Anyone used eczema steroid creams in pregnancy?

[SpeedyGonzalez]

I've been using Fucibet, Eumovate and Dermovate (last one just used for short periods). I'd really like to know if you observed any side effects in your baby. Fingers crossed for good news!

most steroid creams are contra-indicated during pregnancy as there is some topical absorbtion and teratogenic side effectsen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clobetasol_propionate.especially the stronger dermovate cream.

Unless they are absolutely necessary i would ask doc for help.

I use a cream with 1% hydrocortisone that you can get OTC. That one was fine, even in pregnancy (checked with OB). Have also used anti-histamines e.g. Benadryl. All was well!

But yes, second alypaly - better safe than sorry with this one.

Well, hydrocortisone's no better than splashing water on my eczema .

However I checked the info and even dermovate is said to have no teratogenic side effects, thankfully. I did get advice from my doctor, who I trust, and she said it was fine to use for a limited time but even so it's hard not to worry!

Thanks so much for your help!

Don't panic - have used Elocon throughout three pregnancies with no side effects (well, no 3 due next week...). Worse still, in each case it came up on my bump so should have been mainlined to the baby. A friend has really chronic eczema (sometimes needs immunosuppresants) and has also had two healthy babies despite using such things.

You are marvellous, thanks jaype. I'm ordinarily of the school of GentlyGently Hippy Remedies and will normally only resort to medication if things are really bad, hence my worries despite having a fabulous doctor.

Thanks so much for your reassurance, and good luck with the birth!

i'm also very much like you in my approach to medicine SpeedyGonzalez , and reluctantly resorted to using betnovate ointment after much like jaype i had a flare up of eczema on my bump which i found really quite distessing. My GP reassured me that used sparingly it would do no harm to my baby and i am now 23+3 and so glad i took her advice.

I had Puppp, which is a horrid rash starting on the belly most of the time. The doctor wanted to give me a steroid cream, but after researching the internet I found that Flaxseed oil and Dandelion root helped women get read of it. I did it instead and was clear of any rash or itchy-ness within a week! Would highly recommend herbal remedies where possible

I have used dermovate very sparingly once for horrible eczema/rash in anal area. nothing else would shift it, tried manuka honey, wheatgrass spray, none of them worked and other natural remedies, and it was driving me mad. am slightly relived at this thread - applied it when very desperate/uncomfortable in middle of night when i couldn't bear it any more and didn't occur to me until afterwards that i shouldn't have used it (has similar problem before i got pregnant, thats why i had cream).

does anyone know if eumovate (DS has this for his eczema and i have got some of this on my hands when applying although always wash off, again didn't really think about it maybe i should apply with gloves?) be preferable to dermovate if it comes back? (am using double base regularly to hopefully prevent reoccurance).

Can't tell you how grateful I am to have stumbled on this thread. My normally under-control eczema has gone mad (hormones meets crap weather I'm guessing) and I've worried about what, if any, creams I can use. I was advised to use a mild hydrocortisone and epaderm to calm things - but they are totally useless and I've been gazing longingly at my elocon for the last month, which I was told was "too aggressive".

I'm only 10wks so will hold off for another little while, but really good to know I don't necessarily have to choose between having a bright red rashy body / being a terrible mother-to-be!!

I have used all of the above during both my pregnancies. my dermatologist reassured me that absorption is minimal and that pg women are routinely given oral steroids for lung development in threatened premature births so no reason for worries.

the only thing i didn't use were protopic and elidel.

I would actually be wary of herbal remedies- their effects are not tested scientifically. But then my eczema is really bad, and gets atrocious in pregnancy.

Jojobil - glad you found a herbal treatment that worked for you, though (as a 'natural' devotee) I would be wary of taking herbal stuff that's not been tested for safe use during pregnancy. I spent years trying just about every herbal treatment under the sun. Nothing worked. I started a course of steroids and my skin was transformed within days. This is after years of misery. So I'm afraid experience has taught me that for some things in life you should just take the damned drugs.

MumNW - according to my GP Eumovate's pretty mild - one up from Hydrocortisone. So as long as it works on your eczema, it's okay to use. If it's not working, go back to your GP. Dermovate is very strong and should only be used under supervision during pregnancy.

It's normal for eczema to worsen in pregnancy - it's related to our lowered immunity. Basically our skin reacts more strongly to potential allergens (including jewellery which you'd normally wear with no probs when not preg - so take off your wedding rings if your eczema's around your fingers - it will work like a dream, just give it a few weeks).

I ditto MummyToucan on using steroids being preferable to horrible eczema. I have had enough of elephant skin. The drugs work. I take the drugs.

Honestly. All this hassle just to have a kid or two.

Thanks Speedy... trying not to worry about using the dermovate, used it only once and it was a tiny amount (brain not in gear when in pain at 3am). Will not use again though.

When the rash has started to come back used HC before it gets too bad and that seemed to do the trick, and am using loads of doublebase as often as I can. But reassuring to know that can use the eumovate if the HC doesn't work.

My ezcema has been so bad this pregnancy

Started a thread on it a while ago as I was so fed up!

Someone recommended this moisturiser

and..

this soap

It has definately improved and is bearable most of the time now.

I use the moisturiser after a shower and it is immediately cooling and soothing.

I use 1% hydrocortisone too, I usually apply this after the aveeno once it has soaked in a bit.

The soap is good also, leave it on a bit then rinse off. I doesn't seem to dry my skin as much as the stuff I was using and doesn't irritate the ezcema.

If you read the reviews on the boots site there are some form ezcema sufferers that say these products really help.

I've also stopped using fabric softener for now and just wash my clothes in non bio.

I appreciate your excema is bad but thought i'd mention these as products you can use along side the other creams as they might help a bit and you said you usually like going the natural route.

Hello SpeedyGonzalez I have checked at the time with my gp and was told that both dandelion and flaxseed oil are safe I would not dream of using something potentially harmful.

Just want to add for you all - I don't suffer but my son does. I used eumovate, elocon, ,fucidin, the lot on him aged 3-12 months. Loads of it as he had it really badly and it was getting infected. So if it is prescribed for newborns I don't think it can be that bad for you to use some on your skin.

At the time I was in tears at the thought of using steroids on him (obviously wanting to treat as naturally as possible). But it was completely the right thing to do - and now I advise any friends coping with baby eczema to treat with the right level of steroid - they grow out of the worst of it quite quickly in the end, although it didn't feel like it at the time. He has a bit of scarring on his face, very mild but this is because I didn't get the right creams early enouhg, becuase GP would only prescribe the mild ones and I had to wait for a referral.

Hope I don't see any of you on the baby eczema threads - am pg with no.2 as well and hopign this one escapes!

helio - so sorry for your DS's eczema suffering . I recently discovered that my mother took me to the GP for a diagnosis of eczema at 6 months - made me realise how upset and frustrated she must have been. It made me really sad for her. Have you looked into potential allergens, e.g. milk? Reason I ask is that both DH and I have eczema/ dermatitis, but DS has the world's most beautiful, peachy skin. I didn't have all that much dairy during preg (must cut out all those rich yoghurts now!) and DS's skin was great at birth, then I noticed that his skin started reacting to milk in my diet through BF. I stopped taking milk while BFing, and his skin cleared up. I then later had him tested for milk allergy and bingo! Positive result. So I know the milk upset his skin and it's possible that had I not realised this his skin condition could have worsened and become like mine/ DH's.

I also quaffed loads of fish oils during preg, which is brill for skin (yours too!). Make sure it's fish oils and not fish liver oils, mind, for obvious reasons.

Jojobil - phew! Glad to hear it, girly!

Dalrymps - my GP says that any soap is going to be worse for your eczema than using an oil-based treatment such as the dull as ditchwater emulsifying ointment. I love using nice smellies but for the time being, while my eczema is worse, I'm using emuls (and nice bath soaky-stuff on the occasions when I get a long, relaxing bath). Otherwise if you use soaps, you're damaging the good work being done by your steroids and moisturisers.

As far as absorption of steroid creams is concerned, with dermovate (MumNW - don't worry about using yours once! I've used mine about 8 times, which is okay under supervision) about 10% is absorbed into your bloodstream, so some of that will reach your baby. Then the weaker the steroid, the lower the absorption level.

I bought this moisturiser today and already the worst of my skin feels beautifully moisturised. It's very thick but not oily, and a great intense skin treatment. Also smells nicer than emulsif oint and is a far better moisturiser than...what's that oat-based stuff called again? Aveeno? Aveet?

Hey Speedy, I see what you're saying about the soap but it's not really a traditional soap as such. I wouldn't use any other soap as it really would just dry me out. It has some kind of oils in it (can't remember which) and isn't drying at all. It;s recommended for people with skin conditions, read the reviews

Marvellous, well I'm glad to hear it's turning your crusty flakes into baby-soft gorgeousness!

I used to think the only thing for my skin was a sandblaster. Thank goodness for whoever invented steroids. Interestingly, I took photos of my skin at its worst, exactly a year ago. Every now and then I look back at them and go and then praise the heavens for the inventor of steroid creams. I used to be one of those people that others would look at pityingly (but stand just a little apart from, in case they catch something nasty!). I'm like a different person these days.

lol at crusty flakes. Tbh I am glad to be able to sleep instead of scratching my skin off constantly!

Steroid creams do the job alright, just glad I can get by on hydrocortisone at the moment but I would take anything over the itching!

Was trying to find a classic TV clip for you on youtube but it's not there. So I shall recreate it for you. It's from the utterly brilliant Green Wing.

ANNOYING HR GIRL: (approaches desk of colleague who she treats like shit. Spies food crumbs on desk) Oooh, what's this? Macaroons? (dips finger and eats)

COLLEAGUE: (absentmindedly, scratching) No. It's eczema.

Mmm tasty!

If you haven't seen Green Wing, I highly recommend it. It's one of the best series I've ever seen. Hang on...

Result!!

It is utterly, utterly, utterly brilliant. The feckers only made 2 series, but they're both on the website - so now you have another way to waste your time on the computer when you could be doing the washing. (Ahem. By 'you', I mean 'I').

I haven't seen it, no. Thanks for the link, will have a look!