Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Eczema omg. Any help?

  • Thread starter Thread starter PierreBear
  • Start date Start date
P

PierreBear

Guest
Hi PSers,

Anyone deal with eczema before? I feel like one day I just woke up and my body said "ah hahh you are in your 30s and things will start to decline" and I just noticed red bumps on my legs. Then it showed up on my other leg. Then the inner thighs. It's not itchy, just more so red and bumpy and scaly. I went to a dermatologist and it was such a quick visit and the end result is applying a cream, which is helping. However once the area looks cleared and I stop applying the cream, it seems to all come back. Ahh!! Is this something I will deal with the rest of my life? Any one else have to fight with Eczema?

Thanks in advance!
 
Eczema is a lifelong battle for me, unfortunately. It comes and goes, depending on the trigger. Weather seems to play a large role in my case.
 
I agree with Chrono. Mine has come and gone over the years. It moves around, and mine is definitely triggered by stress and like Chrono, the weather is also a factor. I also have allergies and Rosacea and all of it has gotten worse as I have gotten older. Skin issues are so hard. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. I have had periods of time when I was younger when it would go away for long periods of time.
 
Mine and my kids and everyone else I know has been either diet related (dairy for us, gluten for a lot of friends) and some people I've met has been the chemicals in their cleaners (laundry soap, soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc). My son when he has cheese the very next day he has it all over his face. Happens to me to :(

Gets worse in the winter of course, but I find that a good quality Essential oil butter mixture helps my boys really well. I mix up shea butter, coconut oil, frankenscence, lavender and a couple of other things too.

Though the most amazing bar I've bought that helped-its really something else.

http://www.butters-n-bars.com/beautifulbodybar.html
 
I'm sorry you are going through this and I have some advice. I've had excema off and on since babyhood. Stress is a trigger.

One, make sure your vitamin D levels optimal. Test your 25(OH)D level and make sure you are 55ng/ml or higher. I keep mine around 70ng/ml. I am not kidding when I say that optimizing my D levels made me no longer need skin lotion or chapstick. It dramatically Improves the health of your skin. Obviously consult your physician before embarking on this as some rare people should not take supplemental D3. Most physicians are totally fine with levels of 70.

Second, eliminate any skin products you are using and start using an extremely mild hypo allergenic soap and baby shampoo. I became sensitized to the soap at my work, my skin lotion and my shampoo/conditioner. Eliminating all the commercial skin products I could, eliminated excema but it took a few months.

I would try to eliminate steroid creams from your dermatologist as they have the side effects common to steroids. I used just a fraction of the dose prescribed and that seemed to work for me, so you could try cutting back on the dosing and see how that works, then wean yourself off. Ultimately, you want to find the source of your sensitivity, and cure from within rather than just suppress your immune responses.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
HI:

I have fewer flares when my skin is well moisturized (and when I have no stress.....so I need to moisturize often!!) My derm recommended putting the lotion on damp skin--right out of the shower. Then reapply at night.

I have eczema in my one ear (yes one) and I need mild steroid creme for that. Works.

cheers--Sharon
 
H gets it bad when we go on tropical vacations. Not sure if its the humidity or intense use of sunscreen. He gets it in the crooks of his elbows and knees. It goes away a few days after we get back. The creams worked, but are (apparently?) steroids, which he doesn't like.
 
I'm sorry you're having this! It sucks. For me, it came on after menopause. Derm told me to put lotion on right out of shower, NEVER let the skin get 'dry.' Only use soap on your armpits and groin. Other than that, no soap. For soap use Basis or Dove without fragrance. I have really good success with an olive oil soap, it has kept my fingers eczema free and my hands too, its made by Kiss My Face. Its expensive but lasts a long time, so so worth it.

I keep steroid OINTMENT, triamcinolone 0.1%, on hand in case anything gets out of hand. If I moisturize well I never need it.

Good luck and don't worry too much, you can get on top of this.
 
Ugh, I have it and it's exclusively my face/ears/scalp. Very small areas of skin, but super annoying. Mine is definitely seasonal. I use either grapeseed or coconut oil, get plenty of natural Vitamin D from being outdoors as much as possible, and stay hydrated.
 
I woke up one day and my face was twice it's normal size, people at work thought I'd been beaten and mugged!

I had the conventional treatment of hydrocortisone ointment and other drugs and it did go away. Stress triggered it occasionally, but I haven't had a flare up for many years now, so you may not necessarily have it for life.
 
I had to eliminate all scented soaps and laundry detergents. Hydrocortisone cream when it gets bad (prescription steroid cream when it gets really really bad), but unscented moisterizer usually keeps it at bay. Winter is worse for me because it's so dry here. I did better in more humid climates. Mine is horribly red and itchy though when it comes. I get it mainly in my ears now.
 
The consultant I saw recommended Neutrogena soap.
 
I guess I'll put my name on the list of dear PSers with this issue.
Ears & scalp, a fact of life for the past 10 years.
Annoyingly, my doc treated it for years without explaining that it can't be cured.
Very interesting to hear about Vit. D...my last blood test [2 weeks ago] showed quite low D and I'm now on 4000 units a day. Will see if that helps.
I use a steroid foam during flares [Luxiq], and Fluocinolone oil. Quite a bit of relief from the Luxiq. Use once or twice and things calm for weeks.
I've accepted the problem and eat what I like, since I love so many of the trigger foods.
 
LightBright said:
I'm sorry you are going through this and I have some advice. I've had excema off and on since babyhood. Stress is a trigger.

One, make sure your vitamin D levels optimal. Test your 25(OH)D level and make sure you are 55ng/ml or higher. I keep mine around 70ng/ml. I am not kidding when I say that optimizing my D levels made me no longer need skin lotion or chapstick. It dramatically Improves the health of your skin. Obviously consult your physician before embarking on this as some rare people should not take supplemental D3. Most physicians are totally fine with levels of 70.

Second, eliminate any skin products you are using and start using an extremely mild hypo allergenic soap and baby shampoo. I became sensitized to the soap at my work, my skin lotion and my shampoo/conditioner. Eliminating all the commercial skin products I could, eliminated excema but it took a few months.

I would try to eliminate steroid creams from your dermatologist as they have the side effects common to steroids. I used just a fraction of the dose prescribed and that seemed to work for me, so you could try cutting back on the dosing and see how that works, then wean yourself off. Ultimately, you want to find the source of your sensitivity, and cure from within rather than just suppress your immune responses.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I am sorry you are dealing with this. Eczema is a challenging issue and I agree with the above.

Try NOT to use the steroid cream/ointment. I am not going to spread horror stories but suffice to say it should be a LAST resort. Too many doctors in my experience prescribe it too readily too easily without proper care and thought to other alternatives. Some people have a terrible reaction to topical steroids. For some it comes after prolonged usage and for some the reaction happens after only a short time. I have a healthy fear of steroids. Having said that in some circumstances they can be and are a lifesaver however they should be LAST RESORT and only used as sparingly as possible. Under best case scenario regular usage thins the skin. Worst case scenario you could have a terrible all body reaction with awful consequences.

Here is a link you may find helpful and they offer some very important tips.
http://itsan.org

As with most things an ounce of prevention easier than treating a full blown eczema reaction. So always moisturize with topicals with the fewest ingredients/least added preservatives. La Roche Posay and Avene have good preservative free moisturizers. And when you wash your skin dry completely and don't let your hands etc become chapped. It is good to moisturize when your skin is a bit damp but make sure you then properly dry your hands etc.

Always use hypoallergenic products including laundry detergents and stay away from anything harsh. I like Dr Bronners hypoallergenic unscented soap.
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bronners-P...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SNKA1Z59ZN67ZNEHFVHX

Don't use fabric softeners as they can be irritating. I also use very gentle shampoos and conditioners with a minimum of ingredients. Be careful about any and all products you use.

Perhaps do an elimination diet to see if food might be aggravating your eczema and make sure you get enough vitamin D3. I agree with LightBright about getting your Vitamin D blood levels tested. The 25 hydroxy blood test is the only accurate blood test for D and you want to keep your D levels in the 70s and 80s ng/ml as she wrote above. However make sure you protect yourself from the UV rays with a physical sunblock (i.e. zinc oxide/titanium dioxide) and avoid the chemical sunscreens as they can be very aggravating re eczema. The sun can be helpful but I hesitate to recommend getting unprotected sun exposure due to other potential dangers i.e. melanoma to name just a few. So I always recommend sun protection.

I am sure I forgot some things and if I remember I will be back to add them. Good luck!
 
What do you guys think about (if you've heard of it) halotherapy for this issue? I haven't tried it yet but plan to as I just took on a new client who offers this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halotherapy
I do know that any time I'm at the beach/ocean my skin is PERFECT. No issues with exzema whatsoever.
 
Monarch: It wouldn't surprise me if it worked well for certain peoples condition. Minerals in general are great for your skin, and get absorbed into the body and can have a wonderful impact. I personally haven't tried it but I do have clay (minerals in that) and make my own masks that greatly reduce the symptoms too.

But I can tell you right now when I eat a bowl of ice cream less than 24 hours later my face looks like I spent the night outside in the dry cold winter. My eyebrows flake, my scalp flakes, I have scale patches in random spots on my face and top of my arms.

Every.single.time.

My boys, the same way but their bowels are also impacted. I had a gf correct her skin issue with the GAPS diet, as well as a few other people not in my circle but that I know though her. It's pretty hard core but the gist is that you heal your gut flora and lining and detox which allows you to actually eat things that triggered skin issues, IBS and quite a few other things after the process is done. That is, if you can stick to it. The into 2 weeks is pretty hard I hear, but my one gf's daughter who is 15 just did the into and the family stopped but she experienced such amazing results that she is continuing for a while. Another friend did it for 6 months with her family, and her son who had severe allergies to many foods now can eat them all. Though her eldest still can't have gluten. I hear the process is different for each person but its the book says 1-2 years but my friend said she noticed results in all of her kids and herself just after the 2 week into and then stopping.
 
monarch64 said:
What do you guys think about (if you've heard of it) halotherapy for this issue? I haven't tried it yet but plan to as I just took on a new client who offers this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halotherapy
I do know that any time I'm at the beach/ocean my skin is PERFECT. No issues with exzema whatsoever.
Click to expand...


Monnie I would try it. I have read some positive things about it. All anecdotal though but still. You don't have anything to lose. Let us know what you think and good luck!
 
Even bars like Dove will burn my skin. I have to use Aveeno Eczema Therapy body wash. My shampoos have to be sulfate free and I wash my hair while leaning to the side so that the suds fall away from my body. On a regular basis, I use aveeno eczema therapy lotion. I also have unrefined Shea butter for severe break outs.

Once, my son had a horrific outbreak. Nothing fixed it. I bought something called Corium 21 and I kid you not, it cleared it up within days. It is aloe based and I'm allergic, so I can't use it.

I rarely have problems in the summer. Neither do my boys.

The salt therapy looks interesting. It reminds me of bleach baths that are recommended for eczema. I get the feeling the salt or the bleach kills whatever microbe might be causing the issue on the skin.
 
Housecat, my mom is allergic to aloe too! I had no idea aloe is in the same family as garlic and onions, both of which she's also allergic to. Can you eat garlic and onions without issue? Just curious.
 
monarch64 said:
Housecat, my mom is allergic to aloe too! I had no idea aloe is in the same family as garlic and onions, both of which she's also allergic to. Can you eat garlic and onions without issue? Just curious.
Click to expand...
I avoid onions like the plague. :cry:o_O:confused: Because i think they're gross.

But I can eat garlic.

I may have been a little strong with the term "allergic." I haven't been diagnosed as allergic to aloe. My skin burns like fire when I put anything that contains aloe on it. No hives though.

I had no idea that aloe and the alliums were related either.

As I get older, I am developing more and more food allergies. I hope garlic doesn't get added to the list! What would I eat??? :mrgreen:
 
HC, my mom has had progressively worse allergies as she's aged. I also worry that I may have inherited some of them--I definitely have her severe nickel allergy. For now I can eat whatever I like (and I love herbs and spices and super hot/spicy foods) but who knows what will happen over time.

What would you eat if you couldn't eat garlic? Well, it sucks going to restaurants, that's for sure. She has to have special instructions for everything and even then sometimes the kitchen screws up and she ends up in the ER. It's pretty awful.
 
monarch64 said:
Housecat, my mom is allergic to aloe too! I had no idea aloe is in the same family as garlic and onions, both of which she's also allergic to. Can you eat garlic and onions without issue? Just curious.
Click to expand...

I thought I was the only person allergic to aloe. I get hives when my skin comes in contact with it. Monnie I am sorry about your mom's allergies. They sound awful. So far I can eat onions and garlic without issues and hoping it stays that way. But yeah I cannot use anything with aloe!
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top