Eczema

[PeteC]

An update, but not a good one. I've totally stopped the steroids in any form, including the cream as it was turning my skin into clear plastic. The only thing I take now is an antihistamine before bed to try to get some relief from the itch, and some much needed sleep. I've just recently adjusted my diet to exclude any and all acid, to the best of my ability. This even includes aspirin and other meds, vitamin C supplements and citrus. Too soon to tell if this will work.

The stuff has begun to go away on my feet, ankles, legs but has now spread to my arms, forehead and neck. Perhaps when it gets to the top of my head it will fly off into space! Stay tuned. Pete

[MrPlum]

An update, but not a good one. I've totally stopped the steroids in any form, including the cream as it was turning my skin into clear plastic. The only thing I take now is an antihistamine before bed to try to get some relief from the itch, and some much needed sleep. I've just recently adjusted my diet to exclude any and all acid, to the best of my ability. This even includes aspirin and other meds, vitamin C supplements and citrus. Too soon to tell if this will work.

The stuff has begun to go away on my feet, ankles, legs but has now spread to my arms, forehead and neck. Perhaps when it gets to the top of my head it will fly off into space! Stay tuned. Pete

Sorry to read about your discomfort. IMO it's not enough to simply eat alkaline foods. It's more important to eliminate sugars because fungus (cancer too) LOVE sugar. Also take a look at stress. Fear and anger can turn good food into toxic food, since your thoughts can make your body acid. So make sure you also deal with any stress.

If you have a systemic candida problem, a candida-elimination protocol is necessary. You can research it online or ask away. I'll share what I know.

Herbal poultices are a useful substitute for those toxic creams. If you have a Thai partner, get her to find you some fresh Bua Bok. Make a decoction from it.. i.e. Add 2 litres of water to a few handfuls of the herb, then slow-boil it down, until reduced by half. You can soak a linen cloth in it and lay it against your skin. Or just take the raw herb, turn it into a mash then apply it to your skin. Do it 2-3 x daily. 'Bua Bok' is also known as Gotu Kola, Asiatic Pennywort. It is a blood cleanser and anti-fungal.

There are other herbs and oils you can try but this is a simple start.

You still need to address the underlying cause. A hair analysis would tell you whether heavy metal toxicity is the culprit. You may also need probiotics, if antibiotics have upset the balance of your gut flora.

I am not a doctor. See a doctor first etc.. etc..

[Takiap]

Just to add to Mr Plum's post above, I have also heard Holy Basil is very effective at treating skin problems, along with a range of other health issues. Freely available all over Thailand, and bloody tasty as well.

[bill]

i'am going to follow mr.plum's advise and do away with sugar. he has advised me on several matters and every time the problem was cured.

[caller]

i'am going to follow mr.plum's advise and do away with sugar. he has advised me on several matters and every time the problem was cured.

Well if it works for you.....

I don't do sugar, or have a sweet tooth, so sugar is at a minimum in my diet, but I still suffer, although controllable. Let us know how you get on?

[Paderborn]

Hi all, if I can an update on my treatment. Sorry for not getting back to you all again sooner.
I said previously I have been going to St Louis Hospital department of Chinese medicine, in an attempt to get some relief from the dreaded E word.
I must have been now around 13 times now, initially twice per week but now it is once a week.
I am pleased to say that there has been a noticable improvement.

I am now getting an odd vesicle with only 5 in the last two weeks...this is much reduced.
Also the vesicle routine seems to have changed, you could say it has accelerated somewhat, as when the vesicles appear they seem to come and go much quicker than before, and the "ITCH & BURN" is nowhere near as bad.

When I questioned the doctor he was treating an internal problem with digestion? following the spleen & large intestine meridians
On average I have been having 16 to 18 needles each session, some of which have been attached to an electric current over the last few weeks. The insertion has not been painful at all, except for the needle in the sole of my foot
Also since the 4th week I have been taking a herbal capsule initially 6 per day ...3 morning 3 night following food. This was then increased to 8 per day.

The capsule is called, Plu Plia capsule 043. I have not found out much about this yet, I did a quick search on the internet and found nothing, so if anyone can enlighten me on this I will be very grateful. They say it is for the itchy haha.

To sum up I am really pleased with how I am at present, my feet are clear (they were the worst and driving me nuts at night) with two small vesicles on my left hand, the bad crops have disappeared totally...so 100%better really, but not quite cured as they say.
The doctor say we have made good progress!

Also I have replaced my morning cup of tea, with a slice of lemon in hot water, as I had been reading about the healing powers of lemons.... so nothing to loose in trying
I have also lost 6 kilos in weight, which pleases me greatly, and is a real bonus.
I has been quite a commitment travelling to and fro to Bangkok, in pursuit of a cure, and it is getting a bind now, but I will continue with the treatment for the time being. The cost for each session has been 750 baht, plus 270 for 100 capsules when they are due ever 2/3 weeks, plus minibus fees.
Watch this space. I hope all you fellow sufferers manage to find something that works for you.
Good Luck, Paderborn

[PeteC]

Nothing much new with me, but I still suffer as shown by the odd times of the night I show up on the forum here. Sleep is fleeting, sometimes good but most of the time 3 hours or so before the itch wakes me up. I've changed antihistamines twice but any of them only seem good for about 3 hours of relief.

I went completely off the steroid pills and creams and let the rash run wild. I then started to eliminate things from my diet and found that dairy, chocolate and coffee are triggers so I am off of them completely. Thus my great interest in tea lately ,which seems to calm me and do something good as the rash and itch intensity decreases greatly during the day when I'm drinking tea all the time.

I also found that I wasn't drinking enough water. You have to moisturize this disease from the inside really more so than the outside and you can do that by drinking copious amounts of water during the day. I must do 4 liters in addition to my tea. My reading has revealed that over 50's our sense of thirst decreases, so you can be dehydrating and not really know it. That's a good thing to be aware of eczema or not.

My biggest help, my pool, I don't have as it's being renovated and subsequently back on the corto-steroid cream in the interim. If I can swim daily this stuff almost disappears except for some red blotches. The sun also helps me but few days with it now due to all the rain on my side of the Gulf.

One bad development is that its appeared on my hands, fingers and palms. Terrible there as your palm lines crack and open up and every kind of liquid you get on there stings. Easy to get infected as well. Stay tuned for regular updates. Pete

[migrant]

I don't have eczema, but 3 months ago I came down with a rash all over my back. It spread and was very red, but no itching.

I tried a few items from the pharmacy but not much help.

As I said no itching, so other than the ugly look of it, there was no harm. Since I'm not much to look at to begin with I let it go for the 3+ months.

Last week I was in to the doctor for my yearly check up and he suggested getting Head and Shoulders shampoo and rubbing it all over the affected area, then waiting 6-10 minutes, then showering.

I did and the rash is rapidly disappearing, apparent results in 2 days!

Now I know eczema is completely different, but maybe worth a try for you guys??

[PeteC]

Thanks Migrant, I'll pick up a bottle and see what happens. To be honest, it gets to a point sometimes where one really despairs about the whole thing, and if someone told you to dip yourself in and out of a vat of yak s&%t you would travel the earth to find a yak, then follow him until he s^%t! Pete

[poosmate]

Migrant. I suggest the rash you had is fungal.I had a similar rash on my arm and back I think caused by sweat. Head and shoulders ( some ) contain selenium sulphide which apparently is the active ingredient. I searched the net and found Selsun A shampoo and head treatment that was more effective for me as the selenium sulphide was more concentrated.( available in pharmacys here around 100 Bht)
I do not think that all dandruff shampoos and all types of head and shoulders contain this essential anti fungal ingredient . More info:http://www.rxlist.com/selsun-drug.htm
Maybe worth a try Pete?

[MrPlum]

I don't do sugar, or have a sweet tooth, so sugar is at a minimum in my diet, but I still suffer, although controllable. Let us know how you get on?

This is only for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear... those who believe in the idea of systemic candida... and where their orthodox treatments aren't working... other members suggestions may work too... I think that gets me out of jail

It's easier said than done to eliminate sugar from your diet. Eliminating fungus takes quite a bit of effort. I would go for the fasting route because it's surprisingly easy after 2 days of not eating, to not eat at all. You don't get hungry as long as you keep your fluid intake up. Fasting is not recommended for those who are emaciated or have particularly high blood pressure. You can research this yourself.

At one retreat I went to, a young lady suffered quite badly with constant tiredness. The doctors said it was depression and gave her the appropriate drugs. It was not. She was eliminating white strands of dead fungus from her body for 2 weeks during her fast. After that she felt rejuvenated. The benefit of such a program is you don't have all the stress of working out which foods you can and can't eat and you are unlikely to take in foods accidentally that provide fuel for the fungi, undoing all your efforts.

If you wish to try the eliminating sugar route, here's one list I found of things to avoid...

Antibiotics. They probably caused the problem in the first place.

refined carbohydrates like white rice and white flour, as well as flour products like noodles, bread, cakes and pastries.

Yeast and foods made with yeast, including regular, yeasted bread as opposed to unleavened flat bread.

Fermented foods – but salty fermented soy products like miso and shoyu are okay in small amounts (See macrobiotics diet, below)

Mushrooms and fungi.

Excessive amounts of fruits and fruit juices

Vinegar and products containing vinegar, like pickles

Alcohol

Milk and dairy foods

Food chemicals, including most drugs and medications

Sugar cravings need to be resisted.

There are a few steps you may wish to take once you've resolved the problem. As mentioned, do a search for 'candida elimination'. If your haemorrhoids disappear as well, it's a known side effect.

No, you can't fast on 'Chang'.

[bill]

report from the fungal front. we have the sonofabitches on the run. i followed mr. plum's advise and dumped sugar. no new outbreaks. fungus retreating on all fronts. i have not won this war but a battle won is better than none. 1 more thing if i get intense itching at nite[as only us fungal itchers know, the ants marching over your head and biting like crazy] i get an ice cube and rub it over itching. rub it until dum. i filthy bastards hate cold.

[PeteC]

How did you determine it is fungus Bill and not Eczema? Pete

[PeteC]

As an FYI, mine is more or less under control, but lurking. No further changes to diet but still off dairy with a few exceptions once and awhile, but no adverse reaction. I have found that the below oil shower wash and after shower cream help immensely. It's good stuff if you haven't tried it. I still await my pool work to be finished with the hopes things will improve even more when I start swimming again. Pete

http://www.eucerinus.com/

[PeteC]

It seems I've stumbled across a real breakthrough for myself, and I've actually gone back and tested it and suffered the results this past week. Around mid November the store shelves were bare from the floods as we all know. I spend a lot of time outside in the early mornings and had always used OFF spray mosquito repellent in the orange can. It was no where to be found so I started to use a cream substitute which also contained deet. The eczema began to fade but at the time I didn't relate the use of the OFF spray to the improvement, I just thought I was in another down cycle. I had been pushing the wife to keep looking for the spray and about a week ago she found it back in stock again. I started using it again and sure enough within 24 hours I was in the middle of a major breakout. I stopped and everything went away within 3 days. I then started again, and again a major breakout. I just stopped again 2 days ago and all the itching and rash is almost gone.

I have used the OFF spray for many years, probably 20+ and never had a reaction so when the eczema arrived I focused on internal causes such as diet and never gave stopping the OFF a thought. Silly me! It doesn't appear to be the Deet in the product that causes the problem as I use creams as mentioned above which have Deet in them. It must be some other chemical in the spray or the propellant itself.

I'm still off dairy mostly and very little beer but I'm going to re-test those also to see what happens. This all may turn out to have been a reaction to the OFF spray and nothing else. Stay tuned. Pete