Atopic dermatitis is ruining my life
Around July 2025 I tried taking BPC-157 and TB500 (peptides) to heal a couple bad muscle strains which would not get better after months of rehab and rest. I was very clean with the injections and everything was going well at first. Maybe a month in, my groin would get super itchy and I'd uncontrollably scratch it. Over time, this itch spread across my body and intensified. This prompted me to see a dermatologist.
She believed I was most likely allergic to the compounds and prescribed me triamcinolone for the eczema (biopsy came back as likely atopic dermatitis). This was a big relief and allowed me to actually sleep at night. After a while of the condition not going away, I was given tacrolimus to use as well. After 6 weeks of the same thing, I was given my first shot of Dupixent. I've now been on Dupixent for 2 months. Since my derm wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of dupixent, I stopped using triamcinolone and tacrolimus.
The itch isn't too horrible (most of the time), but my skin is getting worse without the topicals. Im covered in red spots, cracks, and rashes from head to toe. I know Dupixent gets evaluated at 16 weeks for effectiveness, but I'm just so hopeless. My eczema was completely dormant for the first 20 years of my life and I can't imagine living an entire life suffering like this 24/7. I'm a very fortunate man and I'm so grateful for that but I just can't enjoy my life at all. I often wonder if this is ever going to get better. If not, I think i'd be better off not here anymore (though I could never do it myself).
I'm itchy and extremely uncomfortable from the second I wake up til the moment I fall asleep. In fact, I'm even itchy during my sleep, and while I don't consciously perceive it, I know through my apple watch that I wake up 15+ times every night, presumably to scratch.
I have no desire to put energy or effort into anything. I text my close friends a couple times a day, but other than that, I have nothing to put into relationships, school, or work. I go to the gym still because I love it so much but my intensity is absolutely nowhere to be found these past few weeks. Everyday I do just the minimum to take care of myself and get through the day.
In the end, I just pray to be normal again. Taking those peptides was the worst decision of my life and I regret it so much. Hindsight is 20/20, but man I wish I knew better back then. On the positive side, if I ever get through this, I'll appreciate life so much more.
Some extra details- I immediately stopped using the peptides when I started getting itchy. I unfortunately never had them tested for impurities before using them. I've tried different diets, supplements, soaps, etc.