u/Status_Magazine3249

First of all. this is my experience, i am not a doctor, i am not recommending anyone take my advice over a professional dermatologist. my number 1 advice is go to a pro derm and be 100% honest with them about your lifestyle and daily habits, if you find a good one and trust them you will (most likely) see results.

Just because youve had a bad experience or even multiple bad experiences wih doctors - do not assume meds / moisturising / treatment will not work..

brief summary - had a severe full body flare late 2023, it spread all over every part of my body. i listened to my GPs advice for many months and saw minimal success with steroids and anti histamines, while they initially helped they eventually lost all effectiveness (poor instructions from doctors, wrong doses and the list goes on.) i was then put on protopic which again i was told improper informarion on how to use and apply the medication (i had adverse reactions which my doctors showed no concern about) after all this pain and suffering and incorrect treatment plans i was completely sick of listening to doctors of any kind.

i started elimination diets and stopped all medications / medical treatments including moisturising(later realised this was a terrible idea). i was on an animal based diet for 10months (fruit meat honey animal products) then when it didnt help i went onto a fully carnivore diet (animal products and meat) and when that failed i went lion diet (red meat only) my elimination of all plant foods and non animal foods lasted for 13 months before i gave up on that too. i saw some big improvements in my eczema undoubtedly but the diet was unsustainable and alongside doing it i had developed an unhealthy view of life and a form of OCD about food, people and socialising. i had socially isolated myself 95% of the time from the outside world, i was scared of people, dating and interacting with the normal world outside of my routine, diet and obsessively researching my skin.

I am not here to say diets cannot help anyone however i am here to say; PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON TREATMENTS. at the start of 2026 after quitting my obsessive mentality on my skin and diet i developed a logical medical approach and re enlisted at the hospital. since then i have tried light treatment (failed) tried new antihistamines and given my old ones another go. i have started moisturising my skin again and being hypervigillent about my hygeine routine. my skin is the best its been in 3 years thanks to these basic habits. what are they you may ask ?

i started working again remotely and built my own e commerce business (giving me a distraction from my itch scratch cycle)

i started going to the gym upto 6 days a week

i started eating a more balanced diet - i avoid nuts, legumes, tomatos, bananas, berries and high histamine foods alongside most dark green vegetables like kale and asparragus (they flare me up and cause reactions with my skin and digestion). i still eat processed sugar and food in moderation as i find no problems to my skin as long as i am still being active and utilising the glucose in my muscles.

i started doing a lot more cardio (40 mins moderate average a day and 60-120 mins light)

i started showering every day after gym/ before bed (allergic to pollen dust and sweat so this really helps)

i started taking fexofenadine 2-4 times a day on days when histamines are likely higher with 2hour intervals between each dose.

i started using different towels for each body part (face groin head torso legs)

i started ensuring my clothes where all 100% organic cotton and where fresh each day - also bedding changed once every week.

i started using a small amount of steroid cream on my hands (the most stubborn patches that wont respond to moisturising). i have not needed to use it anywhere else as moisturising with my antihistamines and showers has cleared it all up almost completely.

i started supplementing d3 k2 zinc magnesium cod liver and probiotics..

i started dating and socialising with friends even drinking alcohol(not recommended) on occassions

i also started keeping nails super short and filed with a glass file. and shaving pubic / facial hair once a week, i only use dermol500 on armpits arms but crack and torso as a soap, i wash in warm water (not too hot) and comb my hair with warm water thoroughly (no soap). this works well for me. i use cerave moisturising lotion / cream on face and body and petrolium jelly on groin (this is the best products for my skin i have tried atleast 30 different ones..)

i even ran my first marathon 3 days ago with no preperation (first long distance run since my flare up 3 years ago).

i have truly gone through hell and felt as though id rather be dead for so long because of this horrendous isolating condition but now i can finally say. I HAVE DONE IT. I AM IN CONTROL OF MY SKIN (RIGHT NOW) yes i still flare but my flares are small and manageable with all the safety nets i have in place, yes i still suffer but id like to say not nearly as much as before i started juggling all of these habits. GOODLUCK FELLOW SUFFERERS.

YES there are loads of variables

NO its not down to one of them alone

YES i feel a million miles better since doing all of these things and YES i have tried them all individually with no success

eczema is a multifactored condition. i believe it is many many factors that you must change or try to change for you to find what will work best for your skin type and lifestyle.

please do not throw all of your eggs in one basket (as the saying goes in the UK). Try and consider your body is a finely tuned machine that requires maintenance, correct fuel, knowledge and patience when fixing an essential systems fault.

GOODLUCK ❤️

this is my personal experience so it may not help everyone but i hope some people suffering with this condition find this useful

im not writing this post to hear about how its all my fault (i know that it is - its quite obvious) my drug abuse stems from childhood trauma and severe mental health problems which started prior my use. i am not condoning this behaviour or promoting it to anyone - this post is intended to help anyone suffering.

for context i dabbled consistently with high doses of alcohol from the age of 12, various psychs, stimulants, cannabis and dissassociatives from the ages of 15-18. i have had several long breaks from all use since then (im now nearly 20) and i now choose to lay off most things or avoid them completely.

unavoidable triggers for me include: stress, sexual activity and sleep deprivation; while you can avoid these things they typically will happen to the majority of people living their day to day lives. It may be a good idea to limit these triggers as much as possible (while recovering) if your symptoms are worsened and they bother you.

avoidable triggers for me include: psychoactive compounds of any form (obviously psychs, stimulants, depressants and dissacociatives) i dont seem to notice my symptoms being effected by cannabis - however i have cut it out. Suprisingly my symptoms are more noticeable now - not sure the logic behind why but it may have something to do with neural activity in the brain increasing or returning to normal levels. my hppd is also triggered by long intensive exercise specifically long distance runs, it is also effected by extreme heat / cold temperatures and long meditation sessions.

things which help my hppd include; good routine, sleep hygeine, moderate exercise, clean diet, lower caffeine, cutting out nicotine, maintaining healthy social life and relationships. I find it difficult to maintain all these things all of the time but if your symptoms are severe id recommend trying them at all costs

my symptoms: periferal vision looks like its shaking/ vibrating, i also get visual snow (multicoloured orb like dots and static) both open and closed eye visuals, i also sometimes get hyper realistic moments where life looks too real. my symptoms do not cause me panic or anxiety however they do concern me and cause me stress as they make me feel like i am broken. it is also isolating to know no one else around me is experiencing it (specifically after sex - makes me very existential and reflextive of my past)

this has all made connecting with people / romantic relationships harder however it has been beneficial in forcing me to take more time than the average person to engage with people sexually as i know it will put me in a vulnerable state (most of the time). so i do not sleep around and make sure to know people first for a long time.

this information is all very personal and somewhat embarrassing but i hope it can help some of you.