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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel like eczema is ruining my life

65 replies

JigsawDogg · 18/03/2019 14:13

I am in my 30s and for the past 2 years I have suffered with eczema inside my ear canal.

Due to the location it causes repeat ear infections and is extremely difficult to treat.

I go to the doctors every two weeks for them to remove as much as possible but to be honest I think I need to stop with this as it's causing my canal to swell and restrict my hearing even further.

I am so fed up. When I wake in the morning after lying in bed all night I cannot hear a thing, I mean I can literally look at DH whilst he's talking to me and just see his mouth moving. This lasts until I've been up and walking around for about half an hour.

Throughout the day I can hear but it's definitely restricted and my ears 'pop' constantly throughout the day.

The past two years have been a constant stream of antibiotics and steroids drops/creams/tablets and nothing works.

I am miserable with it and so concerned about my hearing as last time I saw the doctor she finally saw my ear drums (they are rarely visible) and said they had quite significant scarring.

They tell me there is no cure, of course I know there is not for eczema, but AIBU to think there must be something else we can try?

I have had no referrals to the hospital despite the occasional mention of one after me asking but am always told they don't have the staffing in that department at our local hospital so they can't send me there.

OP posts:
Imoan123 · 18/03/2019 16:25

Have you tried child's farm moisturiser? I have eczema on a couple fingers but since using it it has cleared up quite a bit. Only £4 so not wasting a fortune on a prescription if it doesn't work. If it doesn't work then you'll have a nice hand and body lotion.

Spongeface · 18/03/2019 16:32

Watching as I have this too! It's horrible. Worse than anywhere else to have it I think. Will get the farm moisturiser to try thanks pp

Gintonic · 18/03/2019 16:33

I think you need to see a specialist as this could affect your hearing long term. Don't take long waiting lists as an excuse, insist on a referral. While you are waiting to be seen, could you afford to go privately?

Kanelbullar · 18/03/2019 16:36

Hi Jigsaw

I've just come back from a hospital dermatology appointment for eczema and understand it's flipping miserable. I saw my GP last week and he referred me as urgent cancer case as he suspected it was skin cancer. It wasn't it - was discoid eczema and I need some very strong steroids to get it under control. My point is my GP did not know what it was but took my care seriously to get it checked by a specialist. I can't imagine putting up with it for two years and it affecting my hearing. I would say insist on a referral to see a hospital consultant. Can you see a different GP at the same surgery and see if they will refer you? It really sounds like it's affecting your quality of life and stress can make eczema worse. I'd tell my GP to send me I need to see a specialist for both my ears and my eczema

Hope this helps

cookiemonster3 · 18/03/2019 16:36

You need to insist on a referral.

What have the prescribed? Is the eczema in the ear drum or just in the canal? What steroid and moisturisers have the prescribed so far?

I've also suffered with it in my ears but thankfully I grew out of it. I still get dry itchy skin in the summer and need to use moisturiser and apply it with a cotton bud.

Original poster
JigsawDogg · 18/03/2019 16:54

Thank you all.

I have asked about a referral but am told they don't have the staffing to offer the service anymore at my local hospital so they are doing cleans at my GP instead (which they tell me is all they'd do at the hospital.. which I'm not sure is correct now).

In terms of what I've had, I can't remember all names but most recently had a course of oral antibiotics and then ciprofloxacin drops. I had to stop the drops not long after they were prescribed as they helped the infection but dried the existing eczema even more and made it worse. I am now on my way to pick up steroid drops to ease the eczema (apparently).

I have used Dovobet Gel in the past which helped ease the soreness and soften the skin but it's so incredibly difficult to get it into my ear sufficiently to make a difference.

The eczema is of my ear canal but (sorry TMI) as the skin dies and flakes away, it gets stuck in my ear which blocks the whole canal and my ear drum and gets infected. Basically, they prescribe antibiotics which clear the infection but make the eczema worse, they then prescribe something to sooth the eczema but by the time I go back again I have another infection. It is relentless.

I don't know how to push this further if they are telling me our hospital doesn't offer any service for ears Sad can they refer me to another hospital outside of our catchment area?

I'm also cautious of whether I can use any standard eczema creams etc... With me having to put it right into my ear.

OP posts:
MoniqueTonique · 18/03/2019 16:55

You definitely need a referral. If there's any way you can go private I would recommend it. That was the only way we sorted out my DS's severe eczema, GP wasn't interested even though it was massively affecting his quality of life. 💐 for you, I hope you get it sorted.

Original poster
JigsawDogg · 18/03/2019 16:59

I did have eczema as a child but only very mildly. Bizarrely it's actually a hell of a lot worse now I'm an adult unfortunately. It may just be because of the location though.

OP posts:
bert3400 · 18/03/2019 17:02

Another vote for Child's Farm . It clears my son's stress eczema up in a few hours and a friend of mines baby had terrible eczema, but this as also cleared up with Child's Farm

Kanelbullar · 18/03/2019 17:02

Yes they can refer you out of area. I went to hospital today that was 15 miles away and under a different CCG. I am very surprised you can't see a dermatologist anywhere for a general appointment. Please ask to be referred for a general appointment and good luck

bingoitsadingo · 18/03/2019 17:03

Have you tried a water softener? My brother had really really severe eczema, it ruled our lives. After a week spent somewhere with particularly soft water it all but disappeared, so my parents installed a water softener at home and it basically completely cleared it up. I wouldn't have believed it could make such a difference if I hadn't seen it happen. Even now he's moved out, it's slightly worse but nowhere near what it was.

Original poster
JigsawDogg · 18/03/2019 17:31

Right thank you so much for the suggestions. I guess with it needing to go inside my ears, I should check before using my own creams? I'll have a look at child's farm - thank you x

Re a water softener, no I haven't! We do live in a soft water area already but I'll look into it.

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 18/03/2019 17:34

Have you looked into Aloevera? The plant rather than creams. You break a leaf for the juice.

Cleared all my kids exzema in a few days and never returned

64sNewName · 18/03/2019 17:34

That sounds hard. Ear stuff is hard to deal with, so is eczema - both together must really, truly suck. Hope you manage to find some relief Flowers

steff13 · 18/03/2019 17:48

Do you swim? Bleach baths are great for eczema, maybe swimming, letting pool water get in your ears might help? I'd dry them out with a cotton swab afterward, but maybe?

MissConductUS · 18/03/2019 17:53

Ask your doctor if your case is appropriate for one of the biologic drugs that are now commonly used for eczema.

nationaleczema.org/understanding-biologic-drugs/

Original poster
JigsawDogg · 18/03/2019 17:57

steff13 I don't swim but was told by my doctor to stop any water going in my ears if I were to. I have to try hard not to get any in when I wash my hair etc... too

I'm going back next week so I'm going to insist the refer me to another hospital. The way they've worded it has made out as though there's no other option because my local hospital doesn't offer anything for it.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 18/03/2019 18:06

You need a referral. If they won't do it have you considered going privately?

Average fees for someone self-funding would be £250 ish for a first appointment and £200 ish for follow up.

On the very few times I have seen some one privately they have been very considerate of the fact we were self-funding and not done unnecessary tests or follow- up. You may only need to see the consultant once or twice just to have an expert say what actually needs doing.

If you are getting no joy and this is in anyway affordable for you, then do it.

MissConductUS · 18/03/2019 18:09

Eczema is an immune system disease. Your immune system is attacking your skin. Topical treatments will only give symptomatic relief. What makes the biologic drugs so useful is that they can in many cases block the attack from happening.

I have a different immune system disease, ulcerative colitis that I suffered terribly with for many years. The only medication that worked was prednisone, which has terrible side effects and can only be taken for short periods. Then I went on a biologic medication for it and after a few months I went into complete remission. It was like a bloody miracle.

Do press for better treatment. It is out there.

QuirkyQuark · 18/03/2019 18:14

You definitely need a referral and your Gp can't deny you one. I'm sure immune suppressants like methotrexate are used with excema so it might be you need something like that or similar.

What you don't want to be is on steroids for years when there are other newer and more effective treatments out there that can only be prescribed by consultants.

I'm on biologic drugs and methotrexate for adifferent disease and they've changed my life.

GenericHamster · 18/03/2019 18:17

Quite possibly irrelevant but my SIL had eczema in her ear canal and for her she found it was caused by dairy food.

BunloafAndCrumpets · 18/03/2019 18:17

I get this too OP, and so do my brother and mum. My mum got a derm referral as she needed hearing aids for (unconnected) hearing loss and the eczema was a big problem as you can imagine. The doc gave her this steroid hair was stuff which is apparently for scalp psoriasis. It was amazing and my brother and I both used it! Think it's run out now.

Anyway, I really came to say, have you tried cutting out dairy? It's a common eczema trigger I think. I've been breastfeeding my dairy allergic baby and cut it out. Ears are much much better. May be a coincidence but worth a try maybe?

BlackPrism · 18/03/2019 18:25

Could you get put on methotrexate? Have you been sent to a specialist?

My dermatologist got rid of the eczema which was spread over my entire back and would bleed. Obviously I still have tiny patches (atopic since birth).

BlackPrism · 18/03/2019 18:26

@Imoan123 FFS how could she apply child's farm (which made my eczema 5x worse btw) in her EAR CANAL.

BlackPrism · 18/03/2019 18:27

I also take v strong antihistamines for mine (hydroxine)

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