Those of you with eczema....how do you cope?

[fabregas]

Following on from the post from Chloe about asthma (which I have also) how many have eczema...
My skin can sometimes be so sore, that my breeches stick, I itch like mad during my dressage stage, and after xc, well I'm on fire... my skin is that hot and uncomfortable!
But I love my horse, love eventing, so please don't tell me to give it all up like my doctor does.
Any useful tips to make life more bareable?
Thanks.

 

[event_rider]

Following on from the post from Chloe about asthma (which I have also) how many have eczema...
My skin can sometimes be so sore, that my breeches stick, I itch like mad during my dressage stage, and after xc, well I'm on fire... my skin is that hot and uncomfortable!
But I love my horse, love eventing, so please don't tell me to give it all up like my doctor does.
Any useful tips to make life more bareable?
Thanks.

I feel your pain - have suffered with severe eczema sincce my teens and although I'm not allergic to horses I'm allergic to everything else that goes alongside them! Saddle Soap, Shampoo, Fly Spray, Haylage, - you name it I come out in a massive reaction to it! Can't even where rubber gloves to protect myself as I'm allergic to the ruuber/latex!

Use a medicated cream called "Protopic" - it keeps it under control but doesnt cure it completely. Only problem is its fairly strong and contains a load of chemicals so I try to avoid using it in so far as is possible but its the only thing that works and according to my dermatologist its unlikely im ever going to be cured.

However found a bizarre remedy last year when one of the horses at home had severe cracked heels. Vet perscribed "Equicreme" but I used to find that my skin felt so much better after I'd put it onto the horses heels. Ran it by my GP who seemed happy enough there was nothing toxic in it so I now use it on my hands when they get chapped and sore. Really seems to work too! Still have to use my perscription creams when its really bad but the Equicream definitely eases it!

 

[misterjinglejay]

I found a fantastic 'cooling' spray for severe eczema - it cooled the skin and therefore stopped the hellish itching and then they stopped making it!!!!!

I've now made my own and its excellent for breaking the cycle, especially in this heat.

Wich hazel
Distilled water
Lavendar essential oil
calendular oil

or any others that suit you (I'm not an aromatherapist and just experimented!)

Get yourself a spritzer bottle.

The idea is that the witch hazel evaporates quickly thus cooling the skin and leaving behind the (hopefully) soothing oils! You'll have to experiment with the right mix for you.

I am 40 plus and have had severe atopic eczema all my life, and this really seems to help. I hasten to add, it won't cure it, but it should sooth the pain a bit.

Good luck. xxx

 

[misterjinglejay]

Chamomile works well in the mixture as well

 

[star]

badly is how i manage! with the help of lots of steroid cream and various courses of antibiotics, plus shed loads of hand cream. i carry hand cream everywhere i go, try and keep them nice and moisturised and try to apply the steroid stuff when they itch instead of scratching them to pieces!

 

[sarahhelen1977]

Aloe vera - drink the gel as well as apply gelly/moisturiser topically

 

[fabregas]

Thank you all
I am definitely going to look into the Equicreme. I already use Protopic when I have to, and it is good, but I hate having to use it all the time.

The spritzer idea sounds fab. It is something that I have never considered...so I'm going to send Mum out with a shopping list today, and we will get mixing our potion. Thank you.
I will also have a look at Aloe Vera juice, as this has been something I have considered before.

tbh, it is really nice to know that I am not the only one with severe eczema who persists in competing their horse. I get frowned upon so often by people who think I am mad to put myself through all this, but I don't see it that way. It's not so bad, just annoying.

Good luck to all of you....never will eczema beat me!!! haha. xx

 

[SW3]

Having Eczema means I'm desperate to rip off my boots and breeches at all times APART from when I'm actually riding, when I seem to magically forget about it. I've been prescribed fucibet (steroidtastic) for my latest flare up but am another one perpetually applying handcream / moisturiser (OH estimates I spend about 10% of my life smearing myself with various unguents!!) so am going to investigate Equicreme too. Thanks for the tip!!

 

[JessPickle]

I know the feeling, I have to say jodphur wise the Equetech Ladies Air Flex Jodphurs are better than most for me! which says something, but in extreme heat I still find it hard. Its so annoying as I work at a yard where you have to be in jods the whole day!

I also get excema on my head! but think this is more unusual, I have solved this with the Caldene hat which is highly ventilated and the lining can come out and be washed!

One thing I want to know is I get excema on my feet! any ideas how to help with that!

 

[mybutterfly]

Mine badly affects my hands and the backs of my knees so I share your feelings of wanting to rip of tight johds and scratch!! I use eurax (an anti itch cream) before riding on hot days and also steriod creams when things get bad. I have found sealskinz waterproof gloves amazing for yard work as my hands can't cope with getting wet, I can do nearly everything all winter long in those gloves and my hand eczema clears up in the summer (uv light?)

I'm dissapointed in your doctor suggesting you give up riding, how short sighted!! If it's really bad there are lots of treatments available using oral and topical steriods, allergy testing to narrow down the things that trigger it, uv light boxes, plus newer treatments keep becoming available - don't give up!!

 

[SamuelWhiskers]

They say the two go together...i have both asthma and Eczema! I use a cream that my docs supply on prescription on a daily basis, which is called "Doublebase" which is just a moisturiser but with some form of parafiny stuff in it, its great and generally keeps it at bay....my last flare up i had fucibet, when my hands went horrendous, i wore michael jackson cotton gloves in bed!!!

With using the doublebase everyday, i find that now manages it really nicely and i'm not half as bad as i was, not sure if i'm growing out of.......dare i say it! I used to constantly scratch like mad without it!

Also i'm very careful with the jods i wear etc etc!

The things we do for horses! I do find it clears up no end on holiday, with swimming in the sea and sun, its perfect!

 

[star]

Diprobase is a really good pump hand cream. i have it above the sink at work and apply it regularly throughout the day, esp after washing hands. i have Epaderm at home which is really thick and good to apply at night and if it's really bad i have to wear cotton gloves at night to stop me ripping my hands to shreds in the night.

 

[Cindygirl]

If it is really bad speak to your dermatologist about imunosupressants sorry my spelling is appaling. A weeks cousre will clear my skin up no probs but this is only for the worst cases as can cause liver damage and other side affects. The other thing I find helpful is strong antihistamines on prescription for daily use cant remember the name at the moment but about 4x stronger than piriton, and then take piriton as an additional dose.

 

[beckieswann]

Eumovate is amazing - clears my eczema up pretty quickly when sore..

I alo wear gloves when cleaning tack as the stubben soap hates my skin!!

 

[event_rider]

My eczema is unfotunately too severe to be treated by emolients like aqueous cream/diprobase/doublebase/eucerin/eurex or the likes unfortunately. Not strong enough so its a bit like spitting on a bush fire!

Used to use steriods to attempt to keep it under control but they were never really hugely effective and they've left me pretty scarred. Whilst im not to happy with using Protopic, it has made a HUGE difference in my ability to manage my skin problems. Although, its not cheap its definitely worth a try if your ezcema is fairly severe!

As for UV rays, definitely make a big difference! Unfortunately unless we can alter the weather, I wont be counting on it as a miracle cure any time soon!

 

[Scarlett]

I deal with mine from the inside out and take Evening Primrose Oil capsules. This has worked better than anything. You do need to take a lot of the 'normal' one a day capsules - my Doctor prescribed me 8 a day to begin with - but it worked a treat. Cream wise I havnt had to use steroids for years and now just use an Aloe Vera or Hemp based cream as and when required....

 

[event_rider]

I deal with mine from the inside out and take Evening Primrose Oil capsules. This has worked better than anything. You do need to take a lot of the 'normal' one a day capsules - my Doctor prescribed me 8 a day to begin with - but it worked a treat. Cream wise I havnt had to use steroids for years and now just use an Aloe Vera or Hemp based cream as and when required....

Scarlett, how long were you on them before you started to notice the difference? I was on 4 tablets 3 months but gave up after about 6 months as I felt like tablets were starting to rule my life and I didnt notice a massive difference! That said, I was in my teens at the time and wasnt managing my skin well full stop so it would be something I'd consider again!

 

[Scarlett]

Scarlett, how long were you on them before you started to notice the difference? I was on 4 tablets 3 months but gave up after about 6 months as I felt like tablets were starting to rule my life and I didnt notice a massive difference! That said, I was in my teens at the time and wasnt managing my skin well full stop so it would be something I'd consider again!

It was probably 2-3 weeks, though I was taking an insane amount of capsules, often more then what the doc prescribed as I bought supermarket ones when my precription ones ran out as it was cheaper and they were double the size but I took the same amount. It's probably worth mentioning that I have horrendous excema, on one arm it covers my whole arm from finger tips to past my elbow, plus my face and neck and since taking the EPO capsules I havnt had any more massive breakouts at all.... I only take one a day now and can go without, without any massive issues.

 

[star]

i tried Protopic for my excema but it didn't do anything. got 2 tubes sat here!

 

[event_rider]

i tried Protopic for my excema but it didn't do anything. got 2 tubes sat here!

OUCH...Expensive lesson!!!!

 

[katie_and_toto]

Following on from the post from Chloe about asthma (which I have also) how many have eczema...
My skin can sometimes be so sore, that my breeches stick, I itch like mad during my dressage stage, and after xc, well I'm on fire... my skin is that hot and uncomfortable!
But I love my horse, love eventing, so please don't tell me to give it all up like my doctor does.
Any useful tips to make life more bareable?
Thanks.

I suffer from eczema on my hands, they were bright red, sore, covered in tiny cuts and they bled Doctors gave me steroid creams but could only use them short-term as they were very strong. Tried sooo many creams including Soap & Glory Hand Food, Body Shop Hemp, Sudocrem, E45, Diprobase, Hydrocortisone, Superdrugs Night Cream, Simple Derma, Norwegian Formula etc. but nothing worked. Doctors couldn't give me anything stronger so just had to manage on prescribed mild steroid cream and emoliant, which only took the edge off, my hands were still constantly bright red and dry

But then my mum found an article in a magazine which said that doctors recommend coconut oil for ezcema and psoriosis. Got a tube of 'Pure Coconut Milk' from Savers and it works really well, 2 weeks after buying it my hands were practically back to normal! Plus it's only 99p! I put it on literally once an hour everyday, and the ezcema has gotten so much better And then now I put it on about 3 times a day It smells gorgeous too

Because my ezcema was so severe and it was awful for months, I do have some mild scarring on my knuckles but it's not too bad and I hope it'll fade

 

[CCLPony]

I know how you feel i have eczema on my hands ( mainly right ) and it kills when i ride especially if the horse is strong, i also have ashma migranes (sometimes i go blind when im riding) and a whole bunch of other problems. I find aquaeous cream helps for the eczema it doesnt get rid of it totally but it soothes it so much.

 

[maddyb]

Following on from the post from Chloe about asthma (which I have also) how many have eczema...
My skin can sometimes be so sore, that my breeches stick, I itch like mad during my dressage stage, and after xc, well I'm on fire... my skin is that hot and uncomfortable!
But I love my horse, love eventing, so please don't tell me to give it all up like my doctor does.
Any useful tips to make life more bareable?
Thanks.

i dont have ecxema but i have psoriasis, which is the same family however it tends to be much more worse and stronger, i have it all over my head which causes massive problems because i can never wear my hair down, i have it all behind my ear which is horrible because everyone can see it when i have my hair up but cannot hide it because if i have my hair down it flakes, i have it up and down my arms which means if i want to not show it i have to wear very long 3/4 length tops or long sleves, i have it on my stomach and the top of my back, thus cannot wear bikinis or anytop that comes more than a cm below the bottom of my neck, i am also beggining to get it on my legs jsut below my knee, and i have it on the top of my chest which means i cannot wear low cut tops. it does not effect my riding really apart from when it cracks and bleeds, but the worst of it being i am 16 year old girl and i cannot dress up nice let my self go without people pointing it out and laughing at me because of it.
i have tried all sorts to clear it, steroids and for the past 10 months i have been gluten dairy wheat free with as little sugar and salt as possible, no pork and no tomatoes, i did it for ages but had very little sucess at it, i have had it since 2008 when i first got my first pony, everyone says its the horses that stress me out which stress trigger it, buti have never had a horse through winter yet as have gone back to owners or died and it has been so much worse without horses,
my tip for you though its mosuriser i have this oil call evening primrose oil i get it from a place called tree harvest they are a really small company so far its the best thign i have found to help sooth it, also exposing your skin to sunlight during the summer because it has somthing to do with not haveing enough vitimin D in you (i think) the sunlight helps your skin produce this which helps with the healing. hope it helps
x

 

[ladyt25]

I have always had eczema (and asthma) since I was about 2 and both used to be really bad. it has improved as I have got older but I still have flare ups. I do not like the Diprobase creams - my sister uses them but I just find them too greasey and I don't think this helps the eczema at all.

The last cream i had from a doctor was Elocon which is a steroid I assume - that was when I had a nasty flare up on my hands. That cream worked and it cleared up. I use it any time I get a flare up now.

I don't suffer with issues with jodhpurs but maybe you should look at the materials they are made from and try some different brands. Take antihistamines if you can. I would also strongly advise looking at your diet. I went on a 'health kick' a few years back and was having cereal for breakfast - my skin was horrendous, itchy and horrid. It dawned on me it was the milk causing it. I don't have milk anymore (if I do I have soya) and my skin is tonnes better than it ever was. Look into these things - certain foods can be problematic, especially milk (and other dairy) eggs, tomatoes, etc etc. It may be worthwhile you having an allergy test.

 

[Kelpie]

for me the biggest thing is not to let my skin get cold or wet (or if does get wet, to then dry immediately after and cream up!).

I get it on my hands and legs. It gets worse when I'm under stress, which is interesting.

When it's bad, I put sudocrem on underneath my jods and gloves and that really helps.

When it's really bad, it's doc prescribed steroids.

It got so bad once that I thought my hands were on fire and I was a crying mess curled up on the floor. Turned out I had scratched myself so bad that I developed a pretty nasty infection just under the skin! That's one I really watch for now when it gets bad.

 

[shiggins]

I have eczema, triggers are metal and sweat, so I get it the worst on my thighs and butt. I keep it well controlled with a regimen of Cetaphil eczema bodywash and moisturizer, Nature's Aid skin gel (mostly tea tree oil, vitamin e and witch hazel) and for flares I have a prescription Betaderm cream. Once you know how to prevent it, its not quite so bad. Since the itching comes before the rash, if you find the best thing to treat the itch, you wont even get the rash part, and then you avoid the raw skin issues. Warm sea salt baths also help.

 

[alwaysbroke]

OH came up with an alternative therapy for his eczema, Gold Label Wonder Gel! He had been treated by the GP for ages, with some effect, but ran out of the treatments, one day at the yard he applied the Wonder Gel to an area of skin that had been broken and bleeding for weeks, used it 3 times and the skin healed and hasn't broken down since.

 

[maddyb]

i found Aloe vera cream also helped
depends how old you are, as i said in my previous post i am only 16, the second doctor i saw told me that it was just a age thing however i will be left with scaring all over my body from it, the first doctor i saw with it told me it was a life long condition that would never be cured and that i would have to live with for the rest of my life (at 14 it was not really what i wanted to hear)
although i dont have a cure for what i have my dad used to have eczema he found dead sea salt the brand mosuriser stuff and the oil and warm salt baths really helped and cleared his up, as a few people have said stress is genrally the route cause of it. try simple things such as yoga pilaties and meditation i was told are ment to help
also little things such as fresh juice and not stuff that has been concentrated, tomatoes are ment to be bad, along with dairy products also drinks lots and lots of water because it can be a sign that you are de-hydrated, i could give you loads of medical things of which people say have caused my psoriasis my nutritionalist told me i had a hole in my lower intestine in which food particles are pushed though instead of getting digested properly and the come through my skin, anouther sciency person told me my skin in areas of having psoriasis is where my skin has been weakened because of this my skin in places regenerates 10 thousand times quicker than a normal persons however because it regenerates so quickly it does not heal correctly tus convincing itself that there is also a imprerection in the skin in which unwanted diseases and germs can get into which keeps the cycle of it regenerating continuing
hoe this stuff helps some more

 

[kirkton]

I've had eczema for 38 years and have had every steroid, cold tar etc. Then a new 'dermatology' nurse started at the surgery and in 6 months I'm almost cured.

She told me to avoid anything with preservatives in . She says that anything that smells (nice) needs preservatives to keep it smelling nice and the preservatives are what irritates my skin.

She gave me massive tubes of an emolient called Hydrolmol - I use it in the bath, to wash my hands, at night I plaster it on my skin and I have not touched a tube of steriod cream in months. As a kid I used to be head to toe in bandages and cold tar !

Also antihistamines (sp) at night as I used to scratch in my sleep without realising.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Re. post above, do you have to get the Hydrolmol on prescription or can you get it from the chemist?

Has anyone tried homeopathic Kali Sulph? Apparently this is for eczema; I did try it but not sure it did much good! Can't say it didn't help, but I was still itchy. Have to say am a tad sceptical about homeopathic stuff so perhaps this is why it didn't work?

I've got a tube of Elocon which is brilliant; but you have to get it on prescription. But it does the trick. Also off-prescription Tea Tree ointment is good, plus some Calendula Cream I got from a health food shop somewhere.

Apparently Aqueous Cream can actually make eczema worse? Its only ever intended as a handwash anyway, and apparently has things in it which can irritate the skin rather than soothe it when used neat rather than washed off.

I get very itchy hands, particularly between my fingers; it seems to be worse after I drink anything alcoholic One thing I have found useful if going riding and wearing gloves, is to slaver on some Sudocrem and then put on gloves - it did seem to stop the itching significantly plus gives you lovely smooth conditioned hands when you take gloves off after the ride!