I am so distressed to hear about your suffering (which we all share or have shared.) I am medical researched obsessed and since I am still suffering from GD, albeit on a reduced level from before, I am interested in all possible causes as it might be multifactorial in each of us. What makes you worse could be making me worse. What helps you might help me. My research has led me to many health issues, causes and solution and we all have to be concerned with metal toxicity. The fact that cilantro has helped so many in this group points to heavy metals as a possible cause. So I directed my attention to aluminum toxicity.

Have you identified the source of your aluminum overload? Some common sources of aluminum are chronic use of antacids, buffered aspirins, drinks from aluminum cans ( acid in drinks frees up the aluminum in the can,) teas - all varieties: black, green, white. Aluminum is present in many processed foods. Aluminum can be present in your water. Citrate can increase the amount of aluminum you absorb. (Citrate is the mechanism of water conditioning I have been using. End of that for me. I have been drinking black tea - at least a quart a day with the teabags left in the hot water the entire time - since I was 8 and I am 72. End of that for me.)

Silica (present in some mineral waters, but not all) is a good detox vehicle for aluminum. Silica is also present in certain foods: cucumbers, oats, brown rice, wheat, strawberries, onions, avocados, and root vegetables. Some bottled waters have more silica than others. San Pellegrino has silica, Perrier does not. There are silica supplements. Not sure about safety, purity or amounts one should (or should not) take. Here's an article about aluminum toxicity: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782734/ Here's an article about use of silica to reduce aluminum load and effect on Alzheimer's disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17435954/ Here's an article about silicon supplementation and effect on reducing aluminum. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21198634/

When I am researching something, I type in the key words and write NIH after the phrase I am researching. This brings up NIH (National Institute of Health) a government agency that sponsors research on various topics and many of the articles also summarize research of others. This keeps me mostly away from questionable sites and businesses that are selling stuff.

Hope some of this helps. Itching is a cruel kind of suffering.

mnitchke- Hang tough- my first outbreak lasted a full year, then waned, cleared and came back in 6 months on and off for a few years. My point being you will have better days so be hopeful. Yet cilantro did the trick for me.

I must admit my symtoms were classicly limited to torso front and back. What concerns me is the extent the rash covers your body.

Was your heavy metal test a patch test or blood? My metal allergies showed up in my blood test but not in my patch test and I have have had 2 complete rounds of patch testing over the years. My aluminum scored almost to severe, then nickle a medium moderate and 3 others as mild. The ortho said even though not allergic to the bone cement or titanium traces of all the other metals are in the implant. I paid $600 out of pocket as Medicare doesn't cover allergy blood test before TKR, even with a history of being an allergic person. Because of that backed out of TKR.

I also have 2 other forms of eczema. Severe ACD to many common daily contacts. Like you developed eczema as an adult. Have you had the 5 Day Extended Patch Test for Allergic Contact Dermatitis, ACD? Yet you couldn't now if broken out on the back. I am wondering if the rash areas other than the torso are caused by ACD allergies and not GD at all. Doctors made the mistake of believing my GD was related to ACD issues for years. When you go into remission I would recommend the 5 Day Patch test for ACD.

Also do not get the adult shingles vaccine, Shingrex- big mistake for me as I got a case of shingles for the first time within a week after the first injection and derm said it was directly related to the vaccine.I am not getting the second injection. I had thought I was breaking out with GD again, even though the rash was different looking. People complain about shingles- in my case I can testify that it nothing compared to the itching and pain of GD! Plus it only lasted me about 2 months.