Eczema...

[ennister]

Hi everyone,

I was hopeing to get some advice on eczema and related skin problems. I have suffered from eczema my entire life, but the recent years (since 2005) it's been extreme and not limited to specific bodyparts.

I've been going to dermatologists, but they can't really do anything except put me through regular steroid treatments which only temporarily help. I've changed my lifestyle in the hope it helps (vegetarian, non-smoking, no alcohol) but I was hoping others here could give me some advice on energy work and skin problems, or experience people have with it. While I don't believe in miracles, I do believe any positive energy can help.

Thank you in advance

[kgwitch]

Are to prone to get stressed? Because if you're really stressed that can cause pretty bad flare ups. (Amazing how much of an effect emotion has on us physically). It might help to meditate. I don't know a spell off the top of my head, but I'll see what I can think up.

[Starwitch]

If you figure it out, let me know. I have the same problem. Fortunately mine is not severe, but it sure would be nice to clear it up totally and never have it come back. I believe in the mind/body connection so I tend to believe that I am creating the problem myself. My mom suggested that maybe I am trying to symbolically build a crust or shell around me to keep other people away. I realize that sounds gross but I think it may be true metaphorically-speaking. I tend to be a loner and keep my feelings hidden from others. I know it's hard to believe that since I have an entire website where I talk about myself, but it's actually quite true, lol.

Bright Blessings,

[ennister]

I'm meditating everyday, what I'm trying is to visualize green energy infusing with my skin at the places that are effected. I just started doing this a week ago, but if it helps then I will let you know...

Apart from that I've tried a lot of other home remedies, none that helped me for the long term.

Although fish oil tends to relieve things more or less cause of the omega-3

[Starwitch]

Yeah I would be interested to know how that turns out, thanks.

[ennister]

Hi,

just updating, I ended up getting oral steroids prescriptions from the doctor. Things got really bad...

Anyways, as the treatment is a "shock" treatment and am taking less and less I'm adjusting my eating habbits to eat "colder" foods. the cold/warm, dry/wet food classifications are a Cantonese system, it might help.

I keep doing my meditations, can't harm and it's good practice anyways to learn to direct my energy

[Starwitch]

I want to encourage you to read about corticosteroids and learn about the side effects. I use them too on my face and my scalp. My dermatologist never told me about some of the serious side effects that can occur as a result of using these medications.

A couple of years ago, I went to the doctor because my fingers had broken out in some sort of dermatitis after wearing gloves one day and getting them hot and moist. (I still have this condition on my hands only it has moved to my palms now.) The dermatologist gave me a strong ointment to use. I used it for a few days but then I decided to look up the side effects. I found out that it makes your skin thinner (among many other awful side effects.) I stopped using the ointment but it was already too late. The skin on my fingers had become so thin that it was painful to do normal things like type, wash my hair or do dishes. My fingertips felt raw like the skin had been burned off. It took many, many months for my fingers to feel somewhat normal again. Even now they are not completely back to normal. Imagine if this had happened on my face!

The doctors give out corticosteroids (also commonly called "steroids") like they are asprin when in fact it is a very potent and dangerous drug. Taking it in pill form is the most dangerous way to ingest it but no matter which way you take it (inhaler, pill, or cream), it is still dangerous. Please read this page for more info:
http://www.whale.to/drugs/steroids3.html

I have learned about a healing technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It is free to learn and it looks very promising for curing all types of physical and emotional issues. You can learn more by watching the video below. I will also post this video in a separate thread. I'm going to try EFT on myself and I'll update you on how it goes. If you use it, please let me know how it works for you.

Bright Blessings,


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[ennister]

Hi,

thank you for the information.

Though my doctor and I went over the risks extensively when I was them prescribed the first time. I only use cortisoids when all else fails, usually if I get prescription meds they are non-steroids (There are a few alternatives such as protopic, of course they have different disadvantages).

In case of oral steroids, I know it messes with adrenaline production and other hormonal issues. Also it's hard to use especially because the body gets used to it and symptoms tend to return after stopping the treatment.

Though I the effect of cracking hands is not because of steroids, it's a common part of the healing process of some forms of eczema.

Considering the my eczema is quite extreme, steroids sometimes are the only thing that give me the relieve I need to be able even move my head without my skin tearing and hurting... it can be that serious.

I do my best to use alternative ways to keep it under control, just in times it flares up extremely. Usually too I try alternative treatments such as Oriental meds. I do know that when faced with medium to mild eczema accupunture tends to help and especially the teas they give you (they de-toxify your body). Also they used some wet bandage treatment with herbs that did help some to relieve things in the past.

I will check out the vid you posted and try it out, I'll let you know if it helps.

[Starwitch]

Thanks for posting this additional info on healing eczema. Your case is certainly much more severe than mine so if I'm using the cortisone cremes for what basically amounts to chronic dry skin I'm sure you have no choice but to use it too. It's good of you to post about alternative methods of healing eczema. I'm sure many other people will learn new ways of dealing with their eczema and psoriasis by reading your advice. That's really one of the best things about the Internet. I just love all the information I can find that I wasn't able to find before.

Brightest Blessings,

[ennister]

Oh I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm not saying it is chronic dry skin (though that is sometimes part of the problem). THe healing process of eczema on hands and feet (little pops of moisture and later cracked skin) and weeping eczema has the cracking and dryed up skin as a symptom of healing... whether you use cortisones or not.

I guess it depends on how serious it is if you have to use cortisoids or not.

For just eczema on my hands I don't cause I try to use as little as possible. The general rule still is to avoid steroid medication if possible, so if there are alternatives I would definitly go for that!

[EyesLikeIce]

Ezcema is an inflammatory disease as I'm sure you know, I have acne rosacea, so I can relate in that aspect. Currently I use the perscription cream "finacea" to help with redness etc. Anyway, on to what I was saying... ezcema is an inflammatory disease so perhaps you could attempt trying to eat alot of ANTI-inflammatory foods, believe it or not even foods that are "healthy" can sometimes be inflammatory. Fish is about the most potent anti-inflammatory food there is, so maybe you could try taking some fish oil pills daily and do some research on other anti-inflammatory foods and try to incorporate them into you're diet and see if that helps anything. Best of luck!

a list of some anti-inflammatory foods:
http://www.metabolismadvice.com/anti_inflammatory_food/

you can type in a food and see the inflammation level here:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/

[Starwitch]

I wanted to also suggest that you try using organic shampoos, lotions, soaps, etc. I've heard that Sodium Laurel Sulfate (or Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is actually a skin irritant. It is nearly every shampoo, soap, detergent... It is even in my prescription cortizone lotion AND in my Meted shampoo, which is a shampoo for scalp conditions! Many people are allergic to the chemicals that are in these products. I am convinced that the use of these products is what has caused some of my problems like thinning hair. There is a great deal of information about it online.

I have managed to clear up the skin condition on my hands for the most part. I stopped using Dove soap and started using soaps without SLS and Parabens. I am also wearing cotton gloves when I sleep at night. I found that I was always placing my hands on my chest or stomach while I slept and that it was skin-on-skin contact. That was causing irritation from the heat and oils. Wearing gloves might be weird but it fixed the problem (might have also been the soaps.)

Bright Blessings,

[Moon_Stone]

Sorry to hear all of you are having eczema issues- I'm lucky enough to not have to deal with it first hand, but both my husband and daughter suffer with it. My husband was prescribed a steroid cream years ago that did (temporarily) clear it up... but almost as soon as the tube was empty, it came back- full force- and grew to cover a larger area than before.

Since then, he suffers along with it. I found this site that has a very extensive approach to changing one's lifestyle to clear up the eczema, but it's too over the top for him, that's for sure. (I have to fight him to put lotion on it at all- he hates lotion for some odd reason)-- my daughter on the other hand, I've been having her put Oil of Olay facial moisturizer on her patches and the skin's condition is improving. She's cursed with sensitive skin, so I'm sure I'll be trying all kinds of things on her-- but she also has to use only Dove soap. (Which I hate, because I know both Dove & Oil of Olay are produced by companies that do animal testing). All of her patches are worked on immediately though, while they're still "baby-rashes" ....my husband's nasty-foot on the other hand, has been that way for years and is a completely different animal. A lot of the cures that work for her don't work for him- simply due to the condition of his very scarred skin versus hers when the rashes first develop.

So, in a nutshell:
Vitamin E: not bad but greasy. Does heal quite a bit though.
Moisturize the heck out of the patches
Steroids=bad. Rash will come back and probably be worse.
Squalane: this stuff is actually just shark-liver oil, highly prized by the bigger cosmetic companies as "age defying" -you'll see small quantities in their most expensive face products usually- but it also helps my daughter with her eczema rashes and any other rashes... it's very healing, not stinky at all & is surprisingly light for a liver-oil. (but eww.) It's about $25 for a 2 ounce bottle in California, but a little goes a long way.

Hope some of that helps. Please do post any experiences anyone has so we can all gather feedback.

Now, if only I could make my husband stop being such a baby about it all and put on the stuff I give him, maybe he'd actually improve his eczema too. One will never know.

Bright Blessings!

[[RedWolf]]

Some men just think it is "unmanly" to use lotions. Find a friend of his that he highly respects and ask that guy to bring up the subject. Maybe tell what lotion he uses during the winter when skin gets so dry for everyone...


RW

[Starwitch]

Thanks for posting this information, Moonstone. I'm reading through that website now and I'll probably buy the Squalane too and try it. I would love to stop using cortisones because I know that they make your skin thin, which can cause many other problems like wrinkles and cuts that won't heal. I like that Shirley from www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com takes a holistic approach. She says that she "ignited her own internal healing force". That's exactly what I need to do. I appreciate the link and info!

Brightest blessings,