Eczema Help 911!!!

Skin, nail and hair health
1

I have had eczema on and off since I was a baby.  The worst breakout since I was a toddler was in high school - 20+ years ago now. 

Three months ago, out of nowhere, the middle finger of my left hand started up again. It has flared up and then just as soon as it is nearly healed - going through the agony of itchy, grossly crusty, then horridly dry - it starts right up again.  

I am DESPERATE!  I have been to the doctor.  It is most likely dyshidrotic eczema - but it occurs ONLY in my fingers (in the past) and ONLY on my left middle finger now.  

I do not wear jewelry, I have not changed my diet AT ALL - I am so boring I eat the same foods, from the same vendors, on each day of the week, so I've ruled out food allergy. 

I do have another medical condition which may be exacerbating the problem - I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome - MCAS - which is a type of autoimmune disease which causes inflammation, among MANY other things, but my skin is usually red like I've been sunburned, and I avoid the sun nearly completely.  

The following items I have tried: 

1. Steroid cream - NO! Burns like Hades but does not help.  

2. Honest Company's Organic All-Purpose Balm - GOOD stuff - helps in the really dry stage but doesn't seem to help in the beginning phase.

3. Colloidal oatmeal - organic, no alcohol - I am VERY allergic to alcohol.  Mixed results.  It helps during dry stage and seems to help a little bit with the beginning stage, but not much.

4.  Coconut oil - raw, unrefined. Works somewhat but doesn't help beginning stage much.

5. Cetaphil

6. Turmeric mixed in jojoba oil and turmeric mixed in coconut oil.  It burns only slightly but it DOES seem to help the initial stage, but it stains terribly and doesn't seem to prevent the return of it.  

7. Anti-histamines - I take SIX types of AH drugs because of my mast cell disease, and I've been to a specialist several times who ensures me that they are not reacting with each other.  Besides, even with six of them, my blood level of histamine is 10 (normal is 0-8, with most in the 0-4 range). 

So, what remedies have others tried?  I know stress is a factor here and I am STRESSED for sure!!

2

Hi, I have used Calmurid cream to speed up the healing of scaly, cracked skin with wounds caused by contact dermatitis. The active ingredients are lactic acid and urea. These help to soften the skin and bind moisture. When applied to broken skin it stings initially but this cream has helped me a lot.

This will not cure your skin disorder but might make it more manageable and extend the time between flare-ups.

3

Do you drink milk?  My husband used to get horrible itchy, scaly spots on the soles of his feet and used all sorts of ointments but nothing worked.  When he went on a diet where he had to cut out all food and drink except some special powdered drinks his feet cleared up. When he started to drink milk again the rash came back so he stopped it and hasn't drunk it since.  He does eat cheese and butter but that doesn't make it come back.  Also, when my grandson was very small he had itchy rashes on his face and legs and when his mother changed him over to soya milk it cleared up.  Just a thought. 

4

I cured my excema in my early 20’s by a fluke. Since I was 7 years old I’d had eczema very bad on my hands and feet, especially my feet. One day while skiing I was so upset I went outside and stood in the snow barefoot. I stood there for about 25 minutes to a half hour and melted all the snow around my feet all the way to the ground! A normal person could never have lasted that long standing on what is vertically ice. It was the breakthrough I was looking for. The itching almost immediately stopped and in a matter of days (keeping my feet and hands cold) my excema went into remission. Since then anytime I have flareups I put my feet in ice, the itching instantly disappears and if I keep my feet cold and as dry as possible the eczema just goes away. I’ve told doctors this but no one takes me seriously. The problem is heat!!! Somehow the nerve stimulation creates heat which creates the blisters. Once you’ve rid your feet and hands of the eczema the rest of the eczema on your body will go away on its own. The main places for eczema is your hands and feet. Fill some Ziploc bags with water and freeze them and hold onto them with your hands. You’ll be surprised how long you can hold the ice pack. If the excema is bad enough you’ll be able to melt the whole bag of ice. Put your feet in ice water. Put a towel next to the bucket and keep your feet as dry as possible once they’ve gotten them cold. “Keep” your feet and hands cold. As cold as you can take it at first. And then after your feet and hands have heeled you must keep your hands and feet cool for the rest of your life or it will return. And for heavens sake never ever scratch or rub your affected area! Scratching promotes the heat. It takes vigilance. You can’t let the tingle start or it can come back in a matter of minutes. When I get the sansation and the itchy feeling I don’t care where I am, I kick off my shoes and socks and wag my feet around to get them cooled off. Then I immediately head for an ice bucket as soon as possible. Heat is the enemy. Oily creams and lotions don’t help and trap the heat. Keep your hands and feet clean, dry and above all “cold!”  Eczema sucks! This is my cure. I’ve been excema free for 30 years. Just try it. You’ll see.