What are the ill effects of steroid cream for eczema?

[rastababi]

Poor DD has got a terrible outburst of eczema. All over her face, neck, chest, arm and leg crevices

GP prescribed a big goody bag of lotions to try out, one of which is a steroid cream (hydrocortisone).

She advised me to only use it occasionally or when her eczema is particularly bad, which obviously I will.

A friend of mine also suffers from awful eczema and often tells me she avoids using steroid cream when she can.

Does anyone know the ill/side effects?

I have to use it on DDs face, even her eye lids. She's 2.

TIA.

[Rhian82]

We have Aveeno prescribed for DS (24 months), it is brilliant.

We use hydrocortisone when we have to - rarely nowadays, but a lot when he was younger. It really is better than the alternative when their eczema's bad. DH and I both have eczema too so we're used to the 'moisturiser all the time, steroid when it flares' routine.

[Needaname]

The only thing that has helped DD is Diprobase used religiously (at least twice per day when bad or going that way) and streoid cream to 'kill off' the worst of the reaction. We now only get to the steroid cream stage when we're not careful enough about putting on the diprobase.

[emptyshell]

My brother had what his hospital dermatologist described as "the worst case of childhood eczema he'd ever seen". We worried to death about the sideeffects of steroid creams - but his consultant said that it really was only a warning against unecessary use and not to worry.

His was so bad he spent most of his childhood in bandages, had no eyebrows because he'd scratched all the hair out, and people would occasionally ask in the street what was wrong with him as it was so visible (I'd rather they asked than assume to be honest).

The steroid creams come in different strengths - use the lowest strength needed at the time. We used to have about 10 different ones on the go of different levels, some with anti-infection stuff in as well (that didn't half dye your clothes an attractive shade of urine yellow). Get some form of emollient cream to get moisture back into the skin and use that a heck of a lot as well - most docs start you off on aqueous cream because it's the cheapest, then E45, then Diprobase... my brother developed sensitivities to aqueous and E45 over time, to the point he'd scream in pain if you put them on his skin - he still goes through two massive pump action dispensers of Diprobase a month now and he's meant to use it instead of soap to wash with as well (but of course that doesn't pull the birds so he slums it up with Lynx like most blokes). You can also get Oilatum or Balneium to put into your bathwater to moisturise as well - that works, but it don't half make your bath look shite over the years as it builds up (we're not domestic goddesses in our family which might be why as well)... can get a shower version of one of them as well - I forget which is which. We had literally two shelves in the bathroom with all this stuff building up when his was at his worst!

If it's any consolation - he's grown almost out of his as he's grown up (and it was utterly horrific as a kid), and I've grown back INTO the damned thing!

Check you've got the right strength one for her face as well - we had different ones AGAIN for his face, but if you're using it because you need to - don't stress the sideeffects!

[Takver]

Is diprobase a prescription thing or over the counter?

Have eczema in unmentionable places, and desperately trying to find a solution . . .

And another voice to say check everything for lanolin - awful lot of eczema sufferers allergic.

Presume you have been advised to wash clothes in very very harmless powder - my dad & I both have to wash socks/undies in no powder at all, and everything else in ecover non-bio or something similar (doesn't get them clean, but that or raging eczema everywhere - even gets triggered by the sheets if I visit other peoples houses for more than a day or so)

[GrimmaTheNome]

Over the counter

[Rhian82]

We were recommended Fairy Non Bio (was using Ecover before) and that made a big difference.

[badfairy]

E45 nightmare if your react to lanolin as pp said. I also used a lot of steroid creams as a child for bad eczema I have some skin thinning at age 42 but nothing noticeable to people who don't know and it hasn't caused me any problems the main issue I did have was that after using the steroids I seemed to need stronger and stronger creams to get the same relief and eventually they stopped working for me. My eczema finally went when I was about 22 I still have dry sensitive skin but as long as I don't get too hot, too cold or use certain chemicals I'm fine.

[lollypoplady]

Hydrocortisone thins the skin, that's why they say to spread it very sparingy and wash hands after use. It works very well as a short term treatment but you need to make sure you follow the instructions carefully!

[mousymouse]

another one to look out for is dimethicone (silicone). it*s in most highstreet and chemist creams and I reacted badly to it. apparently it can "seal" the skin so it cannot "breathe" anymore resulting in skin eruptions in some people. took me ages to find this one out...

[lollypoplady]

Just to add we had aquaous (spelling?!) cream for both of our DC's eczema and found E45 worked much better. We also discovered the eczema was caused by the hard water in our area and has cleared up since we installed a water softener. Hope this helps!

[TiredofTelford]

Try nettle soap from highlandfresh.com. My mum spotted it first but two of my friends have tried it and say it works!

[Sassyfrassy]

Avenoo cream is really good. Scratchsleeves are great to keep little ones scratching.

DH has had excema since he was little. It's particularly bad on his hands. The constant use of steroids over the years has most definately thinned the skin, its very very noticeable.

Just want to reiterate what others have said, avoid aqueous cream. It has detergent in it and can make excema much much worse.