My Eczema (pics)

[abwowang]

Well here it is:

I'm allergic to nuts and wheat... (i think) I just discovered wheat.. I just don't understand why I developed these allergies.. these are foods I ate all my life..

anyways.. been dealing with this eczema for 10 months now. It's great. Benadryl, zyrtec, cortaid, cetaphil, eucerin, aveeno, desonide cream, dermatech, freederm... i have tried it all.

Any other suggestions? I hate this.

[Built]

Sonofabitch. What a pain in the ass.

Are you working with a nutritionist or an allergy specialist? You might need to do <shudder> an elimination diet.

Damn.

[Built]

(PS pecs look great though!)

[abwowang]

i went to a dermatologist like 5 times over the course of 2 months..

she just prescribed me some corticosteroids..

she says just slowly eliminate stuff outta my diet..
and so far i've discovered nuts and wheats are the ones i need to be taking out

been keepin a log and all that.. but the thing is.. is there a lotion/cream/ointment to reduce the redness/swelling immediately?

[Built]

Cortisone is the gold standard, as I understand it.

Can you possibly get a bit of a tan? That often helps skin stuff settle down.

[abwowang]

wow..
i just googled tanning and eczema
i guess it works?!

tanning helps eczema

ok.. i guess i kno wut im doin tomoro after class... hmm hope this doesnt backfire.

[Built]

Start light - you don't want a burn.

[Strats]

Youch, I thought I had it bad. I use Westcort(Hydrocortisone valerate) and it seems to do the trick very nicely. My outbreaks are the result of stress.

[waynis]

I've had eczema since I was a small child. I developed it from a reaction to the DPT shot. I've had it ever since. Recently though I've been nailed with eczema since I moved to florida from PA. I'm wondering if it's something in the air and water. I also have food allergies to wheat and nuts. I've elminated all I could think of out of my diet but it still doesn't improve much. Stress I think has been triggering it too. It's such a pain. I have it on my face, chest, arms, legs. It's changing my looks and making me insecure at work. I've tried it all. Avoiding hot showers is a must. Try to keep your skin moisturized at all times. The hydrocortisone cremes from the drugs stores aren't strong enough. A dermatologist can set you up with a stronger creme. But really you want to get to the root cause. GO see a allergist and find out what might be the triggers. I don't have insurance to go to one right now so I have to wait another month or so. The next thing i'm gonna try is coating my skin with olive oil. I will post if it works.

On a supplement level some things to try might be MSM, vitamin E, beta-carotene,co-enzyme q10. Vitamin D.

The sun seems to help but since it's winter I'm not laying out in the sun yet. Could be cause of the vitamin D? I don't know.

[jkirkpatrick]

Mazon cream works for me...somewhat.

Give it a shot. Up here, it's availabe at Safeway in the pharmacy (over the counter). It's about $5 for a small jar.

Never know...

I haven't tried "George's Cream", but I've heard good things.

http://www.georgescream.com/web04.html

[Bruise Brubaker]

This is from a naturopathic website.

The term eczema is used to describe all kinds of red, blistering, oozing, scaly, brownish, thickened, and itching skin conditions. Examples of eczema include dermatitis, allergic contact eczema, seborrheic eczema, and nummular eczema.

The term atopic describes a group of allergic or associated diseases that often affect several members of a family. These families may have allergies such as hay fever and asthma but also have skin eruptions called atopic dermatitis (AD). While most people with AD have family members with similar problems, 20% may be the only one in their family bothered by this problem. AD is very common in all parts of the world. It affects about 10% of infants and 3% of the U.S. population overall. The skin rash is very itchy and sometimes disfiguring.

Diagnosis is primarily based on the appearance of the skin and on personal and family history. The health care provider should examine the lesions to rule out other possible causes. A skin lesion biopsy may be performed, but is not always required to make the diagnosis. This disease may result in an increased eosinophil count.

Symptoms can include: intense itching, blisters (vesicle formation) with oozing and crusting, skin redness or inflammation around the blisters, and rash. In children under 2 years old, skin lesions begin on the cheeks in infants and may progress to the scalp, arms, trunk, and legs; they may also exhibit dry, leathery skin areas (lichenification), more or less pigment than their normal skin tone (normally found in the inner elbow or behind the knee). It may spread to the neck, hands, feet, eyelids, or behind the knee. Raw areas of the skin (excoriation) may arise from scratching and ear discharges or bleeding.

The condition often improves during childhood, and almost always before age 25. About 60% of patients have some degree of dermatitis and some suffer throughout life. When the disease starts in infancy, it's sometimes called infantile eczema. This itching, oozing, crusting condition tends to occur mainly on the face and scalp, although spots can appear elsewhere. In attempts to relieve the itching, the child may rub their head and cheeks and other affected areas with a hand, a pillow, or anything within reach. Parents should know that many babies improve before two years of age. Proper treatment can be helpful, sometimes controlling the disease until time solves the problem.

If the disease continues or occurs beyond infancy, the skin has fewer tendencies to be red, blistering, oozing and crusting. Instead, the lesions become dry, red to brownish-gray, and the skin may be scaly and thickened. An intense, almost unbearable itching can continue, becoming severe at night. Some patients scratch at their skin until it bleeds and crusts. When this occurs, the skin may become infected.

Amongst teens and young adults the eruptions typically occur on the elbow bends and backs of the knees, ankles and wrists, and on the face, neck and upper chest. Although these are the most common sites, any body area may be affected. An itching rash as described above, along with a family history of allergies, may indicate atopic dermatitis. Proper, early and regular treatment by a dermatologist can bring relief and also may reduce the severity and duration of the disease.

The disease does not always follow the usual pattern. It can appear on the palms or backs of the hands and fingers, or on the feet, where crusting, oozing, thickened areas may last for many years.

Emotional tension can provoke and aggravate itching in patients with AD and, according to a number of studies, AD patients show higher levels of anxiety, hostility and neurosis than matched controls. Neurodermatitis is a form of atopic dermatitis characterized by a self-perpetuating scratch-itch cycle. Although symptoms increase in times of stress, physiological changes in the nerve fibers are also present.

The historic use of arctium lappa and other inulin-containing herbs for eczema has scientific validity.



Signs, symptoms & indicators of Eczema:
Symptoms - Skin - Conditions History of eczema
Itchy/scaly nipples Itchy, scaly and cracked nipples are a sign of eczema. The itching can make this an embarrassing condition. It occurs mainly in women in their late teens, and usually affects both nipples. It may be only on the nipple, or may affect the flatter area surrounding the nipple (the areola). Scabies should also be ruled out.




Conditions that suggest Eczema:
Symptoms - Skin - Conditions Eczema (confirmed)



Risk factors for Eczema:
Infections Bacterial Dysbiosis Fecal and duodenal flora in patients with atopic eczema have been studied. Evidence of small bowel dysbiosis and subtle malabsorption phenomena was found in the majority of cases.




Eczema suggests the following may be present:
Infections Bacterial Dysbiosis Fecal and duodenal flora in patients with atopic eczema have been studied. Evidence of small bowel dysbiosis and subtle malabsorption phenomena was found in the majority of cases.




Recommendations and treatments for Eczema:
Botanical Grapefruit Seed Extract When dysbiosis is present, treatment with antibiotics or with a natural antibiotic derived from grapefruit seeds has produced major improvement in the GI symptoms of eczema patients and moderate improvement in the severity of eczema. One advantage in the use of grapefruit seed extract over conventional antibiotics lies in its antifungal activity. This agent adds a second therapeutic dimension and eliminates the possibility of secondary candidosis. The minimum effective dose of grapefruit seed extract for bacterial dysbiosis is 600mg per day.

Glycolic Acid

Diet
Therapeutic Fasting

Not recommended:
Increased Fruit/Vegetable Consumption Eczema can be triggered by allergies, and according to data from double-blind research most children with eczema have food allergies. However, classical food allergens are often not the cause of eczema in adults. A variety of substances have been shown, in a controlled trial, to trigger eczema reactions in susceptible individuals; avoidance of these substances, such as aromatic compounds found in fruits, has similarly been shown to improve eczema. These reactions do not represent true food allergies, but are instead a type of food sensitivity reaction. The authors of this study did not identify which substances are the most common triggers of the condition.


Digestion
Digestive Enzyme (Trial) See the link between Eczema and Hydrochloric Acid.

Hydrochloric Acid (Trial) If improvement isn't clear when using zinc or essential fatty acids, consider HCl and pancreatic enzymes. The pancreas manufactures picolinate, which is used in zinc absorption. A Dr. Bray, MD, as well as linking asthma to a high rate of HCl deficiency, found that in severe eczema 50% of subjects were hypochlorhydric. Most cases are not this severe, but the possibility of HCl deficiency should be checked.


Drug
LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone

Environmental
Change In Clothing Habits Wear loose-fitting clothes to help reduce sweating, and avoid rough-textured clothing. Wash clothing with mild soaps only and rinse thoroughly.

Chemical Avoidance Avoid exposure to chemical irritants and any other agent that might cause skin irritation.


Lab Tests/Rule-Outs
Test for Food Allergies Food allergy detection and elimination should not be overlooked in searching for the causes of eczema. Many studies have documented the major role that food allergy plays. In cases of atopic dermatitis, eggs, milk, wheat, soy protein and peanuts are the most common offending foods. Inhalant allergens such as house dust mite, pets, pollen and cut grass may also cause an acute flare-up of eczema.

Test Thyroid Function Hypothyroid patients with eczema respond well to thyroid medication.


Mineral
Zinc One university study found that in subjects suffering from marginal zinc status, an enzyme involved in cell reproduction was uniquely impaired in the skin. Clinical experience has shown zinc supplementation to be particularly valuable in treating eczema, probably due to its being a common deficiency and its importance in delta-6-desaturase. Zinc may provide some benefit either orally or topically.

Colloidal Silver

Nutrient
Essential Fatty Acids In published studies, a mixture EFAs from safflower, sunflower and flax oil provided benefit. This is a condition where delta-6-desaturase is often impaired. It may be wiser to start with oil that contains GLA and, if improvement occurs, switch to a cheaper oil. GLA can be used in doses up to 1gm (of actual GLA) per day in more serious cases. Add vitamin E at the same time any EFAs are used.


Physical Medicine
Topical Applications Local application of soothing lotions ameliorates itching (zinc oxide works well), but greasy preparations should not be used for extended periods since they block the sweat ducts.


Vitamins
Vitamin A Vitamin A can be useful in any skin healing process. Levels of 10-15,000 IUs are usually sufficient.

[abwowang]

thanks a lot guys.. yea..
im allergic to wheat and nuts as well..

[skaterdude]

great pecs, sucks that that **** has to **** your chest up.

[abwowang]

yea its awesome.

i hate my life

so any of you guys tried tanning?!

[Optimum08]

ya i actually just got back...i've been going for about 2 weeks now (like every other day-ish) to get ready for spring break. Its not that bad, you just lay down in a bed for a specific amount of time, though it does tend to get kind of hot in there...

[abwowang]

oh ..

i meant does it help with making the eczema going away.. haha

[Optimum08]

haha, sorry my mistake.

[jkirkpatrick]

Tanning does give me a slight improvement over here. But my eczema is so light (and confined to a small section on my calves) that it's barely noticable anyways.

A slight improvement, though. Give it a shot.

[Nicoman]

I have had a slight case of this on my face since I was a little boy.....

The only thing that has really helped me has been colloidal silver....it comes in a liquid form and you can get it in a health food store....Try with just a cottom ball in a small area 3 to 4 times a day...it should start working very well in about 2 days.

The silver helps to reduce the redness and soothes your skin as well as kill any baceria that is aggravating the breakout.

Try it and let us know how it worked for you ....and just an FYI. I tried everything in the form of creams and nothing worked it only made it worse...

Oh and yeah dude pecs look good.

[abwowang]

colloidal silver, I didnt find it at Rite Aid...

what exactly is it.. i read a bit of it on google.. seems like there is a lot of studies done on it.. but not really anything proven yet.. ? maybe im wrong

[SkinnySadMan]

Man those pics made me cringe... I don't know why but I cringe the most when I see lots of little dots.... looks like a lot of tiny bacteria -- you get the idea.

I'm not ghey but you got nice pecs.

[USN1981]

Eczema is contagious, no? Take care if you have young one there, Abwowang.

[abwowang]

lol naw.. eczema is not contagious at all!!

[Canadian Crippler]

Tan and just hope you grow a lot of chest hair. If you could get a bush on that it'll look fine, especially if you're a darker tone.

[abwowang]

lol im asian..
i lack the ability to grow a lot of hair on my body!
crap

im screwed.