Itching symptom

I'd definitely go back to the skin specialist. A friend of mine who had really bad psoriasis break out when she was under tension told me that she had learned a lot about it. They always give you steroids at first. Remember the treatment isn't over until you are better.

It's been a long time, but I think she said that steroids didn't help much. That perhaps nourishing hydrating creams would be more helpful. Perhaps E45? Ask your dermatologist but do try to get to grips with your cancer as well.

You need to accept that your life is changed for now, and that you can ease the tension by finding relaxing activities. For me it is walks in the country, but it might be something else for you. You could wear gloves, cut your nails short, (they'll grow again) and find something else to do to occupy your hands.

I have only minor personal experience of this, but the E45 cream works just as well as the steroid cream.

You have my sympathies Holdeni!!

I have suffered for 15 years with extrememly bad excyema. I've been presribed every steriod cream imaginable and every water based/e45 cream that is going. I even had shower gels prescribed to me!! In my experience it depends on the time of year and where the itch actually was on my body as to what cream i would have used, for instance the water based creams didn't work during really hot weather and this is when i would have tried using the steriod creams. Coincidently, as i am typing my hands are covered in cream as i have 'pumox excyema' on both my hands and its driving me nuts!! I had it so bad on one of my legs at one stage a few years ago that when i was at a family funeral, some relatives past comment on how terrible my leg looked. I was soo embarrassed that i lied and said that i had spilled hot water on it and thats why it was soo red raw and couldn't heal. Truth was i scratched it so bad it looked really horrible!!!

Ironically, since I was diagnosed with my cancer, my excymea really died down and was practically none existence. throughout all my surgery and treatment, it rarely flared up which i was relieved as i had enought to contend with. However, i am now in remission and slowly but surely my skin is going back to the way it was previously so here are a few tips that i swear by. But remember it will never truly go away, there is no overnight cure, you will have to try and test a lot of things before you find what works for you.

I too was called an 'itcy dog'.

1. 9 times out of ten, your skin itching will never properly go away and cannot be cured. It can only ever be kept and bay and controlled. This is the reality.
2. I discovered that eating a lot of dairy products flared mine up especially cheese and milk, so i cut down a lot
3. i tended to drink a lot of tea/coffee, i changed to green tea and my skin has definitely got a lot healthier and less itchy for sure
4. small things like changing your bed clothes more often or wearing a lot more cotten defintely helped me.
5. Try not to use perfume products for instance in your shower/bath gels. Try and get neutral products.
6. You will be told time and time again, stress flares it up and this is true, so what i found myself doing during stressful periods was to scratch like mad, get it out of your system and when you are bleeding and stinging, get lots of cream (your choice)and plaster yourself in it. It will hurt and sting like mad but grit your teeth and let it all soak in and i swear it will slowly start to help you. Try this a few times, when the skin is broken and bleeding the cream works much better.

I have probably gabbled on here to long, but i soooooooooo no what you are talking about.

Good luck

feansy