January 1997 Eczema Mailing List Archive

I am not aware of any topical vitamin C. I would be interested in knowing about it. I'll check with a pharmacist. Vitamin C I know about is swallowed. As an aside, the group might be interested in knowing that the word "Oral" has been misinterpreted by pharmacists in my experience, to include "inhaled" therefore the use of the word "swallowed".

Debbie, did you try rice alone? By "alone" I mean was the food trial a SINGLE food trial. I think you did from my interpretation of the tone I read into your typed words. If you did try each of the listed foods, one at a time, just as you did the rice, then you are pretty safe in assuming that they are tolerated. Keep in mind HOW you try them though. Each test food should be eaten three times a day.

I know the ice works. After applying it apply a little skin lubrication like Vaseline. Very light coating. Let us know.

You guys know how animals can get bald patches from scratching so much? Well, there was a recent period when I was scratching my head a lot where my hair is (just above the ears & next to my face). Then, I noticed in the shower as I was washing my hair that I was losing strands of it (not just one at time). Oooff! For a couple of days I questioned whether the eczema was starting to make me lose my hair. But, then it dawned on me! That's the same place I had been scratching a lot for about a month.

So, I went to the beauty salon, trimmed and deep conditioned my hair, and the lady at the beauty salon assured me that my theory was correct. So... now I will make an effort to just push down on the area that itches instead of scratching it so much. I will also wet my hair and let evaporation do its trick when it's beyond my ability to refrain from scratching. My loss isn't really obvious, and it will grow back. It's actually kind of funny how I compare it to a dog scratching itself until it leaves a bald patch. Good that I figured out what was happening before it became too noticeable. 

Don't you think that the less we scratch, the less we will itch? I find that the more I scratch, the more inflamed I get, and I end up itching even more. Concerning neurological components which may drive people to scratch, I have two feelings: our skin itches, and our brain sends a signal to scratch; and it might have become a bit habitual.

Christine: Different forms of lanolin apparently can trigger different reactions because I clearly get no reaction to the wool wax (which you say is a form of lanolin) in Aquaphor, yet do react to lanolin in lotions. My skin condition is different every day, sometimes not too bad and sometimes terrible. I use Aquaphor every single day, no matter what my condition, and it clearly helps and never contributes to a problem. I get worse if I don't use enough Aquaphor. 

Hello Mark, I see five big areas in your family situation that need increased attention.

1. The carpet. Get rid of it. From the whole house. This may be the single biggest factor affecting both Sam and you. Getting rid of the carpet is the easiest thing to do. No? Yes! Once it is done, it is done, and you will find unending relief with no furthur effort. Carpets are filthy even when they look spotless and clean. No matter how well we think we clean them, they are traps for allergens which do not get removed. Some areas of carpet will never get cleaned, even if you shampoo and vacuum daily. This will undoubtedly reduce your asthma too. You can use small area rugs which are washable. You will be amazed at the amount of dirt a small area rug can accumulate after a few days. Just shake one out and see. Then imagine the dirt in the whole house.
2. Do not reject all the traditional doctors' drugs. Some of them are valuable as long as they are used wisely and sparingly. Those drugs that cause sluggishness can be effectively used if they are timed well. If antihistamines are necessary, Sam should take them around 4 or 5 PM so their negative effects can be used positively to help him sleep through the night.
3. Get control of the other possible allergens (diet and homeopathic treatments). Eliminate as many variables as possible.
• Know each ingredient that the homeopathic doctor uses. Ask her/him questions and limit the number of ingredients so that you can tell which one is being tried and therefore be able to tell if it is helping or harming at any one time. Trying homeopathic ingredients and foods at the same time may prevent one from knowing which of the two is helping or harming thereby prolonging the period of discomfort.
• Do food trials, starting from a basic list of about five or six food and add one a week after the new food is proved a non-allergen. Your allergist can guide you in this respect.
4. Include daily multivitamin/mineral tablet as a food trial. If you find that one causes problems, try another. I use Centrum, but that my not be suitable for a child. Taking daily multivitamin/mineral in the morning and afternoon, as I think taking it in the evening may have a stimulant effect and reduce sleeping. Use vitamin C as an aid to reduce itching. It will provide itching relief within 20 minutes.
5. Use ice to reduce itching. Afterwards apply a moisturizer that works. You may have to change a lot until you find one that works. Vaseline used lightly on dry areas will reduce itching. Healing skin appears dry. Dry skin itches.

Alkaline baths are great for relieving the itch of eczema. Use 1 lb. of baking soda to a full tub but you will have to adjust the amount, as a 2 yr. old won't fill the whole tub. Try to keep him in for at least a half hour. You can do this as many times as you want daily but a definite at night to help him sleep. This is one of the oldest remedies for itching and a detox for the skin.

Try ice as a first course of action. Apply it directly while holding a washcloth, then take vitamin C , then the harder stuff: eliminate the allergens if you are allergic. The "Seizures" are from the allergens I think.

I don't think it has anything to do with neurology, if you have allergies.

Get out of bed when you have these seizures. Use the ice, take the vitamin C, take a cool shower, then go out for a walk if you can. The itching causes tension which is relieved by stretching and exercise. I don't think tension causes itching.

This words neurological dermatitus I think are a misnomer based upon an old misdiagnosis.

Our son Sam started with his eczema at the beginning of this year, aged 2, following a hernia operation. His whole body was affected by severe dry skin, sores, itching etc. He was hospitalised 3 times and attended the dermatology clinic daily for 2 months where he was bathed and bandaged until the worst was over, however he has made very slow progress since then.

Having despaired of modern medicine techniques which made little difference to the eczema but made Sam listless and irritable, we cut out all drugs and steroid creams.

We are presently trying a homeopath who recommended that Sam become a vegetarian and only use organic foods. As he is already on a dairy free diet we weren't too happy with this idea and we like our meat too much. We have found organic meat and veg suppliers so we try and stick to this, although it is more expensive it tastes great.

Sam hasn't flared for about 2 months, but still has very dry skin. We continue bathing him every day followed by moisturising creams and full body Tubifast bandaging. The bandages reduce the need and ability to scratch but the face still gets a good seeing to. He wakes up 4-5 times a night scratching and nothing seems to make him sleep any better.

To reduce the amount of scratching we keep the house cool (not difficult at this time of year) and keep skin covered as much as possible.

I've no idea what pills the homeopath gives him they all look the same, but we also give him evening primrose oil capsules twice a day and use Aplus4 cream on the bad bits of skin. The homeopath also recommends lots of natural garlic and ginger in our food, which is fine by me.

Both my father and I suffered mild eczema as children but not half as bad as Sam. I also suffer from asthma and we are trying everything to reduce the chances of Sam developing the same. All his bedding is cotton, the mattress is hypoallergenic sponge and covered with a dust mite barrier as are the quilt and pillows. All the carpets are extremely short pile and we keep the house cold and airy.

Mark, It sounds like you are doing so much for your son. I don't have much more to suggest. 

Remember, though, that even short pile carpets (and even flat cotton throw rugs) harbor dust mites. So if possible, you might consider ripping out the carpets, or at least keeping Sam off of them. Even regular vacuuming with a good vacuum doesn't remove enough dust mites from carpets. Also be sure to hot wash all bedding not covered by the dust covers at least every two weeks. This includes stuffed toys. Curtains and drapes should also be eliminated unless they can be hot washed. Watch out for mildew if you are in a damp area; heaters are bad for dry skin, but cool air breeds mildew! I think on general principles that allergic people should avoid eating large amounts of any one food or herb. (I'm personally real allergic to garlic). 

Everyone, How many others made a New Years resolution to STOP SCRATCHING??????

Happy New Year everyone. I've been really itchy, deep itch, not on the surface for about a month. I get bad usually around this time of the year. I was talking to my mom who said my dad was really allergic due to pine trees, eucalyptus, and oak. It made me think, we put a freshly cut Christmas tree into the house, I wonder....

Also, my CHT doc said to use corn starch in the bath, not Aveeno. I'd never heard of or tried it before. It doesn't put a layer of stuff on one's skin. It seems fairly soothing and neutral. If Aveeno or oil is too hard on your skin, and you need relief, you might try it.

Richard, I can stay in a room with a Christmas pine tree for about 15 minutes before I get asthma... The tree has a powerful allergens. Who knows how many. Put it outside! Downwind. Fast.

Why not ask the doctor for a nonsedative antihistamine for in the day, like Hismanal.

It's been years since I've read a Centrum label, at least 8 but what I do recall is it is high variety metal multi and one of the minerals being nickel, I bring this concern up being that nickel is a VERY common allergen of eczema and if Centrum still contains nickel, it's still a multi we should avoid, I bring this concern up cuz you promote it so much when there are nonallergic multi's available. So, my question is, does it still contain nickel or has the formula been changed?

I've never mentioned this before but I like your suggestion of using ice, it does work.

>> I don't think it has anything to do with neurology, if you have allergies.<<

Actually it does, our disease does have a connection to our nerves that's why stress is an aggrevator. I'm one of the few they want living on Xanax for my condition, not that my life is necessarily stressful but to attack my eczema from all angles. I don't take it daily anymore, just my preference but I will tell you that when I'm on it, give me any amount of stress and my skin isn't affected but stress without it, my skin will react. Shelley your thinking on the right path and severe itching is a huge sress factor and the mental part of it alone, forget physical, can cause eczema to worsen.

Stress is just as much as an aggrevator as is any allergen but one that is overlooked, our mental state plays a big part in our disease. When I'm in a high flare up, I will take Xanax, I know the difference with and without I've been doing this way too long not to. I also take it during high emotional stress. The dosage to aid our eczema is lower then what people normally take for in other conditions. I do .25 mg. 2 or 3 x's/daily, I'm suppose to do it 3 x's but I forget and end up taking it only 2 x's half of the time.

Doctors know the role stress plays in our disease, have a talk with her/him, not everybody will need drugs for this aspect but there are some of us who do.

Yes, Centrum does contain 5mg of nickel. I was not aware that nickel is an allergen. Can anyone comment/recommend a better mutivitamin/mineral? 

Richard, Don't YOU take the pine tree outside. Get someone else to do it. Open all the windows in the house and then get somone else to sweep and vacuum the place while you take a walk or go shopping. Hire someone if there is no one around to do it.

You will feel better very fast. But initially you might need an antihistamine about 5 pm or so for the first day after the cleaning.

The moisturizing creams can be a source of problems! Generally ointments are less problems! If you cannot avoid the creams, then, when you have problems, rotate the cream in order to see if the cream is causing a problem. You can start out having many positive results from use of a cream, and after a while acquire allergic reactions. It is common. 

Shelley, Have you tried wearing a layer of wet clothing under a layer of dry clothing? I slept this way every night for many months and sometimes I wear the get up (even the face and scalp mask) while working around the house. It might be too cool now to do this, but I think the wet cotton is just as good as ice.

Kelly, I agree that steroids should be used sparingly. But I think there are times when a responsible derm (or other type) doctor SHOULD push the systemic stuff on an eczema patient: like when the patient is definitely suicidal from the all-over non-stop itch. I know, I've been there.

Richard, Next year get a fake tree. Natural trees bring not only their own, but other types of pollen into the house. Even family members who protested at first now love our "perpetual" tree. (purchased for very little; VERY real looking; much less time consuming than the real thing.) 

Shelley's remarks about scratching frenzies at night rang a bell. The only thing I've found that allows me to sleep through the night without clawing is the application of hemorrohoid ointment to my eczema. Indeed, it is all I've found that gives me any lengthy relief - and by lenghty I mean more than an hour or so. I know it sounds like a strange new use for this product, but I have been truly impressed with the results. Moreover, it is greasy and therefore gives an additional moisture coating. Good luck. Would love to hear from anyone else who has used this and their results.

Thanks to all for your concern regarding my current flare-up. I AM using ice to keep the itch to a minimum. It certainly does help. But it's a lot of work to keep moving my ice pack around on my entire body. What I really need is an ice suit, like a wet suit with ice packed into it, so I can walk around and get things done while my skin is being iced.

Remember the Wizard of Oz scene where Dorothy and the others get prepared to meet the wizard? Dorothy gets her hair done, the scarecrow gets his straw restuffed, and the tin man gets his metal shined. That's the kind of place I need, where I could get serviced by a team of Ice-People!

Anyway, I'm trying to remain calm and not run to the doctor for a shot just yet. I'm going to keep trying to get it under control by myself. 

Shelley the shot may be great at first but they also decrease your own production of steriods, so when it wears off, your body runs low on steriods making you prime for attack. I did the Kenalog Shot throughout my childhood being a kid and not knowing about the rebound effect of these shots and my mother was a nurse and knew better but what even the informed will do to get immediate relief. We now know, or should I say they always knew but I didn't, that these shots contributed to my eczema getting so out of control. I can't stress enough that you yourself look into this effect and then ask your doctor why he has been giving you them. Doctors, all doctors, know about this. The shots should not be used by anyone with serious skin problems as our adrenals are already stressed out.

And since you are in a flare-up, get in a tub of lukewarm water and up to a pound (2 cups) of baking soda, in flare-ups our skin is very acidic and you need to get the balance back but don't ever do the shot. You know how bad my condition can get and no one EVER could talk me back into taking a shot again and a responsible derm would never try to give you one.

Mark I found washing the bed sheets every day helpful. I also open the windows and air the room for several hours. Perhaps I am crazy but why not freeze those little dust mites out of the room? My 10 month old is much happier at night and is less itchy when we do this.

Aquaphor is widely recommended for eczema. Usually, dermatologists suggest you apply it body-wide after showering to retain moisture. I used it for about ten years, but now use Vaseline BEFORE showering.

Some ten years ago I was able to buy, in Canada, Boots baby lotion (unscented; lanolin-free?). It was very helpful in controlling my facial eczema. Unfortunately, Boots closed in Canada and the product, to my knowledge, is no longer available in this country. Would anyone in the UK be able to tell me if this product is still available there. 

When people are allergic to jewelry, it's often the nickel they're having a problem with. TwinLab makes a multi called Allergy Multi Caps for chemically hypersensitive individuals. The A & D are from non-fish, E is non-soy, Chromium is yeast-free and it does not contain Iodine. From the label it reads... Free from most common allergens such as fish, fish oils, iodine, corn, wheat, yeast, barley, rice, lactose, milk, egg, citrus, citrus or lemon bioflavonoids, nightshade vegetables, salicylates and all soy derivatives. This multi also contains Cal/1,000 and Mag/500. It's definitely the most complete allergy multi I've ever seen personally.

Just one addition... lamb in the "meat" category. I occasionally do a little cleanout diet, which was recommended to me by my allergist. He told me that "hardly anyone" is allergic to lamb, spinach, rice, or pears. You have the other 3 on your list already.

Ann I've been to hell too, I've had them pumped into me intraveously and I still disagree, the only time I will agree is in life or death situation which rarely happens to us. Several times a year I have to use Temovate but with topicals I can control the speed of the lowering of the dosage so not get the rebound effect whereas with the shot you can't and then you just through your system off again. The shot for the suicidal doesn't fly with me, there are other ways to stop the itch.

This sounds very interesting to me and worth persuing. I"d be curious to know if you experienced anything else in common: Julia was born around due date but was huge (10 lbs. 7 oz.). My son without eczema was 7 lbs....Her morning diaper is incredibly strong smelling (urine) and I can't really pinpoint what it smells like, but it's the same every day lately. It is not the obvious smell of ammonia.....On "worse" days (real inflamed and oozy) she's also incredibly clingy and cries a lot---even if she hasn't itched for hours. She acts just like she's ill, like something on the inside hurts. Plus she still spits up on those days (she used to spit up profusely as a small infant). I've been nursing all along.

Did you remove rugs, curtains, etc.? We still have all of ours at this point. We live in an old, drafty house in Massachusetts..... Did you first see a Ped. Allergist or Ped. Derm.? How did you think to see a gastroenterologist? What led you there? What is Allimentum?

I tried the ice and it worked well. She wasn't happy with it but it seemed to stop the itching. Thanks for the suggestion.

I started the rice alone. After that I added one food with the rice. Such as carrots. When I started her on carrots I gave her carrots and rice but nothing else. Next was green beans which I used with the rice.

Patsy, I'll bet that your scratching solution works, but it sure does make me laugh! I can just picture myself during a flare-up, wearing a cutoff tank top under my bra, wearing my underwear inside-out, and slathering haemorrhoid ointment on my spots! Of course, my fiance has already seen me lounging around all greased-up in a dry- cleaning bag, so he's immune to most odd-looking garments.

Actually I'm allergic to spinach, but I think I am an exception.

As far as I know, Chicken and Apples are moderately high on the food allergy list. Turkey is a safe substitute for Chicken.

Someone told me that the bacteria eats all the stuff that makes milk such a hard food on our system. So it is sort of pre-digested already.

The house is probably 90% of the problem. Move out, as quick as possible. I know it is easy for me to say. Harder to do. I did it. It made a huge difference. It is what all allergists recommend. The longer you accept poor environment the more suffering and bills. Get out as fast as possible. Move into a DRY place on a hill., Tiled. Not linoleum. Stuff can live under linoleum. Consult an allergist and a floor speciaist. If necessary find a fairly new place on a hill somewhere on in a high rise.

Move out Move out. Stop the suffering.

Fast. And don't wait to find a place. The baby should be moved to a healthy environnment as soon as possible until you find a place to move to. If this move does not prove beneficial you will know. But don't place all your eggs in one basket. Work on the diet too. Assiduously.

It is difficult. But you in life is worth it. Make it come fast.

As I understand it, the bacteria in yoghurt only make it easier to DIGEST than plain milk (i.e. they break down the milk sugar, lactose). But if a person is ALLERGIC to milk, it is the milk protein (casein) that causes the reaction. So if you are milk allergic, stay away from yoghurt as well as milk. 

Vaseline BEFORE showering prevents the body's natural oils (the very best lubricant) from being washed away. This is the main problem with showering, especially with hot water; it dries out the skin, leading to eczema flares. Unlike aquaphor, vaseline is not water soluble, therefore, the natural body oils stay on, underneath the vaseline. Of course, you don't get as clean this way, but I shower at least once a week without vaseline just to get real clean. I would much rather be a little dirty and avoid eczema flares. My dermatologist recommended this technique. It works well; I've cut my steroid use way down.

This seems unnecessarily restrictive. I know we've gone round and round on this but am I mistaken in believing that I can use medium strength topical steroids (very) sparingly 5 or 6 times a week for the rest of my life and still have a normal lifespan without too many major side effects?

Also, what is Temovate?

To the parents of the infant: I had acute eczema and had just been asked by dermatologists to go to the hospital to get better when my condition improved so dramatically, and it wasn't because I moved out or went to the hospital. And, I never got rid of my wall-to-wall carpeting either. I was cured by evaporation.

You can't just blame it on the house.

I know that my rugs may irritate my skin if I lay on them for a while (I think it's the nylon); but, I'm not going to get rid of them, I'll just put a blanket down first. Maybe in my next house I'll do something differently.

Concerning rugs and dust mites. It isn't the mite that bothers us, it's a protein in the waste of the mite that has the allergen. So just vacuum with an appropriate vacuum cleaning bag that catches the allergen. My Kirby vacuum cleaner has "micron magic filtration" with "micro particle arrest technology". I've seen other vacuum cleaners on the market (not so expensive) that have similar filtration systems.

I've copied some information from Allergy Supply Company "The Largest Selection of Quality Asthma & Allergy-Related Products and Supplies." http://aaabiz.com/AL/alhp.html (I've purchased some things from them before.)

The Allersearch ADS(TM) Anti-Allergen Dust Spray is a non-toxic formula of 3% tannic acid, which denatures mite and pet allergen protein, rendering it permanently non-allergic. http://aaabiz.com/AL/aframe.htm

Acarosan House Dust Mite Eliminator aids in the control of house dust mites. Acarosan eliminates house dust mites and their larvae effectively for six to eight months. Acarosan is registered for use with the EPA. http://aaabiz.com/AL/aframe.htm

Hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial and machine washable/dryable, these 100% Cotton Terry Knit Pillow Covers are dust mite proof and fire retardant with rust-proof zippers and bound seams. Bonded to 5 ga. vinyl. They also sell Mattress Covers. http://aaabiz.com/AL/aframe.htm

Again, dust mites are harmless to people, it's the protein in the waste of the mite that we cannot deal with. Washing linens in hot water is recommended.

This is definitely correct. The acidophilus cultures in yogurt have nothing to do with the casein (milk protein) which is the common cause of eczematic reactions... yogurt still has casein in it. The acidophilus DOES help those who are lactose intolerant to digest it, though.

Just to warn you on "bag balm": the pretty strong odor may make Julia's eyes hurt. When you open the can, it can give you a good jolt. My son doesn't have as bad of eczema as your daughter but my ped is probably related to yours, he ALWAYS leaves some thing out. We had a reaction to every antiboitic he has taken in the last year and finally he tells me that the easiest way to tell is he got runny stools right away. Well, could you please have told me that a year and a half ago. Keep me posted on how th e homeopath goes as that is our next step. I buy in to the intestine wall being to thin theory but some people do not.

Dear Debbi, My son was also huge at 10lb. 9 oz. but my number two child was 10 lb. 3 oz. and has no problems. Yes I went the traditional route pediatritions, homeopathy, allergists, dermitologist but none of these professionals led me to a gastroenterologist, that was on my own, I must have the brain of a rocket scientist! This doctor of mine is very well acquainted with this problem and has guided me thus far. I have a lot of faith in his word. Every time I address a new solution, he has already studied it and knows the benefits or lack thereof. 

Steve and Debbie, If you are planning a move, I strongly recommend finding an architect who specializes in allergies and environmental illnesses. Such a person will be knowledgable about conditions in your area and can help you a lot (whether you are building a house , buying an existing house, or just remodeling). 

I found one through my allergist. I only paid him for one hour of his time. He whizzed through the house and told me where to put fans and skylights, which brands to buy etc. My house was once so mildewly that the walls looked like they were covered with black flocked wallpaper. The window gunk was visible from across the street! This was in spite of my scrubbing for hours every few weeks. 

The $100 I paid this architect was well spent because after our contractor added the fans and skylights according to his instructions, and I followed a few other pointers he gave me, we have no mildew. You are starting fresh (new home, new little person) so it would really be beneficial to first have an expert look at he whole situation to get you situated in the best possible building in the best possible location. 

Gary, don't you have problem with not washing away sweat? I think if I tried this it would be big trouble. I shower to remove sweat from the surface of my skin, and sometimes I'll shower 2 or 3 times in a day. And Vaseline after each.

Have you tried cold showers? Or water, just warm enough that it feels cool to the skin. I find that it relaxes, and soothes. And cleans.

Jolie: That's great that you found this doctor you have so much faith in...I'm quite envious. 

Interesting about the birth weight thing. Actually my first born who was 7 lbs. was 3 weeks early--so who knows what he would have been. Both times I gained a lot--about 40 lbs. and that was while eating very "healthy" (who knows what that really means anymore), meaning barely any sweets and low fat. Then I lost the weight very easily postpartum too. But I was immense and immensely uncomfortable, more than average. Thought it might have been linked to glucose levels or something..I have 2 diabetic siblings. You know how they often say mothers with large babies are very prone to developing adult onset diabetes...?

Since birth, however, she's been a very slow weight gainer. She's now only 17-18 lbs. and will be 11 months next week. How about with you?

Did you/Do you breastfeed? Did your doctor have any strong feelings there? The homeopath recommends keeping her on breastmilk for both nutrition and comfort level... but sometimes I wonder. A friend told me she stopped nursing and the baby cleared up. But the baby also had a milder, more normal case of infant eczema. Julia doesn't like to drink anything from a bottle and still gags half the time with a cup!

Is allimentum a special formula? Where do you get it?

Jolie: I forgot to mention in the previous message that the book "Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative," is actually about this "Leaky Gut Syndrome." So, I just ordered it--$24.95.

Steve: We're working on the idea of moving, not just because of the baby though. We need a new location, bigger house, bigger yard, etc. We also forced hot air, which makes us anxious to leave for Julia's sake. But it's pretty impractical to think of a house with ceramic flooring--maybe in Hawaii!! The floors would be freezing in the winter! But we're thinking along the lines of hardwood floors. Dou recommend living up high to avoid dampness and mold, mildew type thing? I never would have thought of that. We may be building so we could look for a higher lot just as easily.

Actually TwinLab is one of the few supplement companies I do trust, I've had various supplements tested and what they say is in them is. As for the price, I think they're quite reasonable but I also order through the mail, on the street any supplement price seems to be a bit of a rip off comparatively.

Looking in my catalog... the Allergy Multi Caps, 200 ct. is $17.15, on the street they would be $24.50 for the same. Just a note, this is a 33/day supply at 6 pills a day but it does include your total cal/mag that's why so many.

Since you are able to take Centrum you don't seem to be highly sensitive to supplements, TwinLab makes a vitamin called SuperTwin Multiple, it's a mega supplement, you will have no need to take additional supplements with this, meaning the ones taken for eczema your beta, b's, selenium, etc. except it doesn't supply complete cal/mag. I took this for over a year then they changed the formula and I couldn't take it any longer but I did introduce it to a couple of my friends that are complete health freaks, live and breathe it, they both have been taking this supplement for over 2.5 years, if I could I would still be taking it. By day 2 you will notice an increase in energy and you will without a doubt overall feel much better, it's my all time favorite multi. Give it a try, a month's supply is $11.63/cat. & $15.50/str. and 2 mos. is $19.57/cat. & $27.95/str. you could never get more for your money than this. Let me know if you do.

There is a protein in kiwi fruits that has an amino acid secquence which is 95% homologous to this protein from dust mite waste! Anyone allergic to kiwi fruits? 

Does anyone have any advice on ski wear - particularly for the face. I am very prone to frostbite, but when I wear the usual ski tubes (neck/face warmers), and hats etc, I develop eczema. I have seen neoprene face warmers which form fit the face to just above the nose.. some are fleece lined. Anyone have any experience with those? 

Eczema is a complicated skin problem, everybody is different, there is no a standard way or medicine to cure this problem, so we have to keep trying different things to find a best combination for our babies. 

I changed my son's formula from milk-based to soy-based (3 months), then to Alimentum (7 1/2 months), finally I find out he is so sensitive to the food. His face eczema has obvious improvement after switching to Alimentum (It is a special formula for Food Allergic or Colic baby). I brought him to do an allergic test last week, he is allergic to egg, milk, soy, peanut, walnuts. The Allergist said he is not allergic to meat, but his eczema was getting worse last week after we tried feeding him some meat soup for 3 days (1-2 oz/day). 

It seems diet is so critical to this kinds of babies, we have to be very, very careful when introducing new food to them. We have no family history on eczema, I think I ate very healthy during my pregnancy (I always followed the book) he was born at 8lb 10oz, I was 115 lb before pregnancy, petite size, but I gained 50lb during pregnancy, I have no idea how can he develop this skin problem. Doctors say 90% babies outgrow the eczema before 1-2 years old, I just hope all of our babies will be one of those 90%, this is the only positive thing I heard about Infantile Eczema, which also make me feel less frustrated.

Things I do to make him feel better (except the medicine): Day: make him concentrate on something he is more interested in so he forgets the itch. Night: Pat his legs gently to bring him to sleep, the skin on his legs is red, raw, flared up, he always tries to scratch them if given any chance.

>> I can use medium strength topical steroids (very) sparingly 5 or 6 times a week for the rest of my life and still have a normal lifespan without too many major side effects?<<

Yes but be very careful in making sure it is applied only to the inflamed skin.

>> Also, what is Temovate?<<

There are several brands in each catagory of potencies, this is one of them from the highest potency. When I first started using it, 7+? years ago, I was told I could only use it legally for ten days and then I had to throw it away, I laughed at him and since them no one has ever said this to me again so I don't know if it's still in effect. I didn't laugh at him to be a bitch, I was just thinking that I was stepping up again and if the new stuff worked, it wasn't trash bound. I do use it every other day on some spots that refuse to heal but not all over just a few times a year when it goes out of control.

I have the book and read the first 1/3, all sounds great until you reach the paragraph that says this information is not applicable if you were born with the disorder... However, I do practice the spinal manipulation as shown to me by a massage therapist. He loves the exercise and who knows, it just might help.

By any chance, does anyone know whether there would be a difference to allergy-type persons if one was to have one's house insulated by having the insulation "blown" into the attic versus the other "non-blown" type attic insulation installed? My contractor says there should be no problem since the attic will be closed off after. He says there should not be any "fallout" of the insulation material. Any ideas on the subject?

I was FINALLY able to remember to look up the answer to your inquiry. I have this habit of remembering important items when I'm in the car or shower, then forgetting them when I'm near what needs to be done. Sigh. Only 40 and my mind is a sieve.

Anyway, here's a quote from page 20 of one of my favorite books, Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford, and published by North Atlantic Books in Berkeley, California,

"Microwave cooking, a development since [Rudolph] Steiner's time, seems to damage the molecular integrity of food, diminishing it's subtle qi [or chi, "life force or vital energy"]. Experiments reported in the prestigious British journal The Lancet (Dec. 9th, 1989) demonstrate that microwave cooking alters food enough to cause, upon ingestion, "structural, functional and immunological changes" in the body. The report further states that microwaves transform the amino acid L-proline into D-proline, a proven toxin to the nervous system, liver, and kidneys."

I found Healing With Whole Foods at the bargain book table at Price Club for $10, so look for it at used and discount stores if you are interested. It gives interesting and complete descriptions of what foods to eat and WHY to help improve many medical conditions.

Diane, What you said about kiwi and dustmites is very interesting. My allergist once did a RAST test on me (they draw your blood and then test it for allergens to spare you the anaphalaxis that might occur with a scratch test) for kiwi. I had no idea why she did it as kiwi is something I don't think I've ever eaten or plan to eat. NOW I know she was seeing if I was as violently allergic to kiwi as I was to dustmites. I tested "not allergic" to kiwi, BUT this test was done after I had been receiving allergy shots for dustmites. So I wonder if decreasing my sensitivity to dust also decreased my resction to kiwi? I have always had a very strong taste aversion to all tropical fruits. 

When I was about 15 I went away for a week with my family. For breakfast in the hotel there was a huge fruitbowl, and I had never tried kiwi fruit. I had 2 that morning, and was so sick that day. I spent the whole day in bed with a burning mouth and no energy. I only have to have a tiny amount of kiwi to make my mouth burn. (I haven't had any in years!) Diane, I had no idea about this similarity in amino acid sequence, and I found it really interesting. I suppose that I was lucky in a way that my eczema didn't appear until 10 years later.

I tried evaporation of wet sheets once and will try it again...I found it interesting. It felt like it was drawing out stuff from my skin. This might make sense cause the skin is the largest organ in our body and a lot of elimination should happen that way. 

I've noticed that when I flare up I don't seem to sweat and I tend to get constipated. It feels like my skin is working overtime to get rid of stuff (toxins my body produces from allergies? I don't know). I drink a lot of water when this happens. So, I have to experiment with it further...

I have hand eczema. The following help, when I practice them:

Use vinyl gloves to wash dishes and when using household chemicals, soak hands in cold water when you have a flareup, followed by a moisturizer and if necessary steroid cream. Avoid dish liquids like the plague. When you must wash your hands, use superfatted soap or a health food soap made with an olive oil base and slather moisturizer on before drying your hands. Keep your house temperature cool. Don't wear wool if you're allergic, and don't use moisturizers containing lanolin. 

About Hand Eczema: That's where mine first appeared, and except for a few patches between fingers, at the moment it is quiet. My MD wrote me a presciption for industrial strength cortisone ointment. She had me put a thin coat on all flare-ups every night and then wear white cotton gloves to sleep in. As I've mentioned before, I have no cotton gloves so I used socks. It took about 2 weeks of this before I can say it subsided substantially. But using this regime when there is a major breakout, I can say I've kept major problems from developing on my hands since then. 

For me, evaporation is less effective than conventional wet wrapping. (By conventional wet wrapping , I mean wearing soaking wet cotton right next to the skin covered by a dry layer of clothes; no medicine other than water is used). For me, neither evaporation nor wet wrapping does anything for the allergic reaction that comes from under the skin. What the wet wrapping does for me is combat the dryness and relieve the itching. 

I have been told by several doctors that my skin is not dry by nature; the dryness comes from the allergic inflammation. There ARE people who have eczema because their skin is dry to begin with and therefore gets easily irritated. THESE are the people who I would imagine benefit the most from evaporation (and wet wrapping) because hydrating the skin is getting to the ROOT of THEIR problem. For ME, any form of hydration is just a treatment and the heavy wet wrapping seems to work better than the evaporation. 

What is your occupation, and do you have any particular hobbies? I think you will find that some of us with hand eczema think that there is some relationship to our occupations, particularly if it seems to improve after weekends or vacations.

I read the comments about cotton gloves. I too use 100% cotton gloves for certain tasks. The nicest source of cotton gloves that I have found so far is Allerderm (they have an 800#) - if you are interested, ask about the pure white 100% cotton gloves (they also have an off-white cotton glove, but this is more of a mesh-like material). They are washable and reusable. I also like these because they come in 3 sizes (small, medium, and large) - the ladies can look for gloves in the cosmetics section of a local pharmacy, but it isn't easy to locate gloves that will fit a man's hand. Allerderm is also a medical glove supplier, so they sell vinyl gloves as well.

I see three methods of wet wraps so far:

1. Putting wet cotton clothes on and covering up with dry ones.
2. Just putting damp sheets on, and maybe covering up under the covers; or, if it's too chilly to do that, you can also sit in a bathtub with just enough WARM water to make you more comfortable. Then, put the damp sheet on the inflammation. Keep warming the water and draining the cooled water so you don't get too cold. Remember, as the water evaporates out of the sheet, inflammation is breaking down.
3. I remember someone on the list saying they went to the hospital and were put in a tub of water with some kind of solution and then wet heavy towels were laid on them. The person who mentioned this method said it wasn't comfortable. I thought that this last method was the conventional method of wet wrapping. Is this last method still practiced?

I find that if I use a damp pillow case to rid an itch while I'm under my covers, that would be practically the same thing as what you do. Because, I would have damp cotton material on my skin covered up by something dry. You know. Any way, the way you do it would make it more flexible, because I wouldn't be all wrapped up in sheets and blankets. The only difference I see is that you say to use soaking wet clothes, and in the other method the water should be squeezed out of the pillow case or sheet before it's put on the skin. 

Perhaps one could take 100% light weight cotton pajamas, dampen them and put them on, and then maybe put another pair of those pajamas on top so that it's not too cold. I use white 100% cotton sheets, if possible, because a lot of sheets are polyester blends, and some polyester blends make me feel a little itchy. A white 100% cotton dress shirt could be used. Come to think of it, I can even picture men from India wearing something I may be interested in using. I bet we can even find something for outside wear to accomplish our purpose while we are outside. That's progress.

My wife and I really appreciate the response we have had to a posting asking for tips from the group. She tried just wetting her hands and letting them air dry yesterday and was amazed at how the itching was relieved.

One thing we have tried that helps during a mild to moderate flare-up. The over the counter medication Aleve is the prescription medication Naprosyn, originally developed for arthritis. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. When my wife has a flare-up going, her fingers swell and crack. She cannot bend the fingers. After a couple of days of Aleve (1 or 2 tabs per day and it does require a few days to build up to a therapeutic blood level), the swelling is significantly reduced.

My wife just reminded me to pass along that she has found using vinyl gloves in the shower (avoidance of irritants) has also help a lot and that this is something that is often overlooked.

I too have your eczema, although after 12 years I am now 80% cured. I have had amazing success by taking Evening Primrose Oil - but here's the key!!!!!!!!!! You must take a very large dose every day to do any good, a small dose does nothing! Infact I would suggest that if you haven't tried this remedy, you must!!!!!!!!!!! So long as you stick with the large doses - e.g approx 9 - 12 capsules per day. 

Bruce, YES! ME TOO! When I injured my shoulder a few years ago, I was on Naprosyn for a couple of months. Much to my surprise, whatever eczema I had at the time ( at that point I was not covered with it) vanished. I notified the eczema association and they said they would pass that info on to the skin research people. 

I'm no doctor but I would think that Naprosyn is safer than steroids for long term use. At the time this happened to me, eczema was not much of a problem for me , so I didn't even consider trying to extend the prescription. But now, I think I will try the Aleve. How does the OTC dose compare to prescription strength Naprosyn? BTW, the Naprosyn helped the shoulder pain a lot, but it took YEARS for the shoulder to completely heal. 

Steve, I've adopted the ice-on-itchy-inflamed-skin approach. You seem to use the ice-in-cloth method. My problem was that the melting ice on those hot, itchy spots sometimes made me itch. 

So, some of you may already be doing this, but when I was in the local drug store I walked past the picnic section and they had these bags you freeze and put into a cooler to keep things cold when outside. Anyway, I bought a Rubbermaid brand called Blue Ice. During flare-ups I take it to work. I've been using it on the recurring itchy/inflamed spots on my legs. Works well. 

All I need do is put the kiwifruit near my lips and I feel the burning! I also only need to open a dusty drawer and it irritates the hell out of me!

I have no trouble eating kiwi occasionally. In fact, I ate one yesterday. But now that I know it has some similarity to dust mites, I will probably not eat a pile of them at one sitting.

As for evaporation, I must confess that I have not tried it. The idea of being wet in bed does not appeal to me. I can't imagine being able to sleep if I was wet. I can deal with ice because it's cold but not wet. When I'm wet, I need to lubricate immediately afterwards otherwise I get dried out and even itchier.

My flare-up seems to be improving. I was able to sleep the night before last with only one scratching fit, and then last night I slept through without any scratching at all. Hooray! It's always so difficult to figure out what causes improvement, but I guess it could be that I've been channeling energy through my hands in different ways (drumming!).

I've been getting bruises (black and blue marks) all over my body in the last year. I had started thinking that I was getting chronic leukemia, which my mother had, but my doctor just told me that I'm probably getting them from using steroids on my skin for 40 years. She said that there's no other complications to fear, but it's certainly a distressing side effect that doctors never warned me about. Each bruise lasts for about a week before disappearing, but soon enough I get another one in a new location. Right now I have about six of them.

So people wondering about the long-term effects of steroids should be aware of this. I have thin skin that tears easily and now these bruises. After 40 years of use I guess I'm lucky compared to others.

I've never had a doctor say anything restrictive about using Temovate, in fact I easily got another Rx for it last week. I use it sparingly since my scalp isn't too bad. My last bottle lasted 3 years. It's all the ointments and creams that I've used daily which are likely the culprit. 

Shelley, Glad to hear that you are doing better. If you are curious about wet wrapping but fear the discomfort, I recommend starting with just one body part (i.e. one leg or arm or just the neck etc.). That way you can see if it helps without risking hypothermia. 

BTW, it's much easier to put on clothes that have been soaked in HOT water. Grease your skin before putting on the wet wraps. My skin feels positively dewy after a wet wrap (I grease it again then to trap this moisture). Unfortunately, though, the rash is still there! My hands seemed to get worse with wet wraps and the fingernails began to disintegrate. Wet wraps completely kill the itch for me. 

About the bruises, are you sure they aren't simply from hard scratching? I thought that the bruises from steroid use were permanent. If yours eventually fade, maybe they are something else. 

My wife was given hydroxyzine from her dermo and it really helps the itching especially at night. This is a prescription med although it has been around for decades and is quite mild. But the rather cool thing about it if taken at night for itching, the side effect of drowsiness helps one sleep through the night.

I am loathed to get rid of the carpets. Ours is an old house with false floor where the wind whistles through, in fact we were thinking of replacing our old carpets soon with something that might improve the heat retention. With the temperature at home at the moment Tom's comment about freezing the dust mites to death takes on its own reality.

Talking of temperature we are finding it difficult keeping Sam at a comfortable temperature, we layer the clothes when we go out so that it is easy to take layers off if Sam gets too hot, but he has already started itching by then. We also spray his bandages with water in the evening but he hates this and he gets too cold when he goes to bed.

There are a number of good antihistamines on the market, and I expect you will go through all of them before this is over. One nasty little aspect of this horrid condition is that we tend to build up a tolerance to treatments. That's why I try to alternate antihistimines, topical applications, and whatever else I'm trying at any given moment. They all seem to work better if not used continually. And you're right about the drowsiness as a side effect. But I'm finding that that's not as much an issue with me as it was when I first began dealing with the drugs. 

Not only do the drugs loose their effectiveness, one can develop a sensitivity to a drug that started out helping you. This may happen more with antibiotics, I am not sure.

The one time I tried the evaporation method it made me cry out with pain, it was so horrible, this continuous contact of my skin with water. 

What I'd done is, I'd taken a pair of thin cotton gloves and put them on wet. My hands were very bad to begin with, but they were even worse (did not think this was possible) when after some ten minutes I could no longer stand the pain and tore them off.

Water hurts like hell on some types of my eczema.

Found a jar of Sudocrem in the supermarket (next to the paper nappies on the shelf), and it's GREAT. This stuff has over 15% of zinc oxide (as opposed to 10% in standard zinc ointment) and it's 4 times as cheap as zinc ointment (which is not expensive either). It smells lovely, too, of cinnamon.

Ever since I started using zinc ointment on my feet I walk without pain again! There's hardly any sores left, as long as I use it every night. If you haven't tried it yet, do so now, you might be lucky and find it does for you what it does for me!

My wife has been using a "safe" selection of shampoos for ages but she has recently started to have an itchy scalp. She uses "eczema" shampoos at all times. There are no visible problems with her scalp. Has anyone found any shampoos recently that we may not know about and thus will not have tried ? The best one we have found in the past is Camilla Heppers shampoo but it seems like our good run is over. Believe it or not what happen to my wife usually happens to me later - a sort of sympathetic eczema.

Whoa! Hey! I'm having a brainstorm; read this & tell me if I'm on the right track.

Ann, I read what you wrote about the mildew problems in your house. I live on the top floor of an old, leaky apt. house, and I've noticed that my eczema tends to flare during damp weather; my fiance has noticed this as well. There have been numerous leaks in the roof (which the roofer is working on now) and leaks around the window frames in our bedroom; the latter resulted in small black mildew spots on the wall. Is it possible that I'm having a reaction to the mildew? The bedroom is very small and we tend to have the door closed at night (I often run an evaporative humidifier during the winter, but I keep that clean).

A related question: I've been having a flare-up over the weekend and have been racking my brain, trying to think of what I might have done differently. I'm starting to think of pressing my dermatologist for allergy tests (I have had the adhesive patches, but never a skin prick test). Do any of you think that it will be worth it for me to badger my HMO until they agree to test me? Have any of you found a few allergens which have made a difference in your eczema? I know that this must be a common question, but thanks for any help.

Hydroxyzine is ATARAX or VISTARIL

T-Gel shampoo and conditioner by Neutrogena are excellent for controlling powdery, itchy scalp. A pharmacist told me that the T-gel products are much better for eczema people than other dandruff shampoos (like Head and Shoulders etc.). Expensive but worth it. 

Heather, YES, it is very likely that you are mildew sensitive. I highly recommend that you get allergy tested and go ahead with shots if it looks like you have the appropriate allergies. Be sure to get a qualified allergist to do the testing and be sure that she/he is enlightened about the pollen-eczema connection. (Some old-school types still believe that allergy shots won't help eczema). My skin got worse when I started the shots, but now it is much better. 

Yes, I'm quite allergic to kiwi as well as to dates -- the fruit :). I also have dust mite allergies.

I haven't heard of using Zinc ointment for eczema. What is it and what does it do?

T-Gel is recommended by derms but she/he can also give you a prescription shampoo.

No knowledge of zinc oxide for eczema before now. I have only heard of it with respect to putting it on one's nose to avoid sunburn.

I have used hydroxyzine too. It supresses the central nervous system and basically knocks you out. That is why you stop scratching. I have had problems taking this as I felt drugged the next morning.

This is a fascinating discussion of antihistimines, and one I hope we will continue. But Phil's suggestion that atarax and vistaril work on the central nervous system and therefore knock you out concerns me. 

I have prescriptions for both drugs and while they helped when I first got the prescriptions, they don't work any more. But I never felt 'drugged' with either, even when first taking them. I guess every body reacts differently. And now that I've built up a tolerance to them, I might as well be swallowing a tic tac for all the good they do. I'm leaving them off for awhile hoping to be able to go back to them later and find them effective again. 

Zinc Oxide Ointment is a "topical astringent". It's very white and very thick. My tube of the ointment contains: zinc oxide, white wax, liquid petrolatum and white petrolatum base. The tube says: Use externally for minor skin irritations and abrasions and as a soothing and protective ointment to promote healing of chapped or chafed skin.

A lot of people use it as a sun block. They put it on their nose and cheeks for protection from the sun.

Zinc is a wound healer and we with eczema tend to be low on this mineral that's why the increase of it helps us. General rule is not to apply more than once a day as too much zinc (anything) will aggravate our condition. I personally very, very rarely use it due to, as everyone knows, I hate the feel of it but Brigit I know has been playing around with it and has learned different products have different amounts of zinc, so I'm sure by now she has a pretty good idea as to how much to use and how often.

Different brands contain different ingredients such as beeswax or mineral oil, they are not all the same.

I've been experimenting again and found a soap substitute that I haven't shown any sensitivities to yet, just wanted to pass it along. It's Johnson & Johnson's Ultra Sensitive Baby Cleansing Bar that contains Camomile, which apparently it can't contain too much as the bar is white. And what I thought was funny is that on the box it says it can even be used for babies with eczema, didn't notice that until I brought it home. I buy items for their ingredients not their sales pitch.

I have never heard that either. I have been taking Atarax and using betnovate for about 13 years now. The funny thing is, my doctor had told me that my body is low on zinc, but she has never told me about the relation it had to eczema! 

The subject of zinc deficiency possibly contributing to eczema just piqued my curiosity. I eat a somewhat limited diet, and have wondered on and off if I am perhaps a bit low on some nutrient or other that might come down and bite me down the road.

For those of you who have had such a correlation between low zinc levels and eczema -- how did you determine this? and are there any other vitamins/nutrients/minerals/etc. that might be involved where eczema is concerned, either as a lack or as an overage?

Concidentally, I just picked up a new bottle of calcium/magnesium/zinc tablets. Methinks I'll put myself on a regular regimen of them, see if it makes a difference! (they're just 100% RDA tablets, nothing weird or excessive...)

Zinc ointment is zinc oxide in an ointment base (which could be anything, depending on the manufacturer). The active ingredient is the zinc oxide.

It's a very old-fashioned eczema treatment, my mother tells me it was prescribed for me when I was little, before steroids came into fashion (or perhaps before she hit on a derm dr. who went for steroids).

As I wrote before, what I buy as "zinc ointment" contains 10%, the Sudocrem (spelling is correct) contains 15%. In addition, the Sudocrem label lists more ingredients (don't have the jar here, but one of them ended in something like "cinnamate", which might well explain the lovely cinnamonny smell). I don't know if these additional ingredients are active ingredients or not.

Everybody else seems to refer to the stuff as thick; but what I buy is not thick at all, it's rich, but more creamy than ointmenty if you see what I mean. The Sudocrem label promises that it would "not stick to the nappies", and I imagine it wouldn't. It certainly does not stick to or stain the nice stockings that I can now wear again!

I liberally apply it to my feet every night, and sometimes in the morning too.

NOTE: I really do not know if there's a connection between zinc oxide topically and zinc orally. I intend to find out, though!

Anyone interested in food (supplements as well as diet) and eczema, get Stephen Terrass' "Eczema and Psoriasis", Thorson's, 1995. The book treats both eczema and psoriasis from a nutritional point of view. It goes into causes, symptoms, and most importantly nutritional approaches to relief, both dietary and using food supplements. The price is in the GBP5 range, there was an USD price on the cover as well.

Any pharmacist will mix you up a combo with whatever % of zinc you would like and whatever ingredients, it's your choice, you don't have to depend on retail. Pharmacists are handy people to have around for our condition, they'll mix anything, leaving out the crap ingredients.

Yours has a low zinc level, stuff I can get is 30% so that might be why it's not thick to you.

I know this pain very first hand, before I went into hospital, I would get in the tub (not a shower, I couldn't take the pelting feeling) and scream on the initial contact and end up crying through the bath and I'm not a crier, I was just in a lot of pain.

Just within the last 24 hours, I've been trying zinc oxide ointment on a few patches of dry eczema here and there, and I like what I see so far. I do. I will report my progress to the group in a day or so after continuing my observation. In particular, I had a stubborn patch just above my knee for a week or so. One overnight treatment of zinc oxide ointment improved the condition. It really seems to promote healing as I view it working on my skin.

My 4-year-old son has three small patches of eczema. I will begin to use irritant-free products on him. I didn't want to start using corticosteriods. I put some zinc oxide ointment on the three patches, and it is working by softening and fading the patches.

Nobody had ever told me about tar or zinc oxide until I finally got to see the oldest dermatologist at my HMO. He has been working in Dermatology since before steroids were popular, and he prescribed 1% coal tar in a zinc oxide base for persistent spots of eczema that didn't respond to BetaVal. It doesn't have the amazing effect that BetaVal has, but I do use it when I feel that I've been using the steroid in one place for too long. It smells bad but has the benefit of coloring- in the depigmented spots on my skin, a boon during shorts weather.

I do think I'll try taking zinc as well, since I'm a vegetarian and am often careless about getting all my vitamins.

Side question: on a general scale, how strong is BetaVal ointment .01% ? (I think that's the percentage I'm using). Is it medium- potency, med./high potency, etc.? The Dr. prescribed a treatment for occasional flare-ups, consisting of warm baths, application of BetaVal, and sitting around in a dry-cleaning bag (*new* bag) for a couple of hours. It works, and I understand that occlusive dressings increase the absorption of the steroid and therefore increase the potency; I'm only supposed to do these treatments as a last resort, for 1 week at a time... which is fine with me!

I heard about zinc on the sci.med.nutrition newsgroup. I've been to 5 different dematologists, and they never mentioned it. They never mentioned anything about nutrition.

I read on sci.med.nutrition that if you take a lot of zinc for a long time, you can develop a copper deficiency (I don't know what the symptoms of that are. This would only apply to taking zinc orally, however. BTW, this was in the same post where I heard about zinc as a treatment for eczema.

It seems that a lot of OTC products have warnings about side effects and/or long term use. Is there anything mentioned on the zinc oxide tube?

I just want to caution that there is a tendency when talking about eczema to think that we are all talking about the *same thing*. It is clear to me that since different things work for different people, that the issues are different. For example, my eczema is not local to certain parts of the body. It isn't weepy. It shows up as dry red skin very much like a sunburn that doesn't go away over most of my body. The itching is very deep like an allergy. My guess is that there are some on the list like me and others with different stuff entirely. 

My Dad was always raving about how great Atarax was, and that it wasn't the kind of thing that knocked you out. He swore by it. Me, I swear at it -- I took it once, right before bed, and felt completely drugged until most of the way through the following day. Nasty stuff, for me...

On the tube that I have, there are no cautions or warnings concerning use of zinc oxide ointment when used properly. (It just says DON'T EAT IT.) Maybe there was something else on the box (which I don't have), and maybe there wasn't. We should find that out pretty easily.

When I first began researching eczema, allergies, etc. (a few months ago) I read somewhere about both Vit C and Zinc for promoting healing of skin. I remember thinking that this zinc connection sounded logical since zinc oxide is used for lifeguard sunblock and it's in those diaper rash ointments like Desitin (very thick and white). Now, I don't remember if the book mentioned zinc oxide or if I just made the association.

I haven't tried yet on my 10 month old's eczema though because I don't want her fingers to get into it.. and then scratch her eyes or something. I have started liquid Vit C this week though.

Jolie recommended liquid Colloidal Trace Minerals (74 minerals). She said she began that (along with a certain massage technique recommended for "Leaky Gut Syndrome" type of eczema) and her child has vastly improved since then. I just started my daughter on that today. The woman in the health food store agreed with this (told me it worked wonders for a diabetic kid she knows whose disease was way out of control) and she told me about the amino acid "glutamine" that is related to digestive troubles and atrophied muscles, etc.

Zinc and copper compete for absorbtion and if they're out of balance, the dominant (as to proportion, you always need more zinc) will allow less of the other. As with any supplementation there has to be balance and you can't have balance if you don't know what you are doing. Too much of anything will lead to a deficiency in something, it all works together.

Liquid C leaks the calcium out of the teeth and don't use chewables either same effect. This is another one of those areas you don't want to play with when it comes to supplementation.

Through reseach, I am now taking many vitamin supplements that have all but eliminated my eczema. The only thing I am taking that my dermatologist recommended is prescription, and it is called Elocon, and it is an ointment. It has always helped A LITTLE BIT, but in combination with the vitamin regimen that I am now taking, my eczema went from very inflamed to almost non-existent. 

I don't suggest twice a day, only once because too much will worsen the condition, I've said this before. It's like anything else with this condition, start out at the lowest, increasing gradually when the effect doesn't equal the increase you are probably saturated and need to reduce.

I would like to point out that the statement "steroids are toxic" is no more or less accurate than saying "Zinc is toxic". Steroids are a class of organic compounds, many of which are produced by the body and are necessary for normal bodily function. Too much exogenous steroid can be toxic, just like too much zinc can be toxic, as Kelly, and others, pointed out.

I've been reading up on zinc, and one thing I found is supposedly cortisone interferes with the absorption of it. Also it said that taking too much can weaken the immune system. Hmmm...

Heather, I think the odds are about 100:1 that you are having trouble with your apt's mold/mildew. Talk with your allergist.

It is doubtful that fixing the roof is going to cure the problem. The mold is already pervasive. Get out or suffer. Why suffer? Choose the joys of life instead of the pits.

I have suffered from ear eczema since I can remember. I never remember NOT having it. I have never had eczema anywhere else on my body and I don't think I have any allergies (I've never been tested for allergies.)

This condition is extremely annoying and embarrasing. I am constantly itching my ears. My dermatologist prescribed a drug called Ultravate. From what I understand it is a very strong steroid. I am trying to conceive a child and the warning label cautions use during pregnancy (causes cleft lips in unborn child).

Even with the use of Ultravate, the problem will get better temporarily but always comes back. I have a few questions:

1. Will this condition ever go away? 
2. Is there a safer drug or therapy that I could use or try. 
3. What causes eczema (especially eczema in the ears).

Well, it really depends as to why you have the conditon. From my understanding of eczema, it is because of irritants. My eczema is primarily because of allergies, but because of the extensive ammount of allergies I have, it is impossible to eat a decent meal without being allergic to something in it. 

I have been able to control my condition by eating less of things that I am allergic to, as well as using vitamin E, vitamin C, a Nature's Biotics tablet (it forms a special type of bacteria in the intestines that is destroyed by food preservatives that supposedly helps many different ailments), vitamin A, and a topically applied steroid (I believe) ointment called Elocon. This is what helps me. 

I know the problem that you are experiencing with the eczema in the ears, to some extent. When I was younger I had a similar problem, but it was outside of the ear canal, on the upper portion of the outside of the ear (where if one had glasses, that is where they would sit). I was never able to alleviate the problem. I finally just decided NOT to scratch it, and through fervent prayers, it disappeared (hey, divine intervention is just as good as medication <g> ) It may have also disappeared simply because my body chemistry changed as I got older. 

Is there such a thing as a mildew resistant material? I think asking an architect with environmental training is the thing to do. Perhaps there is some other authority. I would like to know too.

Sharon, Me too! Sometimes everywhere that my ears join my head is a red weepy crack! I have fantasized about removing my outer ears! ( Just a joke, but I would still hear pretty well, right?) I get cracks in the folds of the ear too. Cracks at top of ears have been there as long as I can remember and make wearing glasses painful. My ear canals are affected too.

I used to scratch heavily with Q-tips until I got them badly infected right down to the drums. Can't have Q-tips in house or I will abuse them; huge buzz from scratching ear canals. 

I was told that ear eczema IS a definite sign of allergy. However, if that's your only atopic problem, maybe it's something else. Could it be hairspray or shampoo? I find that coating the ears with vaseline protects from shampoo. Often the outside cracks become infected and need antibiotic ointment in addition to steroids. Don't feel like you have less of a problem than those of us with more area covered by eczema. One small severe (or even a not so severe) area can be overwhelming. 

My eczema has gotten really bad around my eyes to where under my eyes crack open and bleed :P Westcort 0.2% ointment Hydrocortisone Valerate. I don't know much about meds and she told me this one I could use on my face, including around my eyes.. the face part I have no problem with (should I?) , but I am scared to put this stuff around my eyes.

I have it all around the outside of my ears. Sometimes I swear that they are ready to crack off. It really hurts. One thing I do that seems to help is break open Vitamin E capsules and rub that on it. It doesn't take it away but it helps with the itching. Maybe try putting that on after the steroid. 

Hydroxyzine (ATARAX) aside from having antihistamine properties, is also used as a mild sedative and an anti-anxiety agent.. obviously we all react differently to meds, but usually drowsiness is dose dependent and since hydroxyzine comes in 10, 25 & 50 mg, lower doses should be used first 'and titrated upward, especially for daytime dosing. Hangovers may occur from bedtime dosing.

I had bad reactions around my eyes and lids to many creams, but have found that I can tolerate Westcort. In fact, it's the only one that doesn't cause my eye area to swell. I use as little (and as infrequently) as possible.

Westcort, however, does contain propylene glycol, which can be an irritant. In fact, I've recently stopped using Cetaphil after two years of washing my face with it because it contains p.g. Have seen marked improvement around my eyes: much less dry and itchy, no flares. 

Excuse me for thinking out loud, but maybe it'll help: I've found that while Westcort helps, it doesn't work wonders for me, and leaves brown discoloration around eyes for a couple weeks, but sometimes it's better than nothing. Doesn't seem too far-fetched to suggest the p.g. connection here, eh? I plan to stop using Westcort and try evaporation next time.

I've never heard of UltraVate. If it isn't helping, though, it is probably time to try something else. Can you ask if UltraVate has lanolin? Christopher mentioned Elocon; my husband has had a good experience using that on his face (for allergies). I would call the dermatologist and tell him the UltraVate isn't working anymore and see what else he recommends. Just tell him that you want to be sure there is no lanolin in the corticosteriod that he recommends; and, double check with the pharmacist to be sure that there isn't.

I had really bad eczema around my eyes last winter, and just used Eucerin cream (round jar) as much as possible. This might be a controversial suggestion, but maybe you should just not wash your face for a while? I only wash it once a day, with Cetaphil, and follow up immediately with Eucerin. If you have flare-ups on other parts of your body, treating those might help your eyes. Come to think of it, I might have used a dab of the steroid you're using now, on my eyelids... but because of the glaucoma risk, I would really try to avoid that.

Vaseline can help in cool weather; apply around eyes before going outside.

I decided to try eliminating dairy products from my diet to see if the eczema improved. I just started this week, and I was wondering when I can expect to see a change, and how long should I avoid dairy before I can conclude that it's not the problem (if I don't see improvement)

I get buzzing too because I scratch and clean them so much. I thought I was the only person on the planet with this condition. It's amazing that I'm not after all these years! I think I'm going to be tested for allergies and see where that leads. When I was younger, they thought it was milk, but after discontinued use of milk the problem was still there. 

I was in the hospital a year ago for an unrelated condition and I coudn't shower for about three days (yuck). But what I did notice is that my years felt better! After I got home, I bought ear plugs but they didn't help because it is mainly on the outer canal inside the ear. Maybe it's time to see a new doctor.

What is the best stuff to use on really bad lips?? I have tried Lip Medix by Blistex.. it works okay... but it doesn't soak in.. kind of just covers the dryness.

My experience with lip eczema is that it readily gets infected. The first thing I try is Bactroban ointment (prescription). Sometimes that is all that is needed. I once applied very high potency ointment to my lips for many weeks with little improvement. I was on the verge of starting a course of systemic steroids (2 doctors said that it wouldn't get better without it) when I thought to try the Bactroban. 

You can try making a paste out of colloidal oatmeal, putting on the affected areas, letting it dry, than removing with luke warm water. I find that this helps, sometimes significantly. Than apply the ultravate. I wouldn't worry too much about the ultravate since you are only applying to the ears and the amount of steroid absorbed into your body is much less than those who apply steroids on large portions of their bodies.

For lips:

I was given a tiny sample of Ultravate .05% ointment (halobetasol propionate) by my Derm. Haven't even used it up yet; one or two applications should take care of it, and after that I use Vaseline as often as it wears off. Carry a "lip-applicator" tube of Vaseline in your pocketbook, in every jacket, in your desk drawer or pocket at work, etc.

Does anyone know if this is the same as "lipstick eczema"? I had eczema so bad last winter that I called it my clown mask, because I was all red around the eyes and mouth. Much better now!

For ears:

A nurse thought that I had a fungus infection in my ears last winter; I think that it's actually eczema. She prescribed Acetasol drops (hydrocortisone and vinegar), which do help. I still suffer from itching from time to time, though. Had to get all the flakes, etc. washed out last month. I wonder if gently warmed oil dripped into the ear would help the itching.

I have been following the discussions on the list with regard to diet and allergies and more recently zinc oxide. Thank you for all your information and experiences. We have stopped giving Ellie ( 8 months old) citrus fruit and orange juice, and we have seen a good improvement in her 'dry skin' patches (I defer from using eczema, as it seems that Ellie's condition is SO mild compared to the symptoms of some of the people describe on the list), not that they ever seem to have bothered her in the slightest. We have also stopped giving her cows milk and egg, though she had both of these foods very infrequently. She is still breast-fed in the evenings and nurses a couple of times at night.

On the zinc-oxide, specifically Sudocrem -- this is a commonly used treatment for nappy rash in the UK (especially amongst health professionals) and if I remember rightly the label mentions its use for eczema. We have used it on Ellie's patches as an alternative to Diprobase which has had no effect (other than moisturisation - I guess), but not seen any difference to be honest.

Heather's description sounds more like swimmer's ear.

Swimmer's ear and eczema in the ear both itch. In my experience, when I had eczema in the ear, it was visible outside of the canal (although it felt like it was inside my ear as well); swimmer's ear was only visible inside the canal.

Swimmer's ear tends to develop from a lack of wax in the ear. Water then tends to remain in the ear instead of being helped out by the wax. What happens is that when the skin inside the ear stays wet, it begins to exfoliate, and then the canal can fill up with the dead skin. That can cause pressure and pain on the ear drum. It looks a little like yogurt. A doctor could mistake it for softened wax and try to flush it out. (That wouldn't be helpful.) An Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist should vacuum out all the dead skin in the case of swimmer's ear. Cortisone drops might then be prescribed by the ENT.

As a preventative, some people put a drop or two of alcohol in their ears after they get their ears wet to dry out the ear. Then, at night, they apply 1 drop of vinegar as an anti-bacterial agent. I always remind my kids to dry out their ears with tissue after showering. Further, I understand that putting the ears under water during bathtime might contribute to swimmer's ear (if the person is susceptible to it.)

I developed eczema when I was 24 and it is mainly on my head. I get small patches occasionally on my elbows, legs, and other areas too, but in the case of these small patches I can usually make it diasappear by using a lot of moisturising lotions. I am having real trouble with my scalp ezcema though. At the moment I am using Betnovate, and I recently started talking Evening Primrose, alongside my usual multi-vitamin, magneseum, and herbal tablets! I also use Camilla Heppers Herbal Healing shampoo. Taking of house dust mite, I am just about to give my room the clean of its life!!

Well, you're right, it originally could have been swimmer's ear. But it seems to get worse when the eczema flares on other parts of my body, and subsides at other times.

Here's a side question: does evaporation work with a cotton handkerchief? I tried it with a wrung-out handkerchief on a persistent spot on my leg, but it just seemed to raise a lot of little itchy bumps which drove me nuts. For me, the itching and weeping isn't usually bad; it's the dry, almost-discolored patches that bother me. I know that those can easily get worse if I don't nip them in the bud. I wonder if evaporation works better on certain types of eczema?

I have noticed a connection between flare ups and my period and was wondering if this affected anyone else. I also know the preservatives in many items that I am allergic too but I was wondering why someone doesn't use Cetaphil???? 

I also have been bothered by menstrual flare ups, although right now I am having a particularly bad episode for no apparent reason. My back arms, legs and torso are involved (hands and face minimal) I definitely feel that there is astrong hormonal connection and had a flare-up that went on through pregnancy and nursing. 

That was 18 years ago and now I am suffering in a similar fashion...perhaps pre-menopause??? who knows. I have started on the zinc supplement and have tried almost everything else (went out and bought some zinc oxide last night it worked great a bedtime but I woke up during the night itching like crazy).

Ann, I WISH I could do hard scratching. My skin is so thin now that light scratching creates tearing, wounds, and red rash. And the bruises are all over, not just places where I've done light scratching.

Hours worth of discipline can be ruined by a minor unconscious quick 1,2,3 scratch, especially when I'm asleep. My flare-up is still in effect because of this, despite being able to sleep better. Some areas are improved but then I give a slight scratch someplace else and I've got a new area involved. It started out just on my arms and legs, but now it's spread to my neck, stomach, back, and face. And the healing is going so slowly on my arms and legs that new areas there are developing problems before the old ones improve!

Today I will experiment with using the hand-gripper (originally for developing muscle strength) and using the rowing machine to get some of the energy out. If I can get myself out of the house, I will buy some Aleve.

I got samples of Aquanil and DHS shampoo. They work fine. I will probably buy more of both. All the evaporation advice I've been given is appreciated. When I feel ready to try it, I will read it all again. 

Heather wrote:

>> does evaporation work with a cotton handkerchief? <<

I would imagine that a handkerchief would be suitable.

I reach for evaporation to kill the itch. Lately, I've been trying zinc oxide ointment instead of corticosteriods on the dry patches. I like it still so far. My pediatrician said it was fine to use it on my son's 3 patches of eczema. She's an angel disguised as my kid's doctor. I trust her a lot.

When the doctor I went to first suggested eliminating all dairy from my diet to see if that was the cause of my eczema (this includes eliminating EVERYTHING containing whey/casein/caseinate, not just the obvious milk/ cheese/butter, etc.), it took two weeks before I noticed an improvement.

Make sure you are reading the labels on everything you eat, to make sure you aren't eating when/casein/caseinate without knowing it -- those are the actual milk proteins which are the culprits, and they are common additives to foods, even those which are not obviously 'dairy'.

I find any foods which contain whey/casein/caseinate cause me problems.... and I've also had reactions eating pancakes or other foods which ostensibly contain 'cooked' milk...

You should begin to see gradual improvement off milk in a few weeks. I tell my patients to give the no raw uncooked milk diet about 3 months to know if it is working.... and it almost always does. It is the protein in milk that causes eczema and that protein is broken down by cooking at high heat so you can eat pancakes for example that has milk cooked in it . For the 3 month trial just eliminate raw uncooked milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream.

You can buy it at the grocery store, drug stores & pharmacies. Yesterday my pediatrician said I could use it on my 4-year-old son for his patches of dry eczema. Just call your nearest store and ask them if they sell it. It's as easy to find as baby powder.

Heather, I've never noticed any relation between my eczema and my cycle. I did seem to get a little worse during pregnancy and went even further downhill after a few months of nursing. (But there were so many other factors: cats and mildew in house; stress of disabled twins etc.) 

My worst adult eczema came on at age 47 (all over rash; extremely red face etc.). My internist had all my sex hormones tested ( I think it cost close to $400) to see if this was just my way of doing menopause. Hormones tested extremely high - not menopausal. Now I'm 50 and skin is MUCH better. But recently I was having insomnia (for 6 months) and I thought it must be menopause. So we tested just the estrogen (I'm frugal) and I tested not menopausal again (cycle is as regular as it's ever been). Maybe some of the other hormones have dropped and that's why my skin is better now? Other that that, I see no relation in myself but I've noticed that several women have reported monthly flares. 

My dermatologist recommended Lubriderm lotion as moisturizer. He said to use the fragrance free version of the lotion. The lotion contains lanolin. I have used it for 2 years. Not quite sure about the result. After hearing so much on lanolin, I decided to switch to another moisturizer with no lanolin. Then I found out that Lubriderm came out with another version of the lotion with no fragrance, no dye and no lanolin. So I switched to this version. I have read a lot on moisturizer and lanolin in the mailing list. I do not recall any one had mentioned using Lubriderm. Does any one out there use Lubriderm? What is the outcome of using it?

I've also noticed mid-cycle and menstrual flare-ups of my eczema. This is my (crackpot) explanation, since I was never very strong in biology!:

Estrogen keeps your skin more moisturized and elastic; since estrogen varies during certain times of the menstrual cycle, the dryness caused by a lowered estrogen level may affect the eczema. I had my worst flare-up when I was on the Pill (caused dry skin), and went off the Pill as soon as I found a suitable barrier contraceptive to use. None of my doctors seems to believe or care that I think there's a connection, but I still strongly believe that there is.

I wonder if the eczema will get worse when I get closer to menopause? Well, another 25 years and I'll know!

I'd like to hear from other women who notice cyclical differences in their eczema.

On Saturday tried the wetting my hands and arms to stop the itch cycle. It worked great. I kept doing it on Sunday and it stopped the itch but seemed to dry the skin out so much and moisturizers do not help much. I need to try new ones without lanolin 

I tried the wet sheet over me for thirty minutes. It did not feel very good to me. I'll try it again on the next flare-up. I have used zinc oxide with cotton socks to sleep with, and it really has made a positive difference. I also take 2 Aleve a day to help with the swelling of the hands. I have gone to many different dermos and had never been told about zinc oxide and this has been over 25 years. Oh well I'm glad I know now. 

I don't remember the name of the hormorne I'm sensitive to but its function is to thicken the lining of the uterus, when the egg drops, the hormone ceases and shot into my bloodstream for disposal that's where I begin reacting. 

A few years after this connection was made, I became a guinea pig for the birth control shot exactly 12.5 years ago, this was way before it hit the market and I was told it would be out in 2 yrs but it wasn't. I took the shots every 3 months and it does cease your period, a total of only 3 x's then I was taken off of it due to complications, the result was that it did help my eczema considerably, I would without the shot and still do, just recovered from my period induced eczema and then be right back in it, my period cycle is only 3 weeks long, not the greatly preferred of 4. My eczema has worsened since then so they don't want to even try the shot right now until I become stable by their standards, by mine I'm doing much better. I tell you what ladies, if I could be on it I would.

I've noticed lately that more people are saying they are going to avoid lanolin products or surprised "Oh, I didn't know that contained lanolin, I'm going to stop using it".

Please note that if Christine is allergic to lanolin, that does not mean you are. Some people are allergic to cotton, are you going to give that up too just because someone else is allergic. There probably isn't one thing on this earth that somebody out there isn't allergic too.

Avoid your own allergens not everybody's elses.

As you have read, even though there are some irritants, it would be unwarranted and totally impractical to concern yourself with them all. That s just not the way life works. Everyone is different, and the way this seems to work is that what bothers you might not bother me, and vice versa. I tell you why ... everyone is biochemically different. Different quantities and interactions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, and differences in the way our bodies perform, such as one end-organ response to another, account for why we react differently when exposed to the same thing.

Usually, though, what you're putting on your skin, or what you're touching is going to be what's affecting your skin. My motto is the less the better. I remember experimenting with so many things to try and get better, but I just got a lot worse. Now, I just use water to rinse off the irritants and try to buy irritant-free things.

Since avoiding lanolin markedly improved my condition, I will always encourage those suffering from eczema to refrain from using anything that contains lanolin in order to see if it is aggravating their eczema.

Here is an interesting thing. Killeen has been pregnant twice. Both times, her eczema completely cleared up. After birth of the kids, it returned. A hormone connection indeed. 

I had also used Lubriderm for a long time, and it did okay as a moisturizer, but the only thing that has ever brought me any kind of relief from dryness AND itchiness (without meds in it) is Aveeno lotion. I don't think could live without it.

Ken et al, I had a derm suggest Lubriderm back when all I suffered was extremely dry skin. I found it better than no moisturizer at all, but certainly not the best to deal with my particular skin problems. Anyone else? 

Rebecca, I'm interested to know how many evening primrose tablets you are taking. When I took a small amount e.g 2-3 1000mg tablets I had no success but then I heard a lady speak about complex allergies who was a biologist who said the key was taking large doses. So I started on 9-12 tablets of 1000mg per day - the results have been amazing for me. 

I too was using betnovate and occasionally still do on my hands but the improvement is great - I also watch my diet and avoid spicy foods, alcohol etc these foods on advice from the Chinese medicine theory that they heat the blood which will always make ezcema worse - I tend to agree. 

I am now down to a maintenance dose of evening primrose oil tablets of 2 per day and I take 1 antioxidant tablet per day. I am so so so so much improved - I live a normal life again!

Lubriderm has different variations of their lotions (some with lanolin and some without). Always read the ingredients for your benefit.

I would like to suggest trying Theraplex emollient.

I have a question I hope someone can answer. For those who found their eczema was caused by an allergic reaction to something, was the eczema systemic? What I'm questioning is the logic behind a nonsystemic eczema being caused by something ingested. In other words, it's hard to understand how my hand would be more allergic to milk than my leg. Any thoughts? 

Food allergies are usually manifested on my face, whereas my hands react more to contact. I'm not sure why it is always my face that reacts to foods. 

I suffer from allergies and judging from the tests I took last year it is mostly tree pollens and dust mites. Within the last couple of years I've developed eczema on my hands. Starts as dry and itchy, and then ends up sunburn red. Last visit to the doctor I got the "there isn't much we can do" story. After reading your posts I can see there is much more than can be attempted ranging from figuring out if it is an allergic reaction, to figuring out what best will control it.

I've found the zinc posts interesting. I recently saw an article that said the PMS symptoms could be helped by increasing your magnesium and zinc intake, I believe thru some leafy vegetables, but I didn't keep the article. I've noticed that lately I've had more eczema flareups along with increased moodiness in the same time each month. I'm going to attempt increasing my zinc intake to see if both problems are alleviated.

I suffer the worse from night time itching. My doctor suggested Benadryl, but the Benadryl makes me sleep very light and jittery, even after taking only 1 pill instead of the 2 pill recommended dosage. I've found the Gold Medal ointment helps the itching, but it burns at first, and I wonder if I am doing more damage than good? I believe the first listed ingredient is lidocaine? I'm trying to find a pharmaceutical reference on the web but haven't had any luck, can someone point me in the right direction?

Had my first opportunity to experience the effectiveness of the dampened cloth method. It worked. The method has some limitations of practicality, which may be why there has not been a deluge on the list of positive testimonials.

I am a little puzzled about how to deal with the sensation of coldness that occurs. Bottom line is that I now have another tool at my disposal to combat an itch.

Thanks for the info! I also have tried using non-latex gloves, but find that the "moisture" (polite for sweat) that develops inside the glove is enough to cause a flare up. I have started wearing cotton liners underneath the gloves, which I have found extremely helpful. They are very thin and don't interfere with dexterity any more than the gloves themselves. They are made by Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI) Catalog # Z11833-8.

Chris wrote: >> I'm trying to find a pharmaceutical reference on the web <<

http://www.gsm.com/cgi-bin/cgi2shell.exe/showmono.pl?mononum=285&drugidx=

Dave, you need to find a new source of C, by the time you get a grocery store juice home there's next to none in it (especially transparant containers) including the Vit. C added ones.

I'd be curious about how many of us chronics had hernia operations. I had a double hernia operation before age 5.

Patsy, While I don't understand your question completely, I have the following experiences concerning allergies causing eczema. My eczema, when dormant, returned when I ate a lot of peanuts. Upon returning, it has remained with me for years at various levels of intensity. When it is very active, I notice that certain foods cause reactions (orange juice, tomato, etc.). When it is not active, these same foods do not affect me. It has also been brought on by stress (sometimes) and relieved by relaxation and sun (sometimes). High temperature (sickness) also relieves it. So as far as I can tell, there are triggers both ways, but none are absolute.

I work in a lab, and I recently began using non-latex gloves. It's too soon to tell if there's a difference. Here's the information on the label, if you want to order some.

N-DEX gloves 100% nitrile no natural rubber proteins, hypoallergenic (documentation available call 1-800-241) More puncture resistant than natural rubber latex or vinyl gloves style/reorder # 7005L Large [I don't know if the L in the reorder# stands for large or not]

Best Manufacturing Company, Menlo, GA 30731 For orders, use the same number as above. 

BTW, they're blue, and the cost is comparable to latex gloves.

My eczema goes totally haywire when I am under stress. During exams, before I perform (school plays etc.), and once when I was going to have an operation, my skin gets worse than ever. For me stress is one of the BIG irritants.

I have noticed a connection between eczema and my cycle. Mine gets worse just before my period starts and then improves until it is almost gone over the month.

I much prefer Neutrogena emulsion to Lubriderm, I find that it is long lasting and quick absorbing.

Just out of interest I thought I'd tell you about my recent experiences regarding eczema (which seems to be confined to my hands, arms and shoulders):

Over the Christmas period, I stayed at my a house where they have a cat. This cat used to give me an asthmatic response, but now it causes my skin to itch instead and thus exacerbates my eczema. It is just something that I put up with really - I can reduce the allergic response to an extent by (a) going out a lot(!) and (b) taking Clarityn, which is actually for hay fever, but as an antihistamine seems to take the edge off the itching. [I went into a chemist and when I asked for hay fever tablets and it was -5'C outside and snowing, I got a slightly funny look ... !] My eczema was already quite bad even before I went to her house and became even worse while I was there.

Since then, I haven't been back to the house and I have been doing a lot of reading/research about eczema and thought I'd have a real old stab at sorting it out. I have done the following, based on things I've read on this list and elsewhere:

1. Started wearing rubber gloves when doing washing up - I knew that the hot water was hurting my hands but I thought that the bright yellow gloves "looked stupid" until now... ! This seems to help quite a lot. I have read about allergy to rubber on the list, and that vinyl is better, but I have had no obvious adverse reactions to the rubber gloves.
2. Have started having the occasional "emollient bath" (using Oilatum, for the record). I'm not sure how much this helps, but because the skin doesn't dry out as fast as with a normal bath, I have slightly longer to apply the creams that I have. The cream I use is Diprobase, prescribed by my GP.
3. On the dietary side, my mother (who has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is very into nutritional health) found a book which suggested that sugary foods could have an adverse effect on eczema. OK, so I cut out "gratuitously" sugary foods, such as chocolate, canned drinks, ice cream and biscuits. I have made no other (conscious) dietary changes apart from trying to increase my Vitamin C intake by drinking a quantity of fruit juice - one 2 litre bottle over two-three days.
4. I have also started taking "hypo-allergenic" vitamin supplements and evening primrose oil (about 6-8 capsules per day).
5. I saw my GP on Wednesday and he decided to change round my steroids from Eumovate ointment to Betnovate RD cream - same strength (both "moderately potent") but that seems to have been an improvement. The base that the Betnovate is in seems to contain the same ingredients as Diprobase, which is about the only cream that I can use without flaring up.

Thought this little story might be of interest. I still don't feel that I have "beaten" the eczema yet, but only that I am strongly on the offensive and appear to have gained some ground. 

Does anyone else recognize a trigger for their eczema. For me it was my baby jabs, for Sam it was a hernia operation when he was 2 years old. I don't know if it is the stress involved with these or the drugs given. Perhaps it is just the sight of a doctor brings you out in a rash.

When I'm attacked, I soak the itching part in hot hot water, as hot as I can stand and it feels goooooood. After a while, the itch is pulled out. When I'm crazy with itching in the night, I take a hot hot bath besides extra hot water running on the rash. Scratching seems to make me crazier and crazier.

Dry completely before rubbing on whatever you rub on.

I can always sleep after that.

I've been taking Aleve for a couple of days now. No sign of improvement from that. I will take it for a week and see if improvement occurs over time.

I am taking vitamins, drinking lots of water, eating rice, vegies, yams, cabbage, soybeans, pears, and banana. I am going for walks, using the rowing machine a little bit, holding "power putty" in my hands, applying ice packs.

My problem is not constant itching. I get these sudden itching attacks where I do so much damage in just a few seconds. Last night, I decided to sacrifice one arm and focus my scratching there in order to protect the rest of me. This is a technique I used when I was a child and I hope it works again. So for the rest of flare-up I will attempt to limit my destruction to only one place in hopes of saving the rest of me. So one arm looks like raw hamburger, which can be covered with a sleeve, but the rest of me will hopefully get a chance to heal. Once the rest of me is healed, then I will hopefully have the strength to focus healing on the arm. When your entire body is involved, resources must be rationed. It's too hard to fight a war throughout an entire country.

It really feels like a war inside me. Most of the time is spent in preparation for the attack, but when the attack comes, all preparation seems useless. I can't think straight at that moment, all action is involuntary and instinctual. All I can do is impose a vague warning, like Obi Wan Kenobi's voice in Star Wars saying "Remember the Force!" echoing in Luke's mind when he was fighting someone. When I'm in that half unconscious state in the night, it's a battle between animal forces inside me, where my mind is a tiny ineffectual voice in the back of my head.

The other thing I figured out yesterday is that I have to tune in to how it really feels on the inside instead of reacting to how it looks and feels on the outside. When I touch the skin, it feels awful, and I have a reaction that I wouldn't have had if I didn't touch it at all. So I am trying to avoid touching it, which is really hard. I think I have the instinct to touch in the sense of trying to comfort it. But my motivation gets twisted by the reaction to the touch. Anyway, enough of that.

This morning I used Cetaphil lotion without water instead of my usual cold shower. It feels good right now. I used up the last of my supply and will replace it with Aquanil.

I just wanted to say that I agree with you, sometimes I look at my face and all I see is eczema and on the inside I wonder why am I being punished! But I have to remember that I didn't ask for eczema and I do everything to control it! Often I feel that it is a war against my skin but I try to stay in control and avoid stress and the things I know that cause flare ups! Another thing was I wanted to ask Shelley, Why are you switching to Aquanil, why don't you like Cetaphil?

Darcy: I have no trouble with Cetaphil. I just thought I would try Aquanil (it's cheaper) and see if it's just as good. Someone mentioned that Cetaphil had an ingredient that could be an irritant, propylene glycol, that Aquanil doesn't have, so I was curious to see the difference. But I have never reacted to Cetaphil and will go back to it if Aquanil doesn't work as well. 

Marilyn's answer to night itchies would send me over the edge. Heat of any kind makes my eczema itch worse. In contrast to her methods, I have stood in the tub at 3 am with just cold water running and let it beat down on whatever itched. Then I don't dry completely before adding moisturizer, creamy petroleum jelly, or the haemorrhoid ointment. This will generally hold me the rest of the night. I guess this proves everyone reacts differently. 

Shelley, You write so well! Those same feelings and experiences I know but could never express. I personally can't sacrifice one body part. Scratching one place to the point of getting what I call a "systemic buzz" always leads me into an-all over scratching frenzy. But if it works for you, use it! I also started the Aleve. My skin was in good shape when I started and it's even better now. But, of course, other factors may be responsible. Like, I was overdue for allergy shots, and I got them just as I started the Aleve. When I cleared up before with the similar med, I was on it for a month or two. So I'll try it for a couple of weeks. 

Has anyone ever heard of Herpanicine? It's a pill I got at a health food store a couple of years ago that completely took away any signs of my eczema and other skin problems. That store stopped carrying it and I haven't been able to find it anywhere else. I would be very appreciative of any info anyone might have.

Herpacine is a product that Dr. Wayne Diamond created but what's in this doesn't justify the cost, it is extremely overpriced. You might try going to a health store (a real one, not GNC) and ask for a product that's comparable or you may have to do your own search as this product is not well known. He created this for some other skin condition, forget now.

Dr. Wayne Diamond P.O. Box 544 Ambler, PA 19002 212/ 542 [Ofc] 212/ 542 [Fax]

I checked my catalog and it does carry Herpacine, 100 ct. for $14.99. If you're interested, it's called the Vitamin Discount Connection at 800/ 848.

I am going through three weeks of listings and think I just read where other members of the group were having purple rashes where they itched. I'm 47 years old and have had execema most of my life, but these rashes just started in the last few months 

Is my skin finally so thin than I'm breaking blood vessels? I traveled for the day with a heavy briefcase yesterday and woke up this am with my left arm full of rash where I must have held it against my arm...yikes..I didn't even scratch!! At least they've lately happened where I have been scratching--and just on my arms. 

Can anyone shed light?? I was also very glad to hear discussion on the menstrual cycle/ itching frenzy because I've been convinced for a few years now that there is a definite relationship there. THANKS for listening. It's so helpful to be able to share these things and the feelings that go along with this malady.

I am type 4 allergic to latex (that is, I have rubber chemical allergy from years of occupational exposure to latex gloves). If you think your problems are due to glove use, you are welcome to contact me (probably off the list, since I doubt this will be of general interest to others) and I'll help if I can. I will of course know more about sterile gloves for use in surgery, but I do know something about non-steriles. If you wish to correspond, it would help to know details about your skin problems, what types of gloves you have failed with (ie, latex, vinyl, nitrile, neoprene, tactylon, etc.), if you have been allergy tested for latex or rubber chemicals, and something about your occupational requirements. 

Alex is correct that the Best blue nitriles would be a good choice for a person who is type 1 (latex protein) allergic. This is poly acrylo-nitrile, and it contains no natural rubber latex. Also, blue nitriles have good resistance to chemical penetration. BUT this polymer generally requires vulcanization with sulfur, so it may not be acceptable for a type 4 allergic individual. Although I have not called Best to verify this, I have been told that blue nitrile gloves most often are accelerated with a carbamate. If you are known to be allergic to thiurams, remember that there is a significant incidence of cross-allergy between thiurams and carbamates, so you may then fail with blue nitriles. And if you don't know what in the world I am talking about, just write me.

Although many people (even our some of our doctors and pharmacists) haven't heard of zinc oxide ointment being recommend for eczema, my research shows me that it is, and my experience was that it improved my condition and the condition of my son.

Two different pharmacists said it is not absorbed into our system, so we don't have to worry about side affects. It just stays on top of the skin. My pediatrician also said that I could use it on my son for three little patches of dry eczema that he had. I tried it first on my eczema. Then, after being glad with the results, I tried it on my son. I report my findings to you

I like the way it noticeably smoothed the cracks and quickly promoted healing, especially on my hands. Also, I had a stubborn patch just above my knee for a week or so. One overnight treatment of zinc oxide ointment improved the condition. Continuing the use on my knee has interrupted the flared-up cycle. This has been a 6-day trial. I use it on my face, too, and have nice results. As I view it working on my skin, it seems to act as an eczema eraser. I put some zinc oxide ointment on the couple of little patches that my son had, and it worked by first softening and fading the eczema. Then, after 3 days of using it three times a day, the patches faded away. I had tried hydrocortisone ointment there for a week before with no real progress. We know there are some people in this group who have known about zinc oxide ointment being recommend for eczema for many years, and they say that it helps them a lot, too.

I do much the same thing that you do, and I put various things in the bath --bath oil, colloidal oatmeal, salt, tar, vinegar. I always use the oil to prevent drying. I also like to put hot water on the most itching parts, but while it feels good I feel as though it is causing harm. Sometimes I end the bath with a short cold shower which seems to help, although I have to force myself to do it and don't do it very often (I believe that it is effecive). I do not dry completely before putting on lotions but find that doing it while wet does a better job. The baths help, but don't usually stop the itching when I am in a bad state. When in a bad state, if I didn't have the baths with oil and oatmeal, I would have real trouble surviving. 

By the way, someone mentioned Lubriderm as a not too effective lotion. They just came out with a product called "seriously sensitive" which I find quite good and it has become part of my arsenal.

Kelly said about vitamin C: well if you are taking a multi Vitamin, doesn't that have Vit C in it? The trouble with Vitamin C is that it is unstable in light and heat so even vegetables that are high in it contain virtually nothing if boiled...(always use the cooking water in your gravy) Ribena's pretty high in Vit C. 

Just a note: zinc works exceptionally well on weepy rash, it'll dry it up fast.

I had a hernia operation as a very young child-prior to 3-about the same time as I began to break out in eczema...although my mother relates the onset of my eczema to my first haircut!!! Who knows?

Like others, when I get a rise in blood pressure, usually from thinking too much, it get itching sensations going off throughout my body. Trying to fall asleep causes the most distress. I've noticed that Tylenol and, thanks to Steve, vitamin C, seems to reduce the fast heart beating sensation and itch pings. The result is fair amounts of Ty