What is Grover's disease of the skin?

For marilykay- I've followed your progress, but haven't had a follow up from you about trying cannibis therapy. We learn helpful information from others and if my GD ever returns the more knowledge I have in my tool chest will be a treasure.

I have read through much of this discussion and thought I'd chime in with my story. Started getting very itchy random bumps on my torso a few years ago. They looked like little scabs. Seemed to pop up randomly but I thought maybe tied to sweat (I hike/run and swim daily). They would come and go. I never looked into it.

Then all of the sudden a month ago they started spreading upward over chest, more bumps than ever and appeared on my back. Extreme itch and pinprick sensations. I mean, the itch is just beyond what you think those little suckers can produce. Have been chasing down doctors appts ever since. Went to primary care and he had no clue (most had gone away) and said maybe folliculitis. Sent some pictures when it came back to a Derm at Kaiser and she said it looked like Grover's disease and said to take cool showers after sweating/exercise and use triamcinolone cream for flare ups. Sigh.

In desperation to get a real diagnosis I went outside of Kaiser (and paid out of pocket because Kaiser is always booked out two months) and this Derm said "maybe" Grovers, maybe some other immune rash or eczema. He said Grovers usually doesn't itch. WHAT?! I said, have you ever met a Grovers patient? Read THIS forum, doc. Anyway...he said I need a biopspy but wouldn't do one due to cost and said it would most likely be inconclusive! WHY? I had fresh bumps. He told me to go back to Kaiser and demand a biopsy. I have been calling daily and still have weeks until my appt. Will the bumps be fresh enough? Is this hell I am in fresh enough?

I apply the steroid cream, it helps, but then new bumps appear. It's like whack a mole. I think maybe I am starting to see a pattern though? I swim nightly, come home and new bumps. Perhaps the friction of my suit? I take cool showers but the itch is still unbearable for hours after I get out. Oh and I forgot this part- They also gave me calcipotriene cream. Was using that only on my torso/chest as an experiment to see if it helped (or hurt because I found out the hard way I am allergic to elidel and know I should be cautious with new creams). Six days later my chest is covered in a NEW rash. It looks like road rash. And the only reason I can think of is the calcipotriene. So I stopped that immediately. No change yet but that could take weeks if it's the source of my new rash.

Anyway. I wonder about the biopsy. Do I really need to have brand new bumps? Mine pop up at night and sometimes by the next day they are scabs. My fear is I finally get in and they say they can't biopsy it. I just want a concrete diagnosis. Its looks and sounds like Grover's but how can I be sure? And what do I do when the two weeks of steroid use is up? What OTC creams are folks using for itch that doesn't just turn around and make it worse? I have super sensitive skin. I am worried that I will just make things worse like the calcipotriene.

Thanks for reading if anyone made it this far! Oh and the cilantro. I am on the fence about even trying until I can get a biopsy.

I have read through much of this discussion and thought I'd chime in with my story. Started getting very itchy random bumps on my torso a few years ago. They looked like little scabs. Seemed to pop up randomly but I thought maybe tied to sweat (I hike/run and swim daily). They would come and go. I never looked into it.

Then all of the sudden a month ago they started spreading upward over chest, more bumps than ever and appeared on my back. Extreme itch and pinprick sensations. I mean, the itch is just beyond what you think those little suckers can produce. Have been chasing down doctors appts ever since. Went to primary care and he had no clue (most had gone away) and said maybe folliculitis. Sent some pictures when it came back to a Derm at Kaiser and she said it looked like Grover's disease and said to take cool showers after sweating/exercise and use triamcinolone cream for flare ups. Sigh.

In desperation to get a real diagnosis I went outside of Kaiser (and paid out of pocket because Kaiser is always booked out two months) and this Derm said "maybe" Grovers, maybe some other immune rash or eczema. He said Grovers usually doesn't itch. WHAT?! I said, have you ever met a Grovers patient? Read THIS forum, doc. Anyway...he said I need a biopspy but wouldn't do one due to cost and said it would most likely be inconclusive! WHY? I had fresh bumps. He told me to go back to Kaiser and demand a biopsy. I have been calling daily and still have weeks until my appt. Will the bumps be fresh enough? Is this hell I am in fresh enough?

I apply the steroid cream, it helps, but then new bumps appear. It's like whack a mole. I think maybe I am starting to see a pattern though? I swim nightly, come home and new bumps. Perhaps the friction of my suit? I take cool showers but the itch is still unbearable for hours after I get out. Oh and I forgot this part- They also gave me calcipotriene cream. Was using that only on my torso/chest as an experiment to see if it helped (or hurt because I found out the hard way I am allergic to elidel and know I should be cautious with new creams). Six days later my chest is covered in a NEW rash. It looks like road rash. And the only reason I can think of is the calcipotriene. So I stopped that immediately. No change yet but that could take weeks if it's the source of my new rash.

Anyway. I wonder about the biopsy. Do I really need to have brand new bumps? Mine pop up at night and sometimes by the next day they are scabs. My fear is I finally get in and they say they can't biopsy it. I just want a concrete diagnosis. Its looks and sounds like Grover's but how can I be sure? And what do I do when the two weeks of steroid use is up? What OTC creams are folks using for itch that doesn't just turn around and make it worse? I have super sensitive skin. I am worried that I will just make things worse like the calcipotriene.

Thanks for reading if anyone made it this far! Oh and the cilantro. I am on the fence about even trying until I can get a biopsy.

Forgot to add I am a 55 year old woman. And I find it odd they seem to think its more common in men cause this forum and the others I have found are filled with women AND my torso has not had extensive sun damage. My back and chest have, but not my stomach where this all started so I find it hard to believe that sun damage is the main culprit. Especially cause that one derm I saw told me to sit in the sun 15 min a day to see if that helps! So much contradicting information out here.