Protopic: Tacrolimus - I asked my Dermo

SO! A comment came through that said "New medication from my dermatologist is tacrolimus ointment. Calms everything down and doesn't have any side effects. A lot of the drugs and creams actually make you itch worse." Thanks for sharing Charlene!

I asked my dermo about it and she said the (paraphrasing) following:

It's "street name" is Protopic, and it's a non-steroid cream so unlike Accutane dermatologists can offer it to people like us with little worry because the extended use of creams for us (as we are lifers with DWD) is okay without the nasty side effects of steroids (hair loss, weight gain/loss...)

I didn't pick any up because it's new and exciting which means = $ expensive $

And you need a prescription for it (why if it has little to no side effects and doesn't have steroids?!) 

It sounds like something I might be interested in a few years when the hype dies down and I hit my 40s. 

Here's what the internet says: 

This form of tacrolimus is used on the skin to treat a skin condition called eczema(atopic dermatitis) in patients who have not responded well to (or should not use) other eczema medications. Tacrolimus belongs to a class of drugs known as topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs).

And another write up from Rexall:

Tacrolimus belongs to the class of medications called immunosuppressants. This medication is used on a short-term or intermittent basis to treat atopic dermatitis (eczema). It is also used to prevent eczema flare-ups.This medication works on certain areas of the immune system that may be involved in developing this skin condition. It is used when standard treatments have not worked or if there is a reason they cannot be used.

SO! Charlene and anyone else willing to tell us about how their use of Protopic/Tacrolimus is going? Any reviews?

I just want to feel normal.

I have a tough post to make here.

I recently got an email (thanks for those by they way! Always happy to connect!) that ended with "I just want to feel normal."

I can't help you with that.

What I can do is help you learn from my mistakes and triumphs - but ultimately only you can find your "normal" and I put those in lil quotes because I also don't believe in normal. That word is loaded with baggage so I urge you to find what makes you YOU and you happy.

Y0u can help yourself by seeing your family doctor, then I would highly recommend finding a Natural Path. I had a great experience at Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic here in Toronto.

Under the recommendations that the above parties give you I also recommend cutting out triggers and allergens like:

-alcohol
-high sugar intake
-cow dairy
-whatever makes your skin (and stomach) crawl when you eat it

I also recommend using gentle and natural products like:

-Perfume free moisturizer (I love the Aveeno line or their knock offs + I live off of Life Brand Vitamin A cream.)
-Perfume free laundry detergent
-Moisture rich shampoo (I'm really liking Rosemary Mint by Aveda) as less crap in your hair = less itchy/scaly skin on my head and neck.
-ditch as much makeup as possible as it only irritates the skin, but if you have to I have been having a good time with Cover FX for hiding bumps and redness.

I also recommend asking about vitamins. I take a women's multivitamin + Pine Bark Extract + B complex + D, and sometimes Zinc + Omegas + Probiotics.

It's a bit overwhelming and I can't say that I have been 100% following my own rules/reco's - but when I do I feel better and have fewer flare ups.

This is not to say I don't have any trace of my Darier's.

I ALWAYS have bumps.
I ALWAYS have redness.

It's just manageable with the above regime.

See?

Stress.
Lady Time.
Parties with all the sugary treats and alcohol.
Sweating really hard at the gym.

All that and more makes for visible/more bumps. That's just life. For me anyway.

So I'm really terribly sorry, my blog isn't doctor approved, nor is it the recipe you have been looking for to make this go away (but if you have it please share with the rest of us!)

 I'm just letting you in on my side of the fight against Darier's - and I hope you take something positive away from it. I hope you share your struggles and wins with me so we can learn from each other.

But other than that?
It just goes on. I wear a lot of scarves. I have a lot of cover ups for the beach. I try to avoid certain foods if I know I'm going to have my picture taken or whatever - and I have had a shift in career to get behind the camera rather than in front of it. It's my way of dealing. But that's just it - my way.

Please share your way of dealing and maybe it will help others too. That's all I'm doing here :)

Thanks for your emails and comments.
I hope we can help each other out.

-Adrianna

Tattoos and Dariers

I got a tattoo!

A teeny tiny tattoo...

That's me & my brother getting a tattoo!

I was worried that my skin disorder would FREAK out so I started small: it's probably about 2 cm x 1 cm in total and I used dark brown ink on my forearm. Now I got it in a place that doesn't have flare ups, but I was told that it could go either way with tattoos. 

My experiment has so far been a success! It's been 2 months since I got it and it is healing perfectly. Do I want a back tattoo over my regular flare ups? Not really. But if you were shying away from your decision to get a tattoo because of your DWD I would say to find a place away from the regular hot spots. I did what they told me: kept it clean and dry except for the recommended moisturizer and out of the sun (which is easy for a Ginger like me!)

So! No reaction out of the norm and now I am planning my next tattoo...