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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 17 Nov 2011 07:34 pm |
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I didn?é??t know where to post this topic, but body image and self esteem go hand in hand with this skin disorder called atopic dermatitis.
It plays with your head making you feel like you are ugly, that people are staring at you, it hurts, it makes you feel like #%@&!. when you think of your childhood you think of seeing doctor after doctor and trying cream after cream. yoy slept with gloves on so as not to wake up with cuts and blood on your arms. you have spent loads of money on creams and lotions, gels and salts. you feel hopeless when you get a flare up and nothing helps, you put more cream on only to have to put more on when 10 mins go by and someone says oh my gosh your skin is so dry you should put cream on! And you think omfg I just put some on.
That?é??s me, and I know there?é??s more like me out there. Dermatologists will just give us another cream, or another allergy test, but next year round we?é??ll be back there again.
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I?é??m going crazy. my eczema is out of control, my shoulder is bright red, it looks like i have a disease or something. it looks like sunburn but without having sunbathed. ive been drinking aloe vera and putting it on my skin but it is still red raw. im going on an eczema diet which is basically suffing yourself with fruits and vegetables that clean your skin. the bummer is planning out all my meals, if it clears this up im all for it... the part that chocolate triggers eczema is not going to go down well with me though!!!!!!! oh what sacrifices for normal looking skin=(
If there is ANYBODY out there that had atopic dermatitis and now doesn?é??t, OMG I beg you please tell me what you did!
I?é??m 21 female (had eczema since I can remember)
eczema on my shoulder, elbow, neck, around my mouth, on my cheek and sometimes appears above my eyelid.
I don?é??t eat red meat, and yes, I have tried every cream there is under the sun!!!
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 18 Nov 2011 05:44 am |
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Making radical changes to our eating habits can be daunting, especially if we have 21 years of experience of doing something different. Cutting out red meat may not be radical enough - making a complete transformation to 'nutritarian eating' and sticking with it for several weeks/months may be required to see the miraculous results you required
http://www.drfuhrman.com/success/SuccessStory.aspx?id=4
pick up a copy of the book Eat To Live by Joel Fuhrman, available from his website, on Amazon, in libraries etc.
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MichelleP
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 25 Mar 2009 |
| Location: | Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 717 |
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Posted: 18 Nov 2011 07:31 am |
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Have you ever tried using organic virgin coconut oil? You can take it internally, apply it directly to the eczema, or both. Either way it won't work in one day and may not even work at all for you. Look around the internet, lots of people use if for eczema.
Do you know if you have allergies that trigger the eczema?
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
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| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 18 Nov 2011 09:42 am |
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I have been tested quite a bit over the years, once I went off dairy for 3 months and my eczema did clear up a little bit, but that diet was so hard, I lost too much weight so my mum didn?é??t want me to do it. Recently I have been cutting out the dairy but still no improvement.
I have swapped all my snacks for whole grains, fruits and green teas.
Now I?é??m going to concentrate on eating the healthiest that I can and also taking a multivitamin supplement to help me out.
These are going to be my miracle foods
apples mushrooms
onions green beans
chicken lettuce
salmon carrots
cuqumber spinach
broccoli walnuts
cod berries/ cranberries
oatmeal green leafy veg
brown bread more fruit/veg
After spending hours and hours on the internet I realised that those foods just kept repeating themselves.
After reading thousands of posts about people with eczema almost all of them said that they key ingredient for treating eczema is your diet. That we get eczema because our immune system is suffering and we can?é??t produce new skin cells.
Am I missing anything out? I feel like I?é??m in this alone and it going to be very very hard not to fall back into my old ways.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 18 Nov 2011 10:53 am |
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AnneMarie wrote:
These are going to be my miracle foods
apples mushrooms
onions green beans
chicken lettuce
salmon carrots
cuqumber spinach
broccoli walnuts
cod berries/ cranberries
oatmeal green leafy veg
brown bread more fruit/veg
To get the best results I would improve the diet.
Instead of thinking about individual foods I find it helpful to think about food groups
vegetables - yes
fruit - yes
nuts and seeds - yes
beans - I am confused, I have read that some people with autoimmune problems are not helped by beans, I have not researched this in depth
whole grains - oatmeal is healthier than 100% whole wheat bread which is again healthier than brown bread (skipping grains altogether may give best results, or you can keep the oats)
fish, meat - I remember reading that these have been linked with autoimmune conditions and are best eliminated. That people who have not had meat/fish for a while and then eat just one meal with them will notice a marked deterioration. Something to consider eliminating
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
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| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 19 Nov 2011 01:24 pm |
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thanks for your imput Nir, really appreciate the advice.
I think that my body has been deprived of fruits and vegetables. I?é??ve been eating 100% healthier for the last three days and already my eczema has improved a little bit.
A few days ago it was red raw and now It?é??s not as red.
I made a really healthy soup today;
- 1 potato, onions, garlic, red pepper, green pepper, carrots, peas, broccoli, spinach.
It?é??s really tasty, I liquidised some of it to drink, and the rest I will eat for my evening meal today and tomorrow?é??s dinner to take to work.
I read that salmon has omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D, which are on the list of things that I need to improve my eczema. This and tuna are the only fish that I plan on adding to my diet. Tomorrow night I will have salmon, broccoli, carrots and a potato. Sounds like a healthy tea.
I?é??m not really paying too much atention to my calorie intake, I?é??m eating mainly veg and fruit, with potatoes/chicken. I?é??m not eating any sweets, chocolate, crisps... now its more than not having them because of the calories, Its more about not having them because they wont do any favours to my skin.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 19 Nov 2011 05:03 pm |
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Funnily enough the only two supplements I take (because I do not believe I can get enough of them from the foods I eat) are
fish oil (1000mg x 3 capsules a day)
vitamin D (I take 1800IU - some of it is D2 and some of it is D3 - D2 is vegan and is cheaper but D3 is more potent)
mind you I don't know where you live. I live in the United Kingdom and we do not get enough sun - if I lived in the tropics I would not need to take vitamin D.
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 19 Nov 2011 05:31 pm |
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I live in spain but right now its not sunny! Its cold and damp and rainy.
At 18:00pm its pitch black- I have noticed my skin is much dryer in the winter.
Oh well more moisturiser and more vitamin D!
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 2011 12:27 pm |
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OMG I didnt know eating so much veg would bloat my stomach and give me wind.
will this pass???
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 20 Nov 2011 12:52 pm |
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When you make changes then your body will eventually adapt.
However I am talking within reason here. If you are eating 4 kilos (9 pounds) of produce then expect to be bloated, however long you have been at it 
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
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| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 2011 07:14 pm |
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How can I reduce these symtoms of bloating? I look like I?é??m a few months pregnant!
I read on the internet that green tea helps, I?é??m off to give it a shot.
Also read that it?é??s due to an increase in fiber from the veggies so its harder to digest all of this, thus leading to the bloating.
Maybe some exercise would help?
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 21 Nov 2011 08:51 am |
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to reduce negative effects of fibre, fibre (and vegetables) to be introduced gradually into the diet. To re-iterate though, you will get used to them.
The point about auto-immune conditions is that just as it is about including good-for-you healthy foods, it is also about excluding probable triggers (such as animal protein)
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 21 Nov 2011 02:34 pm |
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Well I?é??m feeling a bit defeated, my eczema was calming down but today It has flared up. But I?é??m still sticking being healthy, still making my soups, tonight is carrot soup.
I dont know what else I can do to help my eczema, none of my creams are working, most of them just make it even redder.
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JDKH
New Member
| Joined: | 25 Nov 2011 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 25 Nov 2011 09:25 am |
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| Dont worry much about your skin problems. Just following strict diet and skin remedies, you can help yourself fight against eczema.
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AnneMarie
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 26 Nov 2009 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 460 |
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Posted: 26 Nov 2011 05:57 pm |
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No cream works, they dont make the redness go away.
I?é??m still sticking to my soups, my veg and fruit.
Today I got stressed out about work, my eczema looks really ugly today.
I dont know whats best to do in a break out with my skin, usual treatment isnt working.
I?é??m afraid if I go back to the doctors they will just give me another cream...... another cream.............
trying to drink lots of water and try to flush it out of my system plus moisturise quite a lot and hopefully try not to get too stressed. which is hard, im stressing about my shifts, i have to do the 16:00 till 24:30 shift that I hate, when I get home im too tired to do anything and it just drags the life out of me.
I?é??ve still got another month to bare, right now it seems like infinity.
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Weightless
New Member
| Joined: | 6 Dec 2011 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
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Posted: 7 Dec 2011 01:00 am |
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Hi AnneMarie,
This is my first reply on this forum. I just had to sign up to share my experiences with you if it can at all help you.
I had eczema since I was around 5 years old. I had it nearly everywhere: chest, arms (especially creases), thigh, butt, behind knee, etc. Doctors told my mom to just wash me with Dove soap (which is irritating to me) and apply Vaseline for moisture. This advice did not help.
I suffered from eczema until I was 17 or so. My doctor prescribed me a cream (I know you tried them all, but I figured I mentioned this). It's one of the strongest topical steroids: Clobetasol propionate. I forgot the exact percentage since it was more than 4 years ago. This cream literally wiped away all irritation and redness that I had. However, my derm did not mention to stop using it after the eczema healed, and so I overused it and am now left with stretch marks in the creases of my arm (it bothers and angers me a little). Also, the same derm told me to use Aveeno body wash (all are pretty good) and the lotion. My skin was kept moisturized using these two. I also used Aquaphor for really dry areas and I found it better than standard Vaseline. This has worked for me. I no longer have major breakouts, and when I do have some irritation, I use a much lower strength prescription steroid cream.
However, there are some things that worked for me also and should be mentioned as well. First, I believe when my skin was very irritated with open sores I may have had infected skin. So not all of your troubles may not be just eczema. For example, I had a fungal infection like ringworm in some places on my body that I thought was just dry patches from eczema. Steroids do not help for those places. You may want to consider if you may have a skin infection coupled with eczema. I needed to use a completely different cream with anti-fungal agents to get rid of this irritation. Since eczema may leave your skin sore, damaged, and open, many organisms can infect it and you may think it's just eczema. I went a long time without knowing this. Again, just an idea.
Also, I noticed that when I cleaned my bathroom with bleach and without gloves, my hands, usually irritated, red, dry, blotchy, would suddenly heal and look normal the next day. I believe bleach baths may be a good option if you already haven't tried them. Google "bleach bath for eczema" for more information. It helps kill bacteria that may be infecting your damaged skin.
This is all I've done that has worked for me. Since I'm a person of color, I have years worth of scarring that I am now trying to get rid of. I have knowledge of this if you want me to share.
-Weightless
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aimeebutler
New Member
| Joined: | 15 Jul 2013 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
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Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:21 pm |
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hey im new too this whats the best things to eat if you have eczema ive had it for many years im 18 now im just fed up of putting creams on every day I just want it to clear so I can be a normal teenager and not have to cover up now it summer im so ashamed of having eczema . I just want it too go
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 15 Jul 2013 05:50 pm |
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| idea you might like to read Dr Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat To Live" he can cure people of their Eczema. It does require you to change how you eat.
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aimeebutler
New Member
| Joined: | 15 Jul 2013 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
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Posted: 16 Jul 2013 01:36 pm |
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| thanks
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