Seriously suffering with pompholyx/ dyshydrotic eczema - any tips

[ElizabethinherGermanGarden]

I get this on my poor feet every time the temp gets above about 22° and it is sooooo itchy and painful. I treat with hydrocortisone but I'm beginning to think it makes it even worse! Any suggestions? Currently sitting with a bag of frozen peas on the blisters and trying so hard not to scratch myself to ribbons.

I feel your pain, absolutely awful isn't it

Have you heard of HYPO21? It has great results for eczema - I stock it as I’m a beauty therapist. If you look online you’ll be able to find the clinics/salons selling it.

I used to get this regularly in hot weather, it is sooo itchy isn't it. The only thing which worked was steroid ointment. Which hydrocortisone are you using?

I was prescribed Dermovate which is v strong, but subsequently found Betnovate (less strong) worked equally well.

Putting cold water plus ice cubes in a washing up bowl may be easier/ work better for you than the frozen peas. I also keep a couple of these in the freezer (good in general in this type of weather)

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I get this on my hands when I am stressed. Hydrocortisone didn't touch it, but the doctor prescribed me a stronger steroid that helps when it flares up.

I have similar
this year I have tried to prevent by taping gauze over the worst area when I go out
i use micropore tape to fix it
i spray with clinisept
I use Lanacane for the itching

all the creams the doc has tried haven’t helped at all. With this regime, I have just one small patch.

can’t wait for normal summer weather!

*I mean i spray with clinisept when I get home and take the gauze off. That said I’ve still got it on from my morning as my skin seems to like it.

It’s hideous isn’t it? Sympathies. Like PP was prescribed stronger steroid: betnovate works for e. And icepacks.

I moisturise the fuck out of it when it’s bad, just with a normal hand cream (but I’m lucky that my skin doesn’t react too much to stuff). Like, constantly.

Keep hydrated. I find mine worse when I don’t.

Keep your feet out as much as possible. Avoid them getting sweaty. Lush used to do a foot powder that I found useful when on hot holidays and needing to wear trainers.

Also might be entirely psychological, but I found an antihistamine helps with the itching.

My son's is terrible at the moment.

I feel for you. I get small flare ups every year but a few years ago had it all over both hands and one foot which then got all weepy.

Ice Cold water with Dead Sea salt in eased the itching for short periods of time but it did keep me awake at night.

I've been told it can be related to pollen count so I take antihistamines from April until oct and this has prevented a bad reoccurrence.

This was mine at its worst.

I forgot to add, I changed from a high street hayfever tablet to fenofexadine.

I actually started a thread about this but most people were just horrified, no useful tips.

also I wanted to know if anything would stop the scarring. I can't show my feet or legs.

Is that what it is, Itsgettingweird?? That’s what my right foot currently looks like too. I thought it was something I’d trodden on and reacted to.

Off to pharmacy for me, then.

I will definitely try the antihistamines - am I right in thinking that you release histamines when you scratch. I've managed to make a horrible blister on the sole of my foot so I'm really trying to stop doing that!

It'sgettingweird that looks so sore! Mine do get like that but at the moment it's round the 'saddle' of my foot which is sort of better than when it's on the toes because at least if I wear two-part shoes it's not rubbing on anything. It's such a bloody affliction.

Salcura from Holland and Barratt will really help op

i used so many steroids to help mine, I ended up with Cushing’s.. so now all I have is emollient and it helps but not enough, especially in this weather.
For me the tip is, remove as much chemical use as possible. So soap instead of shower gel, sensitive washing up liquid (sainsbury do one or Surcare is a branded one), use rubber gloves for any cleaning. Careful with sanitiser or Carex type soap, it flares mine up immediately.
A plastic sandwich bag with emollient in loosely held around each foot or hand really concentrates the effect. Bowl of tepid water again with added emollient to soak feet then dry gently and immediately moisturise and steroid all over. It’s all about getting the skin supple.

In terms of scarring, the issue isn’t the excema , it’s the scratching which breaks the skin. Easy to say, but you need to stop. It’s unconscious and a habit, so get others to stop you. Wear socks / gloves to bed, totally soaked in emollient. Really short finger and toe nails, use emery board to remove all pointy and sharp bits, remove scratchy weapons from around you. Do something with your hands so they are not idle to scratch. Good luck..

Yddriagolddragon - goodness, Cushing's! Makes me want to bin all the steroid creams instantly. The frozen peas really seem to be helping (the bag is helpfully labelled 'feet peas not eat peas' by DP). I haven't used the hydrocortisone today and I'm seeing how I go with a non-steroidal cream for dermatitis. I'll report back if it seems to be working in a couple of days.

Oh you poor thing, I used to get this on my feet and hands, I tried covering mine up as much as possible to stop scratching, also always wearing socks in shoes to stop any sweatiness. I haven't had it on my feet for a few years now and only get very small flair ups on my hands, I did read that it does get much better with age and that does seem true for me, I'm in my 60s, it was worse for me in my 30s and 40s and then got less and less.

When mine was bad I had Dermovate prescribed by a consultant - neither the GP or A&E knew what it was so had to wait for a Dermatology appointment. When it is slightly better, Betnovate works. I use emulsifier hourly when bad.
I never use highly perfumed creams or hand sanitiser. I wear rubber gloves for cleaning. I use Zeroderm as soap substitute and use Diprobase or nivea several times a day.
Once under control, I have managed to not have a major flare up by keeping up the regime. Stress can also affect it

Haven't had it for a couple of years then it arrived on the side of my index finger yesterday!
I had it badly on my foot in my twenties.
Never found anything that worked.

DP had this for years. Swore blind it was pomphylox - looked exactly like Itsgettingweird's photos. Tried all sorts. What finally worked was treating for athletes foot. The highest concentrated daktarin, Gold I think it is. Wash feet and slather with cream, put on socks and repeat middle of the day if you can and last thing at night. clean socks each time. Don't skimp on the amount of daktarin. Took a good couple of weeks and now he rarely has itchy feet. No idea if it was just really bad athletes foot or athletes foot on top of pomphylox but it worked

Thinking about it, my hayfever’s been bad this year, but not the eczema - I wonder if it’s because I’ve been taking antihistamines much more regularly?

When mine is really bad at night I take stripe of towel wet them in cold water, tie them snug wrapped round my hands and wrists, lie down and put the fan on. The cold wet stops the itching being so bad.