• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

CRAZY ECZEMA

Messages
35
Anyone else overwhelmed by eczema?
It's on my eyelids. It's on my neck, hands and arms. I walk around with an ice pack on my neck because of the burning.
My eczema is impacted by diet. I think a bagel would kill me (yeast). The eczema started years ago, before the CFS. But I believe it's all part of the same disorder. It's all broken biochemistry. It's all about some resident infection making my immune system bonkers.
If you do have eczema, do you also have SIBO? Does your eczema subside with herbal or prescription antibiotics?
 

gabriella17

Senior Member
Messages
165
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I have weird eczema too. It's on the top of my scalp, and I've been to 3 dermatologists already, who all said different things. I've had it for 3 years already, and I'm at my wit's end. I'm very wheat intolerant (and lactose), so I avoid those too. I don't know if it's allergy, infection, gut microbe issues, nutritional defiency, or what. I've researched it so often and I come up with nothing.
 

Silence

Senior Member
Messages
102
Location
Northern CA
I have seborrheic dermatitis. I am not sure, but I think its a type of eczema? It forms on the sides of my nose and between my eyebrows and upper lip and gawd it itches like crazy. If I itch it too much it gets red and inflamed and will form thick flaky white crust. Like you guys, it gets much worse if I eat wheat or anything with yeast. I've had this for a couple years now. It doesn't ever completely go away. It appeared during the onset of my CFS or actually half a year before . I also have a low cd4 count ( in the 300s) which makes me succeptable to yeast infections especially candida. I am not sure if I have sibo, but I do have dysbiosis and candida infections in my gut which manifest as chronic diarrhea and food intolerances in me.

There was one person I remember reading who said she cured her seb derm. with BIOTIN. Again, I am not sure how closely related seb derm and eczema are. And another fellow on curezone said he cured his sebderm by washing his face gently with a solution of water and sea salt. I find that fish oil helps with mine somewhat and also avoiding harsh soaps. Other than that, anyone else have any suggestions to help get rid of eczema? Oh yeah, I also find that if my sleeps are bad, the dermatitis gets worse, if they are good, the derm. gets better.

Prescription antibiotics make it much worse, especially my gut issues.
 
Messages
93
Location
PA/NJ
I also have seboric dermatitis which popped up about a year before my CFS started. I have to keep up with it or it gets out of control. I use dandruff shampoo to wash my face. When it flares up I get self conscious. I wonder if an antifungal would help it. Clean diet seems to help. I'm not sure if it is similar to eczema or completely different?
 

lansbergen

Senior Member
Messages
2,512
I had eczema as a baby. It graduly became less severe and disappeared when I started menstruating.

Any of you alergic to wool?
 

Demepivo

Dolores Abernathy
Messages
411
Had a major eczema flare up last year. My Dr sorted me out with a decent treatment plan

  1. Strong steroids to reduce inflammation, later repalced by milder ones
  2. A moisturising shower gel:Oilatum
  3. changing the emollient/moisturiser I was using to Cetraben
  4. Suggesting anti histamines like Piriton (Chlorphenamine) to help me sleep at night as well as reducing body's reaction to histamine
  5. talking to me about histamine rich foods eg preserved in old fashioned ways: cheese, hams, salamis and plants from the nightshade family

Hope this helps

PS @lansbergen Wool can irritate the skin because it's scratchy and can trap pollen and other things which can aggravate eczema
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
I have seborrheic dermatitis. I am not sure, but I think its a type of eczema? It forms on the sides of my nose and between my eyebrows and upper lip and gawd it itches like crazy. If I itch it too much it gets red and inflamed and will form thick flaky white crust. Like you guys, it gets much worse if I eat wheat or anything with yeast. I've had this for a couple years now. It doesn't ever completely go away. It appeared during the onset of my CFS or actually half a year before . I also have a low cd4 count ( in the 300s) which makes me succeptable to yeast infections especially candida. I am not sure if I have sibo, but I do have dysbiosis and candida infections in my gut which manifest as chronic diarrhea and food intolerances in me.

There was one person I remember reading who said she cured her seb derm. with BIOTIN. Again, I am not sure how closely related seb derm and eczema are. And another fellow on curezone said he cured his sebderm by washing his face gently with a solution of water and sea salt. I find that fish oil helps with mine somewhat and also avoiding harsh soaps. Other than that, anyone else have any suggestions to help get rid of eczema? Oh yeah, I also find that if my sleeps are bad, the dermatitis gets worse, if they are good, the derm. gets better.

Prescription antibiotics make it much worse, especially my gut issues.

I have this too. Mine started about the time I started to get ME symptoms I think. Anyway, it's itchy. Selsun selenium sulfide works really well on it. Ask the pharmacist for the strongest one. I think you can get it without prescription, not sure. That will likely make it a lot better. Leave it on a few minutes then wash off. Do that each day till it goes, then keep doing it a week, then you can stop using it till it likely comes back. The rest of the time I only use olive oil soap - everything else has crap in it which triggers it. Both are cheap, thankfully.

Mine started along with the ME. Seb derm is common in parkinsons, I had some thoughts about how it might relate to dopamine. Can't now remember what I thought exactly, but wonder at a link.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
I also have dyshidrotic eczema (pomphlox) mainly on my feet, which I've had much longer, it's itchy beyond imagination. I use the strongest steroid creams but they don't help much. I still don't understand what triggers it and how to make it better, but it is worse in spring/early summer due to the heat. Heat has a big impact on it, which makes me think it could be fungal but I'm not sure.
 
Messages
2,125
See ITSAN :
http://itsan.org/
also:
steroid induced eczema:
http://dermatologytimes.modernmedic...ews/topical-corticosteroid-addiction-may-be-b

I also have dyshidrotic eczema (pomphlox) mainly on my feet, which I've had much longer, it's itchy beyond imagination. I use the strongest steroid creams but they don't help much. I still don't understand what triggers it and how to make it better, but it is worse in spring/early summer due to the heat. Heat has a big impact on it, which makes me think it could be fungal but I'm not sure.
Ditch the steroids. Try diluted apple cider vinegar. (altho from your description it could be athletes foot?)
 
Last edited:
Messages
35
I have weird eczema too. It's on the top of my scalp, and I've been to 3 dermatologists already, who all said different things. I've had it for 3 years already, and I'm at my wit's end. I'm very wheat intolerant (and lactose), so I avoid those too. I don't know if it's allergy, infection, gut microbe issues, nutritional defiency, or what. I've researched it so often and I come up with nothing.[/QUOTE

Ugh. You poor person. Have you found anything that works for you?
Did it start before or after the CFS?
 
Messages
35
I have seborrheic dermatitis. I am not sure, but I think its a type of eczema? It forms on the sides of my nose and between my eyebrows and upper lip and gawd it itches like crazy. If I itch it too much it gets red and inflamed and will form thick flaky white crust. Like you guys, it gets much worse if I eat wheat or anything with yeast. I've had this for a couple years now. It doesn't ever completely go away. It appeared during the onset of my CFS or actually half a year before . I also have a low cd4 count ( in the 300s) which makes me succeptable to yeast infections especially candida. I am not sure if I have sibo, but I do have dysbiosis and candida infections in my gut which manifest as chronic diarrhea and food intolerances in me.

There was one person I remember reading who said she cured her seb derm. with BIOTIN. Again, I am not sure how closely related seb derm and eczema are. And another fellow on curezone said he cured his sebderm by washing his face gently with a solution of water and sea salt. I find that fish oil helps with mine somewhat and also avoiding harsh soaps. Other than that, anyone else have any suggestions to help get rid of eczema? Oh yeah, I also find that if my sleeps are bad, the dermatitis gets worse, if they are good, the derm. gets better.

Prescription antibiotics make it much worse, especially my gut issues.

Interesting. Prescription antibiotics cleared up my hands, but nothing else.
Flaxseed oil seems to help my hands.
Soaking my eyes with Dead Sea salt water reduced redness, itch and swelling.
Bleach baths help my arms and hands
B12 and D3 were initially very helpful
Roche-Posay Lipikar was one of the best things for skin protection.
I'm not sure the biotin does anything, but I do take it.
 
Messages
35
See ITSAN :
http://itsan.org/
also:
steroid induced eczema:
http://dermatologytimes.modernmedic...ews/topical-corticosteroid-addiction-may-be-b


Ditch the steroids. Try diluted apple cider vinegar. (altho from your description it could be athletes foot?)
I've had good experience reducing itch and swelling with Dead Sea salt soaks. I do it for 20 minutes for my hands or eyes.
I've been doing bleach baths 15-20 minutes. I think it's working for my hands and arms.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
See ITSAN :
http://itsan.org/
also:
steroid induced eczema:
http://dermatologytimes.modernmedic...ews/topical-corticosteroid-addiction-may-be-b


Ditch the steroids. Try diluted apple cider vinegar. (altho from your description it could be athletes foot?)

I've not had that problem after using them for almost twenty years now. I'm more worried about the fact you absorb the steroids rapidly into your blood and steroids aren't good for you long term. But I can't ditch the steroids really, they're not a cure but they are the only treatment I have. Before I was diagnosed I obviously wasn't using steroids and it was a lot worse. It itched so bad and the skin cracked and was oozing, it was getting infected and painful. I do still get it that bad sometimes but it doesn't spread as much as it was before.

There's no doubt it's pomphlox, athletes foot is nowhere near as itchy and is smelly, soggy rather than dry and with pomplox you get very unique little blisters under the skin, it's quite easy to identify once you know what you're looking for. Most people get it on their hands rather than their feet, but it's fairly common on either.

I tried apple cider vinegar before, and a bunch of other alternative things like that. If anything it made it worse. I was surprised to be honest, as it does seem fungal as it quickly gets worse with heat but the vinegar just didn't help. I've tried other anti fungal stuff too but it doesn't work either. I'd love to be able to get rid of it.
 

Demepivo

Dolores Abernathy
Messages
411
*I can sympathise with everybody having a bad time with ezcema. I was at my wit's end last year, I wasn't sleeping properly & was exremely stressed

* The seasonal variation has been mentioned. I also have hay fever & notice during the grass pollen season my eczema gets worse, especially if I'm sitting on grass with shorts. Same thing applies with short sleeved shorts & t-shirts.
 
Messages
2
My 12y old daughter has eczema, its worst during the winter. When you finally understand how and when to use or not to use the Corticosteroid creams vs the hydration creams, it helps a great deal.
 
Messages
35
My 12y old daughter has eczema, its worst during the winter. When you finally understand how and when to use or not to use the Corticosteroid creams vs the hydration creams, it helps a great deal.
So glad to hear you've got a working treatment plan!

I should have posted earlier. My eczema is cleared!!!! (for now). Here's what worked:
1. bleach baths were good for decreasing itch and swelling in my hands.
2. I read The Eczema Diet https://www.jolieeskin.com/collections/books. It was very interesting and helpful. Based on it, I reduced dietary fats. I think it helped. I also tried her alkaline supplements. I don't think those worked for me.
3. I eat very low carb - no grains or starches.
4. Still, my neck was extremely bad and my eyes kept swelling up. I had an ice pack on my neck 24 hours a day. I slept with an ice pack on my neck. It tormented me and I couldn't make it go away. The thing that worked was Dr. Richard Aron's protocol. My neck is clear. I'm so happy I could cry. The skin on my hands look normal. Nothing else worked like that cream. I struggled for years. Thank goodness for Dr. Aron.
:)
 

IreneF

Senior Member
Messages
1,552
Location
San Francisco
I have this too. Mine started about the time I started to get ME symptoms I think. Anyway, it's itchy. Selsun selenium sulfide works really well on it. Ask the pharmacist for the strongest one. I think you can get it without prescription, not sure. That will likely make it a lot better. Leave it on a few minutes then wash off. Do that each day till it goes, then keep doing it a week, then you can stop using it till it likely comes back. The rest of the time I only use olive oil soap - everything else has crap in it which triggers it. Both are cheap, thankfully.

Mine started along with the ME. Seb derm is common in parkinsons, I had some thoughts about how it might relate to dopamine. Can't now remember what I thought exactly, but wonder at a link.
I used to use Nizoral shampoo, which worked pretty well, but what really fixed it was a drug called spironolactone (Aldactone). My oily skin became normal, my scalp stopped itching, and my adult acne disappeared.
 

Eastman

Senior Member
Messages
526
A trial of oolong tea in the management of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis.
RESULTS: After 1 month of treatment 74 (63%) of the 118 patients showed marked to moderate improvement of their condition. The beneficial effect was first noticed after 1 or 2 weeks of treatment. A good response to treatment was still observed in 64 patients (54%) at 6 months.

I actually tried this. Drinking oolong tea daily caused a lot of dead skin to flake off and my eczema did improve considerably but did not completely heal.