Eczema

DublinWriter

My wife has always suffered from Eczema, but it has gotten progressively worse since the birth of our son a year ago.

At different stages she's tried e45, Silcocks base and even seaweed powder.

At the moment it's pretty bad and the cracking and dry skin at side of her finger looks like she's been having at it with a blunt knife in several places.

Is it worthwhile going to a dermatologist? Would she need a referral letter from her GP? Could anyone recommend a very good specialist?

Many thanks.

Parsley

DublinWriter wrote: »

My wife has always suffered from Eczema, but it has gotten progressively worse since the birth of our son a year ago.

At different stages she's tried e45, Silcocks base and even seaweed powder.

At the moment it's pretty bad and the cracking and dry skin at side of her finger looks like she's been having at it with a blunt knife in several places.

Is it worthwhile going to a dermatologist? Would she need a referral letter from her GP? Could anyone recommend a very good specialist?

Many thanks.

I've the same thing (probably) on one of my fingers, from eczema. I find that Emulsiderm sorts it out fairly well.

Dermo

Emulsiderm is quite good. I've only recently just finished UVB light treatment in Vincent's Hospital which has cleared up my skin nearly completely for at least another few months. I have full body eczema and when it's bad, it's HORRIBLE.
You should get your GP to make an appointment with the dermatology department in Vincent's. They have been amazing for me. For the record the consultant looking after me is Dr. Brian Kirby

Burkatron

I suffer with seborrhoeic eczema (as a baby & then since I was 13 ) & find the Eucerin range of products (or anything with urea added yuck!!!) the best next to cortico steroids in all the years I've had to treat my skin!

I'm trying the Aalgo seaweed stuff & find it works well in conjuction with the eucerin!

Unfortunately its brought on/exacerbated by stress & having a baby would be a big factor in this! Defo see a dermatologist but I'd be looking at diet & lifestyle changes also!

robodonkey

I'm always reluctant to make the stress = autoimmune condition link.
What has been proven and has been identified is a genetic marker which predisposes certain people to certain auto-immune conditions.

I suffer from an auto-immune condition, not because I'm stressed (anymore than the guy next to me) but because I'm genetically predisposed to it.

Sudden onset of autoimmune conditions can be related to trigger events.
In this respect you might consider it a stressful event (falling out of a tree, having a baby, a death in the family).
But not everyone who experiences these events, with the same reaction, will develop an auto-immune condition. My point is that the world viewing someone with psoriasis, eczema, alopecia, MS etc as being wholly or in part due to "stress" is misleading.

Just my tuppence worth

chin_grin

Having Eczema since I was born doesn't make me an expert but if I can give you one bit of advice is get her to do an allergy test.

Nine times out of ten it could be a dietary issue that causes it to flare up. (I got one and turns out I was allergic in small parts to all dairy\salt\sugar\wheat....feckin' nightmare. I'm allowed to have them but in minute amounts.)

I use tea tree oil soap in the shower and it's amazing (from Holland and Barret). I've tried every cream under the sun but nothing helps except diet and the right soap. Oh and plenty of water.

Anke

The aalgo seaweed powder is brilliant alright for improving cracked skin. You can either put it into a basin of water (or the bath) or, better still, you can make it into a paste and put it on for a few hours or overnight. Really does help.
You can also get some eczema clothing for adults in Ireland now too. Not just for children! You can get PJs and tops with mittens attached to help stop scratching at night. I got them both from an Irish website and found them brilliant.

pow wow

Different things work for different people but the Aveeno range I've found to be very good and +1 on the Eucerin. Other than that I use topical steroids prescribed by my GP - and wear scratch mittens to bed every night.

As her eczema seems to have flared up since the birth of your son it could be stress or could potentially be hormonal. Your GP is probably her best option to start with and (s)he can refer her to a dermatologist if it might be beneficial.

cousin_borat

http://www.marenostrumcsf.com/

This crowd have a really good cream for Excema, I picked up some in Barcelona for my niece who wasas not responding to anything else and it had an immediate effect. It's expensive about €60 per jar but it lasts a long time.

It used to be called lily eczema cream but if you call and ask about the Eczema cream they'll know what you're talking about.

Hope this helps

BiscuitByte

My 5 year old son has suffered from eczema since he was 2 weeks old. Sometimes he looked like a burns case. Really awful. Very distressing for him ... and me He inherited this from me. Anyway I had tried everything for him, doctors, all the creams etc... Nothing seemed to work. Many of the creams made him much worse. Went for holiday a couple of weeks ago and my niece who is a nurse in the US could not believe that I didn't have him on an antihistamine. She said that this is standard practice in US. Since we came home I have been giving him 1 AllerClear tablet a day. We are on day 7 now. The difference is amazing. I think I have finally found something that is helping him. His skin is nearly clear. Anyway, hope this info helps others.

daenerysstormborn3

I've had eczema from birth and have tried everything from Chinese herbal medicine to allergy testing and dermatologists.

I found I quickly built up a resistance to Eucerin and Emulave and the other range of shower gels etc that are aimed at people with eczema/skin problems. I also found that Eucerin caused severe wrinkles on my face and hands. I was 15 when I was using Eucerin and it was very noticeable, the wrinkles did go away after I stopped using Eucerin.

I use Fucidin, Dermovate, Betnovate and emulsifier all the time. I have to wear a band around my hair when I wash it to protect my face because I have had an allergic reaction to loads of different hair products and it's just not worth the hassle of going to hospital. I have to be very careful with what I eat and drink and what I use to wash my clothes and myself with, this does help as well. I'd say I'd be a lot worse if I just ate whatever I want.

Two cousins of mine both have similar eczema to mine and both had severe problems with it during their pregnancies. A friend of mine also had very well controlled eczema (never really needed any ointments for it) but when she got pregnant she had a terrible time with it and now it is a big problem for her.

When I was a child my mum used to put me in oatmeal baths and they really helped. I still use oats and oat based products to help with my skin.

I would highly recommend going to a dermatologist and as another poster suggested, getting allergy tests done. There could be something very simple causing the breakouts.

Parawhore.xD

I've suffered from eczema on and off since I was a baby and for me it was caused by my milk allergy, so I also agree about the allergy test idea.
In regards to a cure, I found lavender moisturiser helped amazingly, however it had to be very natural and actually contain a lot of lavender as opposed to a fancy processed cream and that it had to be applied pretty much every hour, less so after a few days-week of using it.
I don't know if this will help you at all, just my 2c

duke916

been doin a little trawling through the net on the topic this morning and came across this thread albeit it be 2 months since the last reply.

anyway, im 33, have had eczema since i was 6 months old. for years ive been struggling with the condition. its not as half as bad as it was when i was a child, but i guess since then my immune system has strengthened and of course with modern medicines etc, it has gotten better (to some degree) over time.

my skin doesnt look that bad these days. some people are surprised when i say i actually have the condition...but thats on the good days! on the bad days i usually break out in a red rash which then gets itchy so as much as a try not to scratch those areas, at night i subconsciously tear myself to shreds and wake up sore having to apply a steroid cream such as betnovate. after a day or so it improves, gets back to normal and the cycle continues.

my main problem is the itching. i do take an antihistamine every night before bed and apply moisturiser more than three times a day to prevent the skin from cracking and in fairness its been a very long time since ive noticed it get that bad. my back is my weakest area. for some reason its constantly dry and the flaking skin is quite annoying to maintain. also since i was a child ive noticed the eczema shift areas around my body. when i was a baby i used to have it bad on my face, neck, wrists, back of legs, ankles etc. then in my teenage years it moved to just upper body with legs completely clear. then in last few years its patchy. little bit on my forearms, a little on my back and a little on my shins and feet. but not as half as severe as it was when i was a boy.

ok so, treatments. its nice to see so many people give their two cents on what they use and how they deal with treating the condition. not enough of this information on the net. i used to use aqueous cream and such as vaseline products, found them very heavy on the skin. the cream sat more on top of the layers than being absorbed and sometimes was very itchy. ive used the eucerin products and didnt think much of them at all. considering the cost and how much you should use, it was very very expensive for little relief. i grade moisturiser on the overall long term effect it has on the skin. the normal result would be disappearing of dryness for a few hours and then flaking skin etc reappears.

so, over the last few months ive looked around again and found a moisteriser called Aveeno and i couldnt praise it more. It instantly reliefs itching, clears up dry skin, leaves it soft and less prone to dryness. Plus you can use it on your face without the having the mirror finish which i find can be quite embarrassing at times. Also on areas that are constantly red i started to use Bio-oil which again works wonders. So, after a shower I would drown myself in Norwegian Formula Body oil after padding myself dry, leave for 10-15 mins to absorb then apply Aveeno. During the day i would apply Aveeno also maybe two to three times a day with drinking plenty of water. Im not against steroid creams as they bloody do help a lot, but i try and NOT use them for their long term effects on the skin such as thinning. Also if i get a little tan in summer months i can see white patches on my wrists and ankles from when heavy amounts of steroid creams were applied when i was a child. Another hint: stay off the booze!...or try keep it to a minimum!

well i hope my two cents has added something good to this thread.
I wouldnt wish eczema on my worst enemy but if you find a good combination of oils and moisturisers etc, its sure makes a difference.

Brian?

Aveeno FTW alright.

BiscuitByte

@duke916, Thanks so much for the advise in your post. Have been using an antihistamine every day and the difference it has made to my son is amazing. Will also try bio oil and see how it goes.
Good luck with the treatment.

mono627

Quick question on Eucerin.

If you use it frequently, lets say once a day for an extended period of time, can your skin become reliant on it?

I've recently started using it (after trying a rake of products) and found that it is the only thing bar steroid cream that sufficiently clears up my skin.

Jaych1000

Hey all. There's some really good advice in this thread. I must try out some of the products you have suggested. I've had eczema since infancy and now I'm 23.

The blog mentioned above is mine. I've had a bad bout of flare-ups recently so I decided to document my skin's progress as I tried new creams. I've gone through a few different areas related to eczema.

@OP (DublinWriter): Firstly, congrats on the boy ! I think that the pregnancy created a hormone imbalance which can affect the reaction to eczema. Best to talk to a doctor about it though.

@mono627: From my personal experience, if I've used a cream or ointment, I've found that it becomes less effective over time. Also, since eczema is not curable, creams aim to keep the condition under control. What you'll hear from a lot of sufferers of eczema is that once you stop using the treatment, the eczema will come back.

What I used to do was use my creams in a cycle. What I mean is I'll use one cream until it becomes less effective, switch to another cream, and so on. I'm not sure if this is good practice but it worked for me.

TommyKnocker

Don't know if it was eczema that I suffered with, but I did suffer with dry skin which would get itchy and drive me insane. Then about 2 years ago I was reading up on healthy fats and came across quite a few articles on the many benefits of extra virgin coconut oil.

Long story short, I switched to coconut oil for cooking, I take a couple of table spoons of the stuff each day and I use it as a moisturising lotion after a shower a couple of times a week.

I have noticed a marked improvement in my skin and my health in general, I have gone through a whole year without so much as a cough Also there is a really nice mild coconut smell off your skin when you use it after a shower

Extra Virgin Coconut oil can be found in some of the larger Dunnes stores, usually with the rest of the oils and cost less than €5 for a 500g tub. It can also be found in Health stores, though usually the price is higher. So while I like others here would recommend a trip to your GP for a referral to a dermatologist, you might also get some relief from coconut oil. And as it is a natural product, you don't have to worry about any additives irritating you skin further.

Have a Google for coconut oils benefits and see what you think. Here is a link I came across in a quick Google search to start with.

gnu

Just wanted to share this advice that was published last year:

“Moisturisers can aggravate eczema,” reported The Independent. It said that a study has found that Aqueous cream BP, the most widely prescribed moisturiser for the treatment of dry skin conditions such as eczema, actually reduces the thickness of healthy skin and aids irritation.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/10October/Pages/Aqueous-cream-BP-and-eczema.aspx

If petroleum-based ointments and creams (main ingredient is mineral/paraffin oil) are working for you then, great. If not then consider if they could be making your condition worse. They're not all the same - they all have slightly different ingredients and some of them contain what are essentially detergents (e.g. sulphates).

I only had very very mild eczema and what has worked for me is natural vegetable oils. Anecdotally I've heard of a lot of other success stories too. My favourite is shea butter but coconut oil and olive oil are great too. The more unrefined the better as they naturally contain Vitamin E and other antiinflammatory compounds which might be reduced in processing. However I think everyone is different - we're all an experiment of one!

Froggy7

Joining this thread a bit late but would like to know how people got on with the advice given and, most importantly, where can I get reliable allergy tests done on my 7 year-old daughter?

We feel at the end of our tether and her condition is particularly bad these days, I have to change her sheets regularly as she "bleeds" herself. She's exhausted, unhappy and it breaks our heart to see her in so much pain, although she tries to put on a brave face.

I do not want to try any oil, cream, ointment, emollient or anything external until we find what causes her flaring. We tried them all (yes, all the ones mentioned in this thread have been in our bathroom cabinet at some stage in her short life!) and they all failed to relieve her, just made her worse.

Any addresses would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

Zombienosh

You should get your GP to refer you to a dermatologist, they can do patch testing and or skin prick testing (neither of which where really that beneficial to me) But then they can offer a different range of treatments.
You can start using antihistamines right away if you want, try some zirtek see if it helps.
I found the UVB treatment really helpful. I'm now using a cream called pro topic which has its good and bad sides to it I guess. But on a whole eczema is a lot better these days than it used to be for me. (I've had it my whole life btw)

Froggy7

Thanks Zombienosh!
We saw a dermatologist before, about 3 years ago. It took months to get an appointment which, of course, happened at a period when her skin wasn't as bad as during an attack (typical!). All she recommended was steroid creams but they can't be used on broken skin and they can't be used on a continuous basis. So not much good in her case. If I get referred again, do you think I should demand an allergy test then? You don't seem convinced! :rolleyes:

As for Zirtek, we've been using it since she was a baby! I'll research UVB treatment too... Cheers!

duke916

Froggy7 wrote: »

Thanks Zombienosh!
All she recommended was steroid creams but they can't be used on broken skin and they can't be used on a continuous basis.

Ok so its known that steroid creams are bad long term however, if you mix the steroid cream with a moisturiser this is not the case. Key to eczema is moisturising ALL THE TIME, but when eczema sufferers flare out, we go for the steroid cream and forget about our moisturiser. What I do it put the steroid cream onto the affected areas and then apply moisturiser over it. of course the only area i wouldnt apply steroid creams to is the face. I was told this by my GP a long time ago and it works. But seriously, if your daughter is suffering, its not goin to go away unless you treat it quickly otherwise it will get worse. Nothing more horrible than a break out as ya just get more stressed and more agitated. Use the creams, mix with moisturiser and it will settle.

The allergy thing. First of all, cut out ALL dairy. Its a common eczema sufferers' nightmare. Ive switched to soya myself the last year or so and it has helped. its not as bad as it used to be years ago, i promise! I know McCabes Pharmacy and Boots do full allergy testing now but its expensive. Last time i looked it was about 300euro for a base test. Think your wasting your time with dermatologists and the doctors. creams, creams and more creams ...and thats it. There is nothing else they can really do. There is no cure so we kinda have to find out ourselves what's triggering it. Look at what she eats by overload ie. if she is eating too much of one thing or another, cut it out for a few weeks completely and see if there is an improvement. Also look at her diet, again dairy comes to mind, then change from white bread to yeast free bread. it can be confusing but once you get it right (and ya only have to do it once!) then all will be good.

..and just before i go, sorry, but im trying my best to give as much info as possible to help ...this time of year, cold outside and warm inside, constant temperature change is a nightmare. try not have the heating at home blasting away but at a temperature that suits everyone. natural heat in summer is fine because we're out in t-shirts etc and the skin can breath, however when wrapped up and at home with central heating on, the skin cannot breath at all so it gets red, itchy and inflamed. if too hot inside for her, put some light clothes on and change her duvet to one that may not be so heavy even though you may think its better for winter, again it stops the skin breathing. oh and never use wool EVER!!!

hope this all helps. anything else i can think of, i'll post it up.
pray your daughter gets well soon.

rubadub

duke916 wrote: »

.this time of year, cold outside and warm inside,

And there is less sunlight. After the remarkable results I have gotten (and heard about) with UVB I am convinced its the bigger factor as to why it gets worse in winter months.

dendof

Are the handheld UVB ones any good?

Something like this:
http://uvb-311nm.com/en/12-narrow-band-311-nm-uvb-lamp-with-lcd-screen-for-vitiligo.html

Dermo

WOAH!

I didn't even know there were handheld ones, I would also like to know how good they are. My eczema (full body) cleared up brilliantly when I did the UVB treatment 18 months ago but the cold weather aggravates my neck.

rubadub

dendof wrote: »

Are the handheld UVB ones any good?

Yes, it is the same job just takes longer to treat. It would be like having a small sunbed light and trying to get a tan and having to move it all around your body. I treat my scalp with it and it takes 19mins doing 7 areas. Hospitals might have full on sunbed ones.

Nearly all the small ones are using the exact same philips bulb. As listed on your page PL-9 9W/01

I bought this bulb and made my own, it can fit in some standard office light fittings too.

Some handheld ones incorporate timers, which are ESSENTIAL, there is a real risk of sunburn if used for too long. Many are stupidly overpriced for what they are.

I have made several posts about UVB in this thread, including why some dermatologists might not want to lose a customer and so not recommend them, and where to get bulbs etc
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055355875

I use it for psoriasis, but I also used to get mild eczema, the UVB got rid of any sign of eczema the next day, haven't had it in ages.

Zombienosh

It does take a long time to get into a dermatologist but it's worth it, Once you can get in to them they will keep regular checkups and you can avail of the UVB treatment, I've been really bad before and when the appointment came around I almost cleared up hah, it's always the way.

To me allergy tests seemed pointless and inconclusive, but everyone should get one to start with anyway just incase it is reaction to something specific for you, In my experience I was patch tested and reacted to nothing expect the sticky substance holding the patch on itself, then I was skin prick tested and reacted to dust mites, but I think everyone would react to dust mites. So that didn't help

They only thing that really helped me in life where, UVB treatments in St. Vincents, Healthy diets (loads of vitamin D and Omega oils) and Regular exercise ( sweating helps loads).