Hopeless, tired and depressed.

I cured my excema in my early 20’s by a fluke. Since I was 7 years old I’d had eczema very bad on my hands, arms and feet, especially my feet. One day while skiing I was so upset I went outside and stood in the snow barefoot. I stood there for about 25 minutes to a half hour and melted all the snow around my feet all the way to the ground! A normal person could never have lasted that long standing on what is virtually ice. It was the breakthrough I was looking for. The itching almost immediately stopped and in a matter of days (keeping my feet and hands cold) my excema went into remission. Since then anytime I have flareups I put my feet or hands in ice, the itching instantly disappears and if I keep my feet and hands cold and as dry as possible the eczema just goes away. I’ve told doctors this but no one takes me seriously. The problem is heat!!! Somehow the nerve stimulation creates heat which creates the blisters. Once you’ve rid your feet and hands of the eczema the rest of the eczema on your body will go away on its own.

Fill some Ziploc bags with water and freeze them and hold onto them with your hands. You’ll be surprised how long you can hold the ice pack. If the excema is bad enough you’ll be able to melt the whole bag of ice. Keep your hands cold day and night. And then after your hands have heeled you must keep your hands cool for the rest of your life or it will return. And for heavens sake never ever scratch or rub your affected area! Scratching promotes the heat. It takes vigilance. You can’t let the tingle start or it can come back in a matter of minutes. When I get the sansation and the itchy feeling I don’t care where I am, I  immediately grab a bucket of ice and stick my hands or feet in it. Heat is the enemy. Oily creams and lotions don’t help and trap the heat. Keep your hands and feet clean, dry and above all “cold!”  Eczema sucks! This is my cure. I’ve been excema free for 30 years. Just try it. You’ll see. 

Yes, I can relate to what you are experiencing... in my past!

Saint John's Wort tablets may be the key both for your depression and your eczema, just like they were for myself. 

- For depression because it acts on several neurotransmitters that regulate the mood and will help you sleep better.

- For eczema because it combats a specific tough-to-beat bacteria that modern research is now claiming to be the main culprit behind the disease: Staphylococcus Aureus. Additionally, SJW has the documented ability to help repair damaged skin; what allows the bacteria to colonize your skin in the first place is usually a form of damage to this crucially protective organ, which can range from sunburn, through physical or chemical abrasion, among many other causes.

The only major impediment about trying SJW, is that you cannot take it in conjunction with certain medications. Check for potential interactions with your doctor, pharmacist or on a serious website.

For additional info, you can click on my profile if you wish to read about my success story. I have been free from Eczema for close to 5 years, after suffering for 20. And yes, getting rid of eczema is in itself a huge step in regaining control over our moodswings.

Best of luck,

Greg.

Dear Ben, I have a mild form of eczema only, but can imagine how driven crazy you must feel with the severity of itch besides the consciouness of it for you. I am quite convinced, although its the skin thats wrecking your life, the root cause is elsewhere within your body. We know when the immune system is in overdrive trying to sort other problems, it will prioritize its work to the vital organs and the skin, is often at or near the bottom of the list for the immune systen attention, but in eczema there clearly is inflammation. May I ask you what your most regularly consumed foods are, and if you have any IBS or leaky gut problems? This will often be indicated by having loose stools or constipation and swing from one to the other fairly often. Another area to check is if your skin is hydrated properly and regularly and this too comes from within through water balance control by various electrolytes which maintain the balance. In respect of this are you eating high salt product foods, drink much alcohol, caffeine drinks like cokes or coffees.

Last question is do you eat any vegetables, particularly greens and carrots for e.g.

If you feel you can stop consuming alcohol, caffeine drinks, not smoke as they all interfere with nutrient absorption and only eat food cooked at home for that period where you can not add salt. There is enough sodium in natural foods and if you can have fish in the week but keep meats notably low or rather prioritize to a small portion of lamb liver once in the week. With three months the collective result will ensure you have better and broad nutrient coverage but smaller food portions so you eat less bulk is good too. If you can monitor how things are only after first month is complete, but dont stop, just note end of month 2 and get to end of month 3 and at each juncture write down any changes, anything you feel is different.

During this trial perhaps its a good idea to take the tip given by one of your other replies here to have ice packs on hand where you can for immediate but temporary relief because it is not a cure as it has to be applied indefinitely when flare ups occur.

If you have improvements, all well and good, but even if there is no discernable improvement (I'll be surprised) this trial now has made sure you have a better supply of nutrient and take the evidence of that to your doctor or healthcare provider and show what you have done, and ask for blood tests, and based on your written experience to take their research further than topical application of creams, bandages et al which are welcome if giving relief but can aggravate the immune system in the longer term. After reading about your plight, I wished there was a straight forward answer. I have had sevetal chronic complaints from IBS/leaky gut, myalgias, migraines, severe sciatica, cartilage issues and that defiant eczema, which has been the the only lifelong complaint. However all of the others have been removed completely or so neglible as to be not a bother through the last ten years or so as each mainifested itself, by improving my diet only, no doctor, no prescription, just diet. I have studied nutrition for 17 years to date, ongoing, and is why I am here now to pick up on my eczema problem and see what I can learn from you guys and Im confident its a case of looking for roots to the problem. Best regards. Chris.

Hi Chris,

I'm sad to hear that you feel hopeless. it is distracting when you get it all over your body and the itch is unreal. Check out a product called Gladskin it is created by scientists in Europe. They believe that alot of eczema sufferers carry staph. bacteria on their skin. I did my research and I knew that I had tale tale signs of it because my wounds on my feet had orange crusting at the edges. Anyways the cream worked straight away, the next day my skin went from red to pink and the itching stopped. the website is www.Gladskin.com, just do your research before you buy as its a bit expensive. OK, to start feeling a bit better, I think you need to start getting busy. Get your favourite books, puzzles, cooking recipes, going out into nature, whatever hobby makes you happy and start doing it and lots of it. You need to get your mind busy so you thinking or dwelling on things. Start working on your diet and increase your fruit and vegetable intake, these little critters will help improve your mood. There is a good website that gives helpful tips when you feel low called black dog

https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/ it gives really good tips.

I hope this helps and you start feeling a bit better.