please help me find a treatment for my partner

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little chunk
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue May 15, 2012 1:05 am
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by little chunk on Tue May 15, 2012 1:33 am

please help me find a treatment for my partner

hi, i've just found this forum and have found a lot of the discussions really useful so thought i'd post too.

my partner has really severe eczema (ever since he was born) he uses a lot of prescribed steroid creams, hydrocortisone cream and an emollient but these don't work very well. as a child his parents were very careful about what was used, worn and eaten by him and his brother (who also suffers) but now he's older (23) he has basically given up, i think because it is so severe and as things don't magic it away he doesn't see the point in bothering. i really need some help and advice!!

he refuses to use an actual moisturizer so you can only imagine how dry, red, inflamed his skin is, his dr recently prescribed doublebase which he wouldn't use for 3 weeks until i just put it on his feet so he'd see it wasn't that bad. since i've managed to get him to let me put it on him 3 times (over a week ago), he won't do it himself and only lets me do it after i've nagged/ignored him and just put it on! he spends most of the day and night itching, worse at night. he makes himself bleed he scratches so hard, the bed sheets end up covered in blood and skin (actual chunks sometimes) and in the morning he'll be sweaty and smell of blood, its so upsetting to see him like this, i'm up with him a lot in the night and end up trying to restrain him (i don't know if i should do this but i need to do something). on the 3 nights he used the doublebase for me he just looked so peaceful, having no major itching until the following morning.

its also hard to try get him to keep things clean, he rarely puts on creams after washing his hands, he won't use face wash only water and uses very little shower gels/bath stuff (sometimes i sneak in oils if i'm running him a bath), and he doesn't like me shaking the bed sheet out in the morning or changing it a few times a week. he doesn't think theres a link between hygiene and flare ups, recently i was in hospital for a month and he was with me everyday and his skin was very good and me and his sister noticed it was because he wasn't spending a lot of time in his room (dust, dirty, basically a typical boy's room!) or his dog (he is allergic to dogs but ol' bruno is going nowhere!but i won't allow him in our room or near clothes etc), but still he doesn't see a link!

I NEED HELP!!! i feel like i'm fighting a constant battle of wills so any help and advice on:
* moisturisers and other treatments,
*changing his attitude to his eczema
*his itching
*anything anyone can give me!!

as my post covers a few things i've decided to put it in a few categories to get as mush help as i can, so i am sorry if someone ends up reading this a few times!

thank you

sunny81
Posts: 81
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:46 pm
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by sunny81 on Tue Jun 12, 2012 4:08 pm

Re: please help me find a treatment for my partner

Hi Little Chunk,

Sorry no one has got back to you. I can sympathise with you (well my wife can lol). I have had eczema since I was born and have dealt with it all my life. Some days were good and some were bad (as any eczema sufferer can tell you).

I use Aveeno cream (can be over the counter or prescribed) this has colloidal oatmeal which helps with the itching.

I would say eat less red meat, less meats in general - eat raw fruit n veg so his skin has the vitamins and nutrients to help from within.

Have showers less than 3-5 mins, with COOL water (this can be hard when days are colder but I assure you, you get used to it), within 5 mins of PATTING dry not rubbing the towel (as this can be VERY tempting for him as it was for me), patting the skin dry can make the world of difference as it leaves some of the moisture on the skin. While skin is damp apply Aveeno (or your moisturiser of choice) so as to 'seal' in the moisture.

Dont get dressed right away as the clothes will benefit from the moisturiser more so than his skin lol, I usually wonder around in my room or watch TV for half hour or so, then ask the wife to apply the steroids (as and when needed). This gives a chance for the moisturiser to kick in, gives bit of space then steroid to work otherwise the steroid will end up diluted by the moisturiser.

drink LOTS of water - noourish from within.

You will probably not like me much for this, but get him a PS3 or another console, wouldnt you rather his hands are playing a game than scratching? It certainly kept me from scratching (im 31 by the way lol!).

If the above doesnt help, PUSH your GP to refer you to a dermatologist. GP's help VERY little, in my experience.

If you need any more help, tips or advice just shout!

All the best
Sunny81

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