Derm Chastises for Lack of Insurance ... Carmol40
from Tina G.

Hi Ed.  Doing a great service to us all.  Thanks for the support. I am a 52 year old woman living in the Florida Keys.  An antifungal drug (the Rural Health Clinic thought I had ringworm) triggered an eruption of guttate P over about 80% of my body.  This happened in a little over 48 hours.  I was flipping out.  Our health  care here is very limited.  After a regimen of Prednisone didn't make a dent, I saw a Derm.  I'm covered with these  purple things — I had no clue.  The Derm walks in, no introduction looks me up and down like I'm from another planet, and the first words out of his mouth are, "You HIV positive?"  I nearly fell on the floor — great bedside manner huh?

I informed him that I had no insurance and his reply was, “That's pretty stupid, next to rent that the most important thing you can buy.” As my options for MD's down here are very limited, I followed his advise and spent a ton of money. Creams, lotions steroid's, etc.  The sun and salt water do help but I do have to work for a living.

I have found sort of an underground source for medicines and am currently having some success with a 40 % urea cream called Carmol40.  Very expensive, but it has broken through the flakes and helped a great deal.  I also use a 100% Jojoba extract, and a combination of T-GEL shampoo mixed with tea tree shampoo 2/3 tar to 1/3 Tea Tree.

I have had success with this treatment in about 1 week — a string of lesions that covers from my hip to just above my knee has begun to shrink.  Nothing stops the itching, yet, but I think I might be making progress. 

I'm sorry this is so long, it's nice to be able to communicate with someone who has an understanding of the problem. Keep up the good work. –Tina G.

*****

Ed’s Response:  The good news is you live in the Florida Keys — a very beautiful place, I’m told.  Why in the world can’t it attract decent Derms?  Your derm needs to be thwacked.  Or throttled.  Or both.  What a callous SOB!  I’m sorry, but nothing irritates me more than stories about rude, obnoxious doctors.  And this ass with whom you got stuck!  Of course he thinks health insurance is the next most important acquisition after rent:  If too many people forgo health insurance some sort of government subsidy — beyond Medicare/Medicaid — will be required and then his six figure salary will be in jeopardy.  Who is he to dictate your life’s priorities? ...  Oh don’t get me started.

Your T-Gel/Tea Tree compounded shampoo sounds interesting, Tina.  You get your coal-tar derivative from the T-Gel and your antifungal, antibacterial agent from the T-Tree. 

I found a great web page about your Carmol40.  It IS a prescription drug; however, this particular web site — MedicalWellnessCenter.com — provides an on-line consultation alternative after which “one of our physicians” will issue a prescription (for $49.95 + the cost of the medication).  Let’s hope this a practice limited to the mildest of therapies!

I was particularly intrigued by the suggestion, on this web page, that Carmol40 might be used in conjunction with a topical corticosteroid.  The benefit of this is that the Carmol40 would exfoliate (remove tissue), softening the lesion, after which the corticosteroid would penetrate deeper, easier.  That sounds like a good idea to me.  I think I’ve wasted thousands of dollars (granted, insurance dollars) applying topical corticosteroids that languished, without effect, locked out on top of a lesion, until they were uselessly washed off.  Like laying seed to hard topsoil without tilling it first. 

Let us know how that Carmol40 works out for you, Tina.  -Ed

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