Has anyone had skin probs with Hyperthyroidism?
This has been on my knuckle(first finger)for years and is getting bigger.bigger.Its been removed by freezing and didn't work, had cemo cream,Then went to cancer doctor who said he wasn't sure what it was and gave me a cream for chronic dermatitis.
This is very painful.painful.painful.painful.Could it be a Thyroid thing ???
When members ask about skin issues, I very often reply with a link to DermNet. They have a huge library of images. I don't recognise the issue in your image. But some time spent searching might help you to identify the issue - or at least narrow it down.
They also have information about usual treatments etc. But once you have got a name, that is usually easier to find anyway.
The worlds leading free dermatology website
Thankyou heaps x
I meant to include mention of Pretibial myxedema (myxoedema in British English, also known as Graves' dermopathy, thyroid dermopathy, Jadassohn-Dösseker disease or myxoedema tuberosum).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preti...
In my limited knowledge, that is the skin issue that is associated with hyperthyroidism. However, I'm not sure if you are taking any medicines? I assume you have thought of that and asked and looked.
I believe this to be something to do with acacia powder and heat treatment of same. My son and I, both have skin problems like this and they appeared when we were changed to Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine. Unfortunately I cannot now find the information from a very old copy of Handbook of Medical Excipients that I once had. I have been fighting this skin condition for 14 years now, when our medication was changed in 2010. Needless to say NHS do not want to know anything about it. So sorry you seem to be suffering too. It basically said that acacia powder should not be used unless it was properly heat treated or it could react with soap, and that is the taste I have in my mouth permanently, when I wash my hair. I mostly use just water to 'wash' my hair.
Is acacia powder in medication ?Thanks for that x
It is in many medicines.
For example, in the UK both Mercury Pharma Eltroxin and Teva Levothyroxine. My medicines documents have full details for UK medicines.
But be careful - as Eltroxin outside the UK is almost always Aspen which has a different formulation.
Check Medsafe or other information source.
This is Aspen Eltroxin which does NOT contain acacia.
medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/C...
This is Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine (used to be called Eltroxin some years ago) which DOES contain acacia:
medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/c...
helvella's medicines documents (UK and Rest of the World) can be found here:
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines
helvella has created, and tries to maintain, documents containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world. There is now a specific world desiccated thyroid document.
I highly recommend viewing on a computer screen, or a decent sized tablet, rather than a phone. Even I find it less than satisfactory trying to view them on my phone.
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - UK
The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrixes for levothyroxine tablets, oral solutions and also liothyronine available in the UK. Includes injectables and descriptions of tablet markings which allow identification. Latest updates include all declared ingredients for all UK products and links to Patient Information Leaflets, Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d), etc. PLUS how to write prescriptions in Appendix F.
Also includes links for anti-thyroid medicines (but not product details).
📄 dropbox.com/s/bo2jzxucgp9hl...
helvella - World Desiccated Thyroid
Contains details of all known desiccated thyroid products including information about several products not considered to be Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT/Desiccated Thyroid Extract/DTE).
📄 dropbox.com/scl/fi/gx6dmz5i...
helvella - World Liothyronine
Contains a list of liothyronine products from around the world including brief details.
📄 dropbox.com/scl/fi/ooslwy2j...
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - RotW
Contains details of all levothyroxine and combination products - excluding desiccated thyroid products. Details available vary by country and manufacturer.
dropbox.com/s/dliou4fszbegw...
The link below takes you to a blog page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones. You will have to scroll down or up to find the link to the document you want.
Last updated 17/09/2024
It seems to be in more and more medications, and I don't know whether it is the fact that the heat treatment of acacia powder has been changed in recent years or not, or whether there was another reason, but my son and I were taking Goldshield Levothyroxine (made in England) for quite a few years before the company was changed to Mercury Pharma (made in India) and this had a detrimental effect on both of us. The Levothyroxine was the only thing that changed.
Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine certainly appears to be manufactured in the UK.
Link to Patient Information Leaflet for Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine:
mhraproducts4853.blob.core....
Please note I'm not a doctor or nurse and have no medical training at all. I'm mostly just mentioning things that have helped me.
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That does look nasty and very painful.
If you haven't found a dermatologist or oncologist who can recognise it, I think you probably need to look for a second, third, fourth opinion. You could probably consult them by email by attaching photos of your hand, close up, then further away to see the wound in context.
...
My late mother had a basal cell carcinoma on her face (it didn't look anything like the problem you have) that doctors dismissed as a kind of crusty wart for ages, then they froze it and made it hundred times more painful than it already was, and it started to grow, then they cut it out and discovered that it was cancerous. It took a couple of years to get her to that stage, which included lots of episodes of rudeness, dismissal, and implying that she was bothering doctors for something trivial. Then when the thing was cut out they didn't use a plastic surgeon, they got a barely trained butcher to do it. I wasn't impressed. If yours gets cut out make sure the person doing it is properly qualified.
I think with unrecognised skin problems the (wrong) treatments often do make things a lot worse and make them more painful.
I am prone to random skin problems, although they have healed eventually. I've found a way to handle mine, if I can't identify what it is or what caused it, is to have the following creams/ointments always available, and all are available without prescription :
1) A 1% steroid cream
2) An anti-fungal cream e.g. for athlete's foot
3) An anti-bacterial cream e.g. Savlon
4) A nappy/diaper cream
5) An unmedicated baby lotion
I always avoid anything with petroleum based creams or ointments because I always react badly to those. Ditto with lanolin-based creams.
Then I try each cream/ointment in turn, for one night only. Most I can usually reject after one night because they make things worse - but at least I've learned something.
Another thing to consider is the types of bandages you should try - see these links for examples of different kinds :
clhgroup.co.uk/learning-cen...
ciamedical.com/insights/wou...
When I was growing up my mother told me to always keep wounds clean and dry. It was only very recently that I found out that some bandages under some circumstances should be used wet!
eczema.org/information-and-...
medlineplus.gov/ency/patien...
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Obviously there are reasons why none of these things might help e.g. an unrecognised bacterial infection or an unrecognised fungal infection or an unrecognised cancer. But I hope you find something that might reduce the pain and a doctor who can help permanently.
Oh, one other thing that would be harmless to try...
I had eczema for decades and although I could treat it successfully it always came back.
What got rid of it for me was supplementing high dose vitamin B12 in the form of methylcobalamin. It's available on sites like Amazon and other sites that sell supplements. My levels of B12 are kept very high, but since B12 is not dangerous in any way I have come to no harm from keeping my levels high.
It is also helpful for me personally to keep my folate levels high with methylfolate, but I keep folate high in range, not over the range.
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Another thought... Has a doctor swabbed your finger and tried to culture the swab for a few days or a week? If it hasn't been done it ought to be.
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And a final comment. I have problems with mouth ulcers. I have found something which helps me a lot in reducing pain and swelling, and speeds up healing is Propolis by Bee Health. I buy it as a throat spray but it comes in various forms. It works wonders for me. You should research this first, because I don't know what it might do to an undiagnosed wound.
amazon.co.uk/Bee-Health-Pro...
Wow...What great info, thankyou. I will look deeper into this and will Def use you info...X
Thank you for all this information humanbean . As I am having to dress my son's ankle twice a week at present, I am most grateful to know about all the different types of dressings and reasons for using them. At the moment I am using Melolin with Medi-honey and a mesh bandage. A kindly neighbour who retired from being a District Nurse a year ago, is helping me with this. So far we have done better than the District Nurses who were coming in twice a week.
not quite the same but I have suffered with splits on my palms and years ago on knuckles/fingertips.
Palms recovered with optimising thyroid hormones, gloves to wash up and B12 injections.
Knuckles/fingertips was a chemical sensitivity to my work at the time (nail tech) I was allergic to the acrylate ingredients of the fake nails, exacerbated by an allergy to the cornstarch in the vinyl gloves I tried using to protect my hands.
In both cases the only relief at the time was thick applications of Cetraben ointment from GP (also on sale otc in Asda etc) which I now don’t use, I use coconut oil.
Now avoid ‘powdered gloves’
🌱
Thankyou heaps x
Hi
I had awful skin problems when I was very hyperthyroid [ graves] especially on my shins, I would scratch them until they blead , also on my knuckles they were red raw and itchy, but unfortunately my gp didn't link it to my condition..funny that because when I had my thyroid removed all the skin problems went🤷♀️
Wow..I wonder if it will go after my Radioactive Iodine treatment in a few days..
Thanks for that 🌻
ps..mine isn't itchy 🌻
Some of mine weren't the ones on my thighs were blotch and raised, they looked like ringworm 🤷♀️ are you on anti thyroid medication?
I've been on Carbimazole, but had to stop it 2 weeks ago as im having the Radioactive Iodine treatment on the 1st October 😖
Hope all goes well, let us know 🙏
I will let you know🌻I'm still getting over the side effects of the ZOLEDRONATE infusion so I'm rather nervous to get other side effects of the Radioactive treatment on top of it...😖
hi - looks quite different to what I have. Looks painful! Are you getting any diagnostic appointments or treatment for it, following all the great advice above?
Thanks for your reply..I'm trying lots of things! Had from doctors creams,lotions,freezing and burning and nothing has worked..Cancer doctor didn't do a biopsy as I couldn't afford it,he said he didn't know what it was and gave ne a script for another cream which read "use 2x daily for chronic dermatitis "??????
How much does the biopsy cost? And can you borrow that money from a close friend or family member, to give you the peace of mind? Or do you live in a country where some of that biopsy’s cost will be refunded through health insurance and receipts afterwards? I hate to think of you being in pain and unable to get even a diagnosis.
Dermatitis just means problem relating to the skin, so is a bit of a waste bin diagnosis. As am sure you know.
In NZ $200...I can go on a waiting list which is about 6mnths long 🤔
What does your endo say? And have you tried adjusting your thyroid meds and getting thyroid blood tests to see if those results are out of whack?
Endo hasn't seen it...I'm having Radioactive iodine treatment in the morning, I show it to her tomorrow x
Please ask her for a provisional diagnosis and to tell you what skin conditions are associated with your thyroid condition and medication. You need to be able to narrow down the possible conditions urgently. Are you taking an advocate / friend with you?
Thanks for that.that.No I have no one,I'm totally alone...But IL manage I hope x
Am so sorry to hear it.
Is there anyone (else) here reading who’s based in NZ?
I havnt seen anyone from NZ here...But I'm kind of use to going it alone although it can be quite hard..Thanks for your concern..IL up Dat on how tomorrow goes.
Time for sleep as it's late here.
Sweet dreams 😴🌟🌻
There are several members from New Zealand.
This very imperfect search of members finds some - those who actually put their location in their profiles - but includes some who just happen to include the word "Zealand" for some reason.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
It is a matter of luck whether a particular country name has any chance of being useful in such searches.
ps.ps.Havnt been able to narrow it down...YET 🤞
I had that Radioactive Iodine treatment this morning..I asked the Specialist about the skin lesions and if they were connected with my thyroid condition,without examining them then was a quick glance from the other side of the desk and a quick "No"..Then i asked if this treatment would help me feel a bit better..I was told No you will stay exactly as you are now !!????
Jeepers. That sounds unfeeling. Hope you feel OK.
I agreed to this treatment as I was told I would feel better...Why bother if it's not going to make me feel better? I don't get it 😕 I'm very tired after it and throat and neck are starting to hurt...IL see how I am tomorrow 🙃 x
It’s the way the information was given that is so unfeeling too. Did they mean you would be healthier, even if you don’t feel it? Some doctors try to be uncommunicative so that patients don’t ask them more questions, is my observation!
No she said...There would be no change other than the nodular goitre shrinking...was not giving out any info at all really and I'm peeved off.I was under the impression that my anxiety would lesson at least 🙄
Concerned about T3
Hi, concerned my daughter may have underactive thyroid, even if mild!
Sore red swollen itchy hand
Concerned Datscan
