My severe Eczema is ruining my day to day life! Help.

Skin, nail and hair health
1

Hi there, i'm a 20 year old university student struggling to cope with the constant pain and irritation of my eczema. 

I get it all over my arms, armpits, neck, chest, the back of my legs and my wrists. Its scabby, sore and irresistable to scratch at. I have on too many ocasions scratched it until i bleed but i really cant help it. I have had severe eczema all my life but in the past two years, it has really started to get me down. I have applied prescribed steroid creams, Hydrocortisone, E45, Doublebase.. showered and bathed in prescribed shower and bath gels and swallowed countless anti-histamine tablets in the hope of them taking away the itch and the urge to scratch.

I'm writing this as i am so fed up, just like the millions of others suffering from eczema out there, and hope that one of you out there can help me, or atleast give me some tips to reduce the irritation.

Currently i am applying Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion after i shower. It does reduce the itch and calm my skin, but the redness and dryness returns when the cream is absorbed or whenever i start to sweat. I cant partake in exercise or sporting activities as i am scared, actuall fear, of how itchy and sore my whole body becomes.

As i sit here repeatedly itching up and down my arms im hoping there is someone out there who can give me some advice, i've had enough of being embarrassed and fed up of my skin.

Regards. 

Tom

2

Dear Tom.  I can feel your frustration!  Look into Histamine Intolerance.  Seriously, I am taking supplements and altering my diet and having success.  Histamine Intolerance is often overlooked, but I when I mentioned it to my Integrative Medicine MD, she thought it made perfect sense.  She prescribed very high doses of Vitamin C, a product call D-Hist, and Aller-Res-Q.  I've been following that program, as well as an anti-inflammation diet, and am having success.  I hope this helps you.

3

Hi Tom 

i can sympathise with you, I was having PUVA treatment but after each of the 12 sessions, I would start with the itch and it was non-stop I gave up the treatments, the doctor gave me  steroid ointment, but I think they make you worse. I have tried everything even looked into my diet. I can't find a trigger that sets it off. I am thinking of trying acupuncture .  I have eczema on my hands and feet like you I scratch and bleed. Mine didn't appear until I was in my 50's . I have used bath oils, hand washes etc but to no avail.   I do hope you improve.

jean

4

Hi Tom,

First off I feel your pain, I'm 25 and have suffered from the getgo, I have eczema everywhere.. I was also a student at university and I know how hard it is, especially with going out. 

For shower use I use simple with aloe vera, simples a good brand to use as it contains absolutely no perfumes and irritants. For moisturiser I use Diprobase, it's what i've used from my teens and I find that it's the moisturiser that's agreed most with me. 

The biggest thing that affects my eczema is diet, I know a lot of doctors say that eczema isn't diet related, but they haven't suffered from it and haven't went through the trial and error that we all have to find our triggers. For example I have a lot of triggers that I stay away from, these include, ALL dairy, chicken, beef, pasta, coffee anything that's high in wheat and glujten, the list goes on really, I have a VERY limited diet, but after eliminating all of my triggers my skin is pretty much completely clear, the only thing that breaks it out the odd time is stress from my job, and if I decide on a very rare occasion to treat myself to a pizza or other food that I can't eat, because after all we're only human. 

I also take a daily antihistimine, multi-vitamin, zinc, vitamin D, and i've ordered a probiotic suppliment, as after doing a lot of research recently it seems like they can do alot of good. Green tea or oolong tea can also be a good substitute for caffeine. 

For me, and from being active on a lot of forums I'm not the only one that has ALOT of restrictions, being diet and otherwise. Just know that the condition can be controlled. The diet is the hardest part of it all, but at the end of the day i'd rather cut out the foods I like and have clear skin, be pain free and feel better about myself.

Hope any of this helps you out. 

Dave.

5

Thank you very much for your responses Dave, Jean and Patty! Lasn night i went to the pharmacy, picked up my usual Aveeno Skin Relief mosturiser as well as some Diprobase and some anti-histamines. 

After my shower i applied all and took a tablet only to spend the next twenty minutes nearly crying with pain as my eczema was raw before i applied it. Luckily today i have woken up, missed uni oops, but spent the day moisturising and im feeling good to be fair. Long road ahead but atleast my skin doesnt feel like its crawling for the first time in a while. 

My next step is to try partaking in some exercise again soon, hope the sweat doesnt ruin my skin though. 

Regards.

Tom

6

Hi Tom,

Please try and see a specialist Dermatologist.

I am very aware of the damage long term use of steroid creams can do.

My skin stopped responding last year after 25 years of use of steroids and I have been in a mess since.

My Doc is getting me off the steriods with other treatments to dampen my immune response - I have allergic (Atopic) eczema.

A lot of the creams such as E45 make me worse, the only thing I can use is Cetraben

You might be reacting too - see if your GP can get you an appointment

I don't want you to go through what I, and many other steriod users have.

Good luck

7

My daughter is trying "light therapy" ie short blasts of UV rays. Comments welcome.

8

Hi

i do hope your daughter gets relief with the light therapy, anything is worth a try. 

Jean

 

9

I'm 21 and have been dealing with ezcema all my life. The past few years it hadn't been an issue at all, but the last 4/5 months its been horrible, mine keeps flaring up due to stress and anxiety.

I used a variety of things, i used shower oil in the bath instead of shower gels and creams, and the shower oils have been better for my skin. I use 2 moistirusers, palmers cocoa butter (no fragence) and also E45 for very dry and itchy skin, aswell as my normal ezcema cream that my doctor prescribes for me. I also take anti histamines everyday.

Also, what is your diet like? As I've been drinking more water lately instead of fizzy no calorie drinks and my skin is clearly up a little.

Hope any of that helps at all! smile 

10

Ok, my daughter is going through another flare-up, I believe was triggered by her stressful job, which she has had to stop and is even considering a career change... She is off all creams from the doctor and makes her own from coconut oil and shea butter; she has drastically changed her diet, drinking water/herb teas, and eating only ORGANIC foods, which are more expensive but then she's not tempted to waste money on junk, which balances out fine! She practices daily breathing/relaxation/meditation to help calm her and tries to keep stress balls at hand when the itch comes. And she has FAITH that her eczema will GO! Okay? 

11

Tom, have you tried natural remedies? (Worked for me, could for you too)

12

Hi Tom 

I totally sympathise with everything you've said. Unless you've ever been where we are ppl just don't know. 

Im 35 n had eczema my whole life, I'm fully aware of waking up with blood all over my sheets, my socks sticking to my feet, scratching n scratching n scratching my skin because the itch is unbearable! I would rather be clear without eczema failing that I'd rather be sore than itchy anyday. 

I use steroids cream when it's bad n they still work thankfully. I did use Doublebase as an emollient but now I use epaderm cream emollient n it glides on like silk I absolutely  love it,would never go back to doublebase now. I quite like aqueous for the shower. 

I was at the dermatogist for 5 years had the sunbeds which never done anything, I was given zinc bandages n tubey grip bandages for on top they were brilliant really helped, the zinc does dye ur skin white so no short sleeves whilst having these unless you want ppl to stare. Now's a good time to try them I used mine slap back in the middle of summer for the world to see when I wore t shirts or vests but didn't care a wink who looked their ignorance not mine wink 

I'd ask ur Dr to maybe try those. I'm also on strong antihistamines that knock you out at night when your most active to claw at yourself. 

Youll get there Tom will just take a wee while. I know it gets you down n it's so painful but you will get there. 

Chat soon

daryn 

13

Tom you sound to me like you need to be under the care of a good Dermatologist as there are many different medications and approaches to long term ezcema. I have the same problem as you and it was driving me nuts. I finally saw a very helpful Dermatologist who changed my medications, sent me off for allergy testing and is considering UVB treatment. Over the counter meds are not going to do it for you - sign on with a GP at your Uni and get a Derma referral. 

14

Hi Dave, Im 18 and for my whole life i have suffered from eczema, but just this past year it has become severe and is affecting my day to life. Im interested in trying a diet, but im just curious how on earth did u cut all of that out of your diet?? It seems impossible

15

I am also trying lighr therapy only on the 4th treatment so far no success

16

What kind of shower oil? And what antihistamine?

17

Please, i am very interested in trying what your daughter did, because my eczema in unbearable right now... did that stuff work? ?

18

Hi there, I can feel your pain and frustration in your post. I have experienced the same frustration myself. I have very severe eczema for 45 years and can completely relate. 

Please understand that not everything works for everyone, we are all innately different. But, this what works for me when I am in a situation such as yourself. First I go to the doctor for a weeks dose of prednisone, I also ask for an antibiotic either Keflex or Clindamycin. The reason I ask for both prednisone and the antibiotic? If you have open wounds and you're that itchy (anything that has a yellow patch in the sore) almost guaranteed that you have a skin infection (this can lead to big trouble), Also prednisone lowers your immune system which makes you very susceptible to cellulite, shingles and other infections of the skin.

Once I'm clear, usually about 4-5 days. I use a soap with manuka honey and oatmeal.  I use a cream with tea tree oil and vitamin E and then I put a thick layer of vaseline on top (do this in the morning and at night). Manuka honey will remove bacteria from your skin and the tea tree oil cleans and vitamin E softens, the Vaseline keeps everything in. Once the barrier of your skin is compromised your body is open to a whole host of problems. Trust me I have learnt the hard way.

There are tons of people who are down on cortisone (probably for good reason), but desperate times call for desperate measures. When you unable to control your eczema you need to make some choices to ensure your healthy and it doesn't drive you crazy.

Good luck and I hope that you will feel better soon.

Best wishes to you,

Oxygen. 

19

I had the same problem all through my school years and after. Then my cat died and it all disappeared, I would seriously reccomend having some allergy testing because the that would have shown me the trigger. And it could have been sorted out all along. Have you just got a new pet?

20

I had the same problem all through my school years and after. Then my cat died and it all disappeared, I would seriously reccomend having some allergy testing because the that would have shown me the trigger. And it could have been sorted out all along. Have you just got a new pet?