Eczema Treatment Care

Question by Depressed Soul: HELP! Any Eczema sufferers here, or people who study med or Chinese herbs, vegetarian and detox diet?
Ok, I know this is going to be the longest question on here but it will only take 15 minutes of your time as I really need advise on this issue. I’ve just finished typing out my drug medical history and I’m hoping I will get kind souls to help me out with my skin problem.

Old ways
Last time I only washed my face with water, no moisturizer, no toner, and no facial wash. It was just water from the tap. I only started out washing my face with commercial product at the age of 14, Clean and Clear. I didn’t have breakouts; I just used it because I heard that you have to take care of your skin especially during puberty. After some time I began to feel my skin was tight after every wash and eventually figured that I have sensitive skin.

The problem started out from 2004.

2004 September (aged 16)
I got chicken pox during June and it lasted for one and a half month. After that, I developed a rash on my left thigh, and an on and off watery blister thing on my face. I went to a polyclinic (government one) and got referred to National Skin Center (NSC is an outpatient specialist dermatological centre with a team of dermatologists who have the experience and expertise to treat every skin condition, the center also belong to government.) because is cheaper. I’ll be able to get subsidies for the consultation fee (not including medication), which means gov will pay half for the consultation. But every visit I go will be consult by different dermatologist because mine is subsidies. -_-
The dermatologist prescribed me Betamethansone Valerate 0.05% and moisturizer for the rash on my tight, he didn’t prescribe anything for my face because he said it’s normal to have this after chicken pox. He suggested I should use Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser for my face because I have sensitive skin. The rash on my left thigh went off after one week of applying only that Betamethansone Valerate 0.05% cream; I did not apply moisturizer because my guts feeling told me not to. After some time, the watery blister on my face also went off. The rash never comes back. By the way during that time I did not know and was not informed that that cream was a steroid cream.

2004 Nov
I began to have this a bit red and peeling problem going on at both corners beside my lips, so I went back to NSC to treat the problem and was given a cream called Decocort by different dermatologist. The cream is an antifungal cream with steroid in it. Again, nobody told me it had steroid in it, and I wasn’t informed I had eczema. So I stupidly used it 2 times daily for 6 months and it got cleared off so I stopped the cream.

2005 June (age 17)
I went back to NSC to treat my pimples, it wasn’t a lot, just a very mild pimples, and was given Stevia-A by another dermatologist. I used it daily for 4 months and it worked wonders.

——I stopped all creams for one year plus—–

2006 December ( age 18)
I attended my sister’s wedding, I wore a full makeup, and the brand was Clinique’s. It was the first time I wore makeup and also the final time. After washing off the makeup, I noticed the corner of my lips became dry. The next day, it started to peel again. I realised the 2004 Nov problem has returned. I tried to use back Decocort for a month but it doesn’t seem to be effective anymore. I went back to NSC and told the dermatologist (yes a different one) about this problem and he sent me for a skin patch test. It turned out that I was allergic to a fragrance called “Lyral”. Lyral is a fragrance that is present in many cosmetic products. I was prescribed Betamethasone 0.0125% and white soft paraffin for the problem. I was told to apply white soft paraffin after 15 minutes of applying Betamethasone 0.0125% but that white soft paraffin was very greasy and made the condition appeared more obvious, so I took that out and only applied Betamethasone 0.0125%. I wasn’t told when to stop so I used it for 4 months daily, and on and off for another 3 months, I finally stopped using the cream because I realised it’s giving me pimples. So the total duration of using that cream was 7 months of prolong and on and off use.

2007 August (age 19)
I spent a month time treating my pimple by using back Stevia-A, the result was very slow.

2007 September
I went back to NSC to treat my pimple again, I told the new dermatologist I was on Stevia-A 2 years ago which worked wonder but now it doesn’t seem so, and he told me not to use it and prescribed me Panoxyl Benzoyl Peroxide acne gel. But first I decided to let my face rest for 2 months.

2007 October
I began to have a bit of red little itched bump, it didn’t come in like a huge rash but it was like one bump on my ankle, the other at somewhere on lower limb. It was very itchy, so I went back to NSC and gotten a new tube of Betamethansone Valerate 0.05%, which I used to treat my left thigh back in 2004. But it doesn’t work anymore and I went back to NSC again and another dermatologist gave me the same cream but a stronger dose, Betamethansone Valerate 0.1%, and it worked. But the problems came back regularly, like 1 to 3 little red bumps every month.
2007 Novevember
I finally applied the Panoxyl Benzoyl Peroxide for 2 days, the pimples did go off but it burned and it stung my face like mad. This was a last minute issue so I didn’t manage to book an appointment with NSC. I went to see my nearby GP and he prescribed me 5 days of oral steroid, 5 days of oral antihistamine, and Hydrocortisone 1% (the type that you have to store it in a fridge). I applied the Hydrocortisone 1% on my entire face and stayed at home for 2 weeks, it was during school holiday. The problem went off but due to the weather and the sun exposure, I received redness on my cheeks occasionally. I carried an umbrella whenever I go and tried to stay indoor as much as possible.
2008 December to March
I must admit I spent like the following months obsessing with dealing my face, I went to see another GP, and also another dermatologist (private dermatologist, not from nsc, super expensive) for the redness but ended up getting almost the same cream like what my nearby GP gave. So I decided to go back to the nearby GP again and told him my cheeks were painful and he told me to stop all creams, he also told me not to use the creams from NSC anymore, and only eat his antihistamine. He refused to give me oral steroid again because he said I might get possible side effects like weight gaining, fatness to my face, joint/bone problem. So he gave me 10 days of antihistamine tablets. The condition finally got under control, but antihistamine gave me chapped lips, also, the red and peeling at the corners of my lips has not solved yet. Also, I noticed the side of my nose was very dry, peeling, scaly, and red.
2008 April (aged 20)
I went back to NSC and I demanded to see a specialist dermatologist, because the previous ones were all different dermatologist during each visit. I wanted one that could concentrate and keep up with my condition. So I was transferred to see a specialist dermatologist, Dr.Mark. I am no longer under the subsidies scheme, because I requested for a specialist, which means I have to pay for the whole consultation. Anyway, I told Dr.Mark about these entire problem that has been bugging me for years, and he used a torch light look-alike kind of thing (I don’t know what was that but it was huge and the light was very bright) and finally said I have eczema. He told me it’s mild eczema. -_- And he said this,
“First of all I’ll have to tell you is there is NO CURE FOR ECZEMA. I know this may upset you but I will need to let you know the truth because there really isn’t any cure. You can manage your eczema, keeping it under control by using topical steroid cream and moisturizer. But don’t worry; your condition is mild eczema. Also, you can only treat one problem at a time; you can’t treat pimples and eczema at the same time because these two do not go along together.”

I was thinking in my heart, “WTF, so all along I have eczema and none of the dermatologists in your center has mentioned anything about it?!”

I also told him that steroid cream gives me pimples but he was not convinced. He said that the ones I’ve been receiving for my face are low dose, it shouldn’t give me pimples. He told me it’s puberty and I was like, “But I’m already 20, what puberty?!”
In the end he told me to continue and use the Betamethasone 0.0125% for the corners of my lips problem, QV lip balm (something like Vaseline that has petroleum) and also gave me Desonide Desowen Lotion 0.5% to apply once at night around my nose. I only tried the Desonide Desowen Lotion 0.5% once and I really didn’t feel good about it so I stick with Betamethasone 0.0125%. I also did not feel good with that QV lip balm because it was greasy.
2008 May
I went to Indonesia and during the trip, I gotten a heat rash kind of thing all over my chest, and a bit of those little red itchy bump appearing on my legs. By then since I was told it’s eczema so I just applied that Betamethansone Valerate 0.1% for 3 days, it got cleared off. When I returned from the trip, the heat rash came back to my chest again and by then I was frustrated with steroid creams already. I had a feeling there must be something wrong with steroid cream. So I immediately went to see Dr.Mark, which I had to pay extra charge because it was a last minute appointment -_- I requested for an alternative treatment because I’ve figured all these steroids have cause my skin sensitive to the sun, giving me pimples, and flushing cheeks etc. He then prescribed me a non-steroid cream called “Elidel”. I put it on my chest, the side of my nose, and the corners of my lips and within that 3 days of using Elidel I developed cough.
By the way, I had a long term cough that lasted 1 and 1/2 year from end of 2006 to 2008. I have no asthma and did many tests in the hospital; I was under by a throat and lung specialist but couldn’t solve the root of the problem. He just kept putting me on cough syrup, tablets, nose spray, asthma spray nothing seemed to work. I also did an asthma test, throat test, nose test, x-ray, whatever that has connection with cough and all turned out negative. Then in the end guess what the specialist found out? He said I must be stress with school work that’s why I kept coughing. He told me there is nothing wrong with my throat or my lungs, he said my cough is connected to stress. HE WAS WRONG. I was fed up with him and all these western medications so I decided to see a Chinese physician, the physician was very pro. He checked the pulse by placing three fingers on my left wrist, and told me to tip my head up and open my mouth widely so that he could look at the problem in my throat.
He told me the vein in my throat is very red, means it has been burned by something. At first I thought it sounded like a joke but I decided to try it anyway since I’ve already spent so much money in the hospital. After 3 visits with the physician, within one month of drinking herbs, my cough was cured. I did not cough for 8 months. It only returned when I started using Elidel cream. Ok back to Elidel, I stopped the cream and went to see the physician. And my cough got cured within 5 days. Later, I went back to use Betamethansone Valerate 0.1% for 2 days. I only applied that Betamethansone Valerate 0.1% on my chest for 2 days and it went off. I know I’ve mentioned I don’t feel good whenever I apply steroid but it was really out of no choice.
2008 July
The redness on my cheeks returned and I did not dare to apply the Betamethansone Valerate 0.1% on my face because it was a higher strength than Hydrocortisone 1% in terms of steroid. I went back to the nearby GP’s clinic; I didn’t see him directly but bought his Hydrocortisone 1% cream and antihistamine tablet again over his counter. I decided to use it for only 3 days but still, it gives me pimples and chapped lips again.
2008 August,
The problem beside of my lips got worsen and my chin also looked pink. I went back nsc, Dr.Mark, and told him about the Elidel problem and again, he was not convinced that Elidel would cause internal reaction to my body and he prescribed me Fluocinolone 0.003125%, ProTopic and Cetaphil Moisturizer Cream. He told me to use the Fluocinolone 0.003125% for awhile, when my condition gets better switch it to ProTopic. I used Fluocinolone 0.003125% for 3 days and my chin turned from pink to red. So I switched to Protopic and it totally stung my chin badly, very painful. The Cetaphil Moisturizer Cream wasn’t helpful because it was very greasy and I found that it has mineral oil in it. I stopped all the creams for 2 weeks and during that 2 weeks I decided to do a research about mineral oil, paraffin, and petrolatum because all these have the greasy feel going on which I find it disgusting.
I found out that all of these ingredients actually form an oily film that sits on top of the skin, preventing moisture from evaporating. It has a drying effect, it actually suck out the moisture of your lips/skin, which is why you have to constantly reapplying it. During that 2 weeks I decided to stop using that lip balm. I drank at least 10 glasses of water a day and continued this routine for 10 days, and the chapped lips went off miraculously. O.O
2008 September
One morning I woke up and realised I suddenly have little scab, white little bumps on my chest and forehead, and a bit on the side of my face, those were not itchy. But there was a triangle shape form of orange scab appeared on the skin that’s above my mouth area, it was VERY ITCHY. I quickly opened my fridge and took out the Hydrocortisone 1% cream and applied it on the triangle shape scab for 3 days, and it disappeared. But it came back again after a week so I applied the Hydrocortisone 1% cream again for 3 days and it went off. But it came back AGAIN and AGAIN so I rushed to NSC to see Dr.Mark. At that moment he wasn’t in the clinic so I was send to see another dermatologist who told me to use back Elidel despite the cough. He was like Dr.Mark, he does not believe Elidel cream would cause internal reaction to my body. -_- I was like, ok, fine, I give it a try again for 2 weeks and see how it goes.
During that 2 weeks Elidel did stop those itch on my face and reduce the little bumps on my chest but lo and behold, the cough returned and it came together with flu and dry throat. I went to the website of Elidel and sent and email to them about my situation. Whoever that was in charge replied my email and told me this,
Thank you for your interest in Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. We received your email and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us.

You asked us a question about the side effects of Elidel. The most common side effect at the skin application site is burning or a feeling of warmth. These side effects are usually mild or moderate, happen during the first 5 days of treatment, and usually clear up in a few days. Call your doctor if the burning feeling is severe or lasts for more than 1 week.

Other side effects include headache, common cold or stuffy nose, sore throat, influenza, fever, viral infection, and cough. Some people may get viral skin infections (like cold sores, chicken pox, shingles, or warts) or swollen lymph nodes (glands). Talk to your doctor if you have a skin infection or if side effects (for example, swollen glands) continue or bother you. These are not all the side effects with Elidel Cream. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
I finally stop the cream and went to see my Chinese physician. I told him about this problem and he told me to stop using steroid cream. He told me that he will treat my cough first, after recovering from cough he want me to come back and he will treat my eczema. He said there is a cure for eczema, it’s something to do with our immune system. He told me to stop using those cream. I’ve recovered from cough after drinking the herbs for 3 days but have not return and visit him.
2008 November 18 (it was 4 days ago)
After 10 days of not using any cream, I actually feel good mentally. The next day after the 10th day, a mild eruption form of little pimple/scab kind of thing appeared on my face, it’s a bit itchy. Also, there’s a rash at the back of my left knee. I was super paranoid, super frustrated already. I took a half day leave from my part time job, printed out the email that Elidel replied and went to the NSC Dr.Mark and show it to his face, in a polite way of course. Then he told me the only option left for me is to go back to topical steroid. I also told him about the moisturizer that has mineral/oil/petroleum problem and he ended up prescribing me Desonide Desowen Cream 0.5% (previously was lotion), and he FINALLY prescribed me a moisturizer called Physiogel Al Cream and told me to try it for 4 days and see how it goes. These are the ingredients of the moisturizer.
Aqua, Olea, Europaea, Glycerin, Pentylene, Glycol, Palm Glycerides, Olus, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Betaine, Palmitamide MEA, Acetamide MEA, Sarcosine, Hydroxyethyl-cellulose, Sodium Carbomer, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
But still, I don’t feel good about moisturizer. Yes I know moisturizer claim to protect skin from drying but you see it’s still made out of chemical, and I can’t even pronounce most of those chemical names and only God knows if it’s good or bad chemical.

He also sent me to take two blood tests, one was food allergy test, and the other was IgE test (to determine what type of eczema I have). The pissed part was that he has NEVER mentioned anything about taking oral antibiotic or oral erythromycin as an alternative treatment to clear the itch and stuff. How I knew about this was because after I came back from the visit I decided to do an extreme research about steroid cream and it lead me to this site,

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/05_perioral_drm.htm

You don’t have to click it, I’ll copy the important part here and it says,
“In many situations, a child has a simple rash caused by irritation and is treated with a steroid cream. While that helps the rash get better for a little while, it then gets worse again and eventually doesn’t respond to the steroid cream anymore. If you are using a steroid cream and think that she may have perioral dermatitis, then you should stop using it. Be warned that the rash will get worse once you stop using the steroids and will then gradually get better. Sometimes, a topical or oral antibiotic is also needed to help perioral dermatitis go away.”
After reading it, I suspect I have perioral dermatitis, like I mentioned I’ve been depending steroid cream etc and it has now worsen the problem by giving me those itchy scab/bump lookalike thing. So I continued the research and found out that those who people who got perioral dermatitis eventually stopped all cream and got treated by taking oral antibiotic or oral erythromycin (another type of antibiotic) alone for at least one month and their inflammation got cleared off completely, I found it here, with images

http://pediatrics.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=pediatrics&cdn=health&tm=2&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p726.4.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/derm/result.cfm%3FOutputSet%3D2%26BO%3DAND%26Diagnosis%3D93
2008 November 22 (TODAY)

I’ve used the Desowen cream for 4 days together with that moisturizer. Those mild eruption forms of little pimple/scab kind of thing are not that obvious anymore. I must admit it’s the “help” of the Desowen but I have a feeling it will still come back for more. I really feel like stopping the cream because I don’t want to see my face from mild eczema turn into moderate eczema or severe. My blood test results will only be out next Thursday. I’ve read some the side effects of taking oral erythromycin may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting. Do you think it is worth to take the risk? Seriously I’d rather suffer the side effects from oral erythromycin than seeing my face keep getting itch and those rashes. And today, I printed out the 2 links of information and images of Perioral Dermatitis.
I brought it the nearby GP to have a look at it. I asked if he could give me the oral erythromycin intake for a month but he said he can only let me to try it for one week. He said that too much of oral erythromycin will cause liver problem. And he went on and said,

“See, I’ve told you before to stop all creams and just leave the rash alone. I myself also have a bit of rash on my face and I ignored it and it went off itself.”

I finally broke down to tears and went silent. I think because of that the GP didn’t charge me for the consultation fee. :-/

He also told me not to use Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser, because it still has chemical in it. He told me to wash my face with water and leave it alone, no cream, means no moisturizer as well.
After typing out all these I still have not taken the oral erythromycin. Yes, at first I was hoping to get it but now I’m quite hesitate to eat it after hearing what the GP said about oral erythromycin affecting liver problem. Man, what should I do? Do you think I should go back to the Chinese physician and let him treat my condition or should I just try out with the oral erythromycin first? I’ve actually tried cutting out all the processed meats before but gave up after one week because by eating vegetables and fruits only made me feel tired. As you know meats give you energy. But now for the sake of my skin I’m willing to restart the detox diet. I’m used to eat white rice, do you think it’s better to replace it with brown rice? If anyone has the list of detox diet please do tell me, I’m really frustrated with my condition and desperate for help. I don’t have much money left to buy any detox diet book; I can only get my pay end of this month.
And does exercise helps? I used to do a lot of sports but I stop because of this problem, eczema is ruining my life. Also, I’m working part time in an office, the air conditioning is very cold so it’s very hard to treat my current condition. But the job contract will end this December and so I intend to stay at home for the next 1 to 3 months to cure my eczema.

Best answer:

Answer by cr8zy5
ok hun, I read your whole question, wow! I think you are a bit obsessed with this. I have eczema and i use salicylic acid lotion at night. works wonderful. as for your lips, try applying extra chap stick at night. if you don’t treat it , it will get worse! good luck:)

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