It's been a four months since I stopped taking Dupixent and I'm happy to share that I've been doing okay! My eczema has maintained mild to moderate, as it became with the help of Dupixent.
Being On Dupixent
I began Dupixent one year ago and took it for eight months before stopping it in order to get pregnant with my second child. I came to the conclusion that Dupixent, along with periodic use of Protopic (which I also took before Dupixent), significantly improved my skin. Aside from healthier skin, Dupixent also caused an intense face-flushing reaction to my first sip of alcohol (very red and super hot), but it would wear off once the alcohol was out of my system and I would be able to have more drinks at that point without the flushing.
Based on available animal testing data, my allergist and I estimated that I should be off Dupixent for three months before trying to get pregnant. It's now been four months since I stopped Dupixent.
Being Off Dupixent
I was scared to get off Dupixent, but it's been okay - my skin has not worsened. Currently, I have flare-up spots throughout my body, but I can sleep, there's no shedding and the spots are containable with Protopic. And there are even times when my flare-up areas are sparse. Let me be clear: the only products I'm using are aquaphor on my face and Protopic for any flare-ups. I'm not even using an antihistamine at this point and have rarely touched my steroid creams. I find my healthy skin situation to be remarkable.
I do still have a face-flushing reaction to alcohol, but it is very minimal. Does this mean that Dupixent is still in my body and whatever's left behind is still helping? Or is the face-flushing caused by something else — maybe Protopic, as a few fellow eczema fighters experience? If so, did Dupixent permanently improve my body somehow? Who knows?! Time will tell. For now, I will continue to live my life, grateful that it does not revolve around my eczema and staying positive that the future will stay on this healthier path. And I will keep my fingers crossed that when I do get pregnant again, I do not experience the eczema nightmare my first pregnancy triggered. I'll take it one itchy day at a time. It's easy to do when the days are unbearably itchy!