Help with dermatitis

For the last few years i've suffered with dermatitis on my hands and when i got my BFP my GP told me i couldn't use my dermatitis cream anymore as it has a steroid in it. I used to have a break out every other week and just applying the cream for a day or two would make it go away.

Well I now have it covering the majority of the top of one hand and coming up on the second. It's itchy and looks hideous but not sure what i can try to heal it or at least remove the itch. I've been putting on a cream called Cetaphil which is supposed to be very good for dermatitis and sensitive skin but it's not going away.

Any tips from anyone would be great?

Unless it is a very strong steriod cream, then it should be OK to use as it's only a topical ointment. I have psoriasis and I continued to use my steriod based creams and lotions during my pg's. My GP told me it was fine to continue using it for that reason.

I get chronic severe dermatitis, and after 23 years i still havent managed to work out exctly wht triggers it!! Anyway, I asked my doctor about it when I was pregnant and he said it was ok to use a steroid cream/ointment too. I only got a little bit of dermatitis at the beginning of my pregnancy and luckily it went away quickly but at the moment I have it really badly and my doctor has had to prescribe a "strong" ointment for me which is ok to use while breastfeeding. I used just an over-the-counter cortisone (dermaid, i think) when I was pregnant but it didnt really do anything for me. So I used another one I had to get on a prescription instead which worked. I also use soap-free wash (eg: QV) in the shower which does help a bit. I think I heard somewhere something about using oats, but I am not sure how they are used, but maybe someone else will know?

I know alot of ppl that have used Moogoo msm cream with great success on dermatitus ,excema etc.Maybe u can give that a go as a more natural alternative.They r Australian owned & based in QLD ,the owner ,Craig ,is always very helpful & they also have alot of info about their products on the site as well as info on different skin conditions.
I have dermatitus myself & currently have it on my nipples which is really awful & i'm just waiting on some Moogoo atm.It's really good on babies & children too:)

my little man got put on a bunch of celloid suppliments by a naturopath which really helped his dermatitis :)

i get it on my nose from the nickle in my glasses and i was told i could keep using the cream while i was pregnant coz it was a very mild steroid, but i am just using a tiny bit on my nose, not all over, i would double check with your dr and the pharmisist.
I find i have to use it everyday or it keeps coming back...

Good luck

With the oats, you cut off a leg from a pair of stockings and tie a knot in it and rub it over you in the shower like a loofah scrub.

I have severe contact irritant dermatitis, primarily on my hands, but also on the rest of my body. I've just finished a year of UV therapy on my hands, which are now in remission (yah!, unfortunatly remission typically only lasts 6 months, so will probably have to start again soon).

I use the strongest hydrocortisone cream that you can buy in australi (chlorbetsol sp?), alternating with the 2nd strongest (Diprosone OV). Both of these are 100% fine to use during pregnancy according to both my obs and my dermo. There is no contraindictation for use of topical steriods during pregnancy, only steriod injections are the problem.

I'll try to come back on later and type an extensive list of the important things to do for dermatitis. Mine flared up dramatically with my 1st pregnancy, and it was hard to tell what happened with the 2nd as i was already having light therapy at that stage (which btw, was fantastic for my dermatitis!). They say the slightly increased core body temperature can cause the flare up.

It is a very very stressful condition to live with, I'm still being very careful, as i have it elsewhere (legs, arms, face, nipples, between my legs), and really don't want them getting as bad as my hands did.

HTH

Mine seems to really ark up over metal.... if i wear certain belts or even buttons on jeans, i will get a really itchy spot on my belly, and as i said before on my nose from my glasses, and behind my ears.

It really only seemed to start after my first pregnancy, Yael, do the drs know what it is about pregnancy that seems to trigger people? I didnt really know what it was at first- just that i would scratch and scratch which of course made it worse!!! My belly would rise up like a huge welt, it wass\ gross, yet i dont seem to get it anywhere else. WEird..

I also have a reaction to nickle - especially from cheap earings (which is how i found out when i was 12 years old), any cheap jewelry, watch bands, studs on jeans etc.

I only wear gold & silver jewelry, and have to put bandaids on behind studs (or have them taken out, as i'm developing a reaction to bandaids now). I'm naughty and am still wearing my watch, even though i'm not supposed to as i have a big patch there now. I need to go paint the back with clear nail polish, i find that helps.

Starbright - they don't know for sure what triggers it - most peoples get better - but some get big flare ups. Might me heat, hormones, who knows?? But it sucks bigtime!

I also use Diprosone OV too. I tried the natural stuff for a change but it didnt work for me at all. My skin was at the weeping, bleeding, crusting over, swollen and insanely itchy stage. The diprosone made a huge improvement in just 2 days though. It wasnt cheap ($35 for the tube), but I claimed it all back on my private health insurance so I wasnt out of pocket for it in the end. I got told to not have long hot showers/baths and to make sure I wear cotton lined washing up gloves when doing the dishes, but I'm sure your doc has told you that already. Maybe you could speak with your doc again (or another doc!). A friend of mine swears by a homeopathic treatment for eczema.

Does it ever suck!!! And when my belly is bad, it looks really gross!!!!

My belly hasnt flared up for ages, since i started figuring out that certain pants and belts made it start, but then i would find ANYTHING i wore while it was flared would then give it to me too, i basically had to wait till it cleared and then by a whole new wardrobe of pants, and i have some pants i LOVED but now cannot wear because they just make it come back!!

I find if i get my belly wet, like from doing the dishes and then something rubs on it, that will make it flare up, or as you said Karina, Heat and sweat. And yes HOT showers would just make it go sooooo red and welty!!! But befoe i knew what it was, i thought it was like a bacteria thing and so i would have a hot shower thinking i was killing all the yucky germs!!!!!

Now i know, i have my cream and it all seems ok!!

All great feedback, thanks.
Yesterday my Mum got me some sorbolene cream, which Dr suggested and i've been putting that on like it's going out of fashion, i'm using a sorbolene soap which is actually soap free, but this morning it's worse. I have the blisters now.
Dr said that although the cream (I use Elocon) was probably ok during PG that it wasn't 100% proven to be safe, so best if I can to avoid using it.
If it keeps up like this then i'm going to have no choice. I don't know what causes mine. I only get it on the top of my hands, along the ridges of 3 specific fingers only, and on one of my cheeks (my face, that is :).
I have always assumed it was a soap thing for my hands but have never been able to find a solution.

My midwife told me to be careful using Elecon as well, but my GP (who is also an Ob) said it was ok.

My GP said best not to use the Elocon. I looked up the Elocon details online and under pregnancy it recommends not to use it.

I went to the chemist today and they have recommended Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream which is dermatologist tested and has natural colloidal oatmeal in it which is supposed to help soothe and heal. I'll give it a couple of days and see how it goes. Website is the name plus .com

Another product was called Medihoney (again name plus .com for website). Apparently they cook any bacteria or organisism out of the honey and then it makes up part of this cream which is all natural. Chemist said i could use that when PG so if the Aveeno doesn't work might give the Medihoney Eczema cream a go which also helps dermatitis.

Fingers are crossed that one of these works as I'm going to go nuts otherwise.

Wow about the Elocon, that's what I use, both the lotion for my scalp and the cream for my body. I never used a lot of it though.

I found the website drugs dot com and then search the drug name then choose the CUSTOMER INFORMATION (PDR) option then it gives you a full run down on the product and there is a part regarding use in PG and breastfeeding.

Ok i've taken 2 steps forward and 1 step back.
Been over a week now and using Aveeno hand cream constantly, switching to sorbolene based soap and using cotton lined gloves to wash up seemed to be working. I thought I'd be able to put my wedding ring back on today but i've woken up with a new clump of blisters on both hands whereas yesterday it was almost all fully healed.. ARRGGHHH this is frustrating..

Once again, my dermo & obs say it is fine to use all topical cortisone creams during pregnancy. This includes Elecon, diprosone, diprosone OV, Chlobetsol etc. The reason that it says in the product info 'do not use during pregnancy' is that i have yet to find one single product (pain killers, anything), that do say, because they don't want to be sued. If you ask your obs, midwife, dermo etc, they should all tell you it is safe.

Or you can call the pharmacy department at Monash Medical centre. They are great about giving out the real information about what is safe to use.

The only evidence of problems is steriod injections. Creams you apply to your skin don't absorb that much to get to the fetus. You should avoid using on your abdomen unless it is really necessary. In general it is best only to use the minimum amount needed, as that way it will be more effective when you really need it.

I use plastic occlusion therapy - which means i put the cream on at nights and wrap my hands in plastic (not latex) gloves to get maximum absorption. I normally keep them on and hour or two before i take it off in my sleep, but it is great for fixing my hands.

It is important to mouisterise every 1.5 hours. I used to set an alarm on my phone (trust me, i never realised how quickly the time went until i was doing that.... seemed all i ever did was mouisterize). The best one i have found for me was 'Neturogena Norweigian Formula handcream (don't like the body one)'. This was recommended by 3 different dermos, and it's interesting because they normally tell you to steer well clear of all the commerical rubbish as it is normally shocking for skin, but this one really works for me, as long as i do it constantly.

Avoid water where possible. Wear Cotton lined gloves under rubber gloves to do washing up. Better yet, don't do it as you still end up with some irritation. Wear gloves for any cleaning, changing nappies, babies baths.

When you shower try to keep it very quick, luke warm water only. Hot water is shocking for skin. Then when you are out smear yourself with cream. I used to use the dermeeze ointment (very greasy, applied thenwiped off excess with towel), when i had eczema from head to toe.

Never ever use soap!! Terrible for skin. I use QV soap free wash, or Hamiltons makes a great one. Use low PH shamp/cond. Otherwise the runoff from your hair (even if you don't have it on your scalp), will go down your body, and you get it on your hands anyway using it. I use go (by QV) shamo & cond, or this otherone that is oatmeal based. Basically you can't use shamp/cond that you can buy in a supermarket, they are all full of rubbish which ruin your skin!

Be careful of what makeup you use. There are a few brands i can use (Max Factor), i normally try to steer clear of cheap brands which add a lot of perfumes etc to theirs. It is all trial and error basically.

Stress makes eczema worse, but it doesn't cause it. Severe eczema is a very stressful condition.

I found cotton clothing the best. You must be careful of washing power. I used Omo Matic Sensitive. I tried i few different ones, and i know it was the washing powder becuase the minute i changed i got flare ups all over my body.

Had to bath is pintarsol and QV bath oil to get the irritation down - it took weeks and i was in agony. Never change my washing powder now. Check your fabric softner doesn't have plant extracts (i use a special one for sensitive skin), as this can irritate things.

Umm.. can't think of anything else at the moment, when i do i will pop back in and mention it.

But i have had a few very bad years of eczema (hence the light therapy... if i can get it to work my last final option is radiation therapy with x-rays, thats how bad mine is). But i highly recommend UV light therapy for dermo problems (works better with psorasis than eczema - 90% vs 60% sucess rate)

Hi Yael
Thanks for that information, that was really helpful.
I spoke with my Obs today and he said yes I can use the elocon but only very minimal amounts as some of the steroid is absorbed and can pass through the placenta.
I will go and check out the products you mentioned and see if they help me before resorting to the elocon. I would really like to control it without the cream if I can.
I actually suspected my shampoo/conditioner yesterday as my hands were going well and then i had a shower and washed my hair and my hands started itching immediately. My problem is that my hair does not react well to changes in shampoo or conditioner but i will give it a try and see how it goes.
I only get the dermatitis on 1 cheek on my face, my wedding ring finger and the first knuckle and 2 fingers on my right hands plus the area across the knuckles on that hand. No where else which i find bizarre.
Tonight i have tried some baby oil with aloe vera & vitamin E to see if that will soothe them a little.
fingers crossed i can find something that works.
Thanks for your help.

Ooow ooow i just found this thread!

I have had dermatitus on my hands since i fell pregnant with this bubs (didnt happen with DS, or have i ever had it before). My doctor prescribed me Sigmacort Cream 1% and said it is perfectly fine while pregnant as it is very low in the steriod. She said i may need to use it 2 or 3 times a day but it has worked wonders! I have only needed to use it 2 or 3 times and my dermititus clears up (does come back after a few weeks as its pregnancy related.. but i just put another lot on).
So maybe ask your doctor about that?

Yael - I've tried and I've tried and the "natural" way is not helping me at all. I've gone to sorbolene soap (actually soap free but it replaces soap), the Ego shampoo & conditioner, using QV re-hydrate wash, Using the neutrogena hand cream, and none has been of any help.
I have less redness but the itching is waking me up at night and when I do wake I know i've been scratching like mad, so i put on some moisturiser and it settles down.
I don't think I can take it much longer.. I have a wedding to go to in 2 weeks and my hands look like I've burnt them with hot water E.g. blisters.

Kellxx - i think i'll go get a script for the same as you. I can't take it any longer. I don't really want to use the Elocon as I've read so many conflicting responses regarding safety so I figure if I can the lowest dose cream I can then that'll have to do. Cannot wait for some relief.

Yeh its really good Belinda. I havent had to use it now for a few weeks! Definately good stuff!! Hope it helps you too!