Hi,
I have been suffering from eczema lately. I was wondering whether anyone suffered from a similar condition, and how do they deal with it?
I use steroid creams, and the flare ups are mild, and less frequent.
I suspected a medication side-effect, but the pathology report said it is not likely. My endo. suggests it is an auto-immune reaction related to diabetes.
Any feedback, or experience are welcome....
Emad
Your excema sounds similar to my plaque psoriasis. Psoriasis is an auto-immune skin condition where you have scaly dry skin, especially near the ankles, knees or elbows. I know that T1s are more likely than the general population to have psoraisis, but I have no idea abut T2?
It may be worth a trip to a dermatologist, if you are concerened. I would suggest you google psoraisis and look at some pictures to see if you may have it. Steriod cream treat works effectively for me, but there are stronger treatments available too.
Hello! Welcome to the club! I've had eczema for my entire life. I've gone through stages of what works and what doesn't. I've been through many steroids and found that they, ironically, don't work well for me. (It doesn't make any sense, but what does with me?) When I was a kid, Eucerin worked well (especially the thick one that comes in a tub). Nowadays, the ONLY thing that helps me is this cream that Neosporin makes (it doesn't contain antibiotics) called Eczema Essentials. It has oatmeal in it, like Aveeno. There probably isn't any difference between Aveeno and this cream, but why mess with something that works?
I actually have a wicked case of it on my hands now from a combination of cleaning chickens and a soap I'm allergic to. It ITCHES! And burns. And PLEASE, for the love of all that is good, don't scratch it!
Most creams, especially steroids, work better if you wrap Saran Wrap around them overnight. It sounds crazy, but it works well.
Lastly, if you have it on your hands, my allergist recommended something that usually works for people. (Actually, it works on everyone except me.) You put vaseline on your hands, then put a pair of damp cotton gloves on top of that, and then a dry pair on top of that, and you sleep like that.
Good luck! The trick is that once you find something that works (especially if it isn't a steroid), stick with it!
I guess I was concerned in the beginning…now it’s kind of milder with the cream. I started using milder soaps too (pumpkin soap is the latest). Hopefully it will continue to be less and less…
Dove and Softsoap seem to work well for me.
Usually I get eczema in the winter months or when exposed to things like soap too often. For some reason, this year I haven't had problems with it, but it may be due to living in a high rise building rather than a house or low rise building (I think the humidity level is somehow different ...) and having a dishwasher so I don't have to wash dishes by hand. I have used the steroid cream in the past when itching becomes unbearable and my skin gets cracked, but I also heard that it can make your skin too thin, so I avoid it if I can.
I've read that eczema, allergies, and asthma are all related conditions, having to do with your immune system over-reacting to harmless proteins/irritants. And Type 1 is, of course, related to your immune system going crazy and attacking beta cells ... In addition to eczema I also have many allergies (food/seasonal/environmental) and asthma, as well as Type 1 ... I feel like my immune system is on hyperdrive! The plus side is I rarely get sick with anything more than a short-lived cold ...
I had eczema for over 40 years. The trick is not to use soap and to find a water based emollient cream (unperfumed) that works for you. I live in Australia and use the QV range of products, a soap free wash, cream and lotion. They also do shampoo. I am sure many pharmacists would be able to advise you on what to try. I find if I eliminate soaps and detergents, wear rubber gloves for washing up and cleaning and moisturise my hands and skin really well and often I can manage without cortisone creams for most of the time. Any flare up sees me going straight to the doctor for more cortisone. It is all that helps. Actually, I seem to be more or less free of eczema lately and attribute it to my low carb diet and lack of wheat in what I eat. This is only guesswork, but many people point to wheat as being a major health problem, so I guess it could cause eczema.
Especially in my college years I had some Hives/Uticaria type symptoms. I had found some documentation that this may be more common in T1 diabetics. But even in non-diabetics, hives often end up uncorrelated to any actual cause.
Apparently it is common for this to peak in young adulthood and then go away. Just saying that 'cuz you look pretty young in your picture :-)
I have had hives on and off for years! My allergist attributed it to my thyroid levels fluctuating. Apparently, my thyroid is normal, but if the levels fluctuate wildly, it can cause hives. I'd sit in Organic Chemistry and just itch and itch and itch!
Wheat is a problem for many people -- another one to try eliminating, but yes, one food at a time.
I should've mentioned this before, but an allergist might be helpful. A lot of the time eczema can be caused by a food allergy, though it's more likely to cause eczema in children. Eczema is an allergic condition, even if you don't find the cause.