Impetigo and my list....does anyone have suggestions...

[ShyBaby]

Once again I have impetigo on my face. Fantastic. I've had it for the last 15 years, about 3 times a year. It is so embarrassing and really gets me down. Fucidin is no help at all. I had some different kind of gel (the name escapes me) and that just made it worse.

I've always been prone to coldsores.

I've also had an allergic reaction type of excema for 14 years. (Costume jewellery, belt buckles, watch buckles).

I still get spots at age 30, my skin looks terrible.

This year I also got pomphylix excema on my hands and feet which took a long time to clear up, was unsightly, irritating and painful.

What on earth is going on with my skin? Is there anything I can do/take to help it all? If it's not one thing its another! I just use "simple" soap, nothing else but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

[NeverEndingPileOfLaundry]

Sympathies, I also have terrible skin, (I'm 32, still have spots, can no longer wear a watch due to the exczma) but you seem to have it worse.
I had impetigo earlier this year, and GP gave me a course of erythromycin and well as the Fucidin. The combination of the two did clear it and things have been OK since. Perhaps this would help? Good luck.

[nudyjudy]

DD1 just had Bactroban prescribed for her impetigo... it did make it worse in the short term and a bit sore, but we stuck with it and after 7 days (religious 3 times a day) it has gone. we also kept it covered with (clean) cotton jersey (i.e. an old t-shirt cut up) stuck on with micropore tape (so plenty of air could get to it, but she couldn't touch it), changed every time we reapplied the cream. Luckily she has only ever got it on her legs and tummy (where she suffers from eczema) and not face.

Not sure if that is any help. Sounds like you have it tough, so every sympathy.

[ShyBaby]

Thanks NE , does anyone else have any suggestions I could also try? (diet/herbal..anything)

[ShyBaby]

(sorry cross posted) Bactroban..I think that may have been the gel based one I tried? It was awful, the whole thing spread.

Is there no way of preventing it from coming back? 7 days is rather embarrassing when you work on a reception desk and have to greet customers all day [cringe emoticon]. It normally takes around 14 days for it to fade fully with me.

[runnyhabbit]

Ds1 had it about a year ago (around his mouth), and the GP prescribed cream for it, as well some nasal treatment (not sure if its the same as Bactroban, or something completley different) which did the trick.

He also has ezcema. We use this for keeping his ezcema under control, but use it morning and night to prevnt us from having to use steroid cream.

Have you thought about homeopathic(sp?) remedies?

[runnyhabbit]

x-posts

Meant to add, I really feel for you.

Please don't quote me on this, but I thought that dairy wasn't great for ezcema sufferers. Might be totally wrong though.

[ShyBaby]

Im willing to try anything really, im thinking prevention rather than cure maybe? I dont know. The pomphylix excema was bad but now under control, and ive only had it once. The other excema (dont know what its actually called) is annoying but controlled easily enough. Coldsores dont bother me so much compared to everything else. Spots, well nothing has ever shifted them, the impetigo bothers me more. No amount of concealer could ever hide it!

Not to mention heat rash blah blah..even my earlobe swelled up a few weeks ago for no apparent reason...grrrr...i'm a wreck!

[runnyhabbit]

If I were you, I'd be inclined to give my skin a rest from chemical based treatments (apart from the ones that work for you) and book myself in to see a alternative medicine practioner (not sure if thats the right term, but ykim)

[ShyBaby]

What kind of place do you think then?

[runnyhabbit]

Not sure really. I would go on recommendation (ask friends, family, work colleagues, MN etc) Would your GP be sympathetic to you trying this route of treatment? If you know they would, then maybe they could recommend someone?

off to bed now - hope it gets better for you

[ShyBaby]

I'll look into it, thanks

[Clary]

shybaby I have fund that the only thing that clears impetigo is oral antibiotics not topical ones, if that's any help.

But I have never had it, just the DC.