I’m sorry to post twice in a row about this, but I just had to share:
MY HAND ECZEMA IS GONE!
I am SO HAPPY.
In the span of a week, the redness and irritation on my hands quickly decreased. The cracks and raw spots have healed up, leaving only some pinkish discoloration. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to no longer be in pain. It’s almost surreal to be thinking about things besides my hands.
No more worrying about the eczema getting worse or spreading.
No more cringing at the thought of squeezing lemons or measuring salt in my palm.
No more guessing what’s making it better or worse.
No more constant application of various ineffective topical creams.
I even used chalk on my hands at Crossfit today!
As best I can tell, here’s what helped, as recommended by my integrative MD:
SUPPLEMENTS (DAILY)
60 mg. chelated zinc
12,000 iu emulsified vitamin D
4 probiotic capsules
4000 mg. cod liver oil
DIET
No eggs
No nuts
No seeds (some exceptions for seed-based spices when eating at restaurants)
No dairy (not even butter or raw milk)
No nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers)
Very limited sugar
Eating pastured lamb liver 2x/week
My hands are likely not permanently healed, especially since they’ve only started looking better in the past few days. Who cares. They’re doing wonderfully right now.
Here’s the plan: keep supplementing (though perhaps taking the dosage down a notch) and eating in accordance with the Autoimmune Protocol for a few more months, then slowly reintroduce the foods I’ve eliminated.
Having beautiful skin again is, hands down (pun intended), the best thing that’s happened to me lately. I haven’t seen it look this good in MONTHS—at least since summer. I’ve been in a much better mood, and I feel this little jolt of victory every time I realize I can actually DO things with my hands again.
If you or someone you know has eczema, I strongly encourage you to get an allergy test and figure out which foods you should be temporarily avoiding. While you’re at it, check your vitamin D levels and supplement with probiotics. There IS an answer to eczema without resorting to topical steroid creams!
