Eczema

[Blueflower]

I had similar experience as u and with NSC. They just keep giving me oral steroids. Which is only a temporary relieve. Things gets worse once u stop the steroids.

After abt 2 years with NSC with no improvement, I decided to find my own specialist. I went to Loke Skin clinic and somehow I got better. I have been a few years since I needed oral steriod.

What medicine does Loke clinic prescribe? In western medicine the only approved treatment is steroid.

 

[evilerniex]

What medicine does Loke clinic prescribe? In western medicine the only approved treatment is steroid.

Not only steroids. For more serious cases, there are other immuno surpressant like MTX and cyclosporin

 

[cwchee]

bump. anyone?

All along i've had sensitive skin but it flared up very badly about end 2017 thats when i visited NSC and was prescribed a round steroid cream and antibiotics..
initially the seroid cream worked like a charm but when off it, it would relapse much worse.

Second visit to NSC around start of 2018, i was given oral & cream steroids..
Again, it worked excellently and i was clean all the way till July where my joint areas started showing signs of red/swelling. Take note, all these time I have been applying moisteruiser.
However I didnt think much of it.. not untill August/Sep (now),
- 80% of my body has red dots /rashes (even scalp). Some spots being more severe.
- cannot stop myself from scratching esp. when I'm asleep.
- stings when shower (open wounds)
- bedsheet/clothes bloodstained
- colorless "pus" like liquid produced in certain areas
- skin drying up and droping like flakes

Went back to NSC early Sept, doctor just prescribed more steroid cream and antiseptic wash.
Also told me that i can try UV light therapy if nothing works but im still considering.
Oh btw, each visit to NSC costs me 2-300$.... fml

Just wondering if anybody have similar stories? able to advice?

Currently am on:
Cetaphil Restoraderm (Eczema prone) for body moisteruiser
Ceradan for face (as it's really ex)
Steroid cream (which i am trying to abstain now) is vizomet mometasone 0.1%
suubalm itch relieving menthol cream (cold effect so won't scratch)

Soap:
Cetaphil PRO Gentle Body Wash -for body
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser -for face
& Some antiseptic wash to leave on body awhile after soap

Really running out of options..
Even while wearing long sleeve, I would get looks from people as it's spreading to near my finger area and my face looks swollen and red.. Can barely go to work/out in the day.
Everyone just tells me not to scratch/apply moisteruiser. Seriously they all think I want to scratch meh :'( Sigh
.. I wake up in the middle of the night looking at my finger nails stained with blood
Would appreciate any sort of advice offered. Thank you so much..

I had psoriasis for quite a long time and I stopped using steroid cream a couple of years back. The flare up became worst due to the the withdrawal effect. Dont give up on this (you would at some point want to use back the cream but please dont).

I started exercising and changing my diet to a keto diet.
One simple way is to stop taking things with sugar and rice, use protein like meat and eggs to satisfy hunger.
The moment u stop taking in sugar, the itch will slowly stop.
There is also a withdrawal system for this. You will feel lethargic at first and like always dont give up.

For exercising, you would most likely be thinking (my skins is all flaky, how am I going to run and stuff?)
Answer: wear long sports pants.

Diet, exercise and use of correct moisturizing products will help in the long run.
Hope this helps

 

[johndoe02]

I had psoriasis for quite a long time and I stopped using steroid cream a couple of years back. The flare up became worst due to the the withdrawal effect. Dont give up on this (you would at some point want to use back the cream but please dont).

I started exercising and changing my diet to a keto diet.
One simple way is to stop taking things with sugar and rice, use protein like meat and eggs to satisfy hunger.
The moment u stop taking in sugar, the itch will slowly stop.
There is also a withdrawal system for this. You will feel lethargic at first and like always dont give up.

For exercising, you would most likely be thinking (my skins is all flaky, how am I going to run and stuff?)
Answer: wear long sports pants.

Diet, exercise and use of correct moisturizing products will help in the long run.
Hope this helps

Things have gotten much much worse.
My entire face swelled up. It is 75% red and looks very inflamed.
I can't even leave my house now.. Feel like I need to wear a mask everywhere I go

 

[huhster]

i stopped steroid after taking for 20 years...seeing tcm now will take longer to heal but its okay...the tcm doctor only ask me to eat pork, fish, vege, rice, white noodles (bee hoon & guo tiao) & olive oil for the time being for my diet...fish soup is good for me

Sent from Somewhere Out There using GAGT

 

[evilerniex]

Things have gotten much much worse.
My entire face swelled up. It is 75% red and looks very inflamed.
I can't even leave my house now.. Feel like I need to wear a mask everywhere I go

For a period of abt 6years from NS till end of uni, my condition was like urs. Can't sleep at night, dun dare go out coz everyone will stare, have to wear cap coz my whole face also red and weeping.

 

[bendi85]

Hi anyone started having eczema only in adult hood?

 

[Barbarian36]

Things have gotten much much worse.
My entire face swelled up. It is 75% red and looks very inflamed.
I can't even leave my house now.. Feel like I need to wear a mask everywhere I go

Are you having tsw topical steroid withdrawal?
I'm currently undergoing this process and I swear it's like hell.

But you got to stop using steroids and immunosuppressant. Those stuff only cure you for the time being.

Perhaps if you are on steroids now, you can slowly stop and reduce them instead of going cold Turkey as the result of cold Turkey can be quite disastrous.

 

[johndoe02]

Yes am on oral and cream steroids now..
Visit dermatologist he recommend me this treatment again (unfortunately)
However this time the moment im off the steroids and i notice it coming back I am to go back to him immediately.

Anyway i know the dangers of steroid but it was super bad i couldn't even go out of my house. Had no choice

 

[huhster]

Are you having tsw topical steroid withdrawal?
I'm currently undergoing this process and I swear it's like hell.

But you got to stop using steroids and immunosuppressant. Those stuff only cure you for the time being.

Perhaps if you are on steroids now, you can slowly stop and reduce them instead of going cold Turkey as the result of cold Turkey can be quite disastrous.

i stop steriods...

that cold turkey for 2 weeks was horrible...

please please stop steriods
i took it orally n application for 20 years i m now suffering the side effects

Sent from Somewhere Out There using GAGT

 

[OneZeroEight]

Use when necessary , if not skin will get so inflamed and itchy that cant sleep and go out. Avoid sweat and wetness on skin. Olive oil is good.
Previously eczema on nearly all fingers skin. After working in an extremely cold environment, all pimples and previous skin problem disappeared.

 

[Barbarian36]

Yes am on oral and cream steroids now..
Visit dermatologist he recommend me this treatment again (unfortunately)
However this time the moment im off the steroids and i notice it coming back I am to go back to him immediately.

Anyway i know the dangers of steroid but it was super bad i couldn't even go out of my house. Had no choice

You got to slowly stop the steroids! They are not curing you! I understand it can be so bad when you stop using them but you got to go through the process. I'm currently on this process and so far its improving.

How about your diet. You got to be particularly careful with your diet. I'm on very light foods and avoided all foods that can trigger a flare and so far I can say it's working.

 

[Barbarian36]

i stop steriods...

that cold turkey for 2 weeks was horrible...

please please stop steriods
i took it orally n application for 20 years i m now suffering the side effects

Sent from Somewhere Out There using GAGT

Hang in there! We gonna go thru it!

 

[Blueflower]

If don't use steroid then use what?
The eczema will not just go away on its own.
And putting lots of moisturiser is of limited use.

 

[FinchGuy]

If don't use steroid then use what?
The eczema will not just go away on its own.
And putting lots of moisturiser is of limited use.

My friend says coconut soap works.

 

[matt trakker]

If don't use steroid then use what?
The eczema will not just go away on its own.
And putting lots of moisturiser is of limited use.

Agree, my last bout of flare up was in 2013 which resulted in me to go to a specialist for injection, steroid cream and after that it's well controlled till on a good day i am all smooth on my skin. But recently past month i had a flare up again and mine was not on certain area but the whole body and face. Took the decision not to use steroid just watch my diet, plenty of fluid and fruitd/vege and moisturise everytime I am dry. but things just don't work and in fact the redness multiplied further to the extend I shy away from public. I just couldn't take it anymore and decide to go see a specialist. Indeed he prescribed me steroid creams, pred and antibiotics, guesses what? In almost a week everything all just decide to disappear and i feel happy.

Sometimes you just have to make that decison based on your case. There are proof that diet change will make eczema goes away but i have a friend who did that but when it attacks it is worse than ever. The only thing we have to remember that this is a no known cure disease and it can only be controlled.

 

[Ms.FindingMoney]

I have been using my own body to test if any type of diet works with skin issues.

Short answer: It works.

Longer answer:
It is not easy to find out what is the trigger to our skin issues. Everyone is different and there is no one-size-fits-all diet. A keto diet works for many because many of us simply can't digest wheat properly. On top of that wheat is a common allergy trigger. But not all of us are allergic to wheat. So the best way is to eliminate the types of food we eat and slowly introduce them back into our diet and see what works. If our skin reacts, we re-do the process. This is going to take really long and we have to cook all our meals. Which is not easy but this it the simplest way to find out our triggers. For anyone interested, do look into the GAPS diet. It is a diet to help repair the gut flora. I am not fully on this, but I do implement some parts of it into my diet. (note: not sponsored)

There are of cos other triggers such as the environment. Which we can also use our body to find out. Note that even air fresheners can trigger some of us. And of cos dust is one of the main triggers. I personally bought a dust mite vacuum to vacuum everything including mattress and chairs.

It is not easy, but we can do it. Jia you.

P.S. I am going to be very blunt and say this: If you have not tried to change your diet you can't say you have tried everything you can. Diet is by far the most effective way I have come across to fix my skin issues. Choose which is more important to you, the good food, cake, and sweets or your skin.

 

[skystopper]

Have anyone tried the phototherapy treatment @ NSC? How effective is it and usually how long before any results can be observed?

BTW, This is what I would recommend to try for those suffering from severe eczema;
Body Wash: QV Gentle Wash/Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Body Moisturizer: QV Cream
Facial Wash: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser/Sebamed Olive Face & Body Wash
Facial Moisturizer: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream 100g

Additional items:
(FACE) Physiogel Calming Relief (Anti-redness Serum)
(FACE) La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra
(BODY) Unrefined Shea Butter

I feel that it is best to separate between face and body wash/moisturizer to prevent contamination. At the end of the day, find something that works and just stick to it.

P.S. I've noticed that the same Cetaphil products could have different ingredients across their Tube (100g) and Tub (500g) versions.

 

[Barbarian36]

Have anyone tried the phototherapy treatment @ NSC? How effective is it and usually how long before any results can be observed?

BTW, This is what I would recommend to try for those suffering from severe eczema;
Body Wash: QV Gentle Wash/Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Body Moisturizer: QV Cream
Facial Wash: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser/Sebamed Olive Face & Body Wash
Facial Moisturizer: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream 100g

Additional items:
(FACE) Physiogel Calming Relief (Anti-redness Serum)
(FACE) La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra
(BODY) Unrefined Shea Butter

I feel that it is best to separate between face and body wash/moisturizer to prevent contamination. At the end of the day, find something that works and just stick to it.

P.S. I've noticed that the same Cetaphil products could have different ingredients across their Tube (100g) and Tub (500g) versions.

Photo therapy never worked for me. In fact it worsen my condition. Skin became so dry after the therapy. However, maybe for others it will work I'm not sure.

 

[skystopper]

Photo therapy never worked for me. In fact it worsen my condition. Skin became so dry after the therapy. However, maybe for others it will work I'm not sure.

How long were you on that treatment before you call it quits? From what I understand, the treatment usually requires twice a week sessions (but don't know for how long), and finally down to once a week to maintain the "improved" skin condition.