“The Itch Got So Bad That I Would Wake Up With Bloody Sheets” — How One Teen Changed His Eczema Approach

Trey's life seemed pretty typical at first glance — he went to school, ran track, and joined the Boy Scouts. But it wasn't actually as smooth as it sounds. For most of his life, Trey has been living with atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common form of eczema — aka the chronic immune-mediated condition in which inflammation within the skin leads to itchiness, dryness, and rough patches. He was diagnosed when he was around 6 years old. But it wasn’t until high school that he began seeing an allergist who helped get his eczema under control. Here’s what made all the difference.

How It Started

As a kid, Trey started having a range of allergic symptoms. "I would have rashes, especially triggered by environmental factors like going somewhere that was dusty or had a lot of pollen — but I also had food allergies that would trigger a strong skin reaction," he recalls. It wasn’t a total shock: His mom has eczema, and Trey’s older sister has allergic dermatitis and severe food allergies. They knew the routine for caring for skin with eczema, applying moisturizer regularly and eventually moving to prescription medicines, specifically steroids.

But that routine wasn’t enough for Trey. He felt itchy 24 hours a day. Itchy skin might not seem like that big of a deal, but "it ruins your sleep and is constantly distracting," he says. On top of that, he had rashes that influenced what he did (and didn’t) wear. "I didn't wear shorts to school for years because I didn't want to get questions about what was going on behind my legs," he says.

The eczema also limited what he could do. Despite living in Southern California, Trey didn't want to go to the beach; the salt water and sweat hurt. "My skin stung really badly," he recalls. His eczema would also flare when he ran, which made it a challenge to keep up with his track and cross-country practices. "It really limited what I felt comfortable doing.”

The Turning Point

Finally, at the beginning of his freshman year of high school, his flares got bad enough that he knew he had to do something about it. He and his allergist discussed his eczema symptoms and the significant impact on his life — and figured out that the regimen he'd been on for years wasn't actually working for him.

With the allergist and eventually a dermatologist helping him with a new treatment plan, Trey found OPZELURA® (ruxolitinib) cream 1.5%, a nonsteroidal, twice-daily cream that is FDA-approved for the short-term and non-continuous chronic treatment of mild to moderate eczema in certain people 2 years and older whose disease is not well-controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not recommended.

(Reporter’s note: The use of OPZELURA along with therapeutic biologics, other JAK inhibitors, or strong immunosuppressants such as azathioprine or cyclosporine is not recommended. It is not known if OPZELURA is safe and effective in children less than 2 years of age with atopic dermatitis. OPZELURA is not for everyone. It can cause side effects, including serious side effects. See below for IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION, including Boxed Warning for serious infections, increased risk of death, lymphoma and other cancers, major cardiovascular events, and blood clots.)

Trey, one of the 1 million+ people worldwide who have been prescribed OPZELURA, finally has some relief from his symptoms after adding OPZELURA to his eczema routine. “I really like that I can use OPZELURA like a spot treatment. If I’m having a flare-up on my arms or on my wrists — or anywhere with a specific flare-up — I can just use it on that area,” he says.

Even better: OPZELURA works relatively fast for Trey. "If I have a spot that's flaring, I can start putting OPZELURA on it, and it's better within a few days," he says. It's made a huge difference. For instance, his eczema symptoms are no longer impacting his sleep. "There's not that persistent itch, and I'm not waking up with bloody sheets from the endless scratching," he says. Effectively managing his symptoms means he can finally work out without worrying about sweat irritating his skin and making the most of the sunny California weather. (Reporter’s note: Individual results may vary. OPZELURA is not for everyone.)

It took him years to get here, but Trey is finally happy with his current eczema routine and no longer deals with itchiness, pain, and disruptions every day. If you have eczema or are caring for someone who does, talk to a dermatologist about potential treatment options and head to MyMomentsOfClarity.com for more stories of people who have experienced symptom relief with OPZELURA.

Please see the Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, and Medication Guide for OPZELURA.