Eczema driving me crazy!!!

Hi Carla, it sounds maddening.

If you are getting stuck and are on fb, you might want to search for the fb support group called Eczema, Contact Dernatitis and Patch Test Alliance.

They'll be familiar with allergy and sensitivity testing and results.

good luck !!

Hi Carla,

I'm not a doctor just a regular guy that suffers from eczema. I've done several things to try in controlling this condition and what I found out was that dermatologists don't really help, all they do is give you ointments and steroid shot that help for a while, not a cure. What I do is, drink vegetable juice, stay away from processed foods and cook my own meals with hemp seed oil. I started using hemp seed oil about 8 weeks ago and it has really helped.

Google deficiencies of omega 6 and omega 3 and you'll see most of your symptoms there. Hemp seed oil has the perfect combination of both. I think that you can rub that on yourself as well but not sure about it, I've never tried doing that.

Good luck.

I had the same thing, not after a baby but just out of the blue!  I am allergic to formaldehyde & formaldehyde releasers & was eventually given a very potent steroid cream, which helped.  I used it for years, until I developed a different autoimmune skin disease & I was put on oral steroids.  That knocked it on the head once & for all.  I still occasionally itch because of something that I missed or that wasn't labelled.

My initial oral steroid prescription, was for 2 weeks.  It could be that a short course might help you.

I was also given a course of a sedating antihistamine, called Hydroxyzine [brand name Atarax]  It knocked me out at night & helped with the itching.

I was given the same emollient creams as you.

I hope you find an answer soon, have you asked to be referred to a Dermatologist?

The patch test probably included the most common irritants that cause allergic reactions. It could be that you are allergic to some other substance you were not tested for. 

That's why I would recommend using products with as few ingredients as possible. (Just to reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction.) If in doubt, you can perform a patch test yourself. Apply a small amount on your inner arm and leave it for 48 hours. If your skin does not get irritated then it's ok to use that products. 

Take into consideration that for example fabric conditioner or laundry detergent could contain parabens. For detergents the list of ingredients on the package might not be complete. If you are in the UK you can get the safety sheet of a product on detergentinfo. (Can't mention external links.)  You will need the barcode of the product. 

Another tip: If your washing machine has the option set it to use more water and/or do an additional rinse cycle to eliminate as much detergent as possible. 

Another product that might contain parabens is washing up liquid or any liquid soap. 

I can imagine what you are going through. Before I found out about my allergy I faced sleepness nights, pain, and relentless itching. Not to mention that at times my face used to look as if I had burn marks. 

After I avoided the allergen the nightmare was over in just about a week. I could hardly believe it. 

On a final note, you have to be careful with Elidel and Eumovate which as far as I know are cortico-steroids. They should be used sparingly and only for a limited time. Otherwise they can cause problems by starting to irritate your skin even more and making it more susceptible to eczema and irritation. 

Hi, I'm surviver from sever eczema for 20 years. The last trigger to terrible each was having a boy in my tummy. It didn't happen when I had my daughter.

I'm sensitive for everything to touch my skin. So I wash my hair with luke water. And I use washing machine with no detergent for my sheets, pillow case and pajyamas.

I now reckoned that my skin goes extremely sensitive when humidity is high. So I stay inside with air conditioner in the summer ( I live in hot conuntry).

These simple solutions save my life.

Hope this idea helps you too.

Re rubber gloves, I no longer wear them, I wear vinyl gloves, they appear to be blue in most places.  There is a brand called Bizzy Bee, Sainsbury's sell them, they are a pale orange colour.  They last much longer than the rubber gloves.

  I use Ariel Liquid.  Proctor & Gamble have a dedicated website, where you can find the ingredients in any of their products in any country in the world.