Traditional medicine

I was diagnosed with eczema as a toddler and have used topical steroids intermittently to control flare ups for most of my life. As I learned about and experienced some alternative therapies such as chiropractic care, muscle testing, supplements, essential oils, an anti-fungal diet, and the like, I had become turned off to the idea of using harsh chemicals on my body. Steroids can cause a host of problems like immune suppression, liver and kidney damage, weight gain, and thinning of the skin (if used topically). I was a bit disappointed that my parents had just given me the standard treatment instead of trying the more healthy, alternative route. Maybe all those years of steroid use had thinned my skin to where it wouldn't hold moisture and was more susceptible to flares.

So when I started having a flare up on my hands during the dry winter this year, I tried all sorts of natural remedies. Miracle Skin Salve, Burt's Bees, olive oil, Evening Primrose oil capsules, Young Living lotions and salves...and some not so natural ones, like Lubriderm, Eucerin, Vaseline.....and nothing was working. It was horrid. My hands itched all the time, and were red, swollen, cracked, and bleeding. I could get relief by running them under hot water to get a little histamine release, but that would just rob them of any moisture they did have and dry them out more. I compulsively scratched my hands until they bled. My daily tasks didn't help either--my hands were nearly constantly wet from doing dishes, laundry, washing after changing diapers, and bathing the kids. Same at work--12 hours of handwashing between patients was killing me. I used dishwashing gloves to protect my hands during chores but would sometimes forget to use them, and even if I did, I was still miserable. I was finally started using some leftover steroid cream, but it was low potency and didn't help much....and then I ran out of it!

Ben encouraged me to make an appointment with my dermatologist, which I didn't want to do because I knew what he would tell me. "Moisturize, avoid contact with water, and use this steroid cream." Why pay for him to tell me what I already knew? And I didn't really want to use the steroids. But I finally was desperate enough to make the appointment.
I was shocked when I went to the appointment and almost immediately started crying. I had been carrying this huge burden of ugly, painful, debilitating skin alone, and here was someone who would listen, empathize, and actually help me. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion and rather embarrassed with myself. But I've taken care of enough patients to know that it's on the spectrum of normal to cry, and the practitioner doesn't think less of the patient for it.

I was right, the dermatologist told me to moisturize, avoid contact with water, and use a steroid cream. But within that, there were specifics he told me to try that I wouldn't have found on my own. He recommended Cetaphil lotion and soap, which have been working fabulously. He recommended that I swap household duties with my husband so my hands don't get wet as often (I think I'll stick with using dishwashing gloves!) And the steroid cream is....amazing. It is a potent formulation (level 2 of 7) called Desoximetasone. The itching went away in one day, the redness and swelling in two, and the cracks scabbed up and healed within four. I have five days left of a two week course and am thrilled with the results. I have reduced the application to once a day (instead of two) and hope to taper off of it to reduce the chance of another flare.

I know that there are significant side effects of topical steriod use and I don't want to minimize that. But, there are significant side effects of untreated eczema as well. Maybe my parents weren't wrong after all--maybe they did their best to take care of their little girl (thanks, guys!). And I have learned (relearned? remembered?) to not discount a therapy merely because it is traditional or has side effects, but rather to weigh the risks against the benefits.