Infected skin not clearing up!

[Couldntthinkofanamechange35]

Name changed (and couldn’t think of a new username!)

Does anyone have any experience with recurrent infected eczema/psoriasis? I’m not sure which one it actually is, I’ve heard both mentioned by medical staff so I suppose it doesn’t matter! Anyway, it keeps getting infected, and my head is covered in weepy, wet sores that crust over and bleed. It looks like impetigo sometimes. Then other times it looks like raw grazes. There’s several patches on my head, each about 2-3 inches big.

It’s really uncomfortable and hurts to touch my head, and even though it’s mainly covered by my hair, it’s embarrassing too.

I’ve tried antibiotics and steroid creams which work for a couple of days, then it all starts back up again. It was swabbed at the start and was positive, but hasn’t been swabbed recently so I’m not sure if it’s infected anymore or if it’s just a bad eczema flare up.

I’ve asked for help before but asking for help here today in case anyone has had anything similar or knows of anything that would help. My doctor has been really helpful and I am waiting on a dermatology referral as it has been going on for well over a year now. Has anyone else had this or knows of anything that could help?

Positive for what, when it was swabbed?

Hi, that sounds difficult, dermatology referral will def help.
When I had this I needed antibiotics, antibiotic cream plus "bleach" baths. Its not actually a bleach bath but you use Milton sterilising solution (similar to swimming pool water), google it.
Hope this helps

Following as my DM has similar issue on her scalp. GP has given her lots of shampoos, steroid creams etc to use but nothing has worked. It started off with a small patch behind her ear then spread. Poor DM hasn't been near the hairdressers in months due to embarrassment.

Sorry no advice as such, but I do sympathise. Has your GP said how long you'll wait for your derm referral?

Sorry I should have said in the original post! A swab tested positive for staphylococcus aureus (I hope I’ve spelled it right!).

At that time the infection was on other areas too (my face and outer ear) and the swab was taken from my ear (at the opening of the ear canal). These have since cleared up but my head sores have never quite gone away (and stayed away!). Although my head wasn’t swabbed at the start, because it started there and spread to my face/ears afterwards, I assume it was all part of the same infection and if the sores on my ears were positive then I assume the sores on my head are the same infection. The antibiotics helped but then the sores on my head came back a few days later

I’ll google bleach baths right now, thank you!

Definitely try the bleach baths, I had antibiotics twice and it didn't clear up until I started the bleach baths.

Hope it helps

Oh your poor DM- so sorry she is going through that No, I haven’t heard anything yet and it will be coming up to a year since the referral soon. Is your DM waiting on a referral too?

Has your GP chased the referral? I thought you had to be seen within 18 weeks or something?

The bleach baths sound good! (Well not good, but like they would help!) I will try and post a photo below as its hard to explain. I know it’s not particularly serious but it’s really painful to touch my head now, so lying down and sleeping is sore and doing my hair is a struggle with the pain (priorities ha!) I’ll see if I can post a picture below to see if anyone has had anything similar.

@PragmaticWench

Has your GP chased the referral? I thought you had to be seen within 18 weeks or something?

No not as far as I’m aware, I wasn’t aware of this guideline. Is that across the whole of the UK? I’m not in England or Wales if that changes it.

*Has your GP chased the referral? I thought you had to be seen within 18 weeks or something?

Wait times are in years currently. Do you live in a bubble?

There are a group of treatments called TCIs, I'm not sure if your GP can prescribe them but it's worth asking. I found Elidel very effective with eczema that would not shift.

eczema.org/information-and-advice/treatments-for-eczema/topical-calcineurin-inhibitors/

(The eighteen week guideline does not apply currently, and is unlikely to do so for a long time.)

[quote CorrBlimeyGG]There are a group of treatments called TCIs, I'm not sure if your GP can prescribe them but it's worth asking. I found Elidel very effective with eczema that would not shift.

eczema.org/information-and-advice/treatments-for-eczema/topical-calcineurin-inhibitors/[/quote]
I’ve not tried anything like this yet so sounds like it could be worth a shot! It’s a relief to know there’s options and I’m not running out of things to help with it. Thank you

Hey, if the swab was positive the antibiotic cream might not work, I’ve had oral antibiotics for the same thing before. Your GP should be able to prescribe them soon (sending in a pic if you can’t get an appointment). Stress to the receptionist that it could spread further and become serious, the antibiotics should clear it up in a few days!

@CorrBlimeyGG

(The eighteen week guideline does not apply currently, and is unlikely to do so for a long time.)

Yeah, I thought this might be the case. I suppose with dermatology they will cover suspected skin cancers too which obviously must be seen ASAP therefore it will understandably be a very busy department even without the extra stress of covid.

Have they given you oral antibiotics specifically for Staph? Did they say it was MRSA or just Staph?

You need to get to the root cause. I strongly advise that you review your diet; most skin ailments clear up with the absence of all wheat and all sugar. Cut wheat and sugar first; give it a few weeks for your body to heal. If there’s no significant improvement, cut dairy because excess can sometimes be dairy or seed oils. Eat clean and you will improve your overall health, your skin will follow.

I am not sure if it is exactly what you need, but my daughter who got repeated infected eczema now gets dermol on prescription, which contains an antiseptic and moisturiser. We have found it to be very good.

Not “excess” - I meant eczema!

TRIGGER WARNING to look away if you’re squeamish as I’ve attached some photos of the bad patches on my scalp

I don’t think it looks like eczema or psoriasis because it’s open and weeping and when I googled these things the pictures seemed very different to mine but I’m not used to having eczema so maybe it is just a flare up and i’m not sure what it’s supposed to look like. These photos are all taken on my scalp and back of my head when it was particularly bad. I’ve had different types of oral antibiotics which cleared the infection in my ear and face and my scalp cleared up for a few days, however it just came back after this and started all over again. Really sorry about the disgusting scalp photos, just desperate for a solution to stop all this

@JuneOsborne

Have they given you oral antibiotics specifically for Staph? Did they say it was MRSA or just Staph?

They didn’t say anything about MRSA but said it was staphylococcus aureus which was resistant to penicillin. I’ve had various oral antibiotics which cleared up the infection in some areas but not my head

That’s actually a good point, I hadn’t thought of my diet. I try to eat healthily but I’ll look at my diet and see if I can cut out the sugar and dairy. Thank you!

@HTruffle

I am not sure if it is exactly what you need, but my daughter who got repeated infected eczema now gets dermol on prescription, which contains an antiseptic and moisturiser. We have found it to be very good.

I think I might have tried Dermol already (I’ll double check just in case) but thanks for the help anyway, I’m glad it helped your daughter