Dry, cracked skin on hands

Hi MyJourney101!,

Eucerin advanced repair hand cream, works well for me.

Heads up: there's a lotion with the same name, but I've only tested the cream.

As far as all natural products go I'm not sure, but you could try shea butter, or any of the other butters.

It sounds like this could be more yearly/routine related.

However I have heard about supplementing omegas/good fats (3.6. Sometimes 9. Phosphatidylcholine too). Some of us our low in one or all of those which can cause less availability for the skin. I’ve heard of applying those directly to the skin also in such cases, like evening primrose oil (omega 6) directly on a crack finger etc.

How is your circulation? This could be a result of not enough blood flow and oxygen delivery to the extremities, in that case vasodilation is your friend, recommend enzymes and arginine ( which will also help
W bart).

some good suggestions above

of the things mentions - i think something very gentle but anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial like an oil infused with calendula used topically may be helpful - and i would avoid anything acidic or with potential to burn or sting - like essential oils - if the skin is in any way broken as i think sensitive skin is likely to be aggravated rather than helped by those

but overall i think the wheat reaction is the key clue here:
many, MANY skin conditions are signs of underlying gut issues
gut issues are exceedingly common in Lyme patients and especially those with co-infections with bartonella (and similar organisms) that can infect the cells that line the gut membrane and disrupts its function
this is key because a disrupted gut membrane will be hyperpermeable
hyperpermeable gut membranes let food particles and bacterial debris from the gut into the blood circulation
this leads to extensive disruption of the immune system and is implicated in all auto-immune conditions including many skin conditions - like psoriasis ( v similar to what you describe) but a host of other skin disorders and various forms of dermatitis.

in a persons who's immune system is already disrupted from a systemic infection with Lyme an co this is a perfect recipe for symptoms exacerbation and auto-immune issues

this is not to say that your skin condition is not at least in part mediated by lyme/morgellons directly - this may be in play - but it seems that your body may be able to keep it under control if you remove or improve the gut hyperpermeability component

lyme treatment journeys are often multifaceted like this - ie its not just treating with abx that gets people well - but more often attention to various exacerbating factors that need to be addressed for your body to be able to heal itself. diet is a common one, sleep is another, exercise is another one, and for some people ist managing stress or mental health

if it were me i would enter a strict phase of attention to diet ( and lifestyle factors that improve gut health)
- remove gluten 100% from day 1
- resort to a real food diet - ie remove all processed food and beverages ( as they all have gut barrier damaging ingredients added - and beneficial things processed out)
- ensure you have at least 12hrs of eating free time window each day - to allow the gut to repair
- focus on optimising sleep - as good sleep is a known factor in recovering gut barrier function
- start a meditation habit to actively manage stress (stress is a big factor in gut health)
- if issues persist after 1 month - consider a full elimination and re-introduction diet approach to identify other dietary triggers - in particular (common ones) fish, eggs, other grains like corn, shellfish, nuts etc
( note - re-introduction is always the goal here - not highly restrictive diet long term)

this last step is a lot of work - so i would do the above easier wins first and this may not then be needed

i hope its of some help

sounds like you are doing an awful lot right there MyJourney

that's sounds like you are eating very clean - well done
well done on the exercise also - i think that will help you

i am also and still have gut issues - they are just way less than i had when i ate more carbs - and this in turn reduces my overall symptoms dramatically
it may be that some gut issues just persist due to the infections keeping the gut and therefore the immune system - of which 80% is located in the digestive system and is taken up with managing the foods we eat and the microbial populations that digest them
or it could still be worth experimenting with removing some of the common antigen containing foods for a month or 6 weeks to see if that helps - then adding them back one at a time to see if you can pin down which specifically - so you can go back to eating almost all the things you were before - and hopefully even more



ref the weight issue - i am not surprised to hear you find it a challenge to maintain weight
i would say just add more healthy fats
i do this and have been able to gain weight despite eating nearly no carbs - i am around 5.11 and 190lbs and quite lean
extra virgin olive oil, grass fed butter and full fat dairy ( if tolerated), fatty cuts of meat like lamb shoulder, beef brisket etc, coconut oil, oily fish like mackerel, sardines etc - are all healthy sources

note: given your good diet i may be preaching to the choir here - but we have all been subjected to "dietary fat is the cause of chronic illness and must be reduced" type messaging since childhood - and a lot of confusion now exists as a result - so do not be sucked into any that.

this was basically a mistake driven by corrupt scientist in the 1950s and perpetuated by the food industry that wants us to eat more processed food, i.e. "food" that is sold to us as "healthy" because its low fat - when in fact its industrial processed edible product with poor nutritional value, made cheaply and with huge profit margins.
the reason being if you eat less fat you have to eat more carbs to compensate - and processed foods are all typically high in carbs - so this helped drive demand up.

aside from the industrially produced trans fats (which are now banned in the USA and Europe anyway and so a non-issue ) and industrial oils made from corn and seeds etc - which are processed with heat and chemicals so are actually unnatural processed foods despite whatever it says on the label - the actual research findings on dietary fat has been diverging from the government guidance in the West for several decades now - higher healthy fat intake from healthy sources like those mentioned is actually associated with longer life and better metabolic markers.
(referencing some of the most influential and most cited scientists on the planet - eg Prof Tim Spector of kings college London or Robert Lustig Professor emeritus of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology at the UCSF)

i hope its of some help


i have a detailed post somewhere on how to most easily do a ketogenic wholefood diet - if that would be of interest - i would dig it out

This is the product I'm currently using and it seems to be working fine for me:

EveryDay Shea Body Lotion (Unscented)
https://www.alaffia.com/collections/body-lotions-cremes/products/shea-body-lotion-unscented

Previously, I used the following product. I planned to buy it again, but the store didn't have any in stock.

Everyone Unscented 2in1 Lotion
https://www.eoproducts.com/products/everyone-unscented-body-lotion-2-in-1

Though I've not yet used either of the following products, I've heard good things about them:

Badger Balm
https://www.badgerbalm.com/products/badger-balm

Badger Balm (Unscented)
https://www.badgerbalm.com/products/badger-balm-unscented

There are other product on each website, if you care to peruse them. I hope you find something to bring you relief.

My pleasure. If you find anything that works well for you, I'd enjoy hearing about it.

Interesting MyJourney101!
I'm glad your hands are softer!
You might be interested in this study: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjpas/article/view/217483

CBD + THC balm was something I used to find relief from these weird skin lesions I was getting - they would blister and then harden like a callus- about 70% better good texture but some discoloration from my normal skin tone

There’s a good documentary on Morgellons. It’s called “Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons.” It’s available for free on Amazon Prime.

Thank you MyJourney101 and Dude for the links!

this paper may be of interest

it has images of skin lesions and fibres and also of borrelia spirochetes in the tissues

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc5072536/

some experts also think bartonella may be required alongside borrelia before Morgellons will manifest.
this is largely because bartonella is known to infect the keratinocytes in the skin ( cells that are implicated in producing Morgellons fibres ) and bartonella have a type IV insertion system by which they can insert genetic changes into cells they infect - which could account of the abnormal fibres - something borrelia do not have.

most experts ( at least those who are not in a state of denial - or insist its a phycological illness) believe in long term systemic combination antimicrobial therapy aimed at the root cause of the disease - ie the infections - rather than only topical treatments - although these can certainly help with symptoms.

i hope its of some help

all the best !