By Gabriella on Thursday, April 15, 2010 - 05:41 am:

Thanks Wai, but she has it ALL over her body. Would you advise that I still go ahead and use it? Her eczema seems to be brought on by environmental factors, such as hot, stuffy rooms.

By wai on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 10:38 am:

Try mixing a few mg of ALA (alpha lipoic acid) with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and apply that to the affected area. You should see improvement within a couple of days.

By Gabriella on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 05:00 am:

My 8 year old daughter suffers terribly with eczema. As yet I have found nothing which has helped. HOWEVER....I also have a 4 year old who I believe, was cured of her eczema through alternative treatment. When she was around 8 months old, my mother in law was advised by another parent to follow a strict regime in order to clear my daughter of her eczema. She followed this regime to a 'T' and it worked. She went from being covered, head to foot, in red, sore, dry skin to having mildly dry skin; to the point where she now doesn't need any extra moisturising. OF COURSE, you are wondering, why not use it on your poor 8 year old. Answer: I did, and it didn't work. My belief is that it worked with my baby because she was young and a baby's skin is so different to that of a 5 year old (as she was then). Please try this if you have a baby who is suffering with eczema. It worked for my child.

1) In the morning, massage the baby's body with Olive oil (available from Boots). Massage thoroughly.
2) Bathe the baby using Natural Yoghurt. I bought one of those baby chairs for the bath. I must stress at this point that I make my own yoghurt, so if you're using shop bought, ensure that it is 100% natural.
3) Wash the yoghurt off
4) Pat dry baby, then massage using Olive oil again.
5) Repeat process at night.

Now, this is the odd bit. When Jai's skin became red in certain places I 'zapped' it using Triadcortyl. This is a very strong steroid cream. It came in a yellow tube. I used a VERY small amount where it was red raw. Now please understand, I was very sceptical about using a strong product on a baby, but you will only be using it where red bits appear, you'll use only a small amount and, hopefully, if the treatment works like it did with me, you won't use it for long, maybe a week or two. I got through less than a quarter of a tube before I never used it again.

Please let me know if you use this and don't hesitate to ask anything further. In the meantime, I continue to search for remedies to help my poor 8 year old.

By jeremygriffin on Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 11:24 pm:

I have just used a company called London Colloidal Silver for Colloidal Silver (ionised water) been using for a couple of weeks and have seen very good results if you google for them you'll find their website. They are very good!

By Peter on Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 12:39 pm:

Your friend might be referring to Ionised water-many web entries.

By Lance on Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 12:33 pm:

my friend has recommended a treatment that she thought was called 'silver-ized water' but I can't find it anywhere on the internet. It's quite possible that she's got the wording wrong - can anyone suggest what it might be called?

By jcrife on Saturday, March 06, 2010 - 03:51 pm:

My son suffered with severe eczema on approx 50% of his body for the first three years of his life. He would wake 5 to 6 times a night with bloody finger tips from scratching. When we held him he would scrath us as he rested. We tried every steroid cream and home remedy we could find with minimal results. I came across PROECZA from Allstop and was desperate to try anything at this point after all dermatologists recommendations were exhausted. Within 30 days all itching was gone and another 30 days his scars started to disappear. It has been one year and we only apply once a week or so if we see any signs. We are very thankful and I hope this helps you. This cream changed our lives!

By Lee L on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 03:51 pm:

Cindy,
In March/09 you wrote about using vitamin d3.
If you are reading this please let us know how it has worked for you.
I have read about the same study at University of California how they had great results by using vit d.
If any one else has tried it let us know.

By Heather1490 on Wednesday, September 02, 2009 - 08:24 am:

The Kangen water system seems to be the answer for my sons eczema, anyone disagree?
I hear it is illegal to charge a fee for it, so just ask around (craigslist) and I'm sure someone will give it for free.

By jane on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 - 09:19 pm:

Hi, you probably all know about DermaSilk, but if not you really must (I am not affiliated with the manufacturers in any way). A friend of mine recently was incapacitated with weeping, bleeding, global deeply infected eczema, shivering and in danger of hypothermia. He had course after course of antibiotics, lots of creams and steriod creams, each time he came off the antibiotics the infection reasserted itself. He noticed that the one small area of his body that seemed unaffected was where the strap of his rolex touched his skin. In desperation I googled "eczema gold" and discovered silver impregnated garments, which I wasn't too keen on trying, but also Dermasilk clothing which we did try, purchasing pyjamas, gloves, socks and sheets. Within a week his condition had dramatically improved (from a really, really low base) and two weeks later the skin is almost clear. The material breaks the itch-scratch cycle and keeps the skin microbe free. It helps reduce sweating and flushing and promotes sound sleep. This really works. I have spent £1700 on garments and sheets and do not begrudge a penny. I thought my friend was going to die and now he is almost better. It gets even better, though, the nice people at Dermasilk just wrote to me to say that the Dermasilk range is on prescribable by NHS from 1st August 2009 (previously only selected items). We have taken leaflets to my friends GP and specialist and they didn't know about this stuff but are very interested, so it is new to some GPs. Anyhow hope this helps. By the way, the website gives clinical trials data and explains how the material works. Cheers, Jane

By JimA on Friday, July 24, 2009 - 07:31 pm:

Hi,folks. I can't believe magicream has only been mentioned once on here. I have tried magicream and it works!! Fantastic. I've had seriously problem skin for years and tried everything from steriods to vinager. I was mostly effected in the hair, sides of the face, chin and center of chest. It's gone at last. Not only that, two guys at work had similar problems and it cured them also. One of the guys developed his problem after nearly being killed off a motorbike, it was on his elbows, eyelids, ears, legs 10 times worse than mine. I couldn't believe one little yellow tub cleared him. I got mine from eBay, I don't know whats in it (and I dont really care) but give it a go it's only a about 15 euro for one or two little tubs.

By Morpheus on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 08:42 am:

Also stopping scratching will massively benefit your skin. The following book 'The Eczema Solution' by Susan Armstrong Brown is a programme for Habit Reversal to help you do just that.

By A biochemistry Ph.D with eczema on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 01:39 am:

ProEcza is basically a rip-off. You can get exactly the same treatment cheaply without a prescription by doing the following:

Eczema is an allergic reaction to the bi-products of common skin microorganisms. These may not grow in their normal harmony if you have an unusual skin condition (e.g. pH, oilyness, uncleanliness, sweatyness), leading to an overgrowth of one type of organism.

Inflammation is increased by the local release of Histamine.

Killing off one type of skin microorganism may lead to problems with another - e.g. killing bacteria may lead to an overgrowth of yeast and cause dander. Killing yeast may lead to an overgrowth of bacteria and cause spots.

Washing your skin in neutral soap/cleanser to keep overgrowth at bay is essential, but this may dry and crack your skin so an aqueous moisturizer is needed. Never exfoliate with abrasive creams!

ProEcza does two things, it lowers inflammation using 1% hydrocortisone, a steroid. Regardless of what they say on their website, you should not use steroids on your skin for prolonged periods, and NEVER on your face. It will thin the skin, cause thread-veins and make the eczema return more quickly. The other thing it does is kill microorganisms (see above).

So, for an even better effect you will need:

Canesten anti thrush cream (kills yeast)
Savlon (kills bacteria - if you are only allergic to the yeast, use it anyway to prevent spots as due to an overgrowth of bacteria becuase you killed all the yeast)
Anthisan (anti histamine cream - reduces inflammation without using hydocortisone)

mix them together in equal quantities, they are already in aqueous cream so will moisturize naturally, use after washing and your eczema should begin to improve immediately

Bear in mind that your eczema (due to the bacteria on your skin evolving) will become resistant to any treatment over time, so this will only work for a few weeks. You will need to cope with the eczema for a few months or rotate this with a different treatment.

Please let me know how you got on with this.

By Jim on Monday, March 16, 2009 - 09:19 pm:

APPLE/CIDER VINEGAR

Please see my posting under this thread on the Alternative therapies section of the site - if it helps one person then it's worth it.

Good luck to you all.

By Morpheus on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 05:08 pm:

Suzanne: I've never tried the B12 ointment but I've read about it and it's meant to be effective. I've no idea where you'd get it though - I think it has to be specially made up.

I used protopic in the past and though it helped for a bit, I didn't like the side effects and after a while I think it was actually making my skin worse. I was only on it for about 6-9 months in the end.

The only thing that helped me dramatically has been to learning how to stop scratching - I don't know how badly you scratch but if you are anything like I was then this may be one of the biggest contributing factors to your skin condition.

I cannot recommend this book enough 'the eczema solution' by Susan Armstrong-Brown. It's what helped me.

I still have rather dry skin but I can live with that - I don't have eczema all over my body anymore and I can get on and do things.

As for the period thing - yes, I experienced that too. Doctor tried putting me on the pill - all it did was make me experience 24 hr nausea - had absolutely no effect on my skin. Even now with my skin so much better, I do sometimes notice a change prior to a period - but it's in the form of a few tiny spots on my chin and thankfully not an eczema flare.

Hope that helps

By suzanne on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 08:22 am:

i was just wondering if anyone out there has tried vitamen b12 in an ointment form. from what i understand it can help block the redness and inflamation which occurs in eczema. i am currently using protopic on my face and neck but everytime i stop using it within a day my face and neck start to break out.

i know i can't be on this long term so i am looking for alternatives. i am keen to give this ointment a go but would love to hear if anyone has tried this and had success with it.

also, my skin definitely gets worse around the time of my period. does this happen to anyone else and is there anything i can do that might keep my skin more stable during this time?

By Cindy on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 02:40 pm:

I have had a 16 month episode of eczema, and the only relief I had was in France last summer. Lots of sunshine. Since being back home (Canada) I was pretty much fine until Christmas '08. After that my skin went crazy - lots of suffering & trying not to use cortisone, but had to give in at times. I seem to be healing, but not 100% sure, because it's only been a week, so I'm not saying that I'm over it, but feeling very hopeful, and feeling amazing. My doctor (who has not helped much), did say during my last visit, that my vitamin D levels were low (but still considered in the acceptable range). That day I came home and started taking 1600 IU of vitamin D3. My skin has cleared up, I'm not itchy at all (itching was very intense). I'm sleeping through the night, and not waking myself up scratching. It's only been a week, so I will post again in a few more weeks. Also taking probiotics (before meals), 400 IU x 4 of vitamin D3 (not sure if I'm taking too much, but there was a test done at University of California where participants were given 4000 IU, so I figure I'm safe for awhile, but will have levels checked again soon), 1200 of vitamin C, 600 IU of magnesium. Also, look into adrenal/thyroid fatigue - can play a huge role in eczema. Dr. Rind has a website with a test you can take. If you score low on the test -there are things you can do to support your adrenals and have a thyroid blood test if needed (free T3 & free T4). I'll let you know if it keeps up. Good luck & lots of hope goes out to you sufferers! Keep sharing!!!

Oh, and this study that was done is interesting because they found that oral vitamin D appeared to correct a defect in the immune systems in patients with this skin disease. They found defects in the immune system interfere with the skin's ability to produce a peptide called cathelicidin which is protective against microbial invasion.

By Grace on Friday, February 06, 2009 - 01:29 pm:

PROBIOTICS is the answer! I could not recommend them with more zeal. For good UK brands, try something like OptiBac for adults with eczema and ProbioStart for children. Studies show that children with eczema have fewer levels of good bacteria in their guts, especially Bifidobacteria. So replenish your probiotic levels and treat yourself from the inside out.

By cureme74 on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 04:34 pm:

Eczemous skin / dry skin lacks natural urea so we need to replace those lost due to dry skin.

Calmarid - Urea & Lactic acid
Calmarid HC - Urea & Lactic Acid & Hydrocortisone
Balneum plus cream - Urea and anti itch ingredient - lauromacrogols
Provitamin B5 - Softens, smooths, heals wounds
(Bepanthen - baby nappy cream but has lanolin - be careful if yr sensitive to wool or wool alchol)
Glycerine - Humecant
Sodium PCA - Humecant
Salicylic acid - Sheds dead skin naturally

Urea products may tingle or feel like its burning your skin but this is a totally normal reaction and not because your allergic to it. Once yr skin gets used to it you'll have no problems.

Skin needs lots of urea and will aid in shedding the skin and bringing back the skin to normal colour and so will lactic adic skincare products.

Calmarid is available on prescription

Aromantic.co.uk you can buy products that contain the above ingredients or make your own like i did.

Pour some Glycerine into a running bath as its water soluable or pro-vitamin b5 otherwise know as panthenol or d-panthenol or dexpanthenol.

I have had eczema for 35 yrs and brought it under control with the above.

By I did it my way on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 04:26 pm:

Over the years I have slowly got managing my eczema down to a fine art, there is no miracle cure. Moreover, what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. But as general rules: Take note of factors/particular times etc that affect your condition. These may include stress (there is substantial evidence of a psycho-somatic basis for reactive eczema), dietry changes, central heating etc.

I find anti-histamines, steroid creams etc only provide short term relief and in the long run actually weaken your skin and do not help you to understand your condition.

The following cleansing ritual works for me:

AVOID ANYTHING CONTAINING SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE

-pear's soap for washing
-dead sea salt if there are any open sores/ bathing, oats are also very soothing.
-olive oil as an emolient
pat dry
-pure aloe vera gel to moisturise (Holland & Barrett)

Let your skin breathe and stick to cotton where possible, washing detergent should also be considered (Fairy non-bio is kind enough.

In the winter central heating is a massive factor, place a dish of water on each radiator in the house so the air doesn't get too dry. In the summer get into the sun where possible (With protection on of course)and if you're near the sea jump in!

Dairy used to affect me more when I was younger now its not such a big factor but I stick to soya products where possible.

Bottom line though the more you worry the worse it gets, start working with your body not agaisnt it. Good luck!

By lizardwoman on Thursday, January 08, 2009 - 08:53 pm:

Hi Baby.

I had a similar problem with Atarax a while back, I guess they're still not making any...?

I've used Piriton all my life. I take it at night as it makes me drowsy,usually it helps me to drop off to sleep and lessens the itching. There are some other sedating antihistamines out there but personally I don't like them....Phenergan makes me dizzy more than drowsy which is a right pain if you have to get up in the middle of the night, I've nearly fallen over/walked into things so didn't get on well with it. I've tried a few others but I always come back to good old Piriton.

If the itching is really bad I take fexofenadine tablets (aka Telfast), they're only available on prescription and they're pretty strong, without having any sedative side-effects

By baby on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 - 06:41 pm:

Can anyone advise me on anti-histamines I am currently using Loratadine which doesn't help at all - i used to use atarax which was good but can't get it anywhere these days. Which really help with the itch?

By sharon28 on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 01:38 pm:

My son who is now 5, had terrible eczema since the age of 1 up until a few months ago. He wasn't sleeping, the school were calling me to come and pick him up all the time because he would scratch until he was bleeding. We had tried so many different products including steriods (orally and topically) and protopic but nothing was working. The doctors were talking about putting him a immunosuppressant drugs to try and help but I was very reluctant. A friend told us about a doctor call Dr Aron who helped a girl on GMTV so I got in touch and have been using his treatment ever since. It was worked beautifully, he is now almost clear of eczema now and sleeps though the night, no more scratching and attend school everyday. If you want anymore information you can visit his website just type in Dr Richard Aron and it will come up. He is a private doctor so it is expensive but I am over the moon with the results. I hope this information can help others. Good luck

By Mom23girls on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 03:03 am:

I have 2 little girls (4 & 2) with eczema and I really didn't want to use the prescriptions on their little skin.

I searched the internet over and talked to my local healthfood store. Something I discovered that worked for us (Texas climate) was a little bit of Flaxseed Oil in their milk (1x/day) and using a De-clorinating Ball in the bathwater.

If you have city supplied water, it has clorine in it and people with eczema absorb things more easily. The de-clorinating ball softens the water and helps out tremendously.

I also took my 4 yr old off regular milk and she drinks Soy milk only.

Hope this helps.

By Paul on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 06:19 pm:

I can barely move my body at this moment from the sheer pain of my flares. My legs, butt, elbow, back, chest, arms and stomach are covered in these purplish, cracking, bleeding rashes. Despite having atopic dermatitis since I was a kid, the only time it's gotten this bad was two years ago.

At that time I was injected with corticoid steroid shots and I applied betaderm all over my body. The rashes disappeared within three days. In retrospect I did just about everything wrong back then. I never moisturized, I took 30 minute, steaming showers, and I wore synthetic fabrics. As soon as I switched to cotton bed sheets things improved dramatically as well. Even doing ONE thing the right way had great results.

Fast forward two years later where I'm doing almost everything right yet my eczema is getting worse. I'm using the heaviest cream on the market to moisturize (aquaphor), I'm applying the betaderm three times a day rather than once a day, I've switched to non-dyed, non-scented detergent, I live and die by cotton yet it's getting worse... All my allergy tests have turned out negative, so I think my main trigger is in fact seasonal. It’s terribly cold and dry everywhere, even in my house and it’ll only get worse.

At least, this time, my condition has led me to pubmed and several other medical resources so that I can actually understand a thing or two about eczema. Right now I’m going to try to submit myself to an emollient therapy. At the moment I’ll start bathing instead of showering, and I’ll start experimenting will different lotions, bath oils and creams.

So from my understanding, moisturizers don’t actually moisturize but they trap moisture and oil onto the skin. This is why dermatologists recommend bathing, to soak in the water. Last night I tried soaking in lukewarm water and aveeno bath oil for about 5 minutes. It STUNG. My rashes were redder when I got out, ESPECIALLY as soon as my skin made contact with the painfully cold and dry air in my bathroom. Shivering, I put on Lipikar Baum all over my body. Surprisingly my skin actually stopped itching and it stopped burning afterwards; it was actually soothing. But it was also an irritant. My immediate plan?

Try Aveeno for a few more days, but STEAM the room before getting into the bath. Put on betaderm before putting on my new lotion “Lipikar Body Emollient”. If the bath continues to “burn” my skin as I soak in the water, I’ll try using it in the SHOWER instead. After a week I’ll try switching my bath oils; Alpha Keri, Oliatum, E45 (if I can get it), etc.. I’ll also experiment with different moisturizers, using Aquaphor and Cetaphil to lock in the water. I am a little worried about the ingredients in these bath oils. A lot of them apparently contain “wool” in them! I’m also looking into wetwrap therapy.

By fabshabz on Sunday, September 28, 2008 - 02:26 pm:

i will be following ur advice craig, esp the food diary, im moisturising my skin with simple derma lotion at the mo, which has helped by keepin allergens + irritants out,but i sometimes have bad days, and i think my diet might be playing a part in this.i think cheese and curry may be the culprits but will find out by doin the diary.thanks

By Craig on Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 02:39 pm:

I have pretty much eliminated my eczema now, not by any miracle cure, but with time, patience, diet and routine. Having struggled with facial eczema for more years than I can remember and having tried every available cream\oil\soap etc etc I thought I'd share what I've learnt with everyone incase maybe it works for at least one other person! A lot of people suggest certain things but never suggest how best to use them etc so hopefully some might find this helpful. A lot of it you some will already know, but I’ll include it for completeness and others who don't.

Creams/emollients etc:
Afraid this is just trial and error, you're going to have to find what works for you and what doesn't, for me it's Eumobase (I've used Eumovate in desperate times but avoid steroids like the plague). Always wash with affected areas with luke warm water prior to applying these, hot or cold water will do your skin no good at all. This will clean your skin so you're not trapping dirt etc between the skin and cream, remove previous cream deposits and also open up your pores to allow the skin to absorb the cream more easily. I do this three times a day, morning, midday (ish) and before going to bed. It is very important to apply cream before sleeping, your skin naturally regenerates whilst you sleep so give it all the help you can.

Drinks:
Eczema or no, your skin requires hydration. You need to drink plenty of water, this will help with your eczema. Tea/Coffee/Redbull will make things worse, so take the decaff option if you want to continue drinking these.

Triggers:
You'll know what your obvious ones are, soaps, detergents, sun creams, washing up liquid etc. Just avoid them, if you do come into contact with them unavoidably, then wash the skin with luke warm water and apply your chosen cream. Some triggers can be less obvious, such as foods which I’ll get to next.

Foods:
So you've been sticking to your cleaning and cream routine, drinking plenty of water and had a flare up for no apparent reason? chances are it's something you ate or drank. It is not easy to discover what these foods are, the best suggestion I can offer if this applies to you is to keep a diary of what you eat and the condition of your eczema on that day. After a while you should start to notice patterns of certain foods on bad skin days, when you do, eliminate them. Don't give up, it could be more than just one food type. For me, it's milk, and therefore butter, cheese, cream etc..

Exercise:
Exercise is good for your skin and therefore your eczema, sweat however, is not. When you finish exercising (if you do, or even if it's just hot) clean your affected areas with, you guessed it, like warm water and then apply cream. Do this immediately after exercising, don't leave sweat on the skin any longer than absolutely necessary. Don't just splash your face with water, you will sweat until you cool down, so even if you aren't dripping sweat, if you feel hot then sweat will be present in your pores, so keep your skin clean until you cool. A luke warm shower is best.

Medications/Vitamins:
I can't say I can link vitamins to an improvement in my skin, so this is your call. Some supplements like zinc/primrose etc are rumoured to help, but I can't say I've tried them. They might be worth trying if you're so inclined. I've had some relief with anti-histamines, so you could try some hayfever meds if you think you're suffering from an allergic reaction but can't find the trigger, if you suspect allergies are causing your flare ups an allergy test may help you discover the cause. Steroid creams I avoid, preferring to stop eczema at it's source than treating the symptoms. But having suffered facial eczema I understand how devastating this can be to self confidence and understand that sometime steroids are necessary.


Don’t go changing lots of things at once, change one thing at a time or you will never discover what made things better, what made them worse, what made no difference. Use common sense, for example, if sun makes your skin better, get out there in it, if it makes it worse, seek shade. None of these things cure eczema, but you can certainly make it a whole lot better! Hope some of this helps, feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!

By Tom on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 - 11:48 pm:

hello everyone, I am 20 and have had excema my whole life, i have tried all sorts of creams and some work for a while. last year i thought i was onto a winner with Aveeno, but when the company changed the ingredients i started to itch when ever i started to use the cream. For half a year now i have been using Lotil cream, its mainly for dry skin, but it completly removes the itch and helps to clear up inflammation, especially on the face, over night. i would recommend this to anyone with bad excema. it will however give a small sting on broken skin. It is my lifesaver and definitely worth a try.
LOTIL CREAM - www. auravita.com/products/aura/feph10053.asp

By Maygirl on Saturday, September 13, 2008 - 03:11 pm:

Hi People I found this cream on ebay. The feedback of users are very encouraging.The cream is called magicream. You may want to try it. Copy the address below and paste in your browser. I'm not the seller, just passing the info.I'm buying one myself. :D


cgi.ebay.co.uk/CURE-ECZEMA-PAORIASIS-ITCHY-DRY-SKIN-IN-A-WEEK-3JARS_W0QQitemZ330270686456QQihZ014QQcategoryZ29618QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

By staylor on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 - 11:27 am:

hi philby,
sorry to hear about your daughter.
my son harry used to wake up all of the time because of his eczema. but my friend recommended a product called Probiostart about a month ago, and we havent looked back since. you wouldnt believe the difference its made to his skin - the redness has practically disappeared and i know he's much more comfy now. have a look at dtecta.co.uk, i really recommend this product. i hope that you see the same results!

By caitmin on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - 03:03 am:

I came across an interesting website in the US called EXEDERM good advice and interesting comparison of the ingredients of several well known brands

By philby on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 11:35 pm:

my baby is five months she has really bad eczma on the sides of her face bleeding then peeling she scratches it all the time its keeping her up all nite ive read on this page bout the things and creams but is it ok to use on a baby so young please email me to help as i proably wony find this site again thanx

By louise on Friday, July 11, 2008 - 11:37 am:

Linzi posted back in may 17 about boots expert sensitive range. I tried the cleaser the other day and it was a miracle! Cleansing is the only part of my skin regime that i have real problems with. Everything i have used previously made my skin tight. This cream is lovely and amazingly cheap-only about 2 quid so worth a try! Question for anyone who knows-do people with eczema need to use toner after cleansng?

By healthyreturns on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 10:34 pm:

I have only just discovered the benefits of TRUE REAL Aloe Vera on eczema and Psoriasis.

10 days ago I met a couple with a 9 months old baby who had been suffering all the time with severe eczema, scratching and bleeding. I suggested they try the Aloe Propolis Creme. This is a blend of Stabilised Aloe Vera gel snd Bee Propolis which makes it a natural antibiotic. I went to see the baby yesterday and found the couple absolutely delighted - on a day when the temperature was 28 degrees and very sunny - the baby, although not cured, was clearly not itching!! They had stopped using the steroid based cream as you cannot use the Aloe on top of any other creams. The skin was still red but not bleeding and the parents seemed convinced the skin was healing. It has no side effects so for them it was worth a try.

By JonnyK on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 07:58 pm:

Thanks Louise I shall definately try to get hold of some. Knowing that I am not the only sufferer seems to help in a strange kind of way.

Ironically I am going to see a dermatologist tomorrow, have you or anyone tried any of these non steroidal treatments like Elidel or Protopic?
Thanks again.

By Louise on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 02:58 pm:

Derma shield mousse. You get it off the internet. Fantastic! Its a shielding mousse so keeps all the nasty stuff out and good stuff in. Use with steroid at first if you are inflamed. Put steroid on first, then mousse, because the mousse is a barrier. Very soothing and moisturising and not sticky or greasy and can be used before suncream if suncream gives you allergies to stop you reacting. google "shielding lotion" for more info. I've tried all te main brands like skin md and gloves in a bottle, but dermashield is the best for me.

By JonnyK on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 02:04 pm:

Just stumbled on this forum whilst desperately trying to find an alternative moisturiser/cream that either does not burn, sting, itch or make my face look like a smacked arse every day. Even tried the old Chinese Herbal tea but quickly realised that it would be better in terms of taste & effect to brew the contents of a hamsters cage. Deperate times and measures I suppose. I stopped shaving (my face) for a week now so colleagues think I have been kicked out of my home with a slapped face too, just great!

Excema veteran of 35 years, done the old topical steriod on- off treatment for a number of years, I was always told that your body changes every 7 years and maybe this is one of those cycles where nothing will work. Aqueous, Hydromol, Oilatum, Doublebase, E45, Vaseline, Sudocream etc etc all tried for a while with no real relief. Has anyone any thoughts or lotions/potions which can offer a soothing relief?? Much obliged.

By Iris321 on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 06:02 am:

Hi! This is my 1st time at this forum, and I just wanted to share my experience. I was having a horrible eczema outbreak on my arms and my fingers - hard to hide! It was so embarrassing and impossible to cover. I basically did a search of keywords "eczema" and "soap" on Ebay, and started buying haphazardly, and fortunately had miraculous success with the 1st product I tried: pine tar soap. It's a brown soap that smells rather... ummm... masculine like a lumberjack! Good news is that the smell does not linger. You're supposed to lather up and chill out for 5 minutes, but I just used it like a regular soap, and rinsed straight away, and I'm CURED of my eczema. It literally worked overnight. For major outbreaks, I normally use Olux foam (very expensive, but effective prescription that works in less than 2 days) and the Target gereric brand of Aveeno lotion which works 10x BETTER than the name brand. My life is completely different and I just wanted to share this with all of you. I realize everyone is different, and you need to find what works for you, but I now know 2 other people who have already been helped in the last month with pine tar soap. Best wishes to everyone!!!

By Louise on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 11:12 am:

Hi Maeve! Its really good to hear about things that have worked for people and this sounds really interesting-especiall because it doesn't cost anything to try!!!I checked out some of the watercure websites. There is one called watercuretribute.com that works out the ratio of water for your weight and also has some good testimonials, like a woman wo cured her sons asthma by putting a few grains of salt in his mouth at night. Apparently salt is a natural antisitamine and the a theory behind the reason we get allergies is that the body wants to conserve water that we lose when we breathe, so it releases histamines to tighten the lungs and conserve water. The idea is that if we stay well hydrated we won't produce histamine. I'm trying to drink lots of water and have cut out tea and soft drinks, but I have got a headache from withdrawal! My skin already feels less itchy. Its really worth a try. I'll let you know how I get on. I would really love to ditch the creams and inhalers!!! Thanks so much.

By maeve on Monday, June 16, 2008 - 02:57 pm:

One more thing about the Watercure. Make you sure get the information off the internet or buy the books. Make sure it is based on your body weight. You don't want to drink water without the salt element. And you want to drink the proper amount - divide your body weight in half and then divide that by 8. You don't want to drink straight water - once you look into it you'll see why. You want to do it properly, and not overdo it. It's a big change for the body - but your body will thank you for it!

By Maeve on Monday, June 16, 2008 - 02:50 pm:

I've been suffering with an outbreak for 8 months. No need to describe what it's been like, since I'm sure you all have a good idea. The last week I have experienced major relief. I've done a few things so not really sure which one did it, but here they are: a vitamin B complex, eating Kefir (and applying it topically), and adopting the Watercure into my life.The website is:
.watercure.com/index.html
.naturalnews.com/Report_water_cure_1.html
The information is amazing. It's about getting the proper amount of water/salt ratio for the body. We drink coffee, pop, tea, alcohol, all of which dehydrate the body. I was drinking tea constantly throughout the day - tea is a duiretic, and pulls water out of the body. Also google the watercure for other good websites. In our culture we don't drink enough water, it will make an amazing difference to your skin condition - helps with many other illnesses. Once you start reading about it everything makes sense. Even if it doesn't help your eczema, you'll feel amazing! Try only drinking water/salt (use celtic sea salt, not table salt) for a week or two - no tea, coffee, pop, alcohol, and post any results. It would be great to compare experiences. Good Luck!

By Missty on Monday, June 16, 2008 - 12:33 am:

Hi morpheus, Dip and Louise

Thank you all for your kind advice, im so glad i have found this message board, it really is a blessing.
I have seen numerous dermatologists and none have even suggested wet wrapping but i have used steroid ointments when i was a child which didnt work. I have used protopic but again it didnt seem to work.

Also to Morpheus i am interseted in your mention of viscopaste bandages which i will ask about, it may be messy but at this point ill try anything.

The only time i have used anti biotics is for impetigo 4 years ago which kick started my flare ups. My GP refuses to give me any more antibiotics for the side effect reason. AS for my scratching it wakes me up. I claw at my face , neck , legs and arms and i even wake up to find blood on my sheets. I have no idea how to stop this really as if i leave it it doesnt go away.

Finally, for the lotions in supermarkets im afraid they seem to just sit on the skin surface and actually irritate me esp on warm or sunny days causing itchy goosebumps and ulticaria.

Thank you for your advice i have made an appointment with my GP and i will bring up the solutions you have suggested. I dnt have a private med cover and i question my GP alot. Hopefully i can find something,

By Dip on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 10:03 am:

Hey Mistty,

I've just read what u have been going through and I was suffering almost the samy symptons for the past 2 decaded also. I was also using the same stuff including what the other people have mentioned, which is the steroid ointments, which are better than cream but still have a limited use, as once their effects wheres off, the skin becomes aggetated and itchy again, and the painful cycle starts all over. However as I metioned before for past few weeks i have been using this cream from tesco, tesco sensitive body lotion and I dont know whats in it, or why it is soo good, but it has been working amazingly well. I mean it contains no steroids, so thats a completely good thing. It sounds too good to be true, and i still feel it may be, but so far it has worked so good, which is why this is my second posting about it, because I want to tell everybody who has suffered so badly with eczema. Its definately worth a go anyway. If you do try it, please let us know if it helps, i sincerely hope it does!! good luck

By Morpheus on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 12:53 pm:

Missty - Louise has a good point about ointments - for some people they are definitely much more effective - especially for people with dark skin. Water based emollients (creams & lotions) have more of a tendency to cause stinging and irritation which is the last thing you need when you've got eczema. I personally have never been able to tolerate any cream/lotion - even aqueous cream.

The wet wrap bandaging technique reminded me of viscopaste bandages - these are bandages that are impregnated with a zinc oxide paste. I found them quite effective when I was a teenager (the wet wrapping technique actually made my skin more dry!).

The viscopaste bandages are definitely more messy though then the wet wrap ones - you have to put on another layer of dry bandage and then one more of tubigrip so as not to ruin your clothes. It does make moving around a bit awkward and you have to keep them on for as long as you can which may be a pain if you're working.

By Louise on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - 10:16 pm:

Missty, you mentioned steroid creams but have you tried steroid OINTMENTS? They have a different consistency to creams and less ingredients and they moisturise much better. When my eczema was very bad I had a really nice dermatologist who sent me for wet wrap treatment. They usually do this on children. It involves putting steroid ointment (not cream) all over the affected areas and using large tubular bandages to make a bodysuit. They then make a second bodysuit, wet the first one with water spray and cover the wet wraps with the second, dry bodysuit. You can then put your clothes over the top. When the undersuit starts t dry you peel back the top layer and spray the suit with cold water. this keeps the skin comfortable and moist, promotes healing and helps the steroids work better. It helped me when I was rock bottom with my eczema, although it is initially messy and time consuming. I've only ever had to do it twice. Its worth looking into and mentioning to your dermatologist if its something you havent tried already. Best wishes. I really feel for you because I've been there myself.

By Morpheus on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - 02:44 pm:

Hey Missty - sounds like your skin is in a really bad way and you're obviously suffering.

Who's your doctor by the way? Is it a GP or a dermatologist? I'm asking because GPs aren't always very knowledgeable about eczema (unfortunately some dermatologists aren't much better).

You've got a long list there of things you've tried but there was no mention of antibiotics. These ALWAYS improved my eczema - might be worth a try?

Have they never tried you on protopic or elidel? They're a topical from of immunosupressant drugs and seem to work really well for some people.

There's also PUVA - ultra violet light treatment that some people respond to well.

You must impress upon your doctor how much you are suffering. Doctors can be really useless at understanding the psychological and even the physical impact that eczema has on people. They MUST try you on something else. You should not have to put up with this kind of disruption to your life.

Another thing I've got to ask is how badly are you scratching your skin? Your skin will be more prone to bad flare ups and infections if it's not intact. Regular scratching breaks it and causes lichenification which from your description of it being waxy, bumpy and leathery seems to indicate that this is the case.

By missty on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - 03:13 am:

Please help me. I have had this condition for more than two decades from birth. The areas affected are :

Inner elbows
Back of knees
Arms and legs
Neck and chest
Face

I have tried:
Oilatum
hydrocortisone
Steriods in all forms
E45
aveeno
Vaseline
Dead sea salts
Eucerine
Aloe vera gels

Basically everything. My skin is so fragile it breaks at any litte touch. Showers burn my skin even at luke warm and cold water hurts. I put creams on asap when the skin is damp but still i dry up, crack, weep, dry even more and itch like crazy. Thing is it makes a crust at the joints which burst open into hacks which hurt when i wash and the nasty cycle starts over. I have a closely monitored diet being allergic to eggs, milk,shell fish and nuts. My clothes are all washed non-bio. I stay out the sun.

Any creams see to just sit on the surface so my skin has a waxy bumpy and leatherly feel to it. Moving is sore and i even gave up work at a bar for it. My doc keeps giving me steriod creams, they dont work. Im out of options. Any advice please im at my WITS end!!!!

By Dip on Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 01:39 pm:

Tescos sensitive skin body lotion is amazing!!

Ive had sever eczema since i was young, scabby everywhere, itchy all over. Ive used potent steroid creams, dermol 500, doublebase, e45, emulsifying ointment, cocoa butter and nothing has helped.

At night i used to itch non stop, never sleep, wake up in pain and with no hope, that anything i tried would help!!

Until one day...i tried tescos sensitive skin body lotion. I was as usual very sceptical, as i thought it all contains the same uselss stuff, that only help people with mild skin conditions, not sever ones like mine! However this stuff has completely reduced the itchiness, inflamation, calmed the skin and fianlly i can actually get some sleep! I cant beleive it!! its been 2 weeks, and so far so good. Finally my skins healing, and isnt itchy. Their are still a couple of areas, which as they heal are slightly itchy, but they are calmer, and if i stay strong, teh itchiness goes away.

I even put this on my face and its great! Good luck!!!

By bogo441 on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 06:59 pm:

I had eczema from birth through high school, and then it mysteriously resolved for the next 20 years. Then, suddenly it came back with a vengeance...incredibly itchy. Despite visiting numerous allergists and dermatologists, it continued for 5 years. Then a friend mentioned that she heard sodium laurel sulphate could be a problem for some people. So I switched toothpaste, shampoo, and soaps to brands without this ingredient. Wow! after about 5 days, the itching stopped, and the skin cleared up totally in about a month. I use Cetaphil (unscented)as a moisturizer. Apparently the docs aren't aware SLS can be the source of the problem. Hope this helps .

By Louise on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 08:41 am:

There are loads of posts on the other discussion thread about free derm HC. Use the "search by key words" option on the left of the screen. Basically, people are saying that the HC stands for hydrocortisone, and you would be better off buying a normal tube of hydrocortisone from the chemist than spending money on this rip off. It is awful when companies use the suffering of others to make money based on false hope. All the best with your daughters eczema-this website is the best place for finding things that DO work, things that people have tried and tested.

By Coops on Monday, May 19, 2008 - 09:16 pm:

Hi just wondering if anyone has tried a product called Free derm HC?

My daughter is 3 and suffers badly on her wrists, recently tried a chinese herbal remedy but struggled to get the small black tablets into her.

Desperate, willing to try anything!!!!

By louise on Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 04:17 pm:

Hi linzi!
I've never heard of these boots products but I'm definitely gonna give them a try. I usually use avene no rinse clenser, but its a bit expensive, so this sounds really good! Thanx!

By linzi on Saturday, May 17, 2008 - 05:06 pm:

hi im linzi 21 years old have had eczema all my life tried all treatments going steroids.protopic,cyclosporin,u name it ive tried it but 1 thing i can recomend for the itching is pinetarsal gel its bight green but doesnt stain skin ect just looks funny but instantly calms the itch its magical but it will sting if skin is open. another thing i get eczema on my face terribly and wont go out when its flared up have had 3 courses of antibiotics in last month along with eumovte and betnovate and nothing helped. as i am a beauty therapist we often preach about the need to cleanse and tone th skin morning and night and ive tried various but all have irritated but...... i ve found a miracle range the boots expert sensitive range i use th eye make up remover cleanser toner and intensive serum and have to say they are fabulous my face is the clearest it has been in years and is sooooooooo soft im made up. i use them morning and night and they really do soothe the skin and keep it clear they contain no lanolin or alchol ect dont sting either just soothe. honestly try them they only around 2 quid each aswell let me know if u try and how u get on would love to know we eczema sufferes need all the help and advice we can get. linzi xxx

By Morpheus on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 08:26 pm:

I've been using a concoction of 50% glycerine + 50% water that I make up myself. I put it in a little spray bottle and quirt it onto my skin just like you do with some sun blocks. It's really good - been using it for over 4 years now.

Glycerine acts as a humecant and keeps the skin moist. Can be a bit sticky though - just need to adjust the dilutions.

One thing I've got to warn people about though is that applying glycerine to broken skin will be painful. Obviously this is problematic as most people with eczema have broken/exoriated skin. I only started using it after my skin was more healed as before that it was too painful and made the ithcing (and consequently the scratching)worse.

Essentially you're going to need to use 'habit reversal' to stop your scratching and break the itch cycle. This book explains it all - 'The Eczema Solution by Susan Armstrong-Brown'.

I've been looking up some of the barrier creams mentioned on these boards too such as Skin MD and Dermashield - I think they're fairly newish products. They look very promising. I've actually placed some orders for them. I think my glycerine concoction works in a similar (though probably less effective) way. Both of these products appear to have glycerine in them anyway as a main ingredient. I think it's worth a try for me.

Anyway if you want more info - feel free to email me!

By Mary on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 04:38 pm:

I used the services on lovinglyorganic.co.uk and babys excema cleared in less than 2 weeks! The lady gave me a regime.I hope it can help some other people
discount code - promosave 10%

goodluck

By samm123 on Tuesday, May 06, 2008 - 07:35 pm:

I have had eczema my whole life and I developed high blood pressure in my early thirties. When I became pregnant with my 2nd they switched my meds. Two years later I started breaking out on my face (never before). I had swelling and extreme redness/irritation which they suspected to be photosensitivity from one of my meds. They took my off it but left me on the other(labetalol) I am still suffering with the condition(even when I'm not in the sun) Courses of prednisone temporarily fix. Does anyone think it could be the labetalol? I saw my doc. today and told him to switch me just in case.

By Kal on Saturday, May 03, 2008 - 12:48 pm:

Hi folks, nice to see these forums exist, although I wish a simple pre-made forum board (like phBB or something) to make it easier to keep track of the topics / threads.

Anyway, I've been reading this board for a while now and I empathise with what most of you are going through. This is my first post so forgive me but I'm just going "vent" for a bit (if you want to skip to the actual question, it's at the bottom).

I'm 22 and have had eczema for about 4 years on various parts of my body.

As some of you have probably noticed, it tends to get a little better in the summer, but can be a real bitch in the winter. At the peak of my "eczema career" I had it almost all over my chest and arms and it was infected. I won't go on so I don't gross you out, but you can see how that was pretty unpleasant.

On the other hand, there have been times where it seems to calm down and is almost not noticeable, which gets my hopes up, but of course it always comes back a week or so later.

Having seen what other people have gone through on this board, I pretty much accept that it's very likely I'll have eczema for the rest of my life, and I think I'm alright with that. In a way, accepting it is the first step to integrating a good routine into your life and not taking your skin for granted.

In the past 4 years I've used: Eumovate, Trimovate, Hydrocortisone, Diprobase, Double Base, Aveeno, Aloe Vera gel, and 5 - 10 other emollients / moisturisers from various countries around Europe. Some work better than others - I've started on the Aveeno and Aloe vera recently and it seems to be doing alright. I'm basically trying to minimise my reliance on steroid creams as much as possible (i.e. only use them when I get a really bad flare up for some reason).

My question is: has anybody come across a moisturiser / emollient which is naturally skin-coloured and would therefore moisturise the skin AND help conceal dark or red patches?

By Peter on Friday, April 25, 2008 - 06:00 pm:

Dave, I think you have discovered the same thing as I had, but by a different route. See my post: Eczema and the body-Seborrhoeic Eczema –Can clothes be a contributory factor?

By John on Friday, April 25, 2008 - 12:30 am:

i was reading the latest research on eczema and was surprised to learn that it is a GENETIC problem which results in the protein FILAGGRIN not being produced which in turn causes dry, sensitive skin.

worldwideweb .eczema.org/dundeeresearch.htm

i found this website really interesting - although no direct help has occured from the findings it suggests that one day there could be gene targetting therapies which might be able to cure the desease. Early days yet though but really exciting!

Google'ing FILAGGRIN also brings up a large amount of information on the gene and the research.

By Dave on Friday, April 25, 2008 - 12:05 am:

hi, im 23 years old and have suffered with eczema my whole life. when i was younger it was extremely severe and i had bandages, frequent allegic reactions and several trips to various specialists as well as the hospital where i lay on a bed in bandages.my skin oozed from scratching and i sometimes had to soak my socks off in the bath as the skin had stuck to the material. i find that i frequently scratch my scalp and my hands itch incredibly badly almost daily.

i find that it is worst at nights and often wake up to find i have bad cuts and scratches all over my arms, face and hands.

Red, dry, scaly and flaky patches occur on a regular basis and are particularly bad on my neck, behind my knees and on my face and arms.

i use diprobase cream daily and apply moisturiser to my face and hands through-out the day with no lasting improvement although initially this provides great relief from otherwise extremely tight and dry feeling skin. i often feel like i cant move my neck and joints properly because of this tightness.

i occasionally use steriod creams such as hydrocortisone and betnovate which do have a positive effect but ive frequently heard these are bad for the skin and cause it to thin so i try to avoid them.

Someone else here mentioned that it can take great courage some days just to leave the house when eczema is really bad. i completely agree and commend anyone who has to go through this day in day out - some days it can seem like an extremely cruel condition to have to contend with and can make me very self-conscious, not only because of the way it looks but also because of how it feels.

Despite all of this i can suggest a few things that have helped me in the past. although my skin has remained dry throughout my life with painful eczema cropping up roughly bi-monthly i have found that when on holiday in hot countries (mexico and spain i have been to in the last couple of years) my eczema has almost completely receeded and my skin is less dry. it is less itchy and that deep down almost impossibly itchy feeling is greatly reduced.
i dont cut my skin in my sleep and my is no longer blotchy with red scaly patches.
i believe this is because of being in sea water (which cleanses and heals the skin) and being in the sun (which effectivley dulls any itch which occurs). i also find that being outdoors more often makes me feel refreshed and my skin much less tight.
i've tried the dead sea spa range and although these initially helped they proved no-where near as effective as actually being in seawater.

i realise this sounds incredibly basic but it has helped me so much. the effect was not permanant and after several months my eczema was as it had been but the relief for that time is incredible which you can appreciate if you live with this condition. i dont expect a cure for my eczema but this did prove incredibly beneficial for my skin and i would honestly advise anyone to try this.

By Pina on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 02:33 am:

I have had what was diagnosed as dermatitis on my legs for about 10 years. It only bothered me in the winter months. In the summer I was fine. Now in the past year my legs are not as bad, but I have very dry itchy skin on the upper part of my body. It is mostly my arms shoulders and back. They itch so much, that I am just digging and scratching all the time. My skin does not crack or bleed, just non-stop itching. I have used steroids, but they really do not stop the itching. I have used all the common brands of creams available. Does anyone else have this problem, and any ideas of what to use? I have tried oatmeal baths, they do not help. Anything I have ever been diagnosed with is an autoimmune disease. Allergies, Thyroid, Eczema. Thanks!

By wheatfreecured on Friday, February 22, 2008 - 09:52 pm:

Anne,

I do have a suggestion... see this site:

aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_perioral.html

You maybe having a reaction to your toothpaste, or make up... please look at this site...

changing your current products maybe the answer, including your lipstick...

Google your symptoms...

Take control...

By Anne on Friday, February 22, 2008 - 10:08 am:

I am a 43 year old woman and i have been suffering with perioral dermatitis for the last 3 years. My Dr has prescribed me with Zineryt, however, it never really clears up,it always comes back. Does anyone out there have any ideas?

By Jimbob on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 07:59 pm:

At the moment you seem to be posting in lots of places and it has made me start to wonder if you have something to do with the company that is selling this product. I hope the story that you tell is true as lots of people suffer with this terrible condition and don't need to be a victim of false claims. I truly hope you are a parent that is truly happy with this product and feel you want everybody to know how well it has worked for your child.

Kelly

By danielledzn on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 02:29 am:

Hey everybody,
I have a two year and have been dealing with her eczema since she was born. She has had it on evey part of her body and it has been miserable. I found this company that manufactures all natural and organic products and they have a lotion called Renew. I was very hesitant to use it because I have tried everything under the sun to help my daughter. I was surprised that it cleared up her skin in one week!!! I also use a Renew bath oil that helps prevent the eczema break outs. If you would like information on how to get this cream please contact me. It's a little bit of hastle to get it but those of you either suffering from or have a child suffering from this know that it is well worth the trouble when you find something that works. My daughter rarely breaks out anymore and when she does we just apply the lotion and it immediately helps. My pediatrician even recognized the difference. Please contact me at danielledzn@yahoo.com to get more info.

By emma r on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 01:44 pm:

thanks jimbob

By Jimbob on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 01:21 pm:

Diprobase is soy based. Balneum bath oil and balneum plus bath oil are soy based. There might be others aswell but these are the ones I know of.

By emma r on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 09:59 am:

Just looking for some info!! Ive read before that a certain eczema cream is soya based, am i right?? and which one is it thanks!!

By LOUISE on Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 09:25 am:

Hi everyone! Read an article in eczemavoice about shielding lotion called skin MD. I have just started using it and had good results. I would like feedback from others who have tried it. I'm on my fourth day and it seems like a miracle cream, but my husband, who also suffers hasn't had any benefit to his skin.

By kassana on Wednesday, December 26, 2007 - 05:43 pm:

Palmers Cocoa Butter is now available fragrance free. I swear by it. You can get it anywhere.

By workonnet1 on Tuesday, December 25, 2007 - 08:56 pm:

Hi,
There was news about a research breakthrough for eczema sometime ago. It pinned the cause of eczema to absence of a protein "filaggrin". One cold find out more about this by simple google search.
I am wondering if one knows whether one could take these "filaggrin" supplements (if they exist) for seborrhea. Or if there is any work being done to treat eczema (or seborrhea) by treating "filaggrin deficiency".
I will appreciate any comments one has to offer!

Thanks.

By Jimbob on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 07:27 am:

We used shea butter for a while but then stopped using it as my sonstarted reacting to it. We did allergy tests shortly after that and it revealed that James was now also allergic to some tree nuts aswell as peanuts.

Kelly

By olily17 on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 05:47 am:

We have had a lot of success using shea butter for our childs eczema. Shea butter is all natural and a has been a blessing for us!

By missy on Monday, November 12, 2007 - 06:13 pm:

Hey anon, you are so right when you say to forget all alternative treatments. I was doing ayurvedic for almost four years, it did nothing good...the eczema on my feet got really bad. Wished i had given up on the treatment earlier. Homeopathy sucks too.

AHatty, i know life is not easy with eczema. There are days when i can't help thinking my life would have be so different if only i didn't have to suffer with this skin condition; I'm not living a life that i had planned

By AHatty on Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 06:07 pm:

I've just had to cancel going out to my best friends 21st due to a bad flare up of facial eczema. Reading some of these messages has made me feel a little bit better...less alone!

I've had eczema all my life, but it started to calm down in the last few years. Yet, all of a sudden, it came back with a vengeance a few months ago and started to appear on my face.

The psychological effects of eczema is far worse than any physiological issue. When I think of all the other genetic probelems I COULD of have, I know I should be grateful that the condition itself is not a serious health concern. Yet, times like today, when I should be out celebrating with my friends, I'm left at home, afraid to look in the mirror.

By anon on Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 08:55 am:

I'm 34 years old and have had bad eczema all my life. I can only echo what Scratchetywitch21 said below. Stop hoping for a cure, ignore all the people out there claiming they found one or can sell you one. If you read closely to posts by people claiming they found a cure they're usually people who don't really have eczema, just a little rash on their hand that went away by itself regardless of the putative 'cure' they claim worked for them.

Eczema a complex, messy, genetic condition and there's no cure yet. It's caused by the underproduction of various important proteins in the skin which keep bacteria out and under control.

The dermatologists are right: moisturizer is about the solution for now (it fills the gaps between the cells and keeps the bacteria out), and steroid creams occasionally (they work, but they stop working if you use them for a long time).
Take regular salt or vinegar baths with oats (the salt/vinegar kills bacteria, the oats sooth), then seal the skin with oil or moisturizer.
If it gets infected and weepy, kill the bacteria quick with antibiotics or QV Flare-up, you don't want it infected.
Forget all alternative treatments, they're all complete nonsense. Homeopathy is particularly pointless. Remember that eczema will get better and worse by itself as the inflammation-bacteria growth-inflammation feedback loop unfolds, completely independently of whatever whacky treatment you try in your desperation.
Try to understand the causes, as they're currently known: high staph bacteria counts on the skin causing inflammation. Kill the bacteria, then use moisturizer to keep them out of the skin. Keep the skin cool and soothed. Continue to treat the condition even when it's under control.

By Scratchetywitch21 on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 09:32 pm:

I have had Eczema all my life (41 yrs old).
To all parents of children with Eczema I would say this : Stop the fruitless quest for a cure. Use Organic cider vinegar as an emollient, be warned, it stings for a minute or two then the itch and the stiffness will dissappear like magic. Use whenever needed. Its completely harmless. Most of all Love your child and accept the Eczema. Aside from the itching, the worse thing about Eczema is the way others react to it. As a child I just wanted to be accepted, flaky skin and all! As an adult Iam finally comfortable in my itchy old skin. Its mainly confined to my hands these days. There is still no hiding from it so I don 't bother trying. I have noticed that, over the years my eczema has improved noticeably every 7 years.From the whole of my body to my hands. It puts a whole new slant on the seven year itch! And gives all sufferers out there just a little bit of hope.
So out with the Steroids and in with the Organic Cider Vinegar. Rub it in, drink it, cook with it.Best Wishes

By nca on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 03:45 pm:

My 9 year old has been taking Azathioprine for 10 weeks, due to the severity of her ezcema, it mainly affects the soles of her feet making walking very painful, and her finger tips, she is very good at sports and the feet were stopping her doing her favourite sports. It was a big decision as parents to take. She had the a blood test done to see if she could take the drug, and has only been able to take half dose. After 6 weeks because the dose was very low we had not seen a big improvement. Unfortunately her blood count had dropped so have been unable to increase the dose. We are hoping the blood count has increased next week so we can increase the dose. At present she is also taking oral steriods to calm the skin, which had worked for a couple of weeks, but the improvement is not so good this week. She is seen at GOSH and the consultant is hoping to control the eczema on Azathioprine as long as we can get the dose to the correct level.

We are using the drug to enable her to have a better quality of life, we have tried all the steriod creams and puva treatment with no benefit. It did take me a while to come to terms with giving her the drug but sometimes you have to do what it right for now. She was feeling very low in herself with the pain she was experiencing. She also has another complication that she is allergic to chromate which is in leather shoes and concrete floors.

You have to be patience as it takes a while to work and the correct dose. Be prepared for regular blood tests, if we can increase she will be having weekly bloods to check the count does not drop again. The consultant and GP are really looking after her to ensure she does not get any side effects. I am hoping that we can eventually reduce the oral steriods and be eczema free so she can get on with her childhood. Let me know how you get on.

By Fiona on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 - 01:22 pm:

My dermatologist is recommending that I take Azathioprine for my severe eczema (Life-long condition . I'm 31.). I was wondering if anyone has had any good (or bad) result/experiences with this treatment?

By Dom on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 09:41 am:

Megan, I think if you're going to post something like that you need to link to your evidence.

By megan on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 04:04 am:

JUST A NOTE ON PROTOPIC IT IS NOW PROVEN THAT IT IS HIGHLY CANCEROUS, SO WEIGH THE BALANCE CAREFULLY OKAY!

By megan on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 03:59 am:

Hi I just got my ProEcza today, and I know its only the first day, but I applied the cream from around afternoon and again later in the evening, and as I laid down tonight my legs were itching more intensly than ever! WTHeck???? Isnt this advertised to stop the itching??? I have the whole package also with the moisturizing cream and spray... I am not sure what to think I was so exited about getting it, I hope it changes in a few days or so. Ohhhhh brother!

By Suzanne on Thursday, October 18, 2007 - 07:18 pm:

Does anyone know anything about'Atopiclair'?Derm nurse has given us it to use on our daughter when we are not using Propaderm.

By Jimbob on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 12:10 pm:

My son can't use products that contain mineral oil they actually make his eczema worse. Having said that some people seem to use it and find it helps. My son reacts to all the prescription emollients we have tried and now use dermasalve baby and infant cream which seems to work well for him. I think with eczema it can be hard to find what works for each individual which makes it very difficult to treat.

By blonde on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 06:00 am:

I have just heard about the products "Arbonne". Does anyone use these products or familiar with them?
Also, the representative talked totally against Mineral Oil, but yet, a derm. in St. Louis told me to use it all the time.
So, should I use it or not? Is it good for the skin?
Need advice! Thanks

By RainbowRose on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 02:20 pm:

TO: desperate mom on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 04:25 pm:

you posted a msg wanting to know about ProEcza - i ordered this product and have been using it for 3 days - it has taken the redness away from the eczema on my arms where its the worse - & seems to be doing what its meant to - I would recommend that if you purchase this product you also get the moisturising cream - as ProEcza alone will make your skin feel tight and you will need something to moisturise it with....

Hope this info helps... i ordered mine online from an american company - never did a UK search - as i was desperate for just about anything.... Good Luck....

By Rose on Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 09:39 am:

Hi, after reading about the OSAS lotion i went onto the website and ordered a bottle. I couldn't find an ingredients list but i emailed the company to see what the ingredients were. I didn't think there would be any chemicals as the website says its 99% natural ingredients. I received a reply very quickly, the ingredients are as follows:

Aqua, Kosher veg, Clotrimazole, Glycerin, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, Palm Stearic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) juice, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Vitamin E Acetate, Phenoxy, Ethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isobutyl/ Methyl/ Propyl Parabens

I have an allergy to parabens, so sadly im going to have to return the lotion, but hopefully it will work for other people as there are some really good reviews.

x x x

By desperate mom on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 04:25 pm:

Hi, just new on this site. I was wondering has anybody used proecza cream? Advertisement sounds good and convincing...is it? Please give me some feedback. It's for my son who's had eczema all his life. He's 17. I found out that protopic works but once ran out, eczema gotten worse. Also found out that long term use of this product may cause cancer. So please, advise me on this proecza creams...anybody....
thanks

By Ronnie on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 03:56 pm:

Anyone heard of osas cream? ive heard of a few people at my son's school using and raving on about it and theres a trhead on netmums where its wking for evry1. I put in an order for my daughter who is really bad only 10 months but just wondered if any1 here had used and wht they thought of it? tried aveeno but made no diff.

By jamie on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 11:05 am:

Hi Ive have been using Aveeno cream and bath oil for 2 days on my face. It hasnt caused any irritation but I find the substance sort of sticks to your skin. it isnt greasy but leaves skin a little sticky. It doesnt irritate in any way but lookin at it in the mirror it seems to make the layer of skin look slightly thicker.

Has anyone else experienced this and is it normal at the beginning, basically wat im asking does it tend to improve and feel/look better after say a month or so.

If anyone has any advice I wud be very very grateful as im unsure whether to go back to my old formula of oilatum or to perservere with Aveeno.

Thank you for reading this post and good luck with whichever course of treatment you are trying.

By Tia on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 12:39 am:

hi there! my name is Tia, my daughter age 3 half she has eczema on her arms, elbows, legs .Can anyone help or advise on these products heal eczema forever- mothers discovery or ProEcza? Thank very much...

By cerys on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:20 am:

Hi can anyone help please,
Hubby has quite bad eczema and has tried pretty much everything. A friend is talking about a site called yvonne jean apparently a lady who makes creams etc that relieve the itch and has cleared up eczema. I cannot locate this anyone else heard of her? please contact me

By sharentell on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 06:08 pm:

Hi, my name is Rosie. I am 45yrs old and I have Perioral Dermatitis - which can be confused with Acne. I have done a fair bit of research on it and have found out some interesting facts. I have also tried various products and found some really good ones that may help others of you out there, so here goes for my share'ntell.Don't rely on dermatologists - they are not always right. I was prescribed various creams which did nothing or in some cases made it worse. I got topical anti-biotic ZINERYT from my doc, which dose help the blemishes to heal better although dose not totally get rid of the condition on it's own. I was just getting to the stage where I was going to go back to my doc to ask to go on a course of oral anti-biotics - tetracycline, or doxycycline are good at clearing this condition well, although they become less effective if you have been on them for a long period of time - as happened to me - when I started using a range of cleansing products from SUPERDRUG, their own make TEATREE AND PEPPERMINT OIL cleansing lotion,facial peel off mask, and moisturiser. After just one week I have had such an improvement in my dermatitis that I will now not need the oral anti-biotics at the moment. Just cleanse with the cleansing gel, apply face mask ( in sachet form, but one sachet dose lots of treatments, just apply to the areas you need and re-fold sachet)leave until dry, peel off, re-wipe over with cleansing gel, moisturise and leave. I do this every morning and night. My condition is nearly cleared altogether.The products are very cooling to the skin, they do not sting or burn or irritate. I then apply the ZINERYT after moisturising to any really bad areas when needed. I have read that it is best to buy SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE free toothpastes and products, as this caused bad effects in some sufferers. Ihave just read about APPLE CIDER VINEGAR as being recognised as helping to clear dermatitis - one dessert spoon in a glass of water or apple juice as a tonic. Most people take a dose morning and night. I am going to start of with one dose and see how it goes.One person also suggests you can apply a small amount on a cotton bud, after cleansing onto ind spots to rid them fast. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR can come in liquid or tablet form, and is said to be good for DERMATITIS AND ECZEMA. I have also just bought some SHEA BUTTER from Karite Gold especially for PERIORAL DERMATITIS. They also do a cream for ACNE AND ECZEMA conditions. A lot of people noticed good results after using these products. I am going to try this too. I hope my share and tell benefits somebody out there. I now what a horrible feeling it is to have bad skin.

By Rosemarie P on Saturday, April 28, 2007 - 12:33 am:

Hi.. I'm mum to Ben who's 10 years old. Ben started having eczema since he was 6 months old and through the years we have tried a lot of emollients, creams and even antibiotics to try and alleviate his itching.

To date we must have tried over 10 different treamtments. The first one which worked (ie cleared his eczema) was Synalar, a steroid cream. Then that became ineffective so we tried other creams and about 3 years ago, I asked our GP if we could try Protopic..and that worked and his skin was beautiful. But since November 06, Ben's ecezema flared up again, this time Protopic didnt have any effect and round we go trying yet more creams which didnt work, some made it worse (red angry patches). So back to the GP we went and I asked if we could go back to Synalar which she prescribed.
Lo and behold.. within a week, Ben's eczema started clearing.
My questions ...why does Synalar and Protopic work on Ben but not the other medicines ? Is the 'treatment solution' dependent on the sufferer .. is there a link of some sort ?

By lfc1892 on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 12:46 am:

hi im a 17 year old male from the uk, ive had a flare up of facial eczema recently and was wondering if anyone could recommend any creams to use on facial eczema,any help would be much appreciated,

By Dom on Friday, February 09, 2007 - 02:20 pm:

Can you get physiogel in the uk?

By Dom on Friday, February 09, 2007 - 02:07 pm:

I've used elocon and protopic. Both fantastic. Perfect skin in days but as soon as I came off it it comes back even worse than before so I don't bother now.

By Jimbob on Friday, February 09, 2007 - 11:54 am:

Elocon is also a steroid cream, a strong one at that. My son was 2 in October and he was prescribed elocon, but we were told to apply it for 7 days max as it was very strong for his age.

By Lindi on Friday, February 09, 2007 - 11:16 am:

About Eczema
My 5 month has been suffering from eczema since birth, I first were using Cream E45 for his skin and wash him with Plain aqueos cream it was also fine just that cream e45 was slighly thicker and shiny but it was working...now I have discovered a very good product called Physiogel you can only get it in Pharmacies and it is really good. So try it, for rash treatment I use elocon, elidel or Anthisan but since Anthisan is a steroid better avoid it . Now his skin is very beautiful and you can never see that he has eczema

By heyhey120 on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 - 08:28 am:

i have been suffering from eczema for the past 10 years. It is only in two spots, my ankle and on the arch of my foot. Through the years, constant scratching and picking has left a dark, leathery, painful spot that still blisters and oozes everyday. It is a constant battle. My boyfriend tries to keep me from itching, but my only goal is to literally pick off the ugly, callous pieces of skin bit by bit. Of course,what i'm left with at the end of my session is an open wound that bleeds until it scabs. And then the process starts all over. In the past few weeks, i have tried many different "test" treatments. Like i said, first i tried picking off the entire thing. That didn't work out so well. Next i tried scrubbing with an exfoliant and brush. Nothing. After that, i moved on to applying a micro dermabrasion product in hopes that the results we seek for our face would happen on my rash. It burned, yes. It did not, however, cure me. My last, and most recent treatment has been with a product from Kiehl's called Creme de Corps. I had a sample in my purse from a recent purchase and decided to give it a try. Within 2 days i noticed a difference! It has been working so well that i finished the sample and went and bought the full size bottle! Non greasy, fragrance free, and meant especially for dry and flaking skin. Here's hoping

By Nicole on Monday, December 04, 2006 - 01:40 pm:

Hey Fee
I also have facial eczema I have used eumovate on my face when it was bad but i try and stay away from steroids on my face previously i have used acqueaous but i notice it stings so i decided to buy something natural at the momment i use Weleda rose and calendula moisturising cream it smells good and has only natural ingredients, I have only used it two days and have noticed an improvement with it not being so dry I still have to apply it reguarly during the day but my skin is defiently more moisturised, I dont have eczema on my lips but i do have it on my upper lip, I use blistex lip balm in the little tub and it works nicely so good luck

By fee on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 02:07 pm:

Hi,
Am new here, just found the site through an ad in the Eczema society magazine.
Anyway, I'm in my mid thirties and have had eczema since a teenager, but particularly badly in the last 3 or 4 years. I have a really bad problem with my eyes and lips, and would love anyone's opinions and hints on anything that may help, very reluctant to depend on steroids and tacrolimus (which is the only way I'm irritant free at the moment)
Thank you in anticipation!

By Be Alert on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 - 06:27 am:

Be Alert!

I have used many skin fairness creams which gives no result but finally damage your skin.

Don't be fool after looking so called advertisement which have no ability to give you satisfaction.

Be Carefullllllllllllllll

By Hibisku on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 - 06:23 am:

Hello
I have perioral dermatitis which is around my mouth and after ready so much I came to know it may be because of the toothpast or the bleaching which was done on my face there after immediately facial by rubbing the skin which now have developed perioral dermatitis at the age of 17 and presently I am 22. After that last year I have visited skin specialist and she have done chemical peeling and given me some ointment which have not helped me any how. I have been using close up toothpast since the last 10 years and Presently I have stopped using closeup and started using colgate.
Please suggest me some remedy which have no side effects.

Love you

By Marie on Monday, June 05, 2006 - 07:12 pm:

I recently tried a gel product called Dermex Cardiospernum gel. It was really good for stopping the itch on my feet. It was water based and not greasy which is my problem.
I am 26 years old and have had Eczema since being a child. I have used a lot of products. some work for a while. At least this stopped the itch and was very cooling.

By David on Sunday, May 07, 2006 - 11:13 pm:

Finally something that worked!

I developed eczema about 3 years ago (I am now 30) and have been trying all sorts of cream/ steriods/ tea leaves to no avail. I suffered eczema on all my joints and on my forehead. It is stress releated, and until recently I have effectively had to scratch myself to sleep.

A month ago I tried a cream called "Evian Affinity Soin Hydratant Oxygenant (Oxygenating Moisturiser)" and it is brilliant! For the first time in absolute ages I had a good night sleep. And now (one month later) I hardly scratch at all (on occasions I do it more out of habit). My raw red skin (built up over the years) has gone a lot lighter too.

I use this cream initially 4 times a day, and now 2 to 3 times a day. Definitely when I get up and just before bed, and usually just after work and if I can I would apply one more time during working hours too.

I do believe everyone's skin is different, but if I can help just one more person out there then I would be happy. I know how absolutely horrible eczema can be. I strongly recommend you to try this cream, available in Boots and Sainsbury .

Best of luck!

By noellemt on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 04:07 am:

I'm 31 and have just developed Eczema. No history of allergies or hay fever. It is on my legs on the shin bone area. I've been under a lot of stress this past month, so I'm sure that contributed to this occuring. I also have high blood pressure. I've been on labetalol for five years now. I developed high blood pressure during my first pregnancy and had to have my daughter six weeks early. My blood pressure never went down after the birth though and I've beeen taking it ever since. I take a birth control pill also. I saw on here several people talking about high blood pressure and eczema. Was wondering how long after you started medication, did the eczema occur. I've been on this medicine for five years now. I'm thinking all the stress is more likely the problem.

By Stevie on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 01:04 pm:

Hi,
I have tried many creams, potions and lotions. By far the most effective i have used was from a company called dermalogics. I think they have a base in ireland, but i found a supplier called www.healthstoredirect.com . Worth a look, specially if you've tried everything else !

By eddie on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 02:52 pm:

Hi, I'm a 23 year old and have suffered from eczema off and on all my life. I'm recently suffering an annoying re-emergence of it. Last night the itching was really bad, so don't ask me why but I put some Bonjela teething gel on the itchy parts to try and calm the itch.

Would you belief that although putting the gel on the rash initially stung for about a second, after that the urge to scratch that area pretty well vanished and I was able to have a scratch free night. This would surely have been down to the anesthetizing effect of the gel which contains lignocaine, a known anesthetic.

That got me thinking that there don't appear to be that many products that people talk about for eczema that try to numb the itching that you feel. Most products seem to just try to sooth the itch through moisturisation.

There seem to be plenty of products to numb the itch for other skin problems such as insect bites. Has anyone had any experience with any such product with itch relief with eczema? This is something I haven't really heard before being used with eczema, but seems ridiculous that it hasn't.

The only downside could be increased tolerance and so decreased effectiveness of the gel. (Bonjela incidentally is produced for use on babies, so one would think that prolonged use would not be harmful).

Any thoughts?

Eddie

By patsy on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 07:42 pm:

I suffer with nervous excema and would like it if anyone could recommend a treatment that does not include woolalcohol formaldahide or steriods I am a mature woman who has suffered with this for many years it is now getting me down.Ilive in south wales

By cathy on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 04:41 pm:

I have managed to get rid of my eczema .... almost, has anyone heard of Allergenic's products, fabulous, I use the wash, shampoo, and the creams. I do not know what I would do if they were not available.

I have had allergies to diprobase, E45, oilatum, aveeno? not sure how to spell that one, and hydrocortisone cream. I worked out I could use the ointment, there is something in certain creams and moisturisers which makes me itch more. But I have never once had a problem with Allergenic's, you can by it from most chemists.

I am still trying to find a good deodrant, anyone have any ideas?

By natalie on Saturday, August 20, 2005 - 10:19 pm:

I am 33 years old and i have really bad eczema on my hands and i keep getting cellulitis because the cuts on my fingers. so back to the doctors again for more penicllin i am allways on tablets when i get this. My skin has got bit better but my hands are very bad think i am just going to live it now maybe i will grow out of it in time.natalie

By lilmizshy on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 01:39 am:

Im a 23yr old gal,and have recenlty developed ezcema,it started around my neck then i got it on my arm and over the past few days i think i have got it on my face,i could not bear the itchiness on my face,and have noticed hyperpigmentation around my mouth,my GP said to use hydrocortisone,has anyone got any suggestions,any other creams and how do u manage this condition,is ther anything i cn use to get rid of the dark marks,reallly stressed out because of it.Plzzz help

By ruth on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 12:34 pm:

HI Tim welcome to this site - it will be interesting to hear what your cardiologist says about all of this - i'm sure you will ask him/her the questions that you need to ask and if they don't have any answers for you then get them to consult with other individuals who may be able to help you in this regard e.g. pharmacy, dermatology, allergy/immunology to see if they can shed some light on this. if you can, let us know what they say on this. Best of luck

By timb on Sunday, April 17, 2005 - 05:44 pm:

Kim,

Just a bit more info for you. My wife has outlined the problems that I have. Which are basically that I have had severe atopic eczema for the past 16/17 years, and that in June 2004 I was diagnosed with hypertension.

I have used many treatment for eczema over the years - topical steriods, PUVA, Cyclosporin, TL01, and I am currently using Azathioprine.

I appreciate that stress is a complex thing and having eczema the way I do can be very stressful at times.

However, I do not think that the reason I react to the BP medication is stress. The reason I think this is for the following reasons...

Background...

Over the past years I have had regular checks on my BP, particularly during the times I was taking Cyclosporin. I have never had a problem with my BP until June 2004, when it was high for no apparent reason...I am 39, 5'10", weigh 147lbs do not smoke and drink only a very small amount of alcohol [ as it makes my eczema worse!] There have been no major changes in my life, no money worries, no work worries [well no more than usual!!].

I have now tried at least 7 or 8 different tablets in order to try and control my BP. I have differing reactions to these. The worst was a major flare of my eczema within 24 hours, which took me the best part of six weeks to get back under control. Others include major flare of eczema on my feet and lower legs after a period of two to three weeks, a flare localised to my back/chest within around a week. Interestingly I now have eczema on my feet as a permanent fixture, where as prior to BP medication may feet were never really that bad [compared to the rest of my body]. Every time I am now asked to try a new tablet for my BP now fills me with dread - which I am sure doesn't help matters. But, the contemplation of a big flare up is a worry. I have a apointment with the cardiolgist latter this week, so let's see.

Obviously life with eczema is hard, but I have managed to hold down a good job and pride myself on the fact that I have fewer days of sick than many of my work colleagues who do not suffer with eczema. It takes real motivation to get out of bed when it is really bad.

I have not really spoken openly about my eczema with many people and very few people have any sort of understanding of it.

I appreciate your help and support and I am hoping that I can both get and give some help to others via this website, which I haven't used before.

Any advice/help/support will be gratefully accepted.

If anyone reading this has eczema + hypertension then please let me know which medication works best for controlling your BP.

By ruth on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 04:39 am:

Hi Lisa - This is going to be a big post - sorry for that!!

Yes I am sure it is really worrying for all of you - it is a bit like being on a see saw where you have to try and balance up everything in terms of the positive and negative effects of the treatments. What has his doctors said about all of this?? - are you getting good help in this regard??? I am assuming that because your husband is taking AZT that he is under the guidance of a specialist i.e. dermatologist/immunologist/allergist - and if so am wondering what their thoughts are in relation to this. I guess what both Kim and I are saying in relation to the psychological effects is that this side/impact of it is so often overlooked by the medical profession - yet it has a very powerful influence on how both the body and mind reacts. There may well be a hereditary component to your husbands blood pressure - I too have some very strong cardiac risk factors in my side of the family - but I'm also aware of the fact too that psychological factors have a HUGE bearing on all of this too - and that one is often not consciously aware of these all the time. What I am trying to say here is that there may be more than one factor at play. I know certainly from my own working experience in the healthcare field that blood pressure can be a sensitive indicator of stress levels too - so there may well be an interaction between the family genetics and also the environmental influences in your husband's life. Your husband is on some fairly heavy duty medications - he is only in his late 30's so is still quite young to be dealing with all of this - and he knows that his treatment options are limited here. Plus you know all of this too! - so it is hard on you too. I am just wondering if perhaps the fact that when your husband comes off his tablets his eczema comes under control (and maybe so does his own sense of control & relief of not having to be dependent on medication??)It may well be that he is really frightened about his own mortality at such an early age - and that is causing his eczema to flare more. I know that we do not know your husband and all the circumstances surrounding your situation - but I really think that whilst there may potentially be factors out of his control e.g. genetics - i really think your husband and yourself would benefit too from actually speaking with a counsellor about the impact all of this is having on his life. You can't tackle a problem if you don't hit it from all sides - unfortuantely I know this all too well myself. Just being able to talk about all of this with someone who is there just for you can make a big difference in your lives. Unfortuantely we tend to get so caught up in just treating the presenting symptoms we forget about the impact it is having on the person (and their loved ones) we are doing it too. Just some ideas for you thats all - I wish him and you all the best

By kim on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 07:46 pm:

Lisa B-
Just a quick note as I am walking out the door and decided to check in really quick...
I think Ruth is with me where we think the stress/anxiety of taking the pills, rather than what the pills are in themselves, may be the cause of the eczema flare up. The men in my family have the tendency to have high blood pressure as well so I know what an emotional stress it is to have the condition.

I hope he gets better soon.

By LisaB on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 01:16 pm:

Kim/Ruth

Thankyou for your kind words.

My Husband has suffered from Atopic Eczema from his early twenties approx last 16 years.

He has successfully tried Puva and Ciclosporin tablets in the past, because of his blood pressure he cannot go back on Ciclosporin and he has used his maximum number of safe hours using Puva (any further Puva will now be at a higher risk).

At the moment he is taking a very low dose of Azathioprine, his blood count is borderline, so they will not be able to increase the Azathioprine to a higher level, so at the moment we are just waiting to see if such a low dose will have any effect.

It is a worry to think about were he goes from here, until he lowers his blood pressure then he cannot go back on the Ciclosporin, which now seems to be his only option if he cannot increase his dose of Azathioprine and he should not really continue with Puva.

This week he came off the blood pressure tablets and his skin is coming more under control with the use of Steroid creams. It appears that the blood pressure is probably hereditory and not Stress related as his father is on tablets for the same reason.

It would be great to find someone else who has both high blood pressure and Eczema, to find out if they have come against the same problems when trying to take the blood pressure tablets.

We are both trying to remain positive and not worry, but each time he is given a new blood pressure tablet to try and the same thing happens again, it does become frustrating.

By kim on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 07:48 am:

Lisa- your husband is very lucky to have a loving and involved wife such as yourself.

I agree with Ruth. It may be that the fact that he's taking pills and not the pills themselves (since he's tried different ones with the sa,e effect on his skin). Stress is a very delicate factor in eczema sufferers. For instance, I can feel stress because our finances are behind on the books and taxes are due in 2 days but that does not affect my eczema. But as soon as I hear I have to deal with something that hits me with emotional stress (for me it is dread, for your husband it may be anxiety or fear), my eczema goes out of control.

I hope you find the answer to his problem very soon.

By ruth on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 01:44 am:

Hi Lisa - there are a few reasons why this could be happening. Has your hubbie suffered from eczema in the past - or is his eczema directly related to when he takes these tablets??? - the reason why i am asking this is that you would need to establish whether he has an allergy to an ingredient(s) being used in these tablets - how soon after he takes them does the eczema breakk out?? - if it is soon then sounds like it could potentially be an allergy. It may well be since your hubbie suffers from high blood pressure that he has some severe stressors impacting on his life - high stress levels will also tend to make eczema worse/flare up - what is going on in your huband's life at the moment?. It may well be too that the fact that he knows that he needs to take tablets to control his blood pressure on its own is causing him a great deal of psychological stress too - which in turn will again cause eczema to get worse. The important thing here - as in any aspect of health care is to have a HOLISTIC approach - and take into account all the factors that could be impacting here. Too often - just the symptoms such as itchiness, infections of eczema are just treated superficially without the underlying issues e.g. psychological being addressed. I'm wondering if perhaps your husband is really psychologically stressed at the moment and this may be contributing to deterioration in his skin. Also he may be feeling out of control himself and perhaps frightenend by the prospect and seriousness of taking tablets...has anyone discussed this with him? There are lots of possible scenarios here. Could also look at getting him a referral to a dermatologist as well if need be

By Lisa B on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 01:37 pm:

Can anyone Help or advise?

My husband has atopic eczema which covers all his body, he has now been diagnosed with high blood pressure. As soon as he starts a course of tablets for his blood pressure his feet and hands break out in eczema which then spreads to the rest of his body. He has now tried 6-7 different blood pressure tablets but each one makes his skin incredibly red and itchy and impossible to live with.

Do you know of anyone who has both Eczema and High blood pressure, who could offer any help at all to my Husband, who now feels no one understands, as each Consultant is only able to help with his specialist field, so at any one time he can only have controlled eczema and High blood pressure or Controlled blood pressure and severe Eczema.

Thank you
Lisa B (Notts)

By denice on Sunday, April 10, 2005 - 08:54 pm:

my son is 27 months old and has had really bad exzema since birth, i have tried everything changing his diet some naturall remedies and doctors products some of them work for a while then he scratches till he bleeds and it comes back again. A friend of mine then gave me some snippets of her aloe vera plant and told me to cut it with a sharp knife to release the sap and apply directly 2 the affected area like a cream do this for a week then she gave me a miracle cream called "dream cream" which is natural and is hand made at a shop called lush i went to the branch in lakeside thurrock there is one up the west end somewhere, the cream is about £7 it is excellent my sons skin stopped itching and really smoothed out you can also buy the wash for it.

By jessie on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 10:44 pm:

i currently use eumovate ointment on prescription to control my eczema but recently bought some eumovate CREAM from boots. I find this works better, has anyone else noticed this?can you get the cream on prescription?thanks for any help.
jessie

By kim on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 07:24 pm:

Sarah- Ruth is right and until then, depending on what kind of eczema you have, you may want to look at the post from Jon Cheng under 'alternative therapies/oils' (see below). Sounds promising...


By jon cheng on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 02:21 am:


My son, age 21 months, has had eczema since birth. The degree can be described by such symptoms: overall dryness and itchiness of the entire body; scaly skin at joints and especially hands and feet, around neck. Due to an eczema-related wound, he was even hospitalized for cellulitis one time.

Two weeks ago we learned by chance of a friend's newborn who had a similar condition. The baby girl had a chinese nurse taking care of her and, seeing her condition, suggested an old treatment. Take half a pack of unrefined block cane sugar which you can buy at any chinese food supermarket. Melt the blocks of sugar in hot water over a stove until completely dissolve...you end up with a dark soupy syrup. Add this to a regular draw of warm bathwater. Make sure the temperature is ok for the child, then go ahead and bathe the child.

There is no need to rinse after this bath, and recommended not to use soap either. Just bathe and towel dry. I thought that there would be a sticky residue but there was none at all. Our son's skin has had dramatic improvement immediately after the first bath and, over the two weeks of treatment so far, he is no longer itchy, the skin is no longer dry, and even the most affected areas (hands and ankles) have had marked and dramatic improvement.

Prior to this we have been using emollients (Oilateum) and topic creams (Protopic) for when the condition worsened. However, this sugar bath treatment has had the most dramatic positive impact on his condition. I hope this helps some of you. Given that the treatment is non-invasive, cheap, widely available, and can be administered safely and easily by yourself, I hope you can spread the word around to help more people.

I don't know how to post some product pictures for you but there are some links (hard to find on the web). If there's a way to post the pictures I'll do so. The product is widely available at all chinese supermarkets. For your information I am in no way affiliated to the supermarket linked below...they just happened to have a good picture of one of the many brands of the product mentioned.

Good luck and God bless.

http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/product-000299.html


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By ruth on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 11:45 am:

sarah - should really get some good advice from your doc or midwife on this just to be sure and to give you some peace of mind. often have to be very careful with things like this...don't want to go putting on something and then worrying even more about it afterwards - sort of self defeating and bound to cause further stress for you.

By Sarah on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 07:03 am:

My excema has flared up since becoming pregnant (I only really have it slightly when I am stressed)- anyone have any advice on safe creams to use when pregnant?

By jen on Tuesday, October 05, 2004 - 05:20 pm:

yes i did but it didn't give that much relief. I still use it till now for preventive purposes its the only shampoo that i'm not allergic to.

By punky on Tuesday, October 05, 2004 - 11:56 am:

anyone tried simple 'head and shoulders' anti dandruff for sebhorreic dermititis of the face?

By Flipper on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 10:50 am:

It seems to me-just common sense tells me that if one has dry-itchy skin-thats on the outside of the body-then it only tells me that something is going on in the inside- namely lack of essential oils.knowing this I would be wary to medicate with pharm. drugs as they only suppress the symptoms, and life is knocking you on your head to pay attention to the diet.we have the poorest diet in this country of rich living,and most americans are deficient in their diets of something.I think it should be a standard requirement of american children to start learning nutrition in first grade all the way up to senior before they pass to graduation day.maybe then our medical system will change for the better as more people take better care of themselves, and not expect someone else to hand them the magic drug pill.

By Cat on Wednesday, August 11, 2004 - 03:21 am:

Hi everyone.I am 36 and I have had eczema, asthma and alergies my whole life. I know no other way. They are conditions to be managed the best you can.
There is no magic cream or potion which will cure us all. Not yet anyway. :-)
Everyone has a different body chemistry, and therefore different things hinder/help different people. You need to experiment with what will work for you.
The children with eczema in their hair were probably reacting to the shampoo they were using.

I think it is important to firstly know what you are alergic to. For me the worst trigers are dust mites, certain pollens and cats. (I will get asthma and sneezy - but also ichy). You need to know what it is that is around you that you have a problem with AND THEN TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM IT!
Not always easy.

Secondly there is contact eczema. Our skin is lacking a protective oily barrier that regular skin has. Which means that when our skin is (overworked)in contact with too much water, harsh chemicals or harsh surfaces, it can get more easily irritated.
I even get an irritation on my thumbs sometimes when I read a long book! (paper drys out my skin)
To help my hands I wear a lot of gloves (washing dishes, gardening, driving) and I sometimes wear cotton gloves to bed to keep creams on my hands at night and likewise socks on my feet.

Again, when you know what affects you TRY TO MINIMISE EXPOSURE.

The secret is to keep a balance. Respect your skin and try not to do things you will regret too much , but also, do not let your life be ruled by a condition. I love having pets even though they make me sick. It is a calculated risk.
Currently taking a break from cats after the loss of my last pet though.

It is hard not to scratch. Try not to get that way in the first place. But give yourself permission to scratch a little bit, if you need to. I had chicken pox at about 21. It was easy not to scratch that after a lifetime of being far much ichier!

Eczema is more difficult to deal with as a child. It is something that improves with age, I believe, because people learn what to avoid and what they need to do.

Moisturising is important.
On occasion I will still apply thick sorbolene over my entire body and sleep in comfortable old t-shirts and leggins. It is a strange feeling, like your skin can finally relax (like the rest of the time it is parched and stretched tight). I always sleep well after this treatment.

I use a lot of chap sticks on my lips, the best I have found is the honey one from the bodyshop. (thicker the better)

Steroid creams I think unavoidable, but only use when needed.
A trick I learned from my dermatoligist is, if your skin gets ichy when you are applying the steroid cream, place a warm/hot face washer over it. This will open up your capillaries and will help the medication work faster. I did not think it would work but it does.

Also, when I am getting an alergic skin reaction, I sometimes take an anti-histamine, which seems to help.

I am careful about the cleaning products I use in my house. I use bicarbonate of soda and vinegar a lot. I try to not use too much washing detergent on my clothes.

There are no easy answers. But start by questioning everything. :-)

By Monika on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 05:45 pm:

I'm 16, and I've had it since I could remember. Over the years it has gotten alot better. It drove me crazy when I was younger. I don't get it too often now (Thank God) but when I do I always have diprolene with me. I've heard that if you use it too often and can thin your skin. Since I only use it occasionally, my doctor said it's fine if I keep using it. Thanks to anyone who gave their opinions and suggestions.

By jane on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 03:56 pm:

Did your GP prescribe the medicene for your child? If so I would have thought it was worth ago. You can always take them back again if it doesn't work. Good luck

By worry mom on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 08:32 pm:

hi,,, i have a question.... can some one please get back to me w/ the answer? ok... i have an 8 year old son who has a very bad case of eczema... i was given this cream called"SPECTAZOLE (ECONAZOLE NITRATE 1%)..i went on line and the cream is used for rashes... but also used for ring warms and other kind of rashes.... can i still use it for the rash the eczema causes?? PLEASE get back to me im very worry for my son... thank you very much for your help and support

By Jessica on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 06:50 am:

i've had eczema since i was a baby (i am now 22) and i have recently begun to get it under control without medications. here is my suggestions:

1. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE. You should be drinking at LEAST 2 liters of water a day, more if you are active, etc. I try to drink 3 liters a day and it helps SOOOOOOO much. I think this is THE most important thing you can do.

2. Take EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids). Flax seed oil is a good choice, but do not cook with it. Add a tablespoon or two to your food (you'll get used to the taste). Keep it refridgerated too. I use Udo's EFA blend. Find this at your local health food store.

3. Use a good lotion that is NOT water based!!! I like Aubrey and Eco Bella lotion, the Aubrey based is Coconut Fatty Acids and Eco Bella's is aloe I think. Both of these can be found at local health food stores. Be careful not to get an irritating scent with the Eco Bella (the lavender is a good choice).

4. Read the book _Skin Deep_. It's amazing.

5. Lower your stress levels!!!! Don't take on too much, and don't feel guilty about taking time out for yourself. Listen to your skin--it's trying to tell you something. What is it saying? Are you overworked? Try doing relaxing activities while knowing that it is OK to take time for yourself.

6. Lower your anxiety. Get plenty of sleep and lots of B vitamins.

7. Never take hot showers. Take quick, cool showers and pat (not rub) dry. Immediately apply a moisterizer (I like coconut oil topped with a good lotion). Then reapply your lotion throughout the day. Also, don't use harsh soaps. Make sure your soap does NOT contain SLS or Sodium Lauryth/Laurel Sulfate. It dries your skin. In fact, don't use soap at all. Use a GENTLE SLS-FREE body wash only in the essential spots. Honestly, your arms/legs/torso do not need to be soaped up everyday. No one will notice.

8. Never use steriod creams on your face. You can get perioral dermatitis doing that. It's not worth it.

9. Don't scratch! It's not worth it. I know I know, quiting scratching is like quiting smoking. But you CAN learn to scratch less!

10. Email me. I'd love to know if this stuff worked for you too. I'd love to discuss frustrations too. No one understands the way it feel to have bad eczema unless they have it. aqueoushumor@hotmail.com

By Robben on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - 09:36 am:

Country Girl - i also use petroleam jelly. i have a dry patch on my lower leg, and have been throurougly rubbing it with petroleum jelly. i'm not sure if it works coz after about 30 min it really starts itching real bad, and usually i just can't stop myself from scratching the itch. iv'e now been rubbing it with this stuff for 2 days without scratching, the dry patch is still there, but it hasn't itched too much, and i have been able to resist when it did itch. has there been a big improvement with you since youv'e been starting petroleum jelly? i really wanna know, coz, i'm almost out, and if it really works, i will buy more. so plz respond if you come back on this forum.
btw, iv'e used this stuff in my hair, but usually vasline, it gives this messy look which girls quite like but it's really grosse when i accidentally put my hand on my hair when i'm reading and all this sticky jelly stuff is all over my hand. also, after washing my hair with shampoo, it's still in my hair, it takes about 2-3 washes before it's all washed out.

By gambit on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 10:24 am:

there is a cream that i can suggest which can be used on any part of your body and causes no irritation its called `dermatique` for more info www.dermatique.co.uk. theres a whole range of these creams from washing to hair.

By chowmander on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 06:10 am:

I would be careful, I saw on Ripleys this women who took colloidal silver everytime she felt she had a cold (which was quite often) orally. After about 10 years, no one had told her that it is not safe to take that much. Now she is about 60-70, i'm not sure, but her skin is compltely grey and she is known as the grey lady. Very scary... I wouldnt risk it, especially for a condition like eczema that keeps comming back. If you use it for the first time and it works great, you'll be tempted to use it again and again

By Lynda on Monday, October 13, 2003 - 07:22 am:

I have a 14 year old son with exzema and wondered has anyone tried colloidal silver cream? Does it work?

By David on Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 09:10 pm:

Please help me. I am look for a no side-effect product for my 4-month baby. How about Eczemaderm (just get from internet) ? Thanks a lot.

By Despret on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 07:57 am:

can anyone help me! can i use waterbase cream or lotion for my eczema?

By Elen on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 03:41 am:

Hi, Jody.I used to have the same problem. Any cream I applied made my skin hot and irritated. Best stuff was calamine lotion which gave good relief but dried the skin. Now I'm using DoubleBase gel to moisturise the skin which is not greasy at all but very effective and all steroids in form of gel or lotion.

By K. GOFF on Saturday, July 05, 2003 - 08:59 pm:

I'm a 20 year old chick with a long history of eczema (since age 10). I started working at the General Nutrition Center and reading up on this annoying disease. Apparently we lack the ability to produce fatty acids and what I've found to help is taking Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Oil, or Fish Oils (either in pill form, or swallowing the liquid form in water or directly-I really felt that putting it directly onto the skin made it worse).
So many soaps and certain bath products (esp. oils) irratate it~
THE DERMATOLOGIST SAYS STEAMING HOT WATER AND RUBBING DRY MAKE IT WORSE AS WELL. Patting dry is better and cool water is good. AVENO SOAP HELPS ME A LOT! IF NOT THAT DOVE....nothing too soapy.

By jody on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:35 pm:

my nephew is 3 years old, and has eczema from approx 6 months old. He has very very severe eczema especially on his face arms and legs. Unfortunately nothing seems to be working on him - he has tried all the new creams, antibiotics, and wet wrap technique yet still is unable to control it. His face is the worst as he constantly scratches open wounds, and as a result anything applied to the surface of the skin irritates and burns his skin. We are all very concerned about the severity of his eczema. Has anyone tried anything specifically for the face which seems to at least the skin on the face?

By Country Girl on Monday, April 14, 2003 - 07:26 pm:

I've only had eczema for three years. Until recently, I've been using over-the-country cortisone ointments and cremes. The ointments have a lot of petroleum jelly in them. Recently I started using petroleum jelly several times a day. The dryness and itching are gone so I don't scratch as much. I don't want to use the stuff in my hair but my arm is healing quite nicely.

By gdog on Monday, April 07, 2003 - 11:15 am:

I have also suffered from eczema of varying degrees throughout my life. I am now 35 and just recently found relief through vitamin supplementation.

I was doing research on the subject of Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema on the web. I have recently found some information on a possible genetic reason for this inflammatory response which talks about a lack of enzyme, (D6D) in the bodies of certain people with eczema. This enzyme turns an essential fatty acid (LA) into the also necessary (GLA) in normal bodies. This lack of GLA of Gamma linoelic acid is necessary for certain hormones in the body that produce anti inflamitory responses, something some researchers have found in eczema patients.

I have started to supplement my diet with GLA's (Evening Primrose Oil and Borage Oil) since my body may not be producing these (GLA's). I am also supplementing myself with Fish Oils which they highly recommend and of course a multi vitamin along with some digestive enzymes. I've been doing this for a month now and have found much releif!

I'm not as inflammatory and itchy! Thank God! Oh, also I have started using a non soap cleanser for my skin as well. I hope this information helps since I have finally found some relief by getting to what is hopefully the root of the problem and not using these lame steroids!

Good luck!

By Nicola on Sunday, January 26, 2003 - 07:04 pm:

I am a 26 year old mum I have suffered from eczema since I was a baby Now my Children have it as well being that I have used all types of creams steriod and non steroids over the yaers i hoped they wouldnt get it but they suffer from it in there hair people think that they have nits i try to explain to them its not bbut then they look at my face and see my ezcema and turn their nose up at me what can i use on their head to stop this i have had creams off the doctor for this but none have worked can any one help.