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Original poster

To be fucked off with this dermatologist and want to cry/smack him?

173 replies

SneakyGremlins · 19/05/2018 15:18

Skin issues AGAIN Sad

I've been on immunosuppressants for a month to try and tackle a really bad eczema flare up, which got serious enough to land me in A+E with suspected sepsis. I was previously on steroid tablets which cleared it up, but was told I couldn't stay on them.

Saw the dermatologist yesterday and let him know that the eczema is coming back worse than ever, despite immunosuppressants, and that I've been experiencing side effects - nausea, and feeling extremely disoriented and woozy for hours on end Sad

All he said was "We can't keep switching you from drug to drug", and that was that Sad He handed me a prescription for two more months of immunosuppressants, and sent me away.

This is just too much to handle, I can't go through all this again Sad I have the doctor on Monday, is there anything I can say?

I would genuinely rather have 40 years less lifespan and have them be clear skinned years Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
SneakyGremlins · 22/05/2018 18:17

I will get some evening primrose oil in, and start saving for lush dream cream. might take a while

No comment on homeopathy but I'm getting to the point where I think I may as well...

OP posts:
MiggeldyHiggins · 22/05/2018 19:19

if you want to waste your money on water and sugar pills go ahead. You might as well pray, chant or use crystals though.

picklemepopcorn · 22/05/2018 21:43

Miggle, I expect sneaky would "pray, chant and use crystals", all at the same time, while standing on one leg if there was any hope it might work!

The body seems to be deeply mysterious, and sometimes surprising things help.

KnownUnknowns · 23/05/2018 09:20

@ Sneaky I really feel for you. I have found many things that have improved my eczema - many mentioned below, I used to have eczema all over my body it is now restricted to a big flare on my hands once a month while I'm about to ovulate...it took bloody ages for me to figure out my eczema was affected by hormones...it's one of the reasons some people on low carb diets see an improvement - the low insulin levels has a knock on effect on your other hormones.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that you shouldn't assume the allergy tests the doctor gives you are gospel - they didn't show up any of my food sensitivities. And for my ds who suffers from Allergic Oesophagitis his Gastro consultant dismissed the allergy tests completely due to false positives and missing foods that really do cause a reaction to his oesophagus - proved by biopsy but just don't show up with tradition allergy tests. So I'm saying don't give up on looking for a food trigger - one month is really not long enough, especially if your skin is very inflamed, you won't start to feel better for maybe 3 months and for some it's up to 6 months - but it is worth it.

MiggeldyHiggins · 23/05/2018 09:30

The body seems to be deeply mysterious, and sometimes surprising things help

Physics isn't that mysterious, and homeopathy doesn't help. Or prayer!

KnownUnknowns · 23/05/2018 09:36

Prayer apparently does help - wasn’t there a study done on it.

MiggeldyHiggins · 23/05/2018 09:40

there's been studies done on lots of things, doesn't always mean anything.

KnownUnknowns · 23/05/2018 09:44

But there are many things science doesn’t understand about the body - the gut is a prime example.

KnownUnknowns · 23/05/2018 09:48

Cure - a journey into the science by Jo Marchant is a good read.

frogsoup · 23/05/2018 09:54

If your eczema is staph based, we have started using a product called staphefekt on DD and I'm cautiously calling miracle. It is new and not yet nice approved (so costs a fortune), targets staph bacteria but is not an antibiotic, some kind of enzyme I think. It's taken a month or so but her skin is as clear as it's ever been. I am only using 1% steroid cream on the odd sore bit, which given where we were is astounding. Prior to that I was using fucidin cream daily on her long-term and bugger the risk of resistance, because the alternative was oral antibiotics and high-dose steroids at least once a month for full body infections. I also use Norwegian formula hand cream (unscented) as an overall body emollient, it seems to moisturise better than anything else I've tried (and I've gone through all of boots and all of the gps emollient offerings!).

frogsoup · 23/05/2018 09:56

NB we use the gel not the cream version of staphefekt as latter has lanolin in which it turns out DD is allergic to!

frogsoup · 23/05/2018 10:01

And omg I've also mentally committed gbh on the 'have you tried aveeno/olive oil/offerings to the skin gods' brigade. Though I'm still occasionally tempted by the 'offerings to the skin gods' option I must admit.

Embarrassed89 · 23/05/2018 10:02

Firstly Flowers for you OP, eczema is horrendous! Mine used to be mild and manageable until last year I had a severe flare up, I had lots of infected deep lesions and my arm crease was so inflamed like tree bark I struggled to simply move it. After trying as many rememedies I’d heard from others including diets bla bla bla to no avail I booked an appointment with a private senior dermatologist. I had such high expectations, thinking allergy tests would be the answer to everything etc but left VERY disappointed. The derm refused to consider allergy testing saying I wouldn’t get the answers I was hoping for, there was no cure for eczema and that I’d have to learn to manage it with some stronger steroids. Later on, I read about staphylococcus aureus and the relationship with eczema. I started to try medical grade Manuka honey (strong antibacterial properties) bandages to stop me scratching in the night, and kill the staph. it did not cure me don’t want to get your hopes up however it was the first thing that helped!!! There is also the Dr Aron treatment (haven’t used) which uses antibiotics and steroids to manage the staph, and like a PP mentioned Gladskin a Dutch product which kills staphylococcus aureus

CryHavoc · 23/05/2018 10:05

I really feel for you, OP, it can be utterly miserable, especially the way something that seems to be working suddenly stops working.
Have you tried Gladskin? It contains Staphefeckt mentioned above, and worked really well when I was in the middle of a huge flare up. At the moment I am managing with Dream Cream and eucerin, but it's great to know that I can switch back to the Gladskin if (when) it gets bad again. Good luck to you, and to all of the other sufferers on this thread.

Embarrassed89 · 23/05/2018 10:09

“...skin of patients with atopic eczema carries high levels of Staphylococcus aureus, which correlate with the severity of the eczema. Staphylococcus aureus releases a toxin with superantigenic actions which initiates a vicious circle in atopic eczema.”
Extracted quote from a 1996 paper in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology

OP, have you ever experienced boils or follucilitis? That’s another big sign of staph - I noticed I suffered whenever my eczema flares

frogsoup · 23/05/2018 10:12

Ah yes thanks I knew there was a brand name for the cream but couldn't remember what it was!

frogsoup · 23/05/2018 10:15

And yes to Dr Aron, what we were doing prior to the gladskin was a modified diy version of his regime (couldn't afford to a consultation with him!), which also worked well, but I wasn't entire comfortable with the long-term daily use of both antibiotics and steroids, the gladskin seems a better bet in that respect.

CryHavoc · 23/05/2018 10:18

It's like magic, isn't it, frogsoup? I couldn't believe the difference it made.

KnownUnknowns · 23/05/2018 10:29

have you ever experienced boils or follucilitis? This is also a symptom of hidradenitis suppurativa which is often confused with a staph infection for years .

ppeatfruit · 23/05/2018 11:00

I don't want to get into a row about homeopathy but it cured ds's when he was a baby, it took the stronger chinese meds to cure his asthma though. Oh and NO dairy at all. nada never!

I do think that EPO will help, it's expensive and you'll need to take quite a bit, but your diet will also have to change, If it hasn't already, more fresh green foods, oily fish etc. and keep at it!!!! Good luck !

MiggeldyHiggins · 23/05/2018 15:34

There's no need to have a row, homeopathy didn't cure your kid and neither did chinese herbs cure his asthma. Hmm

We know this cos Science, so no row necessary.

ppeatfruit · 23/05/2018 15:44

Sorry there is a row necessary. Since when has science been the end all and be all? You know do you? What are all the OTC medicines based on then ? Herbs that's what, like the chinese herbal treatments which do work actually.

The scientist takes a herb and removes ONE active ingredient and mixes it with other stuff and markets it to the NHS at an inflated price Often it doesn't work. Why would the OP be in such pain if they worked???

MiggeldyHiggins · 23/05/2018 15:47

Since when has science been the end all and be all

Fuck me, really? That's your argument? Since when has science got anything to do with our understand of human bodies, and plant matter, and how they interact?
And that because medicines don't always work for everyone, then water and sugar are a magical cure?

Use whatever useless shit you want on yourself. but don't recommend it to others and treat your kids with actual medicine when they need it.

KnownUnknowns · 23/05/2018 15:59

treat your kids with actual medicine when they need it. If only there was a medicine that actually worked when you needed it.

ppeatfruit · 23/05/2018 16:00

ALL of them work don't they? NOT.
Real scientific experiments are almost impossible because every variable has to be controlled. Even Mr Ben Goldacre had a huge go at Big Pharma who twist the results of their 'scientific' tests and often market stuff that is actually HARMFUL. As I said If it was so good why is anyone ill ? Why are the hospitals full of ill people?