Eczema...

Re: Eczema...

savethecheerleader — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:39:31 GMT

i've suffered for years - everyone is different but here are my "top tips"

Double base is the gentlest, best emollient i've ever tried.

lush do agood bathmelt called ????'s cauldron- its wrapped in muslin- very soothing.

betnovate ointment is better than a cream.

do not use hibiscrub - it is the work of the devil !!!!!!!

Re: Eczema...

Eileen Lee — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:58:06 GMT

Mine was so bad at one stage I ended up in hospital. I have been on drowsey antihistimines since, I take one every night to stop me scrathing and I haven't had a flare up since. Its been over a year now.

Re: Eczema...

loopylou711 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:09:37 GMT

[quote user="A Little TLC"]

I was thinking about it, but firstly, i looooove cheeeese! Second, i am allergic to all pulses, which rules out a lot of veggie food!! I might see if I can sort something out though..... thanks :) x

[/quote]

I am a cheese freak! Have it with everything! I always just limit down, so i am eating far less and eventually i can stop! My head is so bad at the moment that I have had no choice but to stop eating dairy! I look like i have nits all i ever do is scratch my head!!!

Yeah that would rule out loads but well stick to what you normally eat but just remove the dairy and use a subsitute. For sausages, the linda mccartney ones are totally dairy free!

If you drink alot of milk then soy milk takes a while to get used too! Not sure what else to suggest but if youdo think of doing it then I have a link to a great vegan recipe page!

Anyways good luck!

p.s Dream cream is awesome!! an't recommend enough!!

Re: Eczema...

A Little TLC — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:53:51 GMT

I was thinking about it, but firstly, i looooove cheeeese! Second, i am allergic to all pulses, which rules out a lot of veggie food!! I might see if I can sort something out though..... thanks :) x

Re: Eczema...

loopylou711 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:51:59 GMT

[quote user="A Little TLC"]

I'm veggie...... but thats genius!

[/quote]

I'm veggie! But when mine flares up really bad TLC, I go vegan for a few weeks cutting out all dairy and eggs! Helps alot! I Just a thought!!

Re: Eczema...

A Little TLC — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:40:33 GMT

I'm veggie...... but thats genius!

Re: Eczema...

Heidi O'Toole — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:32:53 GMT

my aunty had it really bad..she was told an old wives tale to cut out red meat from her diet, so she did and it worked! x

Re: Eczema...

A Little TLC — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:50:25 GMT

OOH lots of things to try!! Thanks peeps I have started back at the best job in the word, so i am sooooo much happier in myself, so I am hoping it will calm, as stress really flares it up, and i hated my last job soooo much.

Its really weird, i used to just get it behind my knees, inside of elbows etc, but now its just anywhere and everywhere. Drives me nuts, the boyfriend too, hes always telling me off for scratching it! But then he got mozzie bites the other day and was moaning, so I told him thats what I fell like, all over, all the time!! So he understands a bit more now, though it is useful being told off when you dont realise you are doing it!

I am trying to get in the sun, but you know what its like, day off = rain. Day at work = sun!!!

I will definitely look into everything and work my way though!! Thank you so much you gems!!!

Re: Eczema...

gwennifer — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:34:23 GMT

Hiya.

My fiance has suffered from horrendous eczema which I think was originally brought on with the stress of buying and updating our house. He used to get about 3 hours sleep a night maximum because he would itch continuously. His doctor had tried him on all sorts of creams and steroid tablets, none of which really helped. Anyway, he has recently finished a course of light therapy, which his gp arranged for him. He had to go 3 times a week and get on a UV sunbed for only a couple of minutes a time. He had this for 6 weeks in total. It was a bit annoying for him to do it, but his work were ok with him taking time out for it. Since he had that, he has been absolutely loads better. He sleeps properly and barely itches at all and his skin looks lots better. How long it will last I dont know, but might be worth asking your doc about it? My fiance's skin goes red raw if he goes in the sea, so he hasn't dared to do that yet!

Re: Eczema...

Kerry Spain — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:43:13 GMT

I have a few friends with really bad eczema and they say that certian foods such as fish etc set them off.

I have a horrid 5p sized callous type thing on my left elbow at the moment which I can't get rid of. It's like a pressure sore and the only thing which helps os other halfs Exorex lotion.

http://www.exorex.co.uk/

He gets it on prescription but the docs are really stingy when giving prescriptions out, not sure why but maybe others can try it?!

Re: Eczema...

Sal the 1st — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:39:26 GMT

I like aveena and have had good results with it, the other one I used to use a lot was balneum in a warm bath. Mine is mostly elbows and behind my knees but also get it on the back of my scalp and behind my ears when stressed. I agree the sun does make things better for a while

almost forget to mention it but I was advised a capful of bleach in the bathwater can help as well! - never been brave enough to trey it yet tho

Re: Eczema...

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:31:28 GMT

I get psorisis on my elbows and knees, and also excema on my hands, I agree that the sun is the best cure for it, and i have even resorted to sun beds in the past if I have a bad flare up, so far my knees have been great for 2 yrs,until last week, it started to come back, but we have a a good few days of sunshine and it has resolved already.

When It was particularly bad a few yrs ago I found that the best thing was boots aquaous cream, it really helped, and that was after a multitude of steroid creams that did not work!

Re: Eczema...

Nichola231 — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:24:05 GMT

I get eczema on my face sometimes. I use Dermol Cream to keep it under control. It's an antimicrobial emollient which is really nice to use. You can use it as soap substitute, as make up remover, sunburn treatment...the list goes on! I swear by this stuff!!! It also treats the dermatitis on my hands that flares up if I get too much surgical spirit on my skin. (4 years as a darkroom photographer really messes up your hands)

I also get psoriasis on my legs from time to time. I use emulsifying ointment on that. It's mostly paraffin wax so it can be rather thick. If the eczema on my face is bad I will use it with the dermol but only at night.

Both those topical treatments are made such a difference. You should ask your GP about them.

Re: Eczema...

loopylou711 — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:02:04 GMT

Dream Cream from Lush! its like £10 these days but you can get a free sample and see if it works!! Am telling you, its the only thing I find actually helps when I have flare ups!!

I have it on my head too tho, and well the sun does not help one bit for that and infact I will need to invest in a wee hat this summer cos my heads all ready burnt and all flared up and itchy! BOO!!!! Anyone got any tips for head eczema??

Re: Eczema...

bot — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:43:35 GMT

Neocort works well for me, about the only thing that does, and really being careful not to irritate it, i get it all over my face, not cool.

Re: Eczema...

A Little TLC — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:12:51 GMT

Well I sat in the sun all weekend, and it seems to be less itchy, just want it to look better, thats all. Thing is, even the bits that are healed are still a horible colour cos of the new skin. Ho hum, I will persist with sun, and might try the salt in the bath too...

Re: Eczema...

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sun, 23 May 2010 15:39:19 GMT

My big sis has Psoriasis, and it is all over her body. She reckons that the best thing for it is sun!

She has seen tons of dermatologists, and is currently on some immune suppressing meds, which is a bit worrying, and not really helping that much. She reckons that if she lived in sunnier climes, it would be much less of a problem...

So I reckon just get out there and let the sun do its thing! Easier said than done I know, esp when I have no personal experience of how it feels. But my sis has had this for 25yrs or so, and during summer she will just say "fook what people think" and wear lil tops.

Everyone that knows my sis doesn't give a monkeys about her skin - personally I don't even notice it, unless she has a flare up!

Re: Eczema...

ginny — Sat, 22 May 2010 21:00:13 GMT

I do sympathise with you and your poor skin.

My daughter has the most dreadful eczema and the over the past few weeks its been worse than ever, needing antibiotics and a week off school - she is 6yrs. We've tried the food exclusions - made no difference. Neither did homeopathy (don't get me started!), cutting out para benz wotsit and sodium wotsit laurelate, neither has laminate flooring the house from top to bottom and switching to organic food!! Her worse flare ups have been in non animal households (which shut the health visitor up!) The consultant says she has atopy!!! She was born with it - I thought her skin wasn't right as babies are supposed to have peachy skin but being a new mum wasn't sure and the midwife just said it was "a bit dry"! It was properly diagnosed at 4 weeks of age.

Agree with the sun sea and sand - her skin is always better after a trip to the sea side!! Topically, we currently we have epaderm, fucibet and dermol. When its not so bad we have aveeno. She has worked her way through every antihistamine the doctor can think of and currently has vallergan forte. She will only drink water so gets plenty of that. I'm always interested in new things for eczema but it always seems to boil down to the same thing in the end - moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!

Hope you feel better soon

Re: Eczema...

loobylou — Sat, 22 May 2010 13:58:39 GMT

My younger sister has really bad eczema and has tried allsorts, she was told to cut out allsorts of foods including citrus fruits and cows milk.
We found that her skin was a lot better after being on holiday- sun and salt water!

So you need a good holiday Or a slighlty cheaper, more realistic option would be to buy some sea salt for your bath from the local chemist.

Re: Eczema...

Kim Buckley — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:43:46 GMT

Awww must be horrible!

When I was at uni I came out in this horrendous rash! It was all over my legs, tummy, face and hands! Went to the doctors and they gave me some steriod cream which did nothing at all so I went back and saw a different doctor and her exact words were "oh my god!" when she saw the inside of my thighs. It was sooooo itchy!!

Anyway I was given a course of antibiotics and it cleared up completely. Think I caught it from having a dog hair in my finger as that is where the rash started and I had real trouble getting the hair out. Made me super wary when it comes to clipping things!

All better now but my mates still like to ask how my gash rash is doing

Re: Eczema...

A Little TLC — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:40:06 GMT

I honestly don't ever think I have had it this bad!!! I hate it And as much as my fella tells me he loves me, I think I am a scabby minger...

Re: Eczema...

Fiona Leathers — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:36:01 GMT

Nohting you put on your skin will help - you should look at what you are eating when you're skin flares up and try excluding it from your diet. Remember your skin is the biggest organ in the body and it feeds from whatever nutrients you are ingesting. Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.

I had the problem that all the emollients actually made my skin worse, and it wasn't till I started excluding foods that I felt better. Although there were soaps from Healthy Beast that made a big difference to my skin.