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[Kazzyp]

Hi There,
Just wondering if anyone had any experience with severe hand eczema appearing during perimenopuase/menopause?
I was on Evorel Sequi patches until May last year. I went to my GP as I thought my dose needed increasing, due to breakthrough bleeding and increased frequency of migraine headaches. Instead, he took my HRT away from me completely, saying if my migraines were worsening it was time to come off due to the risks. I also had some dry red patches of skin on my knuckles and a couple other finger joints, for which he prescribed me a steroid cream.
Coming off the HRT wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and although he gave me Venlafaxine for the hot flushes, after trying just one tablet I decided it wasn't for me, so didn't take any more. I had one more period in June and a tiny bit of spotting one morning in November, but no bleeding at all since.
However, the skin issue on my hands increased and I returned to the GP two further times as it spread to my palms and tried two more different steroid creams. I was eventually referred to the Dermatologists in February, but after they cancelled two appointments in a row, we went into lockdown and I had to wait until May, for a telephone consultation. They prescribed me Protopic Cream and diagnosed the condition from photos, as 'hand eczema related to the menopause'.
This hasn't really helped and I had to be re-referred by my GP, for another telephone consultation after three weeks wait, to then be referred to the hospital for allergy testing and biopsy. This  was six weeks ago and I'm still waiting. I called the GP surgery to chase last Tuesday, but still no appointment.
My hands are by now an absolute mess. Both palms and fingers now completely covered in thick, hard, red/brownish itchy and sore skin. Many many splits and cracks that take an age to heal and I'm in so much pain! Taking ibuprofen and paracetamol before I go to bed, along with a sedating antihistamine. I have tried every cream, oil, ointment under the sun but nothing helps. I am unable to use hand sanitisers at all and find handwashing painful. I have to do it, but certainly can't wash them for the 20 seconds as advised though.
I used to have lovely hands (one part of me I did like!), with strong nails that I would get manicured monthly without fail. Now I can't even wear my wedding or engagement ring as my fingers are so swollen 
Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? Sudden onset in adult life. I'm 52 and have never had anything like this before. There is no family history of it either.
Sorry for the lengthy whine!
Karen x

[Mogster71]

Oh Karen how awful for you, that sounds so sore - bless your heart. I can only imagine what the pain of hand sanitisers and handwashing could do 

Were you in perimenopause when you started your HRT? I ask because I had the same increase in headaches which were definitely solved by moving up a dose and increasing Oestrogen - I went from Femoston 1/10 to Femoston 2/10 (sequi regimes) and the headaches went quite literally overnight. Have yours come back since stopping it, or any other symptoms?

Do you think there's a chance this could be something autoimmune-related? Maybe that's why the topical creams haven't really worked. A drop in oestrogen (coinciding with stopping HRT) can make dryness/eczema worse. Nadia Sawalha has talked about it publicly too.

Hope you can get to the bottom of it very soon, it's so frustrating at the moment trying to see GP and/or getting hospital referral. Wishing you all the very best
Mog x

[Taz2]

Hi Karen. This sounds dreadful for you. Have you been given emollients as well as the steroid cream and advice on what to avoid? Can you get an appointment with your GP or email photos of your hands?

Taz x 

[Kazzyp]

Were you in perimenopause when you started your HRT? I ask because I had the same increase in headaches which were definitely solved by moving up a dose and increasing Oestrogen - I went from Femoston 1/10 to Femoston 2/10 (sequi regimes) and the headaches went quite literally overnight. Have yours come back since stopping it, or any other symptoms?

Do you think there's a chance this could be something autoimmune-related? Maybe that's why the topical creams haven't really worked. A drop in oestrogen (coinciding with stopping HRT) can make dryness/eczema worse.

Hi Mog,
Thanks so much for your reply.
Yes, I went on HRT for a variety of perimenopausal symptoms and really thought the GP would just increase my dose when some started to return. I’ve had migraines most of my adult life and after stopping the HRT they were much the same. I get hot flushes, but I can cope with them.
Insomnia returned as did the odd emotional wobble and feeling a bit unconfident - having red lizard hands doesn’t help!!
I’m convinced the hands are related to the drop in oestrogen and the last telephone dermatologist (a woman) seemed to agree. She suggested the allergy testing & biopsy to rule out the usual stuff, then look at putting me back on ‘some sort of HRT, safely’. Not sure what that will entail.
Ah well, I am going to call the GP yet again tomorrow. Starting to panic we will go back under some lockdown restrictions and they will tell me the hospital is not doing outpatient appointments again!
Karen x

[Kazzyp]

Hi Karen. This sounds dreadful for you. Have you been given emollients as well as the steroid cream and advice on what to avoid? Can you get an appointment with your GP or email photos of your hands?

Taz x 

Hi Taz,
Thanks so much for your reply.
Yes, I’ve had various prescription emollients and tried over the counter ones too. Nothing works - in fact a lot of them that leave a film on the skin irritate. I think it’s because I ‘sweat behind them’ with flushes?
I’ve sent numerous photos over the last five months to the Dermatologists before telephone appointments and to my GP, as they are only doing telephone too in the first instance. I can’t seem to get past the telephone appointment and feel someone really needs to see it for real.
I will be on the phone again first thing in the morning!
Thanks again.
Karen x