pompholyx eczema

[ShakeYourTicTacs]

Does anyone have any experience with this please?

I have never had eczema at all before this episode. It started on one finger and has gradually spread.

I went to my GP as it got infected. Was told it is most likely brought on by stress. Was given a moisturising cream to use for hand washing, instead of using soap.
I was also given a steroid cream to apply twice a day.

2.5 weeks later I went back to my GP as it had not improved and had spread further. Was given a stronger steroid ointment and told to apply it twice a day.

That was a fortnight ago and there is a slight improvement, but not much.

I cannot take anymore time off work so requested a telephone consultation with my GP. Who then said there was nothing they could do without physically seeing me.

How the heck do I get rid of it? It is driving me bonkers!

It’s itchy and sore and weeps. I’ve resorted to covering my hands after applying ointment or cream as much as possible so I don’t catch it and in hopes it soaks I’m better.

I don’t know what else to try. I’m in my probationary period at work so cannot really go back to my GP for a while.

Any advice please?

[Cocolepew]

I get this , but mainly on one fibger and it rarely spreads. The only cream that helped was Fucidin H.
Mine seems to be set off by cleaning products/ bleach.
It's ridiculously sore.

[Blankscreen]

I've had this on my finger and it spread to my palm The itching is enough to make you want to rip you hand off.

I first got it in during exams. It I think once you have a flare up its always there. Using water which is too hot can aggravate mine.

The only thing that got mine under control was dermovate ointment and Dermol 500 for washing. Dermovate is an incredibly strong steroid. I had to use fuciderm when it was weeping to get rid of any infection and then dermovate to get rid.

I used to find that greasy creams made it worse as they make my hands sweat.

Mine is pretty much under control now. If i feel a few itchy bumps I put some fuciderm on which is less strong than dermovate but enough to nip it in the bud.

What have you been prescribed?

[Blankscreen]

You can buy eumovate over the counter which is less strong than dermovate. It much stronger her than hydrocortisone.

[SloanePeterson]

Agree that fucidin is the only thing that's worked for me. I feel your pain, it's such a distressing thing to suffer from but to others it must seem ridiculously minor. Mine got so bad that eventually I bought a dishwasher and that's helped no end. Mine is unquestionably stress related, it flares up almost immediately in stressful situations which unfortunately are totally unavoidable die to a dc with significant special needs. Keep trying the steroid cream and really really try not to scratch. It might be worth taking an antihistamine too, a swig of ds's piriton seems to do the trick for me.

[ShakeYourTicTacs]

I am currently using Betnovate Ointment. Before that I was given Fucidin H cream.
I have also been given Diprobase Cream for hand washing.

[vitaminC]

Use a mild, unscented hand cream several times a day. Use the steroid cream as prescribed in addition to that.

I get it between my fingers (and sometimes toes) every time there's a major temperature shift - so, spring and autumn.
Strangely, this year it hasn't been too bad. Not sure what's changed though.

[Mbear]

I had this for the first time in the summer, I went to war with it with a variety of products to try and help. A few things helped - I would use bepanthan (the yellow nappy cream) with sudocrem and Vaseline then I would put on white cotton gloves as well (it wasn't the best look!). I had no luck with the child's farm stuff that lots of people raved about, and still sometimes had to put a damp flannel on my hands at night to try and stop the itching.
Bizarrely I use an organic seaweed and carrot serum on my face and have found that has worked the best, but at ££ I would have not risked buying it just for the eczema. Although I might have done as what I actually wanted to do was rip my hands off!!

[whirlygirly]

I get this on a finger on each hand. It's so unbelievably itchy I have woken up bleeding before. Washing up by hand with very hot water definitely triggers it.

[tinydancer88]

I've had this since I was a child so can tell you what definitely works for me:

Mine is caused by stress, moisture, exposure to certain items and sometimes I think just because the wind is blowing in a certain direction!

I take anti histamines daily until the blisters dry out. This helps control the itching and break the cycle of repeated flare ups. I use Fucidin at first and encourage the blisters to dry out (I use potassium permanganate solution but this is on prescription so not sure how suitable it is for everyone). The skin needs air, needs to kept clean (as you know, it's very prone to infection) and it needs to be allowed to crust over (sorry, so gross).

When the blisters stop weeping, the swelling eases and the skin starts to dry out I use moisturiser almost constantly and wear gloves and socks at night to let it really sink in.

It can take 3-4 weeks to get on top of a bad flare up for me. I really feel for you as it is so painful and distressing.

Is it possible you have developed an allergy to something you're regularly touching, given that it doesn't seem to be getting better?

[sleepyhead]

I get it on my hands. I think it was triggered by a summer job when I was a student where I spent 3 months elbow deep in cleaning products of one kind or another without gloves.

Now it's definitely stress related. I've had a bad few years with it but it's ok at the moment. Steroid cream helps for a bit.

Also weirdly it completely went away on a camping holiday a couple of years back. Was terrible again within days of getting home

[Gingaaarghpussy]

I have this, the only bonus, as far as I'm concerned, is picking the dead skin. I use a coconut based moisturiser. I'm allergic to anything that has soft parrafin or lanolin in it. I don't use steroid based creams because I've got enough ishoos without ending up with thin skin as well.
Yes, it is brought on by stress, in my case

[bastardkitty]

I had this for years but it's gone completely now. I used a couple of drops of neat tea tree oil every morning which definitely helped. It stated after I got into a very stressful relationship and went away 20+ years later when I ended it. I have no idea if other people have had this experience but it's true for me.

[HumphreyCobblers]

isn't this a fungal infection? So an anti-fungal cream is necessary.

[HumphreyCobblers]

having just googled it would appear I am completely wrong!

[BobbinThreadbare123]

I get it on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet. It's very difficult to manage the feet; impolite to scratch whilst at work! Fortunately, it has eased off and is much better in the cold weather.

I had mometasone for it, and some Zeroderm.

It is very annoying. The 'don't get stressed' advice from the GP was a bit irritating too.

[MedicinalGin]

Oh my word- I have met my people!
I have struggled with this for years- ever since I went back to work after my first child. For me, it definitely gets worse with stress- I can feel it bubbling almost instantly. I get it on one finger and also under my eyes - it hurts and is so horrible. Dermovate does relieve it eventually but I also find that Eurax cream stops the initial itch along with holding cold things from the freezer. Not sure if that is good for it but it is soothing! I’m so sorry you are all suffering from this too but I am so glad it is not just me! Hope you can all find some relief soon

[rocky4]

Mometasone works wonders. Very strong steroid cream. I have it on repeat, doctor said it's the strongest steroid they can prescribe.

Give it a go!

[Fruitflylady]

I get this on my left foot (weird, huh?!) I've tried a few different steroids, lots of different moisturisers. At the moment what really helps with the itching and redness is aloe Vera gel; it really calms everything down. My doctor told me it can't be cured; you can only 'manage' it...!

[Blankscreen]

Just thinking that one moisturiser that did work for me in conjunction with the steroids was cetraben.

The Dr initially prescribed epaderm which is like thick vaseline and actually made it worse. Cetraben is for my skin very cooling and whilst rich isn't thick and greasy so it is absorbed.
Just looking on here there are so many different combos that work for people.

i think sometimes it is trial and error but I would say you should start to see an improvement within a week if it's the right combo for you.

The dermol handwash changed my life (sad I know).

[Blankscreen]

I know you can buy cetraben and Dermol over the counter at the chemist. It's not cheap but it might give you some relief whilst you sort out getting back to the doctor.

[Gluetap]

I had this badly on my hands a few years ago and lost a couple of finger nails (they grew back) as the blisters also went under the nail. I saw a GP with a specialist interest in dermatology who prescribed Fucibet cream and Epaderm lotion to wash my hands with. I was also given Epaderm ointment (much thicker like Vaseline) to put on overnight and advised to wear cotton gloves overnight as this helps your skin absorb the ointment (and keeps the greasiness of the ointment contained). It took a while but these treatments helped and I only get a few blisters now and again now and these clear with a tiny bit of Fucibet. I’m very careful to keep my hands moisturised now and still use Epaderm ointment at night.

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

I get this on my feet too. Mainly between my toes. Once the blisters dry out and the skin peels it looks like athlete foot but my God, the itching at the start of the cycle drives me insane.

I've not found anything that works really well as steroid cream is either too weak on the sole of my foot or too strong inbetween my toes.

Interesting about the antihistimes, I'll definitely be trying that.

[brimfullofasha]

I have had this since childhood and it has flared up again recently.

I remember thinking it was normal for all the skin to peel off your feet in the summer and that it happened to everyone.

My hands are bad at the moment and I use betnovate and am experimenting with moisturiser but I find aveeno good.

[Gingaaarghpussy]

I've also found that any anti bacterial hand wash huuurts., unless its coconut based.
Over the years I've learned to ignore the itching, kinda, it is a good indication that stress is present though. I get it on my palms and the sides of my fingers. Occasionally I've had it on the pads of my fingers. When I had it in between my toes once, my doc told me it was athletes foot pfftt!

[ClementineWardrobe]

5 years, mostly on my left hand but spreads to my right. It's agony. Not helped by a thiuram allergy and a nickel allergy. Every time I put on rubber gloves to protect my bleeding hands I was touching rubber, and rubber is made using thiuram. I eventually got Dermovate but it's thinning the skin on my hands now and they're splitting. I changed to Oliva soap, I use Bepanthen, Unguentum M, and sometimes aloe Vera Vaseline to sooth it. A big flare ups happening right now and I'm trying to clear it with just crappy betnovate. Antibacterial hand washes strip you of your natural good bacterias. You all have my sympathy. Pompholyx is horrible and so painful.