I have PV & have been in
remission since 2003 after battling active
lesions for 10 months. With this writing I
do not intend to trivialize anyone's situation,
nor do I want to offend anyone by my experiences
or ideas.
Diagnosis:
My lesions began early in October
2002. I started with a blister on my
chest that itched, became an open sore the size
of a silver dollar, & wouldn't go away.
Late October 2002 I finally went to my PCP
who treated it as an allergic
reaction to something I came in contact
with. When that didn't work he treated it
as this allergic reaction which
had become infected. I went back
& forth to 6 PCP office visits with
allergy creams, Cortisone 10, &
antibiotic creams. I was finally
referred to a dermatologist in March 2003 &
within days of meeting with the
dermatologist I was diagnosed with
PV. At this time lesions
also began to appear on my stomach
and back. I feel my
case was mild since at a given time I never
had more then 10 lesions at
once.
Treatment:
My dermatologist put me on Augmented
Betamethasone .05% Ointment. My PV
specialist put me on 2000mg of Tetracycline
& Clindamycin 1% Gel. I
tried also tried OTC stress tabs
with zinc but had to stop after only a week
as they made me nauseous.
Triggers:
I believe my PV was activated due to an over
abundance of stress in my life at the
time. In October I was planning a trip,
selling my house, arguing with family, planning a
party, and helping parents move to another
state. I did this while maintaining a
marriage and working full-time.
Additional Treatment:
Since I felt my PV was activated by stress I
decided to seek
therapy/counseling. With a friend's
recommendation I met with a therapist that
specialized in anxiety
disorders. I met with this
therapist about 6-8 times. The therapist
gave me a relaxation cassette tape that was
especially made for me. The tape contained
issues that I was dealing with and helped me
relax. I listened to the tape every night
when I went to bed for about 4 weeks
straight. I would do whatever I could to
beat this thing as the itching for me was
unbearable & made my anxiety worse. I
did notice a huge difference after the 4
weeks.
Remission:
In August 2003 my PV specialist told me that
I no longer had active lesions and would not
have to return unless I had
another flare. 2 months after
seeing my specialist I returned to my regular
dermatologist who said I should take 1000mg
of Tetracycline for another year. Since
this stuff also made me nauseous, I stopped
taking it after 4 months.
Staying
in Remission: My specialist &
dermatologist want me to stay out of the
sun. But that is difficult for me as I
use the sun as my stress release. I live in
PA and for about 5 months out of 12 I get to use
the sun as my solar power to recharge my
batteries. I do use 30+SPF while in
sun. My favorite thing to do is come home
in the warmer months after work, sit outside with
a good book & just feel the warmth of the
sun. To me it is calming. I also
avoid stressful situations. In 2005 I was
in the middle of a family argument which brought
out about 4 blisters on my chest. I
immediately removed myself from the area and went
with other family members to vent about the
situation. Sitting &
talking calmed me down. The next day
the blisters were gone & the only evidence
remaining was just a little redness in the
area. Since then I've learned to remove
myself from any stressful situation. This
even includes preparation for the holidays.
If I find myself becoming overwhelmed, I let
everyone know I won't be hosting anyone for the
holidays, having dinner quests, buying
gifts, etc. If they do not understand my
reasons, then they are just not worth my efforts
anyway. So far everyone has been more then
understanding & supportive. I find that
even today, if I still feel stressed or anxious,
I pop in the cassette tape for a few
nights. I believe this has also has kept me
in remission since my last meeting with my PV
specialist. These are my own
experiences. Each person
has their own battle to fight as each of us
is different in our experiences, triggers,
medications, etc.
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