Thyroid and eczema: I’ve always had some eczema... - Thyroid UK

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Thyroid and eczema

Maggiv profile image
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I’ve always had some eczema, but over the last two years it’s started to spread from my scalp and back to my face and chest. I also am starting to get small wart like patches of skin. Will this get better on levothyroxine?

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Maggiv profile image
Maggiv
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Ell17 profile image
Ell17

Hi Maggiv,

Being over or undermedicated can definitely aggravate the eczema. The key though, which can be a challenge, is maintaining thyroid balance. Swings either way can worsen eczema. The right dose of meds can certainly help improve it, but in my case, it has never made the eczema go away. One other thing to know about eczema, is that it rarely, if ever, stays in one place. Over the years it tends to spread to different areas.

Diet affects it. GREATLY. Sugar tops the list along with gluten. You will also need to determine if eggs and dairy are a problem for you. Candida (yeast) overgrowth can worsen it, also. It would be a good idea to start taking a multi-strain probiotic. Because an unhappy gut = unhappy skin. A spore/ plant based one in case you have a dairy sensitivity.

[As for the wart like patches, I can only speak to cherry angiomas. These are the small red moles that occur with aging, generally on the trunk of the body and benign. They consist of ends of tiny blood vessels that give them a red appearance.They tend to run in families.]

The truth is that a thyroid problem alone did not cause the eczema, and thyroid medication alone will not cure it.

But, I have found some things that help make it a little easier to bear:

*Wash with gentle soap sans mint/menthol, fragrance, heavy alcohol, as these can be irritating, especially for your face. (I use Clinique Mild Facial Liquid soap and Dove bars for body.)

*Try using selenium sulfide shampoo (like Selsun Blue) instead of ones with pyrithione zinc. (It can be a little drying, so I mix the Selsun with a gentle shampoo, half-and-half.)

*After shampoo and conditioner (if you use one) has been well rinsed, spray a mix of apple cider vinegar (ACV) with the mother (that is what gives the ACV its cloudy appearance) and water all over scalp/hair and massage. It does not need to be rinsed out. It will sting for a few seconds, but mostly it is soothing, and it helps control the scaling. (I use 1:4 ACV to water ratio, because I have sensitive skin. The ratios can be adjusted, but do not go higher than 50/50. ACV is an acid, after all.

NOTE: This can also be used on face as a toner before serums/moisturizers, or any place on body where the eczema is located. (Just make sure you have the right ratio. You don't want it to be too strong for the area you are applying it to.)

**ACV helps restore acid mantle of skin. Skin should NEVER BE ALKALINE. Problems arise when this happens.

*Pure hyaluronic acid serum is very healing and soothing for the face.

*Retinoids (i.e., adapalene gel) can help control the scaling, thickened skin, and is anti-aging as well. I have found that tretinoin (Retin-A) aggravates my eczema, but may work well for you. It comes in three different strengths and requires a prescription. Adapalene (Differin) is available over-the-counter now in the US. Maybe it is in the UK, too. (I mix it with hyaluronic acid to make a serum.) Use it on front and back of neck and on chest, too, for anti-aging benefits.

*Try using carrier oils mixed with hyaluronic acid serum or aloe gel as a facial moisturizer. Mix carrier oil with aloe vera gel for a body moisturizer. Apricot kernel, fractionated coconut, and olive are light oils, but very moisturizing. For winter, food grade cocoa butter and shea butter are great, but have to be warmed up before use as they turn solid in the cool.

*Some people have good luck mixing probiotic capsules with aloe gel to help balance the microbiome on the skin. I find that it stings a little the first few seconds, but then fades quickly. I figure it can't do any harm:)

*Clindamycin gel (topical antibiotic/ requires script) helps a lot with really bad flares that are very inflamed. Azithromycin (Z-Pack) or Doxicycline are good, too if it is bad enough to warrant systemic antibiotics.

*Remember to always take your probiotics....They are a must if you have taken internal antibiotics.

Well, I hope some of this info helps you out. When it comes to eczema, you have to have a lot of tools in your kit. Because, what works for awhile will stop working and you will have to switch to something else, and so on and.....you get the picture 🙂

Maggiv profile image
Maggiv in reply to Ell17

Thank you for all the advice. 👍🏼

Ell17 profile image
Ell17 in reply to Maggiv

Anytime:)

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I have found that high dose vitamin B12 improved my eczema enormously. I must admit it got worse before it got better. But it ended up better than it has been since childhood after about 2 - 3 months of supplementing. My serum B12 ended up being more than double the top of the range and has been extremely high for some years with no adverse effects. I am reducing my dose of B12 now, on the basis that I am probably just wasting my money, but it has made my skin get slightly worse again. I'm prepared to live with it though - it's still masses better than it was before I started B12.

(It is definitely worth testing B12 before supplementing for the first time. If it is low then you might need testing for pernicious anaemia. Once people start supplementing B12 the results of testing are not reliable.)

In order to get full benefit from vitamin B12 we need good levels of folate too - although I don't supplement enough to go over the range, I just try to keep it in the top half of the range.

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