Severe Eczema

[Oakleygirl]

Help, my adult ds has severe eczema. It's affecting his life badly at the moment. He has had it since childhood but the last few years it has flared up so badly it affects his sleep, so impacting on his worklife.

He's tried every cream on the market, changed his diet, seen doctors and dermatologists....we are at our wits end, He is covered in it from head to toe. The dermatologist confirmed it's eczema and basically diagnosed it as genetic.

Have any of you tried anything unusual that we could try please?

[dameofdilemma]

If the strong steroid creams haven't cleared it he needs to go back to his GP/dermatologist - he may need an oral steroid or (if that doesn't work but it very likely will work) an immune suppressant treatment.

Medical treatment for severe eczema broadly goes:
Weak steroid cream
Stronger steroid cream
Oral steroid
Immune suppressant treatment

If he leaves it to get worse and worse, it will be harder to treat and risks becoming infected. He needs to clear it completely then regularly moisturise, use small amounts of weaker steroid cream regularly on mild patches, avoid triggers (eg perfume, soaps) etc. to keep it under control.

By all means he could try dietary changes, alternative medicines/creams etc at the same time but not as a substitute for medical treatment, if his eczema is severe.

[Oakleygirl]

Thanks for all your comments, much appreciated. He's seen a dermatologist, changed his diet, tried strong steroid creams given by the dermatologist, all to no avail. JiltedJohnsJulie he lives with his dad and does his own washing but I've had the conversation re washing powder/liquid as that seems the most obvious irritant to me, but he says he has tried loads of different ones to see if it helped, but no luck.

I think the only thing he hasn't tried is apple cider vinegar, so JKCR2017 I'll get some for him to try! Thanks.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

And I know it sounds simple but what do you wash his clothes in OP?

[Dontbuymesocks]

My DS has eczema and we apply cream about 8 times per day, sometimes 10. The itching is caused by the dryness so the more emollient you add, the better. Applying it morning and evening just isn’t enough for my son, so I would really suggest that he applies cream as often as is practical - it makes a huge difference to my son. We use a combination of Aveeno,Cetraben and Epaderm. They are all available over-the-counter. However, I would urge him to visit his GP again and asked for another referral to dermatology. A different consultant may offer a different type of treatment. Skin conditions are notoriously difficult to treat and GPs are often not best placed to do this. Our dermatologist gave us a very strong steroid treatment on prescription, followed by a slightly less strong treatment, both of which can only be used for a few days. However, the difference is incredible. Don’t let him be fobbed off - the right treatment can make a world of difference but it takes trial and error to find out what is best for him. It may take multiple visits to dermatology before they find the right cocktail. Good luck.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Has he ever seen an Allergy Specialist? My eczema has disappeared since I was diagnosed with CMPA and I’ve cut out all dairy.

[JKCR2017]

Have you tried child’s farm producta? Obviously they are targeted for use by children but I have heard good things about it.

Apple cider vinegar can help eczema. I used to put some in the bath!

Other than that I’m not much help sorry.

[MrsWhirly]

Has he ever tested for allergies?

My children both had eczema as a symptom of their allergy to milk and egg. My husband will also develop patches of it if he eats too much egg.

[PJ67]

Hi. Ive not got experience with eczema but my 2 sons have had homeopathy for other problems in the past and it seems to have worked really well. In my area GP's can refer for homeopathy on the NHS but I know that isn't the same everywhere. May be worth a try.