I have skin lesions called Granuloma annulare on my hands, arms and legs. I have had them for about 1 year. I got them after an ear infection and a course of antibiotics. I have had a biopsy done and it told us that I didn't have skin cancer or a fungus infection. I have also had my blood sugar levels checked and they are fine. I have fibromyalgia but it is under control.

I have been to the dermatologist and he said that I had Granuloma annulare. He told me that there is a vague relationship between granuloma annulare and diabetes, but since my blod sugar levels are fine he did not speculate on any further possible causes. He prescribed Clobetasol cream I have been using it for over a month. There has been some improvement. The lesions are not so red or raised. However, I am getting new ones all the time. I am also beginning to be concerned about using such strong corisone cream. I am going to be spending about 3 months in Florida very soon. I plan to cease using the cream so that I can get a bit of sun.

Has anyone got any ideas on the possible cause and or cure? I appreciate the opportunity to post this question.

Hi Humminbyrd,

Welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear you're struggling with this problem.

I have to admit I was unfamiliar with Granuloma annulare so had to do some research but I think I can now offer a few suggestions with a fair degree of confidence.

First of all how was your blood sugar tested? A single blood test is practically worthless. The only way to see how your body handles sugar is to undergo a glucose tolerance test. This involves drinking a glucose solution then having your blood sugar measured every 30 minutes to an hour over a period of usually 4-6 hours. Many fibromyalgia specialists including Dr. St. Amand and Dr. Teitelbaum consider blood sugar problems to be a major issue in fibromyalgia. If there is a problem it can be treated with nutritional therapies, see this page: Hypoglycemia & Insulin Resistance.

Second it seems that Granuloma annulare is associated with numerous auto-immune conditions including fibromyalgia and lupus so anything that improves immune function is likely to have an effect on the condition. I will try to look into this more specifically for you but it's an area you can look at yourself too.

Something that I am confident will be beneficial is a good quality fish oil supplement containing high doses of an omega-3 fatty acid called EPA. This helps reduce overactive immune responses and control inflammation and is also beneficial to skin health, improving moisture content etc. The omega-6 fatty acid GLA found in evening primrose oil and borage oil is also beneficial for skin health. Look for these at your local healthfood store or check out our store here at The Environmental Illness Resource: Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acid Supplements

Hope this helps and you find some relief soon.