Caffeine: My Number 1 Suspect

Ok, so I didn’t make it through the week without coffee. I had to have caffeine to pull off the hours I needed to a few days ago. However, I did use real cream and maple syrup rather than my non-dairy creamer. My dyshidrotic eczema worsened. (By the way, I just realized I had a touch of dyslexia and have been spelling dyshidrosis and dyshidrotic incorrectly all this time. I can’t figure out how to change my labels, so I’m just going to let it be and do it right from here on out.)

Since I didn’t have any other drinks other than water, La Croix, and peppermint tea, I know it is something in the coffee that’s triggering my flares. Whether it’s caffeine or some other element, I’m not sure. So I’m moving forward with the second phase of experiments. I got some Coke. Caffeine-free Coke, to be exact.

I figure, if it’s caffeine, these Cokes won’t bother me…at least not from a dyshidrosis standpoint. I didn’t get them to see if I could drink them so I’d could go back on Coke. I got them to test a theory. Once they’re gone, that’s the end of them. I’m almost positive it’s the caffeine, though, and that’s why I wanted to try this.

I also cheated and grabbed a Frappuccino while I was at Ingles…because I haven’t had any caffeine since I got more blisters—about 4 days now. Within an hour, I started to get the sensation that precedes the appearance of blisters. It’s a strange sensation…kind of like how it feels when your hand has been asleep and it’s trying to wake up. Prickly, tingly, with a bit of mild burning. I really shouldn’t have drank that thing, but I was weak. I fully expect to see new blisters within the next few hours.

I did get some Epsom salt and I plan on soaking my hands soon. I just haven’t had a chance to blog the last couple of days and wanted to do that first. My hands are pretty rough right now, though, with the new blisters. My fingers on my left hand are so swollen that I cannot close my hand into a fist. My right hand isn’t quite that swollen, but definitely uncomfortably swollen.

The closer I get to an answer, the more discouraged I am. You are looking at someone who has depended on caffeine for years to function, so to be so close to determining that I have developed some bizarre allergy to the stuff is like a slap in the face. Did I do this to myself by using so much caffeine? Would I have developed dyshidrosis if I had been sensible about how much caffeine I had? Will I ever be able to have caffeine again, in small amounts, without flaring up my hands?

I am anxious to see how my hands respond to the caffeine-free Coke. As much as I don’t relish the thought of caffeine being my trigger, it will be good to at least know what’s causing it. Then, as hard as it will be, I can avoid this misery in the future. Time will tell.