I am very scared and crying for help...

I am having itch skin mostly on my legs for more than 7 months now. At the beginning, I thought it was not a big deal so I didn't see a dermatologist, but now it seems become worse and worse. I have red, itchy and rough skin mostly on my legs and a little bit on arms. I cannot even wear skirt now. Finally I can't suffer this anymore, so I went to see a female dermatologist in July 19th, she said it is eczema, but the pills and lotion she gave to me didn't cure me. I am very scared now. Please help me to find a best dermatologist.

I do not have medical insurance. I live in San Mateo (650 area), can you please tell me if you know any good dermatologists in my area? I am waiting now, thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,
An Asian girl

I'm sorry, but there is no cure.. just medicine to help with your symptoms. Ask for prescription.

You should go see another dermatologist, it could be something more serious like psoriasis.

Sometimes sea buckthorn products help. You can find them at any health food store. Also oatmeal baths help with itchy skin.
walgreens.com/store/cata…

From an old friend who was a dermatology resident: soak in chlorinated water.  Something like a 1/4 cup bleach in a bathtub.  Something about reducing skin bacteria to avoid the allergic reaction.

(I am not an MD and YMMV)

I get bad eczema too. I'd go see another dermatologist or maybe go to a clinic because they're much cheaper.

Some things that have helped me (I've tried everything too).

Lemon juice takes the sting out of the itch (good for mosquito bites as well)
Soravil (but it's really expensive and they're kinda)
Eucerin
Oatmeal or baking soda baths
If it's related to an allergy Benedryl helps but it'll knock you out

I hope this helps. Good luck.

I think u should get a blood test (seriously). I was like you... And have found out that I have something else with my internal organs.  Should see a professional for advice

eat more fruits and veggies it going to instead of process fruit, try oatmeal bath

merryclinic.com/eczema/t… read this and drink more water at least a gallon a day

healthy-skin-guide.com/f…

put some hydro cortisone (the cream kind, not the ointment) to stop the itching sensation. try using a different soap like dove. and put lotion on like eucerin or cetaphil.

I get breakouts of it, and the only thing that helps me is a steroid cream called clobetasol. There's one at a lower strength, but it doesn't work for me. Both are Rx only, but I had just my regular doctor prescribe them. I didn't need to see a dermatologist.

There's a really good moisturizer that I like, AmLactin. Most doctors will prescribe it, but you can get it for about $15 for 7.9 oz (I keep it on my desk, that's how much I love it) at Walgreen's or any drugstore. It's pricey, but it works. It's a little sticky, though.

But check with a clinic or primary care doctor to see if you can get help that way. It'll be much cheaper than a dermatologist.

For relief, and if you have just a few lesions, Noxzema (it was originally marketed to treat eczema) feels really nice. Get the small tub of cream. It won't cure it or prevent it, but it will relieve the itching and burning for a while.  The generic is just as good.

I was surprised when I learned that, too...  : )  I thought that they were trying to be trendy, but it's been around since the early 1900's (I think).

+1 on Carolyn's advice. I've had eczema in the past and steroidal cream was the only thing to suppress it. Also, you should look into what kind of allergen is causing it and try to avoid. For me, it was certain soaps and body wash.

I can second the bleach baths that Matt R suggested, just don't stay in there too long.  

Always, moisturize heavily when you get out of the shower.

And, try really really hard not to scratch it.  I know it's really difficult, but wearing more clothes to bed to cover exposed skin may help.

Aveeno anti-itch cream helps the spot of it I have on my calves and forearms.  Haven't yet figured out what causes it to show up from time to time though,

Cocoa butta

Everyone's different. My doc prescribed Elidel & it did nothing for me. My son had it as a baby too. What seemed to work was a combo of Cortaid (hydrocortisone Ointment not cream) with a layer of Eucerin lotion on top. Neither of us have eczema anymore.  I agree that you shouldn't take long or too hot showers as this dries your skin out more.

On a side note, I wasn't introduced to the magical AmLactin lotion until recently (for keratosis pilaris aka chicken skin) on my upper arms. You cam get a humongous bottle of the generic version (twice the size of what you can get for the price at CVS) at Kaiser pharmacy  for $14 over the counter.

try rubbing virgin coconut oil on the affected areas

Dr. Tomcik in San Ramon. He is awesome and very compassionate and I am sure will work with you on the bill. I have known him and been going to him for 30 years.

Alice, yes it definitely sounds like psoriasis .

I've had exzema since I was a child. I discovered that it was actually a food allergy to shellfish that caused it. took me 30 years to put two and two together.

Many people have food allergies and don't know it, so they may consume lots of their allergy foods which may result in skin rashes. Get that checked out!

Does anyone know a good place to get tested for food allergies ?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH from the bottom of my heart for everyone's help! Your help warms my heart and almost bringing tears to my eyes, I truly appreciated.

I am now truly treasure health. A healthy body/mind is extremely important. No health, no life. I stopped my job for many days now and I have dealing with this every single day.

- Philip A. : Thank you. What you said are right, "Those who haven't are those who will joke about it." - some people do not know how hard I have suffered until they have experienced the health problem that I am suffering now.

From your link, I just called Vinh Khang Herb & Ginseng (the Traditional Chinese Medicine) - they have wonderful reviews - and I am going to see them this afternoon. I want a medicine that can cure me not just the surface but from the deep roots. I will let you guys know the update later.

- Kristy O. : Thank you. We human beings do not know until something bad happen to our body. Food allergies happen to a Iot of people. I want to ask the same question: Does anyone know a good place to get tested for food allergies??? Please help if you know.

Once again, thank you very much everyone!

Sincerely,
An Asian girl

I have eczema too.

DO NOT use bleach!!

Stop eating dairy, eggs and chocolate until it clears up.
OTC - Cetephil (the one in the tub) right when you are done showering.  
0.5% or 1% Hydrocortisone cream also helps.
Vaseline or petroleum based ointments never helped me - just made it worse.
Take warm showers not steaming hot.
Do not itch! Just breaks the skin and won't heal.

get some anti monkey butt powder! LOVE IT!

+1 John F.  - beat me to the merryclinic link!  I've tried ecDermaid, and while it  can be a bit pricy, it might work for you.  It basically operates on the same premise of Chinese medicine - lowering body heat - and packs all those wacky Chinese herbs into 5-10 big tablets that you take every 6 hours or so.  

One simple thing you might also try is just getting some sunshine - UV light can have a suppressive effect on the immune system, and it just might be an overreactive immune system that is causing your eczyma.

A food detox diet might help too, if the eczyma is being triggered by some unknown food allergen.

I dunno.. one of the problems with eczyma is that there doesn't seem to be a silver bullet, and you just have to try a lot of different things and see what works for you.  Good luck!

eRikija & yvonne,

Bleach has been recommended by UK dermatologists for children (and adults) who have eczema.  They know what they're talking about.  I have tried it myself, and it does help.

@ Kristy:

dermatologists can usually do a 'patch test' on your back that you wear for about 2 days.  It tests for a few dozen food, chemical, and other compounds.

hey can I buy your pills off you? I have a friend that needs em but they don't have medical insurance and are having eczema issues..
serious question..PM me Asian Girl if you wanna get rid of em.

Hey Yvonne... it's important you keep the baths short, like 10-15 mins, and rinse in regular water after.  It starts to sting otherwise... but at least you know it's killing the bacterial infection under the skin that makes it red.

+1 Gerald abotu food and diet... Candida has been linked with eczema also, when I cut out yeasts and sugars for a month it cleared up dramatically.

A dermatologist I know commented that some offices make so much money on Asians and eczema - it's alarming.  This is a common skin condition for Asians.  Not much you can do but to control the symptoms.  Avoid the corticosteroid approach - it provides immediate relief, but has long term ramifications.   Lifestyle changes and being aware of your allergies will help.  

Here's a link that may be of assistance.

eczemaguide.ca/eczema_ca…

Standard disclaimers apply.  Good luck.

I sent this as a message to A. G., but regarding the yeast, I have the same problem and this is how I found out my blood sugar was out of control.  

It'd be worth getting a blood sugar test.

As an alternative to the bleach bath, you can just go to a public swimming pool and take a dip.  Those pools are usually very strongly chlorinated.   A dermatologist did suggest this to me!

Thanks Craig! I will look into that.

Natalia Rose has a book on how to get rid of Candida called Detox 4 Women (I'm sure guys ca do it too). I'm going to try it.

Ive never had eczema but Ive had pilaris keratosis for years. Not painful but a bitch to get rid of!! That is how I came across Sea Buckthorn products....

@Craig ok, but sounds painful!

I have eczema on my hands and when I get lemon juice or something acidic it hurts/stings.
maybe its the acidic liquid? Ok, nevermind. :)

I'm also gonna say don't do the bleach bath. It could do more harm than good, and since you are a female, you risk getting bleach in your vajayjay. Which is a whole new set of problems.

Do you have a fever with your rash? If so, that could be something serious and get yourself to a doctor asap. If that's your only symptom though, then just treat it like the others said. Beware if other symptoms show up!

Gerald "insensatez" C. says:

As an alternative to the bleach bath, you can just go to a public swimming pool and take a dip.  Those pools are usually very strongly chlorinated.   A dermatologist did suggest this to me!
============
That might be disturbing to the other users of the pool. I know I'd freak out if I saw someone with a gross scaley rash getting in the same water as me.

steroids!

I work with a lot of skin issues in my practice. It's usually due to a compromised digestive and detoxification system. I highly recommend an elimination diet to avoid food triggers. Common foods I take my patients off for some time are wheat, dairy, soy, corn, and sugar. After that, assessing all your body's systems and balancing them through supplement protocols and diet is the way to go. Main stream approaches such as medication and creams can decrease your symptoms but they will not resolve the source your skin problems. Your skin is the largest organ of the body. If you have skin problems, the issue is most often internal. It's absolutely possible to get rid of your skin problems but you will have to be open to dietary and lifestyle modifications. Feel free to contact me directly for more detailed protocols and information. Dr. A.

I just got it too...In San Jose we have Santa Clara Valley Medical Center which is a county hospital- Find the one in your neighborhood and go.  THey have programs to pay- mine was called "Ability to Pay"  and I did not have to pay anything.  Do it now because sometimes it takes some time to get in...

Daniel A. - Thank you very much.

So make long story short, here is the update: In August 31, 2010, I went to see a dermatologist. Her name is Carie T. Chui, MD in San Mateo (which I found both on Yelp and Google search), her business website is: AlluraSkin.com She is a very pretty Chinese-American young woman. In all honestly, although she's very pretty, but she was not very nice and patient. At the beginning, she made me waited a long time in the room, then she finally showed up. I wanted to ask her some questions, but she's totally in a RUSH. So she basically RUSHed me and I was not happy. So make long story short, at the end, I had to pay $100 for the clinic visit fee (since I don't have medical insurance, this is quite expensive for me), then I went to Walgreen's bought this cream called CLOBETASOL PROPIONATE CREAM USP, 0.05%, 30GM - cost me $35.99 for a small tube!!! (Again, since I don't have medical insurance, this is quite expensive for me).

Follow Dr. Chui's advice, I also bought Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion (I forgot how much exactly, about $10 or $12 or so, for 532ml).

Every night, after shower, follow what Dr. Chui told me, I put Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion on my whole legs first, then put a little bit of CLOBETASOL PROPIONATE CREAM USP, 0.05% by a cotton swab on the red spot - guess what happened? Only take 2 days, IT WORKED!!! Which is a great news!

Now, my eczema is no longer itchy anymore, the red spot color become lighter now, I think it take time to let them disappear completely.

So now, I don't use much of that cream anymore, because that is a very STRONG cream, and as I am a Chinese, we believe any medicine has some kind of poison in it, more or less (for example, cancer patients lost their hair when they do chemotherapy, etc.), they may fix you this part, but kill you other part, so I try to avoid any kind of medicine if I can. Now I may only use that STRONG cream every 3 or 4 days in the night after shower.

Daniel A. - Again, thank you very much Dr. A. I do believe food allergy. I think my eczema is because of mainly stress (I have a lot of stress in life) and food toxic - but don't know exactly what food. All the food that you told me are the food that I like: wheat, dairy, soy, corn, and sugar - just don't know what specific food caused me. Some say don't eat seafood, others say don't eat red meat - but I like all foods. Everyone is different.

We human beings do not know until something bad happen to our body. Food allergies happen to a Iot of people. I want to ask the same question: Does anyone know a good place to get tested for food allergies??? Please help if you know.

Once again, thank you very much everyone! I truly appreciate everyone's help! Best wishes to you all.

Sincerely,
An Asian girl

If you are experiencing a very bad flare, you should go to a dermatologist and ask for a cortisone injection.  Are there any foods that make you break out?  Are you stressed out? Do you drink lots of coffee?  Flax seed oil, has helped me quite a bit with this problem....a cure from the inside out.

Hello asian girl, I think you may need to work out/exercise to eliminate/alleviate the stress, I think that may help to a certain extent.

Hello Asian Girl,
please post your review of here:
yelp.com/biz/carie-t-chu…
and welcome to Yelp!

Try Penaten medicated cream, I get flareups once in a while on my hands and while it doesn't cure it, it helps more than anything I've used. They sell it at German stores or I think you can get it on Amazon.
viewpoints.com/images/re…

"0.5% or 1% Hydrocortisone cream also helps."

Rather than get the cream, I would suggest the topical ointment, or gel. The cream doesn't dry, and gets all over. You can clear it up in one trouble spot using hydrocortisone routinely, but don't be shocked if it comes back in another spot. Hopefully it will be a much more convenient spot.

There's really no cure, so your goal should be to manage it. Think of this as an allergy. That means each case is triggered and managed differently, and some of the simple herbal remedies might work for you. Oatmeal is one, and milk bar soap is another. Avoiding exposure to water helps, and constant applications of a lotion with Vitamin E can save the day. Walgreens  sells Vaseline lotion knock offs for 99 cents.

It's not eczema . It's from dating white men.

In a pinch, apple cider vinegar may help but I wouldn't rely on it.  It's good to have in case you don't have anything else around.

I disagree. It is absolutely curable, but not with the traditional Western medical approach. Most ailments, for most people, most of the time are due to imbalances in the body's systems. By addressing and balancing ALL systems and providing the body with a healing and nourishing environment (i.e. proper nutrition and lifestyle) the body will heal itself. Of course supplement protocols and topical products can speed up the process. I use both in my practice a lot. At the end of the day It's a simple choice really, either we look to put a "patch" on the issue and not deal with it, or we truly get at the cause. The body always has a reason for doing something and it is never random. Food for thought.

Dr. A.

Hi-

There is lots of advice on this thread, but as someone who has food allergies, I highly suggest you figure out if you're allergic to anything.

The first thing I thought of after readin your post is Dermatitis Herpetiformis, which is a symptom of a gluten allergy (wheat, barley, and spelt) celiacdisease.about.com/…
Since you don't have insurance, I recommend doing an elimination diet. For two weeks, don't eat *anything* with gluten in it (gluten food list is here: celiac.com/articles/182/… ) Then, after the two weeks, eat something with gluten in it and see how you feel. If you get intestinal upsets dizziness, rash, joint pain, or feel nauseous, you have an intolerance to gluten and need to cut all of it out of your diet as soon as possible. The rash could be the result of some very bad health problems happening inside of you body.  

If this turns out to be the cause of your skin issues- feel free to message me. I can point you to lots of helpful resources and recipe sites, I've been gluten free for almost a year now.

The best of luck to you, and I hope you feel better soon!

Oatmeal bath from Aveeno, it'll help temporarly

My sister has eczema and would take aveeno oatmeal baths, it helped her skin alot. It comes in little packages at the drugstore. And using 90% aloe Vera lotion or cocoa butter lotion.

a nice warm bath. can you do it?

Oh, gosh.  Did anyone ever figure out what it is?  There are a lot of things that can cause skin issues.  Eczema (one of a few descriptions of  some skin problems) is not a disease, it's a symptom... of so many different things that can come in many different forms.  It's like saying you're sneezing, or your head hurts.  Anyway, if it's getting better that's great.  When you don't know, I think the best thing to do is to be healthier in all the ways you can.  Better sleep, better exercise, less stress, eat well, get good nutrition, drink enough water, keep your skin moist and not too much sun (or too little).  Even if one of these things doesn't help that specific problem, it's a good thing to do.

Many things get better over time, or with age, or when you change things in your life.  Sometimes when you're having an allergic reaction a steroid shot or cream can help, cortisone or something like that.  Anyway, I won't play doctor.  I hope it gets better.

Have someone pee on it.

I'm surprise no one here as talked about Epson salt baths. Similar idea to chlorine bath... eczemas irritated skin often gets infected which perpetuates the flair, inflammation and itch.  The bath can sooth the irritation while "healing up" those open areas.  Soak for 15 mins (warm water, 2 cups epson salt, an oatmeal bath packet, some baking soda and and a swing of white or apple cider vinager). Moisturize after the bath (within 3 minutes) and then dont scratch it.  For me, sometimes the moisturizer makes it too itchy- like it is too heavy or hot, so experiment with using different lotions and oils that dont have a lot of junk, coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, cetaphil lotion etc.

lastly, you DO have to figure out your triggers --- whether they are sleep, stress, food allergy, environmental allergy - soap, detergent etc.  You should examine what your triggers are and why they affect you.

Steroid creams and ointments work by decreasing the inflammation in your skin, but they also thin your skin and slow the healing of any open scratches. so use with caution - your body will develop immunity and you will have to use increased amounts and different steroids over time to get same results.

non-steriod creams like ellidel or protopic may work well but do make your skin more sensitive to the sun and work better over time as a build up in the skin is created.

Antihistamines or anxiolytics may help to control itch during times of extreme flair or discomfort.

Adding more seaweed, b vitamin's, and EFA's to the diet like flax and evening primrose oil may help as well.

taking Chinese and ayurvedic herbs under the care and guidance of someone who can help balance and detox your body may provide the best longterm solution.  Considering adding yoga to your day to reduce the impact of everyday stressors on your mind and body.

Good luck, Amar

Have you tried a liquid protein wash?

what the hell is eczema

Seamen is reputed to have amazing rejuvenating affects on skin. I saw that in Caligula.

Oh my!!

Yes, go ahead and use all of the above.
Don't even think of consulting with a doctor.
We absolutely believe that you are a real person with a real (7 month!) medical problem and that is what the Yelp Oracle is for, after all.

Yelp talk has definitely lost its appealing :-/

Hello A.G.:

I once had bad psoriasis on my hands.  I went to a dermatologist, and they gave me some stuff that didn't help.

While I agree that you should go to a dermatologist, I have one other suggestion.

The product that stopped my psoriasis in a few months (after having it for a few years) was Blue Cap.  It comes in a cream, spray, and a few other forms I believe.

I did a quick search, and found this site that offers a lot of their products:

advancedalternativescent…

I have no idea if they are the best site, so you should do a search to see if someplace else has a better deal (or more information).

The product really worked, and I did not have any side effects.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to send me an email.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Tom

Epson salt bath

and me to help you scrub your back

everyone suffering with skin problems, please don't forget that you are all beautiful!

I heard microdermabrasion helps..

I'm so sorry for the people that have to endure this condition.  My ex sister-in-law had it bad on her elbows and she was so pretty but it never seemed to bother her.  I think she'd had it for a long time before she married my brother but I remember some days it looked worse than others.  And in junior high, a really good looking guy had it all over his face.  Again, some days it looked like it was clearing up and then it would be all over his face again - I hope you can get some relief and soon.

yelp.com/user_photos?use…
your top model career wont pay for this wtf?

speaking from someone who used to have it- AVEENO oatmeal baths and use lotions with no fragrance. DONT take hot showers and baths

ALSO. use hydro cortisone cream

Have you considered Phototherapy treatments?  Sometimes referred to as PUVA ('cept without the meds).

Drea has it right. If you want to CURE the problem, get to the root cause. Typically eczema is a result of a food allergy or intolerance specifically to gluten or any other grains or legumes. Proteins in those foods are not easily digested and get through the gut lining without being fully broken down into individual amino acids that your body can process. As a result, your body attacks the grouped amino acids because it thinks they're invaders (ie: bacteria, viruses, etc.). This seems like it's the right thing to happen, only the amino acid combinations will mimic amino acid combinations in other body tissue cells, so when your body goes to attack the undigested food proteins (amino acid chains), it ALSO attacks whatever body tissue that combination may mimic. It's called molecular mimicry and in your case it's hitting your skin cells. It's not fun, but it's curable.

A grain/legume and dairy free diet for 30 days should do it. From there you may want to introduce one food at a time to see if you have a reaction.

If you want 1:1 help, I'm always around. I'm a holistic nutritionist and I specialize in these kinds of problems (along with some other areas of focus). Note that if you have a reaction in this way, you're more likely to develop other autoimmune reactions to food that can be far more serious than just some itchy skin.

Don't be scared, be educated and be empowered.

Oh, this blog post of mine might have some useful info as well, forgot to add the link before...
balancedbites.com/2010/0…

Dr Dietrich in San Bruno had several cases and he was succeful with it, I work for him  and I have seen it's takes a lot of time in some causes. You have to be patient. Give him a call it won't hurt. His phone is 650 291-0709.
I have heard of worse cases then yours just so you know thier is hope....
Linda G

you need this stuff. That's it. Wash with this soap, use their lotion sticks. You can thank me in 3 weeks. alabu.com

Speaking of eczema and psoriasis, whatever happened to "Tegrin"???

It was great stuff and worked well, and I can't seem to find it in any drugstore anymore.