5 QUESTIONS WITH: Nick from Eczemacism

Since starting my blog last year, the most fulfilling part for me has definitely been opening it up to others who inspire me through my 5 QUESTIONS WITH series. So far, there has been a shocking amount of girl power (fabulous!) and as a result, means I haven't featured a man yet ... but I've got a really great one for you today to make up for it. Meet Nick who runs the fantastic Instagram account Eczemacism along with a blog of the same name (possibly the best name ever).

His transformation is just amazing and so inspiring that I couldn't be happier that he agreed to take part! I'll hand it over to Nick:

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and your skin journey.
I’m now just over 18 months into the TSW process. I have a family history of eczema, Mum gets a bit from time to time, but my grandfather (her dad) had severe dermatitis. My first case of eczema was when I was in late primary school/early high school. I developed a rash on my butt that grew and grew, went to the GP (I lived in a small country town) and he prescribed some steroid cream – I think it was Elocon. I used that and as far as I remember it cleared up but reappeared several times never giving me too much grief. I used moisturiser for dry skin on my face but no eczema on other areas of my body.

When I was around 21 I went to SE Asia to study for a semester of university and recall getting some heat rashes behind my knees and some ringworm occasionally but nothing too unbearable. I can’t recall if I treated them with steroids at the time. During the last week of my stay I ate something questionable and got violently ill. A few months after returning I started to notice a burning rash on my face that I thought was an allergy to dust, cats and whatever else but pushed it to the back of my mind. I also started getting spontaneous hives on my arms – only a few times but all around the time the itching and rashes started. Over time, the rash got worse, spreading across my face and finally all over my back and chest. My back was completely covered with eczema. I started taking cold showers at night because my face would stay red all day if I took a shower in the morning, stopped playing sport because it was too embarrassing with my tomato face and withdrew. I lost confidence dealing with people and looked to find answers. I knew something was wrong, something was taking all my energy and like a flash of light I realised that I must have a parasite. In absolute desperation, I couldn’t eat anything without flaring, my scalp was starting to ooze and the rash on my face was nasty, trusting the experience and judgement of my dermatologist to sort out my problems. This was it, I had eczema which was clear and he was the one to point me to the solution. I started using steroid creams of all sorts all for different parts of my body. I saw no real results and then started Prednisolone tablets. They were awful, made my skin great for a few hours but my anxiety went through the roof. I hated taking them but got addicted to the good skin and the safety of looking normal for a while. I used them as instructed by the dermatologist and used them whenever I went out to make myself look OK but the side effects, especially the anxiety made me stop. I stopped going to the specialist but kept on with the creams on my face mostly and just moisturiser on my body. My skin continued to flare but I worked out what not to eat as food was playing a huge part in contributing to the flares. I thought I was allergic or at least intolerant to everything and I lost so much weight. There were no online communities or anything like that and I suffered alone. It sucked so much, was holding me back socially and professionally, and I remember thinking that I can’t be the only person suffering from this, there must be an answer – it couldn’t be that difficult.

After a few years, I finally went to a holistic doctor who specialised in digestive problems to sort out the parasite that I thought I had but never got treated. I chose them to get away from the steroids and treat the source of the problem. After thousands of dollars in debt later and tests coming out of tests assessing all kinds of things coming out of me, it was concluded that I had leaky gut and I was sent off to a dietician. I can’t remember 100% but I think that I was still using Hydrozole on my face whenever I had flareups. The advice I got was great – we worked out that most likely I got a bug during my uni trip and things went downhill from there – this was now four or five years later. I went on to a diet and after three months felt that things were getting better. I learned a lot about healthy foods, living and eating well. I had a life again but I was still using mild steroids in the bad periods. Years later (I was using steroids the whole time intermittently) I started getting recurring eczema again on my legs and butt which came back and a weaker steroid for my face. I was using again now daily, and I didn’t know what the stuff was as it was made by the pharmacist in a nondescript tub. I also started breaking out in pimply rashes on my face that looked like adult acne and went to the doctor and he prescribed steroids – DermAid. This rash recurred three times (I have since learned it was eczema herpeticum).

I stumbled across a girl’s blog at that time, a severe eczema sufferer who was going through topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), and I thought that’s crazy, why would she do that… I just wanted to go to a doctor and get the strongest drugs to get this rash off my face. Four months later and a lot of stress from my job accompanied with the summer Christmas parties, eating/drinking etc I started getting eczema again on my arms and neck. I also broke out in the face rash again for the third time but just went with antibiotics this time. I’d had enough, I had these recurring infections, swollen lymph nodes, eczema on my arms and groin and an infected fungal rash in my armpits that I’d been battling for years and was treating with the cream Resolve Plus (steroid). I had no trust in dermatologists who were expensive and just pumped me full of steroids, no GP that I saw really cared about the cause of the problems so I researched online and started reading about alternative treatments. I still thought this was from candida overgrowth so I Googled candida diet and my healthcare provider and an Ayurvedic clinic came up. I started reading, liked what I saw and quickly booked an appointment. I was feeling good with the steroids doing their work clearing up my skin and went in to see the doctor. He was very thorough, so calm and explained how he would approach the treatment, all natural, no steroid creams or tablets, just diet, supplements and eliminating toxins. He told me to consider stopping using all steroid creams. I was a little dubious but went along. That was on 11 March, 2015. I started taking the supplements and the next day I started to feel terrible. I had a slight rash that I had been treating with Hyrdrozole (steroid) that came back with a vengeance. My face started to burn, puff up and my fungal armpit rash came straight back, worse than ever. My groin and leg eczema flared and my arms started rashing up. I thought it was the Ayurvedic herbs causing die off (could be the case) and started researching online about eczema getting worse after stopping steroids/starting herbs and I landed on the ITSAN page. It blew my mind seeing what people are going through.

Anyway, thanks to the ITSAN site giving me the encouragement (and scaring the hell out of me as to what might be coming) I took the plunge and have been steroid free for 18 months plus. I don’t use topical steroids, I never will again, I’m done. I haven’t flared since the early days and have been feeling good since about month eight or so, my skin is better than it’s ever been and I feel great. No diets, no creams or moisturisers. It’s been a hell of a ride but don’t regret it for one second!

2) How did you find out about TSW?
After I researched something like “stopped steroids symptoms worse” or something along those lines I ended up at itsan.org and from there I knew exactly what was going on.

3) Did you find that anything aided your healing?
Other than the amazing support I had from my family, friends and colleagues, the best decision I made during the process, deciding to live guilt free was the biggest help for me I think. Not worrying about scratching, not caring about cheating on diets and just not caring what others thought. It was truly a game-changer. Also for the itch, really focusing in on it, being aware that it can’t hurt me and letting the sensation rush over me like a wave, I guess like a micro meditation of sorts. Helped a lot!

4) Sum up TSW in five words.
Temporary, character building, life changing.

5) What positives, if any, have you found from going through TSW?
I’ve met some amazing people, fellow sufferers and carers, through this illness and it’s made me appreciate life in a different way. The biggest positive is feeling 100% better than I did when using steroid creams, not relying on medication and feeling like myself again. Literally like a layer has been peeled back and I am more confident, calm and ready for anything!

Nick's brilliant  TSW blog can be found here and click here for his inspiring Instagram account.

Thank you so much Nick xxxx

Links to my previous 5 QUESTIONS WITH:
Henni @rawsomesoul (here)
Alice @healthy_healer (here)
Maleeha @TSWHealed (here)
Nina Sloan (here)

Sending love and healing to you all
Cara xxxx