Homeopathy and eczema any experience of this ??

[Girlwithproblems1]

Hi I recently made a thread for my eczema hands as I am struggling with them.

however I wanted to ask has anyone had any luck with homeopathy treatment and eczema ?

I only ask as I am totally unsure whether the tablets I have consumed are working or helped me .

I am currently trying to wean off eumovate steroid (clobetasone) and my hands are flaring up, dry, itchy, feel hot and the eczema has spread .

why I ask is because yesterday I suddenly felt my hands start sweating again. It happened about 4 times yesterday and was awful for my eczema !!! I forgot the sensation of it ! So I’m now thinking maybe the homeopathy tablets did help me ?!

I spoke to my homeopathy lady about my hands and feet always sweating since young and that I don’t like the heat at the moment because of the eczema .

I took 3 tablets originally in dec . Then in jan I took 7 of sulphur, carb veg and something else (which I have forgotten) 30c . Then I have took another 3 in jan I think that was arsc 30c.

im now thinking maybe the sulphur etc did help with my symptoms . Was just wanting to hear anyone’s experience of this , I am due to book another appointment which is nearly another £100 .

I am finding it hard when my hands are sweating, I was literally hanging my hands out the window to combat the sweat !

I don’t want to be wasting my money away if I can put that money aside for maybe testing of allergies or a hair mineral test . Something to look at the root cause more .

im just not sure how often I could pay £100 for some more tablets and a re evaluation of my hands over the next year or so (I don’t see this problem going away anytime soon 😩)

Not homeopathy, but did try a herbal ‘prescription’ many years ago. I could not hold a pen in my hand during that treatment ( which was relevant, I was a student)
My hands really flared up, very red, raw and painful. It was unbearable and I gave up, before the herbalist wanted me too, but it really was awful.

I currently use QV hand / body wash, with Diprobase emollientband Synalar N for flare ups. Working well.

Homeopathy doesn't work.

Homeopathy doesn't work.

And they will happily take your money. But not diluted for some reason.

There's been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of homeopathy. There's no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/homeopathy/

Eczema is really painful. Non steroidal things that have worked for me are vitamin e cream and calendula cream. Neither homeopathic. But mainly bagging at night. So if its your hands, wearing thin plastic single use gloves at night with your cream on, taped closed at your wrists. I used taped clingfilm on my knees.

It does sweat. And smells. But worked really well for me.

Homeopathy is marmite. As a scientist, I can't believe it works. But I had treatment as a child that worked so🙄i have no idea.

Tried homeopathy for mine, didn't work and couldn't really afford it. Especially when there are multiple factors to exacerbate the condition- homeopathy isn't going to treat stress and lifestyle as well.

Nursem Skinfix under pure cotton gloves helps the skin heal without the petroleum etc, that gives ointments that hot feeling. Or whatever works for you. I'm thinking the heat might be a reaction to the top layer or layers of skin being compromised. You have my sympathy though. Let us know how you get on.

It doesn't work, but it "feels" like an active intervention, especially if you've shelled out for the consultation and pills and it all seems very scientific and tailored to you.

So you start to assume that any change, positive or negative, is down to the homeopathy so it must "work".

Conditions like eczema are particularly vulnerable to this bias as they often get better or worse and it's difficult to know why.

I get terrible pompholyx on my hands in winter. If I took a homeopathic remedy when it was at its worst I might well think it was working because when it's at its worst is when it starts to get better.

But luckily for me it always does get better - even if I do nothing.

Save your money.

I used to get terrible eczema flares OP so I have loads of sympathy.

Homeopathy is absolute snake oil, please don’t waste your money.

If you haven’t seen a dermatologist that would be the first thing to do. GPs don’t have much training in skin conditions and IME it’s not where their strengths lie. Look for someone with good reviews from eczema sufferers.

Bagging does work well

Especially if you add a moisturiser about 20 mins after your steroid cream

Homeopathy is water and sugar pills - there’s no active ingredient that could work.

there is some evidence that traditional Chinese herbalism can help eczema so if you’re prepared to drink tea which tastes like the sweepings from your garden, it might be worth a try. Try and find a recommendation if you can though

@Wiffin which brand vitamin d and calendula cream has worked for u?

@Piemam thanks will get a nursem ! Heard of this cream before mentioned by others

@ditalini yeah I think you hit the nail on the head there .

what do u use to get urs better after ur flare up ?

I just need somone to tell me that this will get better and to carry on reducing the steroid 🙈 but when I feel that hot itchy burning sensation where when everything touches my hand it hurts I want to give up and use steroid !

When ds was 2/3 he had rank asthma and eczema. The GP suggested we try homeopathy as it seemed to work on horses. I thought it was utter bollocks but ds was a big toddler and wouldn't have known vis prophylactic guff.

I took him to a Dr Michael Jenkins at the Royal Homeopathic Hospital. He was attentive and prescribed Mercuris, Dulcis and Kali Mur; and pulsatilla.

I was sceptical, ds was an infant. Issues cleared up within days and never returned except in minor ways. He certainly never needed steroids again.

It might of course have been a complete coincidence but it was worth a shot and I'm I glad I took him.

He's 29 now. Fit as a fiddle.

@theduchessofspork
i haven’t seen a dermatologist, I have been referred for patch testing by the GP but that is all. And that will take a minimum 1 year.

hence I was trying to see what other options I had .

I also haven’t tried bagging at night with a glove . The main reason I have found when my hand is hot my eczema feels worse .
i generally use my hydromol ointment throughout the day and use this at night too. I do try some natural creams every now and then.

im often awake in the night too as I have a 1 year old so I wake up atleast once usually. I usually find that my body temperature is warm, but when I wake I can tell my skin is pulling and feels dry.

@RosesAndHellebores wow in days ! I’m glad it worked for ur son. It can be extremely difficult when it’s ur child

Mine is triggered by cold primarily and also very bad attacks by stress (but only in winter). Moisturing (emollient and gloves overnight) helps, but steroids are the only thing that really gets on top of it when it's cracked and weeping.

I do know though that by April at the latest it'll be sorted and then nothing until the following winter.

Have you been told that you have to reduce steroid use?

It's so grim 😪

@Girlwithproblems1 if you can afford to spend money on homeopathy, wouldn't it be more sensible to pay to see the dermatologist instead?

Oh @Girlwithproblems1 another tip. I had awful eczema on my hands in my early 20s. It only responded to steroids.

Eventually I made a link with citrus. An orange a day was doing me no good at all. 40 years on, I had forgotten it all and tried to up my 5 a day to 10. Bit of grapefruit at breakfast and an orange or col of satsumas at lunch and/or later instead of pudding. That little itch started. Handcream can also be an issue - I'm allergic to lanolin. ty midwives and camillosan - no it wasn't totally natural when I read the label

@ditalini
ive been using eumovate on and off since Oct . I flared in September.
I think I used it once for 1-2
weeks, then a break, then 4 weeks, then a break then 2 weeks and now weaning off for over a month !!!!!

Every time I went back to the GP they were concerned with the usage and so told me to have a break . Their advice was to stop and use as and when needed. Eventually this time I tried weaning off (not made a diff still flaring )

but also in addition I don’t really want to use steroid if I can avoid it and have the will to do it lol. Hence why I was looking at other options like homeopathy and also trying to get to the root cause of it rather than just masking it.

I did my dissertation on homeopathy - it doesn't (and categorically can't) work as there's no active ingredients in what they give you (because they dilute it so many times).

It's only coincidentally 'effective' in conditions that naturally get better over time (e.g. colds, coughs, rashes) but surprisingly (sarcasm) doesn't work for anything where you need an effective drug (although the charlatans who practice homeopathy still claim it can help cure cancer/heart conditions/rebalance hormones etc).

Its only effectiveness are 1) it's a placebo and 2) patients feel heard by homeopathic practitioners so there's a therapeutic element (which you don't get from your average GP who limits you to 1 condition at a time and shoos you out after 5 mins).

Honestly, save your money and spend it on a specialist who has some scientific proof of effectiveness.

P.S. Did you know there's genuinely a 'cure' for emotional trauma in the homeopathic community that is made from an ultra-diluted bit of the Berlin Wall? 🙄

P.P.S. referring to the PP who mentioned effectiveness in horses - would you be surprised to know that the results don't hold up as well in double blind trials (where even the researcher doesn't know which are the test and control subjects) as they do in ones where the researcher knows which horses got the treatment? It's all bias.

Don't worry about overdosing - you could have 1000 homeopathic pills on the same day and aside from a sugar high, there will be no effect. Because it doesn't have any active ingredients in it.

I had a very similar experience. Took my then toddler to a practitioner, and it did clear up. Funnily enough, he stopped reacting to another thing too.

I would second seeing a dermatologist. I totally get you re: better to find the root cause if you can, but it would be good also to get their advice on steroids rather than a generalist (not saying they won't say the same). You may even need a shorter course of a stronger steroid.

No special brands. It was a very mild cream with essential oils and vit e added. By a homeopathy person😏. Calendula cream can be bought in supermarkets and pharmacists with the other herbal remedies.

I would be wary of using it on broken skin. I think they are just moisturisers. Maybe the extra vitamins and herbs promote healing. But they do help my eczema clear up and certainly seem to stop new outcrops progressing.