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

In 1992, at age 51, I had a large melanoma removed from my back. At that time I was getting a lot of seborrheic keratoses, and some actinic keratoses, and had a kind of rash of small red spots on my chest. I saw another dermatologist who biopsied the red spots which turned out to be Grover's Disease. Other than annual full body exams for a possible recurring melanoma and a few basal cell carcinomas removed, I didn't have any more problems until January 2007. The Grover's was always there but didn't seem to bother me.

At the end of 2006, I retired and moved from a foggy climate to a more dry climate. By January 2007, I started having terrible itching on my chest and back. A new dermatologist again biopsied the red spots and they were still Grover's. He prescribed ointments, including a pretty expensive one (Dovenex), but none of them helped very much. The only thing that sort of worked, out of many tried, was Eucerin Itch Relief. Most of the time I was reading and posting on a website called Skincell. There were many people with many wild (IMO) theories as to what causes Grover's. Some attributed it to the mercury in their dental fillings and were having all their fillings removed and redone. In addition to the itching, the red spots often got a little crusty and would sting if I got sweaty.

I finally got an appointment with Dr. Jack Resnick at UCSF in June 2008. He prescribed Gabapentin (Neurontin), 300 mg every night and the itch went away. It was gone until about June 2021 when it started coming back slowly. I don't know if the Gabapentin really worked or the disease just went away for 13 years.

UCSF was across two bridges and about 35 miles away so I had found a dermatologist closer to home for my annual exams. As the itch became as bad as it's ever been, I've tried to get the new dermatologist and my PCP to prescribe something to help. The derm prescribed Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream, which can cause or worsen glaucoma. As my wife has some serious glaucoma, I couldn't risk it. I used the Eucerin Itch Relief for a few months then my PCP prescribed Hydroxyzine which gives me some relief as it makes me go to sleep. When it wears off after about six to seven hours, the itching come back. To honest, I'm not sure if the widespread keratoses don't also itch.
Apparently, the website Skincell is no longer what it used to be and this site is one where I can find other people discussing Grovers. I was hoping there had been some kind of breakthrough in the last 15 years. Apparently not. I'm now also on the Facebook Grover's page. I'm curious about the Cilantro and Chlorella smoothie approach but I'm one of those people to whom Cilantro tastes like soap. I'm thinking about tablets of both of those.
This site allows me to see what other people are trying and, sometimes, succeeding with. I'm due for my annual visit to the dermatologist and I'll have something to discuss with him and maybe prompt him to become a little more interested in the problem.

I’ve had it since June of 2022. I have learned that somethings work for me but not others and others and not me. The steroid cream stopped the itching while using to times a day. But now only works for about 4 hours. Tried other over the counter creams, that worked great for a week , but now doesn’t work only for a hour. Was doing the cilantro smoothies. But now doing the cilantro capsules. Much easier. Not seeing anything yet with cilantro, but going to give it a month. Some foods do make it flare up. Shellfish for sure on me. Heard about Retinal and tried some my wife had and it worked really good, so I ordered cream with a bigger % than what she had to see what it will do.
So it looks to me, that you need three creams to switch around so your body doesn’t get use to them. Steroid cream just for emergencies, because my dermatologist said it could cause other problems. Don’t know what they are. With all this I still have a bunch of bumps on my lower back middle and upper back middle. And I’m still getting them in other places, legs, arms, and feet.

If you have severe itching, you should beware of the drug ibuprofen and also suspect any other drugs you may be taking. Years ago I broke out in hives on my torso that drove me crazy. It took a while for me and my doctors to realize that the itching was a side effect of an NSAID Rx that I was taking for arthritis. I am allergic to the ingredient ibuprofen that is in all NSAIDS. Even Voltaren, which is a topical version of ibuprofen, eventually gets into my bloodstream and causes itching on parts of the body far from the joints on which it is rubbed.

300 mg at night & 2 100mg as needed during the day got rid of my itch entirely for the last 8 months. I weaned myself gradually off the Gabapentin.
I also use 3 creams. 2 are steroids (Triamcinolone & Dexa “something”. The third is CETAFIL cream from the drugstore. I try to use the OTC mostly. I have been itch free & sleeping through the night. 😊

I took 300 milligrams of gabapentin every night for 13 years and, to my knowledge never had any side effects that were noticeable. Somewhere around August 2021 I slowly started itching again. Makes me wonder if it ever worked and if my disease was just dormant for 13 years. After all, I had the red spots and a biopsy of Grovers for 15 years before I started itching.