Eczema / itching on legs?

Question

I have had eczema on and off for years and years - have used so many different creams/lotions/steroids etc as prescribed by the docs but none seems to have ever worked.
At the moment i'm having a real problem with my legs being very very itchy - I;m waking myself up in the middle of the night scratching, i just can't help it.
Been to the docs about this 3 or 4 times but all they've done is tell me to moisturise and try not to scratch - anyone else with eczema will agree, easier said than done!
Just wondering what I could do to ease te itching? I do use intensive moisturiser on my legs twice a day but this hasn't helped.

Answer 1

I also had this problem for years and found the only thing that got rid of the dry skin and itching is L'occitane Ultra Rich Body cream with 25% Shea Butter. It really works but costs £25 for a 200ml jar.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Just a thought - are you sure this is the same thing as the eczema?

Moisturising is great for dry skin, but can make other problems worse. I had a similar itching leg problem, which would wake me in the middle of the night, feeling as though I had fire ants all over my legs. It went on for half a year and has only just cleared up over the last month. The doctor gave me moisturisers and steroids, neither of which worked. The only thing that stopped it for me is antihistamine, which I take twice weekly now (I took them more regularly at first).

Some antihistamines also help you sleep, which is great if the itching is waking you, as it did with me. I had no obvious allergy (they tested me) but antihistamines still work for the legs. A lot of this sort of problem has to do with how your capillaries are behaving, so I'm guessing antihistamines calm them in some way, when rubbing moisturiser in only aggravates (in these cases). Some of them can make you sleep through the alarm in the morning, though, particularly Phenergen (prescription only).

Surrounded by so much good advice on what to do if it definitely is eczema, I hope this might have helped in the event that it's not.

Good luck with it:)

Answer 4

i have savvier eczema and i know exactly how u feel. i think the place where u live helps a lot( i live by the see, so the humid whether helps my skin.)try going to the see as much as u can or join some sort of water sports.. but remember to dry ur self quickly after ur done otherwise the water will make u scratch.(the water will moisturizes ur skin an the salt will kill the bacteria)
the following also helped me a lot:

A) cut ur nails really short..

B)if the doctors gave u cortisone, then ask 4 ..(Elocom-ointment) and don't pout it all the time, just in the are that is extremely red and itching, or in the area that u scratched an its bleeding.. other wise ur skin will gradually tern darker(the doctors say no but it happened 2 me..)

C)look for a cream called (Aquias cream) its light not heavy.(i live in England an i buy it from a shop called Boots)

D)if some areas are EXTREAMLY dry use(Diprobase Cream)

E) for ur hair (some times u can get eczema their) use the body shop shampoo an conditioner (the Olive) coz its moisturizing..
for sope use (Dove sope, sometimes i use Dove moisturizing Body wash but that depends on ur skin type)..(the other thing that is better than Dove is an organic sope, u can get that from the body shop( but be curfull it could be too dry 4 u).)
* if u want to use a face cleansing wipes then try (gohnson's 3 in 1 facial cleansing wipes for dry and sensitive skin) but that depends on ur skin type.

F) you might not believe me but i have tried Accupansher and it helped me 70% , im not scratching (i only scratch when im tired, stressed, angry, hot, or allergic) big improvement for me.. it is expensive but worth it, there are no side effect at all. even though there is no guaranty, its worth a try.. but make sure u get a good person not a person that is after money..

G) if all goes well (hopefully).. then don't use all that medical creams try something organic (e.g The Body Shop ( Aloe soothing cream)

** i know the things that i have suggested are expensive, but my advise is that given the chance to choose between medical and organic things organic is best 4 ur skin. there is no side effect and it will help ur body to restore itself by itself so in the future, ur skin will not need any help and it will start producing its one oil to cure the dryness( my skin is at that stage now). you cant cure eczema unless u do a laser operation which costs lots, an its not guaranteed forever. but u can reduce eczema to a minimum, and give ur skin a chance to cure itself.

** i really know how hard it is, espechely if ur using cortisone..
i really hope that this info helps you and best of luck..

Answer 5

Extra virgin olive oil has cured me.

Cortisone ointment is available over the counter and works like magic, until your body becomes resistive and the ointment stops having an effect. Other synthetic steroid ointments are available by prescription, and each in turn will be miraculous at first, then will stop working when your body gets wise. The resistance to a given one may go away after months or years of not using it, and it will work for a little while when you try it again, but overall, it’s nothing but frustration.

I’m going on 70 years old, have had eczema all my life until about 5 years ago, when I ran across a study that found extra virgin olive oil very effective for healing sunburn. If sunburn, maybe whatever it is about some of us that makes our skin react to allergy or irritation with rash and split knuckles and misery. So I tried it. It worked. Youngest, smoothest hands in my age group. Also other spots around my body, including what I thought was persistent athletes foot between two toes, have responded beautifully.

It has to be extra virgin olive oil. “Pure” olive oil won’t do, because apparently it’s all those phytochemicals that get squeezed out of the olive along with the oil.

If you decide to try this, please let me know by e-mail if it works for you. Two successes make much better science than one, although it would still be many hundreds short of a serious study. But if you really have eczema, you’re desperate.

BTW - eczema is not the skin’s anus, as another writer claims. If it oozes, it’s either infected or you’ve been scratching too much or both. But a hot soak in a tub with a half cup of baking soda and half a cup of epsom salt is wonderfully soothing to skin and soul and joints and everything in between.

Another note: vegetable oils, such as olive oil, seems to bind with cotton and will leave stains that don't come out in normal washing. I think it oxidizes and forms a paint. It takes dry cleaning or soaking in paint remover to get it out completely.

Answer 6

My little boy had eczema on his cheeks. I was not sure what method to use but I didn't want to make my boy go through any surgery treatments at this young age. Some suggested a plastic surgeon since it was in a very visible location but our family doctor recommend this natural guide.

Best Eczema Treatment?

Answer 7

First, from what I've read in various literature, they don't know exactly what exzema is or what cuases it--and in fact it's more of a generic term describing several kinds itchy re-occuring rash--so your excema might have a very different cause and treatment then someone elses. It take some some trial and error to figure out what will work for you.

With that in mind, here is what finally worked for my husband. He had excema mainly on the undersides of his arms and elbows and knees (and these areas were constanty red and scabbed because they itched so much he couldhn't keep himself from itching).

SALSA: Crazy as it seems eating something spicey every day has helped dramatically. His exzema has practically gone away (only reoccuring occassionally). Learned about that one on National Public Radio.

AVOIDING RED/ORANGE FOOD COLORING: We think we have tied the occassional flare up he has recently to things with red food coloring...so we try to avoid it. Kool aid, frosting, candy coloring etc.

You might want to monitor what you eat for a while and see if there seems to be any connection--if there does seem to be a connection between a food and flare ups, eliminate it from your diet and see what happens.

Its a frustrating condition. My husband had it for years before he found a treatment that worked for him. I hope you find one sooner than that.

Answer 8

I am like you and have it off and on more so in the winters dry weather. I have gone through the whole nine yards with the Dr's. also. I have found 2 things that have always worked. Tanning Beds. The lights kill the bacteria(?) that causes your skin layers to grow too fast and causes the bumps/rash/itching. A doctor won't tell you this but it has always worked for me. Second, when you shower, You have to scrub the skins dead layers off.I use one of those green or blue kitchen scrubby things for dishes. (Not SOS pads)They aren't the kindest thing for your skin but if you use a mild soap and just go over your body with it, it takes the dead skin off.My problem areas are my elbows, hips and knees and sometimes under my armpits. Moisturize after you shower with a good lotion. I personally believe in the lotions from Europe as I call them. The cheap stuff in the drug store for $5.00 does nothing compared to the $5.00 lotion you can buy at TJMaxx imported from across the pond. The whole trick is to get rid of the excessive layers of dead skin.

Answer 9

My son has eczema, and I know what you are talking about when the doctors say just moisturize and don't itch. We use a combination of Noxzema, and binadril. Noxzema was first made for eczema hints the name no-eczema. I use the binadril to stop the itching sensation and the Noxzema to moisturize.

Answer 10

Transfer factors work really well on eczema with every one i have told about it, i personally dint have it but 5 of my friends or there kids had it but now don't thanx to TF.
there is a range or products you can choose from as in tablets to chew or swallow and a juice that you can drink if you don't like tablets, and then there is the renewall gel that you put directly onto the sores to help relive them.

every time you wanna scratch just rub a bit of gel on and no more scratchies!!!
my friends swear by it and i have seen the results myself so its worth a try.
hope this helps!