Hello , Eczema is a horrible thing to deal with. The steroid creams etc only have a temporary affect and if used long term can begin to thin the skin.
I am also an eczema sufferer. The severity of my skin often depends on the weather , clothes i wear and products i use on my body. When i have allergic reactions/flare ups i tend to have a lavender oil bath which tends to cool down the skin as when the flare ups happen its often hot and angry.
I use the Dr Organics range which has been a great help to maintaining skin hydration. I like to buy the Aloe Vera, Olive Oil or the Manuka Honey body lotion as it leaves the skin feeling immensely soft.
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what helps me is a bath with the cvs brand bath stuff and that really helps me i ve tried almost all the creams and thay did not work but with the bath stuff it does wonders all i do is stay in there for as loon as i can and i have been deling with it sence i was born which was allmost 15 years if you try it it should help it doesint start working wright away but it helps after about the 2 nd or 3rd time
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I am 38 yrs old and I have had eczema since I was 6 mos old, right around the time my mom stopped breastfeeding (in 1975 all mothers were advised to breast feed for at least 6 months....Nowadays they advise 1 year or more)...Around the age of 2 my asthma developed...Of course, i have horrible allergies as well, as they are all related. I have seen many doctors over the years (too many to count), and they all classified me as having "Severe Eczema, Asthma, and Allergies". I'm not writing this for attention or sympathy, in fact i'd guess that anyone who's had these issues for as long as i have will understand what I mean by I dont WANT anymore sympathy heh. But, I do feel kinda obligated to reply to this topic because my heart goes out to ppl dealing with this c**p, and being 38 yrs old I have seen and heard of EVERY treatment or drug the medical industry has to offer...I gave up on "doctors" finding my cure many years ago, and have found a way to deal with my eczema on my own, using common sense and the many resources out there, primarily on the internet these days.... So here's my 22 cents on how i've dealt with it over the years: And this is probably for ppl with severe eczema, asthma, and allergies, but even if you have a mild case, theres alot of info I have learned over the years that could help you...
1) First of all, I went to doctors EVERY week when i was younger, and have tried EVERY possible medicine that doctors have to offer...(funny how each time I had been recommended a new drug for my Asthma, it was very oftentimes the same c**p they were advertising on TV...But I will tell you this, around the age of 16-17 all of my symtoms (in the eczema department) seemed to be cut in half, for no apparent reason. Looking back, I figure it was simply me hitting puberty...I had changed nothing. It was my Junior year in HS and its sad, but because of the reduced skin problems, my confidence skyrocketed and I can say i actually enjoyed those last two yrs of school. Sad, because i have learned that for the most part, it was me that had the problem with my gross skin, not so much other ppl..So it was that I hadnt accepted it and I didnt get my confidence from inside, like i do now...I just want to toss that out there....you may be "cursed" with this disease, but it is not who you ARE...Who you are is inside you and is totally unique in the universe and thats what you must focus on...Get to know who you are inside, and appreciate that...And over time, you'll find that you have alot more "real" friends than most ppl...Also, and this is hard to understand when you are young, but having a condition like this will most likely lead you to greatness in your old age. ;-) ...most ppl worry about how thier f'n hair looks all the time, or what kinda shoes they are wearing and that c**p...they live a life with such mundane "problems" that by the time they get to my age they are weak and obsessed with the everyday shallow bs that we are flooded with. We on the other hand know what real struggle is, and tho it sucks now, as you get older you will see that you are a much deeper and more compassoinate person than most people you know.
2) Unless you perhaps have a mild case of JUST eczema, it will seem as though doctors cant help you...Trust your instincts...they in fact cannot help you, except maybe to prescribe you inhalers and prednisone when you need them... Like ALL other diseases, you must get in touch with your own body and seriously take it upon yourself to fine your "cure". Every one of us is different, and there will never be one solution that works for everyone--Doctors simply identify the disease, then prescribe "medicines" from a list that are "known" to deal with your disease--and its just the pharmacutical companies who tell them what to prescribe for what illness....They have NO interest in helping you find a natural solution, nor have I EVER met a doctor that actually had eczema him/herself. (I have literally seen over 100 doctors, I was also part of two research studies through Stanford University) ...my dad was wealthy and the one thing he did for me was try to get me help....How could he know that the doctors didnt have a clue about how to help me? Also, they cant profit much from what i have found to be the solution... Like i said, perhaps if you have a mild case you can just avoid the foods/additives that affect you, and also use some Hydrocortisone 1% Cream (from most every store) when you get a flare up or cracks...I use this myself (probably 2-3 times a week, just on my bad cracks as i've found it to speed up healing... I will NEVER use an Ointment again, as they plug your pores and make the infected area hotter, which you all must know doesnt help eczema. The fact that doctors dont understand this and still try to push all those steroidal ointments on us really chaps my hide lol. The best way to deal with an infection is to apply a light film of cream, and keep it clean and dry--your body will take care of the rest. (The other way to deal with infection is to be healthy on the inside, so that your body is as strong as possible. I remember some of those ointments even causing this sorta "burn" on my skin, and some also made the skin sorta "leathery" and made my infections worse. Hydrocortisone Cream dries quick and doesnt leave much of a residue on the skin like an ointment does...and i guess on this note, i would also recommend using ONLY Ivory soap...its almost pure soap, and you can learn over time how much u can use, and how long to let it sit on your skin before it dries it out too much...But I just wash my body with it, including my hair, and rinse off each part i wash immediatly. For me, i always hated soaps and lotions and any products that seem to leave that residue on your skin, or that had dyes or perfumes in them...Ivory soap is pure. Most ppl will think to tell you to use all kinds of lotions or ointments or creams, etc...you have "dry" skin so why not use a lotion? Well, because for me, it leaves a residue and when that dries out, it makes me even more itchy...Hydrocortisone is the one exception, but i only use that to treat cracks and raw skin that i might have, because it really speeds up healing for me. NO bandaids, unless you have a cut thats bleeding and you dont want to get blood on your clothes or paperwork/schoolwork, etc...Never go to bed with bandaids on, just buy mostly white cotton sheets and pillowcases, and dont worry about gettin em bloody at night...Just wash them with bleach once a week and its all good.
3) I was given pills for my itching, and they would make me "tight", or have a hard time breathing. The pills i got for my Asthma would make me itchy...haha Also, my mom, being from Sweden, didnt know what to do as she had never even heard of anyone with allergies or asthma or eczema in Sweden...Her cure for me was to be an old Swedish "food" that she grew up with, that they give to babies---She'd cook oatmeal and then put the juice only into my bottle to feed me...its is supposed to be very good for you...But, of course i am allergic to oatmeal. On that note, I am also allergic to basically everything green, wheat, gluten, pasta, just about every fruit and vegetable, every preservative, additive, sugar, chocolate, nuts (bad), and even more I wont mention....It took me years to figure out how to deal with this, as like I said I have a pretty severe case....And I should mention also, I was very athletic, was on a semi-pro soccer team when I was 17 yrs old, so I've never been one to hide from the world and totally avoid EVERYTHING that bothers me...I just didnt want to be that guy who ends up stayin inside all the time, like bubble boy (been called that my whole life lol) Like in soccer, I would play with my inhaler stuck in my socks/shinguards and probably take at least 4 hits during a game. Since I was 2 yrs old, I have had an asthma "attack" about every 1-2 yrs. I think one time I went almost 3 yrs w/o one...but I have also had more than 1 in a year as well. A funny thing that always irritates me when i go to the ER...Since the age of 2, EVERY asthma attack has been treated the same way: I suck on the nebulizer machine, breathing in the two little bottles of medicine--one is Albuterol and the other is another form of the same kinda medicine....Anyway, the treatment is the inhaled medicines for about 30 mins, then 10-15 days of Prednisone. All 3 treatments have horrible side effects, especially the Prednisone...The ER visit has cost me over $3000 before (yah my credit is toast at this point lol) and the prednisone has ALWAYS cost me under $20 for the entire course of it. (I remember paying $9.00 for 3 inhalers at a time back when i was in my teens, and the recent one i bought a Walmart cost me $48.00 for ONE...The SAME F'N EXACT medicine...Ventolin. They have even introduced this new one, ProAir...its a cheaper quality product, made with no cfc's (gimme a break, I need this sh*t to survive and i'm supposed to take an inferior product because we might be hurting the ozone layer with the process they use to make these ventolin inhalers? Oh man i was pissed when alot of the pharmacies werent even carrying Ventolin anymore...And they were charging me more for the ProAir...one time I actually paid $84.00 for ONE ProAir inhaler, when they first came out...At COSTCO...oh boy was i irritated...On this note, i'll mention that I get inhalers thru other peoples prescriptions too, this was another trick i learned...because as many of you may know, doctors these days generally dont want to give you more than 1 inhaler per month...They want you on Advair or allergy shots or some other BS man-made chemical product that they can bill you alot of money for, and that will NEVER actually fix your problems...I did Advair for over 3 yrs (500/250 dosage) and I still used my regualar inhaler just as much, and I still had an asthma attack. That stuff is downright dangerous in my opinion...Oh, and I tried to buy one at Costco like 8 yrs ago, and they wanted to charge me $287.00 for ONE. They said that if I HAD insurance, it would have been $178.00 each LOLOL. I said I took it for over 3 yrs...that was only because i had a "nice" doctor who got tons of samples from the drug co's, and he gave me "free samples" for over 3 yrs, until i gave up on em. I just asked Costco to SEE how much they wanted to charge...That was the last time i tried any new "medicine" from a doctor (and yah, i actually read all the disclosure/information forms that come with Advair, its crazy the side effect they disclose...Like, they actually admit to a higher chance of death from an asthma attack when you are on it! wtf Also, my mom got her doctor to get her an script for Ventolin, she's on medicare...So we both go to Walmart to buy em...Mine is $48.00 with NO insurance, and hers is $42.00 WITH insurance!! What the heck? That was one of the tips, to get backup inhalers from other ppl, like family with mild allergies who dont even go thru 1 inhaler a month, so your primary doctor will only ever see you gettin 1 inhaler per month...then he wont keep bugging you to get on Advair or allergy shots.....or like, one time I got some Prednisone from my neighbor who had some for her dying dog. They were little 5mg pills as opposed to the 20 mg ones i normally get...but they worked just the same heh. Anyway, the medical industry is so obviously a business and has no interest in really curing anything, as that wouldnt make them any money...So I have learned a couple tricks in how to deal with doctors and hospitals i'll share with you...The last two attacks I just told the ER doctors that im gonna skip the breathing treatments because really, i never felt they helped...It was always the prednisone that knocks out the attack. (And in my world, an "attack" means you are basically incapacitated, you cannot "catch" your breath, even after 5 days (one time i tried to avoid the treatment...), and you REQUIRE prednisone to knock it out...My sister is one of those people who developed asthma in her 30's, and she even recently told me she had an "attack", but that just meant she need to take her inhaler lol....So like i said, if you have a mild case of any of these 3 problems, a doctor might actually help you by simply prescribing an inhaler or maybe by taking the allergy shot TEST...where they see what you're allergic too. If you are more of a mild case, you may find that you are allergic to just a few big items, and then you can just avoid them. My case is severe enough to where they wont even let me do allergy shots...(Yes, even with thier "new" improved method of creating the mixes for you...They try to resell me the idea every few years when i meet a new doctor, and after gettin my records and talkin to me they realize im not gonna be one of thier atm machine customers who come in with mind symptoms and that they try to get on their program, damn they are makin some money off of so many people who could take care of thier symptoms on thier own...For ppl with mild cases I'd recommend gettin tested, then avoiding the items you have a strong reaction to...And you can maybe have some Claritin or Allegra handy just for those times when you might be going out to a place you know will bother you, like a hayfield or soccer game etc...I seriouly do not recommend gettin used to taking ANY pills or a regular basis, but you know we all just have to find whatver system works best for us...Its up to YOU to figure this out...But this long ass post isnt for you, its for people who really suffer from this c**p. Also, I am talking alot about Asthma because i have learned that the 3 (Allergies, Eczema, and Asthma) are all related, and the cure for all of them is the same. (I say cure very loosely, because as someone else said before me, there is no "cure", and yes, you most likely will have to deal with it for the rest of your life.)
4) There have been some good advice in the previous posts...I will repeat some stuff w/o mentioning who wrote it cuz it doesnt matter who wrote it, like, there probably arent many original thoughts left in the world heh. Soo, like i said, YOU are the only person who can figure all this out. Here's a trick I learned that I'm kinda proud of heh. As far as dealing with uneducated and misinformed doctors, next time you see your doctor, ask him/her if he has ever had eczema or asthma and look at his reaction. Doctors hate it when you take the upper hand....I advise you to do this because right now, your doctor is taking a position of authority in this matter, when he actually has very little knowledge about it...By you asserting to him/her that he is trying to solve a problem that he has zero experience with, you'll put him sorta on his heels a little...Say it nicely and politely, with perhaps a bit of desperation or concern in your voice: "Uggh, have you ever had Eczema or Asthma?" Its a nice way to let him know that you are dealing with a very complicated problem and his simple approach to it is lame. He'll know this to be true inside, but as most doctors are narcissistic, he probably wont or cant admit it. But, by implying to him that you know more about the problem than he does, you will make him change his tone, and by the end of the appointment he will give you whatever drugs you tell him you need---When you tell him what you need/want, you say "What I've found works for me is 14 days of Prednisone, (for an attack) and 2 inhalers per month. I usually go thru just ONE per month, but sometimes I'll lose it, and sometimes i'll wake up in the morning and it in my hand, and half of it is gone..." Since you wounded his narcissistic pride, he'll have to respond in the only way that will let him build his ego back up, which will be to first make you feel like he's totally concerned about you and he is on your side, and then he'll work to rebuild your admiration of him--by showing that he understands what you are saying and he trusts you... Works especially well in ER's, where the doctor you see most likely wont have a clue about how to treat you... I had one guy prescribe me 3 days of Predisone, which is ridiculous! If you take that stuff, you must do it for an extended period of time for it to really knock the attack out. I've tried to cut the time in half, sometimes just so I could try to save some extra pills for the next attack, and it backfired on me.....Another doctor told me I was supposed to take the Ventolin on a regular basis, and the Advair (steroidal inhaler) when i have a flare up! Totally opposite of even what it says on the packaging! With the ER doc I mentioned who prescribed only 3 days of prednisone, I had to go track him down in the hallway and grab him and say..."Hey man, you probably dont have Asthma yourself, but I really need AT LEAST a 10 day course for this level of an attack'...The noob quickly went to "look into it", and came back eventually with my 10 day course of exactly ow many pills I had calculated i needed...sh*t, if they're gonna charge me $2000 plus for a 1 hr appointment, i'm gettin the meds i need to survive...(Again, i know im talkin alot about asthma, but u can use these same tricks for whatever "disease" you have...And the main message is: Doctors dont really know much about Eczema, all they know is what the book tells them to prescribe...and also, they all seem to be pushing these allergy shots, which i think are about as lame as the flu shot. We are so far from natural health that our own medical system is actually making everyone sicker! Like, thats thier "cures". Even with cancer (dont get me started lol), their solution is to hit you with very dangerous and damaging radiation that hurts you more than it helps...its insane that more people dont stand up and speak up.
5) Actual tips: Someone said they're allergic to sugar, someone else said certain ointments or pills bother them...The truth is, to obtain your maximum health, you NEED to start working towards a whole food, NON-processed diet. And its a b***h, well, it is for me because i am allergic to so many things...I still hope to be a vegetarian some day, but so far i have not found the right combo...I talked to a guy who was highly informed about a Gluten-Free diet, and he said that if you are gluten free you must eat peanuts to get the main essential proteins we need in our systems...Since im allergic to gluten (ciliac disease) AND highly allergic to peanuts, im still eating chicken (im highly allergic to fish..) Soo, you gotta be real and honest with yourself...and if you are still young this might be harder for you, as the whole world around you is full of temptations, and even "healthy' stuff that your own parents might feed you are actually processed foods that are full of man-made additives and preservatives and all that stuff. If you have Eczema, I can PROMISE you that you are allergic to preservatives and most, if not all of these added compounds they put in food so they can keep it on the shelves for a long time. Basic rule, dont eat ANYTHING from a box or can, unless it is 100% ORGANIC (it must say literally 100% organic on it, as if it just says Organic, by FDA rules they are actually allowed to have 5% non-organic stuff in it!!!) Also, I know its expensive to eat organic fruits/veggies, I cant afford it right now myself...but, for example, how long ago do you think the apples you buy at the store were picked? The average apple you buy at the store was picked from the tree 12-14 MONTHS AGO! Holy c**p, what do they have to do to an apple to get it to last that long? (Google "When are apples at the store picked", or something like that and you'll find plenty of info on this topic.) Sooo, if apples are treated with pesticdes and fungicides and the amount of CO2 they get while in storage is controlled so they can let the apple "die" at a slower rate while in cold storage then just think what is done to ALL other foods we buy that arent 100% organic. I live in Vancouver, WA atm, and I'm about to plant 3 apple trees in my backyard so that in a couple yrs i can get my own apples...Again, you must figure your own plan out, and for me, i've started eating mainly whole foods, cooked myself, in moderation. Like, when you KNOW inside that you are full, just stop eating. Don't even finish your plate or bowl...listen to yourself and just stop. I think someone else mentioned this previously...When you get really full, your body cannot digest and process the food as efficiently, and it therefore stays in your body longer...so if there are additives or whatnot in the food, it will stay inside you longer....And honestly, I am not 100% sure that im not a little allergic to apples...but I have decided that i MUST eat some fruit, and so far they dont SEEM to bother me much, if at all...And so i feel that if i get even healthier, perhaps I can handle some new things that i couldnt before, when my system was full of the processed foods all the time...
5B) lol just to break this wall of text up... Here's ONE thing i remember learning from a doctor---I was confused as to why sometimes I can eat something and it might make my lips swell up but not necessarily make me itchy once it gets in my stomach....He said that if its making my lips swell and itch, then when it gets inside me it ALSO will cause some kinda of reaction....and i probably just dont notice it specifially...You know, it can be very hard sometimes to tell what is actually bothering you...Because how often do you eat just one item alone? And that brings me back to the processed foods---they have tons of different ingredients and additives, so it is literally impossible to tell what part of the "box" is actually bothering you. Stick with WHOLE FOODS--Also, someone mentioned that you have to eat ONE item at a time, then pay attention for at least 30 mins as to how it makes you feel. And furthermore, in my case for example, if I eat a raw tomato and it touches my lips, i'll get a reaction. BUT, if i eat cooked tomatoes i dont get the same reaction--My PhD scientist brother in law sorta explained it to me, how when you cook something, it actually changes the chemical makeup, and its possible that the change will affect the properties of the food and can make them not-so irritating or even non-allergenic to a person. I generally dont believe much a person tells me at first, and i never just take someones word on stuff...so do your own research...and always be open to changing your plan as need be ...because it is tricky....there are other factors too, like sleep deprivation and stress.
5C) I know it can be very hard to sleep with Eczema....and man, if you are really young still I feel for ya. My childhood was miserable, going to school was painful "What is that on your arms?" ..or going to the doctor and the kids in the waiting room "Mom, what IS that all over him?" ...or just "Ewww, thats gross!" hehe. Like i said, when you get to my age you will be a stronger and deeper and more compassionate person than most ppl you meet. And I wouldnt trade my life for most of my rich, spoiled rotten, shallow, "friends' that I grew up with...they are the clones of the world today...And just look at the world today...WE are the one who want to make the world a better place (If you dont let it beat you. ;-) ) Sooo, do research, do whatever you have to do to TRY to get on a good sleep schedule...I hate to say it, but even if you have to take mild sleeping type pills, do it. I cant cuz they make me "tight" and its even harder to go to sleep when you cant breathe than just being itchy and stinging all over. And as far as stress, well, if you are close to my age you had better have learned by now how to deal with and reduce stress in your life. There are many resources and info out there regarding this, but just growing up seems to be the best way heh. You get a different perspective on life as you get older, and you have an easier time learning to "not sweat the small stuff". Search your soul-- what do you think the point of this life is? Do we even have souls that live "forever"? If so, what so important about THIS particular life right? Also, something kinda it me recently: If you have studied the universe as we know it, you would know certain things: Our Sun and the Earth is about 4.5 Billion years old...And scientists recently discovered an Earth-Like planet 1200 Light Years away...(1 light year is 6 TRILLION miles!) We have the technology to "see" that far away...And we see no signs of a wall at the end or any signs whatsoever of there being any end to it...like it just may be infinite...So, here we are, looking that far away, and we still cannot see any other life forms like us...And we took over 4 Billion years to evolve on this planet...The point is, holy c**p what a miracle it is for us to just exist! You are the ONLY being exactly like you that exists in the entire Universe, even if there is life out there (there has to be, and most likely infinite cases of other life...There still wouldnt be ANY other creature that EVER existed or that will ever exist, exactly like you...If there was, they would have to literally be right on top of you, right now...So you really are the only person who can ever exactly know you, and therefore know whats right and best for you...So just try to roll with the punches, and learn to appreciate yourself for what you are, a miracle. Dont get stressed over alot of the cultural BS that is put on you everyday, it is so lame compared to what you are inside...And unecessary stress is a killer, it'll make you itchy and make you have a hard time breathing too. This is YOUR life, you own it and what people think about you or say to you means nothing, because they cannot possibly know you...(Not sure how that came across but maybe u get the point...)
5D) For certain ppl, you might do the Bleach bath that someone mentioned....When i was very young, like 6 mos to 4 yrs old, my mom would dip me into our hot tub at night for like a minute, then dry me off, put on the oinment, and put me straight to bed. As i said earlier, I dont recommend ointments but creams instead, and specifically Hydrocortisone 1% that u buy at any store--generic ones work the same, and I'd avoid the ones with Aloe (yah im allergic to that too). My mom actually tried something called "The Feingold Diet" when i was a child...(not suggested by a doctor but a friend) and this diet basically cut out ALL preservatives and additives...so it was more of a "whole food" diet...Other factors with my parents made it hard for me to have a stable environment, and by the time i was 7 my parents divorced and I split time between them, so I didnt get a routine treatment, I got more unstability and stress...And i've come to terms with the fact that my stressing over family stuff AND my health issues and social issues really made everything worse. So again, figure out how to live with as little stress as possible, and try not to sweat the small stuff...And if you are older like me (38yrs), two big things are your love life and your job---DONT stay in unhealthy relationships (get help if you need to work out how to leave someone who you know just brings you down or even hurts you) and also, DONT stay in a job that you hate. Forget the money, first find a job that you can somehow put your heart into, or at least find a job that isnt very stressful. The money you have at the end of the month is entirely up you...If you only make $2500/month for example, just dont eat out or buy all the bs c**p that is pushed on us all the time... (Restaurants wont easily be able to provide you with the whole foods that you should be eating anyway, and if they do they will be expensive.) Learn to buy fresh food at the store and cook it yourself. This is very easy, especially if you arent concerned with being a vegetarian...I personally have been making for myself each week a pot of this soup/goulash type of thing. I buy about 6 lbs of fresh tomatoes, 5 ears of corn, 3 Jalepeno pepper, 1 Pablano pepper, 1 can of white beans, 1 can of black beans, honey instead of sugar, oregano, basil, a little table salt, and a little sea salt. I put the juice from cooking the corn into the tomatoes when i cook them (for like an hour on low), and i dont have to add any other liquids like broths or even water...When i eat it, I also add crushed red pepper...It took a while to build up my toerance for spicy foods, but now I love em...and they somehow seem to help me. When i eat em i sweat and when they are digesting it just seems to help get things moving...I've made it prolly 8 times now and i really crave it. If you are an adult and cook your own meals, you should especially try it. I had a major block in my head against veggies and fruit, cuz im allergic to most...But after the first time i made the soup I really coulndt believe that i had been buying canned tomatoes and corn all my life before....It almost tasted TOO good, like i almost had too much corn in there cuz it was soo sweet and tasted so good. Once you try the whole, fresh foods you'll be amazed at how much better they taste. (I know i said not to use anything in a can, and I still use the canned beans most the time...Progress not perfection! And also, I have made beans from scratch for the soup, but it adds a couple more hours to the process so I just try to go easy on myself when i think it might not hurt so much if I buy organic beans and always check EVERY label and just see what c**p they put into the foods--If it has ONE ingredient that you cannot pronounce, its probably man made and will hurt your eczema. Last thing here, I am allergic to chocolate--Now, what is chocolate? Its made from cocoa beans--then sugar and fats are added to it to make it so creamy and delicious, and also "other" additives...But also, when they pick the beans, they let them sit around for long periods of time to ferment before processing... Because they sit there, some cancer causing agents can actually grow, and insects, rodents, and small animals can contaminate the beans while they are sitting there, often requiring them to be treated with even MORE chemicals and what not...And who knows, maybe you are allergic to the rodent feces or insect parts that the FDA allows to be in there! So am I allergic to cocoa itslef, or the added sugar, or the bug c**p, etc...Again, whole foods are your best bet. Try one at a time, wait at least 30 mins and pay attention to what reaction you get...(honestly, i make a meal out of one item and so i wont eat anything else for more like 2 hrs at least...I'd do your own research on this...and remember that YOU are the best source of info as to what is best for YOU.) I've been eating Carob instead of chocolate...it has not caffeine or stimulants and less fat and more fiber...And to me, its good. I read alot of people try to sell chocolate instead of carob, but they obviously love thier chocolate so it wouldnt matter what you told them, they'd never switch to carob...(you know the types heh). But the way i look at is, that its not replacing chocolate, its just another thing on its own...I have to cut out chocolate for my health, so that was first....Then, i tried the carob and its pretty good i think.
5E) There really are soo many more things i could type, but you have to just learn to take this upon yourself to figure out what YOU are allergic too....And a big thing is: Be honest with yourself---I have dealt with this for over 37 years, and there is no miracle cure for severe cases and the ONLY answer is to figure it out yourself--Once you accept this fact, you will learn to own it, and soon you'll pity the clones who still eat Mcdonalds and drink soda. They cannot truely love themselves if they are still eating that garbage. If you really love yourself, you wouldnt put poisons into your body...(well except for maybe when you want to drink once in a while or something like that hehe.) I have hardly even touched on the different issues surrounding the food industry, and I am still learning stuff everyday. And really, I had gotten to a pretty good place with my Eczema many years ago...its really not that hard to do if you are just honest with yourself and can get over your "addiction" to food. CONVINCE yourself that food is supposed to be FUEL, not primarily for pleasure. The food industry has gotten out of control, its really a joke. And you know this to be true, look at all overweight and sick ppl out there. (that was me a year ago--eating fast food, drinking alcohol everyday, eating late night snacks right before bed..etc...i was 70 pounds overwieght, and now i'd say i could prolly lose another 20...but man i feel so much better than i did then)...At my age, I know the biggest things that make me itchy, and I know the things that I can have a little of and not get a big reaction...Also, I hate to say this to fellow sufferers but there IS a part of all this that is in our heads....Like, when you sorta "feel" a cold sore coming on....it gets in your head and you can just feel your stress about it fueling the sore...heh God thats frustrating rite? A few years ago i discovered something---When i feel the cold sore comin on, I just say who cares? I basically tell myself i may get one i may not, but either way i dont give a damn. I dont care how ppl look at me...(i tell myself...heh) And really what i do about it is just IGNORE IT. Its amazing how our brains affect everything we do...Anyway, i got my first one in like 2+ yrs..which is good for me...Just by simply ignoring it, like, let my body do what its gonna do i dont care kinda attitude...and i swear it works heh. I used to walk around with Abreva (expensive as hell those fkrs) in my pocket just waiting for one to pop up...I'd use every ointment the stores had to offer, and i even thought i'd discovered a super trick by puttin ice on the sore when it started to come out...that worked a few times but in the end, the only defense i've found is to ignore it..if u can! Just relax, and TRUST that your body will take care of everything, if you just take care of it... Of course, like ALL health issues, the really only defense if prevention...So u learn what hurts you and try to avoid it---with the cold sores its stress, heartburn (acid reflux, etc), lack of sleep, and for me this recent sore i figured was cuz i've been on prednisone for an asthma attack which means sleeping for 4 hrs, then being up for like 40...for 15 days...I cant believe i took this stuff when i was a kid...But, it does help to explain perhaps why i've done every drug know to man, including crystal meth for 6 months straight...Just quit one day, and hardly felt any withdrawals...i figured its cuz ive been taking this prednisone since i was 2 yrs old and it kinda had a similar loopy/tweeky effect heh. The chewing tobacco was the hardest thing ever to quit, and so FFS do not ever start any tobacco product if you havent already....I dont use any alcohol (very bad for eczema / allergies/ atshma) or tobacco anymore, and man thats been really positive for my health, energy, positive outlook on life, etc...I CAN have alcohol if I want, maybe on a holiday or party or something, but i really would rather feel good right now than get a buzz...My whole attitude has changed regarding my health, and i implore you to get to that point too, where you WANT to be as healthy and strong as you can be, i believe its the ONLY way to really be motivated to deal with all this stuff...
Now, i also smoked weed for about 20 yrs..Everyone says "How can you smoke when you have asthma?" Well, its cuz it actually helps asthma, AND eczema...at least for me. Dont start smoking it if you havent already, BUT, you might try a Hemp Oil type product...which has actually been PROVEN to "cure" cancer. (check out the UCLA study that was done, and how the American Cancer Society covered up the info regarding the study's results...) The medical machine cannot patent a plant, and so they figured out LONG ago that they wouldnt be able to greatly profit from using Canabis as a form of treatment, and they not only ignore scientific proof of its health benefits (the thc it its pure form, not the smoking of it--you cant think that inhaling smoke would be good for you right? Now, when u smoke you dont really have to inhale tons of it to get high, not like with cigarrettes where u smoke all day...In fact, ive had asthma attacks and smoked weed for 2-5 days in order to avoid going to the ER, like over a weekend or if i was trying to beat the attack (never have) And I've never smoked weed and then gotten tight or had an attack...It is a bronchial-diolater (sp.?), which means it loosens up and opens your airways...whereas cigarettes do the opposite...But, as im seeing right now, since i stopped smoking I am having a harder time breathing and i am still coughing up black c**p...which is normal for ppl like me with allergies and more than normal mucus buildup...Its good that im gettin it out, but the fact that its there tells me that smoking ANYTHING in itself isnt totally healthy (im a genius rite) So if i go back on the weed, im gonna try a vaporizer, and im gonna look more into the Hemp Oil...I saw a program called Run From the Cure...pretty interesting...Anyway, I dont smoke anymore, cuz i've been on this health trip---but, it honestly feels like my asthma has been worse since i stopped....this has been a bad Spring up here in Washington state (they say that every year it seems lol) , but honestly they are all bad and im thinkin of moving either back to California or more likely somewhere in Washington, just not so close to certain varieties of trees...(Yes, i can itentify trees and plants that will bother my eczema and asthma just by looking at them usually....You must learn this too...) Those cottonwood trees are a menace!
AGAIN, REMEMBER: all this talk about asthma also applies to eczema...If you get any kind of allergic reaction, whether you eat something or are around a cat or your bedroom and house are dusty/dirty, or you are stressed or run-down from lack of sleep---ALL these things can affect your Eczema and Asthma in the same way. Basically, they are an immune system problem, which resides primarily in your stomach....So thats why you MUST figure out for yourself which exact foods and substances bother you...and being highly related to your immune system, you must accept that all processed foods have a great chance of effecting you in a negative way. *Back to chocolate again--in addition to the stuff i already mentioned, chocolate also has TWO stimulants in it naturally, which are Caffeine and Theobromine...these are proven to cause probs for ppl with eczema and asthma, as they tax your system and while they may seem to provide some short term benefits, the work you body has to do to eliminate them doesnt help you get stronger. Also, i read today that a Grande coffee at Starbucks has 4 times the caffiene of a Red Bull! wtf! Avoid any additives or stimulants. If you are fighting any of my advice here, i HIGHLY recommend you look into yourself honestly...chances are if you have that gut reaction defense, like when i say dont eat chocolate, it probably means that you already know you shouldnt be eating it hehe. Choose your health over giving pleasure to your mouth...
6) Look online for info about all this stuff---And remember that businesses cant rip us off as easily when we buy natural whole foods and medical remedies...thats why you dont hear all about this stuff on the mainstream media channels, or even from your doctors....Please take that away from all this--you doctor is maybe the last person you should talk to about your eczema and/or asthma/allergies (except to get your inhaler and prednisone when necessary, hopefully just until we get super healthy then maybe we can cut out or reduce our inhalers....Doctors are really pretty clueless, and also are in BUSINESS to sell you treatments, they even get incentives to prescribe you certain drugs/treatments...I wont expand on this cuz i dont want to come off as a conspiracy type dude, afraid that it will detract from what i've written here...BUT, it IS a damn conspiracy! haha The medical business makes money selling us treatments and drugs, and dont make any money teaching us how to be truely healthy and how to live a life where we PREVENT diseases instead of just treating the symptoms...Cannabis Oils have been PROVEN to cure cancer in some people...just by rubbing the oil onto their skin or injesting it...Isnt that insane that the medical machine wouldnt at least try it with some people? It grows so easily and natually, like a weed...probably the easiest plant to grow on the planet...and its been used medically for 5000 yrs....but in 1923 it was made illegal and the anti-refer campaign began...(Watch the YouTube video 'Run from the Cure' before you get all anti-cannabis on me!) So much sh*t is backwards in our society, and I for one cant take it anymore, and am starting to stand up and speak up...So yah im sure this comes off kinda extreme, or maybe even immature, because we have all gotten so used to the status quo...but man, after the guantanamo bay c**p and sooo many other negative things our government is doing to make us weaker and to control the rest of the world, I just cant keep my mouth shut anymore. I feel like they are just going and going too far, like they dont care that they are part of ruining everything they touch....And as I get older i'll get better at talkin about this stuff without coming off as soo extreme or aggressive heh. I just started accepting that sh*t aint right, and I guess because I'm not working (a jobby job type job) right now, i have the free time to go on this mission lol....Point is, i do understand that most ppl are just living month to month, and barely even have enough free time to run all thier errands and what not on the weekends...they system we've created here makes us all have to fight for even the basic things we NEED...Why? who is benefiting from this competitive dog eat dog society? Its not us...And arent we smart enough to figure out a way to live where everyone is taken care of? Like, when i feel strong and good, I WANT to help people...I used to see bums beggin for money and get all agitated, like, "why should i give them any of my hard earned money just because they are sittin there...". Now I see them and think that if someone is so down and depressed or addicted to drugs or mentally ill to the point that they rationalize standing on a corner all day to get money, and then sleeping under a bridge or whatever, then they must be so lost and hurting that they need our help. Arent you strong enough to be able to help them? And when you do help someone, isnt it one of the best and deepest feeling you can have? Abraham Lincoln, when asked what his religion is: "When i do good, i feel good. When i do bad, i feel bad."
7) Last thing--DONT GIVE UP. This c**p is complicated and complex...You eat a banana today and you get a reaction, but tommorrow u get hardly any reaction...Maybe because you were more tired, or stressed, or your boyfriend/girlfriend dumped you or you parents did something...you have to look at the whole picture, and its gonna take you YEARS probably before you get it all under control...This is partly because you'll be in denial and you will lie to yourself for a while probably, and you'll slip sometimes (thats ok) before you truely decide to really love and honor yourself enough to do WHATEVER it takes to feel good. It will be hard, you wont be able to enjoy food in the same way you have for most of your life--Most likely, you currently eat food with its taste in mind more than its nutritional benefits...That is something most all of us have been raised and conditioned by our society to do, and EVERYTHING in the stores and on tv and restarants and especially fast food is made FIRST to taste good, second to get you addicted to it, and a distant third to be nutritious.(and this is because they must disclose now whats in the food they sell, so they have to make it seem somewhat like real food or maybe we'll catch on heh). You know what the right thing to do is, your gut always tells you...its just up to you to listen to your instincts and put your health before your desire to make your mouth feel good for 15 mins...
If anyone has any advice on where to find more info on eating healthy or Hemp Oils or anything ive said in here, especially if I've said something incorrect or misleading or whatever, please email me! And for now, im really trying to figure out how to live healthily by just exercising and eating the proper diet for ME...I am not interested in any supplements, pills, vitamins, (im allergic to vitamin C lol), or herbal teas or tinctures, or ANYTHING besides healthy foods....at least at this point. Perhaps down the road, if I feel like i've found the healthiest diet I can find, and im exercising more regularly, and I'm on a good sleep schedule, and I STILL cant get my asthma more in check, then mabye i'd consider some other type of naturopathic (sp.?) remedy...But, it seems like EVERY doctor or shaman or whatever the heck they might be, just wants you to try thier miracle cure, and they are SURE it will work for you too! lol. I cant take anymore of that. Almost 38 yrs of other ppl tryin to figure it out for me, when really they have no clue what im dealing with, just like you.
The main reason I just critted you with this huge wall of text is because I really feel for anyone dealing with this eczema, especially young kids--it can be extremely hard to deal with for many reasons...Up until the age of 17 or so, it was the bane of my existence... now at age 38 i have it under control, and i am aware of the things that make me itchy...I still live with at least one or three big cracks on my hands at all times, and usually i'll get like 3 cracks on the same finger...and the backs of my legs still itch every other day, or whenever i sweat... and if i wear normal shoes the tops of my feet get extremly itchy and i usually just scratch the heck out of them until they are raw and just sting, instead of itch...So for example, in the last year I have probably only worn shoes 5 times...I wear my flip flops with no socks (socks make me itch like crazy, even white cotton ones...)...So with the flip flops, the only part of my feet now that i usuallly tear up are just the areas where the straps of the flip flops touch my feet, so now i just live with these two lines of raw, rashy, scabby, or just plain old itchy skin on each foot, but not the WHOLE top of the feet being torn up lol. I tried goin barefoot everywhere, but then the bottom of my feet were gettin itchy... You gotta find the best solution for YOU...But for the most part i am aware and therefore can avoid the stuff that makes me itchy much better now than i could when i was as kid...And also, like if i want to go play soccer, I just have to ignore the itch until i can get home and shower...And then I use the mind over matter principle to just NOT itch, cuz then you know you just get it goin until you have to scratch the hell out of it until its raw and then at least its not itchy as much, but it just stings like hell and sometimes thats better than it being itchy, right? Toss some Hydrocorisone Cream on it to help the first layer of skin grow back faster, and then the sting will be gone in the morning before you have to take that dreaded stinging shower...If that is you, then please, for your sake, take my advice. Dont wait until you are 37 to really face this stuff.
Good luck and always try to have fun whenever you can! And on those days when you are really frustrated, just try to stay calm and get thru it...over time you WILL find ways to reduce your suffering...
**Do what u gotta do, always...but, I think that I mentioned that im currently on Prednisone, so dont waste your time sending me rude or mean emails talking about how crazy I am or how I have no business writing this much... I know this is a long ass post, I know i ramble, and i know I might come off as annoying or intellectually superior...I have a good command of the english language and that comes across as a little offputting to some people...even me! But thats all it is..if we were talking in person I wouldnt sound the same heh. I'm not tryin to act like i have all the answers...but, i do feel like i'm on the only path that can work for ppl with bad eczema/allergies/athsma...(I havent figure out yet if there is a possible way to actually get rid of the eczema or asthma totally for me, but I am starting to suspect I will never get off my Ventolin inhalers and prednisone every 2 yrs or so...I hate to have to accept that, but I'm starting to ask myself at what point is it better to accept things for what they are, than to hold out hope for something that may not be possible...Like, if I had really accepted my condition when i was younger, perhaps I would have gotten into art or playing piano, instead of a sport where i run around on grass that makes me itchy for an hour and a half heh. And when i read stuff I try to take it with a grain of salt--Like, even if someone comes off as kinda a weirdo or a jerk, i'll still look into what he said and you never know what little gem of info you'll find that might lead you to some answers, and be very wary of when you feel like you are believing something because you WANT to believe it.....do your own research, keep your mind and heart open, be honest with yourself, get to know and love yourself, live with compassion, use the law of attraction EVERY day in your life, and always try to have a positive attitude.
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He has suffered for what seems a lifetime and finds that he needs to experiment constantly with different remedies to find what works for him. Keep searching until you find what works for you. Certainly good nutrition and a stress free lifestyle are important factors.
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I am so sorry you are experiencing these issues. I have had the same issues all of my life and I am now 46, however I may have some tips that will help you. I have found that eczema is flared up by a combination of things: food allergies, allergic reactions to products you are using, an over-worked liver, hormones and stress. STOP using mineral oil, or anything with mineral oil in it! It's a petroleum based product that your body does not know what to do with it. the better choice is cocoa butter or olive oil. If you can't eat it, you shouldn't put it on your skin your liver is all ready working overtime that's why you have eczema. I have found this out the hard way. I have tried everything you can think of. I suggest getting yourself to a Naturopath or holistic doctor who can test you for allergies and intollerances. Traditional tests do not show intollerances. You may be Celiac or intollerant to wheat. Wheat can cause all of the reactions you are describing as well as cows milk. I am intollerant to wheat and allergic to dairy. the all over body rash stopped when I quit eating them. that would be the first thing I would do if I were you for at least two weeks to see if you get any relief. also stop using soap for awhile and give your skin a rest by oil cleansing. Good luck to you. :o)
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I don't usually reply but I am 51 and had eczema since 2 - have found fish oil to be an allergan for me and also flax seed when I am actively broke out.
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I have also had eczema my whole life and I have a severe case too. The doctors said my eczema would go away when I was about 10 and I'm 14 with eczema now but I have it under control. I tried all the no milk, lots of water, cold shower stuff you could think of and it continued so it got to where the rashes got worse and I couldn't go in any water and had to have my mom wash my hair in the sink because the water could infect the very few open cuts that weren't already infected and green. So once it got that bad we went to a dermatologist and they said the usual triamcinolone and that never did anything for me, next they suggested fluocinonide which is a lotion steroid. Now I never even get the tiniest red marks ever. So the answer to your question would be take whatever allergy pills work best for you. (I use allegra and benadryl which I would suggest taking before you go to bed because it makes you drowsy) fluocinonide for red areas, and aveeno for everywhere else because it makes your skin really soft and helps with dryness. Other than drowsiness from the benadryl, the only real problems I had with these things is I loved how the fluocinonide felt so much that I used so much because it made my skin feel so good that I ignored the doctors orders to uses it for two weeks on really bad areas and then dont use it for two weeks and since it is a steroid it cracked my skin. Not like so dry it cracked open but it thinned my skin and so it opened a gash right in the center of my forehead so I was Harry Potter for a week. Hopefully this helps!
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