So I've had eczema for four years now, however I only got the official diagnosis this year. I get it all over my stomach, chest, back, arms, and sometimes around the neck. It's like torture trying to cope with it, considering how far-spread it becomes and how irritatingly itchy it is. It usually only comes during the winter months (when the air is drier) but due to the fact I live in a place where winter can sometimes last into May, it's pretty bad news for me. So I'm wondering, anyone else suffer from it? Any tips and tricks to help reduce the itch? I got cream prescribed, though it really only stops the spreading and does nothing to help the itch. (Which in turn leads me to scratch the areas already affected and make those a whole lot worse.) Thanks in advance.
Hey. I have eczema. Used to have it pretty bad when I was young! I see you have cream from the doctor. It's probably a steroid cream. Those are really good at stopping everything. If you're not already (Idk who diagnosed you), go to an allergist. OTC creams rarely helped me, so we'd try everything under the sun: oatmeal baths, cortisone creams, Benadryl, allergy pills...the best thing were the steroid creams my allergist would give, and you need to NOT SCRATCH. That's the hardest part. You scratch. It gets worse. It itches more. You scratch more. It's a never ending cycle. Keep using the cream, and maybe call a pharmacy to speak with a pharamacist and ask if there are any OTC meds you can mix with the cream to block the itch. It really sucks. I haven't had it bad in years, but I totally feel your pain. Also, I've heard of people eliminating dairy for eczema. I don't eat dairy for other reasons, but I've heard that it can sometimes help. Also don't take super long showers. Use a hydrating body wash - and right after the shower, put on the cream and do not touch. Pat.
Yes, I think it was a steroid cream. It wasn't an allergist who diagnosed me, just my GP. I'll see if I can't get into see someone though, it wouldn't be a bad idea to see if certain foods/soaps/etc trigger my eczema. Not starching is so difficult though. It's so wide-spread and I think sometimes I start itching it without even realizing it. It's gonna be a long process of getting me back into a shape in which I am not always thinking about scratching it. (Even now as I'm typing my side is killing me. I. Must. Not. Give. In.) What are OTCs? I haven't heard of them before.
Sorry, lol. OTC = over the counter (non-prescriptive meds). Yes. I forgot about irritating things. Definitely stay away from fragranced products until your skin has cleared. There are really plain soaps and neutrogena bar soaps that have literally nothing in them. Stick to those, but also make sure they're not super drying. I'd do some research, and definitely get in to see an allergist. Eczema is almost always related to allergies. I used to use Dead Sea salt in baths. I don't remember how well it worked. You may want to look into that. And Dead Sea mud products. I may have grown out of my eczema, or don't get it because I can grab it before it gets out of hand. I still get spots that start to itch sometimes and they can start getting out of control, but I'm quick to get at it. The thing with eczema is that moisturizers don't cut it. It's a lot deeper, so you have to attack everything that's going on, which is why steroid creams work so well. You must, must, absolutely must do whatever you can not to scratch it. Keep using that cream. Go see an allergist/immunologist.
