Burning Off the Skin

Skin continually flaking even when I've not scratched for some days. Decided to hit it with some Fucibet (cortesoid cream) for the next 3 days. Doc had given me this last year when the body was infected and only managed to use it for a week before contracting Shingles! Then I didn't use it again and managed to sort out other external factors to heal the skin.....sleep.....drinking more water......eat more fresh veggies......

However work pressures are not allowing me to sort out sleep and am constantly picking the flaking skin off. I forget to drink at times. I know it's bad and at the moment am weak willed and have poor discipline. Perhaps I should stop working.......and I will take a rest from it all in a couple of months!!!

But in the interim, am burning off the dead skin - either that or I exfoliate it off - but don't think that is good either as it also can pull off good new skin. Got to work/sleep.....

....One Bag of Skin

....so another visit to el doctor, well a different one who has specialised in dermatology. Picture on the left is my arm before the medicines. The skin is flatter compared to the picture on the right in the side bar but texture ain't great and it is now red.

Me: So doc this is what I am using to keep my skin moisturised. 500g tub of emollient and have nearly finished it after a week....and this is a bag of skin to show you why. I have skin dandruff! (displays a ziplock bag of skin to doc)

Doc: Thank you, I don't need to see the bag of skin. It is obvious you have a skin problem.
Your skin is very warm to touch....

Me thinking: Good it means I'm very alive.

Doc: Very dry.....

Me: I only moisturised it an hour ago.

Doc: ......and you've done some damage to yourself.

Me thinking: Thank goodness I had a small scratch session in the night....the last doc didn't take me seriously when the skin had no scratches!

Doc: ....from the notes you've had this since January. Right I think we need to hit it hard.

Me: Yah! Finally

Doc: So I'm going to give you:
- 500mg Flucloxacillin (antibiotics) to take internally to kill the bacteria infection in your body. Take 4 times a day.
- Fucibet (say it carefully) - an antibiotic + cortesone cream to apply externally to clear the skin of any further infection
- Ucerax 25mg - stronger antihistamine to help you sleep and stop scratching in the night
- AND more emollients

Me: Great!

Doc: ....see me in 2 weeks time

I give the pharmacist a small fortune and look at the amount of "stuff" I need to take/apply.
For the whole of my life, I have avoided chemicals like antibiotics. Now I'm about to destroy the good bacteria I've nurtured my whole life.

Killing Bacteria
I decide to only take the antibiotics over the next couple of days to monitor its effects. The antibiotics reek of chemicals. However after the first day of downing antibiotic pills, the redness over the entire body seems to disappear and for the first time, I sleep normally at night.

3 days later the skin is still feeling good. Unfortunately this is the day where I got a bit slack taking the antibiotics. I was doing a 12.5 mile run and it's a warm day (in the 30s). 12.5 miles later the body is hot and I've forgotten to bring the pills to the venue so I miss a pill pop. Socialising, the itchiness starts and the skin is hot and red even after cooling down. I try to make up for it later, but in fact miss another pill pop as had eaten a meal and cake! (must take these pills on an empty stomach).

2 days after the run day the skin is still red and itchy, so decide to start applying the fucibet. I said never again to steroid creams, but many assure me it is only temporary and if applied correctly should heal the skin and the symptoms should not return. You guys BETTER be right!