Eczema

[sinceremealways]

so what the consensus of the best soap?

been using cetaphil so far but


so now looking for new soap. only tried qv & cetaphil...no effect.

also what shampoo do you guys use. must also be mild type right?

heard also of cetaphil lotion, i know someone using that and her eczema improved.
also find this site really helpful you might wanna visit sites below.

eczemacurenow.org

 

[newstranger]

does anyone know of pharmacies that ship cheaply from aus to sg?

aus pharmaceuticals seems to make a number of eczema products, but the stores that offer overseas shipping charge very exp. got any freight forwarder to recommend?

 

[hellomoi]

rast time i tio eczema on my hand i used the warm water and rinsed sibei song ar! hahaha. but after that the itch came back.

 

[Ark Law]

excuse uniform can get c9l9?

btw, my eczema just started, its only a small patch, can get anything to excuse ippt? i NSmen

Can get PES C (eczema since childhood)? Just went for pre-enlistment checkup last week. No NSC/hospic/clinic record. Got "atopic dermatitis" and eczema stated in health booklet but MO never ask for it. Only check my body and joints and that's it.

Everyone with eczema, it is advisable not to use steriods as it will never heal the problem but just "mask" it away and will do more harm in long term. Please do search on it. I stopped using it for a week and right now I think I am having topical steriods withdrawal (red skin). Just avoid those food that people say and i would advise try not to use steriods at all. Just throw away a handful of steriods that I got from NSC.

As for skin creams, for me never work since all it did to mine was to deplete my skin and make it thinner, so my skin only oozed more often.

Never had steroids in the form of pills/consumption, but I did had a few injections. It only suppresses the itch for like a week or two, but it came back (worse for a few weeks) just when I thought it my eczema was going away.

 

[XTRNTR]

Hi everybody,

just wanted to share my knowledge of eczema. It's going to be a wall of text, but this for people who have really struggled with chronic eczema like me.

1) Moisturizers - I wouldn't recommend using all those even moderately expensive ones because the costs add up over time. You can save money without skimping on the efficacy of your moisturizer if you know what to look for and where to shop(Chinatown) Here's what to look for:

Vaseline(petroleum jelly) is the most effective. Petroleum jelly is an occlusive which works by acting as a physical barrier between the environment and your damaged skin barrier and hence blocks water loss that causes dry skin. It's also very cheap, please do not buy dubious generic versions of petroleum jelly. However some people may find it too greasy (you have to apply a really thin layer, and after bathing when your skin is wet to trap the water in) or uncomfortable.

If you are one of these people, then try to look for a moisturizer containing occlusives(lanolin, mineral oil, and silicones such as dimethicone) and humectants (glycerin, sortbitol, urea, alpha hydroxy acids)

More in depth info can be found from the source here

2) There are 3 things that you should be aware of when using corticosteroids:

- where you apply the cream. Absorption rates are:
Forearm 1%
Armpit 4%
Face 7%
Eyelids and genitals 30%
Palm 0.1%
Sole 0.05%

- potency of the cream.
Group 4: Hydrocortisone (base level of 1)
Group 3: Eumovate (2-25x)
Group 2: Elomet (100-150x)
Group 1: Clobetasol (600x)

The full list of pharmaceutical names under each group can be found here

You can see that the potency of steroids increases exponentially rather than in a linear fashion. If you are using group 1-2 steroids, you should be concerned because the weaker steroids are not working (see my next point)

- steroids have a destructive effect on the skin barrier even while suppressing inflammation. Because atopic eczema is usually caused by a defective skin barrier, this means the corticosteroid therapy may induce further flares by further impairing barrier function.

The paper that reports this is here, a doctor explains the implications of the findings here. I can read the paper in its entirety thanks to my university access, email me if you're interested in its contents.

3) Atopic dermatitis(AD) has a tendency to heal naturally.

....

4) Topical steroid withdrawal(TSW) - Personally i am going through withdrawal, and i know of several others who have healed completely upon withdrawal. There are many people all over the world going through it, but there are S'poreans too! So if you suspect you are addicted to steroids, you are not alone.

The mechanism of TSW works like such:

- At first, topical steroids are extremely effective, and the side effect of weakening barrier function is not so obvious.

- Over long term use, the degradation of skin barrier progresses gradually, making the skin more sensitive to external stimuli and hence more prone to flareups. But under steroid treatment, inflammation is always under control.

- Should steroid treatment be discontinued, a rebound flare which is more severe than the original eczema may occur, which is distressing for the patient and thus prompting continued usage of steroids. This may serve to suppress the inflammation but at a cost of further destroying the skin barrier.

- When the skin barrier is destroyed completely, the skin cannot prevent inflow of topically applied steroids, causing the blood concentration of steroid to increase and may cause adrenal insufficiency in the patient.


Worldwide support group for TSW is here(ITSAN)
Almost healed Singaporean girl blog(with photos chronicling her journey) here(google antisteroid dot wordpress)

....


Will add on more tomorrow or when i have more time. No links allowed until i have sufficient post counts

If anybody has any concerns or question, feel free to email me - xtrntr at gmail dot com, i will try to help you out to the best of my ability.

 

[XTRNTR]

bump update!

 

[tatsit]

does anyone knows what kind of eczema does this falls under?
sorry for the disgusting pic

Spoiler

 

[bakuten]

I heard selenium deficiency could be one of the causes for eczema

 

[XTRNTR]

does anyone knows what kind of eczema does this falls under?
sorry for the disgusting pic

Looks like nummular eczema. Don't try to wipe off the ooze, it contains proteins for your skin to heal back. I have loads of these spots on my legs and they heal when i leave them alone. I guess the only good thing about it is you dont have to bother with applying moisturizer since its wet.

 

[siloti]

This is to share my unusual experience in curing eczema:

Just like many here, I have had eczema on my thigh and toes for last 6 years and conditions are getting worse. It's scaly and wet and sometimes invite flies and insects due to the liquid discharge oozing out of the skin.

I have seen many doctors and applied many types of creams and oral medication. You name it i have tried it. Visited several so-called specialist but no cure to it.

Recently I signed up for a Chinese acupressure course ( my interest- not intended for my skin treatment). in class we are taught to identify the 12 meridian and various important acupoints especially on hand and feet and some basic tcm theories.

During class, I have been very attentive and will massage and press the points teacher taught dilligently. After few classes, I noticed my eczema conditions improved tremendously. I didn't know why?

I asked teacher (a tcm doctor) & He explained it could be due to my constant stimulation to the hands 'meridian, particularly the acupoints that lie on lung meridian . Why? Because 肺主皮毛，lung "governs" the development of skin and hair.

I am completely healed and now my only regret is I didn't take a before and after photo to show the Vast improvement.

Good luck everyone !

Actually............. if you believe in embryology.... (if you still remember your A level biology), embryo has three group of tissues, the ectoderm, the mesoderm and the endoderm at the triploblastic phase.
please refer to Germ layer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The endoderm will form the gut and lung...
The ectoderm will form the skin
the mesoderm will form the blood vessels, heart and muscle ...

So, nothing about the lung will do with the skin.

 

[siloti]

Hi everybody,

just wanted to share my knowledge of eczema. It's going to be a wall of text, but this for people who have really struggled with chronic eczema like me.

1) Moisturizers - I wouldn't recommend using all those even moderately expensive ones because the costs add up over time. You can save money without skimping on the efficacy of your moisturizer if you know what to look for and where to shop(Chinatown) Here's what to look for:

Vaseline(petroleum jelly) is the most effective. Petroleum jelly is an occlusive which works by acting as a physical barrier between the environment and your damaged skin barrier and hence blocks water loss that causes dry skin. It's also very cheap, please do not buy dubious generic versions of petroleum jelly. However some people may find it too greasy (you have to apply a really thin layer, and after bathing when your skin is wet to trap the water in) or uncomfortable.

If you are one of these people, then try to look for a moisturizer containing occlusives(lanolin, mineral oil, and silicones such as dimethicone) and humectants (glycerin, sortbitol, urea, alpha hydroxy acids)

More in depth info can be found from the source here

2) There are 3 things that you should be aware of when using corticosteroids:

- where you apply the cream. Absorption rates are:
Forearm 1%
Armpit 4%
Face 7%
Eyelids and genitals 30%
Palm 0.1%
Sole 0.05%

- potency of the cream.
Group 4: Hydrocortisone (base level of 1)
Group 3: Eumovate (2-25x)
Group 2: Elomet (100-150x)
Group 1: Clobetasol (600x)

The full list of pharmaceutical names under each group can be found here

You can see that the potency of steroids increases exponentially rather than in a linear fashion. If you are using group 1-2 steroids, you should be concerned because the weaker steroids are not working (see my next point)

- steroids have a destructive effect on the skin barrier even while suppressing inflammation. Because atopic eczema is usually caused by a defective skin barrier, this means the corticosteroid therapy may induce further flares by further impairing barrier function.

The paper that reports this is here, a doctor explains the implications of the findings here. I can read the paper in its entirety thanks to my university access, email me if you're interested in its contents.

3) Atopic dermatitis(AD) has a tendency to heal naturally.

....

4) Topical steroid withdrawal(TSW) - Personally i am going through withdrawal, and i know of several others who have healed completely upon withdrawal. There are many people all over the world going through it, but there are S'poreans too! So if you suspect you are addicted to steroids, you are not alone.

The mechanism of TSW works like such:

- At first, topical steroids are extremely effective, and the side effect of weakening barrier function is not so obvious.

- Over long term use, the degradation of skin barrier progresses gradually, making the skin more sensitive to external stimuli and hence more prone to flareups. But under steroid treatment, inflammation is always under control.

- Should steroid treatment be discontinued, a rebound flare which is more severe than the original eczema may occur, which is distressing for the patient and thus prompting continued usage of steroids. This may serve to suppress the inflammation but at a cost of further destroying the skin barrier.

- When the skin barrier is destroyed completely, the skin cannot prevent inflow of topically applied steroids, causing the blood concentration of steroid to increase and may cause adrenal insufficiency in the patient.


Worldwide support group for TSW is here(ITSAN)
Almost healed Singaporean girl blog(with photos chronicling her journey) here(google antisteroid dot wordpress)

....


Will add on more tomorrow or when i have more time. No links allowed until i have sufficient post counts

If anybody has any concerns or question, feel free to email me - xtrntr at gmail dot com, i will try to help you out to the best of my ability.

This is well written....(with a few inaccuracies).... regarding inter-cellular cell junction... you can read on Wikipedia the article Filaggrin

Steroids (all potency) help to put down the inflammation, but moisturizers heals the cell junctions, and the mystery link (now well researched) is Filaggrin.

 

[Laneige]

Vaseline(petroleum jelly) is the most effective. Petroleum jelly is an occlusive which works by acting as a physical barrier between the environment and your damaged skin barrier and hence blocks water loss that causes dry skin. It's also very cheap, please do not buy dubious generic versions of petroleum jelly. However some people may find it too greasy (you have to apply a really thin layer, and after bathing when your skin is wet to trap the water in) or uncomfortable.

machiam skin cannot breathe
how can petroleum products be ok for skin???

 

[XTRNTR]

This is well written....(with a few inaccuracies).... regarding inter-cellular cell junction... you can read on Wikipedia the article Filaggrin

Steroids (all potency) help to put down the inflammation, but moisturizers heals the cell junctions, and the mystery link (now well researched) is Filaggrin.

Hi, i never bothered to go into the details of what causes eczema because i doubt people are interested in that level of detail. So i'm not sure which inaccuracies you are referring to?

Steroids do work to suppress inflammation, BUT

In the paper "Epidermal Barrier Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis":

In light of the mechanism of skin barrier dysfunction, genetic predisposition is a mutation in each gene encoding 1) protease, 2) protease inhibitor or 3) filaggrin, and environmental factors include 1) soap/detergents (contributors to raise the skin surface pH), 2) exogenous proteases and 3) TCS（topical corticosteroids)

Corticosteroids is explicitly listed as one of the aggravation factors due to its damaging effect on the skin barrier.

I'm not totally against topical corticosteroids, i just want patients to be fully informed because of the possibility of steroid addiction (which happened to me!)

 

[XTRNTR]

machiam skin cannot breathe
how can petroleum products be ok for skin???

Vaseline is perfectly fine, you can ask any dermatologist. It is a petroleum product but it's non toxic and proven to work as a moisturizer. Coal tar doesn't sound all that safe too but it's a recognized treatment for psoriasis and other skin diseases for a long time.

Also, preventing dry/damaged skin from being exposed to the environment is what Vaseline does. It acts as a thin layer of film that prevents water loss from the skin which would break down the skin barrier even more, and by stopping this vicious cycle, it allows your skin to heal normally. So it works as a protective barrier. My friend who doesn't have eczema uses it this way by applying it on small cuts/wounds in the skin for it to heal faster.

 

[XTRNTR]

bump for awareness!

 

[natsuoto]

I'm wondering if I got eczema, i just had a really bad itch on my right shin, I keep on scratching and the itchy area grows bigger, been like that for a few days and then as usual it starts to heal by itself, I didn't apply anything or take any med.. It very seldom flares up, maybe like once every yr or 2 yrs.. I know even if its really eczema, it's in a very mild form, my worry is will it get worse?

 

[TwMilkTeaTw]

I know of a friend. Her case v jialat 1. Reallly not easy n difficult.

 

[bakuten]

Try taking food high in iodine and selenium.
Seaweed. Brazil nuts.

 

[Justin_T]

Hi guys...just found this thread...I have had eczema (doc at NSC classified as Atopic Dermatitis) since I was young due to my asthma condition. Althought the eczema has gotten better now (less scratching, less itch) one major problem is the discoloration of skin around my armpit...I had asked the doc at NSC if there are any creams for it but it seems like there is no cream for this discoloration....

Secondly, as for the steroid cream...I do not apply regularly except if there is any itch...I will just apply on the area....

Thirdly, I had have eczema since I was born due to genetic condition (my dad in the past also have both asthma and eczema) , although the doc at NSC says that my eczema wil clear either when I reach 18 or 21....how true is this?

Thanks for your help guys...

 

[drumsolo86]

Hello guys, I'm posting again with regards to this issue. For those of you who are suffering like I did previously, please do not (for the love of God) USE ANY OF the steroid medicine. I know of too many patients whose eczema became worse and full blown because of the NSC.

The creams they prescribed are the main culprits. Many, many of us could have recovered from the mild eczema if you know what to do. The thing is PEOPLE DON'T KNOW about their diet or the root cause of the eczema.

Basically, let me put it this way. Our dietary requirements since the cavemen days have not evolved much - we need our mainstay of proteins from meat and carbohydates and minerals and essential fibre from greens. Okay, rice came about later and it made us fuller. And that's it.

But the problem our current diet has evolved too much, in fact insane. We have too many processed food - from tubs, boxes, packets of processed food in every size imaginable. And are you kidding me? Marigold fruit juice is good? Gosh you don't know what you're killing yourself with. Fast food is good? Go ahead, eat more. You think you're ok, I'll see how long your body can take before it breaks.

I have gone through hellish process from flaking, to oozing, to itching to literally everything possible. I have before and after photos to prove and I'm not going to recommend you anything if it doesn't work. I have known patients who recovered from these two places myself and therefore I recommend it:

Dr Ong Swee Ling (TCM). Expert at eczema cases, her file case on eczema thick as book. The thing about TCM doctors is they may say they have the medicine, but only the ones with a lot of experience are good. Don't just listen to anyone recommending TCM doctor, look for the ones with vast experience. She has an online blog going by her name.

Yong Kang Clinic, Telok Blangah St 32.
Basement level, next to a massage centre.

Jovie at Healing Resonance. Has a website as well and utilises breaking-front German bio resonance technology. I have had my fair shares of skepticism when I first started on the treatment but it has worked so well for me. And not just myself alone, but patients with different kind of allergies that Western/TCM doctors don't seem to get. Highly recommended, if your case is quite desperate or exhausted your options. Can get a little pricey.

7 Everton Park (near Cantonment Complex at Outram Park)

All the full blown cases always start small, mild and a small patch. If you choose to ignore it despite seeing this post, and continue on your route to more steroid usage, I can only say based off my experience, Hell awaits you.

If you have any queries, you can direct them to me at 81003255.
I'll be glad to chat with you over the phone and help you out/advise on your condition.
I've had at least 1-2 people calling every fortnight and they are on their way out of this hole. Recovery has to start somewhere and steroids is the opposite direction.