Terrible Eczema?

[A.Balaban]

So, I saw the thread on eczema earlier, but it was in a young kid. I am here asking about my DH.

 

Since August 2009 he has had a skin issue that causes really dry skin, redness, itchiness, and it's rather unpleasant looking. When he got it originally in 2009, he was working with produce, so I assumed it was mold or something. To give you an idea, this covers both arms, and his chest/back- his entire upper body is basically red and blotchy. It is NOT on his hands, and it goes up the sides of his neck to his hairline.

 

Every time he goes back to see a Dr, they usually want to start at "the beginning" or have no idea, so they give him a prescription, and then he takes it, and it does nothing. He has gotten 2-3 different prescriptions that did nothing. He lost his insurance a year ago, so he hasn't been back to see a Dr.

 

We try hydrocortisone cream, it helps a bit (even if I get the "Strong" stuff) but it does not eradicate it. The best results he had were from a prescription anti-fungal cream that I had leftover from my son, but after about 2 weeks the effectiveness wore off. We have tried eczema cream. He has tried allergy meds. He has been trying benadryl, which he says helps with the itching.

 

Right now he is lotioning 2-4 times a day or more, and I am just at a loss. Does anyone know anything else we can try?

 

I'm making an appointment for him to see a dr, so we can get a referral to a dermatologist, but anything that could help him in the meantime would be appreciated. :)

[Clear Creek]

My son and I both suffer from eczema, and I am treating both of us the same. First, we both take Zyrtec daily. Second, we both use this lotion (this one exactly, not the one for eczema or any of the adult ones), which is available at Walmart, Target, and most grocery stores. We use the lotion twice daily for flare-ups, once daily when there is nothing. Third, we only use fragrance-free products - shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, hair products, lotion...everything that touches our skin is fragrance-free.

 

This is the result of five years of trial-and-error. The biggest factor for me was the fragrance in products...I had been using a fragrance-free body wash for years, but I still had eczema all over my upper body...as soon as I switched to fragrance-free shampoo and conditioner it went away and has not been back. Apparently just rinsing regular fragranced products out of my hair in the shower was spreading irritants all over my skin!

 

Hope this helps!

[Momof3littles]

I have little spots that popped up several years ago. They get a bit scaly, but are not itchy. My initial diagnosis was tinea versicolor. It improved a bit with various antifungals but it did recur. Some people also experience hypopigmentation afterward.

 

I saw a derm about it again recently, and the new derm thinks it is psoriasis or eczema. They did a biopsy (has your DH ever had one?) and it came back negative for fungal stuff, and I guess kind of inconclusive. Basically they are back to assuming psoraisis or eczema.

 

I've tried several different meds and nothing clears it completely. It doesn't seem to fit nicely with the clinical descriptions of any one thing.

 

New derm thought it was not tinea versicolor because he says that concentrates on the trunk more often. I have it on my trunk (shoulders mostly). However, it is most obvious on my arms because they get more sun exposure, leading to hypopigmentation . Soooo...his conclusion there didn't really make sense to me. I have it on my torso, it is just more obvious on my arms because of the sun exposure.

 

Not sure if any of that helps. I share your frustration. I've had this for about 5 years with multiple different diagnoses, and a useless biopsy.

 

If it is fungal, it could be that he needs a stronger or different drug. For example, some people respond to selsun blue, and some people need the RX concentration of that drug.

[gingersmom]

Your husband needs to see an environmental dermatologist and have allergy testing (they prick you with different allergens).

 

I had horrible eczema that was not treated with any success till allergy testing. I am horribly allergic to gold and all metals.

 

There are also hundreds of medicines they use to treat eczema so if one does not work keep searching. It took me several tries till I found the correct one.

[A.Balaban]

Thank you so much for the replies!!!

 

We are switching out our products to "fragrance-free natural" varieties as we can. That is definitely something i want to try and see if it helps. I say this as I just realized I used fragrance in the home-made laundry fabric softener I made last night. :lol:

 

He does have allergies- however, he doesn't have his pediatric records from his last allergy testing so I don't have his old results. I do know they need to get redone. As far as I know, he has no food allergies, just environmental ones.

 

I think we are going to start with the dr (I made an appointment) and then try to get a referral to an dermatologist. I have never heard of an environmental dermatologist. Oh man. Then we will try the nutritionist or naturopath. I have no experience with them so I have no idea if they would accept insurance (unlikely?) so we would have to bear the cost out of pocket. I have a friend who has had great luck with a naturopath, so I am thinking that is definitely an option. I have no idea to even go about finding one.

 

Thanks for the link to the lotion! He just ran out of his normal lotion, so I will switch him to this one and see how it goes. :) His appointment isn't until the end of March, so I will have to start researching fragrance free products. Thanks again!!!

[pageta]

I had eczema and taking acidophilus pills from the health food store cleared it up. I've heard it can be from allergies and perhaps the bacteria in yogurt was something I needed. I, too, had tried EVERYTHING the doctors tried to give me. It was all over the palms of my hands - my skin was peeling constantly because of the little bubbles. Not fun.

[cuckoomamma]

I'd really recommend an elimination diet. Sometimes food allergies are missed with testing. He could also have several food allergies. I couldn't recommend it more :-)

[wapiti]

I might wonder if it's eczema from a staph infection. If that were the case, to avoid seeing a doc and getting a prescription for antibiotics, he could try bleach baths (google for more info on the technique; something like a half or whole cup of bleach in a tub of water, so many days per week).

[Shellers]

I sympathize with your DH. I have terrible reactions to most products. Have you changed laundry detergents or are you using dryer sheets? Dryer sheets make my kids break out.

 

I have always suffered from strange skin reactions. Most recently, I ran out of Mary Kay moisturizer, while on a trip, and purchased some Oil of Olay Moisturizer from Walmart. I had the worst reaction, my face ended up breaking out in blisters, it was horrible.

 

I have the same problems with most lotions. Ugh...

[sbgrace]

I do agree with trying bleach baths.

 

Also, I wanted to mention a balsam of peru allergy/sensitivity (google it...). It's in so much (food and skin care products) by different names and ingredients but it's a major cause of eczema. It was the cause here and it's nearly impossible to track down without knowing about it first because of the wide variety of related triggers. Here is a link anyway http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/balsam-of-peru-allergy.html

[Rosyl]

we use eucerin for eczema. When we have a bad outbreak I have that person soak in an Aveeno oatmeal bath. the wal mart brand doesn't cut it here.

[Pippen]

Oftentimes long term eczema causes infection, which is why the hydrocortisone alone won't knock it out. I sometimes have better luck alternating hydrocortisone with antibiotic cream.

 

I will caution you that even the "free" and "natural" products can give me trouble so it's a good idea to eliminate unnecessary products (like fabric softener or dryer sheets, which my derm says cause problems for a lot of people).

[Melinda S in TX]

But I have learned to make a beeswax/olive oil/essential oil "goop" that has replaced the Eucerin.

 

 

How?

[Corraleno]

My kids and I all get eczema from time to time, and organic coconut oil works better than anything else I've found. It has natural antibiotic and antifungal properties, it's quickly absorbed, and it actually "feeds" the skin rather than just sitting in the surface.

 

DS gets it really bad on his hands, and it usually happens quite suddenly — within a day or so they're suddenly red, scaly, flaky, with a silvery-gray sheen. We slather his hands with coconut oil at night and he wears stretchy gloves to seal the moisture in, and within a week or so it's gone. When DD gets it on the inside of her knees and elbows, we slather on the coconut oil and she wears a fleece sleeper to bed; clears it up in a few days. I use it as an all-over moisturizer after every bath and shower, and I rarely get flare-ups anymore (generally only if I'm away from home and not using it).

 

Jackie

[Donna A.]

Do any of you (or your loved one) get it on the face? We're actually managing my dd's eczema on the rest of her body pretty well -- it never goes away completely, but we manage it well with the environmental, diet, and topical treatments we have in place. But not on her face. We CANNOT get her face "clean". We do, and then it comes right back. I think part of the problem is that she aggravates it (picking and peeling), so it doesn't get a chance to fully heal. Especially around the mouth area. It doesn't even LOOK like eczema. It's just raw and red and looks painfully sore. :confused: Not to mention very visible. :blushing: The poor girl is miserable! :crying:

 

Speaking of diet, to the OP.... Our dermatologist told us to eliminate corn, tomatoes, eggs, nuts, chocolate, caffeine, and pork. One week to the day after Day 1 of elimination, we saw a *noticeable* improvement. It continued to improve every day.... until I started giving her Zyrtec again and three days later she broke out again. Realized that the generic (Walmart brand) of Zyrtec has CORN STARCH in it, so had to throw it out and start all over again on trying to get her cleaned up. :glare: It's been a very frustrating cycle. I'd like to find a way to get her clean and KEEP her that way!

[A.Balaban]

Wow. This is some great suggestions. We are cutting out fabric softener- I just use plain vinegar instead now (it actually works better than store-bought stuff :glare:)

 

We will look into bleach baths- I have heard that suggestion before and I am surprised I did not hear about it before it.

 

I am also going to look into coconut oil- I have heard of that as well. I think Tea tree oil also has some properties that make it good for the skin. I am by no means an expert...

 

I think everyone just has to start off getting allergy testing. LOL. Over the last week I have had two allergic reactions to something (and i never have a reaction)

[butterflymommy]

Not to alarm you but the description you give is sometimes seen in patients with lupus. Does he have any rash on his face? You might want to ask the dr for an ANA test and a referral to a rheumatologist, especially if the creams are not working. At least try to get a referral to a dermatologist. My son has eczema (?) like you describe and he's being evaluated for lupus. Is it worse when he's in the sun?

[Trilliums]

I also suggest tea tree oil. That stuff can clear up just about anything. If it doesn't work, I'd start looking into the elimination diets, etc.

Good luck!

[Donna A.]

Warning about the tea tree oil.... it made my dd's skin sting horribly. Most creams and lotions do, including the "pure" ones that are supposed to be good for eczema. Coconut oil doesn't make her sting, and it does soften her skin very nicely. But in our situation, it doesn't really heal the rawness on her face that I posted above. :confused:

[A.Balaban]

Not to alarm you but the description you give is sometimes seen in patients with lupus. Does he have any rash on his face? You might want to ask the dr for an ANA test and a referral to a rheumatologist, especially if the creams are not working. At least try to get a referral to a dermatologist. My son has eczema (?) like you describe and he's being evaluated for lupus. Is it worse when he's in the sun?

 

Yes it is worse when he is in the sun.

 

They think I have APS, which is a lupus anti-coagulant disorder... so whenever someone sees "lupus" they go.. you have lupus? :lol: I'm like "No...."

 

Thanks! We will look into it.

[ReneeK]

My son has eczema bad. We started using Omega 3-6-9 oil a few months ago and it has helped a lot. We buy it at a natural food store and it taste like a smoothie and doesn't have the after taste. The brand is Barleans. I am no longer seeing it from head to toe.

 

My son's skin gets really bad in the spring and summer from seasonal allergies so it will be interesting to see how he fairs this season. The hot sun and when he sweats sets it off usually. The Omega oil has worked well in the winter months. Usually he is pretty bad off in the winter but worst in the spring/summer.

 

So far I am happy with the results and haven't had to used prescriptions for his skin at all:001_smile:. I still smoother him with lotion from head to toe. (Cethpel)

 

Fabric softener is horrible for his skin and the dermatologist said that is something he hears often.

 

I like tea tree oil but he hated it because it stung to much on large break outs.

 

Has anyone else tried the Omega oils? We are loving it so far.

[A.Balaban]

I would be interested to hear more about those Omega Oils too.

 

DH's appointment got pushed back until the end of April. So disappointing.

[Susan in TN]

Haven't read all the responses, but I've heard the first things to try are removing dairy from the diet. If that doesn't work, remove grains. Within a couple weeks of the food removal you should see some good improvement. Allergies can develop in adults - I started having an issue with nuts 4 years ago and had never had a problem with them before. Try digestive enzymes which can help the body process some of those trouble foods. Increase your zinc consumption. Coconut oil is your friend (unless you have a reaction to it :D)

 

My oldest dd gets eczema from citrus. She can handle a little, but summertime lemonade will just kill her if she goes overboard.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Susan in TN