Yes, you read the title right. Liv Brown got her undergraduate degree here at FSU and is currently a master’s student in FSU’s Interior Design program, but she’s also allergic to water. Liv has a rare skin condition called Aquagenic Pruritus which causes sever itching when her skin comes in contact with water.
Her Campus (HC): When and how did this condition start?
Liv Brown (LV): I started showing symptoms in my sophomore year of college. This started with my legs burning after I showered and then it slowly progressed to happening after contact with water of any kind and then it slowly spread to other parts of my body. After my diagnosis, I connected the dots and realized that I did have some symptoms at a younger age. When I was about 12 my hands started hurting and became very sensitive after I would wash them or touch anything wet.
HC: What does it feel like when you come in contact with water?
LB: When I take a shower, sweat, when it rains, etc., my skin feels like it is on fire. I compare the feeling to fire ants biting the majority of my body. The only time it affects my face or when hives appear is when I cry. The condition mostly affects my legs, arms and chest and symptoms can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
HC: What does an “attack” look and feel like for you?
LB: An attack can come on while I’m in the shower or about 10 minutes after I get out. One can also sneak up on me in public if it is humid out, if it’s raining or if I start sweating. It will start with a slight burning sensation that feels like it can only be stopped by itching it- which just makes it worse. I become very uncomfortable if I have no way to subdue the pain, especially if I am in public. If I am home, I will lay in bed or move around the house quickly attempting to distract my body.
HC: How does this condition affect your everyday life?
LB: AP has affected and changed my life tremendously. It affects my everyday life because of the mere fact that I must shower and there will never be a way to avoid water, so it can feel a bit hopeless. It’s especially hard on rainy days or if I get an attack while I’m in public or with friends, just trying to have a nice time. I try to find the bright side in everything though, and figure that I have this condition for a reason. Every time I’m in pain it makes me remember to enjoy all the moments that I’m not.
HC: How has having this condition affected your mental health?
LB: In the beginning, when I had no way to subdue my attacks, this condition destroyed my mental health. I had weekly appointments to try to find an underlying condition. After countless appointments and tests, I always ended up with no answers and I felt so defeated because not even doctors could help. I really started to feel like there was no way that I could continue my life this way, and horrible attacks would leave me with little motivation to live. I’m so glad I no longer feel this way, but I still find myself wondering “why me?” and getting down on myself when it feels like an attack will never end.
HC: What do you do to cope with your condition?
LB: Through a support group I’m a part of, I found out about Beta Alanine. This is an amino acid that people tend to use in their pre workout. Someone found that this amino acid was reducing their itching, so now I buy pure powder beta and put it in my water if I’m having an attack, or in preparation before coming in contact with water. We’re not sure why it helps subdue the itching, but it has changed a lot of our lives for the better by making the day-to-day a bit more bearable. Besides using beta, I try to be more mindful and grateful for the moments when I feel good and try to enjoy daily life a bit more. I have become a much more positive person because of this condition and I always try to keep in mind that you never know what someone is going through.
If you want to learn more about Liv and her Aquagenic Pruritis, you can watch her YouTube videos where she shows footage of herself during an attack and answers even more questions about her condition.
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