Dry brown patchy skin.

diana0624 · 04-30-2007, 08:05 AM

I've read that this is a common symptom, but I never hear anyone talking about it. I get it on the back of my neck and on my ankles sometimes too. Sometimes it's hardly there and other times it's very much there. Any ideas, creams, cleansers, anything that helps with this. I guess with the weather not being so dry anymore and maybe being on metformin, it seems to be not as bad right now..but I hate it! TIA.

babycheeks · 04-30-2007, 01:50 PM

I too have this and I HATE IT!! It is mainly my neck. I went to my derm dr. and he said there is no cure. It is a IR related symptom for having to much insulin. But last night I was watching TV and seen that there is a skin bleaching cream and I am wondering if that could work? I have tried everything under the sun and have found nothing to help so far. They say met can help it but so far it hasn't for me. Maybe if we get my serum insulin under control it will help. I am however very sorry u have this because I know what it has and is still doing to me. It is embarrassing and ppl stare at you like u havent taken a bath in months. I hope that someday soon they will have something for it. Dont know if this helped but hope you find a solution and then pass it along to me LOL.
Jenn

diana0624 · 04-30-2007, 02:07 PM

Thanks. Sometimes it helps to know that you are not alone. For me, it is only the back of my neck and my hair mostly covers it. Even the girl who cuts my hair didn't notice it until about a year ago (it must have been flared up at the time). The first place I actually got it was in between my breasts (the cleavage area)...and when I was a teenager, I didn't even know what it was..but I would scrape it off with my fingernails and now it is scarred up some. DH doesn't care (probably hasnt even noticed that it's not smooth and nice looking). Oh well. I do hate it and it does look like we dont wash...if they only knew! Thanks again. Oh...and hopefully upping you to 2000mg will help with some of the PCOS symptoms. Good luck .

Lukins · 04-30-2007, 06:04 PM

I would suggest against using a skin bleacher - i tried one (an avon brand, incidentally) and it caused my skin to flare even worse, and made it dry and flakey. it also burned a bit

i tried it just to see if it would work, used it twice, and never touched the stuff again - i dont know if it was just because that skin is more sensitive or something ( i dont have sensitive skin in general) but it reaaaaallllyy didnt like the lightners.

Hope that helps.

MIKES JULIE · 04-30-2007, 08:43 PM

I have it on the back of my neck too.....

I started taking met in September of 2006 and it went away (completley)....but now..........IT'S BACK... (I think my met needs to be increased..I'm on 500mg per day and for some reason the Dr will not increase the dosage...can't wait to see the endo in July maybe he will do something for me)

I know how much you girls hate it...It is so embarrassing.

I tried all kinds of creams but nothing worked for me...I just wasted all that money.

Good luck to all of you

(((HUGS)))

Julie

Isaiahsmommy · 05-01-2007, 03:51 AM

I have this too.. Mine is bad in between my breasts but I also have some on the back of my neck. The only things that has worked to get rid of it for me was weight loss. I dropped 45lbs. and suddenly it was barely there... but as soon as I got pg it came back and is now worse than ever.

Hezzer · 05-01-2007, 10:43 AM

What you describe is called Acanthosis Nigricans (AN for short). It's usually a sure-fire symptom of at least insulin resistance if not diabetes. In fact many doctors are now looking for AN spots on children as an indicator of insulin issues. I've have my spots since I was about 12. I wish then that my doctor had explained to me why I had them.

The way AN was explained to me is my body has become desensitized to insulin so my pancreas just keeps making more until my body finally responds and utilizes it. The excess insulin spills over into the skin causing the thickened ridges and discoloration. Mine are a tan color under my arms, on the back of my neck and in the groin area. It's embarassing to me and I don't like to wear my hair up or wear sleeveless outfits.

It did fade significantly on my neck and under my arms after 3 months of low carbing and losing 30 pounds but it came back when I started eating carbs again. I recently read an article that said AN in women is most commonly found in the groin area in addition to other areas like neck, armpits, under the breasts, etc. Often you will find skin tags on areas with AN.

One cyster mentioned that hers went away completely once she got down to a healthy weight and her sugars stabalized. Some have said that metformin has helped regulate their insulin and as a result lightened the spots to some degree. I'm not on metformin though.

It seems to me from my experiences and reading those of others that losing weight and watching carb intake and keeping insulin levels balanced are the biggest factors in making the spots lighten or go away. After all, the less insulin spilling into your skills means less noticeable spots.

babycheeks · 05-01-2007, 05:44 PM

Yes it is caused from insulin, I just wish it would go away LOL! I have had it on the neck (and skin tags) since I was 11. My mother said it was because I didnt wash. I believed her and scrubed even as a adult till it would get so sore I couldn't stand it. I guess the deal with me is I am use to fat jokes and hairy jokes. I can rid the hair problem (for a few days) but this hasnt gone away. I am on met and just got back from a new b/w of serum insulin and hopefully it is down since I am already on 2000mg. Besides not being able to conceive, this (AN) bothers me the most. I just want to go outside for a change and throw up my hair because its hot or swim with other ppl around. I hope one day it will be possible until then i will remain in my shell in public and will always figgit with my colars and hair to hide what I dont wish others to see.
Jenn

mommy4god · 05-01-2007, 06:55 PM

i get spots (usually on my belly, but sometimes on my back). They're tan (i'm very pale), itchy, and dry. They're no bigger than a dime and just look like big freckles (i don't have freckles). At any given time i only have 2 or 3 spots. i thought they were Acanthosis Nigricans, but i looked online for pics of AN and they didn't look at all like what i've got. Are my spots just the beginning of AN and it will get worse as IR gets worse, or is this something totally different?

christine

diana0624 · 05-03-2007, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommy4god

i get spots (usually on my belly, but sometimes on my back). They're tan (i'm very pale), itchy, and dry. They're no bigger than a dime and just look like big freckles (i don't have freckles). At any given time i only have 2 or 3 spots. i thought they were Acanthosis Nigricans, but i looked online for pics of AN and they didn't look at all like what i've got. Are my spots just the beginning of AN and it will get worse as IR gets worse, or is this something totally different?

That doesn't really sound like AN to me. However, usually the pics you see online are very severe cases. The AN tends to not be small spots like you described. It's usually a big patch. I have no idea what those spots are. If it is AN it would probably get worse..but I doubt that's what you have there.

ShirleyP · 05-03-2007, 04:25 PM

I agree, it doesn't sound like AN to me either. Once they get itchy, are you able to scrape the spot and skin come off? It sounds a lot like a skin fungus to me. I am very prone to them and they sound very similar to what you describe and they usually start either on my back or my belly. If left untreated it will only get worse. There is a body shampoo that my derm gives me for it when I have a break out of it.

mommy4god · 05-03-2007, 06:26 PM

They're like dark spots of dry skin. They don't get worse over time. They'll be there for a few months and then just go away. (the fact that they go away on their own and never get worse is why i haven't sought treatment for them) They showed up around the same time that i started getting skin tags, so i just assumed they were AN and were just another symptom of PCOS. Now i just don't know what to think.

christine

Hezzer · 05-04-2007, 10:34 AM

For pictures of AN on the neck, check this site out.

It lets you choose between pictures of a Grade 1 through Grade 4 cases of AN.

http://www.driscollchildrens.org/hea...icturepage.asp

Looking at the pictures, I would say that I have grade 2 AN. Fortunately I don't have it on the front of my neck, although I noticed in recent months that the line from the back seems to be creeping down around the sides toward the front.

tigir · 05-05-2007, 05:58 AM

Ditto what Hezzer has said! I think I have been up to a three while at my heaviest and while pg.

I can trace my symptoms back to when I was 6! I am constantly looking for spots on my DC.

I have found that losing weight and watching my carb intake has had a dramatic effect on the AN. Weight lifting is supposed to help IR, and after doing that I notice them all but gone. I would get them on the back of my neck, under breasts, groin, underarms, knees, in elbows, on tops of feet. The ones that take the longest to go away are those on my knees and feet. It doesn't take too much sugary/carbish stuff to bring them back either. I am not currently on Met, going natural right now and seeing where it gets me.

I wouldn't use a bleacher or anything like it, I would think it would irritate the area more. Just using hydrocortizone cream burned mine! When I first brought it to the attention of my family Dr. in highschool he told me it was probably exzema and just needed a cream. HA!

tigir · 05-05-2007, 06:00 AM

Hezzer ~ your poor bear is going to collapse, I just know it!