Fellow excema sufferers - what do you use?

[Gazza77]

As per the title really, what do people use to help keep the soreness & itching at bay? I'm after a few recommendations here...

[pben47]

Funny enough I was talking with my gran the other day about this. she said her kid sister used to be covered from head to toe and couldn't bear the itching. She used to use a product called St James balm, which was great.

[madness]

Betnovate
Eumovate
E45

[El Saxo]

I get it on my hands which can be a real PITA if I get broken skin etc.

Diprobase cream, or even just plain Aqueous B.P. cream works pretty well for keeping the skin from drying out and getting itchy and you can use it as a soap substitute as well - a lot of regular soaps, shower gels etc strip all the natural oils out of your skin which can make the eczema worse (so my GP says anyway).

Occasionally I have to use steroid cream/ointment like Betnovate if it gets really bad, but that's usually my own fault for not taking care of my hands!

[Kinvig]

Eumovate's the only one that stops the itchness for me.

There are 2 different types at Boots - ask for the one behind the counter as the other one is no better than E45.

I would love to know of some herbal/organic remedies that people use!

[Bibio]

this is going to sound really weird but, if you know a farmer that has milking cows ask him for some 'udder cream'. this is not a joke.

[Drew Carey]

E45 when dry and annoying me.
Hydracortisone when its really annoying me. I also have a type of excema that causes mini blisters. When I get these I have to use hydroc as otherwise it just gets worse and worse. Seems to have died down in recent years though.

However, when younger, I was given a really good tip by a psorisis sufferer - Get from the docs a big tub of diprobase. Then every time you shower / bath, rub the diprobase on to your skin like a shower gel. Then wash your hair (giving the diprobase time to absorb). Then use shower gel to clean as usual. It helps to keep moisture in your skin that using shower gels / soaps takes away.

[Gazza77]

I only get it quite mildly on my upper arms, back and shoulders, so at the moment, any emollient tends to be ok.

Biggest problem are is my face though, which despite getting red and sore at times (working in a small office with up to 3 PCs, 2 printers and a scanner on at any one time doesn't help), is also quite oily. Steroid based creams are no use as the skin is too thin to use them on the face, and emollients tend to be very oily, which just makes me look like I've polished my face. :rolleyes: It's a pain...

[Drew Carey]

I only get it quite mildly on my upper arms, back and shoulders, so at the moment, any emollient tends to be ok.

Biggest problem are is my face though, which despite getting red and sore at times (working in a small office with up to 3 PCs, 2 printers and a scanner on at any one time doesn't help), is also quite oily. Steroid based creams are no use as the skin is too thin to use them on the face, and emollients tend to be very oily, which just makes me look like I've polished my face. :rolleyes: It's a pain...

For my face, I found aftersun is good!!!! I just user the nivea aftersun, simply use when required.

[slark01]

I Mix half a tube of Hydracortisone cream ( 1% ) with Nivea for men moisturiser and apply everyday. I suffer badly with it for years and this stops it dead.
Ste.

[Bluepete]

Beeswax balm like this (http://www.dotsapothecaryshop.co.uk/default.asp?m=dp&id=75515)

Pete

[thulfi]

Don't have eczema myself, but from a medical point of view, all depends on the severity.

Some general points though:

1. Use your emollients liberally, even when your eczema seems to be less active cos they treat dryness and act as a barrier. Same for bath emollients.

Use your emollients twice a day. If you've got it bad go for something more greasy such as 50/50 emulsifying ointment and liquid paraffin. If not so bad, still twice a day, but something a tad less greasy like Diprobase.

2. Avoid soaps, and use emulsifying ointments instead.

3. Daily steroid ointment for active sites. Loads to go into here, and again depends on severity and site.

Just general guidelines here though. Different things work for different people, so its hard to base what you should do on what other people have tried and tested.

Not to mention the different causes. For some its simpy a family history, others may have allergens at home or in the workplace they dont know about. I would say prevention is better than the cure, but no real cure for eczema, so preventions better than the remedy in this case!

I hope its not too bad for some of the people on here, cos then a dermatologist is really the port of call. Best of luck.

[dirtydog]

I used to get it in my armpits and on my face. But since a change of deodorant the armpits isn't a problem anymore.
Anyway I generally use Diprobase on my face and now and again Hydrocortisone if it flares up a bit like it has now the cold weather is here

[madness]

this is going to sound really weird but, if you know a farmer that has milking cows ask him for some 'udder cream'. this is not a joke.

Definately not a joke. My sis' used to work for Diversey, who make lots of stuff for farming amongst other things, and my mum used to swear by their 'teat cream' for her excema. Which WASN'T on her 'teats' before any bright spark asks!

I believe that if you boil up strawberry leaves and use the resulting liquid (when cold) to bathe the excema, it is supposed to help.

[madness]

Don't forget that regular use of steroid creams actually damages skin.

[thulfi]

Don't forget that regular use of steroid creams actually damages skin.

yep, so again, all down to site and severity.

They are very useful in symptom control, and obviously the weak steroid for the weaker symptoms and so on.

Interesting research just picked up from wiki however (and one of our derms in Kings also kind of re-iterated this)...

"...recent research has shown that topically applied corticosteroids did not significantly increase the risk of skin thinning, stretch marks or HPA axis suppression (and where such suppression did occur, it was mild and reversible where the corticosteroids were used for limited periods of time). Further, skin conditions are often under-treated because of fears of side effects. This has led some researchers to suggest that the usual dosage instructions should be changed from "Use sparingly" to "Apply enough to cover affected areas," and that specific dosage directions using "fingertip units" or FTU's be provided, along with photos to illustrate FTU's."

So I think the limited periods of time is important here.
One last point though, kind of obvious, but always worth re-iterating..

Never worth taking medical advice over the net as definitive or that it correctly applies to you. Always check with your own GP, or even better, your derm should you be under one!

[CoolGirl]

I haven't suffered for years, but just reading this thread is making me itch! Mine went away of it's own accord some time back. My brother, however, after 40ish years of suffering, went down the chinese medicine route about 4 years ago. He had a couple of bags of herbs to make into a vile potion taken for a fortnight or so, backed up with some acupuncture. Hasn't had a flare-up since.:winner:

[7755matt]

I used to get big pots of Unguentum Merc (I cant remember if thats correct) and use it direct on teh skin and then stir a great dollop in the bath water