What helps eczema? Aside from prescription creams/prednizone....

[kerrylj]

One thing that helped my son alot was Jewelweed salve. I managed to find some jewelweed at the creek near up and gathered some and brought it home (and ended having the seeds get in my garden so now I have it growing all over the yard that comes up on it's own.

You take pieces of it and put them in a jar and then put some oil on it and leave it in the fridge for a few weeks then drain it and then add a bit of bee's wax to it to make it into a salve. I add a bit of vitamin e to help keep it fresh as well. Some of the instructions I found say to cook it but I make it cold so that I am not harming any of the ingredients with heat. I try and gather the orange flowers as well as the leaves and stems so the salve is orangey when you put it on. It helps with irritations like bug bites, skin conditions, as well as poison ivy (and is said to prevent it as well as help heal it).

This page tells about it and has some pictures http://altnature.com/jewelweed.htm

this link shows how to make it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J90rCN5_U8

Also http://gaeasbounty.blogspot.ca/2007/...h-me-nots.html

This link says not to use olive oil as it can burn? I know many of the instructions do use olive oil. I usually use whatever I have handy.

[bgheuchert]

Lots of people who have eczema also have food related allergies, sometimes cutting dairy and wheat out of the diet helps.

[BC Gal]

I've heard and read that salt water really clears up eczema. A friend who has bad eczema went to the Australia coast and her eczema fully cleared up. I've also heard about people changing their pools to salt water because of it's healing effects on the skin. Salt water to treat eczema may be worth looking in to more - natural is always a better way to go when possible.

[jessep13]

I too have major eczema on my fore arms. Which gets worse in the winter when its colder and dryer. I use aveeno if i catch it before it gets really bad. Otherwise I use Nivea creme ( which i incidentally won in a contest), it is incredibly thick and with in a few days my arms will be much better. I blame it resting my arms while on the computer and from letting my arms rest in soapy water while doing dishes. Eczema is definatly not fun, hope you feel better soon.

[Bronwen]

Anyone tried the SkinFix Repair Paste? My daughter has always struggled with bad diaper rash and we used their Diaper Rash Paste so I just ordered some from Well.ca... I just put some on so we'll see.

I only have it on my hands and nowhere else on my body. I can't do much of anything around the house and what I can do is still painful. My hands split open if I open and close my fingers and if I'm helping my kids get dressed or even if I'm holding something heavy as well. It's a nightmare.. Nothing life threatening and I'm thankful to be healthy in almost every other way but it's frustrating and excruciating. I've just been put back on prednisone as they were totally out of control but I am still searching for something natural. I'm going to try some of your suggestions.

The thing is I'm wondering if it even is eczema cause I never had it in my life til about 2 years ago and it's just gotten progressively worse.

[hydroxybutane]

I feel your pain. I flared up really badly over Christmas. I ended up on antibiotics and double doses of Reactine (which isn't supposed to make you sleeping, but I usually took it in bed, because I would pass out in about 5 minutes). I cannot take predisone because of some nasty side effects.

I'm pretty sure it was the Herbal Essences shampoo I used 4 times. My eczema flared over my WHOLE body...Some of my patches are just fading now...blah.

Moral of the story..you need to figure out WHAT you are allergic to. If it's your hands, then it is likely something you are touching regularly. Think dishsoap, hand soap, things like that. Time to go natural, unscented. Go back to basics with moisturizers. Glaxal Base cream at night with gloves..cotton only (or clean socks..easier to wash!) During the day glaxal base LOTION (it's a bit lighter). There is no lanolin in Glaxal base, and it's a really good moisturizer. Use cortiscoid creams prescribed by your doctor LIGHTLY and make sure you rotate the types (press your doc for this). I would strongly suggest an antihistamine. Lots of Omega tablets, zinc and Vitamin D are all very important too.

It really does sound like eczema..sorry to tell ya..My hands are feeling cracky and sore for you My husband says my back/rear is now a 2 out of 5 on the dry/weepy/oozy/icky scale. I'll take it!!

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