My Vitamin D Experiment

I read a really interesting article a few days ago about the UVB levels here in the UK. It was basically saying that in Northern latitudes, UVB levels are too low for our bodies to make vitamin D and we only get adequate levels between March and October. I thought that fact was particularly significant as I tend to heal every summer and then have my annual flare around October time.

This year, I thought I would get away without the anniversary flare as I have been so long off steroids. Sure enough, October came and went, but just as I thought I was out of the woods, late December delivered a huge blow and my skin has reverted to the tight and flaky phase. Its also interesting that my kids have come out in some small nummular patches of eczema, despite the fact that they don't use steroid creams at all. This would seem to be a clear case of a seasonal-type skin condition.

So in my head I made the link between the sun exposure and my skin condition. I learned that in the UK, going out on a sunny winter day will give me UVA radiation, but not significant levels of UVB. It is the UVB that makes vitamin D in the body.

As my blog readers will know, I tried to go to a tanning salon in the past but ironically was turned away because of the condition of my skin. A few months later, my skin healed with the help of the natural sunshine. I have also tried vitamin D supplements on and off, but realise that the supermarket vitamin D is a very low dose and had no effect.

Therefore I have decided to perform and experiment on myself. I am not advising anyone else to try this, as I am not a qualified medical practitioner. Anyway, it may not have any effect, we will have to wait and see. I have purchased some high-potency vitamin D tablets. They are 5000 iu. I have researched vitamin D toxicity and although this is a very high dose, there do not seem to be any adverse effects reported of short term intakes below 10,000 iu.

I will be taking one dose a day for the next month and record my progress. After that time, it will be March in the UK anyway and I will let the natural UVB do its job.

So this is my ugly mug right now. I will post progress photos over the coming weeks to see if there is any effect from the vitamin D.

Sneak Preview of NEA Task Force Findings

Some time ago I mentioned that the National Eczema Association were commissioning a task force to investigate topical steroid addiction. This was in response to the growing number of enquiries that the NEA was getting about TSA and the need to formulate an official response concerning their stance on the subject.

The report has been a long time in coming. In fact, we are not quite there yet, but they have published a preview on Pubmed which looks really positive.

The publication of this article will help sufferers of TSW explain to their doctors and dermatologists that it is indeed a real condition, backed by evidence from experts.

Many thanks to NEA for commissioning this important document. I hope that it will be the starting point for many more research studies on the subject of TSA that will give us more credibility with doctors and dermatologists, many of whom understand very little about this poorly-publicised condition.

This, along with my previous blogpost, proves that the tide is finally turning and awareness about TSW is growing daily.

Bad Flare at Nearly 38 Months (photo)

I could write a long post about this, but I will let the photo do the talking.

Suffice to say that, earlier this week I started flaring really badly. I don't know why.

To say that it is a shock after so many months of good skin is an understatement.

I have reverted from having a normal life to being a sofa-bound shut-in. I was supposed to take my son to a basketball match today, but dad has to take him instead. I'm really upset because I was looking forward to it for a long time.

Sleep is awful. Night time is a hot, sticky mess and I often wake up with a wet face and hair matted behind my ears.

On the plus side, the flare is confined to may face and neck. the rest of me is OK.

I know the flare will pass, so I just have to ride it out. I didn't really want to post this, but I'd rather be honest than sugar-coat the pill.

You have to wonder at 38 months, just how long this process is going to take. Sure, I know I will heal again in summer, but will I ever get through a whole winter without a setback like this?

Love and sympathy to all those out there suffering.

Rant of the Day

Please feel free to cut and paste the comments below and print them off onto a piece of A4 to hand out to well-meaning acquaintances:

HI (insert name)

YES, I KNOW MY SKIN LOOKS BAD TODAY.

YES, I HAVE TRIED ALOE VERA/SUNBEDS/VASELINE/E45/VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS/EVENING PRIMROSE/DIET....(insert other therapies here. Could be a long list!)

I AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOUR FRIEND/RELATIVE CURED THEIR ECZEMA BY USING "X" THERAPY, BUT MY ECZEMA IS A SPECIFIC TYPE CAUSED BY DAMAGE FROM TOPICAL STEROID CREAMS AND IT CAN TAKE MANY YEARS TO IMPROVE.

I AM GIVING YOU THIS PRINTOUT BECAUSE I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION 20 TIMES ALREADY THIS WEEK AND ITS BEGINNING TO FEEL A BIT LIKE GROUNDHOG DAY, SO I THOUGHT WOULD SAVE MY TIME AND ENERGY THIS TIME AROUND.

BY THE WAY, EVERY TIME SOMEONE LIKE YOU MENTIONS MY SKIN IN CONVERSATION, I FEEL UGLY AND DISGUSTING AND IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THE ONLY THING ANYONE NOTICES ABOUT ME IS THE WAY I LOOK, RATHER THAT WHO I AM AS A PERSON. I KNOW YOU MEAN WELL, BUT IF EVERY CONVERSATION YOU EVER HAD STARTED WITH "YOUR SKIN LOOKS BAD TODAY", YOU WOULD WANT TO AVOID SOCIAL CONTACT TOO.

THANK YOU FOR YOU CONSIDERATION.