eczema on SCD?

November 13, 2009

,I don't really know much about eczema, and I am no doctor or medical expert, but I do a lot of reading. I did read somewhere that when taking steroids, they are synthetic, meaning that they are not bio-identical hormones only mimicking the body's natural cortisol. It can not be processed by the body in exactly the same way as natural cortisol (and the other natural steriods). Because of cortisol's inflammation fighting ability and your response of inflammation (eczema), it might be that your adrenal system is struggling to recover from being on synthetic steroids. I would suggest asking about having your adrenal system evaluated (like checking your cortisol surge times 6 am & 11 am, and 6 & 11 pm). Have your outbreaks been during more stressful times? A doctor once told my husband that it

takes the body at least as long to recover it's normal function after stopping the prednisone as one was actually on the prednisone. So if you were on an 8 week tapered dose, it would take approximately 8 weeks after finishing the course before the body was back to normal. I could also be that your body is reacting to something, don't know if it is stress or topical, but whatever it is it might be manifesting itself as eczema. Also, you say that you are on a truly hypoallergenic regime, but are you looking at your face and hair products really closely? I have read that the sulfates (sodium laurel/laureth sulfate and ammonium laurel/larueth sulfate) are in most hair and beauty cleansing products (degreasers). They are considered small molecule compounds that easily pass through the skin to cause irritation--just a thought.The only other thought is that maybe after 4 years on SCD, you are finally healing from any

remaining dormant bacteria/yeast and it is just part of the healing process--in massive die off.Best of luck in getting it sorted with a proactive, caring, doctor!Amelia.

November 13, 2009

I looked in the archives and saw that someone posted about it a while

ago but I wanted to follow up a little. I've been on SCD for several

years and I've been having problems recently with eczema. Really,

really bad eczema. As in...it starts on my head and under eyebrows

and then starts spreading down my face and neck. Originally I thought

this was an allergic reaction to a new shampoo so I switched. Then a

while later it started again. So I went to my dermatologist, did a

patch test and have since been put on a *truly* hypoallergenic

regimen. So it's been almost 6 weeks on this course but it's starting

up again making me think that it's not an allergy. I do know that

this problem has only been happening since being on SCD. And I'm

something like 4 years into doing it strictly. I did recently have

the worst flare of my life - doc and I still don't know what caused it.

Has anyone else had that problem? What can I do for it? I honestly

expect to wake up one morning and have my face look like it's peeling

off. I've also been losing hair. A lot of hair. It's coming out in

clumps. I keep checking for bald spots, it's that bad. GP checked my

blood for nutritional deficiencies and checked my thyroid. All that

was fine. I talked to my GI doc and he said he thinks it's residual

side effects from the prednisone in my system. It was a month or so

after I'd gotten off of it. It's now been almost 2 months and I've

probably lost about 50% of the hair and it's still coming out. I

don't really know what to do.

Help?

Stacey

STacey,

I can't help you about the hair loss. But I started SCD about four

months ago. My eczema, which I've had very little trouble with in

the last couple of decades, has come back. This with no changes in

foods or my soaps or shampoos etc (which I am very careful about

having no perfume, colorings or secret ingredients in). My scalp

crud is worse, too, and behind my ears. I really think this is

die-off. After all, the skin serves as another means to get rid of

toxic stuff. Since you've been on SCD for longer, I don't know. I

would think in six weeks you should have been able to clear anything

from the shampoo but it's also possible for some people to be

allergic to something supposedly hypoallergenic. That just means it's

better, not that it's foolproof for everyone. I don't know about

coming off prednisone. Could you have picked up some candida? My

niece had nasty rash a few years ago from that, including on her face.

Good luck, these things are no fun at all,

November 13, 2009

Are you getting enough protein and oils in your diet? These can affect hair

growth and skin health.

My son, on a gluten-free diet for celiac, was still having flares of eczema. He

finds that taking primrose oil helps both the eczema and the dark circles around

the eyes.

Just one person's experience.

I hope you can find some answers.

ShirleyB

>

> I looked in the archives and saw that someone posted about it a while ago but

I wanted to follow up a little. I've been on SCD for several years and I've

been having problems recently with eczema. Really, really bad eczema. As

in...it starts on my head and under eyebrows and then starts spreading down my

face and neck.

November 14, 2009

> I looked in the archives and saw that someone posted about it a

while ago but I wanted to follow up a little. I've been on SCD for

several years and I've been having problems recently with eczema. Really,

really bad eczema. As in...it starts on my head and under eyebrows and

then starts spreading down my face and neck. Eczema does respond to fatty acids. We all had dreadful eczema

when I was growing up and I now think a lot of it was that my mother had

us all on a no-fat-at-all diet for my father's heart. You can use

evening primrose oil, borage oil, or black current oil (there may be

others). My doctor told me, the mistake people make here is to

think 1 or 2 caps a day will do it. For most people it requires about 8

at least for a long period to get it cleared. Maybe less later for

maintenance.

November 14, 2009

I was on the pred (this time) for about 15 weeks and I've been off it for around

7 now. The GI thought the hair loss was because of the pred still in my system.

I don't know that I have enough hair to last another 2 months if it is indeed

the prednisone. Certainly not if it continues coming out this way.

I don't think the eczema has much to do with the pred just because this has

happened multiple times (exactly the same way) before the pred. I have been

flaring recently though so perhaps this is some weird form of flare?

I say " truly hypoallergenic " because a lot of the stuff that you can get in

stores that says it's hypoallergenic isn't. One of my allergies is to fragrance

but just because something says it's fragrance free doesn't actually mean it's

fragrance free. It just means that the intent of the use of the ingredient that

I'm allergic to isn't meant to be used as a fragrance. The things you learn,

eh? Labeling laws suck in more than just food! So I have a list of very

specific products that I'm allowed to use because I've been tested for every

ingredient in them (patch test) to make sure I'm not allergic to anything they

might contain. Buying those products put a huge dent in my wallet!

Die off is certainly a possibility. I don't know how to be sure that that's

what it is and it just worries me that it's spreading down my face/neck.

::laughs:: What I need is a really good diagnostician!

Stacey

>

> ,

>

> I don't really know much about eczema, and I am no doctor or medical expert,

but I do a lot of reading. I did read somewhere that when taking steroids,

they are synthetic, meaning that they are not bio-identical hormones only

mimicking the body's natural cortisol. It can not be processed by the body in

exactly the same way as natural cortisol (and the other natural steriods).

Because of cortisol's inflammation fighting ability and your response of

inflammation (eczema), it might be that your adrenal system is struggling to

recover from being on synthetic steroids. I would suggest asking about having

your adrenal system evaluated (like checking your cortisol surge times 6 am & 11

am, and 6 & 11 pm). Have your outbreaks been during more stressful times? A

doctor once told my husband that it takes the body at least as long to recover

it's normal function after stopping the prednisone as one was actually on the

prednisone. So if you were on

> an 8 week tapered dose, it would take approximately 8 weeks after finishing

the course before the body was back to normal.

>

> I could also be that your body is reacting to something, don't know if it is

stress or topical, but whatever it is it might be manifesting itself as eczema.

Also, you say that you are on a truly hypoallergenic regime, but are you looking

at your face and hair products really closely? I have read that the sulfates

(sodium laurel/laureth sulfate and ammonium laurel/larueth sulfate) are in most

hair and beauty cleansing products (degreasers). They are considered small

molecule compounds that easily pass through the skin to cause irritation--just a

thought.

>

> The only other thought is that maybe after 4 years on SCD, you are finally

healing from any remaining dormant bacteria/yeast and it is just part of the

healing process--in massive die off.

>

> Best of luck in getting it sorted with a proactive, caring, doctor!

>

> Amelia.

>

November 14, 2009

and Shirley B.

You know, maybe the oils have something to do with it. The most recent flare

I had (after getting off pred) made me feel like my body was reacting badly to

something so I stopped taking everything (like my omega 3-6-9) and dropped back

down to the starter diet. Protein is definitely not a problem though. Perhaps

I'll try looking into primrose oil since two of you have suggested it. How much

do you guys usually take?

Stacey

>

> > I looked in the archives and saw that someone posted about it a

> while ago but I wanted to follow up a little. I've been on SCD for

> several years and I've been having problems recently with eczema.

> Really, really bad eczema. As in...it starts on my head and under

> eyebrows and then starts spreading down my face and neck.

> Eczema does respond to fatty acids. We all had dreadful eczema when

> I was growing up and I now think a lot of it was that my mother had

> us all on a no-fat-at-all diet for my father's heart. You can use

> evening primrose oil, borage oil, or black current oil (there may be

> others). My doctor told me, the mistake people make here is to think

> 1 or 2 caps a day will do it. For most people it requires about 8 at

> least for a long period to get it cleared. Maybe less later for maintenance.

>

November 14, 2009

> I was on the pred (this time) for about 15 weeks and I've been off

> it for around 7 now. The GI thought the hair loss was because of

> the pred still in my system. I don't know that I have enough hair

> to last another 2 months if it is indeed the prednisone. Certainly

> not if it continues coming out this way.

>

> I don't think the eczema has much to do with the pred just because

> this has happened multiple times (exactly the same way) before the

> pred. I have been flaring recently though so perhaps this is some

> weird form of flare?

Yep. A few months after I first joined, a number of people were

talking about

hair loss and eczema and presented with the same symptoms.

I had some hair loss too during my 3rd month flare - nothing that

severe,

but somewhat more than normal, so that I noticed it. Have you tried

zinc and biotin?

Also, it's possibly a Herings Law of cure stage - healing moving from

the inside out

and from the newest of ailments to the oldest (in layers).

http://likecure.blogspot.com/2009/02/law-of-cure.html

>

> I say " truly hypoallergenic " because a lot of the stuff that you

> can get in stores that says it's hypoallergenic isn't. One of my

> allergies is to fragrance but just because something says it's

> fragrance free doesn't actually mean it's fragrance free. It just

> means that the intent of the use of the ingredient that I'm allergic

> to isn't meant to be used as a fragrance. The things you learn,

> eh? Labeling laws suck in more than just food! So I have a list of

> very specific products that I'm allowed to use because I've been

> tested for every ingredient in them (patch test) to make sure I'm

> not allergic to anything they might contain. Buying those products

> put a huge dent in my wallet!

>

> Die off is certainly a possibility. I don't know how to be sure

> that that's what it is and it just worries me that it's spreading

> down my face/neck.

> ::laughs:: What I need is a really good diagnostician!

Have you tried packing the eczema with either honey or sea salt or

vinegar packs for a

few hours? If you google natural cures for eczema those will all come

up.

HIH,

Mara

November 14, 2009

One reason I mentioned several types of fatty acids is that I had to work

through them. I started with evening primrose but after awhile had

problems. I then went to borage oil for some years and then that caused a

problem. The black current oil is what I've been using now for many many

years. Like my doctor said, you need a slug of it for skin

problems. These caps are the size of my thumb, I swear, and I take 8 a

day!

and Shirley B.

You know, maybe the oils have something to do with it. The most

recent flare I had (after getting off pred) made me feel like my body was

reacting badly to something so I stopped taking everything (like my omega

3-6-9) and dropped back down to the starter diet. Protein is definitely

not a problem though. Perhaps I'll try looking into primrose oil since

two of you have suggested it. How much do you guys usually take?

Stacey

November 15, 2009

I was reading Dr. Hoffman about the endocrine system today by chance,

and he happens to mention that eczema and hair loss are symptoms of

hypothyroidism. So you may want to have that looked at, too. Just a