Eczema: I FOUND SOMETHING THAT WORKS!!!

  • Thread starter High-Test
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I'd say if there's this many people on this forum alone who have some sort of eczema it's safe to assume that this stuff is very common. Like, one in ten common. I don't know.

I'm no stranger to dry skin, but it's not because of eczema. I used to take Acutane for my acne, and one of its side effects is super dry skin, mostly on your face. A couple of my friends didn't get it as bad as me, but the stuff would dry my face out to the point where I literally couldn't open my mouth because my skin wouldn't stretch. I used and and still use Cetaphil's facial moisturizer, and that would cure it immediately. It was just one-time dryness every time after I washed my face, but I can't imagine my skin being any drier than that. It was painful.
 
High-Test
Ok. here's a road map. (I'm not trying to be patronizing.. just throwing out a bunch of things that may have contributed)

1. fewer, colder showers. Shower one every other day, and try to keep the temperature down. The colder, the better. water is an irritant, and hot water irritates better than cold.

2. Brown soda is bad. Swear off it entirely. H3PO4 is satan. I cannot stress this enough.

3. Candidia. Just as bad as H3PO4, but more prevalent. look into a candistroyer formula. You've probably spent your whole life running within the field of regular western medicine and treatments.. go way off to the left. I think harmony health systems sells one formula of candidia destroyer. Yeast likes sugar. maybe see if reducing sugar or milk intake does anything? (I only say milk because the bacteria in our processed milk is pretty inflammatory)

4. Continue to use steroids, but in a tiny amount. Do compound creams work at all for you? 1% triamcinalone in some store brand moisturizer as a coating, with another heavy-duty steroid as an emergency reserve.

5. Stress. Tearing off the dermis is a hard-wired response to stress, but it tends to cause problems.
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The bold points seem to have done wonders for me. I used to have horrendous eczema, but the past few years it has been mild at worst.

1. Chlorine/flourine in tapwater tends to dry the skin. When I first moved to this area, at times you could taste/smell excess chemicals in the tapwater. However, the nearby water plant was relocated a few years ago, and many local water mains replaced. I can no longer detect any excess chemicals in the tapwater, and my skin is not so dry.

2. I used to live off Pepsi - it accounted for most of my fluid intake!
Near the beginning of this year, after a bout of food poisoning I found I could no longer stand the taste of it and consequently stopped drinking it. Now I mostly drink diluted fruit juices, and feel much better for it.

3. ? Never heard of it.

4. When I was younger, I tried dozens of different creams without any real success. Occasionally I would find one that seemed to work for a few weeks, but they quickly became ineffective and thus pointless.

5. Ten years ago I was recovering from a serious accident, studying engineering at university, and fighting a legal battle - all at the same time. A very busy and stressful time in my life, and one of the worst periods for my skin. Now that I have recovered, graduated and won a large compensation payout I can afford to take it easy. Minimal stress, and only occasional mild skin problems.

I'm not saying that these points are a cure, nor had I considered these events as contributing factors at the time, but this post by High-Test has made me think a lot about how they could be linked to my skin condition.
 
Until my niece was born and I found out she had it I didn't know what this was. It seems like from there it got more common. Must suck a bit. As for me... I need to start a "eyebrow dandruff" club... :grumpy:
 
V1P3R
Until my niece was born and I found out she had it I didn't know what this was. It seems like from there it got more common. Must suck a bit. As for me... I need to start a "eyebrow dandruff" club... :grumpy:
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Damn hate eyebrow dandruff, so obvious at times!
 
I didn't even know it was a "condition" and that others had. I haven't found anything that works now that I know it is a "problem". :indiff:
 
V1P3R
I didn't even know it was a "condition" and that others had. I haven't found anything that works now that I know it is a "problem". :indiff:
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I can usually last most of the day without it showing if I scrub and anti-dandruff shampoo it in the morning.

If it begins to show I just pop to the nearest bathroom and try to conceal it as best as I can.

Overall it's not too much of a problem for me as long as I don't neglect my daily regime and avoid itching them.
 
Hmm.. I don't want to be taking over this thread, so maybe we can amend it with eyebrow dandruff? :dopey: If not, I suppose I can start a eyebrow dandruff club... xD

Anyway, I don't have the best hygiene at times so it shows up a lot more often. I don't touch the area at all either. Mine sounds more "severe" than yours I guess though. :grumpy:
 
That must suck to have eczema on your scalp or all over your body like that. I know how it feels, although I only had a mild case when I was younger. From when I was like 5-13 I had it on both of my knees, it mostly flared up in the winter as it gets pretty cold and dry around here. I remember it being itchy as all hell though and it would occasionally keep me up at night. Then it pretty much disappeared as I started to get older, I don't remember it ever being a problem since before high school.

I remember just using lotion to moisturize the skin and hydrocortozone cream to stop the itching, but as I said, I think my case was pretty mild compared to some of you.
 
Sage
Thanks for that write-up… I’ll consider each point (except the soda one, since I never drink soda anyway :P).

BTW, what kind of moisturizer do you use?
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:)

Hmm. If you don't do soda, see what avoiding liquid dairy does. That might be worth a shot. (I'm from an italian family. I cannot live without cheese.. thankfully its solid)

Moisturizer. I think it's .1% triamcinalone mixed with CVS dry skin cream. That's what I use everywhere but my face and neck.

On my face and neck, I use axle grease. (Eucerin Creme) The cheap store brands work just as well, and they're slightly thinner. If I'm really dry, I'll do a layer of Eucerin over the compound.

Dumb question: Have you ever tried salt/bleach baths or light treatments?
 
Found it!

So, in the past month since my last post here, I’ve tried a zillion different things, because it was getting even worse and worse. Then, earlier this week, my face and chest started to ooze (I didn’t sleep that night), and suddenly I had a Eureka! moment and realized that all of my problems were probably not being caused by my eczema itself, but by a Staph infection that had spread and aggravated my eczema (I had in the way back of my mind that S. aureus is a component of eczema and prevalent on eczema patients, but for some reason it never occurred to me that it might actually be the cause of my problems rather than a side effect).

So the next day I bought bacitracin ointment and started taking antibiotics, and it’s done wonders for me. I still look like I’m close to death, but at least I’m actually recovering instead of worsening for the first time in nearly a year: I have no more discharge anywhere, my scalp is starting to lose its flakiness, the enormous patches on my body have started to thin out and lose their hyperpigmentation, scaley areas actually absorb lotion now instead of looking exactly the same after application, the black patches above and underneath my eyes are just starting to lose some of their color and wrinkle… I’m so much happier now. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of this particularly bad episode.
 
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It sounds like you've been to a gazillion doctor appointments because you talk like one, so why wasn't this infection uncovered a long time ago?

Anyway, I hope the meds keep getting better for you. Acne is bad enough for me; I'm grateful I don't have skin problems all over my body.
 
I haven't red this entire thread and this may have been mentionned but omega 3 fatty acids helps. I don't know if it helps curing eczema but it sure helps if you have a dry skin. Flax oil is a very good vegetable source of omega3 fatty acid.

http://www.udoerasmus.com/firstscreen.htm

http://udoerasmus.com/products/oil_blend_en.htm

Produce beautiful skin, hair, and nails. Some of the first signs of EFA deficiency are dry, flaky skin, dull hair, and brittle nails. N-3s can help skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Also, GLA (n-6 derivative) administration is useful for some patients with atopic eczema.
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Keef
It sounds like you've been to a gazillion doctor appointments because you talk like one, so why wasn't this infection uncovered a long time ago?
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You mean I talk like a doctor? :lol: Well, my major (Biotech engineering) is strongly intertwined with medicine, and my current job has me doing a lot of medical-related research, so I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with reading medical literature. ;) Funny you said that, because today when I was talking to my dermatologist about what I thought I had, he nodded his head and said “So, when are you going to med school?”

Anyway, to answer your real question, no, I haven’t been to the doctor that much – last time I went, my PCP had an “understudy” doctor who just prescribed me more topical steroids, which is what I knew would happen if I kept going. I can’t blame him though, because it’s not that common for a Staph infection to become the primary spreader and trigger of the eczema – up until the oozing, it really did look like my eczema had gone psycho just because of metabolic/immunomodulation reasons (especially because my immune system is obviously messed up, as I have asthma and allergies).

kikie
I haven't red this entire thread and this may have been mentionned but omega 3 fatty acids helps. I don't know if it helps curing eczema but it sure helps if you have a dry skin. Flax oil is a very good vegetable source of omega3 fatty acid.
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AFAIK, studies have only shown n–3 fatty acids to be helpful for eczema if taken in megadoses (>3g/day, which means taking ten of the fish oil pills you normally buy at the grocery store per day), and megadosing on n–3 isn’t proven to be particularly safe (as with most supplements). And in my case, it definitely would’ve had no effect.
 
Sage
, in the past month since my last post here, I’ve tried a zillion different things, because it was getting even worse and worse. Then, earlier this week, my face and chest started to ooze (I didn’t sleep that night), and suddenly I had a Eureka! moment and realized that all of my problems were probably not being caused by my eczema itself, but by a Staph infection that had spread and aggravated my eczema (I had in the way back of my mind that S. aureus is a component of eczema and prevalent on eczema patients, but for some reason it never occurred to me that it might actually be the cause of my problems rather than a side effect).[/Sage]

Ugh. That reminds me of the greater part of my existence. They put me on 100 mg of Doxepin HCl at night to "knock me out" so I wouldnt be up all night doing even more damage to the mangled, caked, yet oozing membrane otherwise known as my skin.

S. aureus. Evil, evil prokaryotes. I've had run ins with aureus and it's nastier offspring. You know far more than I could ever hope to know about this bacteria and its functions, but I can say this: don't get used to store counter bacitracin working for very long, though. :( I really don't want to rain on your sunspot, if you will. Just look out. Use it like you would use a topical steroid or prescription steroid like prednisone: a last resort tactical nuke. I slathered myself in the stuff every time I thought I was anywhere near an impetigo outbreak. later on, it started to lose its effectiveness, then it lost its effectiveness almost completely. (or it seemed to) then again.. I was applying bacitracin almost daily for several months to my ankles. :dopey:

Sage
So the next day I bought bacitracin ointment and started taking antibiotics, and it’s done wonders for me. I still look like I’m close to death, but at least I’m actually recovering instead of worsening for the first time in nearly a year: I have no more discharge anywhere, my scalp is starting to lose its flakiness, the enormous patches on my body have started to thin out and lose their hyperpigmentation, scaley areas actually absorb lotion now instead of looking exactly the same after application, the black patches above and underneath my eyes are just starting to lose some of their color and wrinkle… I’m so much happier now. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of this particularly bad episode.
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I'm glad you've found some sort of relief. :)

Black..spots? :scared: I only ever got black spots when I had impetigo. If you care to explain, please do. I'm intrigued.

Sage
Anyway, to answer your real question, no, I haven’t been to the doctor that much – last time I went, my PCP had an “understudy” doctor who just prescribed me more topical steroids, which is what I knew would happen if I kept going. I can’t blame him though, because it’s not that common for a Staph infection to become the primary spreader and trigger of the eczema – up until the oozing, it really did look like my eczema had gone psycho just because of metabolic/immunomodulation reasons (especially because my immune system is obviously messed up, as I have asthma and allergies).

And in my case, it definitely would’ve had no effect.
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Maybe the staph happened as a result of the eczema but further fueled the process? Like the fire ant/aphid combo that ruined every crop in many of the west indies in the 1500s? (My memory is sketchy on that)

You must have at least a semblance of an immune system. I'm surprised (and thankful) that given the conditions you described, you didn't devolve into a mostly faithful but far less severe reenactment of a smallpox victim's skin. Maybe I'm talking nonsense at 1 AM. I probably am.

You're probably to the point where you get a legal right to smack anyone who tells you to try "itch-x."



Can't try and make any more sense out of this post at the moment. brings back itchy memories.
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Are you guys on gluten-free diets? I read that helps.

Sage, you sure you didn't get staph from your animal friends?
 
I used to have it when I was between 3 and 9... It was behind my ears, so I cleaned a lot and had some cream perscribed, which in the course or the 6 years that I had it got rid of it all together... I didn't think it was working much, but I was only young...
 
High-Test
You know far more than I could ever hope to know about this bacteria and its functions, but I can say this: don't get used to store counter bacitracin working for very long, though.
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Oh sure, I know – it’s just a spot-treatment thing. I’m sure the antibiotics are doing 98% of the work.

High-Test
I'm glad you've found some sort of relief. :)
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Thanks! :)

High-Test
Black..spots? :scared: I only ever got black spots when I had impetigo. If you care to explain, please do. I'm intrigued.
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Well, not necessarily black, but very very dark. Basically I looked like I hadn’t slept in a hundred years (actually, I still sort of do).

High-Test
Maybe the staph happened as a result of the eczema but further fueled the process?
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Well, S. aureus is very prevalent on eczema patients – it’s on the majority of patients even who aren’t fighting active eczema. If it’s just sitting on top of the epidermis, it’s perfectly benign – it only causes problems when it’s able to get to lower tissue levels.

So, in my case, I believe what happened is that I was exercising quite a lot last year, and so I would get sweaty around my neck, which obviously inflamed my eczema there. Then what probably happened is that I would scratch that area and elsewhere, therefore both breaking skin and spreading the staph, and this just gradually kept going for many months. Then once the staph because settled in these areas it became the primary trigger for the continued eczema inflammation.

Omnis
Are you guys on gluten-free diets? I read that helps.
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Well, that’s useful if you’re allergic to gluten, but not much else. ;) People tout gluten-free diets to combat just about every single disease ever, including cancer. And anyway, in my case, it’s definitely caused by the staph, because my eczema was always very tolerable before this (to the extent that I forgot to tell two of my doctors that I even had eczema). Food allergies don’t suddenly appear and blow up like this in a span of several months.

Omnis
Sage, you sure you didn't get staph from your animal friends?
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Like I mentioned earlier, staph is extremely prevalent on eczema patients, and in fact exists on like 20% of the general population, so, no. ;) Plus, that picture of the rabbit is the only animal I’m ever actually touched, and that was 6 years ago.
 
I read through this whole thread, only to realize it was about eczema, and not acne, something that is a plague to my body at the moment. However, I did have an attack by eczema or some sort of rash today though. It started during gym, when playing hockey. Something must have irritated my skin, because when I started to sweat, there was a burning feeling on my hands. I believe it's in the soaps. The skin on my hands cannot stand the chemicals in some soaps (those colored ones with pretty shape and all the different perfume smells). Nothing helps, I just have to wait until the irritation is gone. (Should be tomorrow morning or in the weekend).
 
[Bumpity bump bump bump]

Sorry for the bump from the dead, but:

I think I've found my magic bullet. Hang with me for a minute, because the next paragraph is going to sound like I've fallen into some sort of bandwagon.

Some of you may have heard (or maybe are even on) the Paleo diet. I like some of the general concepts of the Paleo diet, but it's not scientifically rigorous enough for me - luckily though I happened to stumble on the Archevore diet, which is a modification of the Paleo diet that takes into serious account metabolic biochemistry.

Anyway, a lot of people use it to control weight gain, but a big part of the diet is control over inflammation. E.g., there's a current theory that gluten, being a glycoprotein, essentially binds to the intestinal cell walls, opens up the tight junctions, and therefore lets whole proteins leak into the bloodstream which then sends the immune system into a frenzy. So Omnis, you might have been right!

I've been trying this diet since about February, with intentional "off" periods to see if my eczema would flare back up, and indeed it seems there's a direct relationship between sticking to this diet and the state of my eczema - once I go on gluten and eat too much PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) my eczema flares up within a couple days, and when I go off gluten and back to less PUFA and higher saturated fats my eczema clears right up. Well, it never completely clears up, but for me it's probably as close as I'll get.

Unfortunately beer isn't part of the diet, but I've at least noticed that barley-based beers have less of an effect on me than wheat-based beers (barley has gluten, but it's structurally different from wheat gluten).
 
The 2000s called and they want their threads back. :lol:

Anyway, glad to hear that you found a way to minimize the suffering. I forget where I read about the gluten thing otherwise I'd link you to the journal/article.
 
There's a Gluten-Free market where I live that sells Gluten-Free beer. 👍

I'm sure Google can find a case for you.
 
Omnis
I forget where I read about the gluten thing otherwise I'd link you to the journal/article.
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Ah it's okay, I've actually read a buttload of journal articles already :lol: (I wouldn't otherwise have dived into this diet).

Villain
There's a Gluten-Free market where I live that sells Gluten-Free beer. 👍
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All the gluten-free beers have pretty lousy reviews on BeerAdvocate. Good beer isn't something I'm going to give up on anytime soon ;)... I just have to cut back a bit.

In fact, Omnis, I was going to send you a message about whiskey and such (since distilled alcohol is gluten-free), but haven't gotten around to it. I'll write up something within the next few days.
 
I had it really bad when I was younger, but I can't remember for the life of me what made it go away.. It may have been some type of prescription cream? I don't know :dunce:.
 
I had it for most of last year around my fingers and toes. I went to several Chinese doctors who game me lots of different creams, none of which worked. My wife went to her home town in Thailand and took a picture of my bad skin and the doctors gave her two small pots of cream for me to use. Within a month it was gone and has not come back since. Don't know what it's called because it was made by the dermatologists and wasn't off the shelf.
 
shem
I had it for most of last year around my fingers and toes. I went to several Chinese doctors who game me lots of different creams, none of which worked. My wife went to her home town in Thailand and took a picture of my bad skin and the doctors gave her two small pots of cream for me to use. Within a month it was gone and has not come back since. Don't know what it's called because it was made by the dermatologists and wasn't off the shelf.
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I'm glad it worked for you, I know I wouldn't have had the guts to use something someone handmade for me, unless I knew the person. I guess I just watch too many medicine gone wrong movies :lol:.
 

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