Dr Google will see you now….

I know, I know - googling symptoms isn't usually the greatest idea. In the past I have diagnosed myself with all sorts of incurable diseases by consulting Dr Google. But when it comes to DE, the fact is, Google has taught me much more than any medical professional has.

For one thing, I have learnt from other sufferers that there are some natural ways of relieving the symptoms - apple cider vinegar soaks have really helped me on the itchiest days, as have bicarbonate of soda scrubs and epsom salt soaks.

But the main thing I have learnt from Google, is that there are people out there who have cured their DE, by finding out what their trigger is, and making changes to avoid it. Now I need to do the same.

So what do I think the potential cause might be? Here is where it gets tricky. It could be any number of things. But these are the things that I am considering at the moment:

• Systemic nickel allergy. I already know I am allergic to nickel, so maybe I am one of the unlucky few who is sensitive to nickel in my diet. In this case, a low nickel diet might help.
• Unknown food allergy - I have never had any food allergy testing before, but I could well be allergic or intolerant to something I am consuming on a daily basis.
• Candida overgrowth. There is a website out there which claims that this is the cause of most people's DE and that it can be treated with nystatin and a low sugar/low carb diet. Unfortunately it is very poorly referenced and there is little evidence in the research. However I have had multiple courses of antibiotics, and have noticed my DE has worsened when antibiotics are in my system.
• Unknown contact allergy - it has been over a decade since my last patch test. I may well have new allergies now. Allergy to isothiazolones is one that particularly interests me; pictures online show allergy symptoms very similar in presentation to DE, and this chemical is in all sorts of products we use day to day.
• Mould allergy - I have heard of some people who have had DE when exposed to mould, and have cleared up once the mould is removed. We have had damp issues in our house since we moved in 2 years ago, and my condition has certainly deteriorated in that time. But we have since  repaired the damp so I would hope that we don't have mould any more….and my hands are still a mess.

So there's my list….quite frankly I haven't known quite where to start with all this, but I have made a few tentative steps.

On the assumption that I may be allergic to isothiazolones, I have stopped using all products and resorted to plain olive oil soap for everything, and vinegar and bicarb to clean the house. It hasn't really changed much, but obviously I could have a different contact allergy that I am unaware of.

Diet wise I am all over the place - I have tried low nickel for a bit, then low sugar/low carb, then back to low nickel….essentially I am horribly impatient. If I don't see immediate improvement or I get a fresh crop of blisters, I assume it isn't working and change tact. I realise this is foolish but my head is all over the place right now and I can't seem to focus on one thing at a time.

Next week I have an appointment at a specialist allergy clinic. Its going to be expensive, but at this point I don't care. I need someone to listen to me, and to help me get to the bottom of this.