Clinical Cases

A Case of Spongiotic Dermatitis

dermatitis
Written by Suzan Hooper

Susan Hooper presents a case of Spongiotic Dermatitis in a 27 year old man.

dermatitisNov. 28, 2013

27 yr. old male

CC: rash on arms (Spongiatic Dermatitis)

 

He has had this problem for one year. It started on his left upper arm, then went to right upper arm. Right arm worst now. Started as a circular rash with little bumps. He now has a small patch on each leg and some on fingers as well. Blistered on fingers. When little bumps break open, an orange, watery- yellow discharge comes out, weepy, otherwise very dry. Raised red rash.

When it started he had begun working at a job where he works with water and chemicals. Some of the protective gloves he wears irritate his hands. (latex allergy?)

He used to drink lots of 5 hour energy drinks. Quit 4-5 days ago.

Very itchy

Red

<heat, sun, hot water

Cool amel.

>night

<mid afternoon

<stress makes worse

<alcohol

Itching amel. But then makes worse.

Other symptoms: Wakes feeling unrefreshed. Heartburn (worse when doesn’t eat)

Food desires: meat, pizza, white rice, Chinese food

 

Rx: Started on bioplasma combo 28 (consider Nat. Muir., Calcarea phos., Kali. Sulf., Sulfur, Petroleum) gave him sachets of Uriel Rose Quartz ointment. He liked this, it really calmed and he felt good.

Taking Omeprazole for heartburn for several years. Father has GERD. I suggested ACV for this and also advised him to connect with John Ogle for some nutritional advice on this and diet in general.

Nov. 30, 2013 Rx: Antimomium Crudum 30c and has taken it 3x daily since. Follow up in 15 days. Also got calendula ointment and began using this daily.           I chose Ant. Crud. due to its relation to gastric afflictions, itchy, burning skin eruptions as well as the dry skin. These are his symptoms covered by this remedy:

Skin eruptions: burning, itching on limbs, with yellow discharge

<heat <heat of bed <alcohol <mental symptoms (stress) prevents sleep

Dry skin, heartburn, burning pain in stomach

 

Dec. 9, 2013 Email check in:

Patient: It was a busy weekend for me. It definitely seems to be getting better on my arms. It is still red but not nearly as much as it used to be. The itching in my arm has reduced drastically as well….though it still itches at night more than I’d like. I have been taking the Antimonium crudum and medicine you originally gave me and it appears to be making it go away. However I now have itchy red bumps on my calves, behind my knee caps, and up to mid- thigh and they are as itchy as my arms used to be. Does that make sense that it would leave my arms and head to my legs? Because that’s what it kinda feels like. I had to get some calendula; even with it, it is still very itchy. Is there any explanation as to why nighttime triggers the itchiness? I find it unbearably itchy at night but during the days it’s not so bad.

As far as the heartburn goes the last two days or so have been much better, but I have had horrific heartburn during this time of not taking the Omeprazole. I have done the apple cider vinegar trick, which does reduce it temporarily at least, but it is not any kind of long lasting relief for me. It’s been frustrating to say the least. Are there any other tricks to reduce or eliminate heartburn?

All things considered I think it is going away. I would really like something that I could use topically that would help to reduce the cosmetic ugliness, so that I don’t have to keep wearing long sleeve shirts. The calendula helps to a degree I think, but it is still red and not very attractive when I’m not wearing long sleeves.

 

Dec. 18, 2013 Follow up

Still doesn’t itch as bad; starting to get a little more red and little more itchy last couple of days. Nighttime is the worst. Can’t sleep.Took til 3:30 to fall asleep. Really itchy. Seems to be getting better. I had a Christmas party Monday and was drinking, had long sleeves on last couple days. Shower at night. Put calendula cream on after the shower. Seems itchier right after applying. There were a couple days last week when my arms didn’t itch at all until night time. Couple spots now by elbow, above and below, front and back, itchy and red, itched most on upper bicep. Inside of bicep.Wasn’t there before. Right below knees on outside, both sides. On left leg..behind knee caps, never real itchy there. Mild, stays the same…some days feels more itchy, other days feel less itchy. Right arm is worst. Definitely gotten better. Can wear short sleeved shirt at times. When getting into bed, it gets really itchy. Definitely more itchy after shower. If I leave the house, I don’t even think about it. Not very itchy.

———–

Most nights he doesn’t sleep well. At least ½ the week. Works four ten hour days, has three days off. Wakes up 5 x every night. Has been like this since college. He falls back to sleep quickly.

Has a lot of stress this week…extra busy. Hasn’t gotten more bumps just dry, flaky and somewhat red. Has taken some pre workout at night. Could keep him up.

 

Patient : Hearburn: first 3-4 days, week “brutal”. First 3-4 days doing ACV got up to 2 T. a day. I would feel mild relief for the first hour but then it would come back. Difficult to eat regular meals.

Had 5 hour energy drink yesterday, ½ one. I was dragging. Noticed rash flared up in the next day. Still trying to calm down.(Dec. 24, 2013) (He says he’s done taking these.)

When I started taking the drug for heartburn, the ones he got recently had magnesium. Hasn’t taken this since our consult.

Using Tums if it gets really bad. Everyday at least once he get some heartburn. When it gets really bad, it feels like I’m breathing fire.

—————-

He’s getting used to work and likes his boss (chemical work). Less stress during winter. I’m not happy. I’m not learning as quickly. Will be lucrative in the long run. It’s hectic, have to constantly adapt. At times it’s overwhelming.

Good at taking remedy. Didn’t have Ant. Crud. For 2 days last week but taking bioplasma daily and back on remedy again.

Dec. 24, 2013

I saw his rash. It is much lighter. He has been off Ant. Crud. 30c for about a week. Not any perceivable difference after stopping remedy. He is experimenting with not showering at night. He’s going to try some of the bath suggestions I gave him. Gave him placebo to start taking, will do a follow up in 1 week. He got a tube of rose quartz ointment to use, nat. phos. 6x for his heartburn when it gets bad.

 

Jan. 5, 2013 – Follow up

Better, right I when got to Vegas. Arms looked really good. No redness. When he drinks alcohol it gets worse. Got pretty red and itchy after the drinking. This was New Years Eve. Each day gotten better, less red, less itchy. Doesn’t itch hardly. Most days not. Still looks pretty rough.

Before that wasn’t getting progressively better. It would come and go. Still comes and goes but not as severe. Every now and again gets itchy bouts. Gotten better at night. Showering earlier and it seems to help with evening itchiness. Using rose Qtz. sparingly before sleep if having a bad day, and wakes up significantly better.

“My arms aren’t bothering me as bad. I was getting angry, frustrated prior to homeopathic treatment.” “My skin is drying out, dry, rough skin, almost scabby. On thigh above kness, seems like it’s going away. Hasn’t spread more.”

Thinks he can wear short sleeves to work on Tuesday. I know long sleeves really make it worse. Got really itchy and red. Feels skin crawling. No big red welts, no scabs from itching.

Heartburn: eating more frequently much better. Gained 15lbs in past 3.5 months. Now gets problem every other day. Had lots of days off during holidays and able to eat more often. Not nearly as bad as breathing fire. Hasn’t had it bad for 1 week. Before Vegas was getting it a couple times a day.

RX   Taking placebo 3 pellets 3x a day. Taking Nat. phos. 3-4 x a day when heartburn really bad. Felt it was less severe over time. Now just taking it when it flares up.

Sleep: a lot better. Hasn’t had insomnia for awhile.

Got head cold, fever after Vegas. Hasn’t been sick for years.

Not using pre-workout after 1:00PM

 

Jan. 15, 2014

Email update on entire case:

Patient: I did take the one dose of Ant Crud 30c as you instructed and nothing really changed or seemed any different per say. I haven’t been religiously taking the Nat Phos or brown bottle medicine (placebo) since we last talked on the phone. I do continue to get flare ups on my arms and legs (from just above the knee cap/lower thigh to my calf muscle), though they are never as nasty looking as they used to get. Strangely enough it seems like when I wake up in the mornings it looks the best, and slowly by the end of each day it starts to flare up a little. The itching has been very minimal, though there are still those times when it itches throughout the day. The itching has not kept me from sleeping either which has been great. I’ve been sleeping a lot better over the last few weeks as well. (not laying in bed for hours before falling asleep). My arms do still show the signs of redness and irritation, though it is minor enough to wear short sleeve shirts most of the time which is excellent.

I do still notice that when I drink alcohol at all my arms instantly itch and flare up and look red for a while. However, thankfully, no matter how bad they seem to look when I go to sleep at night it always reduces overnight into the next day. I have not used the Rose Quartz very much, though I do use it when I get an area on my arm that is a little more irritated than the rest. All things considered it looks and feels pretty darn good, though whatever causes the flare ups is still unknown to me. (minus alcohol which I nearly never consume, and when I’m working at the restaurant and it’s 76 degrees and my body temperature skyrockets).

The heartburn issue has been pretty tame for the last few weeks. I’ve been trying to eat more frequently and it really does seem to directly impact the heartburn issue….specifically the severity. I still get a touch of heartburn here and there, but it isn’t horrific and a few tums help tremendously. As I’ve told you before, I’m pretty confident the majority of my heartburn issue comes from not eating frequently enough. (almost entirely thanks to my work hours). But I’ve been bringing protein bars with me to work and eating breakfast in the morning (yogurt and some crackers or a protein bar) and it seems to help very much so.

I am getting slight irritation on my lower thigh/upper knee area on occasion, but it seems to go away quicker/easier than my arms do.

 

Email update April 22, 2014

Everything has been going exceptionally well for a couple of months now overall. I never scratch at my arms, which has really helped I think.

I would not say I’m 100% but I would say I’m near 95% or so.

May 23, 2014

Follow up: For the past month, 1.5 months his skin has been almost 100% better. He went to Vegas end of March and spent a lot of time in the sun and pool. It seemed to help his skin. No itching or scratching now. No problems on legs at all.

Past 1 ½ – 2 weeks, some small bumps have shown up on the back of his biceps. He leaves them alone and they disappear on their own. Not an issue.

He has not used the 5 hour energy drinks since starting homeopathy.

He used to apply lotion daily, now occasionally (I advised a calendula lotion)

Still showering 1x a day. Not using soap now. Uses body wash and avoids area where rash was.

Sleep: Better. Most night pretty good. He is listening to his body. When he feels tired he goes to bed. Tries to be in bed by 10:30. If he listens to his body, he sleeps well and wakes feeling rested. Feels when he sleeps well, that his skin is better.

Stress: less stress at work. He’s more confident with what he is doing. Not such long hours, will be able to have a regular eating schedule.

No Omprazole since beginning homeopathy.

Still using pre-workout, only does it earlier in the day so it doesn’t affect his sleep.

Heartburn: He’s pretty definite he can control it if he eats more frequently and doesn’t allow himself to get too hungry. He said that Nat. Phosphorus helps some but if it gets really bad, he takes a Tums. Said at times his esophagus feels like it’s on fire. I suggested he try not to use the tums, only in emergencies because it could aggravate the problem. Has heartburn here and there.

He has now been problem free for almost 4 months.

About the author

Suzan Hooper

Suzan Hooper graduated from the British Institute of Homeopathy and subsequently studied the Sensation method with Melissa Burch and Inner Health. She also took courses with Whole Health. She had previously worked as a holistic Aesthetician in private practice for 21 years. She wanted to understand skin issues in more depth, and decided to explore homeopathy. In addition to taking general cases now, she has a special interest in skin issues. She has been living and working in Prescott, Az. since 1998. Her hobbies are hiking, gardening and dancing to rock n roll. Visit Suzan at her website www.embodywellnessprescott.com

4 Comments

  • Dr.
    Your article is praise worthy.
    I will be grateful, if you bring some succesful cases of Urticaria,
    Thanks for your present article.

    • Thank you for your leaving a comment about my case. It was a wonderful case. Resolved quickly. I have to say tho, I was mentored by Ajay Yadav in Mumbai. He is with Skin Renew Clinic.
      Why are you interested in Urticaria? I don’t have any cases for that remedy.

  • Dear Dr.
    Thanks for your response. As you are specializing in skin problems , I wanted to know from you about any cases of urticaria treated by you. I am more interested ,because my wife ,aged 63 is suffering from the past four years with this urticaria. She was totally free from two years without any medicine and now she has got back this skin problem. Now we have gone to a homeopath, who is a allopathy Dr and a Chief Medical Officer for more than 30 years and now turned to become a homeopathy. I am also practicing homeopathy for a long time.
    God bless you
    Yours sincerely
    Kalyanasundaram

    • I don’t have any Urticaria cases to share with you but I’m certain Dr. Ajay Yadav would. It sounds like you’re in good hands tho.

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