Eczema/Allergy/Sensitivity around mouth: getting me very down

[ecofreckle]

For as long as I can remember I have had a problem (mostly over the winter months) around my mouth with eczema. It is mostly on my upper lip and up to my just below my nose. It is red, itchy and very unsightly. I have photos but no idea how to link to them. Covering it up with make up is a no no as it makes it worse. I spend a lot of time outdoors and it does get worse in cold and wind and rain (hence being very bad this winter!).

I have tried doctors who prescribed weak hydrocortisone or a Canestan/hydrocortisone mix. These may have helped a little in the past but not any longer. I fear years of using them has damaged the skin in this area because it's very very old looking now and I'm only 38 :-( Doctors have said it's unlikely to be food allergy linked because eczema everywhere else is fine. I do sometimes get it on my hands but not badly for years.

I have tried pharmacist who suggested Blistex or sudocrem. Neither help.

I have tried experimenting with wash powders and moisturisers. I currently use a dermalogica cleanser for sensitive skins and now use Boots No 7 for very dry skin moisturiser as the dermalogica one was just too expensive. I have tried body shop hemp moisturiser.

This eczema was NOT a problem at all for the duration of my pregnancy by the way.

Any advice about what to try next or what might have worked for you, or in fact, if you have this problem too? Do you have a good moisturiser to suggest? Or perhaps some sort of barrier cream for use outdoors? Or maybe even a guess at what might be causing it in the first place please? Thank you.

[Thankgoodnessforcheerios]

That's great! Hope it clears up and you get to the bottom of what's causing it.

[ecofreckle]

well! it is much better :-) I still look a sight but it's certainly better. In fact I managed a good old snog session with dh
It's a great moisturiser. I'm not sure why it says use once a day. I may contact them and ask. I need twice a day and maybe a bit in between too. I still need to get to bottom of what causes it ideally but for now this is a good step I think. But it's early days! Thank you!

[Thankgoodnessforcheerios]

previously Irishclaire

[Thankgoodnessforcheerios]

I'm itching to know of the results, excuse the pun :)

[Neepandthedragon]

Irishclaire that is very encouraging, I am going to get some asap.

[Irishclaire]

Fingers crossed it works for you ecofreckle, my ds has flare ups every now and again, side of face and behind his knees and within 2 days the la roche seems to do the trick. I also use it as an all over moisturiser once a week after a bath, he is 2, and actually likes the taste of it Neepandthe dragon, he licks his lips and licks it off his feet, but then he is strange :)

[Neepandthedragon]

I think it was zinc but can't quite remember, she tested for a few though, and recommended a multivit as a precaution despite the results not finding anything.

He has sores too, which most creams seem to sting although it may help as a preventative when not so flared up. Its good to hear the taste and smell are inoffensive. I bought some ozenated olive oil once, which he refused as he didn't like the smell - have you tried that? I was also thinking about honey/bee propolis products as they are meant to be healing and good with sores. Its such a difficult area to treat because you can't zap it with stronger steroids.

And thanks yes I really wish I could make it go away for him, eczema is so not fun, the upside for my son is that he is blissfully unaware of his appearance. I have had eczema on my face in the past too so I really sympathise with you on this.

[Piscivorus]

Special ointments are not something that would be nationally known.
In the olden days when doctors and pharmacists used to make up their own medicines, as opposed to prescribing ready made stuff they would often develop their own favourites and rather than writing out all the ingredients for each patient they would just say special ointment, Dr A's cough bottle, etc and the local pharmacist would know what they meant. A pharmacist not local to that doctor would not know the recipe (or could even think of special ointment as a different recipe preferred by their local doctor) and a young pharmacist would have no idea of these preparations at all.

This one Auntie mentions sounds like it has icthammol in. The only way you would get this is to get the "recipe" and have a pharmacist make it for you but there aren't many who will make stuff up any more or to ask that pharmacy that make it to post you some.

[ecofreckle]

Neep interesting....vitamin and mineral deficiency is that? I will mention to doc next week.

Funnily enough I just slathered the la Roche stuff on for the first time as I'm just out of the bath. It actually stings a little but the eczema is small open sores at present so inevitable probably. It is fragrance and paraben free I notice on the pack. I just licked my lips and there doesn't seem to be a taste. The tube was about 13 pounds I think but it's huge at 200ml so I'm guessing it will last. It feels good so far. I will post again. Your poor son, it's no fun.

[Neepandthedragon]

oh and his dermatologist tested for deficiencies which she said can cause persistent eczema round the mouth. Thought it was worth mentioning.

[Neepandthedragon]

Hi eco, my son suffers with this too so watching this thread with interest. The la Roche product sounds good, I had never heard of it either. Please update or pm me if it works and also does it smell/taste weird he is very fussy with creams in that area and refuses aveeno round his mouth.

[ecofreckle]

IrishClaire I bought the la Roche product today from boots so thanks for that heads up. I've been into boots loads to chat about my skin and have never been steered to this range so thanks for drawing my attention to it.

I mentioned the 'special ointment' to my pharmacist today who looked at me like this
I'm still keen to hear from any other adults who might have a similar problem to me, if any
of you are out there. Thank you

[ecofreckle]

bumping in case there are any eczema sufferers out there with some ideas and a moment to spare. I can't kiss my dh! It's getting desperate

[ecofreckle]

lovely Claire, thanks! I'm happy to go a bit bananas and buy the lot. Just got to try and use one at a time for a fair period of time. I want it all!

[Irishclaire]

I find the only cream that works for my son's excema is La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume, it is also an anti-irritant.I have tried everything! You can get it from boots 200mls is £13.50. Hope you find a solution

[ecofreckle]

I haven't tried that on my face no, but am willing to try pretty much anything. I am prone to spotty chin which is a delightful combo but one I've been careful about when it comes to slinging grease on my mush I guess I just need to treat each zone with different stuff. I wonder if that's another prescription job to mention to doc or whether it's an over the counter job? thanks for the idea.

[LCK]

Have you tried one of the heavy emollients like hydromol? Could be a good barrier to the cold too?

[ecofreckle]

auntie that sounds like something that you should ask for with a wink! I have yet another doc appointment week after next so I'll ask. Thank you.
Mrs another suggestion, thank you. Do you suggest that as an emollient? I'll about that too. Thanks.
Rempy Yikes!!! I hope it doesn't get that bad. Never heard of what you mention but some bits fit description. However, it is very bloody itchy and there is certainly no gap between lip and problem. In fact my lips don't have any definition on the top at all.....they just blend in with the sore patch and look generally yuck. Again, I will mention it though.

Anyone else out there with any stories to share please?

[rempy]

You really do have to treat for ages, and stick with it.

I had it a couple of years ago......

[rempy]

www.patient.co.uk/health/perioral-dermatitis-leaflet

This link, which I haven't linked at al I don't think, has more, and a really rather gruesome photo!

[rempy]

I have an idea. It may not be eczema. Go back to GP and ask if it could be peri-oral dermatitis. It's treated with an antibiotic cream, or tablets, not steroid. It's often mistaken for eczema, and will briefly get better with steroid, but come back. In fact, steroids can actually trigger it.

[MrsKent]

Dermol 500

[Auntierosemary]

Ps Vaseline is a good barrier cream for going out in the cold, I find...

[Auntierosemary]

We have found an amazing potion that works to clear up eczema almost overnight on my two daughters. It's called "special ointment number one". (Sounds unlikely, I know...)

They don't make it any more but our chemist makes it for us specially. Some friends told me they used to get it for their kids 10-15 years ago but my Gp hadn't heard of it. The chemist had so she wrote the ingredients down and asked the doc to prescribe them, then she mixed it. I know it has zinc oxide and something like ictheum paste in it. It smells like creosote and looks like clay, but apparently it is safe to use on your face and I know it clears up my girls' eczema patches within a few days.

Worth asking your Gp/chemist about?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Not sure sorry, hopefully someone will be along soon...