Diabetic, Acne On Hand. Temporary Relief From Anti-itching Cream. How To Get Rid Of This?

Posted on Sat, 2 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 2 Mar 2013 Answered on

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Hello. I am 70 years old and for the past 2 years have developed an 'acne' on my elbows and part of my lower arms. It starts with blisters appearing about 2 cms to half an inch in width. They swell and burst and contain clear liquid. The spot produced causes irritation and it is very hard to stop scratching. It is very irritating and causes problems of staining when I go to bed and stains on my shirt during the day. The area of problem is getting bigger and bigger. I have tried anti-itching cream, but it only relieves the itch temporarily. Can you help? I also have diabetes and take insulin twice a day, and also tablets for the heart - Ramipril, etc. I don't think they cause this problem because I have been taking the tablets for 5 years now. Looking forward to hearing from you. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (11 minutes later)

Hi and thanks for your questions,
what you describe as acne is not actually acne. Its an autoimmune condition which is called in medical terms pemphigus. Treatment of pemphigus is done using oral corticosteroids.
These steroids in your case might cause slight rise in your fasting blood sugar.
Consulting your physician to prescribe an appropriate oral steroid that can easily be monitored is necessary.
Thanks and best regards.
Luchuo, MD.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar