A Different Way Out

As some of you may recall, I've been on methotrexate since 2008. However it was helping only partially and I was suffering from side effects. Reducing it didn't go so easy, as my body reacted to the lack of drug - the atopic all came back, full-blown with edema around the eyes, scratching all the time, the works.
Prof. B, when he saw me, said I should go back to the methotrexate. But he also knew I was in USA and he pulled out a name of a famous doctor from Oregon. Dr. HN was a pioneer in the field of atopic dermatitis and has seen it all. We decided to go.
Dr. HN's treatment was nothing I'd ever heard of. He took all my bath oils out ("You might've developed contact dermatitis") and made me bathe in plain water. Immediately after the bath, while the skin wet, I applied a steroid cream (betamethasone) on the entire body - including face(!). I did this twice a day for two days.
At this point I was willing to try anything so I gave it a shot. Believe it or not, it worked. The skin was nearly entirely clear at the end of those two days. Once that happened, I started tapering the creams (with Dr. HN's instruction) down to once a day, every other day, and so on until I now put it on twice a week. The face, neck and breasts get protopic (a non-steroidal, immunosuppressant cream), also twice a week.

I also added UV therapy, on which I won't write today.

Bottom line - my skin is clear, without systemic pills that kill my liver and who knows what else. While I'm not thrilled at the thought of putting steroids on, at least I'm treating where it hurts - the skin. And it's working! It's been four months now and my skin is clear as can be (except for my scalp - that's a matter for another post).