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What treatments have helped or not for generalize granuloma annulare?
I have tried 3 different topical creams, no help. Triamincilone, chlobesol, bethamethasone. Kenalog injections do work but they will not inject me anymore as I have too many. I tried otezla, after 2 months, just more lesions and I couldn't take the side effects anymore. Now I am going to try a jak inhibitor called opzelura cream. I'll test that for 2-3 months. If that doesn't help ill try Hydroxychloroquine pills. Most don't bother me, some itch. I just keep getting more, probably close to 100 and growing more. Anyone have had any success or fails?
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Originally I was prescribed
Clobetasol propionate 0.05% cream and used for 3 months. Not effective at all. And increased /red and elevated rim around patches.
Now using Tofacitinib ointment 2X/ day for 6 months. Positive, slow results. New spots arise but with immediate application they don't spread. Redness has paled. I do have "scars" from older lesions and not sure if they'll disappear.
I was diagnosed with generalized GA in December 2025. I am hypersensitive to medications & have had some really bad reactions over the years so I don't want to take a medication for this condition. So far the only thing I have tried is Triamcinolone Acetonide cream which has not worked at all. I have researched treatments other than oral medications & found a treatment with Excimer laser, which is a light laser. Wondering if anyone has tried this treatment & what were the results.
@mimi547
Hello,
I was diagnosed with GGA recently, started treatment with Mometasone Furoate Cream. Did not help much. My dermatologist prescribed off label use of Pentoxifylline. Started in taking 2/26. What is pentoxifylline used for in dermatology?
Results: Pentoxifylline has been used to treat various dermatological conditions including peripheral vascular disease, vasculitis and vasculopathies, chilblains, pigmented purpuric dermatosis, granuloma annulare, necrobiosis, keloids, lichen sclerosis et atrophicus, scars, radiation-induced fibrosis, vitiligo, ...
I’m hoping that with continued use I will see some improvements. I’ve had a lot of stress in my life and believe that doesn’t help.
Best of luck with your GA,
Linda
@jeanlindadr
Hi!
My dermatologist did offer the pentoxifylline as an option, but with my sensitivity to medications I am hesitant. I hope this works for you! You have been taking it for roughly a month, so have you seen any improvement or side effects? Just wish I could find out if anyone has tried the excimer laser.
I am getting desperate!
Hello,
I’m not having any side effects from Pentoxifyllin. The spreading has reduced and hopefully with continued used I will see more improvements. I checked out the laser treatment sounds like a good option. Best of luck to you.
Sounds like you are things are moving in the right direction for you. I am going to try & find a dermatologist who has this laser but if that doesn’t happen I may try the pentoxifyllin. Keep me posted & wishing you much success with your treatment.
MiMi
Hi all. Also can relate that GA is such a frustrating condition. It becomes such a focus, watching them grow and spread, while hoping (and trying desperately) for them to fade. I have had (well-controlled) Type 1 diabetes since I was a child and developed GA when I was 29, after having my first child. Slowly it grew and spread over time, mostly on my feet, ankles, knees, lastly to my hands, all over the course of about 6 years. It was so frustrating and I tried different steroid creams, diet changes (AIP diet for 6 months), vitamin E and coconut oils, supplements, steroid injections (which did work pretty well, but was not sustainable) - I had tried just about anything I'd read might work. Over this time, my family grew a small farm and with the lifestyle we started drinking raw milk. I didn't know why, but noticed my GA was slowly fading over the past year, I was so happy and thought it was too good to be true. For those like me willing to change and give up a lot to treat this extremely annoying condition, this was an easy change. I drink about one cup a day, on average. Also, what cures GA seems like it is different for different people, depending on it's root cause. For me, because of the solution, I believe it may have been 'leaky gut'. I stopped drinking raw milk for 2 weeks, and noticed raised bumps coming back where my rash had been on my feet. Which made me feel certain this is the change that cleared up my skin. Just had to share this after my long frustrating struggle with GA. Sincerely hope the best for all of you, and that this might work for others too!
(Aside: drinking raw milk comes with some risk of foodborne illness , but here in WA we have it at local co-op grocery stores and or pickup at a local reputable dairy. We have never gotten any illness from it over 2 years later and it tastes exactly like normal cows milk.)