i havent had time to read all the posts so sorry if i repeat some of the things previously mentioned...
i am nearly 16 and have suffered from ezcema for as long as i can remember
i used to cry and scream all through the night and scratch myself raw
i was always told i would grow out of it, first when i was 6, then 7, then 11, then 14, yet here i am, still with ezcema.
however from years of trial and error, FINALLY i have it under control and you cant even notice my skin, apart from a tiny bit on my hands.
so here are my tips... they wont work for everyone but you can try.... they work for me :)
firstly, showers/baths were a killer for me. try rinsing off skin with cold water at the end of a shower and then 'hug' dry. this cools skin before moisturising.
i cant use any aqueous creams as they trap in heat and irritate my skin more, however some people find they work well for them. instead i use AVEENO, which i love. you can get it on prescription in the uk which helps :)
if neither or these work, try using straight olive oil, its really natural and an amazing moisturiser. it can be a little messy but sinks in really really quickly.
so, moisturise twice a day, i know its a chore but try and made it as bearable as possibly, for example, warming up cream a bit in the winter.
for those flareups, (i always get back skin when it gets cold outside and the heating goes on, and again in the spring when it goes off and the weather improves,) ask you doctor for a steroid cream. as soon as dry skin or red blotchy patched appears apply cream immediately. you have to catch flareups in time. if however, cream stings and hurts when applied, try using ice packs and stress balls. another thing is hotwater bottles but try the ice first.
oilatum bath oil is ggood to use when the weather changes as it keeps skin moist while your body adjusts to the climate.
probably the most important thing to keep my ezcema under control are anti-histamines.i take cetrizine every day in the morning and ucerax in the evenings. these make you drouzy so you sleep all night without scratching. they do not affect me in the mornings and i still do wake in the night sometimes but not because im ripping my skin appart. i used to get so tired, even if i was sleeping all night due to the scratching. sleep loss increased greatly when i turned 13.
i have slept in sleeping bags all my live because we always camp and sail as a family. i have never been bothered by it.
i think thats all... please ask me if you have any questions
i am thinking of setting up a website to help and advise people on how to live with eczema. do you thing this is a good idea and would work?
good luck
avalon