top of page

Eczema Diet and Detox support

Public·5 members

Sarah HainesSarah Haines
Sarah Haines

phototoxicity and immune systems

Hi group - I'm new on here, and new(ish) to skin problems. Last May I used some over the counter antiinflamatory gel on my foot which triggered phototoxicity in my immune response (key ingredient to avoid is ketoprofen). This meant that every time I exposed myself to UV rays (A, B, sunny, cloudy, no difference) I developed oozing scabby swollen bits on any exposed skin. topical steroids worked for a bit to sooth it, then when it got really bad (hospital) oral steroids also worked for a bit (10 days) then it came back with a vengeance. Dermatologist identified the cause as medication induced phototoxicity, and told me it should be out of my system in a few months. It went away come November and I relaxed, but then it came back in April! I live in France, so this more or less coincides with the Autumn and Spring equinoxes, so may be due to the distance the UV rays were travelling to reach my poor skin.


So, this year it has also morphed into what I would call chronic eczema across my whole body. I spend all daylight hours in the house behind black out blinds, but it is clearly being triggered by something else as it just will not go away, hence me starting to explore other possible triggers. Topical steroids do nothing except make it worse, so I've shelved that idea (my dermatologist just kept prescribing me stronger and more expensive ones). After being in hospital a couple of weeks ago when it got really bad I'm once again on oral steroids, which, once again, helped for about a week before the itching started again


So, long story short, completely new to all this, will be asking stupid questions, please be patient, and has anyone else been on the receiving end of drug-induced skin problems? If so, I'd love to chat with you.......

43 Views
Erica Levine
Sep 05, 2023

Hi, Sarah: Sorry to hear about your frustrating skin journey, I can certainly empathize. I have skin issues (TSWS - Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome), both drug-induced (additive in shingles vaccine) & from topical steroid use. TSW skin can be hyper sensitive, so, I wouldn't doubt that UV light could be a trigger. Have you ruled out the possibility of having TSWS? If you are not familiar with it, itsan.org is a good resource. I also follow the Eczema Diet. Hang in there... your skin wants to heal!!

bottom of page