So my first dermy appointment in decades revealed that I didn't have skin cancer, but did have a psoriasis flare plus a possible fungal infection. The results of the skin culture show that I do have a fungal infection and furthermore dermy now thinks that all my various patches of 'stuff' could be fungus.
I did ask him what sort of fungal infection it was, but he came up with a name so long I gave up. Though I gather it's not the athlete's foot sort, perhaps it's the charming ringworm family. There may or may not be a connection with Humira - it's all a bit confusing right now. Anyway I've got some tablets. And I feel like Fungus the Bogeyman, a right favourite of ours when my kids were small but not exactly my role model. So first question: has anyone had fairly rampant fungal infections? It's new to me all this so I'm trying to get an angle on it.
Second question: does steroid cream enter the bloodstream & make you feel like superwoman / man? Boy did I have an energy surge today! I've felt pretty damn good often enough over the last 3 years but this was something else!
The only fungal infection I ever had was in my lungs--histoplasmosis. I guess it is pretty serious and did cause some small nodules on my lungs that were looked at just before I started Enbrel. There was actually some concern at first about giving me Enbrel because they didn't know if those little nodules could have bad cells in them that would turn into another fungal infection in my lungs.
Anyway, the lung doctor gave the A-OK. But, when I had histoplasmosis, I had to take Sporanox for a long time. I think it was 3 months. Are you taking Sporanox, Sybil? I took pills, but my husband took the liquid form for his histoplasmosis and I guess it tasted horrible. And he couldn't wash it down with anything!
The second question was confusing. Did you get steroid cream for the fungus? I didn't know they used steroid cream for fungus, but I know for bad athletes foot or certain diaper rashes there's a special cream..I think it's called Lotrimin, but that might be the brand name...or, it might not be the right name. I'm sort of just guessing. :-D Just trying to help.
Lastly, I WISH the steroid cream had turned me into super woman! I used so much of it on my psoriasis over the years, it would have helped me tolerate the fatigue if that was the case. I think very little gets absorbed--it mostly just works on the skin it has contact with. I'm still surprised they used steroid cream on a fungal infection, but I'm no medical expert, so hopefully someone will clear me up on that!
Just to be different I'm going to answer your questions back to front.
You can, in theory, absorb a small amount of steroid through the skin. That's why they say it should only be used under occlusion (covered) with doctors approval. BUT, I have had to do this for years on and off and as much as I wish I could say it made me feel like Superwoman, it didn't!
As for the fungal skin infection, yes, many many years ago had one in my armpits after a particularly hot and sweaty business trip to Athens. A nasty looking little affair, bit like honey fungus on trees (ok, TMI). Treatment was washing my armpits with Nizoral Shampoo and applying Canestan Cream. Guess it took a couple of weeks to clear completely.
I hope yours isn't from the ringworm family, that can take ages to eliminate .... I recommend sheep dip ...... ha, ha only joking.
To answer GrandmaJ on the steroid cream, yes, a mild steroid (often hydrocortisone in the weakest formulation) in conjunction with an anti-fungal is often prescribed to help sooth inflammed skin and aid healing but won't do anything for the infection itself without the anti-fungal bit.
Histoplasmosis eh? I gather that is one nasty so & so. I read about it while googling the weird & whacky world of fungal infections. Glad to hear you got shot of that!
I am very happy to hear you & Jules on steroid cream NOT giving us oomph, that's what I hoped. I can therefore conclude that feeling more energetic (sometimes) than I have done for years is due to Humira or luck ... both of which might reasonably be expected to keep delivering on that front, unlike the ointment.
I have to keep on with the steroid creams as well as anti-fungal tablets (terbinafine), because nobody can yet say whether I have fungus or psoriasis or both. Both seems more likely.
You have helped me. I just wanted to chat about it really as it's a new thing. And some of us are pants at handling new things. Thank you so much.
Grandma J said:
The only fungal infection I ever had was in my lungs--histoplasmosis. I guess it is pretty serious and did cause some small nodules on my lungs that were looked at just before I started Enbrel. There was actually some concern at first about giving me Enbrel because they didn't know if those little nodules could have bad cells in them that would turn into another fungal infection in my lungs.
Anyway, the lung doctor gave the A-OK. But, when I had histoplasmosis, I had to take Sporanox for a long time. I think it was 3 months. Are you taking Sporanox, Sybil? I took pills, but my husband took the liquid form for his histoplasmosis and I guess it tasted horrible. And he couldn't wash it down with anything!
The second question was confusing. Did you get steroid cream for the fungus? I didn't know they used steroid cream for fungus, but I know for bad athletes foot or certain diaper rashes there's a special cream..I think it's called Lotrimin, but that might be the brand name...or, it might not be the right name. I'm sort of just guessing. :-D Just trying to help.
Lastly, I WISH the steroid cream had turned me into super woman! I used so much of it on my psoriasis over the years, it would have helped me tolerate the fatigue if that was the case. I think very little gets absorbed--it mostly just works on the skin it has contact with. I'm still surprised they used steroid cream on a fungal infection, but I'm no medical expert, so hopefully someone will clear me up on that!
Honey fungus on trees looks quite pretty. I would not like it in my armpits however! I might have to be felled.
Derm's letter says "It may be that the adalimumab ... is limiting your body's ability to fight this type of infection." And the doctors are on the case, I can't fault them. The derm I saw was very nice, very helpful but, oddly, says he doesn't know much about biologics and has consulted a colleague who does. I'll be seeing her next month.
The likelihood is still that I have both psoriasis and a fungal infection so I've got a couple of different steroid creams to use as well as the shampoo and anti-fungal tablets. My rheumy is pondering whether Humira may have caused the psoriasis flare but thinks it's more likely that stopping Mtx 7 months ago may have triggered it. So I may go back on a low dose. They've not suggested sheep dip yet but perhaps it's only a matter of time.
Thanks so much Jules, you've helped me get my thoughts into some sort of shape.
Jules G said:
Just to be different I'm going to answer your questions back to front.
You can, in theory, absorb a small amount of steroid through the skin. That's why they say it should only be used under occlusion (covered) with doctors approval. BUT, I have had to do this for years on and off and as much as I wish I could say it made me feel like Superwoman, it didn't!
As for the fungal skin infection, yes, many many years ago had one in my armpits after a particularly hot and sweaty business trip to Athens. A nasty looking little affair, bit like honey fungus on trees (ok, TMI). Treatment was washing my armpits with Nizoral Shampoo and applying Canestan Cream. Guess it took a couple of weeks to clear completely.
I hope yours isn't from the ringworm family, that can take ages to eliminate .... I recommend sheep dip ...... ha, ha only joking.
To answer GrandmaJ on the steroid cream, yes, a mild steroid (often hydrocortisone in the weakest formulation) in conjunction with an anti-fungal is often prescribed to help sooth inflammed skin and aid healing but won't do anything for the infection itself without the anti-fungal bit.
I like chat, it's reassuring and informing at the same time :)
Terbinefine tablets eh, never had the tablets but have had the cream .... that's when the doc thought I might have caught ringworm from a cat when, in fact, it was psoriasis. So just goes to show how similarly (and confusingly) these things can manifest.
Agree. I like that nobody at the skin clinic is saying it's definitely this or that without the evidence of tests or time. The skin culture showed a fungal infection on soles / sides of feet so they are on solid ground there. I have similar stuff affecting my palms (which were not tested) & it does seem a different beast from rashes on the rest of me. But for sure, skin complaints are very difficult to diagnose.
Jules G said:
I like chat, it's reassuring and informing at the same time :)
Terbinefine tablets eh, never had the tablets but have had the cream .... that's when the doc thought I might have caught ringworm from a cat when, in fact, it was psoriasis. So just goes to show how similarly (and confusingly) these things can manifest.