No one here has had this? I'm wondering if it could be side effect of meds??

I had something like that. My palms and the tops of my hands started pealing and scabbing over. It took a year and a half to heal. I still have some scars. I used tons of hand lotion. Dr told me to take biotin and folic acid. I guess it helped she wasn't to concerned. I bet if it was on her she would have been.

are you taking niacin. I kinda suspected it.

Trish, I had that before I was dx with RA. My dermatologist gave me a steroid cream that I had to use twice a day for a week, and then once a day for two weeks and then done. It cleared it up. Then he suggested I use Cerave cream on both my feet and hands (I had it on both feet and hands) and that stuff is the bomb. I buy it on Amazon, because I can't find it up here in my little town. I now have my husband and mother-in-law hooked on it. My hands and feet broke out right before I went to my RA appointment last week, so I am back on the steroid cream. Rheumy thinks it might be psoriatic, and said if the clobestal (I think that is the steroid creams name) is working to use it again this time. I went two years without an issue and then this winter, boom it is bad again. It is weird, I was sitting in a meeting the other day, and quite literally could see my hands blister up before my eyes around my nails. I wear my arthritis gloves all day at work, so slap the cream on and put the gloves on, so at least they don't look horrid to anyone else. troowrkctertowr

And obviously my goofy hands hit some keys before I pressed enter!

are they scaly? could it be psoriasis? i know that a lot of the immune disorders go hand in hand. do you know which rx the rheumy wanted you on? i would think a steroid cream like poodlemom mentioned wouldn't have terrific side effects. did your rheumy name it? perhaps you could call your gp and see if s/he has a different, side effect free treatment?

other than that, i'd say maybe trying an otc cortisol or first aid cream to see if that helps. be sure to wash often and dry completely before reapplying any lotion.

My son had this when he had Kawasaki's Disease. OTC hydrocortisone and Aquaphor really helped (as long as there are no open lesions). I would put the hyrdocortisone periodically throughout the day, and then put the aquaphor on and then put gloves over the aquaphor at night. The gloves help ensure the hands get as moisturized as they can....and keep you from making a mess because the aqauphor is pretty thick and gooey.

Good luck!!