So, I have chronic eczema

[topcat2014]

I have chronic eczema (head to toe - literally) - each limb, and front and back, feel red and on fire the whole time.

Itching is murderous, bleeding etc.

Spent a couple of years seeing a dermatologist, and ended up on methotrexate.

Seemed to do a bit of good - but it is a v toxic drug, bad for sperm count, and we are TTC #2.

Any suggestions for things to relieve the itching?

Got a bit better whilst on holiday, but I have to work for a living.,

Have you given up dairy at all?
Mine was like that and three days after giving up dairy I was back to normal...was bad for ten years and then ok and able to eat dairy again.

Have you tried Aveeno?

Have you had allergy tests done?

Someone here a day or so ago mentioned stopping sugar helped her. I know that exacerbates my psoriasis.

I am wary of making recommendations because I know with eczema what suits one person might aggravate someone else.

What emollients/washes etc do you use?

My dd has eczema and we've had some success with La Roche Posay products - the Cicaplast and Lipikar ranges

DD has recently started using Lipikar Syndet AP wash and it has really helped. She hates using greasy creams though so that is an ongoing battle for us.
When she will tolerate it we use the Lipikar Baume AP or Cicaplast.

The 'AP' products are anti-itch.

HTH

I use doublebase emolient (pump action, 500ml)

Shower in plain water.

Trying to manage with just hydrocortisone on worst areas - but have dermovate if required.

Love how the talk is about 'flare ups' when mine never goes down..

In my head I would like to give up sugar, but I lack willpower.

Could potentially try no dairy.

Sunbed?

I gave up sugar and honestly it wasn't that hard and I was addicted!!! I don't have eczema but it has helped my skin, weight, mood, clarify everything!!

My son has eczema and he is dairy free and it had helped.

Another friend has had allergy testing and he no longer eats foods high in salicitates (sp??)

I would have allergy testing first. I can also recommend Nature Doctor called a Lucinda Miller. Look her up on google. She is super

If you have never tried no dairy, it is definitely worth a go.

Could very well be diet related. Mine was dairy related so cut out everything with milk in and it improved slightly. It was then I realised it was milk solids which was the biggest problem. Google "milk solids" you will see they are added to so many foods. Once I cut these out, my eczema improved hugely and I am no longer a sufferer. Good luck, it is a horrible condition

Have you been offered Tacrolimus/Protopic? ( creams.) They are immunosuppressants not steroids. Only available from a dermo but on repeats from GP.

Diet may help but I found it was gluten that was one culprit rather than dairy. You could try gluten free for a month..?

I had debilitating eczema from childhood until late 20s. There is an ointment called protopic that completely changed my life.

Drs can be reluctant to prescribe it. But it's worth a try if they will.

I have now been clear for years and don't even use it anymore.

Allergy testing doesn't work for food. Please understand this. I was treated by a Prof of immunology. Testing (pin prick skin tests ) works for eczema caused by external irritants- clothing, detergents, dust mites, pollen, but not for food . Elimination diet is the only real test.

had environmental allergy testing?
son and now daughters eczema caused by dust mite / animals/ pollen etc

You've probably heard all this before, but anyway:

I have eczema too, and I notice you said that you only showed in plain water. Have you got an emollient you can use in their instead? Obviously everybody's skin is different, but I use Dermol 200, and Hydromol sometimes too. (Also, if you have eczema in the scalp I use Dermax shampoo).

Have you had allergy testing? I had blood tests (my arm was too inflamed for a skin prick test, and yours might be too) and it showed a severe allergy to dust mites, so I've been given antihistamines to bring some of the reaction down. You could ask your GP for a prescription?

Also, you could try ProTopic. Everyone I know who's used it has said it's been really helpful, but it didn't work for me sadly, so I can't personally attest to its effect.

Finally, you could ask the GP to give you a stronger steroid? I'm currently using Elocon, which helps, despite being incredibly painful.

Good luck, with both the eczema and the TTCing.

my son had it really badly and we stopped using fabric conditioner, soap and all perfumed things. it cleared his skin up almost completely.

Have you tried vitamin d? Really high dose under Drs supervision. I had chronic eczema covered head to foot, on azathioprine, high dose steroids etc etc nothing worked. I had low levels of vit d but not deficient. Got sunburnt (I know bad idea) but my skin cleared up a bit. Read up on it and found studies about vitamin d. Took a course of something like 40,000 iu a day for about 6 weeks and it was like magic. 5 years on and (touch wood) still eczema free.