Does anyone have any experience of Dyshidrotic eczema?

[Bufferingkisses]

Hi, I'm hoping someone has some ideas to ease my poor hands!

Basically I've had dyshidrotic eczema for about 10 weeks. Its supposed to settle down after a few weeks but mine is caused by stress and my stress hasn't eased so i figured it may last a bit longer and decided not to bother the GP again. Of course now I can't get an appointment

So far so good but it is now getting ridiculous. I have splits and cracks all over the palms of my hands. They constantly bleed, itch and burn. I have thickened skin falling off from the blisters and it's generally pretty miserable.

So far it hasn't got infected so no need for antibiotics or anything but there must be something I can do to relieve the symptoms whilst I wait for it to pass? A lovely man shook my hand tonight and I had to hold back tears - and pray I'd not left blood on him.

I use emoliant type soap (specifically for eczema) and e45 but it's just not enough.

All suggestions gladly received!

[SapatSea]

I would bother the GP again. Get some proper emollients or a cream such as betnovate or even a short course of steroid tablets It's better to zap eczema quickly and hard.

If not buy a thick emollient such as Dermol or Epaderm and some white cotton gloves and smother your hands and then wear the gloves over (at night or in the house if you don't want to outside)

[Bufferingkisses]

I can't get steroids without the GP can I? Is betnovate OTC?

I've started with diprobase, hoping that will help!

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I've had this once and the only thing that got rid of it was swapping to bars of soap instead of shower gel/ liquid handwash and Timovate (?) cream from the GP. Apparently hairdressers get it a lot as they use so many products / have their hands in water a lot.

[GayParee]

DD used to get this terribly until we did as Dame said and switched her to soap. Turns out she is allergic to a common preservative which has been found to be a trigger is many cases.

Nivea especially chuck it in EVERYTHING.
www.dermnetnz.org/topics/methylisothiazolinone-allergy/

Even with the cold weather her hands were fine if using soap when normally they'd crack and bleed

[Bufferingkisses]

Thank you! I do already use bar soap usually except at work (healthcare) so I've had to get the "approved" emoliant soap for work. Its odd as I've not changed anything, same soap, shampoo, washing powder etc etc etc. Its only the stress that has happened and that's why the GP was so sure.

I'll try and get hold of some cream and go from there. Thank you again

[JeremyIronsBenFolds]

I've had this on my hands for ten years - the only thing that calms a flare-up is dermovate steroid cream, sorry. Aveeno hand cream is very soothing, I don't really like the emollient/diprobase ones as they are very greasy, but the Aveeno sinks in properly. And I've tried everything!

[lhw92]

Just to add to the advice that’s already been mentioned^

I now wear disposable surgical gloves when washing my hair because the detergents in shampoo are too harsh on hands, especially when your hands are wet for such a long time
(Iirc for eczema sufferers bathing in water for longer than 10mins at a time will cause extra dryness)

[Elven]

I get flare ups of this sometimes, it can be awful. But most of the time, I can only see the little blisters if I look really closely.

Please remember that your skin is an important barrier to infection, so it might not be safe for you to work at the moment (obviously depending on what your job within the NHS is).

[GayParee]

I am not sure if you are supposed to but we were advised by an old school gp that as the skin in hands is so tough to put steroids on at night and then put socks on top to help them penetrate

[bruffin]

YOu can get eumovate over the counter now.
My dyshidrotic eczema is caused by hormones and although i used to have it on my hands i tend now to only get it on my feet.

[JenMumma]

Awwwww I feel your pain honestly. Try hydrocortisone1% cream, you can get it OTC. Also an antihistamine and wet gloves in the freezer for night time xxxx

[WhoWants2Know]

I had it several months ago. I think it was cracked heel cream and sleeping with gloves was what ultimately helped sort it.

[Bufferingkisses]

Thank you everyone for your ideas and understanding

I'm going to take myself off to the chemist on Monday and investigate a few! Thank you again

[bruffin]

The cracked heel cream comes in 10% and 25% urea concentrate, go for the higher one if you can get it.

[BillywigSting]

Betnovate is my holy grail but is prescription only. If you really don't want to bother gp again (and I totally would if mine got to that stage) then you can get mild steriod cream otc. It's usually used to treat insect bites but works on eczema too

[Bufferingkisses]

Well I've been using cortizone cream as directed plus medol (?) 500 as a moisturiser and to wash my hands, wearing gloves to shower and hair wash etc but now have a fresh batch of blisters over a wider area all pus filled it's time to bother the GP isn't it? (Plus I couldn't open my bottle of wine last night because of the cracks in my skin )

[greyby25]

My eczema is the bane of my life when I am stressed. I've been seen my tons of doctors and dermotologists. I would also get it on my hands normally on my knuckles or just below my nails and it drove me insane. The ONLY thing that worked for me was twice a day baths with hydromol melted into the water. Constant moisturising and a potent steroid called elecon in ointment form x

[greyby25]

I also had very very strong antihistamines to take away the itchiness, i weaned myself off them slowly to see if I could cope without x

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

It's also makes a difference what dish detergent I use ,Fairy and Aldi are too strong but Wilkos own brand is fine.

Yes,see the doctor.

[Elven]

Yes, GP.

[Geekster1963]

I feel your pain it's a miserable condition, I had a flare up at the end of January and it's still not gone. My GP managed to get me a community outpatient dermatology appointment in February and I had to take a course of prednisolone (steroid) tablets for five weeks, and use Diprobase cream to wash my hands with and use all the time as a moisturiser. She also said I had to have a 10 day course of antibiotics while it was open because of the risk of infection. It is clearing it up, but the best thing I've been given is some zipzoc bandages from the nurse at my GP's. They are tubular bandages impregnated with zinc oxide paste and they are so soothing as they keep my hands from drying out too much and sooth all the sore areas. I think you can buy them from a pharmacy.

I would go back to your GP as there are other treatments. I'm waiting to see what they say at my hospital appointment in June.

[Geekster1963]

Yes if you can't open wine it's definitely time to see your GP. It's so frustrating isn't it when you just can't do such simple everyday tasks. I couldn't open the new carton of milk the other week and nearly lobbed it across the kitchen in sheer frustration. (Got the neighbour to open it instead).

[KelvinHelmholtz]

Placemarking. This is such a difficult eczema. The only things I found that worked were reapplications of Hydromol Intensive every fifteen minutes, and strangely Nettle Soap. I never tried the moisturiser but that is meant to be good too. Steroids don't really help long term. I found to be very linked to stress and sugar too.

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