At end of my tether - eczema and stupidly itchy dry skin - HELP!

[Theoneandonlyitchymcitch]

As I sit here, smothered in aveeno, instead of being out with all the bright young things, I am begging for any advice or wise words. I have had ezcena since I was 18 months old (I am now in my 30's) and have learnt to manage it pretty well. However, I have had a pretty rough time recently (relationship woes, work stress, etc, and my bastarding skin has decided to make my life even more difficult by going completely crazy. It is red, flakey and unbearably itchy. I average about two hours sleep a night because of the itching, which makes me unbelievably grouchy at work. I can't wear most of my clothes as I cannot tolerate anything other than pure cotton on my skin. People at work have started making snide remarks about fleas as I literally cannot stop itching and do it without thinking. I literally bathe in emollients and Aveeno, am popping antihistamines like they are going out of fashion... Can't wear dark clothes as my skin is flaking so badly. Have to wash my hair every day as the skin on my face flakes into my hair and looks like I have horrendous dandruff. Then it gets so dry that trying to bend my arms and legs is absolute agony. GP doesn't help, I am more of an expert than them having had bad skin for so long (see a different one Everytime and they just google) ... It is seriously denting my confidence, my sanity and I am begging you lot to suggest something else I can try... Sorry for the essay, but I am literally at my wits end. Help anyone???

seeyou can you pm me with that info? And why fingers crossed she willl grow out of it and I shall check out bria

Mine is stress related and I have to use epiderm. And dermovate which is strong, it's horrendous I've started anti anxiety meds but that's not help yet even though I feel I can cope better

I have anxiety as well. Proper full on panic attacks where I just have to escape. I blame the ezcema, and I know I drink too much, but I need to have something to knock me out, seeing as my GP won't give me anything to stop it.

Sorry, I don't really know much about phototherapy for eczema. I get it for another condition, and meet other patients who are having it for eczema.

Lifelong sufferer here too and currently going through a bad patch in my life.

Skin has never been worse and situation sounds similar to yours.

I'd say my only respite seems to come by bandaging up. My eczema is localised now to my hands, neck and feet but hands by far the worst.

I have itchtopaste bandages and smother with epaderm and a creep bandage. Hands heal overnight with these.

Also take vitamin D

Hi OP. Just a couple of thoughts. Shortly after becoming pregnant for the first time I developed dermatitis on the palms of my hands. It persisted for many years, sometimes I could barely unclench my fist. Some creams helped, and eventually it just disappeared. After my sisters first pregnancy she developed urticaria. The itching on the soles of her feet was so bad she would often rub them raw on the doormat ! Hers too disappeared after about 4 years. Although no doctor ever mentioned it, we often wondered if our skin conditions were hormone related given the timing. You mentioned you are now in your 30s and your eczema's flared up, just wondering if it might have a hormonal basis ?

Secondly, my ex had pretty bad eczema on his face/arms/neck when I met him. His mother used to cut ads for all sorts of weird and wonderful lotions from magazines and papers for him. One he tried, Dermacinz, worked really well and he used it for years. It's still available via their website - I promise I have no vested interest !!

Really hope you find something that works for you - and that your GP makes a proper referal, can't believe they haven't done it yet.

For tonight, put your emollients in the fridge. They will be lovely and cooling when you put them on and keep the itch away for a little longer.

Have you tried 50/50? It's a really greasy paraffin based Vaseline type ointment.
I used it on my baby who had eczema that used to weep and bleed.

When you apply coconut oil you have to be really stingy. I used to scrape it up with the back of a fingernail, then rub it between my palms. One nail's-worth was plenty for my whole face, similarly for décolletage, etc. If your skin looks shiny, you've put too much on, rub some off with an untreated part of your body.

I'm so sorry that you are having such a hard time. Starflower oil helped me, both the capsules and the ointment. It was the only thing that worked. Also perhaps getting some allergy testing done could help identify any sensitivities that you have that could be aggravating it. Dairy and wheat seem to be common culprits, but obviously everyone is different. I hope you manage to get on top of this. And I would demand a referral, it's absolutely ridiculous that a GP is refusing to refer you when you are so distressed

Short term measures for tonight:
Night nurse or nytol?

Tomorrow, you could go and get a first generation antihistamine - one that makes you drowsy. I think loratadine (sp?) is one of them. A pharmacist should know.

Coconut oil is definitely worth a go. You can use it to wash with too instead of shower gel which can irritate your skin. Definitely see your GP. At the height of this current saga I was prescribed an antihistamine which had a sedative in it (can't remember the name, sorry) and it was excellent until I had the itch under control.

Also you shouldn't have to cope with cruel jibes at work. Can you talk to hr? Or a manager? You don't need to be stressed about that when you are already feeling low and vulnerable.

Thanks all. I am literally hallucinating with tiredness, yet can't sleep. Had a glass or two of wine now, silly I know. Yet still want to scratch my skin off. Windows wide poem to try and cool me down, smothered in diprabase... I've got nothing drugs wise to try do help me sleep. Once again in tears as it feels like creatures are under my skin, and if I scratch it makes it worse, but I can't help it... I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

I also like 50/50. It's very very greasy but cheap if you want to buy it tomorrow rather than wait for a prescription. Usually the greasier the better with eczema. The dermatologists used to recommend it all the time in hospital so I bought it when I had ezcema and it stopped me needing steroids very quickly.

puddle I work with teenage children, they are a hard crowd to please at the best of times... Just makes me so self conscious ... But I am now so used to scratching I don't realise I am doing it IYSWIM

Have you tried relaxation CDs or YouTube videos to take your mind off the itching?

I also bought a fiddle toy to keep my fingers busy and avoid scratching.

An official complaint about your GP could get their attention and make them help you, too.

How are your hands? I took up knitting when my skin was bad, to keep my hands full and mind occupied. It worked - I scratched less. I used to make socks in outrageous colours!

wolp can I get it over the counter? I don't mind grease, I seem to literally be swimming in it right now. I don't care what it takes, ruined clothes, greasy hair, etc. I just want something that will work or at least just let me get some sleep without waking up halfway through the night, blood everywhere and claw marks on my skin. And then the pain of trying to stand up the next day when the backs of my legs have scabbed and dried into the lock position...

Weirdly my hands are ok. Red and wizened, but not painful. It's my shoulders, back, usual ezcema haunts eg backs of legs, crooks of elbows that are bad... I am going to have another glass of wine (I know I know), then I am going shopping with the list you lovely lot have given me, plus ammunition for my (useless) GP. Just did a random count of how many times I have scratched in the last five minutes. Off the scale. And just makes me realise how subconscious it is

Meant shopping tomorrow. Clearly not now.

Yes you can - it's 50:50 ointment. Clearly you already know the advice about use loads, I found it didn't stain clothing although it was v greasy.

Are you washing with Dermol 500?

50/50 can be boot from most pharmacies.

Have you tried Vaseline ?

Another thought - if you haven't done this already. As you are getting yours on your back and shoulders, check your shampoo for sodium laureth or lauryl sulphate and swap for one without it - foam running down your back in the shower may be triggering it.

Ive tried Vaseline. Just seems to stay on top of my skin If that makes sense? Wish I had some sleeping pills left over, I'm sure there is a psychosomatic thing to it, I am terrified of trying to go to sleep because I know I will be up all night

Vaseline won't sink in and moisturise as such but helps as a barrier on top of the skin. It helps my DS when his eczema flares.
Definitely try 50/50. It's what they use in hospital for bad cases.