NorthernSoul12 years ago

Savlon is an antiseptic and (unless your eczema was infected- usually you can spot this by little blisters followed by a golden crust over the lesion) shouldn't have much effect over that of an ordinary heavy-duty moisturiser. Try hydrocortisone cream in combination with a moisturiser.

But make sure it's nothing else! Ring-worm can often look like discoid eczema and hydrocortisone can make that worse.

Lynxcat in reply to NorthernSoul12 years ago

I have found Savlon cream is more moisturising than any other on the market and I have tried most including those recommended for eczema.

I merely posted the above as I have friends and family members that have successfully cleared up eczema using Savlon cream and thought it might be of use to others who have the problem.

I have found Savlon products to be most useful for a variety of things. For instance a small splash of Savlon Antiseptic Liquid in the water when you wash your hair acts as a wonderful hair softener and conditioner. Savlon cream is brilliant as a hand cream when hands get dry in winter or after being in water a long time. Savlon Antiseptic Liquid is superb for bathing down wounds on animals as it doesn't turn water cloudy which shows (according to my vet) that it is dangerous for animals to ingest by licking.

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NorthernSoul12 years ago

I've never heard of it being used as a hair conditioner before! I didn't even realise you could get it as a liquid...

Lynxcat in reply to NorthernSoul12 years ago

Hi Northern Soul, Yes - it comes in two liquid varieties. One is a disinfectant, this is a brown liquid similar to Dettol to look at. The other is an antiseptic and is in a blue bottle but the liquid is clear and feel slightly soapy in appearance. It is used in midwifery, first aid and for personal hygiene. It is also very useful for pets as it is harmless if they lick the skin after it has been cleaned off with it diluted. A tiny splash of it is wonderful as a hair conditioner and it helps to calm down fly-away hair and keep curly hair in control.

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swarthy12 years ago

I have to say, as a lifelong severe eczema sufferer until I went GF - the thought of putting Savlon on my skin makes me cringe - it would be excrutiatingly painful for a condition which is effectively over-shedding of skin.

My eczema was so severe, some days I could barely bend my joints and used to literally peel my clothes off matted with blood and dead skin - eventually I got some level of control through high dose prednisolone, then it all but cleared when I changed myself and then my dogs to a GF diet.

I can only assume that those who have used Savlon to clear their eczema didn't have a high level of spread of severity - it's quite likely it would have been infected, and possibly not even ezcema at all - there are many skin rashes that can mimic it.

Not forgetting also, that a large proportion of children and young adults do generally grow out of it with no medical intervention, then just get occasional flare ups through triggers such as stress.

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The other thing to remember is eczema is a very personal condition with a broad range of causes and treatments - what works for one may easily not work for another - some people swear by conventional medicines, others by hollistic mediciines, for me, after nearly half a century now know that Gluten is most definitely a key trigger - and now also get DH outbreaks if I get "glutened".

Eczema cannot actually be cured, it can be cleared and people can go through extended periods of remission - even now on a GF diet, I get mild flare ups, but compared to what I've historically been through - it is heaven.

As a personal condition, there is every possibility that Savlon may help one or two, but I would be seriously concerned about a generalistic recommendation to try it; I know some people who are so desperate, after seeing this they may well do, and could leave themselves in excrutating pain.

If anyone seriously is thinking of trying it, then I would recommend they try a very small hidden patch first.

Lynxcat in reply to swarthy12 years ago

Hello Swarthy, I really wasn't suggesting that people go out, buy a tube of Savlon Antiseptic Cream and smear the whole tube over themselves. I was merely pointing out through personal observation and others recommendations that it is a wonderful skin cream for some sufferers of eczema and this being the case it may be worth trying out a small patch of the cream if other creams aren't bringing relief.

I know that I personally wished that I had found out about it sooner rather than later. I have eczema around the edge of my eyes .. impossible to use most creams in this area .. I gently apply it and splash my face with cold water before patting dry. This has taken away a large majority of the rash and swelling - it also prevents the day-long itching spree that a person never gets used to. As it cleared up a patch below one of my eyes last year (which touch wood has not returned), I am hoping that with prevailance it may have the same effect on my current rashes. My daughter was the first person to point out to me that I would be well advised to use Savlon as she has had great success with it. So from time-to-time it comes up in conversation and it's amazing how many people use it without admitting to it .. merely because it isn't recommended for eczema treatment.

Dermatitis or eczema is a terrible condition to have in any form and I think it is useful to share our knowledge on all things related to making our wellbeing better and for us all to be more generally well informed on all things medical that we feel is related to Coeliac Disease. This is the only way that we can obtain the best possible health prospects for all of the group. So whatever course of action and medication you have found to alleviate a particular symptom please put it down with brand names and results, perhaps on a separate blog post that way we can all benefit and learn and improve our individual conditions.

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Janey3912 years ago

I have been trying to get the patches of blistering weeping sores on my legs to clear up. My dr repeatedly told me it was dry skin till my most recent flare when he admitted it was eczema, completely different type than my normal eczema. I was given cortisone cream which stopped the itching but I am still left patches of red sore skin. Might try salon as all other creams have failed.

NorthernSoul in reply to Janey3912 years ago

Go back and get a heavier duty steroid cream if your doctor thinks it's eczema. And try (if you're not already) using your prescribed moisturising cream in the bath/shower as a soap. Avoid using regular soaps, even so-called 'gentle ones'. It's a pain but you have to moisturise severe eczema at least 3-4 times a day regularly to get any kind of effect.

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LolaBlogger12 years ago

I used to have 'eczema' as a child and through to adulthood with a few clear periods. Had patch tests, steroid creams, Betnovate, the lot - nothing helped. I kept the skin partially moisturised using emulsifying ointment.

Then I discovered, through a lucky accident, that I was reacting to two chemicals that are found in all sorts of products, (sun lotion, bubble bath, hand creams, lipsalve and lots more) and now that I avoid those products I have 100% clear skin. In my case the chemicals are parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propy-paraben) and tocopherol (including tocopherol acetate, aka vitamin E).

Your cases may be entirely different, but it's worth bearing in mind that skin problems can be caused by a number of factors, doctors are not always right, and conventional wisdom (e.g. that vitamin E is 'good for the skin') is often wrong.

Lynxcat in reply to LolaBlogger12 years ago

I think that one major problems with skin and skin rashes is that scrapes/biopsies/samples are not in my experience taken away for testing to ascertain what the problem that a patient is presenting with is properly diagnosed in the first place.

My daughter, as a young child had a circular rash appear on one of her legs - it didn't go away so like a good mother, I took her to the doctors and was immediately told that she had ring-worm. I was horrified - couldn't think how she could have contracted it. I slapped on the prescribed medicine only to have the rash bounce all over both of her legs. Back we went once more and was told that in fact she didn't have ring-worm but it was eczema. From one tiny patch - the wrong cream applied topically caused a massive flare that was both painful, itchy and unrelenting for many years. Finally we realised that plastic seats at school were exaserbating the condition (oh for good old-fashioned wooden chairs from my childhood). We decided that trousers were the only course of action.

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Dawniep12 years ago

Can DH look like eczema? I only ask because the only pictures ive seen are lots of blister like spots. My daughter has recently started to suffer from two large patches of angry red, peeling, itchy skin across the top her her buttocks that flare up when she has been 'glutened'. They developed last september when she was on a 'challenge', and they definitley go on a GF diet.

NorthernSoul in reply to Dawniep12 years ago

No, sometimes it can be very difficult to tell the two apart unless you're a consultant dermatologist (and even then the best way to confirm is via biopsy). The top of the buttocks is a classic place to get DH and the fact that it disappears on a GF diet is pretty suggestive of it too...

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Dawniep12 years ago

Thanks, i did wonder...even the slighest bit of gluten sets it off.....

Hidden12 years ago

My husband suffered from eczema for many years - cracked and bleeding hands, his back looked like he'd been in a fire, couldn't get a decent night's sleep because of the itching - and after having little success with steroids his GP basically told him he'd have to live with it.

In an emergency he sometimes used Germolene, which soothed the itching and stinging (probably only because it contains an analgesic).

When we moved, the new surgery had a special eczema clinic, and they prescribed him a much stronger steroid cream to use only during a flare-up. When the skin healed, he needed to use a heavy-duty moisturiser every day. Rather than using a weak steroid cream all the time, which can weaken the skin in the long term, they advocate hitting an outbreak hard with strong steroids and keeping the area well moisturised to prevent further outbreaks.

He's seen the biggest difference cutting out coffee and cow's milk products. He can tolerate these occasionally, but frequent consumption brings his eczema back.

Good luck to you all. Eczema can be agony.

RachaelKelly7 years ago

I'm a 75-year-old man and have had small patches of eczema on both of my lower shins for more than 10 years. My physician prescribed a topical cortisone cream for treatment and I had been using it for nearly 10 years. Recently, I found foderma serum it was recommended by the manufacturer that this serum should not be used for more than 2 weeks. In searching for an alternative treatment I discovered foderma serum and, because of the positive reviews on google, decided to try it.

The itching stopped on the first day of use, and now after two weeks, the eczema patches are no longer detectable. The product is amazingly effective! And highly recommended.