I think my skin loves the sunshine and dislikes winter.
During winter last year, I took cod liver oil and primrose oil suppliments. However the arms, neck, face, legs and parts of the torso succumbed to eczema. Spring into Summer improved the skin greatly and nearly killed off the eczema. Was probably eating better but not sleeping better!
However back in the throes of winter, the inner elbows and neck have gone back to being eczematic. So am taking vitamin D3 (5000 IU) suppliments. There appears to be some improvement in the inner elbows and neck. Additionally am taking the next couple of weeks to sleep and allow skin repair. So let's see what happens.
Am taking a 1/3 of an antihistamine if it begins to itch during the night (a regular monthly occurence at the moment. Yes before that darn girly period!). This appears adequate to keep things under control so that I am not tearing out my skin.
Still moisturising with different moisturisers and have ventured back to other types of commerical creams that contain some parafin constituent. Skin seems to be okay with it all. It just doesn't like being clammy.
Hope you all are having success in discovering how to keep your eczematic skin under control.
Merry Christmas
Friday 27 December 2013
Thursday 29 August 2013
Hard Water vs Soft Water or is it just Jetlag
Having been in a place with soft water for the last 2 weeks, it was interesting to observe that after a hot shower in hard water the eczema skin felt a little irritated. However this might be coupled with extreme tiredness from a long haul flight and perhaps the water was a little too hot!
Anyway whilst it is still in the 20s (degs C), am returning to having cold/luke warm showers.
There has been lots written about soft water helping eczema sufferers but from my point of view I have had great normal looking skin whilst still washing in hard water. So not sure about that.
4 days later:
Body has now nearly aclimitised and the hard water now has no effect on irritating the skin. Can only conclude that the supposition that soft water is better for eczema skin is questionable. In my case - no difference!
Sleep makes a difference
Anyway whilst it is still in the 20s (degs C), am returning to having cold/luke warm showers.
There has been lots written about soft water helping eczema sufferers but from my point of view I have had great normal looking skin whilst still washing in hard water. So not sure about that.
4 days later:
Body has now nearly aclimitised and the hard water now has no effect on irritating the skin. Can only conclude that the supposition that soft water is better for eczema skin is questionable. In my case - no difference!
Sleep makes a difference
Monday 15 July 2013
Little Niece Cleared Of Eczema
My cousin's 3 year old girl began to itch a year ago. As it got worst, she appeared to become sensitive to more things such as tomatoes which she was eating happily before her outbreak.
The local GP of course prescribed her a course of steroid creams and moisturising creams that were high in petroleum (aqueous cream/diprobase/emollient cream etc)
I had recommended to my cousin not to use either, to keep the young one's diet simple, find a moisturing cream without petroleum/low in petroleum, and to ensure her surroundings were kept as dust free as possible. However with the young one's face and neck looking really bad and my cousin's desperation to get her daughter's skin back to normal, meant the GP's recommendation was followed.
Of course there was some healing, after all steroid creams burn off the outer layer, giving an appearance of "healing". My cuz followed the regime for 6 weeks. When she stopped, the eczema appeared to come back more aggressively - well it hadn't been cured! The GP gave her a course of antibiotics. My cuz asked to be referred to the skin clinic to find out what her daughter might be sensitive/allergic to. This took months to organise and they had to see a dermatologist, who told them everything they knew already (keep the skin moisturised, moisturise immediately after a bath) but no skin allergy test. This would be another wait.
So now a year plus on, my cuz has heard what I told her to do.
1. The house was cleaned several times + the carpets were cleaned (not just vacuumed).
2. My cuz no longer applied steroid creams + the GP prescribed emollients and found a cream that had no petroleum products in it.
3. Kept the child's diet simple.
4. Additionally she changed the laundry powder to a different non-bio powder (she was using Fairy non-bio - but I have found that too over scented and reacts to my skin).
2-3 months later her child's skin is clear. I don't believe it was just the cream that affected her skin, but a combination of changed environmental factors. The young one now appears to be able to eat the stuff that she was sensitive to during her itchy outbreak.
As for mine - well it is under control however work + dehydration + sleep deprivation are my bane. Adult life is so much more complicated. Sometimes I wish someone else would look after all of the "other" stuff for me. Anyway Dec is when this project will end.
On another note, I completed a 100 mile event in 29 hours without itching, only because I took an antihistamine to prevent the initial sweat from causing a reaction :-)
The local GP of course prescribed her a course of steroid creams and moisturising creams that were high in petroleum (aqueous cream/diprobase/emollient cream etc)
I had recommended to my cousin not to use either, to keep the young one's diet simple, find a moisturing cream without petroleum/low in petroleum, and to ensure her surroundings were kept as dust free as possible. However with the young one's face and neck looking really bad and my cousin's desperation to get her daughter's skin back to normal, meant the GP's recommendation was followed.
Of course there was some healing, after all steroid creams burn off the outer layer, giving an appearance of "healing". My cuz followed the regime for 6 weeks. When she stopped, the eczema appeared to come back more aggressively - well it hadn't been cured! The GP gave her a course of antibiotics. My cuz asked to be referred to the skin clinic to find out what her daughter might be sensitive/allergic to. This took months to organise and they had to see a dermatologist, who told them everything they knew already (keep the skin moisturised, moisturise immediately after a bath) but no skin allergy test. This would be another wait.
So now a year plus on, my cuz has heard what I told her to do.
1. The house was cleaned several times + the carpets were cleaned (not just vacuumed).
2. My cuz no longer applied steroid creams + the GP prescribed emollients and found a cream that had no petroleum products in it.
3. Kept the child's diet simple.
4. Additionally she changed the laundry powder to a different non-bio powder (she was using Fairy non-bio - but I have found that too over scented and reacts to my skin).
2-3 months later her child's skin is clear. I don't believe it was just the cream that affected her skin, but a combination of changed environmental factors. The young one now appears to be able to eat the stuff that she was sensitive to during her itchy outbreak.
As for mine - well it is under control however work + dehydration + sleep deprivation are my bane. Adult life is so much more complicated. Sometimes I wish someone else would look after all of the "other" stuff for me. Anyway Dec is when this project will end.
On another note, I completed a 100 mile event in 29 hours without itching, only because I took an antihistamine to prevent the initial sweat from causing a reaction :-)
Monday 20 May 2013
The Magic Cure For Eczema.....
....there is none but hard work to find out what your body is sensitive to and what seems to make it well.
As stated before in a previous post, steroid creams are a temporary relief. My little niece has had her steroid cream changed again but mother is starting to listen and make changes in her environment. The creams one eczema sufferer might respond well to will be different to what another eczema sufferer responds to. Just because one cream has helped one or two other sufferers, does not make it a cure for eczema.
So here is my cure for the moment and it appears that different parts of my body respond differently!
Legs/Torso:
The sunshine has cleared my legs/stomach of eczema thus makes me think that my body needs a higher quantity of the sunshine vitamin than other "ordinary" well-skinned folks.
Eyes:
At the end of last year I had a bout of conjunctivitis. This has cleared but caused eczema around the eyes. My own watery eyes seem to make the skin itch. Am now trying a cooled solution of boiled water + table salt to wipe around the eyes. It stings the skin but has appeared to dry up the skin. So will see if this works.
Neck:
The neck likes an intake of liquids (and I don't mean alcohol) thus dehydration through sweat and sport appear to to cause the itchy neck syndrome again. Am taking half an antihistamine to keep that under control in case water is scarce.
Arms:
The arms need sleep! I scratch when am tired and the recent bout of late nights have not helped.
In all cases, the body appears to respond well to herbal teas like fennel and the detox teas. So will keep drinking that. I am still moisturising my skin with off the shelf products. I do not believe expensive products are a cure. I've tried a lot of them already and am getting much better success doing the above to heal my skin.
So thank you to those that have offered me various skin products to try for free. I am looking to sort out the root of the cause of the eczema and not merely treat the symptoms to provide temporary relief.
The eczema has certainly cleared itself during the summer months. Now have to understand how to ensure it does not return during the winter months.
As stated before in a previous post, steroid creams are a temporary relief. My little niece has had her steroid cream changed again but mother is starting to listen and make changes in her environment. The creams one eczema sufferer might respond well to will be different to what another eczema sufferer responds to. Just because one cream has helped one or two other sufferers, does not make it a cure for eczema.
So here is my cure for the moment and it appears that different parts of my body respond differently!
Legs/Torso:
The sunshine has cleared my legs/stomach of eczema thus makes me think that my body needs a higher quantity of the sunshine vitamin than other "ordinary" well-skinned folks.
Eyes:
At the end of last year I had a bout of conjunctivitis. This has cleared but caused eczema around the eyes. My own watery eyes seem to make the skin itch. Am now trying a cooled solution of boiled water + table salt to wipe around the eyes. It stings the skin but has appeared to dry up the skin. So will see if this works.
Neck:
The neck likes an intake of liquids (and I don't mean alcohol) thus dehydration through sweat and sport appear to to cause the itchy neck syndrome again. Am taking half an antihistamine to keep that under control in case water is scarce.
Arms:
The arms need sleep! I scratch when am tired and the recent bout of late nights have not helped.
In all cases, the body appears to respond well to herbal teas like fennel and the detox teas. So will keep drinking that. I am still moisturising my skin with off the shelf products. I do not believe expensive products are a cure. I've tried a lot of them already and am getting much better success doing the above to heal my skin.
So thank you to those that have offered me various skin products to try for free. I am looking to sort out the root of the cause of the eczema and not merely treat the symptoms to provide temporary relief.
The eczema has certainly cleared itself during the summer months. Now have to understand how to ensure it does not return during the winter months.
Wednesday 17 April 2013
A Blast of Sunshine...
...Well there isn't any in the UK, so had an opportunity to apply some sunshine abroad!
It is amazing how some of the skin condition responds.
Whilst with the "discoid" skin condition, my skin felt clamy as if it was sweating and cold at the same time especially at night time under the covers. When the skin "sweat", the skin itched. Found talcum powder helped a little to keep the skin drier.
The blast of sunshine over 2 weeks seems to have dried up the skin condition and made it "fall off". Now for some of the deeper areas to be healed.
Come on Spring, make a better entrance into the UK!
It is amazing how some of the skin condition responds.
Whilst with the "discoid" skin condition, my skin felt clamy as if it was sweating and cold at the same time especially at night time under the covers. When the skin "sweat", the skin itched. Found talcum powder helped a little to keep the skin drier.
The blast of sunshine over 2 weeks seems to have dried up the skin condition and made it "fall off". Now for some of the deeper areas to be healed.
Come on Spring, make a better entrance into the UK!
Sunday 10 March 2013
Steroid Creams & Marketing Lies
Louise's comments:
Thank you Louise for your comment. I totally agree! Thank you for the reminder. I admit after having clear skin and then seeing the eczema spreading up my body, I panicked and let the GP take control!
Steroid creams will give you temporary relief. They do not cure eczema. I believe steroid creams are a marketing ploy by the greedy pharmaceuticals. Basic marketing principles: create need, then you have a market. I am seeing this lie over and over again in industries (petrol cars, bagged vacuum cleaners, running shoes & diet!!!) I was in a Health Food shop today and a customer had asked for a specific product for a particular condition. The customer service/salesman told her that it appears that the product might not be effective from proof on the web. She bought something else, however the salesman's manager was not happy as this went against the principles of selling. The product is in the shop because we sell it and one has to sell what the customer has requested even though it might not be right because that customer will be back to purchase more in the belief the product was helping her.
I'm with the salesman on this occasion.
The only cure for eczema is to remove the irritant from one's environment. I became blaise with my diet; blaise with the amount of time I spent outside (my skin likes sunshine but like many I hate going outside in the winter months); blaise with my water drinking..... The only reward I have received is my body returning to the itch cycle although thankfully the skin is not flaking as badly as it once had as though I have patches that are very itchy, the whole body is mildly itchy (means I can tolerate it).
I have stopped using the steroid cream. The GP wanted me to wean of the steroid cream by first using it continuously, then every other day, then every 2 days, etc. I have done this before. The steroid cream did ease off the itching but the eczema returned once I had stopped using it.
This is to remind myself that using steroid creams is useless. It sucks you into believing, hoping that it will cure and then makes you step onto the treadmill of dependency! It brings short term relief but does not heal eczema. I wrote this many moons ago. I have just seen this on myself again and on a little niece whose mother is desperate to get her little daughter's eczema under control. GPs prescribed us both cortisone creams. The little one's eczema has got worst, so the GP prescribed a stronger cortisone. Have recommended to her mother to get her an allergy/sensitivity test.
Our greedy economics have integrated into all parts of our society. With the internet we can begin to unravel the lies corporates have got us believing! It is time to change our destructive economics.
Thanks for reading my rant.
"Did you know steroid creams can themselves be a cause for eczema type rashes?
Users typically treat a small patch with cortisone, only to find that it comes back after a week or two. This can lead to a spiral of addiction. Try natural methods for relief instead.
More info can be found at itsan.org. Itsan is a charity helping people who are suffering with steroid cream dependent eczema."
Users typically treat a small patch with cortisone, only to find that it comes back after a week or two. This can lead to a spiral of addiction. Try natural methods for relief instead.
More info can be found at itsan.org. Itsan is a charity helping people who are suffering with steroid cream dependent eczema."
Thank you Louise for your comment. I totally agree! Thank you for the reminder. I admit after having clear skin and then seeing the eczema spreading up my body, I panicked and let the GP take control!
Steroid creams will give you temporary relief. They do not cure eczema. I believe steroid creams are a marketing ploy by the greedy pharmaceuticals. Basic marketing principles: create need, then you have a market. I am seeing this lie over and over again in industries (petrol cars, bagged vacuum cleaners, running shoes & diet!!!) I was in a Health Food shop today and a customer had asked for a specific product for a particular condition. The customer service/salesman told her that it appears that the product might not be effective from proof on the web. She bought something else, however the salesman's manager was not happy as this went against the principles of selling. The product is in the shop because we sell it and one has to sell what the customer has requested even though it might not be right because that customer will be back to purchase more in the belief the product was helping her.
I'm with the salesman on this occasion.
The only cure for eczema is to remove the irritant from one's environment. I became blaise with my diet; blaise with the amount of time I spent outside (my skin likes sunshine but like many I hate going outside in the winter months); blaise with my water drinking..... The only reward I have received is my body returning to the itch cycle although thankfully the skin is not flaking as badly as it once had as though I have patches that are very itchy, the whole body is mildly itchy (means I can tolerate it).
I have stopped using the steroid cream. The GP wanted me to wean of the steroid cream by first using it continuously, then every other day, then every 2 days, etc. I have done this before. The steroid cream did ease off the itching but the eczema returned once I had stopped using it.
This is to remind myself that using steroid creams is useless. It sucks you into believing, hoping that it will cure and then makes you step onto the treadmill of dependency! It brings short term relief but does not heal eczema. I wrote this many moons ago. I have just seen this on myself again and on a little niece whose mother is desperate to get her little daughter's eczema under control. GPs prescribed us both cortisone creams. The little one's eczema has got worst, so the GP prescribed a stronger cortisone. Have recommended to her mother to get her an allergy/sensitivity test.
Our greedy economics have integrated into all parts of our society. With the internet we can begin to unravel the lies corporates have got us believing! It is time to change our destructive economics.
Thanks for reading my rant.
Friday 8 March 2013
At War
It's been awhile since I last wrote. Must remember to never become blaise even when it appears the skin has recovered. Am at war with my skin again.
The face has fought with me as it really hates the winter central heating. I like the place cold but no one else does! Anyhow appear to have got this now under better control with constant heavy moisturising.
With repeated nagging from someone within my group, had to apply someone's 0.5% cortisone cream under the eye as that was really bad on the 3rd day of presenting technical babble to a group. That one application seems to have helped greatly having burned off a part of the bad skin. Two weeks later the eye has continued to heal. Hmmm.
At the end of December I started to having round flakey patches on my legs that became progressively itchy. I thought it was ring worm and treated it with an antifungal cream. This appeared to increase the itchiness. The round flakey patches continued to spread gradually up the body. It appears to be a cross between eczema and psoriasis. My cousin gave me some cream that supposedly has helped other eczema sufferers but it appears to have irritated mine. But my skin is fickle. It now likes the heavier petroleum based emollient Epiderm. So am going along with that for the moment.
Doc thinks it is discoid (or nummelar) eczema so has prescribed a cortisone cream. Am dabbling with it to at the very least stop the spread. So have applied it for the last 6 days and then easing off it.
However, re-reading my own blog, I realise I need to be more patient to have a longer term heal. As it is Spring better get some sun on the skin. Has anyone seen the sun today?
Words For Christopher
Thank you for your comment. Very difficult to pin your trigger on one environmental factor. Have found when my eczema is out of control, anything can appear to be "the trigger". So cooler showers might help plus a cooler environment. I keep my heating temperature regulated at 15-17 degs C. Any warmer and the body tells me about it.
In my tool kit are herbal teas as it appears to psychologically make my body calmer. Think it is the smell and taste (have been drinking fenel and an after dinner tea that does not contain caffeine).
Hopefully your training outside will keep things calmer as well. Good luck with the marathon in April :-)
Oh and beware of those nasty "chemi"gels that are supposed to help support your running. Try getting used to breakfast cereal bars, flapjacks, etc or something that will help give you longer lasting energy rather than a short lived sugar high.
The face has fought with me as it really hates the winter central heating. I like the place cold but no one else does! Anyhow appear to have got this now under better control with constant heavy moisturising.
With repeated nagging from someone within my group, had to apply someone's 0.5% cortisone cream under the eye as that was really bad on the 3rd day of presenting technical babble to a group. That one application seems to have helped greatly having burned off a part of the bad skin. Two weeks later the eye has continued to heal. Hmmm.
At the end of December I started to having round flakey patches on my legs that became progressively itchy. I thought it was ring worm and treated it with an antifungal cream. This appeared to increase the itchiness. The round flakey patches continued to spread gradually up the body. It appears to be a cross between eczema and psoriasis. My cousin gave me some cream that supposedly has helped other eczema sufferers but it appears to have irritated mine. But my skin is fickle. It now likes the heavier petroleum based emollient Epiderm. So am going along with that for the moment.
Doc thinks it is discoid (or nummelar) eczema so has prescribed a cortisone cream. Am dabbling with it to at the very least stop the spread. So have applied it for the last 6 days and then easing off it.
However, re-reading my own blog, I realise I need to be more patient to have a longer term heal. As it is Spring better get some sun on the skin. Has anyone seen the sun today?
Words For Christopher
Thank you for your comment. Very difficult to pin your trigger on one environmental factor. Have found when my eczema is out of control, anything can appear to be "the trigger". So cooler showers might help plus a cooler environment. I keep my heating temperature regulated at 15-17 degs C. Any warmer and the body tells me about it.
In my tool kit are herbal teas as it appears to psychologically make my body calmer. Think it is the smell and taste (have been drinking fenel and an after dinner tea that does not contain caffeine).
Hopefully your training outside will keep things calmer as well. Good luck with the marathon in April :-)
Oh and beware of those nasty "chemi"gels that are supposed to help support your running. Try getting used to breakfast cereal bars, flapjacks, etc or something that will help give you longer lasting energy rather than a short lived sugar high.
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