LONG COVID DERMATITIS AND THE PRIMROSE

Here is one more anecdotal story.

In February of 2020, my wife went to London for a conference, returning on the 5th of March.
On the return trip she had a mild sore throat, which she reported to the border officer at the airport: she was advised that since she was feeling fine, there was no need for a covid-19 test.

On the news two days later we heard that Sophie Trudeau had returned from London with a covid-19 infection, the night before my wife’s flight.

We did not develop any respiratory symptoms and we decided not to worry about it, but five days later I developed classical “Covid toes”, involving my right foot and the inflammation, with swelling, burning, pain and tenderness, lasted about five days.

In June of 2020, I began to experience extraordinarily itchy, little spots, of different sizes, symmetrically positioned on my legs (right and left), then my back (at the tip of each scapula), then my arms (usually at the elbows, or over the triceps muscles).

I unsuccessfully searched the web for causes of dermatitis in an 80-year old and consulted with a family physician friend, then with a dermatologist, online: the consensus was that I had nummular neurodermatitis. 

Treatment with “Liderm”, a corticosteroid cream, stopped the itching about 20 minutes after application, but next day I would have another crop of itchy spots, always symmetrically placed, right and left.

The problem continued, getting very slowly better until it stopped in October of 2021.

I had my first Covid vaccinations (Pfizer) on 13th March, and my second in July, of 2021.
My booster was scheduled for 11th January 2022.

On the 7th of January 2022, I had a sniffly nose. The dermatitis began again and on 9th January my Covid toes recurred, milder this time. 
Neither the itch nor the inflammation of the toes is as severe as it was in March of 2020.
I have not redone the home Covid test because it is currently not easily available.

On the 11^th of January, I went for the booster shot anyway.

I began applying Liderm to the itchy spots, but this time it did not work well, so my wife suggested taking primrose oil capsules, by mouth: I am taking one, twice per day.
The primrose oil stopped the itching in two days and I have no “spots”.

DISCUSSION: 

• It is uncertain as to whether or not I had Covid in March 2020, and it is even less certain that I have got it again now, but the circumstantial evidence suggests that I did.
• Although I am 82 years old, my hormone balance and vitamin levels are those of a 30 or 35 year-old and I take 5,000 iu of Vitamin D daily, which might explain the fact that I did not develop a severe covid infection in March, 2021, or Jan, 2922. 
• Regardless of the answers to these questions, it is fair to say that primrose oil has relieved my itch within two days.

Primrose oil contains GLA (Linoleic Acid), an omega-6 essential fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory effects in the body, so it is not surprising that it has helped my dermatitis.

According to the “WEB MD” site, it is used for the nerve damage of Diabetes and for Osteoporosis.

NOW, IT’S YOUR BALL

So, come to your own conclusions, but I think that if you have dermatitis from long Covid, you should give primrose oil a try!

If you have further information, comments or objections to this post, please do send me a note.

REFERENCES

(1) Web MD:

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1006/evening-primrose-oil

(2) Evening primrose oil: Bryan Bayles ¹ , Richard Usatine: Am Fam Physician, 2009 Dec 15;80(12):1405-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20000302/

(3) Review Article karger.com/Article/Fulltext/512932#