FAQ/Skin Problems

• 15 year old son with skin problems since he was 2 months old.
• Hormone imbalance, chemical sensitivities, low resistance to viruses, severe dry skin problems. Would testosterone or more progesterone help?
• Ocular migraine, acne - will natural progesterone cream will help me?
• Uticaria, Angioedema & Anaphylaxis, Hives
• 15 yr old daughter,utercaria. Consider Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis.
• Acne, facial hair, excessive body hair, fatigue, infertility. My hormone tests were "fine."
• Neurodermitis
• Itchy painful rash after GNC added Lutine and Lycopene to Multi Vitamin
• Localized rash like white bumps with fluid, dry and cracks open.
  

15 year old son with skin problems since he was 2 months old.
Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 12:21 PM
Question:
I hope that I am not taking up too much of your time, but I saw your website and was glad to know that someone believes in what I have felt all along.
I have a 15 year old son. He had his first skin rash when he was 2 months old. The pediatrician called it infantile eczema and said that it would go away by 6 months. Six months extended to a year and then we moved and the new peidatrician did a RAS(?) test for food allergies. The test showed he was allergic to eggs and all proteins. We kept him off of those foods and nothing much changed. I have been to UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, etc but they all say that he has very sensitive skin and we just have to learn to manage it.
So off and on his treatment has been steroids for topical use and antibiotics for the infections (from scratching). I don't think he has slept well all his life. When he was younger, I did not sleep either. My health has suffered due to the anxiety reactions I get everytime he is not well.
In 1999, when he was twelve his skin was so bad that he could hardly walk. That's when I did some research and treated him with garlic and MEVY diet to treat yeast infection which was making his skin worse. That helped with the acute superimposed inflammation and his skin is more manageable. However, the bottomline problem of skin reacting to everything around him is still there.
One time I took him to a medical seer and he felt Sagar's pulse and said that one of Sagar's adrenal gland is not functioning. Of course, no one believes you if you tell them to test him for that. But after reading about hormones and how they cause chronic problems I was reminded of the adrenal gland comment by a psychic. Is there anything I can do or test to confirm this and treat it at the root level to help my son? Please give me your opinion.
Dr. Roby Answers:
Send your address and I'll mail a copy of one of my seminars to you. I think he has the same hormone imbalance so many of us with allergy have. He is low in cortisol (thus the prescriptions for "cortisone") and as a result he has to run his life, as you have, on high adrenalin. This leads to sleeplessness, anxiety, increased levels of alertness and activity (I have never slept more than five or six hours unless seriously ill with allergy).
He got worse at 12 because his hormones began to change.
See my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to your son and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems. Even though this section was written for women, it has wide application to men as well.

Hormone imbalance, chemical sensitivities, low resistance to viruses, severe dry skin problems. Would testosterone or more progesterone help?
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Question:
I am 58. I first experienced chemical sensitivities in my teens, with nasal and eye reactions to soaps, cosmetics, hairsprays and cigarette smoke. I had very oily scalp and skin (diagnosed as seborreah) that broke out regularly unless I washed frequently. (I began menstruation just before l4th birthday.)
My oily skin tendency continued through the years with dry skin from neck down. I had endometriosis diagnosed in twenties. I developed food sensitivities in my thirties which are better now. I also developed vaginal yeast in 1972, which I have battled with to this day, but keep it under control with nystatin powder suppositories inserted vaginally. Taking it orally, lowering carbohydrate intake, diet changes,etc. and many other natural approaches do not seem to affect it. My digestive tract seems to test normal for candida overgrowth. (I have eaten natural foods for the last 30 years, with some fish and poultry though I do not eat much meat. Do not feel the high protein diet is right for me and I have low hydrochloric acid even with hcl and enzyme supplements.) In the last twenty years food sensitivities greatly improved-- my problems are now mucous membranes of respiratory system in general. I have not been diagnosed with asthma but have lung, throat, eye and sinus reactions when exposed to chemicals.
I do continually "fight off" viruses, flus. I am exposed to a lot of them here. I do not freqently succumb to them but have mild or moderate symptoms which drain my energy. I feel better if I actually do "succumb" to it for a short time. Then my immune system seems to "muster" and symptoms leave. I do not sweat easily. I simply have what seems like a low grade virus, with chronic fatigue. I feel, through knowing my body's reactions, that it is virus rather than allergies to natural substances. My symptoms "feel" more like flu to me, and usually follow exposures to viruses.
I had my last period at age 40 and have now been or HRT for sixteen years, since age 42. I tried to go through menopause naturally but symptoms were too severe (adrenals seemed weak and I had severe vaginal atrophy with irritated urethra). I use skin patch of estradiol (low dose of 0.035) with 100 mg. natural progesterone. Estrogen in higher doses(even 0.05) causes bleeding--two periods per month. My estradiol test recently showed "50" for patch which had been on four days (changed weekly).
I have a NEW problem now in last two years which is prompting me to write you. My dry skin from the neck down has become so severely dry that I have painful symptoms from November to April, (feels fine in summer) even though our winters are not severe. I put on my fragrance free lotion, add some natural cooking oil every ten minutes. Skin from neck down feels tight, itchy and nerves in skin actually hurt everywhere. Feels like sunburn, but mostly does not look red -- except for cracking, bleeding knees at beginning of winter, a few spots of staph on legs last year, and a terrific, deep yeast infection behind the knees during the rainy season, even though it is dry in my house. The nystatin and vit. E help infection behind knees. My whole skin seems to breakdown at beginning of winter. It is hard to move or exercise as it is so uncomfortable and even painfully dry unless I lie in a sleeping bag and sweat a little. My house is dry as I keep it warm and am always cold, and humidifier does not help. But skin feels terrible inside or outdoors. I have been trying armour thyroid, 60 mg. after a "borderline" test result, but have noticed no difference. I cannot use recommended creams with scent or medicinal smells as I get an asthma like reaction to smells and scents on my body, so I make my own.
QUESTIONS: I am senstive to medications, but would synthroid help more than armour? Higher dose? Would testosterone or more progesterone help? Or would it cause more oily skin problems? (My skin neck up has been in better balance so I don't want to make them oily.) I would appreciate any suggestions you might have. In particular what might help my extreme dry seasonal skin problem which is painful. I do not know which hormones to ask my doctor to increase. More estrogen causes bleeding and build up. Thyroid at 60 mg--I notice no difference and had great hopes as I fit profile for low thyroid except I am slender. Gained a little on HRT but lost it with thyroid and taking progesterone every day rather than 10 days per week. I did saliva test for DHEA and it was low, but 25mg. twice a day of DHEA did not seem to do much. Cortisol? (saliva tested low once, then okay). I don't know what to do next and I don't think my doctor has had much experience with all this.
Dr. Roby Answers:
I think the progesterone you take is the main culprit. If we want to start a period in a woman we give her progesterone. It isn't the estrogen that caused the bleeding, it was the progesterone.
Stop the progesterone and then wait a month or two and start 1.25mg of natural hormone tri-est.
See my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born. The skin problems are particularly common when you are reacting to progesterone. Your doctor should give you more Armour thyroid ( 2 gr) and get your testosterone up to 25 or 30. Have a lab study done to determine Progesterone Antibodies (IgG and IgM) to dtermine the degree of your hypersensitivity to the hormone. Avoid hot water, use as little soap as possible, and take EPA fish oil daily.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to you and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems.


Ocular migraine, acne - will natural progesterone cream will help me?
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Question:
This website has been the most informative one that I have seen yet. Just about every symptom that you described fit me perfectly. I am 35 and the past year have been battling an acne type rash on my forehead between my eyes and on my chin, have very heavy periods, break outs in my scalp/hairline just before my periods, low-high energy levels, short term memory loss and just recently an ocular migraine. I do exercise 5 days a week and don't eat sugar, white flour and most recently cut out all red meat and chicken.
Do you think that using the natural progesterone cream will help me? I don't want to take any synthetic replacement hormones. Thank you for your website!
Dr. Roby Answers:
Progesterone actually makes it worse! You are high in progesterone the week before your period begins. That is the problem. I "block" the effect of the progesterone using homeopathic progesterone drops, sublingually, and neutralize the symptoms within seconds. All this is happening because you are getting lower and lower in DHEA, testosterone, estradiol and cortisol. This makes your progesterone have a greater effect and makes your thyroid less effective. The result is all the symptoms you mention...and weight gain.
See my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to you and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems. The lab tests I use are outlined there as well. It is very important to get your Progesterone Antibodies (IgG and IgM) measured. You will undoubtedly have high levels of these antibodies and that establishes your hypersensitivity to that hormone.

Uticaria, Angioedema & Anaphylaxis, Hives
Sunday, October 27, 2002
Question:
Since the beginning of September I have been suffering from severe hives, angioedema, fatigue and have had 2 anaphylaxis incidents. I have had a battery of blood tests which were all normal. Background to the severe onset of these symptoms is that I have been having swollen hands in the a.m. since March and elevated Blood Pressures since this summer.
As a result of all this, I have been diagnosed with Chronic Uticaria and Angioedema. I am taking the following medications b.i.d. in order to try to control the hives: Tagamet, Singulair & Allegra
In addition I take Terbutaline Sulf. 3 times a day (which makes my whole body shake). I've also taken three courses of steriods (Medrol Pack).
Still after all this medication, the hives seem to be worsening. I wake up in the morning covered with hives. I have started taking a 3rd dose of medication in the middle of the night. It's as if my body is building up resistence to the meds.
My doctor's tell me that 90% of the time a person with chronic hives never knows the cause. That most of the time it is a reaction to one's own self rather than an environmental cause. That the goal is merely to treat the symptoms and try to survive until they one day decide to turn off.
My family wants me to fly out of Alaska (where I live) to seek additional medical attention. They want me to see an Immuniologist or other medical specialist. I have already spent thousands of dollars trying to rememdy this problem.
My question is: Should I accept this diagnosis and only work to control the hives and other symptoms or is it worth the expense or further investigation? If I should be seeking additional medical attention, what kind of doctor's should I see?
Dr. Roby Answers:
The 90% of people who never learn the cause of their hives simply were never instructed in how to determine the causes. Everything has a cause. I think the primary thing you need to examine is the hormone changes you have undergone in the last few years. You should also try the Atkins' diet as well as avoiding the likely foods contributing to the problem as outlined in the food allergy section of my site.
See my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to you and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems. The lab tests are outlined there (get DHEA, estradiol and testosterone levels, also Thyroid and AM cortisol-all non-fasting, and finally Progesterone Antibodies for IgG and IgM). All these are available at any commercial lab. If your doctor won't order them let me know and I will.
After I see your lab results and you see the areas under hormone imbalance that apply to you, then we can discuss your treatment options.

15 yr old daughter, utercaria. Consider Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis.
Thursday, October 24, 2002
Question:
My 15 yr. old daughter is suffering from utecaria for 2yrs. She has been on steroids too and now we are trying to get her off them but she breaks out. When she has a breakout she cannot function and even her face gets puffy. We've tried antihismines all types. She is also taking telfast 180. Thanks.
Dr. Roby Answers:
Right on time...for hormone allergy. Consider Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis.
See my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on the website. Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. This is particularly of ladies who experience increasing symptoms as they undergo hormone changes, usually in their late twenties or after the babies are born. Your daughter probably began undergoing sexual maturation or periods when this began. The rash will get worse each month just before her period.
Check out that section and let me know how those characteristics apply to her and then I can get more specific. You may find some useful areas to explore in your search for medical solutions. Areas such as dietary changes, low level exercise and alternative approaches to solving medical problems.

Acne, facial hair, excessive body hair, fatigue, infertility. My hormone tests were "fine."
Monday, October 21, 2002
Question:
Acne, facial hair, excessive body hair, lump in breast, fatigue, infertility x 8 yrs.
I have complained enough that my OBGYN finally tested my hormone levels. My results were "fine". Your website sure sounds like me. Is there anything else I can do? I have battled acne for the last 10 years. I have every symptom listed on the hormone imbalance section. Do you have any suggestions?
Dr. Roby Answers:
You do not know what "fine" means. Usually physicians will not act unless lab value are outside of the range of normal. The range of normal can be huge. DHEA, for instance, of 65 to 72 is within the normal range for 19 year olds and for 79 year old women. Admittedly, in the "low range of normal" for the teen ager, but also in the high range of normal for the old lady. So your hormones might be "fine" from that point of view, but wouldn't you rather have them back to the also "fine" level they were in a few years ago...before all this stuff started to happpen?
Many of your questions relating to allergy and these other symptoms are addressed in my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on my website. Please read that section again. Let me know how much of that material applies to you. I can then address your specific questions much more efficiently.

Neurodermitis
Sun, 13 Oct 2002
Question:
i have neurodermitis since i was born, but the symptoms are not very heavy till i became 14 years old. from 14 to 18 years i suffer really and a specialty doctor finally help me. so i had no problems till i became 29. i started a new job, didn´t like it and slowly here and there started the problem with my skin. the problems grew up in the pregnancy, which started in the year 2000 (i was 33 years old). since this time i feel so bad and nobody can help me.
i´ve watched, that my skinproblems depends on hormones: i´ve had problems, when i grew up, when i get my menses, when i was pregnance. when i´ve talked about that with a doctor, everybody told my: may be, nowbody nows it exactly, hormone therapies are not good tested or unsuccsessfull at patients, who have neurodermitis. is that really true? is there no possibillty? or is my observation totally wrong?
if you can, please help me! and excuse my bad english - i did my best! heartly greetings from germany
Dr Roby Answers:
Began at age 14... I would bet your periods began about then. You track the skin problems perfectly and note they are connected to your hormone levels of progesterone. When the the progesterone is high (during pregnancy and just before each period) your skin problem flares up.
This is one of the few well recognized areas of "hormone allergy" although it is not referred to as an "allergy" by anyone but me. If you type "hormone allergy" into any search engine, the first ten leads come to my website. Yet, there is a well known skin disorder called "Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis" that has been around for some years. I see many symptoms connected to a hypersensitivity to this hormone...fatigue, arthritis, short-term memory loss, weight gain, skin problems and diminished sex drive to mention but a few. Anything that gets worse just before your period is caused by this reaction.
So, what to do... Get your doctor to measure your hormones (the lab tests are outlined on my site in several places including the section on "Hormone Imbalance"). Then I balance the hormones and "neutralize" the reaction to progesterone using homeopathic drops of progesterone administered sublingually. The complete protocol for making and using these drops is available, without charge, to licensed physicians on my website. Go to my "links" and check out the Pan American Allergy Society directory. I think we have some allergists in Europe. If you can find one near you he will be aware of my techniques.
Try a low carbohydrate diet and walk one hour daily. Reach your ideal weight and stay there. Avoid hot water, soap, stress and stimulants. Take up yoga, meditation and any stress-relieving activity you will do. Don't forget to say your prayers.

Itchy painful rash after GNC added Lutine and Lycopene to Multi Vitamin
Sat, 12 Oct 2002
Question:
My husband has previously put protein power (with amino acids) in his breakfast shake. He developed a rash and stopped taking them.
He has always gotten an itchy mouth when eating mellon, avacado and tomatoes - but he doesn't have any other allergies. Recently GNC added Lutein and Lycopene to their multivitamin and he developed a rash.
Have you ever heard of people being allergic to amino acids? Many of the multivitamins continue Lutein - is it more likely he is allergic to Lycopene.
Dr. Roby Answers:
You can be allergic to anything. I have patients who are allergic to almost everything they put in their mouths. Some get terrible rashes when they drink tap water. Some react to their own tissue and hormones (autoimmune reactions, like diabetes, arthritis, thyroiditis, MS, ALS, and hormone allergy such as Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis).
Many of your questions relating to allergy to amino acids and other susbstances are addressed in my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on my website. Please read that section. Let me know how much of that material applies to you. I can then address your specific questions much more efficiently.

Localized rash like white bumps with fluid, dry and cracks open.
Thursday, October 10, 2002
Question::
This is for my mother. She is an elderly woman. 50 or so years old who had to undergone a full hysterectomy about 2 years ago. In addition, she used to work in a pill (medicine) making factory (Manual Labor). Up to about that same time frame. After she stopped this job she started having an allergic reaction on her hands. Or at least that is what we have been told.
Specifically: a localized rash like white bumps (under the skin) Filled with clear fluid. These are barely visible to take a picture at this stage. That I know of, they never turn into puss. They do however dry the skin above the fluid until it cracks open. During this process they are extremely itchy. After which they are not only itchy but also open sores. So much so that her use of her hands becomes extremely limited. This was only happening in the palm of her hands. Doctors, have proved little help dus far. She lives in Puerto Rico, USA and so far the arrays of doctors have prescribed her a good 32 different types of medicines all of which only temporally relive the symptoms. But after a short recess it comes back. Relief means that the sores dry out completely leaving dead skin that can be pealed away to reveal healthy skin.
She has seen dermatologist that have told her it's an allergy. Yet no one has told her to what she is allergic to.
She has gone from a life style of gardening and regular house hold chores like washing dishes close and so on. To almost limited life style where she does not even mess with any chemicals and uses hypoallergenic soaps and gloves to deal with things. Now after almost 3 years of dealing with this problem I am afraid this is getting worse as I have been told that it is spreading to her arms.
Here is the list of all of the medicines she has tried or is taking for one reason or another. (List excluded, 29 medications).
Dr. Roby Answers: I think it is significant that all this began in later years when she has obviously undergone h9ormone changes. In my view (outlined in the section "Hormone Imbalance") this is a result of diminished production of cortisol as we grow older.
Many of your questions relating to allergy and other symptoms are addressed in my section on "Hormone Imbalance" on my website. Please read that section and let me know how much of that material applies to your mother...fatigue, loss of short-term memory, weight gain and so forth. Let me know how much of that material applies to her. I can then address your specific questions much more efficiently. All the test I use are outlined there as well as the cornerstone of the treatment...progesterone drops.
Patient Responds:
I seriously thank you for all of your time and attention to this mater. I have reviewed your article on line and have also spoke with my mother via phone in Puerto Rico.
The following is what I know:
1) Since she had a full historectomy she has been on hormone replacement therapy. What types? I do not know but from the list of medicines that I sent in my previous email maybe you can tell. After sometime (recently) she was taken off it. Do not know why and do not know if she has been back on it.
2) There are no issues with Memory lost thus far.
3) She does experince fatigue, muscle spasm and has arthritis, Headaches and most of the symptoms you described.
She has not had an excess of hair growth, but then again I live in Washington State (clear across the country from her). She could be shy about telling me.
I understand that you would run the following laboratory panel that measures:
1. DHEA. Precursor to all the rest of our hormones. 2. ESTRADIOL. "FEEL GOOD" hormone for women. 3. PROGESTERONE. "Let’s go kill something" hormone. 4. TESTOSTERONE. Sex drive. 5. CORTISOL. Allows us to deal with stress and allergy. Gives us energy. 6. THYROID. T3 Uptake percent measures the effectiveness of our thyroid function.
Can these be done remotely? Meaning if she had her local doctor send you a sample of her blood would you be able to do these test with out seeing her in person?
Dr Roby Answers:
All of these tests can be done by her doctor and he can send me the results.
The tests are blood tests for: estrogen (estradiol), testosterone (total and free), thyroid (tsh, T-3, T-4, and T-3 uptake %), DHEA, cortisol (draw blood before noon), and Progesterone Antibodies (IgG and IgM, from Immunogenics Labs in LA, Cal., all US labs have access to Immunogenics, a research lab).
In the meantime have her try a very low carbohydrate diet, like Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. Avoid all hot water, use NO SOAP at all on her afftected area.