Eczema & Glaucoma

[YoungontheOutside]

I have glaucoma in one eye and occular hypertension in the other & am in the midst of my worst eczema flare up in over 30 years.

What safe drugs can I take to alleviate the rash & (even worse) the itciness that is coming with it? I’ve tried over the counter recommended lotions (50/50, aqueous cream & Balneum) but their effects are short lasting.

I know that antihistamines are linked to high eye pressure & my glaucoma consultant has already told me that you can ‘reach the point of no return’ even with topical steroids so I’m reluctant to continue with Betnovate especially as I’ve already been using it for over six weeks.

I’m hoping someone here might have some suggestions before I have a conversation with my GP about treatment. Thank you 🙏

[Pete_uk]

My eczema got worse when I started on glaucoma drops, I'm not sure which drop it is that is causing it.

After seeing a skin specialist I was prescribed an antihistamine - fexafenadine 180mg daily. It made a dramatic improvement to my eczema, asthma and I now do not suffer from hay fever. It allowed me to cut down hugely on my usage of topical steroid creams for eczema on face and neck.

My doctor says there is no issue taking antihistamines with my particular glaucoma

I hope that helps

[Lookatme in reply to Pete_uk]

Hi, generic medication can cause more side effects than branded, do not believe when told it's the same because it only contains the basic main ingredient. We are not given a choice in the UK to either branded or generic medication so do your research.Hay fever is unpleasant but can reverse it's self over time. I found a damp face cloth over my mouth and nose for short periods really helps and stay inside on windy days.

I also found elecon prescribed by a dermatologist worked in just a few days for a bad reaction to medication side effects. It does have steroids in it but is fine if only used for 2/3 days.

[Gabby53]

Hello, my circumstances are similar to yours, I am suffering with a severe flare up of eczema on my eyelids and I have glaucoma in both eyes. When I consulted my GP I was adamant that I did not want my eczema to be treated with a steroid cream, such as Betnovate. My GP contacted a dermatologist on my behalf and I have been prescribed Protopic ointment (tacrolimus monohydrate) this is non steroidal and works as an immunosuppressant. Protopic will not cure the eczema but it will damp down the flare up. Perhaps you can do a little research on Protopic and talk to your GP to see if this treatment would suit you. Good luck.

[Iona57]

Hi, sorry for the delayed reply. How are you getting on? I've had severe eczema all my life. Much improved now but I seem to have now got asthma in exchange! I've been put on protopic in the past by the dermatologist as a steroid substitute. It was fairly effective as I recall. Interestingly, my asthma nurse recently suggested fexafenadine as an antihistamine. I was discussing with her how to manage allergies this season so as to avoid upping my steroid inhalers. I'm concerned that too much steroid inhaler could affect glaucoma. In the past, if my eczema was not responding to steroids it was sometimes due to the skin being infected, so I was prescribed antibiotics. If your skin is really problematic it's worth trying to get an appointment with Dermatology. Dermatology can also do allergy tests. In my experience, GPs are not always experts on skin conditions- why should they be- skin conditions can be complex and intractable like other chronic diseases.

[YoungontheOutside in reply to Iona57]

Thank you for the suggestions. Unfortunately, Protopic is not for me because I had the chickenpox virus. My GP has upped my ointment to Dermovate. I think this will chase it away so that I don’t have to keep reapplying. With glaucoma and other conditions, it is really important that we look after our general health as well, but it is tricky when, in doing so, medication that we need take may have a knock-on effect on our Glaucoma.