First Pregnancy - Eczema Question

[LabMonkey]

Hi, I've just found out I'm pregnant (about 5 weeks ish we think) and my eczema's gone mad. I normally have pretty bad eczema controlled by steroid ointment (betnovate). We're on holiday at the moment and won't be able to get to Doc's until Friday and I was wondering if anyone knew if betnovate was ok to keep using.

Also did anyone else have crazy bad eczema during pregnancy?

It could just be because we've been camping and around some dogs.

[LabMonkey]

I also use a Serotide inhaler - is that ok?

[japhrimel]

The BNF has this on asthma inhalers:

"Pregnancy and breast-feeding
It is particularly important that asthma should be well controlled during pregnancy; when this is achieved asthma has no important effects on pregnancy, labour, or on the fetus. Drugs for asthma should preferably be administered by inhalation to minimise exposure of the fetus. Inhaled drugs, theophylline, and prednisolone (see section 6.3.2) can be taken as normal during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Women planning to become pregnant should be counselled about the importance of taking their asthma medication regularly to maintain good control.

Severe acute exacerbations of asthma can have an adverse effect on pregnancy and should be treated promptly in hospital with conventional therapy, including nebulisation of a beta2 agonist and oral or parenteral administration of a corticosteroid; prednisolone is the preferred corticosteroid for oral administration since very little of the drug reaches the fetus. Oxygen should be given immediately to maintain arterial oxygen saturation of 94?98% and prevent maternal and fetal hypoxia. An intravenous beta2 agonist, aminophylline, or magnesium sulphate can be used during pregnancy if necessary; parenteral beta2 agonists can affect the myometrium (see section 7.1.3)."

I couldn't see anything in the BNF on the ointment, but netdoctor has this:

"This medicine should not be used during pregnancy unless considered essential by your doctor. If it is prescribed by your doctor it should not be used on large areas of skin, underneath airtight dressings, or for prolonged periods of time. Consult your doctor for further information."

www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100000294.html

[cardamomginger]

I've been cleared for 1% hydrocortisone, if that helps at all. Hadn't had an eczema flare up for YEARS - until I got pregnant... Can you phone your GP and ask to speak to them (i.e. GP, not the receptionist)? Congratulations, BTW!!!

[bevl81]

Congratulations! I am 13weeks, and my eczema has got a lot worse too. I'm asthmatic also and my GP said sometimes this can get worse during pregnancy but so far I've been ok on that front.

I use Hydrocortizone 1%, which you can buy over the counter but it is only used with advice from GP in pregnancy, but I used it last pregnancy and my doctor said it was fine.

It isnt as effective obviously as the Betnovate will be but it does help. Just please please get the ok from your Doctor before you use it.

I hope it gets better for you, I totally sympathise it drives me mad lol.

[Shaz10]

I stopped using Benovate and got some 1% from the doctor. But my eczema almost completely cleared up during my pregnancy!

[TheFruitWhisperer]

My eczema has almost cleared up too, although I fully expect it to return during the stress (and heat) of labour and the aftermath!

Ive found that I dont need any of my specialist creams right now. As the pregnancy progresses, it might get better for you too! Good luck

[LabMonkey]

Wow - thank you all so much. I'll keep clear of the betnovate until I see the doc and control my diet to minimise the itching.

[4madboys]

i have eczema, like you its quite bad but controlled by steroids etc, in my pregnancies (am no no 5!) i have continued to use eumovate and to take piriton tablets to help keep it under control (it goes crazy when i am pregnant) i was told by dermatologist and obsteotrician that these are ok to use in pregnancy.

all four of my boys are fine and baby no 5 is due in 12wks, interestingly this time my eczema hasnt been as bad and its a girl! with the boys it was AWFUL, dont know if there is a link tho, maybe horomones?

i am also allergic to dogs and grass pollen so find camping hard to!

see your gp and speak to a midwife asap, most will be happy to let you use a mild steroid cream but it depends.

basically the 'theory' is that anything you use on your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream and therefore go through the placenta to the baby. but if you only use the creams sparingly this is a minimal risk :)

hth and good luck for your pregnancy, btw i found that my eczema settled a bit once i got to about 16wks, it was the first trimester that was the worst.

[Fredfred]

I am asthmatic, but had never had eczema (well apart from the occasional patch), but then I became pregnant and had it horrendously! It was so bad and inflamed I had to sleep with ice packs to cool down my skin. I was also given Hydrocortizone 1% to use, but it didn't help much. The day after my DD was born it was gone again.

I am now pregnant again and so far apart from itchy skin I haven't had a major problem, but I still have a while to go and it was in the last trimester that it became really bad last time. Still I have my fingers crossed it will stay away this time!

[Fredfred]

Oh, I was given piriton to take while I was pregnant too which did help a bit!

[elmofan]

Hi i also have atopic eczema . My skin got very bad during my first pregnancy =a boy
& my skin cleared up completely on my second pregnancy = a girl
but i used my steroid creams during my first pregnancy & baby was fine .

[SpeedyGonzalez]

My eczema also worsened. It's quite common, so I'm told, and even your usual jewellery can cause a reaction.

You can, under proper medical supervision, actually use steroids as strong as dermovate. Why not check on betnovate with a pharmacist tomorrow?

[angels1]

I've been given conflicting advice from GPs re: betnovate. I usually use protopic for my eczma (miricle cream - took years before they'd prescribe it as apparently it's very expensive) and I'm definately not allowed that. GP told me to take betnovate instead and said it had 'no problems' in pregnancy. I said I had some at home and she said fine, use that, although I was a bit concerned as I have different strengths st home and she didn't say if Icould/could't have strong one. A GP friend of the family told me she would NEVER tell a pg lady to use betnovate, eeek, she said try mild hydrocortizone cream (I think someone here suggested that). I only use it on my ears and occasionally hands, so maybe as it's not a large area it's different, and if I don't put it on my ears I get infections when then need ear drops, which might potentially cause more harm than the betnovate, so I guess this might be my GPs way of thinking. A dermatologist also told me to use aqueous cream frequently on my hands where I get eczma/dermatitis, not sure if that is useful for general eczma too. You can get it at chemists.

[JennyPiccolo]

i was using protopic as well, but luckily my eczema has cleared up quite a lot throughout my pregnancy, so ive not needed to keep using it. My skins so dry though, i need to just smear vaseline all over a couple of times a day. I've also found that pond's cocoa butter has been really good. You can get it in a wee stick a little bigger than a lip balm, and it's really handy just to keep with you and rub it on from the stick whenever you see a patch of dry skin. My skin's looking a lot better than before i was preg.

[LabMonkey]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm back home now and I'm going to wait outside the doc's on Friday until they give me an appointment. My eczema covers a fairly large % of my body so I think the weaker the steroid the better. Maybe it'll all clear up? (I'll keep dreaming)

[naitimum]

Hey,
Just wanted to add that I have psoriasis and in my first pregnancy it really flared during the first trimester, and then when I was really fed up with it, it calmed right down in the 2nd trimester. Maybe hormones settle down then as your body gets used to being pregnant or something and the skin calms down. So what I wanted to say was hang in there and hopefully your skin will calm as your pregnancy progesses.