Help For Severe Eczema

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RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I am 32 and for the last 10 months have had a growing eczematic lesion on one of my legs. Unfortunately I found out too late that it was eczema, and now it's quite established and hard to control. I'm currently using a strong Rx topical steroid and sun exposure (never the two together though!) to control the itch. But I hate thinking about the side effects. I'm about to try essential fatty acids and natural/herbal creams to see if they work. But one of the most interesting finds has been using a simple fan.

My eczema is exacerbated by heat/humidity-it gets worse in the summer and better in the winter, which is I think not the norm. The air flow from a fan soothes and cools my skin, completely relieving the itch. It is a miracle--no side effects and inexpensive. I finally can get a full night's sleep, as long as the leg is exposed to a fan all night. It seems like what works for one person's eczema is different from the next; but maybe my fan experience can help someone else.

Otherwise I understand the psychosocial aspects of being embarrassed in public. I still wear shorts/dresses, but not to important/significant social things. Eczema is simply unsightly; I would react with hesitation if I saw it on someone else, so I don't get upset with people for that. But since I know it's not contagious, at least I can wear shorts/dresses in full confidence that I am not endangering others to a disease. I don't want eczema to rule my life, so I wear shorts/dresses when I can or at least when I'm feeling indifferent enough to the social stigma.

It's great to read everyone's posts. I'm learning things, and also feeling understood about the difficulties of trying to manage what is so far an incurable condition. One day there will be a cure! Thanks everyone for writing in!

Post by Lorraine907

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have suffered from exzema for about 20 years, it is finally under control. It was so bad that I was hospitalized for it as a teen and was on prednisone and antibiotics for years. I now have to take probiotics because the over use of antibiotics has messed up my digestion. I have found two things that has helped me greatly in the past couple years.

1.) Shea Butter 100%, not the modified type used in lotions you find in the drugstore or supermarket. I started using this around my eyes, because I was getting eczema under my eye lids. Every time I blinked my cornea was getting scratched. The shea butter help bring down the inflammation. You would have to order it on line or get it from a health food store. Try getting the one that is straight from Africa. I know that there is an American Shea Butter Institute in Georgia somewhere. Perhaps they can guide you in the right direction. The stuff is amazing!

2.) Bare Minerals. The powders are so great that if I'm getting a little red on my face or hands, I sweep mineral veil on the rash and the next morning it's gone. It dries up and the shea butter peels it off.
My Ophthalmologist is amazed to how well my eyes and the eczema around it has improved. I feel that it is b/c of the above two products. I hardly ever have to put in steroid drops anymore.

Another thing I had to do was eliminate certain foods from my diet. Most of them did not show up on a regular food allergy test. For example, the allergy test showed that I was not allergic to chocolate, but indeed I was. When I ate it, I flared up, yet I discovered I was not allergic to white chocolate. I later found out that I was allergic to the ingredient that is in milk chocolate and not white chocolate called theobromine. I'm not allergic to dairy all around b/c I can have milk but no cheese, the casein used to harden the cheese is what I get a rash from. It's a lot of trial and error. In the process you have to become very much in tune with your body and what you put in or around it. Hopefully that helps.

Post by April17

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Does anyone have any suggestions for eczema around your eyes. My eyes virtually hurt all the time..they are red, dry and rashy. I have not tried a tanning booth, but hope to this week. I live in the north where it is cold and sunless most of the winter. I look 10 years older than I should because of this. I had eczema when I was small and outgrew it except for on my face. If anyone has anything I could use that would work....I would be SO happy. In the summer, I dont suffer with it much..just an occasional break out. Thank you for your help.

Post By itchy#1 (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Both of my children have real bad eczema. I have controlled my 5 year old's eczema with derma-smooth (RX eczema oil) and she bathes in Cetaphil and uses the moisturizer as well. My son is another story however, I cannot get control of him and I am using the same treatment. I have tried cortizone... coritzone 10, aveeno hydrocortizone, aquaphor, a&d ointment... nothing works. I have a dermatology appt scheduled for next week. lets hope for the best!

Post By Tiffany C. (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Hi, i have had mild eczema occasionally during the last 10 years. I am now 30 years old. Emollients are good but they can also be a bit irritating at times.

My skin is basically fine these days except for the skin around my eyes. For some reason they are very sensitive and i have a mild eczema on the left upper eye region that sometimes gets infected. I have tried hydrocortisone but it hasn't helped much this time. Antibiotics have cleared the infection ok.

I have always found tanning to be an excellent cure for eczema and dermatitis. It only takes a few sessions and as the skin browns the condition of the skin improves. I don't think it is suitable if you do not tan well but it is a definite option for others. Of course there is a small increased risk of skin cancer but as long as you are not doing it every week, all the time, it shouldn't be too bad.

When your skin is red and sore, if sunbeds or sunshine can improve this then it is an option i will always go for. I wil be taking some sessions soon to try and clear my eye region up. I will let you know how it goes.

In the past i have had sessions and it has always cleared up eczema very quickly.

I think i should really be living in the mediterranean!

Post by Acer

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have had eczema since birth, now I'm 24. When I was a baby my parents would dress me in cotton tights so that i wouldn't scratch myself to the point of bleeding, even in the hot summer months. I was embarrassed all through school, so to all those younger kids and teens-- I know what it's like.

I used to make up stories all the time when kids asked me, saying I got poison ivy and that it would probably last for a few months. The best thing that has worked for me are the sun and salt water ( being in the ocean) and going tanning (2-3 times per week). I have tried every single cream out there, every prescription and non prescription drug. The other thing is to avoid food coloring, which is unfortunately in almost everything. Also try low sugar foods, and avoid high fructose corn syrup and very acidic foods like tomato sauce.

Cakes, cookies and other sugary foods always made my eczema flare up as well as very salty foods like Doritos and potato chips. Basically I try to stick to mostly fresh foods, many veggies and fruits, as well as yogurts, fish and chicken, and whole grains. Avoid hot showers, because although they feel nice they will make your eczema worse. Lukewarm water is the best and cold water is great too. I hope I can help a few out there.
-Vera

Post By Vera (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

A lotion I like to use is Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula (Fragrance Free). It really help keeps it moisturized. But as far as getting it to disappear for a while, sunlight is pretty much the only thing that has worked for me and watching out for irritants in laundry soap and stuff like that.

Post By Kaitlyn (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Hello all! I am currently fighting a losing battle with my 6 month old's chronic eczema. It all started when he was about 1 month old. Since then I have tried every prescription medication you can think of. He was prescribed topical medicines and oral steroids such as prednisone (which makes him mean and cranky and he acts as if he is starving but won't eat). I took him to a dermatologist back a few weeks ago only to be irate when leaving the building.

For starters they never sent the doctor in, I saw the nurse and it just so happened to be her last day there as she had just quit, then on top of that she never asked me to get him out of the car seat and she never took his clothes off only looked at his arm where there is the least amount of rash! Oh and this was after driving 2 and a half hours with a screaming baby in the backseat! His entire back, stomach, left shoulder, and scalp is nothing but a solid red welt, oozing and pussy. I was wondering about the Noxzema treatment, would it burn him and exactly how would I go about doing it, do I leave it on or rinse it off and how long? And if anyone else has any other suggestions they would be greatly appreciated...Thanks in advance!

Post By MY POOR BABY BOY!!! (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Hi All, I have lived with eczema all my life also (ha! over 50 years) I realized that most the chemicals in lotions and potions, both over the counter and prescribed by every doctor in the country, agitated my skin. This included cortizones and prescription lotions. At that point I created my own lotion and have been free of symptons. In addition, the lotion also clears up cradle cap and most dry skin issues. It's safe to use even on babies! A couple of years ago I created a cream that I can use on my face without clogging the pores or creating a rashy breakout. I am a legally licensed business and am posting this not as an advertizement but because I know the pain! Priced very reasonably, I'll never be rich but am hoping the world will be a softer place :-) Lotions are cocoa butter based and creams are shea butter based. Please feel free to email me if you want further information. gaiabody@comcast.net

Itch and scale free in WA state :-)

Nancy

Post by Nan7882

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I am 62 years old and just got eczema for the first time, I thought I had a bad reaction to a pedicure. It is over my entire body and I cannot get rid of it or even find some relief from it. Any suggestions will help?

Post By Judy (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I've been eczema-free for about 2 years now, but I've had eczema since I was about 10 or so. My eczema emerged from the bad decision to use Nair. From the moment I put it on, it completely fried my skin. Thinking that it was supposed to be burning like that, I left it on for the recommended time. My legs were on fire for the next couple days (oh, and not to mention hairy). Eventually, it turned into eczema. I wish I would have just risked getting cut by shaving!

I've been to countless dermatologists and I've been on so many prescriptions for this, none of which worked. I've tried every home-remedy in the book. It got so bad on my arms a couple years ago that my skin was literally hot pink. Finally, I bought Cortizone 10 Plus. It healed my skin within a matter of a week. I've been flare-up free for a good 2 years now.

Once I get out of the shower and dry off, I immediately apply a generous amount of Johnson's Bedtime Baby Lotion to my arms and legs. And that's it until my next shower. The key to keeping eczema under control is to never over moisturize, as you'll trap sweat in the skin and cause a rash, and to never under moisturize, as that will cause dry itchy skin, leading to a flare-up.

NEVER SCRATCH your itchy skin! It might be the most uncomfortable feeling in the world, and the itchiest-itch you've ever had. And it's going to feel great while you're scratching, but just think about how it feels when you're done- the stinging, burning, peeling, and even worse itching than before. I've gotten to the point now where I can completely ignore any itches I might have. It's all mind over matter. If you MUST scratch, use the back of your nails or lightly rub your skin. It's far less damaging.

Post By Erica (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Im fifteen and I've had terrible eczema since I was two I only had in certain spots like were my joints are but they were so severely torn op from scratching it would bleed and the pain would make me cry not to mention the annoying people wouldnt go near me because they thought it was contagious. I thought it was as bad as it could get at a certain point. I was wrong, last winter I broke out on my face, legs, arms, stomach, neck, and face. It was horrible and painfull i couldnt even straighting out my arms because my skin would rip, I couldnt bathe cause the water stung all my baths had to be oat meal so my skin could stay moisturized. It still didnt help as much as I would like then one day my mom suggeseted a curandera (witch doctor). It was expensive around 400 dollars but it worked I only break out on the back of my legs and a little above my lip to get rid of them I just moiturize and I also own and amazing product Bare Minerals I put it on when im a little red on my lip and by the end of the day I look fine with out the make up. it all came ot to about 472$ but it was worth it. but it you cant afford that I suggested Aveeno lotions not steroid creams there are also herbs you can use to stop the itching and to get rid of redness you can use DERMATEST PSORIASIS yeah I know were talking about eczema but if your broken out really bad it may sting for ten seconds when you first put it on but it goes away.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT IF YOUR CAN BUY SOME NEOSPRORIN PUT IT ON AND INFECTION OF YOUR ECZEMA CAN GET INTO THE BLOOD STREAM.

Post by Volley_love

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have had chronic eczema for 14 years and terrible patches on my legs if I'm exposed to poison oak (not touch, just in the vicinity) which triggered permanent eczema. I recently went on vacation to Italy and after a week of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, my eczema completely cleared up. I've been back home for 4 weeks and so far I might get minor spots that itch but it goes away quickly. Before my Italy trip, I've been to dermatologists, allergists, and a homeopathic doctor. Nothing they suggested led to any significant improvement. I was following the conventional method with prescription cortisone cream, taking oral allergy medication. The homopathic doctor had me on various "remedies" and going without lotions. I had given up.

I've looked on the internet and noticed that some other folks have described significant improvement after swimming in the Mediterranean and there are companies out there selling Dead Sea bath salts for treating eczema and psoriasis. Both seas have high salt and mineral content.

I'm going to try the Dead Sea salts since I can't afford a Mediterranean vacation every year (though it'd be nice!).

Post By Jenny (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Hi, I am an eczema sufferer myself (have had it since I was a few months old).

Last year, I had the worst eczema I could possibly imagine - I was unable to sit properly (because of the eczema on my back), to lie down and sleep (slept in a praying position for 3-4 months every night) and eat (because every time I opened my mouth, my skin would crack and yellow "water" would ooze out).

Luckily I found a doctor that helped me. He didn't believe in steroids either. What I had was called "chelation", and I still go and get treatments 1-2 times a week. It's extremely expensive, but I'm all cured now except for a little stubborn eczema on my arms, legs and neck. It's tolerable though because I can fall asleep for the entire night within no time now.

I highly recommend you to try out chelation treatments. You can google "EDTA" or "chelation" for more information. Good luck to you on your search for a cure!

Post By Tracy (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I came across this site by accident today because I have really bad itchy red chapped lips and the doctor gave me some dental paste called Triamcinolone, hope it helps but somehow I ended up on this site after typing it in google

Anyways I started reading some of these posts and it was like a major flashback of just how bad Eczema was for me. I basically had it all my life but now I only get it rarely on one hand I can thankfully say.

Let me tell you a few stories of my experience with Eczema then I will tell you THE ONLY thing I SWEAR BY that helped me.

I can go on and on but will only give a few examples of how bad mine was. Mostly on my hands and arms up to my elbow. I feel lucky after reading some of these stories hearing some of you have it all over your body. My heart goes out to you. Eczema is HELL!!

I use to share a room with my sister growing up and when I was sleeping i would scratch my arms so hard all night not even knowing I was doing it and wake up with my arms covered with sores, blood and just a painful mess. I would wrap my arms in High School a lot and say I sprained *them*... well can only use that excuse for so long so I would wear long sleeves during the summer and I live in Southern Calif so I looked pretty crazy half the time.

I also worked in fast food to help my family with income when I was young and one horror story comes to mind. The old days when the fast food chains served REAL ONIONS, one day I went to work and don't worry I wasn't the one cooking the food but was still humiliated collecting peoples money but I did everything in my power to hide it which really didn't work well.

But this day was like hell on earth for me, the boss told me I was going to be PEELING and SLICING onions for my 8 hour shift..... well not sure if any of you have ever had onion juice in areas where you have Eczema but the pain was so intense I stood there crying and peeling those stupid onions wanting to just shoot myself! When co workers asked me why I was crying I blamed it on the onions...

My mom and dad took me to doctors on and off for years and nothing seemed to help I would die of embarrassment to put either hand out to collect change so a lot of times I would just say its ok keep the change to people in the stores and practically run out of the store. Then they came out with those change dispensers and I use to know which places had them and didn't and that is where I would go...

Oh and snow skiing I had to give up, I would take the gloves off and my hands would look crippled up because I knew when I opened them the cracks would break and my hands would bleed.

Anyways I could go on and on but to this day the ONLY THING THAT HAS EVER WORKED FOR ME AND I CONSIDER A MIRACLE IS LIDEX CREAM!! I SWEAR BY IT AND HECK IF MY SKIN GETS THIN BECAUSE OF IT OH WELL! (my opinion) LIDEX, LIDEX , LIDEX!

My hands would be soooooooooooooo bad and I would be in so much pain and when my mom would take me to the doctor (which by the way I would even hide the Eczema from my family if I could) but my sister would be screaming at me yelling stop scratchinggggggggggg your driving me nuts so it was hard to hide but getting LIDEX cream to me was like winning the lottery.

My parents couldn't always afford to take me to the doctor or pay for the medicine so I couldn't have it all the time but when I had it, honestly in one day my Eczema would be practically gone To this day I still get it when my hand not hands breaks out which it still does

So anyone if you haven't tried Lidex cream , ask your doctor, mine didn't want to give it to me because I think their office sponsors another pharmaceutical company but I told her it is the ONLY THING that works for me and I won't take no for an answer.

Hope this helps at least one person who reads this. If it does please post something and I will come back to read it..... again my heart TRULY goes out to all of you but there is hope..... don't give up. I can honestly say when I was young if I had a gun I might have even shot myself because of the pain due to Eczema. I know that sounds extreme and crazy but it truly to me was like hell on earth.

Whether it be Lidex cream or something else , something will help you.... we are all different and our bodies react differently but hang in there....... :)

Thanks for letting me type all of this .....take care all

Cindy

Post By Cindy (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

It is so nice to see all these posts. I am 36 and have had severe eczema my entire life. A word of warning, try to limit your steroid use. After years of using those creams, I have extremely think skin that will tear and bruise terribly. The side effects will happen. I'm still looking for a way to end this misery, and will try several of your ideas. I tried UV therapy years ago, but honestly didn't give it much time. I will try that again. I'll even try the noxema.

Post By Brent (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Well I have been having eczema ALL my life & I really wish it would go away ): During school in P.E. I would dislike when people staring at my skin asking what is that? I would just say oh.. It's nothing. It's not getting better. My family has many "skin diseases" and I don't like it. I dislike when people are like is it contagious? & we all know it's not. I have "it" ALL OVER my body it has gotten better with prescriptions. I thank all dermatologist that have helped with eczema.

I'm still young, but I hope it will go away. Now I realize I'm not the only one with eczema. I have many scars and now I'm using something called "mederma" for the scars. It's still the first month using it, but I hope it will work. THANK YOU! You made feel like I'm not the only one to have "it". My eczema was very bad when I was 10 and now it's not that bad. I don't want to feel bad about myself. Thank you. (:

Post By Ashley (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I just was diagnosed with eczema, although I've had it for the past 12 years. My previous dermatologist misdiagnosed it as psoriasis. It's horrible, and I feel all of your pain. I can't swim at all. I can get in a pool for 5 minutes and be miserable for a month after... my body will be covered in little bumps that ooze clear stuff, I'll have fever in the areas and I ache all over. Same with if I swim in the lake, only less severe. The ocean seems to help clear up the breakouts. I also break out if I get too hot and sweaty. It's gross, miserable, just horrible. I've got a mixture with steroids in it that really help, and my new doctor has just started me drenching myself in Cetaphil twice a day. Don't know how well that's helping yet. Good luck to everyone with getting this under control. I start college in August, and chose a school on the coast so that I mught can swim. It's too far away from home, but I will try anything to control the eczema.

Post By Brittney (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I am 46 years old and have had allergic eczema forever. I never had any breakouts, I have only had the itching from the inside of my skin until a month ago. For the first time I broke out in weeping eczema (like poison ivy). I itched for a month. It was awful. I had allergy testing done again and the derm did an environmental allergy test (still waiting for the results on that).

I stopped taking my vitamins. They are red and I don't eat anything that has red dye in it. The itching has stopped dramatically! Also, I started using Cerave. You can get it at CVS or Walgreens, or you can go to their website and find the stores in your area. Cerave is different from Eucerin or Cetaphil in that it helps to repair and rebuild the skin barrier that is problematic for people with eczema. It has made a huge difference! The skin that had the little bumps on it is now smooth after two days of using it. They have a cleanser, lotion, and cream. I use the cream on the parts of my body that have the weeping eczema. I use the cleanser all over, except for my hair, and I use the lotion all over, even my face. The price is $11.99-$12.99 for a 12 oz bottle. It is fantastic! I hope this helps someone! :)

Post by BRP

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

My son is 3 and has severe eczema. We are scheduled to see an allergist that specializes in pediatric patients, we have to go to Boston for this. We've found out a few things about this condition that some doctors don't mention and that is that after being on a cortizone cream for a long time the patient gets used to it and it no longer works. Which is what happened in my sons case.
There is a prescription called atopiclare that is not a steriod instead it's a cream meant for eczema. Atopiclare is very expensive 150.00 I found that it works well on moderate eczema but on the realy bad spots it does not help. Flair ups from Eczema are usualy caused from an allergy. I believe it's best to figure out the cause first and try to avoid those things. Try visiting an Alergist and get tested for what might be causing your flair ups. Also I've had people recomend Naturopathic specialist. We have one not far from us you might want to check for one in your area. We plan on visiting one if we can't get a solution from the allergist. Hope this helps

Post by cmkohnle

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I firmly believe in treating eczema internally rather than topically. From the research I have done, treating this disease topically only pushes the problem deeper into your system, meaning it will reappear later on. Topical Creams will only treat the symptoms and not the disease. I suggest finding a detox program that works for you. Depending on your current diet, fasting on fresh vegetable juices may be very helpful. I personally did a series of Colonics (I know many people will not be open to this treatment, but for me it was absolutely the most effective) and consumed 4 ounces of fresh wheat grass juice daily when dealing with an outbreak. As a maintenance program I try to take 2 ounces a day. Dr. Shulze American Botanical Pharmacy has a very good regime for treating eczema, it begins with a five day bowel cleanse, followed with kidney strengthening herbs. He also makes a jojoba and tea tree oil cream to soothe the skin.

Post By jill (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have been plagued with eczema for all of my life. I am now 45 years old. I remember as a young child my father putting cortisone cream on my hand and covering it with saran wrap to help with absorbtion. I have tried everything: essential fatty acid supplements, antihistamines, tanning beds, and Elidel/Protopic. When I have a really bad flare-up there is no way I can even shower. Winter of course tends to be worse, and I smoother my skin with a lotion called Sarna (bought over the counter) - it contains pramosone which is like a numbing agent so you don't feel the itch and burning so much. I've been told that cortisone creams thin out the skin, so I am really trying to use less of them as I get older. After some research, I have learned that vitamin B12 cream/lotion can be quite effective. I searched the internet and found one called BioEntopic B12 creme that I ordered from Valley Farm. It wasn't cheap, but when you are in misery everyday, you will try anything. I am experiencing success! As far as the tanning bed is concerned, I would like to know if anyone has had real success from it. I am so pale that I get burned even if I just do five minutes. This just adds salt to the wound, so to speak. My dermatologist swears by it, but I hate to think I am wasting my time, money, and perhaps contributing to skin cancer. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Post by Candy Polk

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

(submitted via email)

Wow.... your story sounds like my life story completely and exactly! I in the mean time have also had facial cellulitis at least twice in the last year also because of it. Have you found anything that works? I have 3 children and work full time so as you can understand I have little time for myself let alone bathing etc. My dr's and specialists will prescribe something and its great while I'm using it... as soon as I come off it it my excema comes back within 2 days.

Thanks, Theresa

Post by jess

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Not only is Eczema painful and embarrassing, but it can also be very difficult to work with. I have had eczema since birth (over 55 years). It was pretty bad as a very young child and later it came back in my teens. I never used anything in those years it just went away by itself. However, about 10 years ago I started having extreme problems with hypoglycemia migraines, allergies and asthma. I started using medication for the asthma and the migraines went away.

I then took 5 years of allergy shots and my eczema came back. First it started on my fingers on one hand then worked up to the wrists, then it started on the second hand at the fingers and slowly up to my wrists. I asked my Allergist if this could be related to the allergy shots I was receiving, he said no, but he did think it was quite amazing that he took allergy shots and also developed eczema.

After a couple of years it started on my feet. It started at my toes and slowly worked up to my ankles. My dermatologist gave me cortisone shots and medication and told me to come back for more cortisone shots any time it got bad. After a year I changed dermatologist and this one prescribed a new medication that literally got my feet so raw that I could barely walk. I had to start wearing very soft open shoes to work, and than the real problems started with my boss. She felt that it was undignified and we had some major problems which ended with me telling her that until you have this stuff you have NO earthly idea how bad it is.

I finally just quit going to doctors for this problem and found a product online called Anastasia. They have a few skin care products, but the best for the eczema is the body cream(anastasia.com). It is rather expensive, but no more so than the medication I was paying for from the doctor. I use it immediately after taking my bath or soaking my feet. I also use fish oil and borage oil 1000mg per day, and have found that I have to AVOID ALL products with high fructose corn syrup. It is not gone, but it is SOO much better. Hopes this helps some others that are having the same or similar problems

Post By Eunice (Guest Post)

severe eczema scars

I had mild eczema on my inner arms when I was around 7 years old. It only lasted about a year and never came back after that, until now. I am now 22 and this past year it came back and was very severe. At first I didnt think it was eczema because it had been so long since I had had it and I guess I didnt realize that eczema could be as bad as this was. I went to a doctor and they thought it was just a normal allergic reaction, so the treatment she gave me didnt work. I went to a dermatologist who told me that he was 100% sure that it was a skin fungus. He was wrong too. Finally I found another dermatologist who assured me that he knew exactly what it was-eczema. He told me that the most important thing is to stay moisturized. Basically I have to drench myself in lotion 3-4 times a day. Cetaphil is what he recommended and seems to work great. At that point I had had HUGE patches of it on my arms, legs, all over my neck and 2 little patches on my face. It was HORRIBLE and extremely uncomfortable and depressing. He said that he had never seen a case so bad. I figured the treatment would take weeks or months to work but it was all clear in FIVE days! He prescribed me a cream, Triamcinolone .1%, which I put on red areas and seemed to work over night. I also took oral pills for 3 weeks as well as itch pills -Hydroxyzine, to stop the itching at night. I have to say that I am extremely happy that it went away so fast and completely. The problem is that now I have terrible scars from it. In all of the areas where I had the eczema I am left with very white skin. The doctor said that it will eventually turn back to its normal color, but I was wondering if anyone else has this and if they know anything that could quicken the process of turning back to normal? Its better than being red, but its still awkward for me to go out in short sleeves when my arms are all splotchy looking with big pale patches.

Post by alexa7119

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Hello...reading all of your comments has really given me hope, and let me know that i am not alone in this. I had a severe allergic reaction on my skin (contact dermatitis) to products that I used at work, and after the allergic reaction cleared up, i was left with terrible eczema! Which i have never had.

Ive always been an allergic person, but my skin has always been fine. I have two patches on my arms that are horribly scarred and have developed eczema on my neck, arms, face, and eyelids. I used aveeno oatmeal bath and the lotion. as well as a steriod cream for my arms. I don't know what to do about the spots on my eyes and neck. i used vit E oil, and it worked the first few times..but after a week it started to irritate me! i have heard tanning helps? but I'm scared to try anything. please help!

Post By Aurora (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Hey everyone,
Im 19 and I've had eczema my whole life and for the last 5 months it has been the worse its ever been.
I went to my family doctor that has tried everything with me since i was a baby and he prescribed my "Singulair" its a asthma medicine but honestly it works, it cleared my eczema right up and if i dont take it it comes back.
I use Glaxal Base religiously as well as bath in Doak Oil.
Shea butter helps too.
Elidel does not work. Tanning is good,
when your really itchy and cant stop but an ice pack on your icthy spot and the feeling will go away. putting vaseline over the cream will help it lock in the cream.
and of course 100% cotton. Wool is the worst.
Oh and i also got acrylic nails so i wouldnt break the skin when scratching.
I also use baby shampoo and baby wash and try to avoid showers, and definately no hot showers or baths.
I also have extremely dry lips that peel Alot! and the only thing that works for me is to always have vaseline on them.
anyways hopefully i help someone because i know how bad it feels, i am imbarassed to have it and to go into public, people are always asking "What happened!?!" "Did you have an allergic reaction?!" and staring! i hate it! anyways this stuff has really helped me!
Good Luck!

Post By Ashley M (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

hi, I'm 14 years old and i had severe eczema for 8 months. it was the worst time of my life, and for the people that suffer it now, I know what u are going through.
i had been to over 10 specialists for treatment, and some of them had no clue what it was and put me on useless diets and medication. i advise to people NOT to use prednisone, it is an oral steroid that is bad for your inner body, and does NOT help eczema one bit, it just makes things worse.

I have useful information that will help eczema, that I learned in hospitals and good doctors:
Eczema is a case of severely dry skin, and since it is so dry, it gets extremely inflamed which can lead to it getting open and infected, with mainly infections like staphylococcus auerous. That infection leaves your skin weepy with a yellow substance. So if you experience this, you have to take keflex antibiotics, which is mainly the antibiotic for that sort of infection.

I suffered from eczema the worst on my face, and the whole rest of my body, except my nose.
I had to use a topical steroid ointment called advantan on my body, and sigmacort 1% on my face, and sigmacort 0.5% on my eyelids. after i put this on i had to put an extremely thick layer of emulslifying ointment on top of this. once that was done i would get wet bandages and wrap myself up like a mummy.
the wet bandages make the ointments sink in deeper to your skin.
I can guarantee on my life that in 48 hours after wearing it (all day changing it 3 times a day) u will have a MASSIVE improvement.
this has helped me so much and I thank God for helping me every step of the way.
My skin is back to pretty much normal now, if I get stressed I get flare ups, but I just wrap myself up again, and I will be better :)

I hope if anyone suffers from eczema, that you will read this and use my advice because I promise it will work. Also salt water isn't good for eczema as salt dries out your skin... and eczema is dry skin, but if it works for you.. go ahead.
God Bless, xoxo

Post by x0-grace-x0

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have had exzema all my life on my inner arms and i am now contracting it on my groin area. After much trial and error i have found that keeping the area dry helps to stop itching i.e. using baby powder.

Post By Enter your name. (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I am still a teenager, and people keep telling me,"You will grow out of it," and I've had this my whole life, and cry almost every day, and nothing i do makes it better. It is really hard to have this the way kids are today. Right now I am in the middle of the worst outbreak I've ever had, and everything is only making it worse.

Something I have learned over the years is that sweat really makes me break out, so my years of being a cheerleader and a softball player are out of the question. Vaseline is what I have decided to stick to, since everything my dermatologist has prescribed to me hasn't worked. I was using elidel about a year ago, and used it for about 4 years.

I had always told my parents it bugged my skin worse, especially when i would be physically active, buy they never listened. I was extremely happy when my dermatologist said not to ever use it again. So i defiantly wouldn't use eleidel. I have al ot of food allergies, and always try to stay away from detergents. I know when I'm at school, and a girl walks in with perfume, I defiantly know it, and my skin shows. If anyone has any other advice, I have SEVERE eczema, everywhere! I really need to know what to do!

Post By Alex (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I haven't been through the whole process yet, but the people who are doing this are confident that this will clear my eczema that I just got summer of 2007. I have it only on my right hand. This technique is with a Electromagnetic Biofeedback machine that reads all of the cells in your body and then sends messages back to your cells that are asleep so to say and rejuvenates them. Its kind of like defraging your computer or giving your vehicle a diagnostic test. Its a bit costly (525.00-6 sessions) but the success rate is high. Visit their website at www.biofeedbacklifestyles.com I've only had 1 treatment but I'm confident. Hope this helps.

Post By Jennifer403 (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I've had eczema my whole life. I suggest Melaleuca brand lotion. I've tried various Melaleuca (tea tree oil) products, but this lotion works wonders. All natural and is long-lasting. They have a website, I think it's Melaleuca.com.
Anyway, I had a horrible outbreak of eczema a couple years ago (brought on by my allergies to cats and cigarette smoke) and it took me a year to get it under control. I tried steriods and everything, but this Melaleuca lotion was the only thing that actually worked and KEPT working. I still use it every day.

Other tips avoid hot water, heat, sweat, anything that you have allergies to, itchy materials, etc. I found that I'm not allergic to our dogs, but one of them has a short, prickly coat. If I hold or play with him too long my arms start to get little bumps on them and itch. His rough coat just irritates my skin.

Post By Rose (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

For all those who have and deal with Eczema, my son has eczema all over his body and I started researching so many ingredients and came up with my "Soy Body Tarts". Since I have started making these I have not had to use any cortizone cream on him in the last year! So far I have them on line on my site and we have been doing festivals and they are also in several stores in my area. These really do work amazingly! There are 6 different moisturizing oils that target eczema and the ratio of soy wax that I use seals these moisturizers into the skin. You can use the tarts solid by rubbing directly on heels or in hands, or put them in a small dish and put on a candle warmer and use melted(lavender and melted is the best for eczema). I also sell them in candle form so you light the candle, let the meltpool form blow out candle and use the melted wax mixture to soothe the eczema. PLEASE visit my site and read more about it. All natural and it works! essentiallysoy.com

Post By Heidi Madery (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Someone recommended using aloe vera juice topically and also drinking it to help eczema. If you are pregnant, please research the effects of drinking it, as I've heard that it may harm the baby.

Post By Ann (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I had mild bouts of excema off & on when I was younger, then got it on my hands really bad after my daughter was born. The sking between my fingers would crack & bleed. My step-dad told me to use Bag Balm & I never had another problem.
When my son was going through chemo for Leukemia, he got excema really bad the first year, especially on his poor little face. Sometimes people would give me dirty looks & ask me if he was contagious because it was so bad.
The Bag Balm helped sometimes, but not when it was really bad. Finally, a Dermatologist told me first of all, not to use soap on him every time I bathed him, because it was the worse thing I could do. He said to only bathe him with soap once weak & if I felt I had to bathe him more often, use plain water. Boy that part was rough, I bathed my kids every day!
Next, he told me to use Crisco (Vaseline has petroleum, not good for your skin). I got a small can of Crisco & kept it in the bathroom. Whenever I bathed him, instead of rubbing him down with baby oil or lotion, I used a light coating of Crisco. His skin was nice & soft & his clothes didn't get greasy. Best of all, his excema went away. For the next 1 1/2 years of his chemo, he had very little trouble with the excema.
Oh yeah, most doctors also tell you to use Ivory or Dove soap if you have excema or sensitive skin. I have always had a really bad reaction to those & so do my mom & kids. We break out in horrible itchy rashes from it!

I think everyone reacts differently, & you might just have to try all the remedies listed to find one that works fdor you -but boy what a list, I'm coing to copy it into a file for future use!

Post by lyonpridej

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

i have eczema. my father had eczema.my father used Right Guard on his arm because it stinged and it would stop the itching. however, since i am only 10 years old i am afraid of the sting as most people are. i suggest going swimming from 6 to 9 o clock so there wont be so much heat and the chlorine will kill the germs. it will clear up the infection and redness a little bit.

anglfrmhevn

Post By anglfrmhevn (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have eczema too and have since I was a teenager. In seeing numerous dr.'s and using lots of creams I finally ran into a dr. that treated the problem not just with topical creams. What you need to look at is food allergies. Wheat and dairy are a major trigger for eczema, it's also considered an autoimmune disease. When I finally was diagnosed with Celiac disease (wheat itollerance that 1 in 5 people have but don't know it) and dairy allergy my eczema seemed to go away. I'l also an esthetician and run into this problem with clients all the time. Try Cetiphil cleanser, stay away from almost all drug store brands. They all contain high levels of Alchohol that will just irritate the eczema. The tanning bed does usually work for someone with psoriasis but not usually eczema. The other thing is that you need to treat it from the inside out and that means taking suppliments like fish oil (pure that you have to refrigerate and not from costco), evening primrose oil and borage oil. A lot of companies sell it as a trio so you only have to take one pill. You could also try www.eminence.com they have the most amazing hungarian organic skin care products. They smell amazing and most of them won't irritate your skin.

Post By Brianne (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

I have had extremely horrible excema for about 10 years now. My right breast is completely covered in red, dry , sore inflamation and there are literally hundreds of small red circular patches covering 90 percent of my body. I have tried so many "cures" including zinc skin systems etc. None and I mean NONE of this has worked.
A friend of mine recommended Pumpkin Patch soap and Unscented Body Butter from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company. They make natural handmade soaps and "creams". I've applied my first application tonight and already my skin feels less itchy and irritated. I think, if it does work, that it will take a while for it to take affect, but already I feel a difference in my skin.
I have read, through research that a chemical called SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE is something that really causes skin irritations and excema. It is in almost everything you use that needs to foam. Soap, Shampoo, toothpast...to name a few. I have decided that I am going to try to cut that out of my life and see if that helps to reduce my excema.
I will update if the Pumpkin Patch soap and body butter work

Post By Tammy (Guest Post)

RE: Help For Severe Eczema

Thanks for the responses, but I did not get a clear answer on the Noxema, do you leave it on or do you just wash with it? I bought some because I am willing to try anything. Thank you

Post by sutter

Archived Request: Eczema Help

Does anyone have suggestions for treating eczema? My son has bad cases on both ear lobes, so bad that the skin is broken and oozing. I have tried olive oil, tea tree oil, hydrocortizone creams (both over-the-counter and prescription), aloe vera, and sulfur ointments, but haven't had much luck with any of them.

I've also tried prescription Protopic and Elidel, but am stoping those because of the current investigations into possible links between these medicaitons and childhood lymphoma (the medications suppress immune functions to control the eczema, but the effects may be affecting more systemic body processes too; yikes!) Until the docs know for sure if there's a link or not, I'm going to play safe and avoid these meds.

But that leads me with few options. Can anyone help?

Lynne

Post by ThriftyFun

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