A woman says a miracle drug has cured her eczema after she was left bed bound.
Antonia Wilson had suffered with the skin condition all over her body since she was a baby, but says the new treatment enabled her to start a new chapter in her life.
The drug, sold under the brand name Dupixent, was approved for public use five months ago and is used for allergic diseases such as eczema and asthma.
Prior to its introduction, Antonia grew up in constant agony because of her severe eczema - and normal steroid creams did nothing to ease her pain.
Antonia's scalp, torso, face and legs were her most effected body parts, and, at its worst, the condition left her struggling to walk.
But after one life-changing visit to her dermatologist, she was informed about a new drug which had just hit the market.
Up until then, nothing had even come close to working, so when Antonia was prescribed Dupixent, she was doubtful this time would be any different.
Now she is living eczema-free for the first time ever and looking forward to a bright future free from pain and suffering.
Antonia, 28-year-old carer, from Alloa, Clackmannanshire said: "Some days I would wake up in a pool of my own blood from where my eczema had cracked in my sleep.
"I've suffered for decades, but now, thanks to this new treatment, things are finally looking up.
Before this treatment, I suffered with my eczema every day that passed.
"Like any medical condition I had good days and bad days, but the bad days were unbearable
"I couldn't get out of bed, my face was raw, and I even lost some of my eyebrows as a result of the peeling skin.
"I became addicted to steroid cream because it would offer very short-term relief, but my condition would just flare up worse afterwards.
"Some days I'd wake up in a pool of my own blood from itching in the night and the deep cracks in my skin.
"My doctor even put me on immune suppressants as a last resort, but that just gave me kidney problems - it was horrific."
Antonia began a course of Dupixent injections in April this year and is one of the first people in the country to have started the treatment.
She was prescribed the drug by her dermatologist and because of the severity of her eczema, she qualified for NHS funding.
After her first injection, Antonia immediately started to notice a difference to her skin.
Her eczema flared right down, and suddenly she was able to move more freely again.
And, to her disbelief, it took four days of improvement before she was completely cured.
She has since been injecting one dose every two weeks for four months and has the treatment delivered right to her front door.
Her eczema is yet to return, and she is now happier than ever.
"It's the little things I appreciate most - like being able to wear make-up and wear clothes that don't hide my skin," Antonia said.
"The treatment is about £600 an injection so I'm grateful I qualified on the NHS, otherwise it would have been unaffordable.
"It's available for both adults and children but I don't know anyone else receiving it - I'm one of the very first.
"There's no side-effects apart from slight watery eyes, but compared to the pain I was in before, it's nothing.
"At the moment I think I'll need to take it for the rest of my life, but in the future I may be able to reduce the frequency of injections.
"My dermatologist did an amazing job of sorting this treatment and I thank her every day I wake up.
"I just hope it becomes more widely available soon, so other eczema sufferers can get the help I've been so lucky to have had."
