152 replies to this topic

[missminni]

I'm going to respond within your quote. BTW thanks for giving this so much thought. I really appreciate it.
I need feedback. I want this to be the last time this ever happens.

Pantothenic acid is good but the calcium pantothenate form is better. You can take it at high doses without any probelms. The powder you found may be the pantothenate form. Pantethine form might be useful too.
It is the calcium one.

Some B vitmins come in different forms and you may get better better results with all the different forms, at least in the beginning.
I got a Vitamin B complex 125 It has them all and more.

PABA can also be good for the adrenal. Cordyceps might be useful. And zinc is also important to the adrenals.
Oh, thanks for reminding me of Cordyceps. I'll add that. How much cordyceps? I've taken it before & I got a zinc/copper combo.
Licorice prevents the breakdown of cortisol. This might be helpful. It can have estrogenic effects though. Rutin prevents the oxidation of adrenaline.
What kind of licorice..I love licorice, but I don't think there's enough actual licorice in those Panda licorice bars to count...or is there?
I've used relora and think it is great for helping with sleep latency, night eating, blood sugar control, and stress. But I don't think it may help increase cortisol or improve receptor sensitivity.
Since I suffer from all those things mentioned I think it will still be a good addition.
Sometimes adrenal problem also happen with thyroid problems. And this may not show up on tests. Iodine is useful. People who don't use table salt and don't eat much fish might need iodine supplements or sea vegetables. An iodine patch test can be useful self test to try. Iodine makes the receptors more sensitive to the hormones your body is able to produce.
I use salt and I eat fish. I had extensive blood tests in April and thyroid wasn't indicated. The only out of the ordinary tests were Preg and dhea, both extremely low...11 and 13. I'm changing to a 7 keto dhea. I think I really need it, in fact I started back taking 25mg until I get the 7 keto, then I'll do 50..and I also think stopping dhea suddenly is what set off the attack.

[4eva]

There are three different forms of B5. The 3rd form is one I use by jarrow in gelcaps. The 3rd form (pantothine) is not the calcium form.

Licorice is good but too much keeps me awake for 48 hours. It should not be used it your have hypertension. If you don't mind liquid herbals that might allow you to adjust the dose. But one capsule of licorice - about 500 mg - and I don't sleep.

Cordyceps you'll have to work up to the right dose. I think too much causes a slight increase in anxiety for me. I think too much will not be effective.

[missminni]

There are three different forms of B5. The 3rd form is one I use by jarrow in gelcaps. The 3rd form (pantothine) is not the calcium form.

Licorice is good but too much keeps me awake for 48 hours. It should not be used it your have hypertension. If you don't mind liquid herbals that might allow you to adjust the dose. But one capsule of licorice - about 500 mg - and I don't sleep.

Cordyceps you'll have to work up to the right dose. I think too much causes a slight increase in anxiety for me. I think too much will not be effective.

I decided against cordyceps for that very reason. And I can't take anything that energizes. I have too much energy already. Prednisone does that too, but my natural being is hi energy and I really need to just do nothing for awhile. Oddly enough, contrary to others reports, Res actually chills me out. I;m ordering some more vitamins and will have my regimen in full effect hopefully by Monday. I took the HCL with borage and fish oil set of supps.

[4eva]

Oh, then relora would be good. Relora is good if you feel stressed out and tend to eat sugar in response to stress.

It definitely helps with balancing cortisol levels, or reducing the negative effects of too much cortisol.

[missminni]

Oh, then relora would be good. Relora is good if you feel stressed out and tend to eat sugar in response to stress.

It definitely helps with balancing cortisol levels, or reducing the negative effects of too much cortisol.

I'm trying to get at it from every angle. I almost feel like I got it in the crosshairs.
I'm a very optimistic person. I just need to focus on it. I really do appreciate your feedback and advice.
You're a godsend for me. really.

[missminni]

Very interesting article about low stomach acid and eczema.

[missminni]

4eva
I'm posting my planned supplement course for your review and opinion. Some of the items haven't arrived yet, but I've factored them in anyway.
I'll probably get them next week.
I eat a lot of fruit on a daily basis. cherries, mangos, papayas, bananas, strawberries raspberries anything that
looks good. Lots of yogurt. Whole grain bread, maybe one or two slices a day. chicken , wild fish cilantro and tomatoe salads walnuts basil pesto from basil that I grow on the roof fresh thyme, advocados, carrots all kinds of vegetables okra etc an egg or two every few days once in a blue moon beef steak and sometimes nitrate free bacon, procuito parmesan cheese...i love food, and not junk food.
I'm pretty good but when I binge on sweets like Tate's Walnut chocolate chip cookies, or Hagen Das Coffee Ice cream...I lose all control. It is a total sugar rush and I cannot stop till every bit is gone. Good milk chocolate is the same problem. I've gotten slightly better. I can make a bag of cookies
last two days. But it's hard and afterwards I definitely do not feel better for it. I've stayed away from it for a couple of weeks now, but every once
in a while I go there and I know that throws me off. I'm trying to give you an idea of what I feed myself and how that would go with my
supplements and the imbalances I most definitely have. If you notice too much or too little of anything let me know, or if there is a better order
or arrangement for taking them.
Thanks again
Here goes...it's long.

early morning empty stomach
under the tongue:
100 mg preg
25 mg dhea soon to be 50 mg of 7 keto dhea

Bowl of mixed whole grain hot cereal when I take the prednisone
which I think I will keep in afterwards.

mid morning
in plain yogurt or aloe-kefir-fruit smoothee
1 g resveratrol
200 mg silymarin
2000 mg Vit C
1 copper/zinc (30 to 3)
1 B-125 complex which consists of:
Thiamin (as vitamin B-1) 125 mg 8,330%
Riboflavin (as vitamin B-2) 125 mg 7,350%
Niacinamide 100 mg & Niacin 25 mg 125 mg 620%
Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxine HCl) 125 mg 6,250%
Folate (as folic acid) 800 mcg 200%
Vitamin B-12 (as cyanocobalamin) 125 mcg 2,080%
Biotin 125 mcg 40%
Pantothenic Acid (as calcium D-pantothenate) 125 mg 1,250%
Choline (as choline bitartrate) 125 mg †
Inositol 125 mg †
PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) 125 mg
PANTOTHENIC ACID powder from calcium 750 mg

AN HOUR LATER
Green Vibrance Drink ingredients listed in first post
and
1 gamma e complex
2 g Potassium
400 mg Magnesium
2000 mg D3
2 borage oil - GLA 520
2 fish oil - EPA 1200 DHA 480
HCL w/Pepsin




AFTERNOON

in plain yogurt or smoothee
1 g resveratrol
200 mg silymarin
2000 mg Vit C
vit A palimate 25,000 IU
PANTOTHENIC ACID powder from calcium 750 mg

MID AFTERNOON
2 g Potassium
400 mg Magnesium
2000 mg D3
2 borage oil - GLA 520
2 fish oil - EPA 1200 DHA 480
HCL w/Pepsin
200 mg CoQ 10
1TBSP Flax Seed Oil
LIQUID CALCIUM
Serving Size: 3 Softgels
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) 100 IU 25%
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 10 mcg 13%
Calcium (elemental as carbonate, citrate, gluconate, asparate, malate, micronized hydroxyapatite) 1000 mg 100%
Magnesium (elemental as oxide, aspartate, citrate) 400 mg 100%
Boron (elemental as gluconate) 1 mg **
Horse Tail (extract e. arvense) 25 mg **

NOW SUPER CORTISOL SUPPORT WITH RELORA
Vitamin C (from Calcium Ascorbate) 33 mg 60%
Pantothenic Acid (from Calcium Pantothenate) 10 mg 100%
Calcium (from Calcium Carbonate and Ascorbate) 12 mg 2%
Magnesium (from Magnesium Oxide) 8 mg 2%
Chromium (from Chromium Chelavite® AAC) 20 mcg 15%
Relora® (a proprietary blend of a patented** extract from Magnolia 200 mg †
officinalis bark and a proprietary extract from Phellodendron
amurense bark) Standardized to 1.5% Honokiol and 0.1% Berberine)
Green Tea Extract (Camelia sinensis) (Leaf) 90 mg †
(min. 95% Total Polyphenols and 50% EGCg)
Soy Lecithin 50 mg †
Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera) (Root) 20 mg †
(min. 4.5% Withanolides)
Holy Basil Extract (Ocimum tenulflorum) (Leaf) 20 mg †
(min. 2% Ursolic Acid) 20 mg †
Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) (Whole Fruiting Body) 20 mg †
Rhodiola Extract (Rhodiola rosea) (Root) (min. 3% Rosavins) 20 mg †
Banaba Extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa) (Leaf) 4 mg

[4eva]

If I miss anything I'll just post again.

For blood sugar problems I think zinc magnesium and chromium are good. You might consider adding in separate zinc with some copper later on. Your magnesium looks good. Only chromium is in that relora product.

I also like thiamine. This can help with blood sugar too. Hospital patients on a feeding tube develop problems with thiamine first. The amount stored in the body is the lowest of any vitamin. I like Benfotiamine but if you have memory and focus problems then sulbutiamine might be good too. Thiamine is good for digestion and the GI tract. (B5 is too.) I take more thiamine than ribo for example.

I don't like b-complexs because they have some things you may not want like choline and inositol. I don't take the same dose for each b vitamin.

How do you get 2 grams of potassium? What form? I like.potassium citrate. Metabolic typing recommends that form for those with weak adrenals.

I think I see vitamin E but no selenium. Those two go together.

[missminni]

If I miss anything I'll just post again.

For blood sugar problems I think zinc magnesium and chromium are good. You might consider adding in separate zinc with some copper later on. Your magnesium looks good. Only chromium is in that relora product.

I have zinc 30 mg to copper 3mg in the morning mix. should i take it again in the afternoon?

I also like thiamine. This can help with blood sugar too. Hospital patients on a feeding tube develop problems with thiamine first. The amount stored in the body is the lowest of any vitamin.
I have thiamine in the B 125 comple - Thiamin (as vitamin B-1) 125 mg - is that not enough? should I take more?
I like Benfotiamine but if you have memory and focus problems then sulbutiamine might be good too. Thiamine is good for digestion and the GI tract. (B5 is too.) I take more thiamine than ribo for example.
I am taking so much stuff I was trying to simplify it with a B complex. Give me a breakdown of what B's and how much you think I should take and I'll add them on to make up the differencd. What's wrong with choline and inositol?

I don't like b-complexs because they have some things you may not want like choline and inositol. I don't take the same dose for each b vitamin.

How do you get 2 grams of potassium? What form? I like.potassium citrate. Metabolic typing recommends that form for those with weak adrenals.
Potassium as potassium amino acid complex 99mg capsules. I take two in the morning and two in the afternoon. should I get the other one.
I already have this, but I can always do half this half the other until its done.

I think I see vitamin E but no selenium. Those two go together.
Hmm. I'll get selenium..this is the ingredients for the vit. E. They already shipped...which is a good thing. I'll probably have it by tomorrow. I'll get some selenium around the corner. which do you recommend...yeast or not?

Serving Size 2 Softgels
Servings Per Container 60
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 10
Calories from Fat 7
Total Fat 0.8 g 2%*
Trans Fat 0 g †
Vitamin E (as Natural d-alpha Tocopherol) 400 IU 1330 %
Natural Mixed Tocopherols 400 mg †
Tocomin® Mixed Palm Tocotrienol Complex 10 mg

Edited by missminni, 31 July 2008 - 10:21 PM.

[4eva]

Maybe try taking the b complex twice a day. With breakfast and then with dinner. See if that does any good.

If that helps then you might fine tune the b vitamins. You don't have to make big changes all at once but little ones over a period of time. And that can mean taking the more active forms like p-5-p and benfotiamine. P-5-P is good too. The b vitamins are important and work well together. Some people might need more folic acid and not just because of child bearing years. I don't know what Bs you might need but if you try adding one at a time to see if it helps that might be one way. It might also help to get a sense about each B vitamin you introduce, deficiency signs, food sources, etc. So you have an idea of how it might help you. That way if you have a problem you may have some idea what nutrient to look at. What I've retained most is stuff about vitamins and minerals I needed. You not only improve your supplement regimen but learn about nutriton that may apply to you.

I know that simple is good but nutrition is complex.

There is a website that for a fee ($75 I think) will tell you from your medical history symptom list what supplements you. I think taking it in baby steps and progressingly doing more things can help.

Also consider maybe adding some food sources like royal jelly, brewers yeast, sea veggies, and other stuff to your diet and shakes. Both royal jelly (in honey base) and brewers (or nutritional) yeast are good sources of b vitamins. That might be another option for more b vitamins to start.

Take the K you have but consider the citrate form when you run out.

Its a process of tweaking this stuff until you get it perfect.

[4eva]

Opps...
Inositol is good for OCD. Choline is good for those with pronounced methylation problems helped by SAMe. Not everyone needs those two b vitamins.

Take that b complex but consider a different one next time.

[missminni]

Maybe try taking the b complex twice a day. With breakfast and then with dinner. See if that does any good.

will do and thanks for the education.

If that helps then you might fine tune the b vitamins. You don't have to make big changes all at once but little ones over a period of time. And that can mean taking the more active forms like p-5-p and benfotiamine. P-5-P is good too. The b vitamins are important and work well together. Some people might need more folic acid and not just because of child bearing years. I don't know what Bs you might need but if you try adding one at a time to see if it helps that might be one way. It might also help to get a sense about each B vitamin you introduce, deficiency signs, food sources, etc. So you have an idea of how it might help you. That way if you have a problem you may have some idea what nutrient to look at. What I've retained most is stuff about vitamins and minerals I needed. You not only improve your supplement regimen but learn about nutriton that may apply to you.

I know that simple is good but nutrition is complex.

There is a website that for a fee ($75 I think) will tell you from your medical history symptom list what supplements you. I think taking it in baby steps and progressingly doing more things can help.

Also consider maybe adding some food sources like royal jelly, brewers yeast, sea veggies, and other stuff to your diet and shakes. Both royal jelly (in honey base) and brewers (or nutritional) yeast are good sources of b vitamins. That might be another option for more b vitamins to start.
I eat seaweed often, I use unfiltered raw honey, and I used to use brewers yeast ...which I love...a long time ago.
I'll get some and royal jelly.
Take the K you have but consider the citrate form when you run out.
The K I have is part of another vitamin. The liquid calcium It's Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 10 mcg. Not very much.
But I eat a lot of broccoli and kale, and I will eat more. How much K should I take?
Its a process of tweaking this stuff until you get it perfect.
that's exactly what I want to do. I really need to be methodical about it. I've been so so all over the place.
Opps...
Inositol is good for OCD. Choline is good for those with pronounced methylation problems helped by SAMe. Not everyone needs those two b vitamins.
I think I might have a form of that. Not an overthetop one, but it's in there.
Take that b complex but consider a different one next time.
absolutely and thanks again.

[4eva]

No, I used K for potassium. I forgot you take vitamin K.

Just take the potassium supplement you have and when that runs out try potassium citrate. Two capsules is good.

Everyone, I think, can have some mild OCD issues. If yours were bad then you might want inositol powder.

Taking a lot of supplements is a pain so look for super foods to fill in some gaps.

If you buy something new don't replace that when it runs out right away. Sometimes you may notice a change for the worse because you stopped taking something. It mainly comes down to keeping track of the changes you make.

[Mixter]

My advice would be not to only go for anti-inflammatories and antioxidants...

Noninfectious eczema are a psychosomatic/stress-related disorder,
which doesn't even mean that you have to be aware of a lot of stress,
just be susceptible in this way that your body reacts with this response.

So you should try to sleep 1-2 hours per day for at least a week, and to bring down
stress levels (perceived or not) with meditation/relaxation/stretching and things like:

ashwagandha, GABA, l-theanine, lemon balm, melatonin, DHEA

[missminni]

4eva
looking over my list I see some obvious gaps...tell me if I'm right..
1. I am only getting 250 mcg of B12 (when I take to of the B125) I need more...like 1000mcg more.
2. I don't have any b5...how much do I need?
3. I'm not sure about this...but should I take more than 4000mg of D3?
4. vit K only 10 mcg....how much should I be taking?
I should get the rest of my vitamins today. so I can really get going on this.

thanks again

No, I used K for potassium. I forgot you take vitamin K.

Just take the potassium supplement you have and when that runs out try potassium citrate. Two capsules is good.

Everyone, I think, can have some mild OCD issues. If yours were bad then you might want inositol powder.

Taking a lot of supplements is a pain so look for super foods to fill in some gaps.

If you buy something new don't replace that when it runs out right away. Sometimes you may notice a change for the worse because you stopped taking something. It mainly comes down to keeping track of the changes you make.

[missminni]

You are right about stress being a catalyst. But it isn't the cause of
the dry skin. My hormonal and nutritional imbalance is the cause of the dry skin. Dry skin
is the root of the problem - eczema the symptom. I have to solve the dry skin problem,
and then the eczema will not have the right environment to act.
anit inflammatory and anti oxidants are bandaids. I need to get to the root.
I do believe its low stomach acid and under nourished adrenals.
BTW, I didn't get dry skin from stress, I got it from stopping pregnenolone suddenly not gradually as
I should have. And this last attack was precipitated by doing the same foolishness with dhea.
I was fine on dhea. I stopped one day last week because I noticed my hair thinning.
I should have just decreased the amount gradually, but I panicked and just stop taking it.
1 day later the rash started up and just got worse and worse.
I'm back on dhea and a whole bunch more supp and vit. wish me luck and
thanks for your interest.

My advice would be not to only go for anti-inflammatories and antioxidants...

Noninfectious eczema are a psychosomatic/stress-related disorder,
which doesn't even mean that you have to be aware of a lot of stress,
just be susceptible in this way that your body reacts with this response.

So you should try to sleep 1-2 hours per day for at least a week, and to bring down
stress levels (perceived or not) with meditation/relaxation/stretching and things like:

ashwagandha, GABA, l-theanine, lemon balm, melatonin, DHEA

[Wulf]

This topic touches close to home, as I've probably spent the bulk of my research time on atopic dermatitis (eczema). I don't suffer from it, but my significant other does. By research time, I mean I've spent large amounts of time reading papers and learning about the immune system. I am not a doctor or an immunologist for that matter, just an engineer. But I feel I have a good understanding of the disease and I would like to share my findings. I apologize in advance as this is probably going to be a long post. References will be at the bottom.

In order to find supplements to help with eczema I found it incredibly helpful to understand how the disease works. This also aided me in looking out for which supplements to avoid.

The first thing to stress is: atopic dermatitis is not an autoimmune disease. Your body is not attacking itself. AD is a hypersensitivity to allergens and environmental irritants, characterized by two phases. An acute phase of intense itch and a chronic phase resulting of inflamed skin lesions caused by the mechanical trauma of itching. The mechanical trauma leads to a defective skin barrier, allowing bacteria and allergens to continue provoking an allergic reaction. AD is self reinforcing this way.

T Helper Cells, a sub-group of lymphocytes, are the key players in this disease. Naive T helper cells are differentiated into two subtypes, Th1 and Th2 cells. Th1 cells produce interferon gamma (IFN-y) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and also activate macrophages. Th2 cells produce several cytokines like IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. These cytokines signal B lymphocytes to produce immunoglobulin E(IgE). IgE plays a key role in the acute itch of AD. IgE binds to mast cells and basophils. When IgE encounters an allergen, it causes mast cells to degranulate and release histamine (among other substances).

It is well accepted that AD's primary cause is an imbalance in Th1/Th2 cells, with a skew to Th2 cells. This leads to an increase in IL-4 and a hyperproduction of IgE. How this imbalance occurs is still not understood, but genetics and exposure to allergens at an early stage in life (or lack thereof) seem to play a role. Conventional treatment of AD is typically corticosteroids, which inhibit genes that code for cytokines like IL-4 and reduce T cell proliferation. The latest and greatest are calcineurin inhibitors. Calcineurin plays an important role in T cell differentiation.

So! How does this help in the search for supplements? One can seek out studies that involve:

- Up-regulating the Th1 response. This should be approached with care, as a Th1 response is dominant in the chronic phase.
- Reducing expression of IL-4
- Reducing serum IgE
- Studies that involve NC/Nga mice, a murine model specifically for AD. Another AD murine model are DS-Nh mice.

What have I found?

- Vitamin E: Tsoureli-Nikita et al. conducted a single blind, placebo controlled study of 96 participants treated with 400 IU of alpha tocopherol. Subjects that reported great improvement or complete remission showed a 62% drop in serum IgE. Here is a graph of how the participants responded.

Gamma-tocopherol also seems to have an effect on inflammatory cytokines. Wiser et al conducted an open label study of 16 volunteers, 8 non asthmatic and 8 asthmatic supplemented with 623 mg of gamma-tocopherol, 61.1 mg of alpha-tocopherol, 11.1 mg of beta-tocopherol and 231 mg of delta-tocopherol and found a significant (p<0.05) drop in IL-6, IL-1B, TNF-alpha. While the study did not address AD specifically, asthma is another atopic syndrome and is usually a comorbidity of AD. Based on these two main studies, I found a mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols supplement to be the best approach.

- Omega 3s (DHA): Koch et al. conducted a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of 53 subjects taking 5.4g of DHA daily for 8 weeks and and found a decrease in IgE synthesis. I do not have access to the research paper, so I don't know why DHA was the focus.

- Probiotic: Ghadimi et al. provided L. rhamnosus, L. gasseri, B. bifidum and B. longum to a small group of volunteers and found that they inhibited secretion of IL-4 and IL-5 (Th2) and stimulated IFN-y (Th1). In essence, they upregulated the Th1 response. Not a conclusive study by any means, but the only one I've found so far that studied probiotic effects on Th1/Th2 balance in-vivo.

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Malik et al found that feeding BALB/c mice ashwagandha decreased IL-4 and upregulated a Th1 response. This IL-4 graph is what caught my eye.

- Gamma-linolenic acid (evening primrose, borage): I haven't done as much reading on y-linolenic acid. This meta-analysis seems to indicate positive results. This study seems to indicate that DGLA, what GLA is eventually converted to, prevents AD in NC/Nga mice.

Supplements to stay away from?
Anything that has a non specific upregulating effect on the immune system or a specific upregulation of Th2 cells. A specific example of this would be melatonin. I know you are currently supplementing with resveratrol. I have no idea how resveratrol works on the immune system, but that would be something to look into.

Unless you are absolutely sure of the immune system effects of a supplement you are taking, stop taking it for a while and re-introduce to see if it triggers a flare up. I never thought melatonin could have immunomodulatory effects and it ended up causing a pretty significant AD flare in my significant other. We approach supplementation for her with a lot greater caution than I would for myself. We introduce a supplement one at a time, and allow a period of time to see if negatively affects her.

One last thing I would like to mention. Maintaining a healthy skin barrier is important in preventing flare ups. Ceramides seem to play an important part in the stratum corneum. We have tried a cream with pseudo-ceramides called CeraVe. This seems to be a the most effective cream so far, and believe me, our sample size of different creams is huge.

That's all I have.

References - a * denotes I have the full-text. If you are interested in reading it, PM me and I'll see about getting it to you.

General Atopic Dermatits Information

Abramovits W. Atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005 Jul;53(1 Suppl 1):S86-93. *
Homey B, Steinhoff M, Ruzicka T, Leung DY. Cytokines and chemokines orchestrate atopic skin inflammation.J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Jul;118(1):178-89. *

Vitamin E

Tsoureli-Nikita E, Hercogova J, Lotti T, Menchini G.Evaluation of dietary intake of vitamin E in the treatment of atopic dermatitis: a study of the clinical course and evaluation of the immunoglobulin E serum levels. Int J Dermatol. 2002 Mar;41(3):146-50. *

Wiser J, Alexis NE, Jiang Q, Wu W, Robinette C, Roubey R, Peden DB. In vivo gamma-tocopherol supplementation decreases systemic oxidative stress and cytokine responses of human monocytes in normal and asthmatic subjects. Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Jul 1;45(1):40-9. Epub 2008 Mar 12. *

Omega 3

Koch C, Dölle S, Metzger M, Rasche C, Jungclas H, Rühl R, Renz H, Worm M. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in atopic eczema: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2008 Apr;158(4):786-92. Epub 2008 Jan 30.

Ashwagandha

Malik F, Singh J, Khajuria A, Suri KA, Satti NK, Singh S, Kaul MK, Kumar A, Bhatia A, Qazi GN. A standardized root extract of Withania somnifera and its major constituent withanolide-A elicit humoral and cell-mediated immuneresponses by up regulation of Th1-dominant polarization in BALB/c mice. Life Sci. 2007 Mar 27;80(16):1525-38. Epub 2007 Jan 25. *

Edited by Wulf, 02 August 2008 - 11:10 AM.

[missminni]

Thanks for the information. I really appreciate it. I'm happy to see I've incorporated all the recommendations you mentioned. I never had eczema until Jan of this year and I have been on this earth many many years. I never had dry skin either. For me, the eczemais a result of the dry skin which is the result of hormonal imbalance that I know I have. Why I have it is the question and it seems to be
pointing towards low stomach acid, at least that's what I am most aligned with as the cause at this time. But most definitely now that I have it
it does respond to certain allergens, sunlight, stress and other sensitivities that I never had before.

I sympathize with your significant other. In the seven months I've suffered with it, the first four were torture. I now have it somewhat under
control and this last breakout that has spurred me to supplementing extensively, is the first one in 3 months. It immediately followed my
stopping dhea that I had been taking for the last 3 months. The initial attack followed when I stopped pregnenolone suddenly. This indicates
to me a problem with my hormones. My bloodtests showed extreme low levels of those two substances. Everything else was normal.
REsveratrol is an immune suppresant so I don't believe it presents a problem.

I am in the process of fine tuning the supplements and I would appreciate any suggestions.I actually want to scale it down a bit. I think I might be
overdoing it. I decided to drop A out after being reminded how dangerous it can and unnecessary to supplement. My main goal is to strengthen my adarenals and restore my skin to its natural state. I never had dry skin before. Quite the opposite in fact.

Thanks again for your suggestions.
Oh, btw, the auto immune aspect was the suggestion of the Immunologist who treated me for it 3 months ago. I think it applies in a certain way,
but if I didn't have the dry skin, it wouldn't happen.

[Ben]

@Wulf, thanks a lot for taking the time to write that. It's greatly appreciated by this eczema sufferer.

When I read that melatonin might cause a flare up an alarm bell went off in my head. The day I started taking melatonin is pretty much when my eczema started. I had never had it before.

I should add that I am taking all of the supplements you mention might help eczema and have been taking them for as long the melatonin.

I think I'll have to stop taking the melatonin, which sucks as it's really helping me to sleep.

[missminni]

@Wulf, thanks a lot for taking the time to write that. It's greatly appreciated by this eczema sufferer.

When I read that melatonin might cause a flare up an alarm bell went off in my head. The day I started taking melatonin is pretty much when my eczema started. I had never had it before.

I should add that I am taking all of the supplements you mention might help eczema and have been taking them for as long the melatonin.

I think I'll have to stop taking the melatonin, which sucks as it's really helping me to sleep.

Ben, sorry to hear you have it too. it's so much worse than people realize, especially when it goes full out.

how long have you been suffering with it? Was it a childhood thing too? do you have dry skin and has that always been the case?

[missminni]

4eva, a question.
Is the Pantothenic acid I take being converted into coenzyme A? or should I be supplementing with that specifically?

Pantothenic acid as coenzyme A is closely involved in adrenal cortex function and has come to be known as the "antistress" vitamin. It supports the adrenal glands to increase production of cortisone and other adrenal hormones to help counteract stress and enhance metabolism. Through this mechanism, pantothenic acid is also thought to help prevent aging and wrinkles. It is generally important to healthy skin and nerves. Through its adrenal support, vitamin B5 may reduce potentially toxic effects of antibiotics and radiation.

Edited by missminni, 02 August 2008 - 03:49 PM.

[Wulf]

[DISCLAIMER: None of this is meant to be interpreted as medical advice]
Before I start this post, I want to clarify the tone as that is sometimes hard to communicate in written form. I am not trying to put down anyone in this thread for their ideas. My interest in is helping. And maybe I can also provided a contrasting opinion. Thats being said, on to the post...

I never had eczema until Jan of this year and I have been on this earth many many years. I never had dry skin either. For me, the eczemais a result of the dry skin which is the result of hormonal imbalance that I know I have.

What you seem to describe is not so much atopic eczema, but xerotic eczema. In atopic eczema, dry skin is usually a result of mechanical trauma breaking down the moisture barrier. Xerotic eczema results from dry skin and happens quite commonly in winter. Hormones could definitely play a role in xerosis (dry skin). Post-menopausal women will present pruritus (itch) and xerosis and this is usually attributed to low estrogen levels. It seems estrogen plays a role in maintaining the moisture barrier, as discussed in this paper. If this is xerotic eczema, then you need to be very careful with anything that up-regulates your Th1 response, e.g. Ashwagandha and probiotics. The Th1 response is dominant after your skin is damaged.

However, atopic eczema can still develop at later stages of life. You mention that you've been able to control this with prednisone and fexofenadine. Prednisone is a very strong corticosteroid (a glucocorticoid to be exact), working as an immunosuppressant. Fexofenadine is an antihistamine. This still makes me question a dry skin cause.

Why I have it is the question and it seems to be pointing towards low stomach acid, at least that's what I am most aligned with as the cause at this time. But most definitely now that I have it it does respond to certain allergens, sunlight, stress and other sensitivities that I never had before.

If there is something I am more familiar with than eczema, it's the GI tract. I've suffered from a poorly understood condition called Chronic Idiopathic Nausea for the past 8 years or so and have striven to understand the GI system in full. Hypochlorhydria (low acid production) can certainly cause several issues in people. Decreased nutrient absorption and bacterial overgrowth are the most common. While I have seen dry skin and allergies mentioned in website articles, these claims are usually unsourced. I have never seen anything in the medical literature tying hypochlorhydria with dry skin or low hormone levels. Based on your own answers:

* Bloating, belching, and flatulence immediately after meals - Don't have
* Heartburn (often thought to be caused by too much stomach acid) - Don't have
* Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation - Nope
* Undigested food in stools - never
* Chronic candida - no

These symptoms, along with an H. pylori infection would be good indicators of hypochlorhydria. I would caution you from concluding you have low stomach acid based on your observation that you did not suffer discomfort from consuming apple cider vinegar. Stomach acid has a pH value between 1-2. Apple cider vinegar has a pH of 3. The mucosa lining of your stomach will probably not register any discomfort from ACV. If you really want to pursue the low stomach acid issue, I would would really encourage you to visit your doctor and get a Heidelberg test. It is not a scary as it sounds. It is basically swallowing a pill size transmitter. This would provide conclusive evidence, which I think is important, as you are framing your treatment around this.

The initial attack followed when I stopped pregnenolone suddenly. This indicates to me a problem with my hormones. My bloodtests showed extreme low levels of those two substances. Everything else was normal.

Pregnenolone is a precursor to many things, including glucocorticoids, which act as immunosuppresants (prednisone is a glucocorticoid). Also, is their a reason why you are also wanting to take DHEA? Pregnenolone eventually is converted into DHEA.

REsveratrol is an immune suppresant so I don't believe it presents a problem.

Be careful with this assumption. The immune system is a complex system and it is very easy to suppress one part of it and enhance the other. This paper concludes:

From our in vitro experiments we conclude that genistein and resveratrol, similarly to E2, by decreasing the IFNgamma/IL10 ratio may shift the Th1/Th2 balance towards the Th2 response.

An enhanced Th2 response is not a good thing in atopic eczema.

At the beginning of the thread you said:

but it still rears its ugly head and I still have very dry skin...which I never had before I hi dosed with Res, as I've mentioned previously.

Something that you may want to consider is how resveratrol affects hormone levels. This paper and this paper conclude that resveratrol acts as an estrogen antagonist in the presence of 17beta-estradiol.

My approach if I were in this situation? Stop everything and let it clear my system. Treat my symptoms with steroids, attempt to re-establish a healthy skin barrier and possibly treat the hormone deficiency. Then, introduce supplements one at a time, with large windows of time to observe adverse effects. The more supplements you take, the more variables you're introducing, especially with supplements with which we don't have a full understanding of their pharmacodynamics. Hope this helps.

Edited by Wulf, 03 August 2008 - 09:12 AM.

[missminni]

Thanks so much for your advice. I will consider everything you've mentioned.
I want to answer a few things in red within your post.

[DISCLAIMER: None of this is meant to be interpreted as medical advice]
Before I start this post, I want to clarify the tone as that is sometimes hard to communicate in written form. I am not trying to put down anyone in this thread for their ideas. My interest in is helping. And maybe I can also provided a contrasting opinion. Thats being said, on to the post...

I never had eczema until Jan of this year and I have been on this earth many many years. I never had dry skin either. For me, the eczemais a result of the dry skin which is the result of hormonal imbalance that I know I have.

What you seem to describe is not so much atopic eczema, but xerotic eczema. In atopic eczema, dry skin is usually a result of mechanical trauma breaking down the moisture barrier. Xerotic eczema results from dry skin and happens quite commonly in winter. Hormones could definitely play a role in xerosis (dry skin). Post-menopausal women will present pruritus (itch) and xerosis and this is usually attributed to low estrogen levels. It

seems estrogen plays a role in maintaining the moisture barrier, as discussed in this paper. If this is xerotic eczema, then you need to be very careful with anything that up-regulates your Th1 response, e.g. Ashwagandha and probiotics. The Th1 response is dominant after your skin is damaged.

I went through menopause ten years ago. My skin wasn't dry then and didn't become dry until, if I really think back, last fall. I noticed it right before I started to take Res. I noticed it didn't look as supple as usual. It became more noticeable when I stopped pregnenolne and started res at the same time. I never had dry skin until last fall. That was 8 years after menopause.

However, atopic eczema can still develop at later stages of life. You mention that you've been able to control this with prednisone and fexofenadine. Prednisone is a very strong corticosteroid (a glucocorticoid to be exact), working as an immunosuppressant. Fexofenadine is an antihistamine. This still makes me question a dry skin cause.

Why I have it is the question and it seems to be pointing towards low stomach acid, at least that's what I am most aligned with as the cause at this time. But most definitely now that I have it it does respond to certain allergens, sunlight, stress and other sensitivities that I never had before.

If there is something I am more familiar with than eczema, it's the GI tract. I've suffered from a poorly understood condition called Chronic Idiopathic Nausea for the past 8 years or so and have striven to understand the GI system in full. Hypochlorhydria (low acid production) can certainly cause several issues in people. Decreased nutrient absorption and bacterial overgrowth are the most common. While I have seen dry skin and allergies mentioned in website articles, these claims are usually unsourced. I have never seen anything in the medical literature tying hypochlorhydria with dry skin or low hormone levels. Based on your own answers:

* Bloating, belching, and flatulence immediately after meals - Don't have
* Heartburn (often thought to be caused by too much stomach acid) - Don't have
* Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation - Nope
* Undigested food in stools - never
* Chronic candida - no

These symptoms, along with an H. pylori infection would be good indicators of hypochlorhydria. I would caution you from concluding you have low stomach acid based on your observation that you did not suffer discomfort from consuming apple cider vinegar. Stomach acid has a pH value between 1-2. Apple cider vinegar has a pH of 3. The mucosa lining of your stomach will probably not register any discomfort from ACV. If you really want to pursue the low stomach acid issue, I would would really encourage you to visit your doctor and get a Heidelberg test. It is not a scary as it sounds. It is basically swallowing a pill size transmitter. This would provide conclusive evidence, which I think is important, as you are framing your treatment around this.
I have noticed a marked improvement in the way I feel and my bodily functions since taking the HCl. Amazingly so.

The initial attack followed when I stopped pregnenolone suddenly. This indicates to me a problem with my hormones. My bloodtests showed extreme low levels of those two substances. Everything else was normal.

Pregnenolone is a precursor to many things, including glucocorticoids, which act as immunosuppresants (prednisone is a glucocorticoid). Also, is their a reason why you are also wanting to take DHEA? Pregnenolone eventually is converted into DHEA.

Because my DHEA was 11 and it helps tremendously. I feel that I need to strengthen my adrenals so that I won't have to take preg or dhea, but right now , I do. BTW I just want to let you know that the immunologist who treated me is a very conservative doctor with Colombia Presbyterian Hospital, and when I discussed my theory about the adrenals he agreed. I had extensive blood work for every allergy under the sun and I was normal. I had every cancer marker. I was fine. Thyroid, fine. My only tests that showed any variance from the norm were dhea and preg. That's why I am taking this approach. He also said that the response I was having WAS auto immune. It was my system so unbalanced that it was attacking itself. I have NO allergies. I have always been extremely healthy. Rarely get sick. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

REsveratrol is an immune suppresant so I don't believe it presents a problem.

Be careful with this assumption. The immune system is a complex system and it is very easy to suppress one part of it and enhance the other. This paper concludes:

From our in vitro experiments we conclude that genistein and resveratrol, similarly to E2, by decreasing the IFNgamma/IL10 ratio may shift the Th1/Th2 balance towards the Th2 response.

An enhanced Th2 response is not a good thing in atopic eczema.

At the beginning of the thread you said:

but it still rears its ugly head and I still have very dry skin...which I never had before I hi dosed with Res, as I've mentioned previously.

Something that you may want to consider is how resveratrol affects hormone levels. This paper and this paper conclude that resveratrol acts as an estrogen antagonist in the presence of 17beta-estradiol.

Resveratrol is a SERM. It can go either way depending on the situation.

My approach if I were in this situation? Stop everything and let it clear my system. Treat my symptoms with steroids, attempt to re-establish a healthy skin barrier and possibly treat the hormone deficiency. Then, introduce supplements one at a time, with large windows of time to observe adverse effects. The more supplements you take, the more variables you're introducing, especially with supplements with which we don't have a full understanding of their pharmacodynamics. Hope this helps.
Thats what I did when it first happened. I listened to a dermatologist and stopped everything and it got worse and worse and worse. I didn't start preg or res again until after I cleared it with Prednisone in May. Four months of taking nothing did nothing but make it worse. I didn't start the other supplements I am now taking until a few days ago. They have made a positive impact already. I know you mean well, but I have never been one to do supplementing so specifically to this extent and it is really helping me. The prednisone the doctor prescribed this time was a lower dose than the first time. I didn't feel it was working as well or as fast as the last time I took it. But after three days of supplementing, I noticed my skin looking so improved..much more so than when I did the larger dose of pred and no supplements. My skin took much longer to heal.
My intention is to balance my skin and then slowly decrease the supplements I am taking a few mg at a time until I don't have to take them at all.
I don't intend to just keep taking them.
Thanks for your careful consideration. It's much appreciated and I will look into all the points you've made in more depth.

[missminni]

I did a survey of the exactly how much of what I am taking (since many of the products I am using have other
supplements in them that I am already taking) too make sure I wasn't doing too much of anything, and in fact
I was. Magnesium. I was doing 1200 mg and for my weight, the max is 850 mg. So I cut out a dose.
Now I am concerned that I might be over doing or under doing others. I noticed, since I am doing borage oil, fish oil and
flax seed oil that the totals on the omega 3,6 and 9's are very high.
2566 mg of linoleic acid and 3230 mg oleic acid as you can see. I thought with my skin being so dry it was a good idea
to take a lot of omegas...but I am not informed enough to know if the ratio is correct.

GLA borage 1200 mg
Alpha-Linolenic Acid flax 4640 mg
Linoleic Acid bor 1440 mg
Linoleic acid fish 1126 mg
Oleic Acid borage 570 mg
Oleic Acid fish 1330 mg
Oleic Acid flax 1330 mg
EPA 2400 mg
DHA 960 mg

If you notice anything out of whack, please advise. Thanks

Pregnenolone 100 mg
7Keto dhea 50 mg
Resveratrol 2000 mg
Silymarin 320 mg
Zinc (monomethionine) 30 mg
Zinc zinc ascorbate 5 mg
Copper sebacate 300mcg
Pantothenic Acid from calcium 1500 mg
Pantothenic Acid (as calcium D-pantothenate 250 mg
Pantothenic Acid (from Calcium Pantothenate) 10 mg
Vit E
Natural d-alpha tocopherol 400 IU
Natural Mixed Tocopherols 400 mg
TocominMixed Palm Tocotrienol Comples 10 mg
Potassium potassium Amino Acid Comple 3960 mg
Potassium potassium ascorbate 120 mg
Magnesium as magnesium oxide 408 mg
Magnesium (elemental as oxide, aspartate, citrate) 400 mg
Magnesium from magnesium ascorbate 54 mg
Vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol 4000 mg
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) 100 IU
GLA borage 1200 mg
Alpha-Linolenic Acid flax 4640 mg
Linoleic Acid bor 1440 mg
Linoleic acid fish 1126 mg
Oleic Acid borage 570 mg
Oleic Acid fish 1330 mg
Oleic Acid flax 1330 mg
EPA 2400 mg
DHA 960 mg
Vit E (a-alpha) 10 IU
Betaine HCl 1300 MG
Pepsin 324 mg
COQ 10 200 mg
Vitamin C from potassium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate, zinc ascorbate, manganese ascorbate) 2000 mg
Manganese manganese ascorbate 0.25 mg
Rose Hips Extract 585 mg
Acerola extrac 400 mg
Bioflavonoids (from lemons) 500 mg 500 mg
Rutin 25 mg
Hesperidin Complex 25 mg
Green tea ext
(Camelia sinensis) (Leaf)
270 mg
(min. 95% Total Polyphenols and 50% EGCg)
Soy Lecithin 150 mg
Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera) (Root) 60 mg
(min. 4.5% Withanolides)
Holy Basil extr
(Ocimum tenulflorum) (Leaf 60 mg
min. 2% Ursolic Acid 20 mg
Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) (Whole Fruiting Body) 60 mg
Rhodiola Extract (Rhodiola rosea) (Root) (min. 3% Rosavins) 60 mg
Banaba Extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa) (Leaf) 12 mg
Thiamin (as vitamin B-1) 250 mg
Riboflavin (as vitamin B-2) 250 mg
Niacinamide 200 mg
Niacin 50 mg
Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxine HCl) 250 mg
Folate (as folic acid) 1600 mcg
Vitamin B-12 (as cyanocobalamin) 250mcg
Biotin 250 mcg
Choline (as choline bitartrate) 250 mg
Inositol 250 mg
PABA 250 mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 10 mcg
Calcium (elemental as carbonate, citrate, gluconate, asparate, malate, micronized hydroxyapatite) 1000 mg
Boron (elemental as gluconate) 1 mg
Horse Tail (extract e. arvense) 25 mg
Calcium (from Calcium Carbonate and Ascorbate) 151 mg
Chromium (from Chromium Chelavite® AAC) 20 mcg
Relora® (a proprietary blend of a patented** extract from Magnolia 200 mg
† officinalis bark and a proprietary extract from Phellodendron amurense bark) Standardized to 1.5% Honokiol and 0.1% Berberine)

[missminni]

I got some feedback from a friend and have since cut the B's in half and cut the EPA/DHA in half.
He also said the E was too high as well. It should be 200mg, and that it was the wrong kind even though its called Gamma E complex it's not.
I will have to either take it every other day, or get a new one. I might double my silymarin at his suggestion.

[missminni]

correction to my list. I am only taking 396 mg of potassium, not 3960.
I am having a very fast healing this time. Much faster than the last time when I just took prednisione without supplements.

Edited by missminni, 04 August 2008 - 10:26 PM.

[Ben]

<br />

@Wulf, thanks a lot for taking the time to write that. It's greatly appreciated by this eczema sufferer.<br /><br />When I read that melatonin might cause a flare up an alarm bell went off in my head. The day I started taking melatonin is pretty much when my eczema started. I had never had it before.<br /><br />I should add that I am taking all of the supplements you mention might help eczema and have been taking them for as long the melatonin.<br /><br />I think I'll have to stop taking the melatonin, which sucks as it's really helping me to sleep.

<br /><font size="2"><font face="Courier">Ben, sorry to hear you have it too. it's so much worse than people realize, especially when it goes full out.<br /><br />how long have you been suffering with it? Was it a childhood thing too? do you have dry skin and has that always been the case?<br /></font></font><br />

<br /><br /><br />

Firstly thanks for giving me a good chance to kvetch.

I've had seborrhoeic dermatitis since I was a child but the eczema is something new. I can literally trace the first occurrence to when I started taking melatonin. I am around 80% sure that the eczema started the day I started the melat. I have very dry skin, especially on my face, though, the retinoid I'm currently using is really helping with that.

I don't know what else to add really. Apart from that I have been using a vitamin e oil on the eczema, per wulf's post, which is really helping. I combine the oil (rose hip) with a moisturiser containing pseudo-ceramides (Altopalm) to form an emulsion on the site. This is of course put over cortisone. I think it's helping, at least more than the cortisone alone.

I use an immunodulating cream (Pimecrolimus) to control the initial burning itching stage. This has been moderately successful. During the day I use emu oil to protect the site where the initial itching is. This has been effective in preventing the itching.

I should add that I was speaking to my doctor the other day and he told me that if the skin is irritated in one spot the actual physical manifestation of the irritation can occur elsewhere on the skin. This piqued my interest as I remember reading that retin-a can cause eczema in the susceptible. I don't have eczema on my face, but considering the above, the retinoid could be the cause.

[missminni]

Firstly thanks for giving me a good chance to kvetch.

I've had seborrhoeic dermatitis since I was a child but the eczema is something new. I can literally trace the first occurrence to when I started taking melatonin. I am around 80% sure that the eczema started the day I started the melat. I have very dry skin, especially on my face, though, the retinoid I'm currently using is really helping with that.

I don't know what else to add really. Apart from that I have been using a vitamin e oil on the eczema, per wulf's post, which is really helping. I combine the oil (rose hip) with a moisturiser containing pseudo-ceramides (Altopalm) to form an emulsion on the site. This is of course put over cortisone. I think it's helping, at least more than the cortisone alone.

I use an immunodulating cream (Pimecrolimus) to control the initial burning itching stage. This has been moderately successful. During the day I use emu oil to protect the site where the initial itching is. This has been effective in preventing the itching.

I should add that I was speaking to my doctor the other day and he told me that if the skin is irritated in one spot the actual physical manifestation of the irritation can occur elsewhere on the skin. This piqued my interest as I remember reading that retin-a can cause eczema in the susceptible. I don't have eczema on my face, but considering the above, the retinoid could be the cause.

Just a few things I discovered since dealing with eczema the past 7 months.
Borage oil is great. Flax is too. Internally and topically. The cortisoid creams made my skin thin...I use them as little as possible. The borage oil you should take internally too. It is very high in GLA.
Fenafexodine is great for stopping an attack. 180mg is a maintenance dose, but if you are having a full out attack, which I was last week, 360 mg of fenafexodine is amazing. It stopped it in moments. And it has no ill side effects. The only thing is it is costly. $2 a pill. But it works, and I tried every antihistamine there is. If you can get a script from your dr. for it, do. and keep it for emergencies. As for keeping yourself well moisturized, which as you know often means greasy, try this. Mix some flax oil with a little resveratrol and coQ10 and put all over after a shower. (a lukewarm shower)
Then get some hyaluronic acid powder (otherwise its very expensive) and mix it with water add
a little bit of vit c as a preservative, let it sit for a bit and then shake it up good. It;s very watery. Use that over the oil. It cuts the greasy, seals the
oil in your skin and allows it to penetrate and it really helps. Better than the cortisoid creams and it doesn't thin your skin out.
I'm assuming you stopped the melatonin. Have you noticed any improvement?

[missminni]

correction to my list. I am only taking 396 mg of potassium, not 3960.
I am having a very fast healing this time. Much faster than the last time when I just took prednisione without supplements.

Just added another supplement...Acetyl L Carnitine...
I have it but haven't been using it and will add 500mg of it to my regimen.

Edited by missminni, 05 August 2008 - 04:30 PM.

[missminni]

My skin is improving extremely fast. The moisture content appears to be at least 60 to 70 % improved.
For the first time since the eczema attack on my arms this past February, I just noticed hair back on my arms.
Normally I have light growth of brown hair on my arms, but the eczema seemed to eliminate it. My arms were hairless and my eyebrows
much shorter after getting eczema last february. I believe that's a sign of a hormone imbalance...maybe thyroid, although my thyroid tests
were normal, but it still could be. Today for the first time I noticed the hair on my arms grew back, and my eyebrows did too.
Could this all have happened in a week? Or maybe it was happening all along (I was taking dhea and preg) and I didn't notice.
Whatever it is, and it's probably a combination of efforts, but I didn't have this
kind of recovery last time using prednisone & fexofenadine alone.
And no hair grew back that time.
It's amazing how the skin can regenerate. I really do think this about low stomach acid =
Bad digestion = bad nutrition = weak adrenals = low cortisol = dry skin = eczema.
It's so simple and direct. What is that rule - Occams razor?

The principle is often expressed in Latin as the lex parsimoniae ("law of parsimony" or "law of succinctness"): "entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem", roughly translated as "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity".

That's makes sense to me.