Eczema Flare Triggered by Reta

[catscratchfever43]

Hello! About 2 months back, when I bumped my Reta dose up to 4mg, I began getting eczema outbreaks on my eyelids. I'd never had eczema before in my life.

I follow a schedule of 4 weeks on, then 1 week off. While I was in my off week, I figured the eczema was finally gone for good, since I'd started using a new cream.

But after my dose last week, it

came back worse than it's ever been, and now it's moved down to my under eye. That cream does nothing for it now.

The only thing that's different from one week to the next is the Reta. Overall, I don't have any other symptoms besides a bit of a higher heart rate and feeling mildly tired.

I've come across other people who've had this uncommon side effect. I'm curious if it's the Reta on its own, or if the Reta is somehow unmasking an allergy to something. Either way I'll be tapering down, but I'd love to hear anyone's input. Thanks

 

[ultima thule]

catscratchfever43 said:

Hello! About 2 months back, when I bumped my Reta dose up to 4mg, I began getting eczema outbreaks on my eyelids. I'd never had eczema before in my life.

I follow a schedule of 4 weeks on, then 1 week off. While I was in my off week, I figured the eczema was finally gone for good, since I'd started using a new cream.

But after my dose last week, it

came back worse than it's ever been, and now it's moved down to my under eye. That cream does nothing for it now.

The only thing that's different from one week to the next is the Reta. Overall, I don't have any other symptoms besides a bit of a higher heart rate and feeling mildly tired.

I've come across other people who've had this uncommon side effect. I'm curious if it's the Reta on its own, or if the Reta is somehow unmasking an allergy to something. Either way I'll be tapering down, but I'd love to hear anyone's input. Thanks

It might not relate to what you're asking, but what's the rationale behind running Reta for 4 weeks and then taking 1 week off? Is there a specific reason? Because honestly, I've never come across that approach...

 

[Builderman]

ultima thule said:

catscratchfever43 said:

Hello! About 2 months back, when I bumped my Reta dose up to 4mg, I began getting eczema outbreaks on my eyelids. I'd never had eczema before in my life.

I follow a schedule of 4 weeks on, then 1 week off. While I was in my off week, I figured the eczema was finally gone for good, since I'd started using a new cream.

But after my dose last week, it

came back worse than it's ever been, and now it's moved down to my under eye. That cream does nothing for it now.

The only thing that's different from one week to the next is the Reta. Overall, I don't have any other symptoms besides a bit of a higher heart rate and feeling mildly tired.

I've come across other people who've had this uncommon side effect. I'm curious if it's the Reta on its own, or if the Reta is somehow unmasking an allergy to something. Either way I'll be tapering down, but I'd love to hear anyone's input. Thanks

It might not relate to what you're asking, but what's the rationale behind running Reta for 4 weeks and then taking 1 week off? Is there a specific reason? Because honestly, I've never come across that approach...

It seems to me that this usually stems from a lack of understanding about how these drugs work…

Some folks mention wanting to run short cycles like this to avoid overwhelming their receptors. Fine, perhaps that applies if your cycle lasts 2 years. However, over 4 weeks, there’s no chance your receptors would get overwhelmed.

 

[miameow]

I don’t know what the mechanism would be. Eczema has been with me since my teens, and it got better with age. While I was taking reta, though, a flare appeared on my neck and refused to budge—it stuck around even once I stopped reta. Only after I started taking KPV in very large doses has it finally begun to resolve.

 

[eidos]

When calorie intake drops during a diet, the body shifts into a starvation response. It seeks methods to bring basal metabolic rate down. In people, the outcome is decreased sexual function together with heightened immune reactivity (a way to keep the species going...).

A number of hypotheses regarding eczema point to an overactive immune reaction against substances that were sometimes already there, for example specific Staph toxins present on the skin, particular metals, or cosmetics...

Further information about conserving energy via metabolism can be found in Burn: The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism by Herman Pontzer (this section of the book, at least, is not disputed).

Naturally, consult a doctor.

 

[ultima thule]

Builderman said:

ultima thule said:

catscratchfever43 said:

Hello! About 2 months back, when I bumped my Reta dose up to 4mg, I began getting eczema outbreaks on my eyelids. I'd never had eczema before in my life.

I follow a schedule of 4 weeks on, then 1 week off. While I was in my off week, I figured the eczema was finally gone for good, since I'd started using a new cream.

But after my dose last week, it

came back worse than it's ever been, and now it's moved down to my under eye. That cream does nothing for it now.

The only thing that's different from one week to the next is the Reta. Overall, I don't have any other symptoms besides a bit of a higher heart rate and feeling mildly tired.

I've come across other people who've had this uncommon side effect. I'm curious if it's the Reta on its own, or if the Reta is somehow unmasking an allergy to something. Either way I'll be tapering down, but I'd love to hear anyone's input. Thanks

It might not relate to what you're asking, but what's the rationale behind running Reta for 4 weeks and then taking 1 week off? Is there a specific reason? Because honestly, I've never come across that approach...

It seems to me that this usually stems from a lack of understanding about how these drugs work…

Some folks mention wanting to run short cycles like this to avoid overwhelming their receptors. Fine, perhaps that applies if your cycle lasts 2 years. However, over 4 weeks, there’s no chance your receptors would get overwhelmed.

Honestly, I get a very similar impression about that, though it's possible OP is aware of something the rest of us aren't

 

[BNLFL]

ultima thule said:

catscratchfever43 said:

Hello! About 2 months back, when I bumped my Reta dose up to 4mg, I began getting eczema outbreaks on my eyelids. I'd never had eczema before in my life.

I follow a schedule of 4 weeks on, then 1 week off. While I was in my off week, I figured the eczema was finally gone for good, since I'd started using a new cream.

But after my dose last week, it

came back worse than it's ever been, and now it's moved down to my under eye. That cream does nothing for it now.

The only thing that's different from one week to the next is the Reta. Overall, I don't have any other symptoms besides a bit of a higher heart rate and feeling mildly tired.

I've come across other people who've had this uncommon side effect. I'm curious if it's the Reta on its own, or if the Reta is somehow unmasking an allergy to something. Either way I'll be tapering down, but I'd love to hear anyone's input. Thanks

It might not relate to what you're asking, but what's the rationale behind running Reta for 4 weeks and then taking 1 week off? Is there a specific reason? Because honestly, I've never come across that approach...

That's something I haven't come across before.

 

[catscratchfever43]

ultima thule said:

catscratchfever43 said:

Hello! About 2 months back, when I bumped my Reta dose up to 4mg, I began getting eczema outbreaks on my eyelids. I'd never had eczema before in my life.

I follow a schedule of 4 weeks on, then 1 week off. While I was in my off week, I figured the eczema was finally gone for good, since I'd started using a new cream.

But after my dose last week, it

came back worse than it's ever been, and now it's moved down to my under eye. That cream does nothing for it now.

The only thing that's different from one week to the next is the Reta. Overall, I don't have any other symptoms besides a bit of a higher heart rate and feeling mildly tired.

I've come across other people who've had this uncommon side effect. I'm curious if it's the Reta on its own, or if the Reta is somehow unmasking an allergy to something. Either way I'll be tapering down, but I'd love to hear anyone's input. Thanks

It might not relate to what you're asking, but what's the rationale behind running Reta for 4 weeks and then taking 1 week off? Is there a specific reason? Because honestly, I've never come across that approach...

My parent got this protocol from his doctor, and I'm doing the same thing. As far as I know, the point is to keep from hammering the receptors and to keep weight loss slow and steady. Since he's an MD and a college professor, I assumed he'd know better than me. I get that it's controversial.

 

[catscratchfever43]

eidos said:

When calorie intake drops during a diet, the body shifts into a starvation response. It seeks methods to bring basal metabolic rate down. In people, the outcome is decreased sexual function together with heightened immune reactivity (a way to keep the species going...).

A number of hypotheses regarding eczema point to an overactive immune reaction against substances that were sometimes already there, for example specific Staph toxins present on the skin, particular metals, or cosmetics...

Further information about conserving energy via metabolism can be found in Burn: The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism by Herman Pontzer (this section of the book, at least, is not disputed).

Naturally, consult a doctor.

That's a fascinating point, and I appreciate the suggestion. I have already been seen by a doctor, and the only thing they offered was a steroid, which doesn't sit well with me because of the possibility of topical steroid withdrawal. My next step is to see a dermatologist whose focus is allergens.

 

[catscratchfever43]

miameow said:

I don’t know what the mechanism would be. Eczema has been with me since my teens, and it got better with age. While I was taking reta, though, a flare appeared on my neck and refused to budge—it stuck around even once I stopped reta. Only after I started taking KPV in very large doses has it finally begun to resolve.

Sorry to hear that. Have you given a different GLP a shot? I've been researching KPV on my own, so it's helpful to hear it's helping you. From what I've come across, it can work some remarkable healing on muscles and tendons, though there isn't much out there about its effects on skin.

 

[lessthanhalf]

Figuring out whether reta is actually involved here is going to be difficult, maybe even impossible. Rashes on the skin happen all the time. Allergic-type rash reactions to GLP drugs certainly do exist, ranging from generalised ones to, rarely, localised ones, but they are uncommon, and a reaction limited to a small patch rather than covering the whole body is even less usual. On top of that, drug allergy specialists are scarce, perhaps 1 or 2 in a major city, and their focus tends to be the more serious cases where systemic symptoms make you unwell alongside the rash.

If you have solid grounds to suspect reta is the cause, the simplest step is to stop it and watch whether the rash clears. Cross-reactions between different GLP drugs are uncommon, so switching to tirz is something you could try. Another point worth thinking about: if this really is an allergic response to reta, a reaction at the injection site is quite likely too, since that is where the concentration of the dose is highest. A local reaction on its own does not confirm reta as the culprit, because those are far more frequent than rashes appearing elsewhere, but if a distant rash were caused by reta, I would expect an injection site reaction to accompany it. Injecting a diluted dose of the drug to see whether it triggers a reaction is one of the few tests available for detecting drug allergies.

( I once had a strange rash, possibly from ozempic or from a different drug or drugs, about a year ago, and I spent a great deal of time reading up on drug allergies generally and GLP reactions specifically. I never got a clear answer or any treatment that helped, even after 3 biopsies, blood tests and a couple of dermatologists, so these days I just have a red neck. It was almost certainly not the ozempic, though, since the rash is still with me and I stopped ozempic more than a year ago)

Using steroids for a short period, even on thin, sensitive skin such as the eyelids, is not really an issue. Some potent steroids should be avoided on the face, but you are unlikely to be prescribed those. As long as the use lasts days or weeks rather than months, long term problems such as skin thinning or rebound effects after stopping are unlikely. Seeing a dermatologist is the right move in any case, since they can usually identify exactly what kind of rash it is, which often points toward what might be causing it and, ideally, how to resolve it.

 

[miameow]

catscratchfever43 said:

miameow said:

I don’t know what the mechanism would be. Eczema has been with me since my teens, and it got better with age. While I was taking reta, though, a flare appeared on my neck and refused to budge—it stuck around even once I stopped reta. Only after I started taking KPV in very large doses has it finally begun to resolve.

Sorry to hear that. Have you given a different GLP a shot? I've been researching KPV on my own, so it's helpful to hear it's helping you. From what I've come across, it can work some remarkable healing on muscles and tendons, though there isn't much out there about its effects on skin.

I've barely begun trying out a different GLP, so I'll hold off on saying anything until I can describe what happened without guessing. Reta gave me a great deal of trouble that hit me hard, in body and in mind alike. Maybe someday I'll write a post about it.

For me, KPV personally has helped. It might not do anything for other people, but in my view it deserves consideration. If you'd like to read it, I wrote about my experience megadosing KPV here.

One more thing: at no point during any of my eczema flares was I in a caloric deficit, since reta never took any weight off me. I feel it's worth stating that clearly so there's no doubt.

 

[eidos]

Just a heads-up that KPV made my eczema worse. Still, it may be worth testing out.

My physician advised OTC antihistamines and wrote me a prescription for a zinc-based lotion meant for babies' bottoms. That combination has helped a lot.

 

[ultima thule]

eidos said:

Just a heads-up that KPV made my eczema worse. Still, it may be worth testing out.

My physician advised OTC antihistamines and wrote me a prescription for a zinc-based lotion meant for babies' bottoms. That combination has helped a lot.

KPV has only been part of my routine for 2 weeks, and my thumbs have broken out with eczema. Nothing has gotten better yet. During week 1, I dosed 5mg each morning; this week I tacked on an extra .5mg in the evenings....I'm also cycling Glow...I'll check back in a couple weeks to see where things stand.

 

[catscratchfever43]

Peptide Enthusiast said:


Sorry you’re dealing with that. Skin reactions like eyelid eczema after going up in dose do pop up for some people on Reta, even with no prior history. A few others have mentioned similar flare-ups that seemed tied to dose increases. Some improved after dropping the dose, others needed more time off. Smart that you’re already planning to titrate down. Hope it calms down quickly once you lower it. Have you noticed if it gets better at all during the off weeks, or does it just keep building?

Click to expand...

By the final day of my week off, things had cleared up quite a bit, which makes me think a lower dose could do the trick. Whether I'll have to stop altogether is something I'll know before long. The flare stayed put until I raised my dose to 4mg last week. Another thing I've noticed: the itchiness eases off the longer it's been since my last dose.

 

[catscratchfever43]

miameow said:

catscratchfever43 said:

miameow said:

I don’t know what the mechanism would be. Eczema has been with me since my teens, and it got better with age. While I was taking reta, though, a flare appeared on my neck and refused to budge—it stuck around even once I stopped reta. Only after I started taking KPV in very large doses has it finally begun to resolve.

Sorry to hear that. Have you given a different GLP a shot? I've been researching KPV on my own, so it's helpful to hear it's helping you. From what I've come across, it can work some remarkable healing on muscles and tendons, though there isn't much out there about its effects on skin.

I've barely begun trying out a different GLP, so I'll hold off on saying anything until I can describe what happened without guessing. Reta gave me a great deal of trouble that hit me hard, in body and in mind alike. Maybe someday I'll write a post about it.

For me, KPV personally has helped. It might not do anything for other people, but in my view it deserves consideration. If you'd like to read it, I wrote about my experience megadosing KPV here.

One more thing: at no point during any of my eczema flares was I in a caloric deficit, since reta never took any weight off me. I feel it's worth stating that clearly so there's no doubt.

I really hope you'll share your story here—it could genuinely help another person dealing with this exact situation, though only to the extent you're at ease doing so. As for me, I spent the majority of this week sitting in a maintenance range. I appreciate you passing along the link! Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[jpru2001]

I recently dealt with an eczema outbreak that affected just one eyelid. In my case it shows up roughly once every year around this season, and a week of prednisone clears it up without much trouble.

Reta isn't the cause in my situation, though this is something that appeared suddenly one year when I was in my 30s. Skin problems like that can surface at any age, even for someone who has never had any skin issues before, and once eczema gets going it seems to follow its own rules. I wouldn't be certain that reta is even involved. For the everyday eczema I get on the backs of my legs and my elbows, I usually just apply creams and put up with it, but roughly once a year it shows up on my eyelids/face and I do a round of prednisone.

Still, I sympathize with you, eczema on the eyelids is absolutely miserable.