Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dermatology  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Schamberg's Disease
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center Brookline - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Dermatology issues, such as: skin rashes, acne, birthmarks, skin infections, rosacea, and general skin care.
Post a Question Back to Forum
MedHelp Member's Question

Schamberg's Disease

by norma, Aug 29, 1999 12:00AM
Dr.R...read your answer to Mary's question concerning her daughter who has Schambergs disease and her question about her daughter having pain in her legs..I have had schamberg's disease for almost two years and I also have experienced pain in my legs and also my arms...I recently read a article about treatment with vitamins and bioflavonids on the internet but can not find the article now...do you know anything about this treatment and if it will work...have tried many other things and nothing seems to be working...also before my spots appeared I had gone to a doctor for back pain and had two steroids shots...it was after that that my spots appeared..do you think there could be a connection....Thanks Norma
Doctor's Answer

by Alan Rockoff, MD, Aug 29, 1999 12:00AM
Norma:



What I suggest is that you try to get a more precise diagnosis.



Schamberg's Disease itself causes no other symptoms.  But that doesn't mean you don't have pain.  Perhaps your spots mean something else, or maybe the pain is from a different cause entirely.  (The same question comes up with varicose veins.  Many women have them, and some have leg pain, but it's awfully hard to line up what you see with what people feel, since many people with leg pain have no visible veins, and vice versa.)



A visit to either a dermatologist or rheumatologist (or both) would seem to be wothwhile, if the symptoms are as troublesome as they sound.  Treatment directed at a specific diagnosis often produces more effectiveness.



Good luck.



Dr. R
Member Comments (31)

by Barbara, Oct 26, 1999 12:00AM
This isn't really a reply, it is a question relating to Schamburg's disease.



I did go to a dermatologist and he told me there wasn't anything that he could do for this and said I had to lose weight.  I agree I need to lose weight but would that help prevent any new "outbreaks"?



I just have one area right now that started in Aug about the size of a dime and is now about 2" in diameter.  He also said it might go away in a week or in a year.  



Do you agree with his remarks?  Is there anything other than losing weight (which I am making an effort to do) that will help this condition?



Thanks.

by Alan Rockoff, MD, Oct 27, 1999 12:00AM
Barbara:



I don't know of any effective treatments for Shamberg's either.  I do agree that time may well help.



Best.



Dr. R

by sophie depas, Nov 11, 1999 12:00AM
my son  has schambergs disease and he has experienced pain in his legs too.  The doctors didn't seem to think it was related.  Wehave hadno luck with treatment and it is very distressing.  Well they haven't offered any treatment. Our homeopath is working on it. Have you had any luck? My son got it after a virus and has it for a year.

My email address is ***@****

by Alan Rockoff, MD, Nov 14, 1999 12:00AM
Sophie:



Schamberg's Disease is superficial and does not cause pain, unless 1) the diagnosis is incorrect or 2) your son is upset about the appearance of the rash, and worrying about it is causing pain.  You might want to get another opinion to look into either possibility.  There is no treatment that I know of for Schabmerg's Disease.



Best.



Dr. R

by Julia, Jan 20, 2000 12:00AM
I was also diagnosed as having the disease and my dermatologist says that it may have been caused by taking Stopayne (or rather an ingredient in the painkiller).  Is this possible?  Also, how long does it take to clear up?  I have it on my legs and it is spreading to my stomach.



thanks

by Margaret Tucker, Jan 25, 2000 12:00AM
I suppose this is a bit late, but there is an abstract of the study Norma asked about posted here:



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=10426890&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b

by Satyajeet, Feb 08, 2000 12:00AM


Dear doc,I have been having Schamberg's disease since the last seven years.Although it has given me no problems I would like to know whether physical activities like jogging and playing increase the pigmentations and whether Laser therapy would be helpful?If so I would like to know where one can avail of such a facility.My e-mail add. is ***@****

by bill, Feb 09, 2000 12:00AM
I have been suffering from this for 10 years - it comes and goes once or twice a year - in my case, it is accompanied by intense itching/pain treatable only by massive doses of oral Prednisone and Darvon pain killers. I understand that my suffering is very rare, and I can give you no useful cures. Nobody knows where it comes from, or why it happens - there is no research into it. Cortisone cream can be used to reduce itching, and oral Prednisone can clear up the skin sooner if necessary. As I say, in my case I have seen many specialists and there are no cures. I am currently suffering a very bad attack - keeping your legs elevated can help, as well as not working (easy for the doctor to say...). If you are pain-free, count yourself lucky and wait it out. In case I didn't make this clear - the itching is so intense that it feels to your nerve endings like pain. ***@****

by brion, Mar 03, 2000 12:00AM
I was told a few days a go that I have schamberg's disease. I first started noticing the spots about 8 months ago. There were only a couple of spots then, now I have thousands all over my legs. They do not itch and I am feeling no pain. My question to you all that are feeling pain is how long after you started noticeing the spots did the pain come? I have also heard that this comes and goes. Has any one ever had it go away?

by Linda, Mar 04, 2000 12:00AM
I was just diagnosed this morning with Schamberg's disease.  A month ago I had an oval shaped rash outlined with a red ring just above my ankle.  My GP didn't know what it was and recommended fungal creams, then a cortisone cream.  In the past two days I went from an additional 4 spots on each leg the size of dimes, to nearly 20 on each leg.  Today, the dermatologist diagnosed it as Schamberg's disease.  I have had some itching, but found that 25 mg Benadryl on these occasions releives the itching.  The dermatologist prescribed a cortisone steroid ointment, but said it would cause thinning of the skin, which would be permanent.  Some of the pictures I have viewed are rather scarey, but I feel lucky that this is not life threatening.  So far, for me, this has been mostly a little pain and mostly cosmetic issue.  But I am, none the less, scared about the potential severity of this disease.  I have heard that this disease can be caused by some medications.  I started using the Nicotrol Inhaler when I quit smoking on 1/1/2000 and have taken Ibuprofen on occasion for neck and back pain.  I have also heard this disease is more common in men, but I have very recently begun pre-menopause.  Would like to know if anyone else has had symptoms similar to this, or diagnosis after these medications.  Sure would like to help find a cause and cure by sharing our conditions with others.  Thank you to all of you who have written before me.  I really appreciated finding this forum today.  This morning, I asked the dermatologist if I should make a follow-up appointment, and she said it would not be necessary, there was nothing more they could do for me.  This forum has given me some hope.  Thank you!

by Linda, Mar 04, 2000 12:00AM
I was just diagnosed this morning with Schamberg's disease.  A month ago I had an oval shaped rash outlined with a red ring just above my ankle