October 1996 Eczema Mailing List Archive

Talk with a gastroenterologist about the possibility of your child having leaky gut syndrome. That is what my 3-month old had, we changed his diet and have been greatly restricting what he can eat, it is all due to an immature digestive system.

David, in the FAQ you put EPO under conventional treatments. I feel, however, that EPO like zinc, yeast-killers, flax oil, fish oil, magnesium etc. it is not conventional treatment; usually this sort of approach is labelled "nutritional therapy" or "orthomolecular medicine" and until recently it was hardly considered "respectable" by conventional practitioners. [I understand that the BBC did a thing on it in Woman's Hour last week, so that's encouraging.]

As for emollients, I make my own! I also make my own bath oil and menthol (anti-itch) spray. No difficult or messy herbal things, just the simplof cosmetics containing ingredients such as vegetable oil and beeswax; and there are natural or synthetic additions that help healing. It's very very easy, I know what's in it and it's incredibly cheap. The result looks really professional, and when nicely packaged makes for great gifts. So, not only is this a useful activity, it's also the a thing that, although related to this horrible eczema, is FUN! [Who would ever believe that any fun could ever come out of eczema...] 

Does anyone has experience with the following steroids:

mildly potent: Aclovate

moderately potent: Elocon

Dave, You need to take something for the itching. For me Benadryl capsules (50mg 3-4 times daily) work well when the itching really gets out of hand. I find that when the itching becomes intense Benadryl does not put me to sleep. You might try it. (It also comes in cream form at 1% and 2% strengths).

Steve, Thanks for the fingernail tips. I'll have to try the ice sometime. One of the reasons you may feel so cheery on Doxepin is because it's an antidepressant.

Yep, that may be it. I think Doxepin may be doing the cheering. Nice. Being off my allergens helps too. I am usually more cheery when I avoid my food allergens, then the Doxepin on top of that might be compounding the cheer. ::))

For the finger nails...... I am sure that a daily vitamin will help too. I think, if you do all that stuff, and there are no other factors involved, then your finger tips will be ready to face society again in three weeks or less.

All of this stuff reminds me of Phyllis Diller's wonderful line. Speaking of her dry skin, she remarked, "I'm not going to die. I'm just going to flake away."

Brigit, I have had a very similar experience with a Chinese Herbalist here in London. I don't know if I was just unlucky but the herbs didn't improve my eczema. Every week he gave me different herbs and it seems to me that it was very much guess work. As you said the treatment was very expensive and I could not afford it in the long run.

I guess that - like in other areas- there are good and bad practitioners.

My daughter suffers of eczema. It's a daily ritual with ointments and creams. She is also deathly allergic to milk, eggs, cheese and anything with large amounts of these foods. So far all the specialist we've dealt with say that the allergies and eczema are connected, but they are not quite sure how. The creams and ointments are working very well, currently she is nowhere near as bad as my older sister has been throughout her life. But the allergic side of this has lowered her quality of life. Every meal is questioned, "will this cause a reaction," trips for ice cream and the traditional birthday cake, have to be explained that they will make her sick. Why do we even do these things because my son is not allergic and should not miss out on them.

I want to point out my experience with eczema and how I handle my life anyhow. I'm 30 years old now and I remember first occurrences back in the age of 6 to 8. Before this, my mother told me that I had asthma. My mother quit nursing me in my 6th week because the doctor told her that I was allergic against her milk!?!? Eczema started between my toes and is now "stabilised" on my fingers and on the back on my hands. In summer, when it is hot it appears on my arms as well.

How do I handle the eczema: 

Physical aspects 

• Wearing cloths of natural materials only (esp. cotton) 
• Avoid cloths which block transpiration of sweat 
• Don't use to many chemical weapons against this disease 
• Don't irritate your skin with to many moistures, creams,... 
• I'm trying to use a cream (Neriderm) only once a day in the morning before I leave home, when my skin is very dry in that specific partitions. I use that cream on cracks only and try to avoid creaming large areas.
• I'm trying to use no cream before I go to bed and keep my skin dry during the night (during the day it would be impossible). My feeling is, that my skin is more relaxed and redden anymore.
• I have very good experience with homeopathic treatment but you have to be patient because it's a long term process.
• Don't use any cream or medicine with cortisone!! I have used it for many years and it's wonderful in short term, now I have trouble with my knees!
• Avoid coffee, sweets and other food you think would harm you. I have the experience, that I do feel what is good and bad for me: Sometimes coffee is OK, sometimes not. Sometimes it's no problem to eat sweets and sometimes I feel it's better not to do so. But if you feel that you don't want specific food or drink, don't take it, even if seems impolite to your host.
• My feeling is that eczema (and skin in general) is very close related to the condition of stomach and bowel. If I have trouble with my metabolism, I also have trouble with my skin.
• Try to eat healthy food and avoid eating to much meat.
• Avoid chemical soft drinks (Coke etc.) and try to get natural drinks (apple juice, tea)
• Mothers: nurse your babies!!

• Go for psychological assistance and try to figure out what is itching you (past, future, relatives, situations,...)
• Say what you mean and do what you feel you want to do
• Say NO if you mean NO!
• Don't smile to other people if you don't feel so!
• After scratching I try to figure out the cause (sometimes wrong food, stress, unrest, other people,...)
• Think of yourself first and not of that what other people might think of you
• Don't hide your eczema even if other people look odd at you. It's a part of you and it's a part of your expressions
• Have fun and do what you like to do, even it looks like your eczema won't allow it

That's the reason why my girl-friend denies to use the vacuum cleaner. She thinks that the one who causes the flakes has to remove them. Isn't it unfair? ;-)

Andreas, Thanks for all your advice. The psychological ideas were especially meaningful to me as I seem to have been using most of them myself for years.

Rita, I have used Elocon for many years. I understood that it was extremely high potency. I currently am trying to get it made in stick form so that I can spread it thinner and faster and also avoid zapping my fingers each time I apply it. But Schering Corp. is dragging its feet. Without this drug, I don't think I could exist. 

Hi Jolie, My 6 months old has had eczema since she was 3 weeks old. My baby doesn't have thrush. How is leaky gut diagnosed? Does it require culture of some kind to determine the presence of Candida yeast? Does it require extensive testing?

None of our paediatricians or dermatologists mentioned leaky gut. Our herbal practitioner mentioned problem with my baby's immature liver and pancreas. That's the closit relates to leaky gut.

Andreas, What is amazing to me is how different our personal remedies can be! I tried this very level-headed approach to my hand eczema, just treating it with as little chemical stuff as possible and pretending to be normal -- with awful results.

You made some very brave statements, but I happen to work for a living in a typical company where there are some unwritten rules about being "polite, civil, hiding irritation, keep your smile and your composure, be friendly, accommodating, supportive, a team player, etc. etc. etc." This seems to be a helpful practice in relationships outside the workplace also, with family, even when dealing with defensive sales clerks and with my remodelling contractors at home. You amaze me!

Ann, My daughter, aged 8, has eczema and I find that Elocon is one of the few medicines that is of any real benefit. We use it as sparingly as possible.

I'd like to know how long you've been using it, how often, and whether you've experienced any side effects? Also, how old were you when you started using it?

Another, general question I want to ask is if anyone has experienced bad and/or prolonged reactions after patch tests. The hospital want to give patch tests but I heard from a friend that the patch tests given to his daughter caused damage to her skin. Any views anyone?

Here are two of the three recipes I promised to post. The third one, for an emollient hand/body cream will follow later.

BATH OIL

This is very simple:

Take 90 ml of any vegetable oil (I use milk thistle oil, as its colour is so nice!) and add to this 10 ml of something called Mulsifan. This is an emulsifier, to make the oil mix in with the water. If you cannot get Mulsifan, ask for Tween80 or discuss what to use instead with you friendly local pharmacist.

(You need a friendly local pharmacist or well-stocked chemist if you're going to make your own cosmetics, unless you can find a mail order address for the ingredients.

You may perfume the stuff with a few drops of aetheric oil. I like rosemary oil or geranium oil, but obviously this is highly personal.

Add some Vitamin E to keep the oil from going rancid.

Put in a bottle and shake well.

MENTHOL SPRAY or whatever

Menthol is *great* against itching where the skin is not (too much) broken. It cools, creating a sensation rather similar to that of chewing gum.

You need only about 1% of menthol (more will burn rather than cool), which means that on 100 gr./ml of "carrier" (water or cream or lotion) you need only 1 gr. of menthol, which even the most accurate letter scales won't measure. So, you first measure 10 gr. of menthol crystals, place in a small glass bottle, add 40 gr. of vegetable (again, soy will do fine) oil, then heat "au bain marie" in a hot water bath until the menthol dissolves. 5 gr. of the resulting menthol oil now contains 1 gr. of menthol. THIS IS WHAT YOU ADD TO THE CARRIER; DO NOT USE AS IS. It will keep, as far as I know indefinitely.

Now, for menthol SPRAY: take 95 ml water, add 5 ml of the menthol oil you just made, then add 5 ml bath oil (either bought or home-made as described before). The bath oil is to get some emulsifier in, so that the menthol will mix with the water. Put in an empty spray can, the unpressurised pump variety obviously; shake before spraying on.

Alternatively, you could make a menthol CREAM or LOTION, simply by mixing 5 ml of menthol oil into 100 gr./ml of you favourite cream or lotion. Heat the cream or lotion a bit (by placing in the sun for a while) first, and make sure you mix the menthol in thoroughly.

PS- I realise that 100 gr. is not exactly 100 ml; however, the difference does not matter. This is not exact science, and all quantities are approx. anyhow -- perhaps you need more or less menthol.

Hello all, I just wanted to tell you that I went to see a new doctor yesterday, and I am very excited about his approach.

It's a "proper" MD who can write "official" prescriptions that are honoured by my pharmacy as well as my health insurance; but he's into much more imaginative treatments than conventional doctors and dermatologists.

The intake took an hour and a half. He's going to have lots of different lab tests done on my blood, checking for possible food allergies (where "food" includes tap water as well!). The tests are non-standard and not officially recognised yet by conventional medicine; so not every lab does them. One set of blood samples is going to be sent to Seattle (US) for one test, another set will be sent to York (UK) for another; yet another tis carried out locally. He has set up constructions so that my insurance will pay for most of them, even if they're not done in this country.

The next step will be to try and isolate any food allergies found, then - hopefully - desensitise. Another next step will be to tfor "leaky gut". Another approach he is going to try when still necessary is orthomolecular treatment (nutritional therapy).

The reason I wanted to share this with you is that no doctor before (GP, dermatologist, allergologist, gastro-enterologist - I suffer from a very mild colitis as well as dermatitis) has *ever* looked at these things. Not ever. They all tried with more or less enthusiasm to treat the bit in which they were specialised, then sent me home after it didn't work. This has bothered me greatly and for a long time; obviously, there is something "wrong" - please don't flame for using this word, you know what I mean - with *me*, not with *my skin* of *my intestines*. Now, I have finally met a doctor who is going to treat *me* rather than *parts* of me.

Although this man, who calls himself a "biological" doctor is not a conventional practitioner, he's not new age either. No healing, Bach therapies or herbs - all his medication and food supplements and treatments will come from supervised labs with qualified personnel and will be backed up by official research. I realise this is highly personal, but *I* like that. He attends international conferences where he learns about Chinese herbs as well as traditional and experimental approaches.

Oh, and because he's conventionally trained, he sees nothing wrong with prescribing conventional things - gave me a new supply of Atarax, my favourite (not counting menthol) itch killer. One-stop shopping, indeed!

Andreas, I find myself slightly horrified to read that you use as little cream as possible. This goes against everything that I know or have ever heard about eczema. You must apply cream, and cream, and more cream. If the cream irritates your skin, it's the wrong cream!

I can recommend a wonderful book (in German) on making your own creams:

Cremes und sanfte Seifen
J. Pütz & C. Niklas 
VGS Verlagsgesellschaft, Köln, 1986

Making your own creams is cheap and easy, and your skin will thank you for it. The book contains recipes for soaps and shampoos as well.

I am amazed! Are there really other eczema battlers out there who avoid creams and lotions? There are times when only industrial strength lotion will stop my itching. How do they stand it? And what do they do instead?

Julia, I think I have been using Elocon for about 15 years. I'm 50 now and I'm sure some of the problems (thin dry wrinkled skin; hair loss) I blame on steroids are simply age related. I use it all over my body hands and scalp and sometimes face as sparingly as possible. I would imagine a younger persons skin (like your daughter's) must be more resilient but maybe more is absorbed into a child's system. I know this stuff really gets into the system because if I use it on the bad areas, the milder areas get better on their own. It used to clear me completely; now it just makes it a lot better. 

On patch tests, I get monster hives that cover my back, but I don't think they leave any more damage that the eczema that was there in the first place. In fact, a hive that isn't scratched eventually goes away. Any patch of eczema I've ever had, even if unscratched, seems to live forever! I never had patch tests done as a child so my only experience has been with already aged skin. 

Hi. Time to report on my own personal results. I've been using Lotrimin AF twice a day on my hands (palm area) for almost two weeks. I see a definite improvement over my cortisone creme... the Lotrimin seems to control the itch and spread of the watery blisters! Right now there is only slight evidence of the watery blisters, but the area that has been treated is still a bit scaly. My subjective evaluation:

Medication Effect 

• Using nothing: 0 (i.e. blisters/"eczema" spreads and is bothersome) 
• Maxiflor Cortisone: 4 (i.e. blisters/"eczema" slightly controlled but not eradicated) 
• Lotrimin AF: 8 (i.e. watery blisters mostly eradicated; treated area a bit scaly)

Julia, Watch out for skin discoloration. My baby has had skin discoloration since she received Elocon .1% ointment at 3 months. It only took several applications and the damage has been done. Her eczema was really bad back then.

Your daughter is older but I personally think Elocon is too potent for kids. If you prefer the use of steroid, ask your Dr. to prescribe something milder.

Ann, Have you been using .1% or higher/lower dosage? I wonder if Elocon users all have similar side effects.

It seems to me that eczema is really a world-wide problem. I wonder if there are statistics about eczema in different areas of the world and specific food habits? Does anybody know about a country in the world where there is no appearance of eczema?

When my skin gets worse and worse, I've often tried to cover it with cream two, three, four times a day (depends on itching and scratching). But I found out that the more I use cream (which is really pleasant in short term) the more it tangles my skin (in long term). So I try to keep my skin dry at night (use no cream) and use cream only in the morning for the whole day. You should be aware not to often wash your hands (or other eczema areas) and not to use any soap.

Maybe another interesting observation: My eczema is always worse when there are difficult decisions to make and fundamentals to make such a decision are very vague. In that case, I try to make quick decisions anyhow and take care of clear ratios (not as easy as I write it here).

I use the .1% and as far as I know, that's the only strength it comes in. 

A trick I've developed to use Elocon to treat my face is to apply it NEAR the face, like behind the ear or under the jaw or the scalp. This stuff is so strong that just getting the face into the edge of the fallout zone works wonders. My derm dr. says this is a great technique provided I'm not over-zapping the spot I directly treat. Personally, I'd rather improve my face today and risk trouble later behind my ear! 

Another thing to try: after you have applied the Elocon elsewhere, rub your finger on the face eczema. There's usually enough left, albeit an invisible amount, to help. I know these tricks technically break the rule of "no potent steroids on the face", but they've helped me through some bad days so I'll share them. 

Hi, Well I've never found anything which stops the itching; just the soreness.

I found a good site for those trying to self-diagnose their form of Eczema at http://www.hkma.com.hk/std/eczema.htm

I originally posted my excellent results with Lotrimin AF, after over three weeks with excellent results, I started getting new blisters again, though their life cycle was much different. First off, no itching, and the blisters are finer and less visible, they also heal much quicker and when the skin breaks, its not very dramatic, painful, or peel to the red skin. In fact I have to look very hard to see the blisters, they are so small that I don't know I have any blisters until the skin breaks apart and becomes slightly flaky and dry. 

I still swear by this treatment. I wonder if a stronger anti-fungal ointment will be any better. I also wonder about the generic version of the Lotrimin which I recently switched to, I didn't have ANY breakouts with the brand name Lotrimin. This may have been coincidence. I always thought generics are the same, as long as they have the same active ingredient and strength. Only time will prove this. To recap, I use this anti-fungal cream twice daily. Once in the morning after my shower and before I go to bed at night.

Thanks for the replies about Elocon, especially the tips about how to avoid the face. I have noticed that Elocon applied anywhere improves Esme's skin generally. For a few days it has a "healthy glow" that children's skin usually have and that seems absent in children with eczema.

Rita: You talked about the discoloration of your child's skin. I haven't noticed this in Esme. Could you be more specific? Did it change her skin colour all over or just where you applied Elocon? What was the nature of the discoloration?

Here are a few links I have enjoyed:

http://biomed.nus.sg/nsc/skin.html 
http://www.mic.ki.se/Diseases/c17.html 
http://www2.xstar.com/baldspot.htm 
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/vumcdept/derm/contact/ 
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/2255/skin.html

These are the results of many hours searching and reading about eczema, contact dermatitis, and rosacea - my OTHER problem.

Danny: Have you been checked for diabetes? Sores that are slow to heal are certainly one symptom. Just a thought.

When I graduated from college I was recruited by a company in California. I had no prior history of eczema before moving there.

That 1st summer I was bit by what I thought were fleas. The bites seemed like they went away but would flare up once in a while. They finally went away about 4 months later. The next summer I got the bites again. This time they really broke out. Mostly on the legs, there were open weeping wounds about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. My doctor just gave me antibiotics but nothing happened. I went to a dermatologist which took some biopsies and prescribed me Lidex cream. That seemed to help a lot and the wounds quickly healed. I've been using Lidex when ever I get what looks like a bite or red spot. Sometimes these sores take months to heal. I use the Lidex twice a day on these bites. Some of my skin has become very smooth looking. I don't know if I should still be using the Lidex.

It has been pretty much under control since the big breakout in 1990 but about a month or so ago I got which looked like a bunch of bites on both inner thighs. I put the Lidex on it but it did not help. Then the surrounding areas became inflamed and lots of little bumps with seem to have liquid in it appeared. My dermatologist prescribed some antibiotics for some infections, Prednisone (oral) and Diprolene cream. I'm on my second day of the treatment.

The dermatologist just seems to prescribe treatments for the current symptoms but never tries to determine what is causing it. I know it is hard to determine the cause for eczema but this did not occur slowly. It happened right when I moved to California. Before I moved, I could play in the dirt, get skinned up and heal fine. Now, even when I get scratched, it does not seem to heal like I used to. It must be something different in California; air, water, food, bugs, something! Does that logic make sense?

I'm very concerned whether I should still be using Lidex or Diprolene.

Just a thought. I was using Lidex on my legs for a while when I was a teenager, and sadly it thinned my skin. Over ten years later I still have visible white spots on my legs where I was once treating sore with Lidex. It is really visible when I get any amount of a tan. 

Dry skin is not always dry skin. It many times is healing skin. Just as a sunburn takes time to heal, and peels in the interim, allergic skin has a similar cycle. The dryness could be the old irritated skin slowly coming off and being replaced in the normal healing process. So under this process could be normal (not dry) skin.

Soak with cool/cold cold water to allow the old skin to come off, and do not use excessive emollients as they may cause more problems than they help.

RECIPE FOR A REAL NICE EMOLLIENT CREAM

WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU BEGIN

1. a letter balance/scales that is accurate to within a few grams
2. an electric hand mixer (not a food processor, not a non-electric whisk or mixer) 
3. the ingredients (pharmacy or nice old-fashioned chemist or mail order) 
4. a few glass or plastic stirrers or spatulas 
5. one or two empty cream jars, depending on size

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure and put together in a tall mixing bowl: - 10 gr. of beeswax (this comes in the form of yellow or white pellets); - 5 gr. of cetylalcohol (this comes in the form of white solid flakes); - 20 gr. of lanolin (this is yellow and sticky). I shall refer to this mixture as "the fat".
2. Measure and put together in a small cup or jar: - 80 gr. (=80 ml) of purified or distilled water; - a pinch of borax. I shall refer to this mixture as "the water".
3. Measure into a separate container (I use the pot in which I will put the resulting cream, to save on the washing-up): - 70 gr. of avocado oil, or jojoba oil. I shall refer to this as "the oil".
4. Place the containers with "the fat" and "the water" next to each other in a pot into which you then pour some boiling water. Place the pot on the fire and keep the water gently boiling.
5. Put the whisks into your electric mixer, plug it in and keep it ready.
6. When "the fat" has completely melted, add to it "the oil". Stir "the water" a bit to ensure that the borax has dissolved properly.
7. When the "fat&oil" is again clear, turn off the heat and remove both containers from the pot and onto your worktop. Turn on the mixer at its highspeed and start whipping the fatty/oily stuff. *Slowly* add "the water" (if you have ever made your own mayonnaise, you know what I mean).
8. Keep mixing at high speed until it's obvious that you have a cream. Then turn down the mixer to a more moderate speed and mix in: - 2 ml = 40 drops of bisabolol (see note following the recipe).
9. Put in a jar and feel very, very pleased with yourself for being so clever.

1. This cream, like any cream, is an emulsion of water into oil. As such, it is easily absorbed by the skin, which itself is protected by a naturally occurring emulsion, the so-called "hydro lipide" (sp?) layer.
2. Bisabolol is an active ingredient that helps healing and soothing. You will find that it is included in almost every after-sun product or otherwise healing product that is made commercially. It is hypo-allergenic (meaning that allergic reactions to it are extremely rare), but you can of course tit by covering a drop of it on your skin under a sticky plaster, leaving it there overnight and checking for a reaction. If you are sold something called "alpha-bisabolol" that's fine, it just means that it was made in a lab rather than extracted from whatever contains it naturally.
3. If you are allergic to lanolin (note that a wool allergy has *nothing* to do with a lanolin allergy - you may wish to tas described in note 2.), substitute sheanut butter for lanolin and up the cetylalcohol from 5 gr. to 8 gr. The cream will not be quite so creamy, but it will be otherwise fine. I personally have a strong preference for lanolin, however, it is better for my skin.
4. This is a base recipe. For my own use I am experimenting with lecithin to replace (some of) the cetylalcohol, but I have not worked out the details yet. Also, I experiment with other active ingredients such as aloe vera and allantoin, but all this is difficult to explain by e-mail and would detract from your realising how easily you can make your own creams. If AFTER YOU HAVE TRIED THE BASE RECIPE, with lanolin or sheanut butter, you find that you would like to know more about such variations, contact me by private e-mail and I will be happy to try and explain my findings so far.
5. Creams such as these are CHEAP. The ingredients for a jar as described above cost a few pounds (that's still only a few dollars), but please note that you may not be able to purchase 5 gr. of this and 10 gr. of the other; typically, things such as beeswax and cetylalcohol come in packets of 50 or 100 gr. My initial investment came to, say, the rough equivalent of 40 pounds sterling or 15 US dollars and was good for lots and lots of jars of cream.
6. The cream will keep for at least six weeks - but I don't know, really, as I love the stuff and use it up in about two weeks.
7. (and perhaps most important of all). Making your own creams is fun. It is not an eczema-related thing to do, it may well turn into a hobby. Package them nicely and they make gifts at least as good as a home-made apple pie or raspberry vinegar. If you appreciate the comparison.

Hi Julia, The cycle is like this:

Elocon on rash, rash disappeared, skin turned normal with a "glow"(mother overjoyed!) and rash came right back in a few days. After a few cycles, I noticed the areas, her ankles, elbows, wrists and knees, where I applied Elocon became greyish black, something resembles those slightly darken birth marks on new-born's buttock. Those areas also had the worst rash after I had ended the use of steroid.

Now she has no rash except on her face and those same spots where I applied Elocon are very very dry.

She will turn 7 months in a few days and the discoloration has not faded a bit.

Hi Steve, I'll be happy if they would eventually go away. It's been several months and I'm still waiting. I really hope the dry skin will eventually be replaced by normal skin. I have been bathing her in luke-warm/cool water regimen for quite some time now.

I should mention, immediately followed the skin discoloration was acne-like eruptions on the same areas. I suspect that could be another side effect from the use of Elocon.

Julia - The discoloration came right after a few fake "healthy glow", stand guard.

Danny, You are very perceptive; it has taken me a LIFETIME of eczema to figure out that derm doctors aren't (usually) successful in getting to the root of the problem! My derm dr. is very important to me, but mainly for help in managing the day to day symptoms. I recommend that you see a good allergist. Allergists do detective work and you already have some good clues to start with. 

The fact that your eczema started when you moved and that it began as a seasonal thing suggests that you (like me) have pollen allergies. I have been helped enormously by allergy shots, but I wish I had started when I was younger and my condition simpler. The dermatologist can tell you if your skin is thinning from the steroid ointments (maybe that's why prednisone was prescribed: to give your skin a break). 

You mention that sores and cuts don't heal easily. I think it's because any break in the skin stays open due to the inflammatory factors present from the eczema flaring nearby. 

Just wanted to let you know that you should stop using Lidex on the inner part of your thighs. Strong topical steroids will cause thinning of the skin thus resulting in permanent stretch marks! Also, he said that another side-effect of long-term use of topical steroids is the permanent discoloration of the skin. Rarely does the skin return to normal. 

I found this out the hard way. I did not know about this until recently. I had asked a different dermatologist than I normally visit about the appearance of the stretch marks on my inner thighs: he said it was from the use of the topical steroids! Certain areas of my hands have been discoloured for a number of years now and the texture of the skin has changed, largely due to the formation of scar-tissue. Sorry about the unpleasant news but, I just wanted to let you know!

Has anyone got any tips for keeping eczema under control whilst swimming or participating in other water sports?

I've recently enrolled on a canoeing course, part of the tuition is to be done in a swimming pool. I'm rather concerned, as I haven't been swimming for years, ever since my childhood eczema came back to haunt me about five years ago. So I don't know quite how my skin will react.

I not so worried about the chlorine irritating my skin, but more concerned about how quickly my skin will dry out after being taken out of the water, before I have chance to slap on any emollients. There is the chance of picking up infections too.

Probably the bthing to do would be not to attempt this at all, but I'm not going to let eczema rule my life.

Chris, I'd look at what people who swim the English Channel do. If I'm not mistaken, I think they put a thin coat of grease on before they get in the water. If someone has more details, I hope they log in.

Hi Chris, Canoeing sounds fun; I haven't done it for years. If I were taking the course I'd be more concerned about contact with chlorine than water. As discussed months ago, I discovered that I itched less in the shower after I installed a chlorine filter. I'd be worried that the high concentration of chlorine used in a public pool would set me off.

I used castor oil as my emollient of choice for a couple of years. It was messy and soaked into my clothes unless I let it soak in for a good while. However, it didn't irritate my skin and did keep it somewhat supple. Castor oil might work as a non-irritating barrier to keep the pool water at bay until you can towel off.

Danny, I believe the reason your sores and cuts aren't healing is because you're applying a steroid cream to your skin. Steroids are great anti-inflammatories but they interfere with the healing of cuts and sores.

Chris: As to Channel swimmers, I once heard they are covered in a thick coating of plain Vaseline. I myself use Vaseline on my hands when they are so bad that the shower water hurts, and it completely shields off the water.

First of all, I want to make sure everyone knows the FREE phone number 1-800-818-SKIN for the National Eczema Association. Many of us online already know more than the basic info, but everyone fairly new to the disease should check out what they offer. There are pamphlets for parents and also one on the basic facts. I particularly like the results of the EA Survey, which gives numerous quotes revealing how it feels to have eczema. And there are now 4 videos available. Two relate to parents and children, and the other two are more for adults. If you don't want to buy them, ask your doctor to buy a set that can be loaned to eczema patients.

I learned a few things from the video Suffering in Silence, which is a lecture by Dr. Jon Hanifin. You know how doctors say "Most people grow out of it"? Well, that's not true. Out of about 25 million people (10% of the population) who have eczema in childhood, 40% (10 million) grow out of it. 60% (15 million) continue to have some form of eczema through life, from mild to severe. He also talked about research in 3 areas: defects in bone-marrow cells, immune abnormalities, and pharmacophysiologic abnormalities. He said that studies show we have a low amount of gamma interferon in our blood cells, and too much IL4, which causes inflammation. He said that new treatments may involve using a cream that inhibits IL4 and shots that add gamma interferon.

I know that recently there was a posting about strengths of various creams and ointments. Well, I've got a partial list of strength categories. The highstrength is Class I and lowest strength is Class VII.

• Class I creams and ointments include: Temovate cream/ointment/gel 0.05%, Ultravate cream/ointment 0.05%, Diprolene gel/ointment 0.05%, and Psorcon ointment 0.05%
• Class II includes: Cyclocort Ointment 0.1%, Diprolene AF Cream 0.05%, Diprosone ointment 0.05%, Elocon ointment 0.1%, Florone ointment 0.05%, Halog cream 0.1%, Lidex cream/ointment/gel 0.05%, Maxiflor ointment 0.05%, Topicort gel 0.05%, Topicort cream/ointment 0.25%, and Psorcon cream 0.05%
• Class III includes: Aristocort A ointment 0.1%, Cyclocort cream/lotion 0.1%, Diprosone cream 0.05%, Florone and Florone E cream 0.05%, Halog ointment 0.1%, Lidex-E cream 0.05%, Maxiflor cream 0.05%, and Valisone ointment 0.1%
• Class IV includes: Cordran ointment 0.05%, Elocon cream 0.1%, Kenalog cream 0.1%, Synalar ointment 0.025%, and Westcort ointment 0.2%
• Class V includes: Cordran cream 0.05%, Diprosone lotion 0.05%, Kenalog lotion 0.1%, Locoid cream 0.1%, Synalar cream 0.025%, Valisone cream 0.1%, and Westcort cream 0.2%
• Class VI includes: Aclovate cream/ointment 0.05%, Synalar cream/solution 0.01%, Tridesilon cream 0.05%, and Valisone lotion 0.05%
• Class VII include: Hydrocortisone (Hytone cream/lotion/ointment 2.5%), dexamethasone, flumethalone, prednisolone, and methylprednisolone.

To Chris et al - I haven't been swimming indoors since I've been better, but when I was worse I greased myself up with Crisco, which is what I was using at the time. I think it helped to have a barrier of grease. I've been thinking of swimming again and that is what I would do.

One thing that is relieving me amazingly is doing yoga. I am only going to class once a week, but trying to stretch some in the mornings, and the mornings after my class my skin is terrific. I'd be happy to hear from others who have learned to love yoga - I've learned to love a lot of things if they improve my skin, like the taste of bitter melon, a truly strong strange Asian vegetable, because the day after I eat it my skin is swell, not swollen & itchy. 

Amy, I too do yoga, and am convinced that it's helped my eczema. I've taken Iyengar (an offshoot of Hatha yoga taught by Mr. Iyengar in India) weekly for years. Last year I started practising Ashtanga yoga, which is a style that is a series of poses that flow from one to another, always in the same order. There are 6 levels of Ashtanga, the first of which is to create "fire" in the system to burn out impurities. In this practice, often done in a heated room, one can sweat a fair amount in the building of strength and fluidity. Although it was uncomfortable at times because the heat or sweat, over time I do feel that I've detoxified my system; I only itch a little now if I do at all.

I highly recommend yoga for learning to calm the mind, opening to feelings and emotions, then letting them go. This is still hard for me, but has improved from doing yoga. Plus, I just feel good after the stretching.

Shelley, I was stunned to learn from your medication list that ointment is more potent than cream of the same type! I have always used Elocon in ointment form because it is greasier and has less additives. Never has anyone, doctor or pharmacist told me that there was any difference in potency. I know that the cream works just as well as I have used samples of the cream when they were the only thing available. So now I will switch to the cream and hopefully cut down on side effects. 

I need anyone's advice, suggestions, or black magic...

This will be my first winter with eczema on my feet (only had it on my hands until this spring). Already my skin has broken down in spots from being enclosed. How does one deal with feet that sweat, and need moisturisers, and anti-itch stuff? I don't know at this point whether to treat for pain or itch. Surely someone has dealt with this. Cotton socks don't solve the problem.

Creams generally have more potential for side effects, i.e. you could be allergic to the ingredients in it. Ointments have less problems like that. This has proven true with me several times. I use ointments.

You may be able to get a reduced strength in the ointment form, or use it on wet skin, so as to distribute it more widely in a thinner coating.

Re: heat sensitivity. I, too, have a "thermostat" problem in that I'm always colder than others in the same room and want to turn up the heat. I've repeatedly been told that I radiate heat like an oven. However, this seems only logical to me, as one major function of the skin is body temperature control. Since parts of my skin are damaged, it makes sense to me that the skin cannot do its job in this respect properly. 

Re: digestive problems. I, too, have digestive problems, diagnosed and treated as (mild) colitis ulcerosa. Basically, this is a chronic inflammation on the colon with no known cause. My gastro-enterologist tells me it s a disease that occurs only in "wealthy" parts of the world, and that there is a *statistical* correlation with skin problems. 

Re: household gloves. Years ago I was tested for contact allergies and one thing they found was an allergy to latex (rubber). Never had any problems, but there you are... I was told to use special non-latex gloves for the washing up. They are sold under the brand name "Semperit" and are made of PVC. Not cheap, but very good. If anyone needs to know more, I could contact the address on the package and ask who imports them into any given country (please state your country when asking me to do so).

Then, here are two interesting Web sites:

On Chinese Herbal Treatment (in general, not specifically for eczema:) http://www.acupuncture.com/ (then follow the link to Herbology)

On nutrition (same): http://www.solgar.com/nutrition_library/

One reason ointments are more potent than creams of the same strength is that the ointments have more sustantivity (staying power). They are stickier and keep the medication in contact with the skin longer. 

The question is not one of potency. The effectiveness of a drug is determined by several factors including

1. the amount of active ingredient
2. the drug delivery system and
3. the rate of absorption of the drug. 

Brad, This is a response to message I found in the Sept. archives, where you mention that you actually take Kenalog shots. I took these shots for almost 20 years until I found out they contributed to the worsening of eczema. These shots are suppose to last 3 weeks but they don't, they give you dose with no tapering off, the drop off is too hard for the body causing the lovely eczema rebound effect you see before the end of 3 weeks.

I've always known that the eczema would come back harder about 2 - 2 1/2 after the shot but always thought it was from what was whatever irritating it in the first place and was still around until I found out from 2 other doctors of mine why this was happening.

I've known about this for a least 7 years and doctors have known about it a lot longer. I would be leery of any doctor who still uses this approach and wonder about their other practices, like the eye ointment you put underneath your lids.

The doctor is not always right, be careful.

I have been also finding that Kenelog shots have become less and less effective over the years. It used to get me back on track for some time (approx 30 years ago), but lately (the last 5 years) they have not been long term at all. Also, prednisone pills (which one does taper) have lost much of their benefit, although in desperate times I will resort to them for even temporary relief. While I know these remedies are neither healthy or permanent, sometimes the alternative is unbearable. Lately, I have "hung in there" longer and sometimes I work myself out of difficult times without resorting to these medications.

Hi Linda, This is another response to a Sept. archive message. I stood in the light booths every time I went to the doctor going up. It never did much but it made the doc happy.

As an adult I found out why I stood in the booths. You have a layer of cholesterol underneath your skin and when it comes in contact with ultraviolet light, (A or B, I can't remember which), it makes vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually a hormone. If you are deficient in D, ultraviolet light will help but it's usually people with Psoriasis that are deficient.

If the light helps you and being in the heat and sweating bothers you, take a pill but don't pay the price for the booth.

Patsy, Is it eczema or a fungal infection that you have on your feet? The reason I ask is because two dermatologists thought I had eczema on my feet. For weeks I was receiving cortisone injections or taking prednisone. After the cortisone wore off the "eczema" would come back with a vengeance. Finally, a third dermatologist correctly diagnosed my feet/skin condition as a fungal infection. She prescribed Fulvicin tablets for six weeks, and my feet cleared right up. I haven't had an outbreak since.

Does the eczema on your feet appear as big blisters (that itch) or much like it appears on your hands? If they are big blisters you may have a fungal infection.

It is interesting what you say about sun booths. I am going today for such a treatment. I have found that when my skin burns for 2 days in a row (2 treatments) it usually has a beneficial effect, sometimes very dramatic. I will greatly itch following these treatments, but then my skin often gets significantly better. I do not believe that taking a vitamin would have the same impact, but I know that each of us react differently to different treatments, and what works for some does not work for others.

Kel, Thanks for your message. Actually my "eczema" was a misdiagnosis. I actually had a fungal infection in my feet. Fulvicin tablets were prescribed for me and they totally cleared up the problem. I haven't had a reoccurrence.

I've received Kenalog injections on and off throughout my life without any adverse reactions (everyone is different). I've had eczema on my hands and arms ever since I was a kid. Except for the recent fungal bout with my feet, my skin has been in a stable condition for many years.

I didn't get to see the whole message, but in general, exercise is good for everyone, the problem you are having as an asthmatic is, when you exercise, your breathing rate increases and becomes deeper, drawing in more irritants, causing a reaction at some level.

As an asthmatic, when exercising, you must wear a face mask making sure your nose and mouth are covered to block irritants.

No, these are little tiny lesions that itch like crazy. I've tried anti-fungal ointment (as well as burying a dead cat at midnight under a full moon ...). I haven't been to an MD, but they look just like the spots on my hands which WERE diagnosed as eczema.

It's a real toughie. How do you keep your feet moisturised, and still keep them dry... 

I saw a few links in Yahoo for newsgroups: alt.support.skin-diseases mentions that it specialises in contact allergy (i.e., latex gloves).. I am typing this with cotton gloves on because of "fingertip eczema", which I just recently saw defined for the first time on one of my links. Now I know what I have. 

P.S. I too, am allergic to latex. When I was little and my mom attached bandages with adhesive tape, the whole site would weep and turn mushy and infected. Now I know why.

Oh, also there's alt.med.allergy and alt.support.food.allergies which I intend to check out.

While surfing the web I ran across a reprint of a Reuters news release that may be of interto some of you. It concerns an ingredient-KathonCG aka methylisothiazolinone or methylchloroisothiazolinone found in skin creams and other products that may cause cancer. 

*I Know* everything causes cancer these days BUT since people with eczema tend to use A LOT of skin creams I think they would be at higher risk (if there is a risk) if having problems. I'm not trying to scare people but I think if you use a product with this ingredient you should research this claim then decide for yourself. The article did not mention brand names and a cursory check of my own medicine chdid not reveal any products with this ingredient. 

If you are interested the article can be found at http://www.parentsplace.com 

On the main page find the heading Parenting News Recalls and Warnings then click on "Possible carcinogen in shampoos and skin creams" 

I have tried the sunlight treatment for a while and it did seem to work. Unfortunately, the weather now has gotten a bit colder. I would freeze if I continued to lay out in the sun. I can't afford the cost of using a booth so I think I may try the tablet form of vitamin D. It's worth a try. 

I get eczema on my lower and upper eyelids, under arms from deodorant, and on my legs from pantyhose. As you can guess, I will not be used as a calendar pin up girl.

I try to get overheated before I get in the shower -- usually from exercise, but just heating up the bathroom helps too (unless the heating is central which really dries the skin.) I also start with warm and gradually make the water cooler and cooler during the shower. That way you end with the coolwater which helps control the flaring that often occurs upon handling the skin right after bathing. 

The worst thing for me is to start with water that is so cool I can't stand it. Then I turn on the hot to compensate and I get out looking like a lobster and scratching like a hound! I also have a cup of something hot waiting for me to sip when I get out of the shower. 

The shower and its immediate aftermaths are not my problems. It is after I'm greased up, dressed, and out in public that my itching starts. It's as if it takes that long for the lotion to soak in and need a refill (where does all that lotion go that one puts on one's skin???).

Without a doubt, this condition has affected the quality of my life more than anything than, perhaps, having to deal with contact lenses.

I've found that if I alternate rub-ons, I get better results. I seem to build up an immunity quickly. One thing I discovered about 2 weeks ago is an OTC gel called ITCH-X. I'm amazed with it. It helps more than the heavy duty steroid I have a prescription for. And 2 weeks later, it's still working. Takes about 10 or 15 seconds to stop the itch cold.

I once read about a radio interview where a dermatologist said to punch holes in your shoes. Also, you could try wearing shoes that can easily be kicked off under your desk and just as easily be slipped into.

Linda, Just be careful with vitamin D, it is toxic in high dosages and the damage is irreversible. The R.D.A. is 400 I.U. but you may go up to 800 a day safely for several months, anything beyond that, consult a professional prior to use.

In relation to the last comment concerning your son's eczema getting worse as his illness gets better, I have found that an elevated temperature has a positive impact on my eczema, which may be the reaction that your son is experiencing.

A big thank you to Ann and Pat for the shower suggestions. I'll have to wait until winter to try it. The only problem is my extensive food allergies including coffee and tea and I only drink fruit juices and water. (warm apple ciders may be a possibility!) 

Living with eczema has minor quirks to it such as riding in cars with people who need the windows rolled down in the fall and springs. That blowing wind can really irritate my skin what with my stray hairs really itching it (don't own enough barrettes at times like that).

It can be quite hard to explain to people something as invisible as itching being a major disturbance to you. Especially when you've been taking care of your skin and it's only slightly pink. And going over to people's homes who have pets that aggravate your eczema. What wonders does that do for your social life! 

One of the hardthings is jobs, they make me sick by every Friday for I work with lots of old files and dusty paperwork in the government. Does anyone have creative ideas for handling their jobs and tactful ways of explaining to bosses the problem?? I have tried face masks but the feel of them is really irritating on my face (my biggproblem area). I have tried cotton already. 

I'm just adding that our experience confirms this. Esme's skin improves if she has an illness which raises her temperature. We suspect it may be to do with her immune system working overtime.

Interesting - I find a nice fast cold wind is about the only thing which calms my Eczema down; preferably cold enough so that the skin goes numb.

This has cropped up a few times in the past. The last time I had the flu my skin was like a baby's (well, apart from the wrinkles that is) and as my temperature went down the eczema came back. As we seem to be hot people anyway, perhaps the actual temperature isn't a factor, but maybe the immune system being kicked into activity is having an effect on the eczema. I make that comment in the hope that somewhere out there a researcher may be listening and pick up a clue about what is actually happening. 

I heartily agree!

People just think my face is so, so healthy looking with its big red glow! And they keep telling me about sun block like I've never heard of it. They don't know that the acne of rosacea hurts and never comes to a head! I'm hot all the time, have a fan running in my office, and have to hear the menopause jokes. If I'm in gloves, and the fingertip eczema is under control, I get the "is that all? - you should see my cousin .... remarks, and the "just carry some hand cream" advice. 

They think I'm just lazy because I avoid the sun and don't believe me that I can't stand to play sports or exercise publicly because I sweat copiously and turn all red, and then purple. Add fibromyalgia, and the fact that I am in achy pain 24 hrs a day in one area or another, and you've got one depressed, drained, and dead-tired lady. Add allergy to paper and dusty stuff and my being a staph carrier, and you get an inactive, exhausted, computer-addicted desk jockey and weekend recluse and social-phobe.

Sometimes I feel I am not a native earthling!

What else do I get? Mothers-in-laws and well-meaners who say,

1. My, my, you look like you got a little sun this weekend.... 
2. God, your legs are sooooo white.... 
3. Why is your hair so thin on top...you should try my detangler... 
4. You really should keep moisturiser on that dry skin of yours.... 
5. All you really need is a good exercise/stretching program... 
6. My _______ used to look just like you until she gave up ______.

I also noticed that when my baby had a temperature of up to 103F last week, her eczema seemed to be much better. When the fever is gone, her rash flares up again, much worse than before she had her fever.

Brenda, Most of the published research papers I have read seem to agree that eczema is a disorder of the immune system. It seems that a certain part of our immune systems somewhat over-active. I have asked my dermatologist about this and he agrees with this. I may try and see if I can call the University of Michigan Hospital research dept. and see if they know about what goes on when we do have a fever and why the eczema clears up during this time. I've found the same thing happens with me any time I become ill. It also starts to clear up even if I don't have a fever. I will let everyone know if I find out anything.

I am considering getting collagen injections for the laugh lines around my mouth. Thank goodness I don't have eczema there. Has anyone with eczema done this before? I wonder if I'll come down with some other problems linked to my immune system. Any advice?

Sherry, Be Careful! Collagen is usually made from cow products; so if you are allergic to beef or the many hormones used to grow the beef, it could mean trouble. A reputable doctor will tyou for sensitivity before doing the injections. When mad cow disease surfaced, there was concern that some sources of collagen might be contaminated. Also, I once had a plastic surgeon boyfriend who told me to never have collagen injections because the stuff hardens eventually giving the look of worn leather. This guy was extremely successful and got more than enough business doing only those procedures that last for a long time. So I took his advice seriously. Sorry to be a killjoy, but I think you'd be happier with a facelift in the long run. 

This is an interesting thought. I'm wondering, though. I tend to be very hot-natured (freeze everybody else to death) yet I continue to itch. Does it have to be a fever for this phenomenon to work?

According to a number of dermatologists, lanolin aggravates eczema. The sad reality is that all kinds of creams containing lanolin are recommended to people with eczema by many average dermatologists, physicians and pharmacists. Eucerin, Keri, Lubriderm, Nivea, Suave, Jergens, Swiss Formula, and Dermasil all have products with lanolin. Many other creams, lotions, soaps and CORTISONES have lanolin in them and are incorrectly and routinely being recommended to people with eczema. 

Avoiding lanolin will stop aggravating the eczema; but, to get rid of the cycle of inflammation, evaporation works best. Water evaporates out of a sheet quickly. Dampen a sheet, squeeze out excess water, and then lay the sheet over the inflammation for 30 minutes (rewet the sheet every 10 minutes). My instructions were to then airdry, use a hydrocortisone, and then put a moisturiser on. Follow that routine three times a day. 

I looked like I had a swollen sunburn with hives and poison ivy. It was unbearable. Relief was immediate. Within 24 hours the inflammation was reduced by 75%; within 48 hours I recovered. 

A couple of other hints: Keep your babies off rugs and carpets with wool. Also, hot showers and baths cause it to itch. 

I tried antibiotics, anti inflammatories, anti-fungals, antiparasitics, antihistamines, anti-you-name-its, cortisones and primrose and nothing worked! Picture taking twenty benedryl daily and still ITCHING LIKE CRAZY. 

This information can be viewed at www.angelfire.com/ct/Eczema

I have worked through all the past traffic on this List and then sat down to work out a regime based on what I'd learned from you all.

The result:

1. I will continue to take the CHT for at least one more month, as it seems to help. However, I *have* had my blood tested for liver toxins.
2. I have consulted a "biological" (that's what he calls himself) doctor who is currently testing for things such as food allergies, nutritional deficits and evidence of leaky gut syndrome.
3. I go to a sun booth centre a few times per week, building up a nice light tan (Hey -- at least I'll get something *nice* out of all this! It's a standing-up booth and a session takes only 8-10 minutes).
4. I have started taking acidophilus, garlic and borage oil every day.
5. I have bought a tube of anti-fungal cream (meant for athlete's foot) and am now testing it on my feet (where I have zillions of tiny little pockets filled with fluid that itch like hell first, then burst and turn into big nasty sores).
6. I have bought a *large* bottle of Dettol which I use for washing bits of me that look like they are trying very hard to become infected.
7. I wash with soap containing Dead Sea salts/minerals. I no longer ever forget to use bath oil (home-made) and emollient/moisturiser (ditto), not even when I'm in a terrible rush... she said, hopefully...
8. I apply Evening Primrose Oil to bad spots (pierce a capsule with a needle and you can squeeze out the oil very easily, drop by drop).

The article say wet cloths are helpful. They may be. BUT ICE IS AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE SOURCE OF RELIEF. ICE. Gently massage the affected area with the ice as much as you can tolerate the cold. Take vitamin C immediately.

To be sure. Do avoid Lanolin. But: FOOD is THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF MY ATOPIC DERMATITUS. When I stick to my diet, my skin gets clear. I have tested and retested this for 20 years.

I've found a *very* comprehensive article on candida/ leaky gut on the Web, at: http://members.aol.com/docdarren/med/candida.html 

I can't believe that lanolin aggravates ALL eczema. Maybe the vast majority of atopic people are sensitive to lanolin and wool wax, but I know I have used Eucerin all over for many months with no obvious problem. (I went back to Vaseline because of finances and my compulsion to use the greasistuff I can get.) 

I have atopic eczema on the face, and have developed an eczematous condition of the eyelids (watery, puffy, itchy). I have a suspicion that the eyelid condition is either caused or aggravated by the 0.1% hydrocortisone cream (Betaderm, i.e. betamethasone valerate) I put on my face. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Cloths won't work; sheets will. Wetness is not what reduces inflammation; EVAPORATION REDUCES INFLAMMATION. I don't intend to sound harsh, I just clarify.

When I was in the hospital, we did this, the towels were soaked in a solution of Dolomite. Personally I can't stand it. I was wrapped head to toe, the towels got heavy, the soft tissue gets too moist, so if you move, it rubs off and hurts. And it gets cold way before 30 minutes. I can't say if it helped due to at the time, I was on a pump I.V. (veins had collapsed) intravenously receiving steroids, antibiotics and a couple other goodies.

Something else they did was put me in a lukewarm whirlpool a couple times a day while I was in the hospital (apologising profusely), said it was to get the circulation going back in my skin but I don't sugga hot tub even though you can turn the heat off, there's still chemicals in them. 

I strongly disagree that food allergies do not aggravate eczema. For many years, I had severe eczema on my face with oozing open cuts by my nostrils, lips and under my eyes. I picked up the book "Fit for Life" by Harvey Diamond on a lark one day. Read the chapter on dairy products with particular interest and totally eliminated dairy products from my diet. Within 2 weeks my face was no longer purple and my cuts had closed up and stopped oozing. 

All the dermatologists I had ever consulted recommended stuff like Aquaphor and Eucerin and gave the standard advices like avoiding hot water. But nothing got to the root of the problem until I tried avoidance in regards to food allergies. I cannot eat red meat or legumes (chocolate, beans, caffeine). My face turns purple and itchy anytime I eat something that I know I am not supposed to. 

My own doctor has told me food allergies are connected to eczema. Other allergies like dust or pollen typically exhibit different symptoms like sneezing and runny noses, itchy eyes, etc. 

My life was just miserable until I got to the root of the problem, food allergies. I used to be too embarrassed to leave the house because of stares I would get. I didn't blame folks for staring because purple (dark red) faces with open cuts is not a very common sight. Incidentally I lost a lot of weight cutting out dairy and meat!! My eczema is just cyclical now flaring 3 to 4 times a year and also under stress. The only clue now is a mildly pink face caused by blood vessels underneath thin skin damaged by steroid cream damage. (Typical of bad advice from dermatologists in the early 80's) I am just looking forward to getting older knowing eczema gets less severe with age. 

Maybe the Antibiotic King is on the right track after all. You have to ask, though, why there should be sudden flare-ups during periods when the immune system doesn't have too much to do. The amelioration of symptoms during fevers could indicate that the immune system was busy elsewhere, but when it's suddenly All Systems Go on the eczema front there has to be some reason why it's been prodded into more spectacular action than you would normally expect.

Does anybody have any recommendations regarding shampoo? Every day, after covering my body in aqueous cream, I take a shower. I don't use any soap. But I like to wash my hair with shampoo. I've tried Alberto Balsam conditioning shampoo and Garnier Nutralia but inevitably whatever I use, I get an itchy, flaky scalp, which, as rarely as possible, I treat with Betnovate scalp application. 

I forgot to say that for 49 of my 50 years of eczema, I completely avoided lanolin and it's derivatives (i. e. wool wax). At the urging of 2 former eczema suffering friends, who cleared completely with Eucerin use, I cautiously tried it. My skin got no better or worse during the year I used the Eucerin. 

Every medical person I've seen agrees that the fundamental cause of MY eczema is an extreme sensitivity to virtually all pollens and dust as well as a high percentage of foods. I appear to have relatively few contact allergies (food and pollen work their evil via the bloodstream), so wool wax is OK for ME. 

The wet sheet treatment sounds a lot easier than the wet clothes I used to sleep in. Thanks for the idea; I may try it. 

Hi Peter, I believe that I had problem with hydrocortisone cream. It made my skin open up and ooze. I also had problem with DesOwen (desonide.) However, Hytone 2.5% (hydrocortisone ointment, USP) does a pretty good job on my face. Have you tried this ointment?

A curious bit of info on vitamin C... I went to my doctor the other day and he asked what vitamins I was taking. I told him I take (among other things) about 1000 - 2000 mg of vitamin c per day.

I take 500 mg every morning but if I feel that I have come into contact with an allergen (usually in the form of food) I take another tablet or two (basically in the same way Steve does).

My doctor told me that I am running the risk of getting scurvy!!!

He said that if I suddenly stop taking the vitamin C something happens in the liver (I think) and you get scurvy. Not sure of the details but suffice to say if you are taking mega doses of C, don't stop suddenly.

Since Vitamin C is water-soluble, anything taken in excess of what the body needs is flushed out of the system in the urine....

TABER'S CYCLOPEDIC MEDICAL DICTIONARY:

SCURVY: A deficiency disease characterised by hemorrhagic manifestations and abnormal formation of bones and teeth.

SYM: Preceded by period of ill health characterised by sallow complexion; loss of energy; pains in legs, limbs and joints. Anaemia; great weakness; spongy, bleeding gums; fetor of breath; loosening of teeth; subcutaneous haemorrhages and haemorrhages from mucous membranes; painful, brawny indurations of muscles characterise overt symptoms.

ETIOL: Deficiency of vitamin C usually resulting from lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in diet.

TREAT: For infants, 300mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) daily for 1 week, then 150mg daily for 1 month, or 4 to 8 oz (52 to 104 ml) of orange juice or 12 to 24 oz (155 to 311 ml) of tomato juice daily. For adults, 300 to 500 mg of ascorbic acid daily until symptoms have disappeared.

I am beginning to see Vitamin C mentioned quite often. Does it help to take extra? I take Beta Carotene and a stress tab plus my lecithin every day. The lecithin has improved the looks of the eczema, although I can't tell it's done much to ease the itch.

I've found "Simple's" shampoo to work well for me. As does "T-gel". Simple's shampoo is a very mild shampoo. while T-gel is specially designed for flaky scalps conditions like Seborrhoeic eczema. Both can be usually found in any Boots chemists.

Other shampoos that may work are "Denorex" "Alphosyl" and "polytar". I haven't tried any of these 3 myself, so I can't really say how effective they can be.

I was not aware Vitamin C had an antihistamine effect. Are there any other things whose official purpose is something else, but which is an effective antihistamine? It would be nice to cut down on these megadoses I'm taking.

Your body gets use to a certain amount of C and expects it to be there for use and when you suddenly stop, the needed amount of C is no longer there, producing scurvy. He is very correct. Reduce gradually. And any eczema sufferers can be allergic to any kind of supplement, a highly nonallergic form of C is Sago Palm.

A percentage of any water soluble vitamin will be held by the body for 2 to 3 days.

For the antihistamine effect of C, you should take 1,000 mg. in the morning and evening in a time release form only.

I've noticed that if I put Vaseline on my face at night, I wake up with puffy eyes. On another thought wave, make sure there's no lanolin in the cortisone. 

Here is some information from the June issue of "Complementary Medicine for the Physician."

>>

Phytopharm, a British pharmaceutical firm, highly experienced in handling plant materials, processed and packaged the herbs [used to treat eczema in traditional Chinese medicine] for boiling. The only significant obstacles in this herbal treatment were the often intolerable taste and the burdensome preparation. Phytopharm has now produced an equally efficacious powder that is instant (add boiling water and stir!) and palatably flavoured (banana or coconut). Although not yet permitted in the U.S., Phytopharm's product (Zemaphyte) is available at specified Canadian suppliers. For information, contact:

Phytopharm Ltd 20 Corpus Christi House 9 WStreet Camps PE18 8HG England

England phone, 044-1480-431-303 fax: 044-1480-431-149

<<

This is taken from a two page article.

Kristine, It's my impression that any allergic reaction can cause eczema to flare. In my own case, pollen makes my skin much worse.

Perhaps food allergy is not the most *common* cause of eczema, though. I haven't personally had much success from modifying my diet. 

The form I use is buffered C - I think this is less acidic (but I could be wrong) but since I have taken buffered C I do feel a whole lot better. 

Thanks also to Kelly for explaining the C - scurvy thing. I thought my GP was takin' the mickey suggesting scurvy from *taking* C but you explained it simply and perfectly.

Could you please tell me more about Sago Palm? Is this a source of C that is put into tablets? Or eaten? I do remember sago pudding from boarding school, suffice to say I would never touch it again:-).

Check out the web page of Dr. Yoshiki Taniguchi of the Department of Dermatology, Mie University School of Medicine at

Http://info.medic.mie-u.ac.jp/derma/index.html

NO, I do NOT believe that everyone with eczema is allergic to lanolin! It's a completely separate condition (separate from allergy to wool, too).

I PERSONALLY do certainly suffer from eczema, and wool makes me extremely uncomfortable, but FOR ME lanolin is great stuff. Very good for my skin, much better than most alternatives (sheanut butter, coconut butter). And I KNOW what's in my creams, as I make them myself and tried the same recipe with lanolin and without.

So it's not as clear-cut as, lanolin is bad for eczema. Lanolin, like any other allergen, is bad news for anyone who's allergic to it, but not for those who aren't. 

It would be fascinating to see how many of us believe (know) that food allergies are the primary cause of our eczema.

It is the primary cause of mine and through diet modification, I have dramatically improved my eczema (to the point where it really hasn't bothered me at all for five months).

Because of that fact it is difficult to believe that *everyone* would not benefit from diet modification, but as we have seen on this list, everyone's eczema is so different!

Some members of my family suffer from eczema and I plead with them to try and stay on the diet I have proven to work for me, but they have had only mild success with it and (as they are my family and as you know we can say *anything* to families :-)) I blame them for cheating on the diet, or not following it as suggested and all sorts of things.

I yell at my sister for swimming in chlorinated pools even when she says it doesn't bother her. I refuse to believe her!

I would love to see how many of us have looked into the food thing and found an answer there. I had always presumed that *all* eczema sufferers had been told by their drs or derms to give up at least dairy food.

Hi Peter, I have had the same sort of thing, and I think that what happens is this: 

You start out with a little bit of eczema somewhere on you body, so you put the Hydrocortisone on it, you then absentmindedly rub your eyes and the hydrocortisone on your fingers goes in your eyes irritating them. You rub them, which causes the skin around your eyes, already sensitive due to the eczema, to become inflamed. So you put cream on your face which then gets in your eyes and so the cycle continues. 

This is only a guess, but in my case I would get eczema on my face where ever I would rub, I developed this habit where I would rub my forehead when I was thinking, and I got eczema there, I put some hydrocortisone on it, but things quickly got worse until I had it on my eyelids and ear lobes (which I would also rub when I was concentrating). The solution was to 'nuke' the affected areas with tiny bit of steroid ointment. I then made a conscious effort not to rub my face. I haven't had a problem on my face since.

I think I saw somewhere that one of the most difficult of areas to deal with when you've got eczema is to STOP SCRATCHING. But once you stop that's half problem dealt with. I've found that if I just 'tickle' an affected area with the tips of my fingers it seems to reduce the itch until eventually I can stop myself from scratching completely. And of course the steroids help!

I suggested sago mainly for people in the US (not thinking of others, sorry) since it is not a common element here, meaning, the more contact you have with an element, the higher the risk of developing an allergy to it, like in Japan, they have more soy allergies problems then other places and in the states, we have more problems with anything related to a cow.

In other words sago might not be the bchoice for you since at a young age you had contact with it but what is your source of C?, you may already be taking sago since it is an inexpensive source of C, buffered only means that the C is mixed with a mineral ascorbate, probably calcium. Rule of thumb, if it works for you don't play with it until it stops working.

One of C's official uses is as an antihistamine, C is used for many things and some physicians suggtaking as much as 10,000 mg. a day for the antihistamine effect, personally, not real confident with using that much.

In high dosages, use buffered unless you like diarrhoea.

Another type of antihistamine you may want to try is the herb, Reishi Mushroom, take according to the manufacture, potencies may vary.

My symptoms don't seem to be affected by foods. I have gone on several five day fasts, as a test. I was disappointed to find it did not relieve my eczema. Oh, if only finding a food culprit and avoiding could give me comfort! Macrobiotics, which I did for a year, if anything aggravated the inflammation.

When I have a candida infection, the "caveman" anti-yeast diet does give me some relief. I think the candida aggravates my condition, but does not cause it.

My daughter, who is almost seven now, and thankfully her eczema is under control and seems to be getting better asked me to put a piece of ice in a paper towel or cloth on her eczema when it was really bad and this seemed to bring down the swelling and inflammation. It also seemed to make the itching better because it probably numbed her somewhat. I would use caution with this because of the possibility of leaving on the ice too long.

I am allergic to dairy products. But they don't seem to affect my eczema. Dust and my bedroom are the only two correlations I've found that really hold true for the eczema. There are lots of things I'm allergic to but most don't seem to correlate with the eczema-- just not breathing. Dust just kills me in every way. As for the bedroom. I only know if I spend an extra amount of time in my bedroom it gets worse. Conventional wisdom would say that is dust mites. Could be. I've tried the normal ways to get rid of them but I live in a very, very humid (read soaking wet) climate so it is perfect for them. 

I have a 4-year old, so selective diet is difficult....she needs her calcium and a well-balanced diet... She has only just had a recent flare-up, thought it might be because of frequent porridge with the onset of winter. Both oats and milk can be allergens. But porridge doesn't appear to be the trigger. In the past she has had peanut butter and nuts without any problems. She is chesty and cutting down on dairy products can help that. 

Still haven't established a definite link yet, and I would tend to think that unless you really can trace a sudden flare up to an allergic reaction to a specific food, then a varied diet with not too much of any one food is more appropriate to a growing toddler than a "cranky" diet, which can be the cause of a lot of aggravation and create a spiral of concern that can make the child act or appear to its peer group as a "sickly" person. Just the appearance of eczema can sometime prompt an unkind reaction from other kids.

My dermatologist is a Harvard graduate. I love her. She is a very knowledgeable and compassionate person. However, she misdiagnosed my fungal infection as eczema. A third dermatologist (from a less prestigious school) diagnosed my skin condition correctly. Moral of the story? A doctor's alma mater (or academic residence) and professional status/recognition do not make his/her conclusions sacrosanct.

Monosodium glutamate or MSG (oftentimes Asian restaurants prepare foods with this seasoning) DEFINITELY causes my eczema to flare up.

Sam: I am allergic to certain foods (nuts, seeds, raw carrots) but do not get skin reaction to those foods. I get anaphylactic shock (throat swells up and can't breathe, which can be fatal). As an adult my eczema appears to be a non-food related problem, though when I was a child I had a 10-page list of all the foods I was allergic to. I don't know if I really had a skin reaction to all those foods (for awhile could only eat apples and meat) or if doctors/parents were just being cautious. I am still picky about food and don't eat dairy because I get stomach-related problems with that.

To everyone: There are many different kinds of people subscribing to this list, with cases ranging from those localised to hands to those covering the entire body from scalp to feet, and cases that have lasted a few months to entire lives. The longer the length of suffering and the greater the area of the body affected, the more likely that it is a multifactorial condition, i.e. more likely caused by a combination of factors than one single thing. I know there are people on this list who have contact dermatitis or other simple cause and effect problem. My postings refer to lifelong full-body atopic eczema, which cannot be "cured" by simply avoiding lanolin or other easy answer.

As I've said before, anyone claiming to have "the answer" for everyone is well-meaning but misinformed. Living with my disease means that via a process of trial and error I experiment with various treatments until I eventually find something that seems to help. Something that works may help for a week, a month, or years. Eventually my symptoms change and I have to go through the trial and error process again. This is my experience after nearly 40 years of living with this condition.

I've found that peanut butter will be heel for me every time, but that one's easy to isolate as allergy to peanuts is common. It does help to establish, though, that food can definitely aggravate eczema.

Although I've just said this about peanut butter and eczema, I have to say that I don't think it's the prime cause of mine. Sometimes the condition disappears almost completely, and yet my diet patterns don't change very much (and cheese is a particular favourite). I think we have to face the fact that there's no common denominator, and that's why it's been so hard to find a cure. 

When I was small my mom told me to stay away from seafoods because the docs said so. So I had always stayed away from shrimps, crabs, etc. Now I'm 25 and have seafoods once in a while, but they don't seem to have any major effect to my eczema. Therefore I don't believe I'm allergic to any food. However, I'm VERY allergic to climate changes. Whenever winter changes to summer or vice versa, or getting into a hot or dusty environment, it is guaranteed that I'll have a terrible time with my skin.

I wouldn't say food has a high priority on my list.

The Evening Primrose Oil works wonders on all my poorly bits and sores. It really helps them heal. I pierce a capsule with a needle, then squeeze out the oil and apply it; piece of cake, no trouble at all. Perhaps worth a try for others.

Graeme, Why not cut out *all* dairy? It can't hurt. Calcium comes from a multitude of sources and dairy is (imho) the least beneficial of those sources, despite what the Dairy industry says!

There are a few places on the web (I used a search of "dairy") that can tell you more about the problems of dairy food and what to use for a good intake of calcium.

Hope your little girl gets better. I still remember how cruel the other kids were at school to me.

It *is* difficult to believe that what works for one person (namely me) won't work for everyone. Once I found what did work (candida based deterioration of immune system), it was hard to not to preach the "wonder cure" to everyone. I remember arguing with a friend about him drinking beer (which causes really bad flare ups for me). He just could not convince me that he did not get a reaction from it. Being on this list has helped in humility because you get to realise how different everyone's eczema is but it is hard not to want everyone to get better *my* way. It is, I know, a stupid way to think but hard to stop.

Yours feasting on humble pie (sans sugar or dairy of course:-)) 

I think I forgot to mention that it's easier to take a cool shower in cold weather if before you get into the shower, you turn the hot water on full bore to heat the bottom of the shower. This also helps to heat the airspace in the shower stall. 

Sam, I just wanted to let you know that my derm. has not told me to modify my diet unless I really wanted to try it. He said that the research done at University of Michigan Hospital did not indicate that food allergies cause eczema. I have been watching my diet enough to see if anything makes my eczema worse but, so far nothing. My eczema seems to get worse when I am under a lot of stress, when the seasons change, and during my monthly hormonal changes. Just wanted to add my two cents.

In my case eczema seems to flare up when I feel my creativity and opportunity are constrained. I need a viable outlet for my self-expression. When I don't have the opportunity to express myself I go bonkers. I believe that if we go within and ask our bodies "What are you trying to tell me?" we will be amazed at what we "hear".

I know this may sound too "airy fairy" but it works for me.

Just wondering if any of you have used dexamethasone as a steroid treatment. How does it compare to some of the other treatments available?

I have a pet rabbit that just injured her leg and I am using Dexamathasome as her treatment. It works really good on her, it is used as an anti-inflammatory.

The ultraviolet light used in the booths by doctors is A, UVA is the one that helps certain skin disorders. B is the one that burns, this light is used in tanning booths and will do nothing medically for you.

I get UV-B from a derm and it helps.

One would suppose doctors specialise in dermatology because their patients never die and they never get well... <g>

Tonight, went over to a friend's house for an hour who happens to have a dog and am itching now as I write. What tonic is there for being able to visit friends and still manage eczema?

Ann, I found it interesting that you wrote about herpes and eczema because 2 years ago, my face just broke out where my eyes got swollen shut and massive sores covered them. The doctors wanted to check me into the hospital but ended up having me come in every morning for 3 weeks on an outpatient basis. Turned out it was herpes and complications turned out to be severe conjunctivitis that almost infected the cornea. 

After healing, I've never had problems since. But wondered if having eczema exacerbated the sores and conjunctivitis making them worse than they would have been. The doctors didn't know what the oozing sores would and found out after testing. They were very surprised because it's not very common to have that happen. Can Ann tell me more about this full body herpes thing and how the eczema related please??? Thanks! How long was the recovery? 

>> Does one take it orally or open up the gel tabs and rub them on the eczema area? <<

The answer is either (or I suppose both). Our daughter (aged 8) takes 4 a day and has done so for some years. Other people break the capsules and put in directly onto the eczema. I have never heard of anyone mentioning possible adverse side effects from either method. In the UK it is available on prescription.

Hi Dave, How about wearing a face shield?? with or without the helmet? Then try using only a very light application of Vaseline on face. The medication could be the problem. Take a daily vitamin tablet and an additional daily vitamin C of about 500 grams three times a day, the night before, and about 30 minutes before you leave.

Dave, I've discovered Creamy Petroleum Jelly, and expect it might work for your problem around your eyes. It's much nicer than regular petroleum jelly - doesn't look or feel so greasy, yet retains more moisture than lotion. Vaseline makes it, but I found a store brand at a much better price.

Kristine, My big herpes infection occurred when I was 13 mos. old! So some details are sketchy. 

Starting at 3 mos., I was covered with eczema - except for my face and diaper area. When I was 13 mos., my mother had a cold sore on her lip. She had no idea that it was anything more than a cosmetic problem; so she wasn't careful about washing hands after touching the sore and continued to handle me and my skin problems. I became very ill with a fever of 106 and the eczema changed from rash to blisters. 

This was before the days of sophisticated lab tests, but fortunately our derm dr. remembered seeing a case of massive herpes in a text book in his med school class. He called some world-wide expert, who told him what to do, and after a couple of weeks in the hospital I recovered and came home (with temporarily clear skin from the high fever!). 

I still get occasional herpes just about everywhere (not genitals though). They are NOTHING compared to the eczema and I never could understand the fuss people make over them. But as you learned they can be VERY SERIOUS in the eye area. Fortunately, my face area wasn't affected at 13 mos. 

When I was pregnant, I had a herpes on my thigh which meant I had to have a C Section to protect the baby's eyes. If I had been an infant with intact skin, I undoubtedly would not have contracted the infection. I know I had plenty of herpes myself when my kids were babies. Because they had normal skin (thank god!) they resisted the infection in spite of the fact that their mother couldn't wash her rashy hands very well. The lasting damage from my infection was the "fragile - don't touch - she can't do much" label that was stuck on me. I think a lot of us have been underachievers because of our skin problems. 

Patsy: The show you saw about people dying from peanuts was probably referring to anaphylactic shock, which is the allergic reaction I get if I eat any kind of nut, including peanuts. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, my throat swells up and I can't breathe. If you don't get help, you can die that way. In my case, I've successfully avoided death on numerous occasions. This is a serious problem related to my eczema. 

Here are a number of books that have some relevance to us.

1. The Natural Way with Eczema by Sheena Meredith 1994 Element Publishing. This slim volume is a straight-forward appraisal of alternative methods for treating eczema. It is not all-inclusive but gives some basic information about numerous approaches. Each chapter, however, needs more detail to be a serious resource.
2. Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin by Ashley Montagu 1986 Harper and Row Publishers. Look for a new edition of this book to correct an earlier claim that eczema is caused by a mother's lack of physical affection for her child. What the book DOES provide is a reminder of the importance of the skin's role in life. Anyone with a skin disorder is seriously affected psychologically as well as physically.
3. Self-Consciousness: Memoirs by John Updike 1989 Ballantine Books. Updike describes his experience with childhood psoriasis. While eczema has its differences, the similarities are strong enough to elicit nods of recognition from the chapter At War with My Skin.
4. The Singing Detective by Dennis Potter 1988 Random House. This is another poignant story of living with psoriasis that eczema sufferers will relate to. The lead character winds up in the hospital with a serious case and hallucinates the time away while his skin heals. The film version is excellent.
5. Living with Chronic Illness by Cheri Register 1992 Bantam Books. Register has a disease of the liver, not the skin, but her book is for people with all kinds of chronic illness. This book shows what we all have in common.

I cycle to work (about 5-6 miles each way) every day. My eczema is not too bad, but if the weather is cold or windy, my eyes start streaming and the eczema flares up around my eyes. On the other hand, if it is very hot, then the sweat pouring down my face (sorry!) has the same effect.

I usually use Eumovate as the steroid ointment on the eczema and Diprobase as the moisturiser ... however, using Eumovate around my eyes does not have the right effect when cycling, because the streaming of my eyes makes the ointment run into my eyes which (a) can't do them any good and (b) hurts like hell!

Patsy, I just found out that two pairs of socks on top of each other is better than one. Pure cotton (well-fitting) underneath my "real" socks will act as some sort of a bandage and insulate from rubbing against shoes. And a nice (gentle!) massaging-in of EPO mornings and nights helps, too.

Brigit- Thanks. And I'm willing to call subtle scratching "massage" if you are! 

My GP suggested I use lecithin in my home-made creams, as lecithin is supposed to be good for the skin. Well, I tried it and my hands *immediately* started to bubble as well as dry out (at the same time). No Good!

Lecithin's a food supplement recommended in a book I found at the health food store. Apparently those of us who benefit from it are lacking choline (whatever that might be.) I've taken 4 1200 mg gelcaps a day for the last couple of months, and I can see 100% improvement in the looks of my lesions. I can't say it's done much for the itching, however.

I'd love to hear from other people who have tried it and their results.

Yes, it's true! If I were to eat a tiny bite of peanut (or any tree nut), I would go into anaphylactic shock. All the stress of the experience coupled with the massive amounts of steroids they pump into me clears up my skin every time. If I don't survive, then my eczema will be gone forever for sure! 

I was in a health food store this morning looking for primrose oil or Chinese herbal tea. They had neither, but recommended Yeast. I've never seen yeast discussed as a remedy for eczema, and thought I would check with more experienced heads than mine before I tried it.

Patsy, My homeopathic allergist thinks I may be allergic to yeast and encouraged me to stay away from yeast-containing foods, as they'd increase my itching. I've never heard of yeast as a treatment for eczema. Did you ask the person the source of their info? If you're up for experimentation, you could try it out...

Also, you won't find the Chinese Herbal Tea in any stores. They are prescribed by practitioners of Chinese Herbology and/or Acupuncture.

Yes! I did and I had glaucoma and cataract because of this. I had to have several surgeries as a result.

On another note, does anyone know if long term use of topical steroids increase the blood pressure? I know oral steroids do increases the BP. Is there enough systemic absorption through topical creams/ointments to do this?

I will break out from peanuts when my eczema is not active (my body clear). The more I eat, the further I break out. If I really overdo it, it may result in eczema returning into the chronic state. I have found that when my eczema is in an active state, some foods will have a detrimental effect, with chocolate and peanuts being "killers." Foods, however, are not a prime trigger of my eczema problems.

Faith -- I got glaucoma like symptoms from 60 mg prednisone/day for a couple years. Once I stopped the prednisone, my eyes went back to normal. I also got cataracts which stopped growing when I stopped prednisone. My eyes have been great for 3 years since.

I don't think I would take yeast as so many things like candida are tied to eczema.

Health and Normalcy to all.....

Lecithin is used as an ingredient in prepared foods (at least here in the US). Do you have cooking sprays? By this, I mean the sort of thing that you spray into a pan to "grease" it up a little, without using oil or butter or whatever grease. The two ingredients in Pam, which is one of the common ones here, are canola oil and lecithin (the lecithin allows the oil to flow freely through the spray nozzle).

As someone with a very strong family history of glaucoma, I have to ask -- was this based on using the steroid creams directly on your face, around the eyes? Or was this just from use of the steroid creams in general? If the former, I'm not too worried -- so far, my eczema seems to be avoiding my face. If the latter, I may need to reconsider whether I can use the stuff...

Well, I saw the dermatologist yesterday. He agreed with my own self-diagnosis of eczema (and I didn't even mention the word to him -- he came up with that on his own). He suggested I change to using Dove soap for sensitive skin (I didn't even know such a thing existed: it's hypo-allergenic and unscented, and is different from the regular unscented Dove). He prescribed a steroid cream with an anti-itch ingredient (it started with "pram" -- I can't remember the rof the name, and my pharmacist has to order it, so I don't have it yet) and an antihistamine. He said the antihistamine is fairly new. It's called Zyrtec, and he says it's similar to hydroxizine, but in a non-drowsy formula. He gave me a couple of sample packs so I can try the stuff and see if it knocks me for as much of a loop as hydroxizine does before shelling out the bucks for the prescription.

Anybody tried Zyrtec? Any drowsiness? Did it help you? (I know that's a loaded question -- what helped you may not do a thing for me, and vice versa. But I'm curious... :)

My sister who used steroids had very bad side effects: cataracts and diabetes. Both in her late 30's.... don't know whether steroids are directly responsible or not.

I am not sure. I have used steroids all over my body for a long time. I have also used some strong steroids on my face. So all that could have contributed to the problem. Unfortunately I got glaucoma at a relatively young age (37). So the treatment of glaucoma was also difficult. The success rate of glaucoma surgeries is much higher in older patients (>55). So I had to have many surgeries. There is no family history of eye problems. The doctors are "sure" the glaucoma and cataracts were steroid induced.

I don't have the problem (yet) but I know two people with eczema who had the same blindness/cataracts. That is such a scary prospect. I used mild steroid ointment on my eyes up until these two people informed me of the connection. No doctor ever told me there was any threat to my eyesight! So I've had about 36 years of steroid absorption. Now I just use plain Aquaphor but it's probably too late to avoid a problem in the future. 

I have had eczema since birth and have been using steroid creams all my life. As a child I used Betnovate and now use Locoid and Locoid C. When I was 21 (I'm now 25), I started to notice a small deterioration in my eye sight. Within the next two years, I became blind in both eyes with Cataracts. This totally freaked out the doctors, as all their other patients were in the 70's. None of them could tell me what caused the Cataracts in such a young patient. Eventually, I saw the head consultant ophthalmologist, who confirmed that it was caused by the steroid creams that I had used. Thankfully, I now have implanted lenses in my eyes and can see perfectly again.

Since my eye operations, I have avoided putting any steroid cream around my eyes. However, after reading the excellent FAQ, I have discovered that the use of steroid creams can also cause Glaucoma. Has anyone else had any problems with there eye sight, caused by steroid creams?

I used to have eczema round the eyes which was treated with steroid creams, but fortunately it has not recurred recently.

Lecithin is an egg protein, unless it specifically says soy lecithin. My daughter's eczema flares up when in contact with lecithin and it is an ingredient in many many foods.

Lecithin's used in many foods. I think it is an emulsifier.

Lecithin's a combination of Inositol and Choline. It is a Liptropic.

When I first moved to the area where I am now living (at least 10 years ago) my eczema got worse, the doctor said that it as because the water round here is very hard, great for heart disease, bad for skin problems. However I recently found out that the house I'm currently living in has a water softener fitted, yet my eczema has not improved. This makes me doubt the hard water theory, anyone out there have a problem with hard water? Or is it like every thing else with eczema, and I've just found a different irritant.

Also does anyone else out there have worse eczema during the winter months? Could it be sunlight? Could it be the drying effects of central heating? Could it be the humidifying effects of double glazing?

I haven't had a problem with Herpes yet but I do know that from reading medical text books a few years ago that up to 83% of people with Eczema will contract some form of Herpes, the two kinda go together. I also had learned that doctors do not like to tell their patients that they have contracted it due to it's such a trigger word and they see it as part of the Eczema condition overall. And us patients just know that our eczema has gotten more severe. Herpes doesn't have to show itself in the form of a sore. So check your prescriptions or their suggestions to see what your being treated for.

I don't know much more about the connection, as it's not one of mine, so I didn't show much interin it back then but as a general, I'm very cautious of anybody that shows any signs of a condition that is contagious due to I have (you Eczema People) more ways for the undesirables to enter my body.

I'm curious if anyone has found a connection between peanuts and their eczema. I've mentioned this before, but yes, they score a hit every time. 

Dove for Sensitive Skin is 1 of 2 known soaps on this earth that I can use the other is Old Mission's Natural Glycerine soap. Unscented Dove is misleading, as it contains a masking fragrance.

I wish there was something everyone could use without side effects! Apparently lecithin isn't going to be it.

For those who can use it without problems, here's a new idea. I pierced a gelcap and rubbed the contents directly on what was on the verge of becoming a scratching frenzy. The itch stopped immediately. It stayed stopped until I had to put socks on, and it began to itch again.

But I was pleased to find yet another weapon to add to the arsenal.

Someone mentioned Itch-X as a help in relieving itching. Since that time when I am in a pharmacy I have looked for it but have been unable to find out about it. Would whomever posted their satisfaction with Itch-X please give some info as to manufacturer and address of same if it is convenient. Thanks.

Itch-X is an OTC gel that I found in my Wal-Mart pharmacy section. The manufacturer is B.F. Ascher & Company, Inc from Lenexa, Kansas 66219.

I recently saw a new dermatologist. I have been using Lidex and he suggthat I stop. He prescribed a medicated location: 200mg Kenalog Powder into 240cc of Moisturel. He said that this was a mild cortisone (to help with the inflammation) mixed in lotion.

Has anyone heard of this mixture? I've been using it twice a day on my legs, never on the face.

Faith, Be very careful with Zyrtec. I usually take terfenadine 60mg (Triludan), but a few months ago, my doctor suggested trying Zirtec/Zyrtec instead. For about 3 weeks I was fine, but then started to get irritated and depressed. I went back to terfinadine and within 2 days, my morbid outlook on life and general weird mood swings had gone.

When I told my doctor about this he said that 'quite a few of the people he treats for hay fever with Zirtec/Zyrtec had the same problems'. However, don't be put off by this and give Zirtec/Zyrtec a try, but be aware of this possible side effect. When I was taking Zirtec/Zyrtec, I did not get the drowsiness or dried out eyes that terfenadine causes, first thing in the morning.

I have lived in a house with a water softener and now live in a flat with really hard water. I have noticed no real effect on my eczema. The only benefit with a water softener, is your skin is less dry and therefore you can use less moisturiser...

I always mix with lotion. I do it by just mixing them in my hand before applying, it is much less expensive that way.

Itch-X does not contain benzocaine or any other caine. It is not a topical anaesthetic but a topical analgesic with Benzyl alcohol 10% and pramoxine HCl 1% as active ingredients. I cannot attto the effectiveness or safety of this product since I have not used it. I saw it in the store today and just wanted to pass on the information. 

Thanks to Teri for explaining what Itch-X is and isn't. Like so many people in this discussion group, I've found things that work for me but are of no use to anyone else, and vice versa.

Itch-X has been a lifesaver for me on more than one occasion, and I now keep a tube with me all the time. As for price, I tried the stuff originally because it was cheaper than anything else on the shelf for itching. 

I hope someone can give me some ideas - I've just come through a bad spot with a awful rash and of 3 doctors, none could say much. I get these about twice a year or more:

It starts like chicken pox, red bumps arising on back, chest, then hips, thighs, upper arms, finally down my legs a bit. Total this time was about 135 on my front. Doctor says they look like targets, with the little head in the exact middle and a big red corola around them. The largone was about 3" diameter, but mostly more like half that.

At first they itch, then when the heads fill up and break, they get sore and bruised feeling. Cortisporin slothen stopped it after less than a week, although they really only break out non-stop for 5-7 days anyway. The ones whose heads break scar for about a year.

Diagnoses I have survived (all probably wrong):

• Acne (oh come now!) 
• Chicken Pox (so many times??)
• Impetigo - what the heck is that? 
• Herpes (negative culture) 
• Staph carrier status - I give it to myself! (culture negative) 
• food sensitivity 
• scabies (My hands didn't fit symptoms so they gave that one up)

I have 2 indoor cats - no problems, the only change I can think of was that it started at work on Monday, following a Saturday spent planting baby trees (hat, cotton gloves, rubber overgloves) and the first dry winds of the year. Dust is my worst enemy - kills my fingers!

Monday they had to move me away from some new carpet chemical outgassing near my office, but then we had a fire nearby, and the whole building was smelling like "burned". Everyone was affected from the smell, so I just gave up being a baby and moved back. At home, the dust of the winds and the cinders of the fire were everywhere. My fingers cracked open again after weeks of getting those fissures shut!

Any ideas? One of the docs said my skin is so dry, that it is very thin and weak, and any scratching can open it up to infection. He also said that I'd be open to it any time, though, with cracks in fingers and scabby face from healing rosacea.

The only other thing was using the spa (NOT HOT!) Saturday night when it was full of "time to change me" water and smelled mildewy.

Detectives - grab your hats! I'm sick of this - people at work don't want to use my hand creme, take a French fry from my plate, wear my jacket when they're cold. I even saw my assistant cleaning her PC when I had used it. You know, if what my doctor said is true, it's me who needs protection! I've never even passed this to my own husband.

Cheri, I don't mean this to sound like a flame, as you are not the only one who does this -- I just wonder why people don't ask these questions DIRECTLY of the doctor making the diagnosis.

Anyways, according to Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary:

IMPETIGO: ...Imflammatory skin disease marked by isolated pustules, which become crusted and rupture. Occurs principally around the mouth and and nostrils. Usually caused by either staphlococcal, streptococcal, or a combined infection....

*i., contagious*. A contagious form of impetigo. Children are esp. susceptible.

SYM: Discrete, thin-walled vesicles and bullae, which become pustular and thin-crusted, appearing in crops. They may be flat and umbilicated with no tendency to rupture, and they are filled with a straw-colored fluid. They dry up as thin yellow crusts.

ETIOL: Streptocci or staphylococci.

TREAT: Appropriate systemic antibiotic. Either cephalexin or a B-lactamase resistant penicillin is the drug of choice. Crusts can be removed by applying room-temperature aqueous soaks.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS: Care is given by the nurse in a hospital or by a parent at home. Note the appearance and location of the lesions. The patient is placed in a single room, and isolation procedures are followed.....

*i. herptiformis.* A rare pustule eruption of unknown etiology that occurs esp. during pregnancy and in association with hypocalcemia... 

I would say any diagnosis of impetigo by a doctor with no follow-up prescription of antibiotics would be grounds for malpractice.

We all give ourselves staph and step infections, as they are constantly present on our skin... usually no problem, until they get into an open wound -- which of course, those of us with skin problems always have.

Again, according to Taber's:

SCABIES: A highly communicable skin disease caused by an arachnid, *Sarcoptes scabiei*, variety *hominis*, the itch mite. It is transmitted by direct contact with infected persons, and rarely by fomites...

SYM: Papules, vesicles, pustules, burrows, and intense itching resulting in eczema. The impregnated females live in burrows that appear as slightly discolored lines several millimeters to several centimeters in length. Eggs deposited within the tunnel hatch within 3 to 5 days. The larvae molt into nymphs on the skin surface and mature in 2 to 3 weeks. Mature insects mate, and the gravid female invades the skin to begin a new cycle. Parts most commonly affected are hands, between fingers, wrists, axillae, genitalia, beneath the mammae, and inner aspect of the thighs.

DIAG: Identification of mites in tissue scraped from burrows, lesions, or fresh papules. Also, the clinical appearance is usually diagnostic.

TREAT: 1% gamma benzene hexachloride, 25% benzyl benzoate cream or lotion; lindane; or crotamiton applied to the entire body, except the eyes, nose, and mouth, after the patient has taken a prolonged hot bath or shower. The affected areas are scrubbed thoroughly, and then the medicine is applied. A second application is made the following morning.... 

Again, while 'the clinical appearance is usually diagnostic', a definitive diagnosis can not be made without doing an actual tfor the mite...

It could possibly be a mite...perhaps not the scabie mite per se, but another one. To be on the safe side, I'd also have a tdone for Lyme Disease....

If your skin is so very thin and weak, that's where the staph/strep infections come in...

Well now...after reading about the Spa, I'd tend to think that THAT is what is at least causing this lateruption... especially since it wasn't hot, it was the perfect medium to be growing molds and fungi... and since your skin is riddled with fissures, you are particularly susceptible. So I'd bet anything you have a fungal infection, not only topically, but very likely in your bloodstream.

For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would get into a tub filled with water like you described...not only risking skin infections, but other infections like Legionnaire's Disease....

Until there's a definitive diagnosis, you don't know for sure that you AREN'T infectious....and especially now, when what you have could be fungal, it can definitely be spread to others (altho I doubt by PC keys)

Good luck...

Cheri, You listed a multitude of itch possibilities, so it's impossible for me to determine the source of your annoying bumps. However, when my skin was so bad the gunky hot tub you described would have definitely set me off. Though my skin is nearly 100% fine now I still haven't gone in a standard chemical-laden hot tub. Too many potential irritants.

A well-known anti-itch ingredient is Pramoxine Hydrochloride. It is similar to lidocaine but doesn't cause the caine type allergic reactions. It provides long lasting itch relief in about 2-5 minutes. It is actually approved by the FDA for OTC, but in conjunction with the more potent steroids it is considered a drug.

Every Doc who has ever prescribed a steroid cream for me has told me NOT to put in on my face, but I have used it on my forehead and around my mouth whenever the itching got really bad. All this stuff about eye problems has really scared me I don't think I'll be using it on my face any more. The problem is that the alternative for me is Hydrocortisone cream and it now says in the instructions that come with it that it's not to be used on the face. What's the alternative?

Cheri, If you're not seeing a Dermo, then what kind of doctor are you seeing? I'm a bit concerned about the size of the wounds, may it be from severe scratching ? Have your docs said why they can't give a proper diagnose?

Husbands are a great tfor contagiousness. You're physically closer to him than anyone else and if he doesn't get it, it's a good conclusion that y