and it’s been raining a LOT where I live lately. I feel better when it’s dry and warm, although warm and humid doesn’t bother me much either. I live three blocks from the ocean. If I rub/scratch the itching it feels temporarily better but I know it’s not good to scratch, since I’ve already made my chin bleed. Putting on Bach’s Rescue Cream helps, also Arnica Cream or Calendula cream gives some relief - it ‘s soothing and makes my skin feel less taut.

8. Do your think your sufferings have relation to any external stimuli (like, change of place) or any internal biological changes in the body, like, menses (in females)?
Over a month ago my husband and I went on vacation and when we were away the itching was almost gone as well as the skin being almost clear. However, I was also taking homeopathic medicine for my seasonal allergies (BioAllers tree pollen formula) as well as Quantum cold & flu formula and mass quantities of B vitamins so I don’t know if that helped. By the end of the day that I returned to work my skin was back to itching. I work in NYC, I know the air here is not the cleanest.

9. When do you feel better, during hot weather or cold weather, humid or dry weather?
The weekend we were away it was warm and rather dry. I hate cold, wet weather any time and I find that my skin is worse when it’s cold and rainy.

10. Describe your general mental set up? Are you Moody, Arrogant, Mild, Agreeable Changeable, Nervous, Suspicious, Easily offended, Quiet, Arguing, Irritating, Lazy etc.
I like to think I’m pretty easy going however I’m am not always the most patient person, especially when dealing with foolish people or when I am frustrated. I try to practice compassion. I am a realistic. I can sometimes be argumentative, but only if I feel like I know I’m in the right. I try to be accepting of all people and understanding. I can be quite talkative and curious. I sometimes worry, although am working on trying not worry about things I cannot control. Not always the easiest thing in the world.

- How do you feel before or during a thunderstorm? I generally don’t mind thunderstorms, esp. if I’m in a safe place.
- Do you like being consoled during your tough times? Yes.
- Are you sensitive to external stimuli like smell, noise, light etc? I can’t stand cigarette smoke and react strongly to the smell of it. I guess I do react strongly to smells, although not so much noise or light.
- Do you have any typical habit or gesture like nail biting, causeless, weeping, talking to one self etc? I furrow my brow when I’m worried. I might talk a little to myself. I sometimes fidget.
- How do you feel about your friends, family, your children and especially your husband / wife? My husband is my everything – I smile and my heart swells when I think about him. My friends are amazing and I love them dearly. They are like a family to me. I am not so keen on my blood relations but I adore my husband’s family, they are incredible people.

11. What are your fears and do you dream of any situation repeatedly?
-- I don’t like feeling out of control. I wouldn’t say I’m a control freak by any means but I definitely get anxious when I can’t see the outcome of something. I am apt to overanalyze things. I fear the day when I won’t have my husband or my closest loved ones in my life. I’ve already lost my father seven years ago and that has been a huge adjustment.

12. What do you crave in food items and what are your aversions?
-- I am a pretty well-rounded eater. Although since I’ve stopped eating gluten and wheat I do long for a slice of pizza or a sandwich with bread. I love all kinds of foods, although lately I am a bit averse to eating chicken and I never eat pork. I don’t like slimy food (like sea urchin) and I don’t like overly ripe fruit that is soft. I have texture issues with it. I LOVE dark chocolate.

13. How is your thirst: Less, Normal or Excessive? Normal

14. How if your hunger: Less, Normal or Excessive? - hunger is up, but that is because I have been exercising a lot lately. I

15. Is there any kind of food which your body can’t stand? Anything made of wheat or gluten. I probably shouldn’t eat dairy either, but my reaction to that is less severe – only mucus and stuffiness.

16. Is your sweat normal or less or more? Where does it sweat more: Head, Trunk or Limbs? Normal I guess, although at certain times during my cycle I find myself having night sweats, which mainly come from my torso.

17. How is your bowel movement and stool type? Normal?

18. How well do you sleep? Do you have a particular posture of sleeping? I don’t sleep well. My husband snores and that wakes me up all the time. I used to be a heavy sleeper but I find it is more light now, especially from the snoring. I generally sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees. Lately I think I sleep more on my right side although that changes.

19. Do you think you are able to satisfy your sexual desires in general? Yes.

20. What peculiar or strange sensation do you have in any part of your body at times? Is any expected symptom absent in you? Do the symptoms have any peculiarity in their onset, location, extension, periodicity and relief? Aside from the itching on my face, I have chronic lower back pains and pretty chronic neck pains. I know this comes from working at a computer and also not stretching enough.

21. What medications have been taken earlier by you to treat this or any other diseases and what have been the results after the medication?
-- In the past I had taken the following to help treat myself- -Heel BHI ECZEMA which contains - each 300mg tablet has - Berberis vulgaris 6x, Rhus toxicidendron 8x, Arsenicum album 10x, Graphites 10x, Hydrofluoricum acidum 10x, Kreosotum 10x, Petroleum 10x, Sepia 10x, Lycopodium clavatum 12x, Sulphur 12x - I used to find good results from taking this remedy but no longer - so I stopped.
Lately (the past two weeks) I have been taking two wet doses of Lycopodium 6c (I desolved 7 or 8 pellets in 24oz of filtered water) but I was forgetting to take the dose at night so I’ve switched to taking the pellets straight. Three in the morning upon waking and three at night before I go to bed. I’ve done that the past two nights and I’ve noticed I’m scratching a little less in the middle of the night and that the skin looks a little less red. I also take 1000mg of MSM at least two times a day. I take 2 tablespoons of Flax Oil in the morning, 2000 IU of Vitamin D at night before bed. I have also been applying Arnica Cream and Bach’s Rescue Cream alternately, as well as Calendula cream. I also take 100mg of Selenium every other day. (I take other vitamins and herbs provided by my acupuncturist but I’m not sure that’s relevant here)

22. What major diseases are running in your family? ( any ulcers, alchoholism, suicides etc.)
--My mother suffers from Manic Depression (Bi-Polar II) and anxiety – she has had to have shock treatments twice in my life. My mother’s younger sister is a control freak, probably anxiety related. My maternal grandparents both had heart disease and type II diabetes. My mother’s older sister has Type II diabetes and maybe phlebitis? My paternal grandmother had Parkinson’s Disease.

23. Describe, how do you look like? Describe your overall appearance.
-- I have olive toned skin. I am 5’ 4” tall. I am thin, athletic. I have a small bust. Dark hair that has a lot of grey in it. Brown eyes. (Please let me know if you need more info than that)

24. (ONLY FOR FEMALES)

If you are not having normal menstrual cycles, please answer the following questions:

- Are the periods early, regular or late in general? How long do they last? My periods are regular usually lasting four days.
- Do you suffer from any kind of physical or mental discomfort before, during or after the periods? I have the worst PMS, slight cramps before my period, terrible cramps during the first two days of my period and then they’re gone. I am horribly irritable.
- Is the flow scanty, normal or excessive? First day, somewhat scant, second day heavy, third day normal, fourth day scant.
- Is the blood thick bright red or pale watery? Thick and bright
Do you notice any clots in the flow? Yes, there is clotting, but mostly on the second day during the heavy flow.

Rishimba, thank you for taking the time to work with me on this. I appreciate it.
Namaste.

Thank you Rishimba. I will report back when I have something to tell.