Grover's Disease: What works to help find relief?

Hello! I've been following the comments on this support group for the last few days as I was very recently diagnosed with GD. I'm very curious to know if anyone has related theirs to Covid or the vaccine? My flare ups just started I'd say about 2.5 years ago - around the time that I had the first shot (never got a booster) and then I had Covid a few months later. I've never had any sort of skin disorder before that so it's the only significant change that I can think of.

Don’t wear underwire bras! Put max strength desitin which is 40percent zinc under the breast line after each shower, be sure to dry skin thoroughly first!

Do you use any moisturizing lotion or oil after showering? Or just the Desitin? Even gentle lotions like Cetaphil, Eucerin, and Aveeno irritate my rash 🙁 I've been using Desitin the last few days and it kind of seems like the rash is getting better, but I'm not sure what to do about actually moisturizing my skin. Olive oil? Coconut oil? Tea Tree oil?

I like light texture hypoallergenic moisturizer. I don’t have a specific brand to recommend though

You got a little older. Some people are sure they got it right after their covid shot. Other people, like me, think there is no relationship. Join the Facebook forum for Grover's and read the study by Bryan Lewis, it's very informative.

Hi all...I tried posting a very long post and sadly it didn't work and I lost all content so I'll try an abbreviated version.

I'm a 48-year-old white male and had a rash breakout all over my trunk/abdomen area after swimming in a heated pool and then hot tub in early December 2025.

I've now seen three (3) separate dermatologists and was finally biopsied today (though all three mentioned Grover's as a possibility).

I'm a research guru and have read most of the case studies available about Grover's disease. In fact, I reached out to two separate dermatologists who've authored papers (available on the NIH website) on the "surgical" treatment of Grover's with liquid nitrogen and acid peel techniques, respectively.

In both cases, the burning/freezing of the skin seems to have healed the treated Grover's lesions, replacing it with healthy skin (non Grover's impacted) in its place. Both patients were followed for many months afterwards and did not have a recurrent outbreak afterwards.

In my case, my initial rash (subsiding after two months) was only itchy and stinging for about 1.5 months and has since subsided with minimal itching or stinging (though several lesions continue to pop up here and there).

I'm scheduled to get my biopsy results back in 1 to 2 weeks but plan on exploring treatment of my existing lesions with acid peel and/or carbon dioxide laser to see if this surgical approach will help to clear my existing lesions.

Thanks to all who contribute to this group...it helps with the mental health aspects of being diagnosed with a relatively rare and incurable condition (particularly given normal activities like exercise, sweating, and being hot can be the trigger).

May I ask where you are located? What exactly is a functional medicine doctor and how easy are they to find?

Roanoke VA
Functional medicine is a holistic healthcare approach that aims to identify and address the root causes of disease, rather than just treating symptoms. It's a specialty within integrative medicine that considers the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can contribute to health issues.
Dr. Michael Arthur, The Center for Ultra Health

If you haven't already, I suggest you join the Facebook group for Grover's and look up the lengthy report by Bryan Lewis about the cause of this curse. I had a biopsy in 1992 that came back as Grover's. I had red spots but no itch at the time of the removal of a melanoma. It was 2007 before I itched and it went on until a UCSF dermatologist prescribed Gabapentin in 2008. The itch almost immediately went away and I took the Gabapentin for 13 years and it simply quit working in 2021 and I've been itching since then . I use Eucerin Itch Relief and take Hydroxyzine to get sleep. I've had many, many precancerous lesions frozen off for years and no doctor ever said it would work for Grover's and I've never heard anyone say anything about it on several forums. AS time permits, I'm gonna research it. Good luck.

I have had GD for over 20 years and for the first time this winter, it has appeared in a couple areas on my legs, ugh. The breakout was bad this time and have been fighting it for over 3 months. Hopefully it will remain a minor part of my GD going forward.