For Eugenia, March 16, 2022, is a date she’ll never forget. “That was the day I got the real medication,” she says. “As soon as it started going into my body, the itching literally stopped.”
Eugenia had been suffering for five years with prurigo nodularis (PN), a rare inflammatory skin disease marked by hard, itchy nodules and relentless discomfort. “It’s an itch that you cannot fix from the outside,” she explains. “No cream or steroid shot could help. It was coming from inside out.”
From Exercise to Emergency
Her symptoms began in 2017, just a few months into a new walking routine. What started as a simple itch spiraled into a chronic condition that affected nearly every aspect of her life. “I thought maybe an insect bit me or it was allergies,” she recalls. “But when the itching didn’t stop, I knew something wasn’t right.”
As the condition worsened, so did the toll on her mental health. “I couldn’t sleep. I was constantly covered up, even in Alabama summers,” she says. “I became reclusive, depressed, even suicidal. I didn’t want people seeing me like that.”
A Diagnosis and a Breakthrough
It wasn’t until she visited a board-certified dermatologist that she got a proper diagnosis. “That was the first time in five years I even heard the name prurigo nodularis,” she says. The dermatologist, struck by the severity of her case, invited Eugenia to join a clinical trial for a drug called Nemluvio, an injectable treatment that works by targeting the itch signals deep in the nervous system.
She didn’t hesitate. “I asked, ‘Is it life-threatening?’ She said no. I said, ‘Sign me up.’ I had nothing to lose.”
Relief in a Single Injection
Within minutes of receiving her first real dose, everything changed. “I could feel it working immediately,” she says. “For the first time in five years, I was able to sleep through the night.”
Nemluvio, FDA-approved in 2024, works by blocking the interleukin-31 (IL-31) receptor, a chemical messenger involved in the nerve signaling of itch and inflammation. According to Chicago dermatologist Peter Lio, MD the relief can be almost instant. “There is evidence that within 48 hours, patients notice a difference,” he says. “Some even feel better the next day. It’s been transformative.”
Healing Inside and Out
As Eugenia’s itch subsided, the nodules that once covered her body began to heal. “The nodules only appeared because I scratched so much. Once I stopped scratching, they started disappearing,” she explains. “I still have some scarring, but I can wear sleeveless outfits again.”
More importantly, she’s reclaiming her identity. “I’m outgoing again. I’m singing again. I’m back to myself.”
Now that Nemluvio is widely available, Eugenia wants others with severe itching to know they don’t have to suffer. “Talk to your doctor,” she urges. “There’s help out there. And if your dermatologist doesn’t have answers, don’t give up.”
She adds, “You can get your life back. I did.”
