Introduction - Have Chronic Eczema
Hi Everyone!
I have just found this group and thought i would join and post a quick
introduction of myself!
I’m a 23 year old female and i have chronic eczema. I had slight
eczema when i was younger but got it from head to toe when i was 15.
It took the doctors ages to finally refer me to a dermatologist and i
was constantly given antibiotic after antibiotic and steroid creams. I
really sympathise with you all as i went through a lot of pain and
discomfort and the itching drives you mad.
I’ve been hospitalised twice in the last 2 years as the eczema was
really bad and i was bandaged from head to foot coated in steroid
creams and lotions given antibiotics and rehydrated. I really
sympathise with those of you that have had trouble with your derms. My
derm was very arrogant at first and it took me 3 years for him to
listen and this was only as i was hospitalised.
Basically after steroid treatments failed i was put on protopic for a
while and am now on cyclosporin (have been for a year) as all other
treatments seemed to have failed. I have been on the highest dose and
must admit i am grateful that i have been a lot better for the first
few months. When they came to reduce it i was hospitalised with a
flair up from head to toe that got severly infected. The thing is i’m
still on cyclosporin and am very grateful things are not as bad as
they have been but i’ve been catching a lot of viruses/infections the
last few months which are causing flair ups especially on my legs,
arms, tummy, face and scalp. I’m being given steroids, antihistamines
and antibiotic creams but nothing seems to be working! The thing is
i’ve had a word with my derm asking if the cyclosporin is lowering my
immune system but he won’t answer saying he doesn’t know? Just
wondered if anyone else has had any experience with cyclosporin and
had any advice?
Luv Nisa x
June 24th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Dear Nissa,
I haven’t used cyclosporin that I know of, but have a look at this website it
should confirm your suspicions.
I have psoriasis, it used to be really bad, but I changed my diet and it
started to improve, even to the point in which I could start swimming without
people staring at me.
However recently I have been eating unhealthily again and my skin is
reflecting it. The psoriasis is quickly coming back.
I recommend you buy and do the diet change in Doctor Pagano’s book called
‘Healing Psoriasis the natural way’. Even though you have eczema, they are both
similar conditions. But it takes time and dedication and no cheating until it
clears.
Here is a link for his book. Also check out the Gerson therapy.
This will help, but read Pagano’s book cover to cover.
Regards,
Nat
June 24th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Hi
I can understand how you suffer all this while due to the eczema. I have the
same problem like you for the past 20 years. Last year I diligently take
organic health supplement daily, thank God my skin
improvedtremendously. You must do something for your poor skin and your weak
immune system.
I firmly believe you can get well soon if you invest in the right health
products. It is not expensive.
Do email me if you want to know in detail.
Wish you well
From : Tangwong
June 25th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Hi Jackie!
Thank you very much for your advice. I can relate to some of the pain
you’re going through with your hands and feet although i really feel
for you as i have only had it a couple of times. I remember the 2nd
time i was in hospital. I was originally admitted for eczema
herpeticum which made my forehead blister and weep and my eyelid
swell. Again i was given IV antibiotics as i also had a staph and
strep infection in my skin. I also developed the bad blisters on my
hands and feet. In the end they burst and got infected with strep a
and staph. Like you i couldn’t walk properly and most of the skin came
off my hands, and smelt like rotting flesh. I even had to have help
eating as i couldn’t hold a knife and fork.
They learned me a skin routine where i bathed my hands and feet in my
bath oil (E45), which was very painful at first, slathered my hands in
my moisturiser (Diprobase), wore cotton gloves and tubinet on my feet
for half an hour till it soaked in, then applied Dermavate RD as well
as applying LOTS of moisturiser throughout the day. However it took
months for my hands and feet to heal properly and i had to wear the
cotton gloves to protect my hands for months.
However i wouldn’t really advise using Dermavate RD unless you’re told
to by a derm as it is a antibiotic steroid. Also i really think if
possible it’s better to use alternatives as you’ve probably guessed
i’m not a big fan of steroids as they do not solve the problem. I
myself am looking for alternatives. However, you sound like your skin
care routine is working well with the antibiotic wash and i agree to
moisturise as often as you can. However at the moment i’ve started
trying out new moisturisers at the chemist as i have used most of the
ones on prescription but my skin has got used to them and i can’t seem
to find one that works. I’m currently trying Aveeno products (started
them yesterday) so not sure if they will work yet?
I’m really sorry you’re having trouble with your legs at the moment. I
hope they heal up soon and sympathise with what you are going through.
Take care and i hope you manage to get some relief soon.
Luv Nisa x
June 26th, 2007 at 2:43 am
Hi Nat!
Thank you very much for your advice. The link on cyclosporin was very
useful and confirmed a lot of my suspicions. I am now more determined
to get off it as soon as i can but obviously not without discussing it
with my dermatologist first. I would rather find alternative
treatments as steroids and antibiotics have not helped in the long run
in my experience, only temporarily. I’d rather use something that will
target the problem.
I’m really sorry to hear you’re psoriasis is coming back. I really
sympathise with you. I really hope you manage to get on top of it
again? I myself have not been able to go swimming for a while, but
would love to start going again, but i’m aware i’m going to have to
use moisturiser as a barrier cream. I’ve been warned that chlorine can
aggravate your skin condition. Have you found that chlorine aggrevates
your skin? It’s just i really used to love swimming but haven’t been
able to go in ages.
Thank you very much for the links. They have been very helpful and i’m
seriously thinking of buying the book. I’ve been looking at diets to
help your skin but there were so many i didn’t know which was best?
However it makes a lot of sense.
Thanks again and i hope your psoriasis calms down soon,
Luv Nisa x
June 26th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Hi Tangwong!
Thank you very much for your reply. I would definatly be interested in
knowing more about your experience with supplements.
Luv Nisa x
June 27th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Hi, Nisa:
I can’t swim in chlorinated water, but we converted our pool to salt water a
couple of years ago and my skin doesn’t have any problems with that. Or the
ocean.
I also make my own skin cream, using mainly jojoba oil, virgin olive oil,
cocoa butter, beeswax and distilled water. I sometimes infuse the olive oil
with healing herbs (e.g. comfrey, marshmallow root). Same concept as making
mayonnaise, and very easy.
Chris
June 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Hi Chris.
Thank you for your advise. I’ve heard salt water can help eczema. The
last time i went swimming was when i was 12 when my eczema didn’t use
to be so bad. I remember the chlorine used to make me itch even then.
That’s what’s stopped me going at the moment as my skin as been quite
bad again lately and i don’t want to aggravate the problem. Since i’ve
had chronic eczema i have been very wary as i want to get it under
control, as it’s been a constant battle to not aggravate it further.
Take care,
Luv Nisa x
June 27th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Is there any place on the web which shares some more info about the holistic
cures for psoriasis and eczema for free without me having to go out and buy
something?
thanks,
Sue
June 28th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Have you tried any Arbonne products? Arbonne’s products contain no mineral oil
and have been very helpful in relieving eczema. Let me know if you’d like
samples!
Thanks.
Cathy
I have just found this group and thought i would join and post a quick
introduction of myself!
I’m a 23 year old female and i have chronic eczema. I had slight
eczema when i was younger but got it from head to toe when i was 15.
It took the doctors ages to finally refer me to a dermatologist and i
was constantly given antibiotic after antibiotic and steroid creams. I
really sympathise with you all as i went through a lot of pain and
discomfort and the itching drives you mad.
I’ve been hospitalised twice in the last 2 years as the eczema was
really bad and i was bandaged from head to foot coated in steroid
creams and lotions given antibiotics and rehydrated. I really
sympathise with those of you that have had trouble with your derms. My
derm was very arrogant at first and it took me 3 years for him to
listen and this was only as i was hospitalised.
Basically after steroid treatments failed i was put on protopic for a
while and am now on cyclosporin (have been for a year) as all other
treatments seemed to have failed. I have been on the highest dose and
must admit i am grateful that i have been a lot better for the first
few months. When they came to reduce it i was hospitalised with a
flair up from head to toe that got severly infected. The thing is i’m
still on cyclosporin and am very grateful things are not as bad as
they have been but i’ve been catching a lot of viruses/infections the
last few months which are causing flair ups especially on my legs,
arms, tummy, face and scalp. I’m being given steroids, antihistamines
and antibiotic creams but nothing seems to be working! The thing is
i’ve had a word with my derm asking if the cyclosporin is lowering my
immune system but he won’t answer saying he doesn’t know? Just
wondered if anyone else has had any experience with cyclosporin and
had any advice?
Luv Nisa x
June 28th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Hi,
My children have the same problem I would suggest that you use
coconut oil, my children take 3 teaspoons a day which help to contain
the eczema.
It really works well! It holds the skin in place, keep it from
flaring up.
Which is all good in my books?
Funky
I don’t recommend Virgin oil, it has to been organic
Hope this help because I have had so much problems over the years you
will notice the different in a couple of days..
June 28th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Hey Chris
Trevlyn again.. I forgot to leave you the link to the salts and
proecza cream.. www.dermatechrx.com/eczema I hope this will help
others as it has helped me.
>
June 29th, 2007 at 4:02 am
Salt water is excellant for eczema and psoriasis. I am not fortunate
enough to have a salt water pool, but the second best thing for me is
to use these Thereuputic Dead Sea Salt Packs from DermaTechRx. I
soak about 3 times a week in the salts and it has totally changed the
ph balance of my skin. I don’t itch anymore, my sores are healed
from scratching and my eczema is totally controlled. I use their
ProEcza Eczema cream when i get a small out break. You can even
order a sample to try the products before you buy.
Trevlyn
June 30th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Hi all.
I woke up at 3 a.m. unable to sleep because of intense itching - seems I
have four conditions, eczema (on left hand), hives (chin and neck),
psoriasis (right forearm) and something deep in one of my ears that itches.
I’ve had the eczema and itching in the ear for about six months, the
psoriasis about one month, and the hives about two weeks. I went to a
homeopath on Friday and she gave me ASAP, a silver solution, which I am to
mix with a grease-based cream, we chose to use shortening as that’s what my
MD recommends - it’s a challenge mixing something like Eucerin with the
watery silver solution, and I put it on about an hour ago and haven’t felt
much relief. So then I tried my Young Living formula for skin, called
"Animal Scents" - that may work to settle down the itch - I’ve got to get
some sleep and am quite frustrated. Also, the heater is drying my skin (it’s
snowing outside, I have the temperature set at 68 in the house) and I have
cracks in my heels that I sometimes use super glue on but now I’m so greased
up I wouldn’t be able to do that!
The formula below that you make yourself, does that calm itchy skin? I would
assume so, since one of the "features" of eczema is the itch.
This is my first post, just joined the group. I usually attribute my skin
issues to emotional stress but sometimes dealing with the skin increases the
emotional stress so it becomes a vicious cycle! My husband died in May, I’ve
been joking about having "mourning sickness" with this skin, and I also got
gout at the same time! It was pretty depressing, actually. The gout seems to
be passing, fortunately, for which I am grateful.
I am just in the last few weeks getting into the sadness/grieving phase that
I believe most people expect to come earlier in the process. But I found out
there is no particular schema in a time line about when the crying — the
sadness, the temporary hopelessness, the loss, the anger - will occur for an
individual whose loved one has gone to the other side, leaving us here to
deal with the problems of the living.
I look forward to hearing from some of you on how you deal with what I’m
facing now on the skin problems. Thanks so much!
Sue
_____
Hi, Nisa:
I can’t swim in chlorinated water, but we converted our pool to salt water a
couple of years ago and my skin doesn’t have any problems with that. Or the
ocean.
I also make my own skin cream, using mainly jojoba oil, virgin olive oil,
cocoa butter, beeswax and distilled water. I sometimes infuse the olive oil
with healing herbs (e.g. comfrey, marshmallow root). Same concept as making
mayonnaise, and very easy.
Chris
June 30th, 2007 at 9:16 am
go to shirleys site - she will provide you lots of info on things to help you
control your eczema and from there you can do trial and error - for me sugar
and carbs are my biggest enemies - meats and fruits doesnt really affect me
July 1st, 2007 at 2:40 am
I checked out Pagano’s book from the library for free. After reading it, I
decided it was worth putting out the money for my own copy. Having said
that, not all of his suggestions worked for me, but the diet part was pretty
good. My progress has been long and slow, but there is definite progress
now.
——-Original Message——-
Is there any place on the web which shares some more info about the holistic
cures for psoriasis and eczema for free without me having to go out and buy
something?
thanks,
Sue
__________ NOD32 2083 (20070227) Information __________
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Hi
Yes I would like to have the abovementioned samples.
Thank you.
July 4th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Eat lots of vegetables and some fruit, drink loads of water. Don’t eat red
meat, avoid nightshades, dairy products, alcohol and smokes.
Nat