Eczema Treatments

[prairiegirl]

I have eczema and have had it since the day I was born (I had it all over my face as soon as I came out!). It has been a battle since then to control it and I really want to get it under control before I start my clinicals (I'm worried about disease transmission through the open sores). Also, my eczema is much worse when I am stressed, hint it is very bad right now. Also, we just moved and our water is very hard and heavily chlorinated which makes it worse too. The NP at the Wellness Center at my university prescribed me Triamcinolone 0.1% for it. I have to use it 3x a day, and it is not working that great. It will clear it up for a few days, but unless I keep using in on those spots 3x a day everyday, it just comes back. I also use Vaseline Intensive Care lotion for general dry skin, and it no longer works too well. It seems as if my skin gets used to what I use, and it quits working. Does anyone know what else I could try that is not very expensive? I also have a terrible time with skin peeling and cracking on my hands and I cannot get that cleared up. The only thing that halfway works is Dr. Scholl's Ultra Healing Overnight Foot Cream on my hands with socks. I am so sick of itching and wearing long pants and shirts to cover my ugly eczema spots. I tried eliminating foods thinking it was a food allergy making it worse. The only that helped was quitting eating peanut butter. Nothing else made a difference. Does anyone have any ideas of treatments for eczema and extremely dry skin?

An Itchy Student Nurse

[SharonH, RN]

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[harley_fan]

I too have dealt with eczema for my whole life. I've used prescription creams and they never seemed to work that great. Now I swear by Vanicream! It is awesome and works wonderfully. Plus it doesn't have the aweful side affects of a strong coritisone cream!!

Good luck with the itching!

[LydiaGreen]

Elidel works wonders for my son. Cleared up the eczema 50% with one application. But we have only used it maybe twice in the last year. I just use it for flare-ups which are now few and far between. There are many things that we do to avoid triggering an outbreak:

No bar soaps - he uses a liquid body wash with added moisturizers

Liquid laundry detergent - powders leave a residue, even if you do an extra rinse cycle. I use the white bottle of Purex liquid with no perfumes, dyes, or preservatives.

No-name brand dryer sheets - I don't use these often (I prefer to line dry his clothing) but when I do, I use the Safeway brand - Bounce, Downy, etc. trigger a return of the eczema

Sunblock - I use it on him year round, about once a week. We don't need it in the winter (VERY cold up here so everything is covered and at no risk of burning). I have no idea why it works, it just does.

Lanolin - cheap and you can get this over the counter at any pharmacy and it is truly wonderful for restoring moisture in those dried-out patches of eczema - we use it after every bath from the neck on down to his toes

Bathe less often - That's right. Water is your enemy, it tends to dry out the skin as the water evaporates even after towel drying (but then, you all know that). Our pediatrician recommends every second day in the summer and every third day in the winter and then it is a quick in and out shower, no soaks in the tub, dry right away and apply the lanolin

Dermal Therapy - it's a pricier cream recommended for diabetics with neuropathy to help prevent infections in the extremities by keeping the skin healthy and intact. My son applies this to the bottoms of both feet nightly because his feet are the worst for eczema and this makes his life miserable - before the dermal therapy, the outbreaks on his feet would leave the skin cracked and bleeding and walking was painful

What we do may not work for everyone, but my son's outbreaks are now few and far between (two in the last year). Hope this helps.

[FutureNurse2006]

I was diagonosed with Rosacea and I use to use the over the counter cortizone cream and thats the worst I could of done to my skin. Execessive use of the cortizone could make you have cortizone induced Rosacea and thinning of the skin and tiny broken blood vessels on your face. But now I'm using a cosmetics cream called Cx Rosacea therapy and seems to be controlling the Rosacea from getting really bad. I think this company also have treatment for eczema sufferers. I think I have some form of eczema because my face ithes sometimes and also peels. Good luck! :)

[lady_vee]

Dermovate always worked for me and my boyfriend. I like the cream since it's not at all greasy.

[mom-student]

My son had excema since birth also. He has also has great results with elidel. You should be tested for allergies! My son was tested 6-7 months ago, and after we excluded those foods from his diet he really hasn't needed the elidel near as much. We really stay away from all scented lotions, soaps, etc.. Stick with ivory soap and keri lotion and I am sure you will see a difference. Good Luck!!

[Angela Mac]

Sounds like too many different chemicals being used from too many different products. I would go with the cream your dermatologist has prescribed, and use DOVE soap to wash with. Some of my patients with eczema flare ups have been prescribed Lamisil pills. If no improvement with your treatment plan, ask your dermatologist if Lamisil would be an option for you.

[EricTAMUCC-BSN, BSN, RN]

I take 400 i.u. of Vitamin E to quell the itching. When I am off the vitamin I can tell the difference in comfort and in scaling.

Yes, I take my multivitamins that contain about as much Vitamin E as you use and have noticed a big difference not only in my skin, but my general well being. The only thing that sucks is having to trim my nails twice as much.

[boulergirl, CNA]

My sister swears by Vaseline--plain Vaseline. She puts it all over her face at night and anywhere she gets eczema. I bought some but can't bring myself to put it on my legs yet--it's so goopy!

When I was younger, my mom kept preaching at me to use hydrocortisone every day if I wanted to get rid of the eczema. Of course I'd forget or didn't feel like hassling with it.

Someone mentioned taking less baths. I find it interesting that when I was little, I took baths everyday and had BAD scalp flaking, but now I take showers and it's not a problem. I still have eczema behind my ears, though and on my shins.

[SmilingBluEyes]

vaseline???YEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

my daughter had eczema and I have found the only thing that works is keeping perfumes and rough materials off her skin.....she is a cotton girl all the way. And bathing less often is critical, too. It's a constant battle, one without end, I tell ya.

[boulergirl, CNA]

One of the posts here recommended not using powdered detergents. I tend to stick with liguid detergent (less mess) but I did use Clorox 2 on my clothes once. After wearing my long pajamas the next day my whole body broke out in a rash. Itched like heck. Since then it's been sitting on the shelf. No more problems.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I use liquids myself. I have a high efficiency washing machine, so it takes so LITTLE detergent to do the job...as well as water. And I always rinse each load TWICE. That seems to help.