So many creams.......

Hi, I am a newbie to this site and have joined on behalf of my teenager who has what I think must be atopic ezcema, very dry itchy skin, patches of discolouration which affect her socially and emotionally.Doctors have given her the usual and I am not sure if it is an allergy to dust ot pets or something in her diet but for now I just want to help ease it for her and have seen these 3 creams. Has anyone tried them and had any success? The creams are Dermalex, Atopiclair and Allergosan. Many thanks for any advice

[Mads1975]

Hi Abi, firstly it's very kind of you to help this teenager out. Secondly my experience of a lifetime with eczema is that GPs aren't specialists in this area and to get to an effective diagnosis you need to ask to be referred to a skin specialist.

Mine flared up REALLY badly all over my body when I was a teenager and the specialist got it under control.

Incidentally it has only cleared up in recent years when I had a water softener installed st our house and my dry skin and eczema has totally cleared.

Good luck xx

[Hidden in reply to Mads1975]

Morning Mads, you on this site as well as the Headway one? Brain injury is my forte and I am kind if used to living with it now, sadly, but ezcema is just so damn cruel and yes, this teenage daughter of mine has suffered since she was a baby, to varying degrees. I remember her having little mittens on so she would not gouge her skin off. Thete are so many possible causes and I have heard so many suggestions, humidifiers, etc etc. Thanks for the tip about water and yes, you may be right. It is worth a shot, just hope it wont be too expensive. Fab day in Sussex today x

[Mads1975 in reply to Hidden]

Yup, I pulled out the short straw where health conditions are concerned 😬

Still, I think it makes you stronger and generally more resilient in life

[Hidden in reply to Mads1975]

Quite agree, what doesn`t kill you...etc etc. It teaches you a lot about yourself, other people, peels off layers and makes you more alive. I appreciate some things more, have much more empathy, especially where invisible illness is concerned and generally quite like this new me. Have no choice, I suppose. Many folk just dont understand though and I still suspect that my family assume I am `better` and all of that `nonsense` is over. The day that brain injury is as valid as physical disability will be a good one, and I think it may be coming

[Mads1975 in reply to Hidden]

Yup, my family empathise but think they may find it more difficult if they spent more time with me. My wife and I are separating after 7 years together. We met 18 months after I was discharged and although says that she understands, still finds the effects infuriating which was ultimately a factor in me deciding that I will be better off on my own, however much I enjoy being in a loving relationship

[Hidden in reply to Mads1975]

Yes, my marriage ended too, quite soon after my discharge. One day he said to me, `I think you have gone mad` and that was kind if a nail in the coffin. Still, 15 years on and doing fine, so much easier to be alone in many ways, thougb my girls have been with me through all this and know what triggers my stress/ anger/ exhaustion. Bi- the gift that just keeps on giving, eh?

[Mads1975 in reply to Hidden]

Yeah, it's such a generous affliction!

It will be interesting to see how I get on living alone again. I was with my first wife for 13 years and spent just a year living on my own before I met my second wife and she moved in soon after. Living with a person with high expectations and little patience with my mental fatigue or lack of motivation is an emotional drain on me and it'll be nice to know I have only my own very understanding targets to meet!

My real challenge will be to try and avoid getting into a relationship again too quickly as I need time to identify what I can offer in a relationship other than my stunning good looks, magnetic personality and of course my modesty!!!

[johnsmith]

Try taking evening primrose oil. Do not know about the creams you are asking about. Skin oil needs to be produced by the body. Sometimes the body needs certain fatty acids before it can produce the needed skin oil. Hence the suggestion of evening primrose oil. This is what I use. It will take a month before you notice the full difference as it takes time to produce enough oil on the skin. This may help or it may not. It is a matter of investigation.

Hope I have been helpful.

[chandora]

Hello, I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is suffering. My son and I both suffer with eczema and we can both sympathise. Neither of us have tried these creams but between us, we've been prescribed E45, Aveeno, White Soft Paraffin & Liquid Paraffin in equal parts, Cetraben and also steroid creams.

In the 1980's, I was an in-patient in the skin hospital 4 times and we were given oily baths in the morning which meant warm (not hot) water with a cap full of Oilatum in the water. Oilatum can be bought in any chemist and there are no chemicals in it. We were taught not to rub our skin dry but to hold the towel on and gently rub your hand along it so taking the moisture off the skin but leaving it slightly damp. Gently rub a moisturiser in (whichever the doctor had prescribed). After about an hour, the nurses would give us steroid creams and we were bandaged up. The bandages helped to keep the moisture in the skin. The cream was renewed every 2 hours.

Once home, we were advised to wear cotton clothes.

I have always been a worrier so I learned yoga which helped me relax. Unfortunately, the winter months mean the central heating is on more and this can dry the skin so moisturiser needs to be added more often. Being at work/school can make this awkward so just moisturise when you can.

I also find that taking Oil of Evening Primrose and Cod Liver Oil capsules help. They are easy to take and are tasteless.

I wish your daughter all the best. I promise it does get better once you learn to manage it and get into a routine

[Hidden]

Have you tried using coconut oil in your baths. You can buy jars of coconut oil in supermarkets for about £1.50. Put 2 tablespoons in your bath whist drawing the hot water to melt it. Then add cold water and then sit in bath for 20 mins splashing the water all over the affected area. It acts as a great moisturiser, and will heal any soreness or even cuts & grazes.....amazing oil at a low cost. It is a well know Chinese healer.

Good luck!

[Andzangel]

Hey

I have been a sufferer from eczema since being around 3 weeks old. I find that dust, animal fur, hot and cold temps and also stress just flare it up a lot! I have been going to the doctors for years over this trying out different creams that suit me best. I use dermol cream as everyday use, I also use a steriod cream for bad flare ups. However recently I have been trying out shop bought products and i swear by this body butter from the body shop. It's Aloe Vera based its greasy and amazing keeps the skin hydrated for hours/overnight been using the product for 9months now at round £14 a tub. Hope this helps x