Yeast/hops allergy?

[april1693]

My husband has had a skin condition ( doc says excema but it doesn't follow the obvious signs and symptoms) for about 5 years now. The skin on his hands is hard, cracked, callused and dry and itches a lot. He has other patches of dark itchy skin (not flakey though) on his calves, shins, forehead and the boney prominences of his elbows. He has tried every cream, lotion and potion to help but none work with any great effect. He has been waiting on an appointment for a patch test for 6 months and as yet has no date for one. The funny thing is, he went off all chocolate and alcohol for lent and last night decided to reward his effort with a bottle of Coors. Two mouthfuls in and his face turned beetroot red and he said he felt an immense heat in his ears although they weren't hot to touch. Could he be allergic to yeast or the hops in the beer? He didn't really have any relief from his other symptoms while excluding alcohol over lent and I've had a look online and anything I read about yeast allergies seems to say it would cause digestive problems as opposed to a skin problem. Hope someone can help, thanks!

[237SJ]

I doubt he is allergic to anything in the beer to be honest. A friend of mine always used to go red around her neck and hands when she drank Bacardi. I don`t think that was any kind of allergy - just an intolerance/reaction. I would think that if he didn`t drink for a while, he might get symptoms because he has lost his tolerance to alcohol. There are lots of creams he can try to sort out his dry, itchy skin. He doesn`t need to suffer. I have some cream that I was given as a sample. It`s an American cream but available over here now - Eucerin Aquaphor. It`s like goose fat but is a good emollient.

[april1693]

Thanks 237SJ. I think he'll be pleased to hear that! I've had a look at that cream and it looks good. He has tried so many, including cortisone ones and they work for a few weeks but as soon as he stops them, it comes straight back.

[Brinjal]

We can develope allergies and intolerances at any time of our lives. For no apparent reason. Did his skin improve at all during lent when he gave up alcohol and chocolate. Could it be psoriasis

[april1693]

No improvement whatsoever Brinjal. I don't know about psoriasis, it doesn't look like that, he is so desperate to have a definitive answer, I don't think he would care what it is if he could just get some relief from the itching and soreness.

[Sqad]

Excellent posts so far,but cannot add any comments without further details.

How old is you husband?
What is his occupation?
Is he on any medication for any pre existing disease?
Did it start "out of the blue" or did it start after an illness?

[april1693]

Hi Sqad, I was hoping this caught you're attention. To answer your questions - He's 45, his job is in IT and desk based and the only medication he is on is for his skin. He takes Fexofenadine 180mg daily and uses a varied selection of creams, at the minute he's using Protopic twice a day and after a visit to the gp last Friday he is using dermovate on his hands - with little effect I might add. Over the last few years he has used everything from fucibet, betnovate, elidel, you name it, he seems to have used it. the condition initially appeared about 5 years ago as a rash around his neck, a bit like a shaving rash, then patches appeared at the base of his back and his calves. His neck cleared up but ever since he's had these itchy, occasionally oozing patches on his legs, back, forehead and elbows. His hands are what bother him the most and are hard, cracked and red, itchy and at the moment very painful. Hope this helps Sqad!

[Sqad]

april........I am not a Dermatologist and "skins" was never my forte and i shall assume that he hasn't seen a consultant Dermatologist.

Well, as it started around the neck and has spread, the condition that comes to mind is a fungus infection....pityriasis versicular.

Google it and get back to me.

[Old_Geezer]

Perhaps he should switch to a decent ale and see if the problem still flares up ;-)

[april1693]

Sqad he saw a Dermatologist quite a while ago (who diagnosed excema) and is in fact due to see another one next Thursday. I googled pityriasis and it certainly looks familiar, although what is on his hands doesn't seem to tie in. I think he could live with the rash flaring up every now and again if he could just control the itching - it's really starting to get him down and the state of his hands has made him very self-conscious.

[Sqad]

april....that is my best shot ;-) although you can get a secondary eczema with pityriasis.

I will be interested to hear what the Dermatologist says, as if it is fungal in origin, it will nor clear up without antifungal treatment.

[april1693]

Lol Old_Geezer, I think he might just try that!

[april1693]

Sqad, I'll definitely let you know how his appointment goes next week, Many thanks for all the advice x

[Ann]

It sounds like psoriasis to me - a family member had it and the symptoms sound exactly the same.

[solvitquick]

To define dry itchy skin as eczema is just throwing the question back at the patient because eczema is another word for itchy skin. This is a typical GP tactic by describing symptoms with a more impressive name! Note that excess use of bethnovate or other coticosteroid is unwise as they depress the natural immune response to all other infections. They also thin the skin, our primary defence against environmental attack.
Regarding his response Coors, given the small dose and rapid reaction this sounds like an inter-action with another medicine he was taking (old fashioned MAO-inhibitor anti-depressant?).
Certainly alcohol intake causes red flusing of the face. This is because the liver detoxicates it to acetaldehyde (cause of redness) then acetic acid. The Japanese are more susceptible because they lack the or are low in the enzyme to detoxicate acetaldehyde.
The combination of (i) itch; (ii) ulcer or severe rash on the legs; (iii) [although not mentioned] joint aches could be Type 2 diabetes.
However sounds like psoriasis which takes many forms, often best treated with a process termed PUVA (search for definition because of space). Psoriasis is typified by by rough dry skin on extensor joints ("outside") while eczema is on "inside" of joints.
Scratching itchy skin can cause infection! I am not medically qualified. Speed up diagnosis by pestering docs. It is diagosis he needs before treatment!