1. Community
  2. Skin and nails
  3. Granuloma Annulare

STRESS and granuloma annulare?

Posted , 6 users are following.

lauren14489
lauren14489

I am nearly certain that my granuloma annulare is due to poor immunity- and stress. Before I got glandular fever I was going through the most stressful time in my life and was having frequent and intense breakdowns where I would cry for days on end. Then, after getting really sick i was still dealing with copious amounts of stress and I really think my body couldn't cope that's when I noticed my first two lumps. I've got granuloma annulare (I had a biopsy and have seen a specialist) and I'm feeling a lot better in mysef HOWEVER, I recently went on an overseas trip that had some very stressful events happen and I noticed my GA flare up BIG TIME. I calmed down for the rest of the trip and what do you know? No new spots. I recently started uni and am in a complicated relationship and- GA mildly pops it's head (I've gotten a few more spots). It's almost as if the GA spots pop up according to my level of stress, if I'm really bad then the GA will break out badly, if I'm mildly stress I'll notice little lumps here and there. None of mine have gone away since I've had it but they have spread out into rings instead of staying as lumps and the first one I ever had on my hand is SLIGHTLY fading. It's hard to be happy about it though since I have so many more... my greatest fear is that this will eventually spread to my face, I wouldn't be able to handle that... I'm an 18 year old female. Any responses are appreciated, is anyone experiencing similar?

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • j0603
    j0603 lauren14489

    Posted

    Hi Lauren first of all I feel your pain this rash is awful. I am not as self conscious now after 3 years as I was in the beginning but I am not a happy camper at all. I am positive the rash is immune related and it is aggravated by stress. When I am tired or over worked or over stressed I will get a new circle or two and my existing circles will become more red. I just had a bunch of cortisone injections and am going in for more on my wrists and hip on 4/5. Anyway, it gets rid of the circles (for me). Now if someone could only find out how to stop new ones from forming!

    • lauren14489
      lauren14489 j0603

      Posted

      Sounds a lot like me! I'm going in for cortisone shots soon, can you tell me a bit about your experience with them?? Im hopeful they will help me. My spots are small to medium in size and form to be little rings with a depressed centre and lumps around the outer.

    • marsha33788
      marsha33788 lauren14489

      Posted

      The first cortisone shots helped mine they came back worse. 2nd round did nothing so I quit getting them.
    • j0603
      j0603 marsha33788

      Posted

      Hi Marsha,

      I'm sorry to hear that. The shots make mine disappear I'm lucky or maybe it is the skill of the doctor with dosage and placement? He also massages the area lightly after to spread the cortisone around.

      I also have taken plaquenil for a year in the past and all traces of my GA disappeared after 3 months. I don't believe plaquenil is a horrible drug but it does make me more nervous than the cortisone injections so it is something I will definitely go back to if this rash ever hits my FACE😬😬

  • tia8989
    tia8989 lauren14489

    Posted

    Everyone needs to know that a few doses of Humira kills granuloma annulare.  Pentoxyfilline works as well but takes much longer.(3 400mg pills per day)
    • lauren14489
      lauren14489 tia8989

      Posted

      Everyone needs to know that this drug is DANGEROUS and you should not be so blasé with your encouragement to use it! This stuff can have serious side effects like CANCER!! It's not something to go injecting into yourself without serious instruction and research! Please be more careful about what you tell people on the internet!

  • sarah10914
    sarah10914 lauren14489

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I've suspected for a while now that my GA tends to flare up most when I'm stressed.  I'm nearly 20 now and have had GA for upwards of 10 years but the worst of it seems to come during exam seasons or other prolonged stressful times.  While none of my flare ups are particularly "bad" (they usually consist of only another one or two new circles appearing) it is frustrating to have more spots appear quicker than the others are fading (mine tend to take around 3-5 years to fade completely).

    I have yet to find anything that helps to clear up my GA but then again, I haven't really been seeking out solutions.

    • lauren14489
      lauren14489 sarah10914

      Posted

      Hey, thanks for your reply and I'm sorry you are suffering with this frustrating disease and for over a decade, I can't stand it and it hasn't even been a year for me yet. I feel pretty much doomed to be covered in these ugly spots for the rest of my life since doing my research I haven't found any cases where this ever goes away sad. I definitely think this is related to stress and immunity. Have you done steroid shots, cream , or laser? Do people tend to notice your GA?

    • sarah10914
      sarah10914 lauren14489

      Posted

      I find people don't notice it as much as you'd think they would, especially since it is in fairly visible places (top of my feet, elbows, back of hands, fingers, I also had it on my knees but hose have since gone away).  If they do notice it I usually get a "What's that?" with a kind of funny look.  After I explain it people tend to forget about it and rarely does anyone ever mention it.  I actually even had a boyfriend in high school that absolutely loved the uniqueness of the spots.

      Since I first got GA so young I only ever tried creams to get rid of it. My dermatologist told me when I first went that GA usually clears up after adolescence so we mostly just left it alone (it never cleared up, obviously).   After about 6 months of trying creams I stopped and haven't pursued anything since.  Since I've never really had a bad experience because of my GA I've never been too concerned with getting rid of it, just mostly annoyed.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.