Hydrocortisone acetate cream

[mouse_9_2001]

argh can someone help me? I just went to the doctor about my rash and he was extremly hard to understand, but basically he said he thinks i have really bad excema and not fungal like the midwife said.. now he gave me a script for hydrocortisone cream so I went to the chemist and they gave me CORTIC - DS 1% cream hydrocortisone acetate cream.. I rang hubby to tell him the outcome and he said "but im sure you werent allowed to use that stuff when you were pregnant with chloe" ... so now im totally confused and stressing out about using it, but I really want the itchyness to stop. I thought I used a hydrocortisone cream in pregnancy with chloe though, but i cant remember if it was whilst i was pregnant or just after as i had a rash really bad just after i had chloe...

is it safe? does anyone know? i might go back to the chemist and just get some calmoine (sp?) lotion to use instead to see if that helps

thanks
Lesley

[Yael]

You can use plently of low grade hydrocortisone creams - i have shocking ecezma and can use anything but the strongest 2 creams you can buy in australia.

Both my dermotologist and obs said it was fine, as long as i didn't eat the tube

If you are worried, just use it sparingly.

Good luck.

P.S. Calomine lotion makes it worse - don't use it ever! If you are itchy try painting mylanta on your skin.

[mouse_9_2001]

thanks for the tip re the calomine lotion yael! I wont go buy any then if it makes it worse, the iotching is bad enough already lol

also thanks for the info re the cortisone cream ill go apply some now

LEsley

[Karina]

My mindwife asked if I was using anything with a steroid in it, and when I meantioned I had used hydrocortisone a few times early on she looked it up in her drug book thing and said it is ok.

I find hydrocortisone doesnt really work for me any more and so my doctor prescribed one called Elecon before I was pregnant. I cant remember what the ingredient is in it but its not hydrocortisone, but my midwife told me there was not enough information on it for them to say whether or not its totally safe in pregnancy. So yeah just thought I'd mention that incase the one you have doesnt work and you end up getting something else instead.

hope it goes away. Eczema is evil.

[Yael]

Elocon & Eluphrat are all Ok during pregnancy.

Its stuff stronger than this that you shouldn't use.

If in doubt contact your dr/obs/dermatologist - but i have asked these qns at least 6 times (and my MIL and late FIL are/were pharmacists, so they looked it up).

Lesley, how is the ecezma going? I can give you tips to help it if you want?

[KoB]

Be careful - My GP just took me off Elocon - it has a category of B3 which is dangerous during pregnancy. I have severe eczema on hands and normally use Elocon (highest strength is Australia). I was put onto Eluphrat instead (cheap version of disprosone) which has a category of A, which is OK during pregnancy. Ask your pharmasist or GP to look up ratings of different creams for you - they are great.

By the way - i use ointments, not creams - they may have different ratings.

Hope this helps.

Koby

[Yael]

Hey Koby

Ointments are stronger than creams, but also better to use as more moisturising.

Eluphrat is a good one, def. ok to use

I've asked a lot of dermos/obs/gp's & my MIL is a pharmacist - all say elecon is ok, but if you are worried, do what you think is right.

Elocon (highest strength is Australia).

If you meant that Elocon is the strongest you can get here, it's not. Diprosone OV is stronger, and above that is the one i currently use (have to go get the tube to remember the name - something like dermavate i think... only available from RCH pharmacy).

I also have severe hand ecezma - currently on UV therapy for it.

How long have you had it? It's terrible isn't it!

Yael