1st Tri (5 weeks) and Dermatitis - Help please...

Hi All,

I'm 5 weeks tomorrow and suffer from chronic dermatitis/eczema on my hands. Normally I keep it under control with a strong steroid cream when needed but my GP has said to avoid it if I can. I avoided till about 8 weeks with DD but my hands are REALLY bad and I'm not sure if I should just use it to get it cleared or what to do. It means my hands are lumpy and red, itchy and sore and will probably end up with my skin/knuckles cracking and bleeding.

Does anyone else suffer from this and what did you do during PG that worked to keep it under control???

If I was to use the steroid creams it would probably take 2 or 3 nights worth of applications for it to fix it up but then it could be back within a few days anyway so it would not be a once off.

Suggestions please..

Have you tried moogoo?

Or see a naturopath as it's common for certain foods to exacerbate it and they may be able to suggest what to avoid.

I was exactly the same.

I wasn't aware that you couldn't use the steriod cream and I did use it in the 1st trimester.

Is there anything in particular that sets it off?

I know with me it was stress etc. But I also had to use gloves when using any chemicals at all.

I also work in a hospital where I have to wash my hands often. What I ended up doing was focus on washing the inside of the hands and try and avoid the area where the dermatitis was.

I really feel for you. :hug:

I used pure sorbalene (sp?)

I too would suggest moogoo cream. Also heading in to see a natropath to see what could be setting it off.

I hear ya chick. Mine's on my face - delightful. Over my pregnancies I have found that it just does get exacerbated.
I just manage the pain and scratching as best I can. No soap, barrier creams etc etc. Extra fish oil/omega 3s help a bit. Mine is hormone and stress related mainly.
I find mine clears up for a few months after that first outbreak and then hits again in the third tri (which it did right on time with a vengence).
Some people find wet dressings good overnight. Since mine's facial though that isn't an option.
I know many people love moogoo but I found it horrendous. If you do want to give it a crack, email them and they'll post you some samples. They've got great customer service.

Thanks ladies for the super fast replies.. :)

em...: I haven't tried moogoo but I've just gone on their website and requested some samples if possible. I have seen a naturopath ages ago but i don't know if she was really any good and was wanting me to do all these cleansing diet things which I was not really interested in, she then stopped practicing so I didn't bother trying it again.

Sara: I knew I had to try to avoid them but by 8 weeks withy my DD my hands were shocking and so cracked that it was a problem due to possible infection so I had to use the creams sparingly to get my hands healed. My GP says that yes i've used them with DD and other people do but there is not enough research/evidence on the consequences. I'm not exactly sure what sets it off but I did have a suspicion it might be yeast in foods however as I haven't been able to find an alternative to the "bread" situation I've had to keep eating as I am. I work with water alot and also obviously then have to wash hands thoroughly so yeah hand washing makes it worse. I'm really wanting to avoid the creams this time round as we got a high NT scan with DD and had a CVS which I do not want to repeat and I've always wondered if the steroid creams possibly gave DD that higher NT measurement (My bloods were perfect but her measurement was high)..I asked my GP and he said maybe or maybe not - no way of knowing..

Mollie89: Unfortunately with how bad mine is, sorbolene is actually even worse on my skin. I have to use QV creams and no soaps.

~Kim~: OMG face would be so tricky to deal with!! Mine is a weekly occurance.. generally i get it all healed up nicely and then within a few days it's back again. I get the blisters which pop and scab, really lumpy skin which gets swollen especially on my fingers and I usually have to take my rings off because of it. Can I ask why you find moogoo horrendous??

It just made everything flare up. Got dermatitis and psoriasis in spots I hadn't had it for yonks. The girls on here raved about it so I got body wash, shampoo/conditioner and msm (?) cream...wish I'd requested samples instead of buying the whole lot lol.
ATM I'm using a really cheap Q10 cream from Woolies and it's the best thing I've used for a long time.
On the hands suck. I used to be a scrub nurse in theatre but had to give it up because of my hands, so I feel your pain hun.

Sudocrem works for DS2: it takes the redness and the swelling out of it. Moogoo made it much worse for him too. We also use Nyal eczema relief lotion; it is nice and thick and not as 'watery' as some sorbolenes ITMS.

Ive just started using Moo wash & cream. I found that using only one didnt help & need both of them to see any difference. I have it on my legs & a smal almount on my face. Hopefully it will work for you as
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Have you tried blackstrap molasses (by mouth)? Sounds strange but it works for DH. Google it for some stories.

Thats fair enough.

Its tricky being pregnant sometimes. There's so much you can't treat.

I started taking Zinc tablets to try and help with my breakouts (pimples). Not sure if that might help.

Which cream were you using? Was it Elocin??

Kim - Sheesh ya poor chook!

I have severe contact irritant dermatitis - mainly on my hands, but also on my face.

I have established with both my obs and my dermo that it is 100% fine to use as much topical cortisone cream as I need to keep my eczema under control. I use the strongest cream available by prescription in Australia, and neither had a problem with it. I also had UV therapy whilst pregnant and that was fine too., The say as it is a topical steroid, there is virtually non absorbed past the local area, and even if you did, that % would be so small that none would go to the baby. They said to use less on my stomach (I get flare ups all over whilst pregnant), but even then were not particularly concerned. The problems lie with steroid injections. Ask your GP to look up the data, rather than going off the 'lets ban everything approach'. A better management of eczema will mean less use overall, then letting flare ups and infections happen. Because I have dealt with this in 2 pregnancies, an having such severe eczema (now onto grenz rays/x ray therapy for it), I have done extensive investigate into the evidence around the use of it in pregnancy.

YOu poor thing :hug: I get severe eczema psoriasis on my hands too, I am on methotrexate and oral steroids to keep mine at bay (which you cant have while pregnant)

Sending so many :hug: :hug: coz I know what your going through- and the pain and the frustration (especially when you get those horrible cuts and infections!!!! :hug: :hug:

I have a bit of advice- just a bit of what I have done and tried- and thats one of the keys.. try everything and anything at least once.. for some reason things that work for some people just dont work for others, and vise versa. My latest creams are one from woolies called Natralia Nurish Naturals eczema & psoriasis cream- which I use as a moisturiser pretty much and a barrier cream for when I am at work. And also a new one I have found at the chemist called EgoPsoryl TA which i apply once and night and once in the morning. The Egopsoryl is a tar based cream and is cortisone free - maybe worth a try- it was only about $10 (one of the cheaper of my experimental creams) For me the cortisone creams didnt work- the only one that slightly helped was Advantan, but after one or two applications it actually made my hands worse :(

Also I have found using Goats milk soap has been great- you have to get the completely everything but goats milk free ones (since the goats milk craze awhile ago everyone is making it now, but they are putting fragrances and all sort of stuff in it- which defeats the purpose of natural goats milk for people like us who it benefits!!) Billy goat soap has been the best I have used!! My dad has to send it to me from up north though coz i cant buy it where i am!!

Mine I think is hormonal- it flares up the week I get AF.. then takes the next two weeks to calm down again, I get about a good week in and then it flares again (even on the meds, its just nowhere near as bad) but I also reckon it has to do with bread (for me particularly wholemeal for some reason- also cereals), I found it interesting you mentioned that. Also mine is immune related- hence the heavy meds I am on which lower my immune system - So as your hormones and your immune system changes during your pregnancy- you may find it will clear up a bit as you get further along. (But also as I said, everyone seems to have different triggers and different reactions and reasons with this fun itchy problem!!!!)

I hope it clears up for you soon- there is nothing worse xoxoxo