14 years of eczema, does it ever go away?

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scratchmaster
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 12:05 am
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by scratchmaster on Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:06 am

14 years of eczema, does it ever go away?

Hello everybody, :D
I just joined this website because I figured the best way to learn about diseases such as eczema, which are know to not to have a real treatment, are to discuss it with people who are going through the same thing.
I am 30 years old, male. I have had eczema since I was 16 and when I first touched a very powerful cleaning chemical by accident, while doing silk screen printing in art school. Since then, the eczema has not gone away. I have the eczema mostly on my hand fingers, and around my hand area and almost no where else.
I have seen dozens of doctors throughout the ages, and they have given me loads of different pomades and moisturizers. Yet the only pomade that works on my skin is "Fluocinolone". It works as a quick healer. It makes the skin thin and smooth, but never completely healed. So my skin at best will still will not look normal, and still wrong skin finger prints are visible.
Actually for the past two years, I have had only growing areas of eczema and not decreasing areas. I do not have finger prints on 7 of my hand fingers, and they don't seem to become normal again. I have dry skin falling of the two of my fingers everyday.

NOW THE QUESTION IS: Several doctors have told me that my eczema is something that has been in my genes. It does not have a cure and I just will have to deal with it. However, some of the doctors I met have told me that this eczema has a certain period, for some is longer. They told me the longest period could be 7 years, but I have had it for 14 years now. Have you ever seen an example of eczema wearing out from the body as the person ages?
The additional question would be, why in the past I have had eczema areas growing small and fading out, and coming back again, but for the past two years, I have had only growth of area and no decrease.
Thank you very much,
I could use some advice and support, this is a slow killer.

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Marcie Mom
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by Marcie Mom on Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:07 am

Re: 14 years of eczema, does it ever go away?

Sorry to hear of the worsening eczema.. Adults outgrowing eczema is less common than kids.. have you had a patch test? to see which chemicals irritate your skin and then keep away from those. Tubifast gloves (wet wrap or dry wrap) with moisturizer help with the hands at night?

Hope you find some way soon, take care,
Mei
Mei
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Mei - Founder of http://www.EczemaBlues.com and Mom to Marcie
Visit Mei on her talkhealth blog all about eczema http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/blog/author/mei_m/

scratchmaster
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 12:05 am
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by scratchmaster on Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:54 am

Re: 14 years of eczema, does it ever go away?

Hi Marcie,
Thank you for your kind reply.
I actually never tried those gloves. They are new to me. Will give it a try.
About the skin test, some say that this test is useless, and its better to do the blood test. Which one would you say is more accurate?
Regards,

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Marcie Mom
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by Marcie Mom on Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:28 am

Re: 14 years of eczema, does it ever go away?

Both are accurate tho my daughter only tried the skin prick test. The skin prick test requires a clear patch of skin and staying off antihistamines for a week prior so if that's not possible, then blood test is the other option. I think blood test tend to result in more items that are not allergic to be reflected as allergic, but the plus point is that you can test many many items since it's based on blood sample drawn (as opposed to pricking skin many many times).

Some go for both to corroborate the results but I think it's definitely better than not testing and trying to figure out in the 'blind'.. have to find a good doctor to interpret the tests, i.e. not buy test kits off internet.

take care!
Mei
Mei
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talkhealth moderation team


Mei - Founder of http://www.EczemaBlues.com and Mom to Marcie
Visit Mei on her talkhealth blog all about eczema http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/blog/author/mei_m/

scratchmaster
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 12:05 am
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by scratchmaster on Mon Sep 28, 2015 12:06 pm

Re: 14 years of eczema, does it ever go away?

Thanks a lot Marcie,
I will develop my story as I go further.
For now, I started to wash my hands less this week. I realized I wash my hands way too much.
I am trying to keep them dry. I purchased a fancy soap free hand washing liquid. And I started to put biological citroen and aloe vera hand cream on my hands. I also drink aloe vera drink, and I take multivitamin, probiotics, and Biotin pills. I take one of each before sleeping every night. The skin is much more smoother now. The areas are the same, not going smaller. The skin is still thin, and the finger prints are not there yet. I assume they will appear as soon as the skin is thick enough. I have not had an allergic reaction in a week, which is good. I have no idea what am I allergic to. That is what I am going to find out. I will have to give the test, but its a bit too complicated to have access to a test here in the Netherlands. You have to go through a house doctor system. So it may take a while.
Thanks for sharing your experience with me.

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