i have struggled with bouts of bad eczema since I was a teen. Most derms prescribe cortisone cream. Over the years, this has thinned the skin on my hands, and I don't like the idea of cortisone in my bloodstream either. Does anyone know of alternatives?
I wish I did know of an alternative, my daughter has a serious skin condition and she has to use cortisone all the time. I worry about what it will do long term.
I'm afraid I've never seen anything work better than cortisone cream, and I've used cortisone for many years.
Some relief can be obtained with aloe juice, and I mean the type you get from the plant. There is a brand of creams you can buy without a prescription called Dermarest. These are the best alternatives I've tried, and I've used them off and on for an application or two through the day instead, but no way can they be as effective as cortisone.
Molly, have you experienced problems from long term use of cortisone cream? My daughter has used it for almost 5 years since developing pityriasis lichenoides. She has other creams prescribed too and she uses an aloe vera cream too but she still needs the cortisone cream. She has been told that she will probably have this condition for life now,
Just, I have had some thinning of the skin, mainly on my forearms, but no other problems. My dermatologist recommended two weeks on, two weeks off for the thinning. I use the Dermarest and the aloe for the two weeks off. Haven't been doing this for very long, so I can't report if it's helped or not with the thinning.
Thanks Molly, I am going to ask about this again next time we go to the consultant. She uses it on large areas of her body and also around her eyes, so it does worry me. Without she suffers terribly and it prevents her living a normal life, so I guess the cortisone is the least bad option.
That's how it's been for the longest time, Just; cortisone is the best thing to use for so many problems. I am hopeful that soon another medicine, or family of medicines will come along that will take over for cortisone. In our family, the skin problems seem to jump a generation. My parents and kids had no skin problems but I do; I worry for my grandkids, and don't want them to have to go through what I have. I want to give medical science a kick in the pants and tell them to hurry up!!!!
I've had limited experience with cortisone, but I've used manufactured aloe gel and vitamin E gel more regularly... I don't suppose there's a vitamin E gel that would be helpful in your case, Lyndsey? Best of luck with your condition...
The best kind of vitamin E to use is to pierce the skin of the vitamin E cap and just squeeze it onto your skin or into aloe gel (the best aloe gel is right out of the plant). The caps will have less additives and be purer. I think it's also cheaper than alot of the vitamin E creams.
I have had success with JASON Natural E.F.A. hand and body lotion in a yellow-orange tube. My eczema was driving me crazy with the itching. I read that essential fatty acids are used by your body to reduce inflammation. I found this lotion at Henry's Market. My Whole Foods carries JASON brand, but not this particular lotion. When I put it on every few hours my rash went away. As an added bonus it makes the little red bumps on the back of my upper arms go away too. Good luck.
alternatives to cortisone cream
alternatives to cortisone cream
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