I Can't Open My Joints!

[nliedl]

I'm a 26 year old in London and havn't been able to fully move extend my arms or legs for two weeks now no matter how many baths and how much cream i put on because the scratching keeps making my skin bleed and restricting movement.

Anyone else?

[AnnaB]

What steroids creams are you using? Which emollient creams do you use? It sounds like you need some agressive treatment fora while to get things more under control.

[nliedl]

Well i've been doing the 'natural' thing for a year now because all the steroids etc that i used for 19 years never truly worked because the itching would never subside. So i'm not using any of what you suggested except trying to sleep, drink water and de-stress etc. Think i might get back on the steroids though to get it back under control (even though i know this will cause it to come back worse)

[jettablue2004]

yeah i have that problem with my hands cant bend my fingers, make a fist, etc.cant do normal hand movements and gesturee

I'm a 26 year old in London and havn't been able to fully move extend my arms or legs for two weeks now no matter how many baths and how much cream i put on because the scratching keeps making my skin bleed and restricting movement.

Anyone else?

[AnnaB]

When using the steroids we were told if the skin stopped responding to one then to swop to another same strength brand one as the skin gets used to them. So for my son we switch his body arms and legs from Elocon to Cutivate for a few weeks and this certainly helps.

For really badly split joints have you tried Haelan Tape. It is fantastic. When my sons fingers have chunks of missing skin weeping and bleading or cracks that look so bad I cannot imagine his pain we use the this tape where Dermovate has failed. It is a clear tape which you put on all day. Within a couple of days the result is magic, healed skin. Today he has tape on 6 fingers, then is wearing cotton gloves to keep them in place. It makes tiny tasks a little tricky but school haven't found it a problem and he adapts quite well. A few tricky days certainly out weigh the painful bleeding hands which cannot do anything.

Anna