Stuck in an endless cycle of steroid cream - arghhh!!

[itchyhands]

I get eczema on my hands, quite badly it's on every finger in atleast one area and down the backs of my hands/on to the wrists too. Steroid cream gets rid of it within days, but then within days it's back again and I just get through so much steroid cream it worries me. I've tried so much other stuff and it's just relentless and steroid cream is the only thing that helps (that I've tried). I'm only 27 and my hands are so wrinkly and constantly itchy and rashy and I hate it. I used the cream for a couple of days after a bad flare up where it was red and angry and this is just 2 or 3 days later.. back again although it had cleared up. It's never ending.

Does anyone have some miracle recommendation?

You need to be very careful with steroids OP, I ended up with Cushing’s from years of use, same issue as you but with feet affected as well. I had to taper off very very slowly, and cannot use steroids at all now, but my skin is still bad.

Some good advise on the thread above, but you need to see a dermatologist.

I would suggest that if you are getting flares immediately after clearing your skin you might not be using steroids for long enough. Consider there are many skin layers and you have to heal them all.. so keep using the steroids for a while after you think you have to, making sure that you are using the correct amount and spreading very thinly. Then once you think you are clear leave off the steroid as long as you can.
Use emollient constantly, epaderm or similar.
Work out what is causing the flares, avoid anything that will strip the skin. So do not use sanitiser, find washing up liquid that has no impact (sainsbury do a clear one for sensitive skin), shower gel and bottle shampoo have chemicals in that flare my skin, I found bar soap and shampoo much safer.
Change to non bio washing powder and wear rubber gloves for cleaning, essentially consider everything you are touching and using and cut as much out as possible.
If your hands get really bad consider surgical or rubber gloves or even a plastic bag or clingfilm with lots of emollient in to soak the moisture in. DO NOT do this with steroid as it magnifies the impact.
It’s awful OP, good luck with it.

Also, is your water at home naturally hard or soft? Hard water to aggravate skin.
Could you install a water softener?

My dermatologist said to use steroid cream for 2 weeks following a flare, as the skin needs to heal from the inside. Using it for few days just clears up the surface layer.
Although I’m pretty rubbish at doing it for more than a few days myself.

OP. I have bad excema on hands.

I saw a consultant dermatologist earlier this year and got the following messages:

Hydrocortisone does not thin the skin.
Avoid all soap.
Take double antihistamines as my excema is many times worse from dust or pollen or touching plants etc.

I was also prescribed some new medications, two were ointment including something to wash with but decided to stick with my betnovate for familiarity.

I hate ointment I can't bear the feel of it. It's my equivalent of nails on a blackboard.

So I'm sure my hands could be better!

I wouldn’t use steroid cream on that. I used to suffer badly from eczema on my face and I would only use steroid cream when it was much worse than that. Your hands look like a good day for me! I tried everything - all the emollient creams but found that Aveno ointment was the best.

You need prescribed 'moisturisers' aka emollients, @itchyhands like Doublebase or Epimax or whatever your local CCG is currently paying for and your GP can prescribe. You use these liberally, multiple times a day. I've used them maybe 20 times a day when my fingers are very dry and cracked.

It is really concerning that no-one told you about how to use steroid creams properly. As pp have said, TAPER down your use of them. So, use daily (once, very thin covering) till improvement is seen, usually after a week, then taper down to every other day, then every four days, then once a week, then once every 10 days ...

I used to be like this despite moisturising regularly and avoiding anything scented (although I could never do the gloves at night thing, the heat was unbearable). In the end I went to my GP and pleaded to be sent for patch testing to get to the bottom of what was causing mine. I was diagnosed as allergic to nickel and an ingredient in plasters (a pine resin). The derm advised me to clear it with betnovate and then move onto protopic as a preventer long term. But in fact all I needed to do was chuck away an old cheap "silver" ring which must have had nickel in it and it cleared by itself. This was about 5 years ago. I get the occasional mild flare now but a few dabs of hydrocortisone is enough to shift it. I don't have problems with the handsoap at work now, I still use handgel regularly with no problems, it really has changed my life.

Psoriasis here.

What works for me when it's burning is to bathe in Psoriderm additive (coal tar additive - it stings initially, but then stops both the burn and itching afterwards) and then apply a layer of plain emollient ointment, as apart from the assorted strong steroids, which never caused any issues for me and gave welcome relief, it was the only topical thing that doesn't cause additional pain or irritation.

I do notice that you've got very nice nails, though - could it be related to the polish/gel at all?

I get pompholyx eczema - persistently on my left foot, but occasionally on my hands too and you have my complete sympathy, it's horrendous.

I used to use steroid creams but found stronger and stronger creams weren't helping, so I tapered off as everyone else describes and now try and focus on prevention.

Never use soap, marigolds for washing up, prescription moisturiser or E45 when my hands or feet get wet, and my trigger is 100% stress so I try and mostly fail to stay below a certain level or my hands and foot will let me know about it.

If yours were my hands tonight I'd slather on doublebase or E45 and sleep with gloves or 100% cotton socks on, see if that helps

You are going to think I am bonkers but try Udder Cream. There are several brands on the market. It doesn't work for everyone but worth a try. Holland and Barrett sell one called MooGoo. Even if that one doesn't help, it's a lovely moisturiser that you can use on your face and elsewhere.

That looks more like my hands when I get contact dermatitis. You need to find out what you are allergic too. I had a really bad flare up when the brave of soap st work was changed. Stopped using it and it cleared up. Occupational health referred me for allergy testing.

Aveeno. Just apply throughout day should help

Yes, be careful of TSW. Topical Steriod Withdrawal.

Put hands in tepid water each day for 5 or 10 mins, water covering hands. Dry hands, put on steroid if using and then moisturise. The tepid water introduces moisture.

I used to have body exzema. I used to bathe every day, covering my body with tepid water for 10 mins. Then I patted myself dry, and put on creams. I did this twice a day when bad. Best treatment ever.

We had this issue with steroid creams. We went cold turkey on the steroids and applied epaderm ointment about 20 times a day. Eventually is cleared. Also sudocrem on top of the epaderm to lock the moisture in. This was on elbows though, not sure how easy it is to do on hands

I second baby Aveno. I used to have really bad eczema on my hands. I finally got a doctor who was interested. The steroids cleared it up and then she insisted I slather on lots of aveno every chance I got, including covering my hands and wearing cotton gloves in bed. I also had allergy tests done.

Now if it gets really cold / if I get something I'm allergic to on my hands or the dreaded hand sanitiser, it will come back up, but a bit of hydrocortisone and then loads of aveno sorts it.

Constant vigilance though.

I've every sympathy though, it's horrible on your hands and tough to break the cycle.

Try Balmonds Skin Salvation balm

I think a Dr needs to see it, preferably a Dermatologist. The pictures look like you need to utterly and intensively load your skin with very thick ointment, this will work. Slather it on. Put cotton gloves on it and then rubber gloves if using hands but do not leave them exposed to air. Imagine a huge vat of ointment that you could push your hands into so they came out absolutely covered. Recover every couple of hours. This will work. Hydromol Ointment is the bees knees, when your skin is softer switch to Hydromol Intensive. A Dr may prescribe a Protopic too, if so put it on, wait 15 minutes and slather up with ointment again. Soak in an emollient in water before bed, slather, glove and sleep. On waking too. If you do this for a few days I think you'll get your hands back.

And to all of us with skin conditions, god help us every one with the coming winter NHS and energy crises. Stock up on emollients.

I need to chip in with the comment that Doublebase made my hands sting even more (very glad I didn't try it anywhere else on my body) and quite a few other so called gentle brands did as well.

What worked for me in terms of not causing any reaction at all, even when the skin feels raw is Zeroderma Zeroderm Ointment - it's less than the price of a prescription charge on Amazon, too. A cream really wasn't enough.

I'm so glad you found something that was effective. I think it's trial and error for each of us as individuals. I personally like Doublebase and my DSD hates it! I don't get on with E45. Don't mind Epimax. We have often given each other creams / emollients we've acquired and decided to swerve. DSD is actually a fan of Aveeno and it's a shame she has to pay for it but hey ho.

Btw my Dermatology Dept waiting room has a big basket of samples of dozens of different emollients, bath washes and shampoos for people to take and try. They get send them by the box-load by the pharma companies. It's always worth asking at the desk if they've got any in, if you can't see any laid out.

Vicious photos, sorry! I had a mental period of eczema, I was hospitalised overnight. The doctor told me to never use soap, use an emollient eg Dermol instead of soap. I used Child’s Farm moisturiser as a soothing lotion, lovely stuff.

You’re in a cycle due to the steroid cream, it’s a temporary fix.

Are you using an anti bac hand soap? It can make this really bad, if so.

Try using something like Savlon anti bacterial and anti fungal cream. It’s possible there are some pathogens in there

No anti bac soap, bar soap only and