A desperate try for a treatment for Eczema….

So a lot of my postings are about topics I have needed to research for myself or family and friends – or about something I saw that interested me while perusing the news or staring at the television.  In any case, I always have a personal interest in what I research and write about.

Today’s topic is eczema – also known as “the itch that rashes”.  This is in direct opposition to other kinds of itchy skin like contact dermatitis – where your skin comes into contact with something irritating or that you are allergic to.

Eczema happens like this – you get an itchy spot on your skin, with no reason in sight.  The itch becomes severe enough that it disrupts your day and can even wake you up at night (very disturbing for a mother of three since I need all the sleep I can get).  Then after a few days – you have scratched so much that a rash can develop – and if you keep scratching – you can get claw marks in your skin – which can actually get infected.

Keeping with the personal interest thing – A month or so ago – I had an attack of extreme itchiness on my shoulders – spreading down my arms.  I have had eczema in the past – unusually on my forehead and on the tops of my shoulders but this was actually worse.  It also started happening on my scalp.

No one really knows what causes eczema – it is most likely an immune reaction to “something”.  That “something” can be cold weather, hot weather, humid weather, dry weather, stress, sleeping, being awake, sunlight, darkness, genetics, clothing, not wearing clothes, water, dry skin, oily skin, clean skin, dirty skin…you get the picture.

I think mine is actually triggered by stress.  OK – more stress than usual.  I had my first noticeable attack while I was pregnant with twins….then when I was pregnant with the third kid in 13 months. This time – it was a financial, work and family crisis (as work and money often lead to a family crisis).

In any case – the itch became bad enough that I was wakened at night and it was starting to make me cry out of desperation.  I was slathering on over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream mixed with “Caladryl” lotion – which incidentally smells like aftershave – SEVERAL times a day and during the night.  Frankly – it wasn’t working that great.

I happened to have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for another reason and told him about it – at which time he gave me a prescription for triamcinolone – a stronger steroid cream.  It worked a little better but not great – my number of uses daily went down by about half (even though the doctor said twice a day – I was at more like 6).

A few days later, I called my sister to complain (bitch) about a family member who had caused me a great deal of stress (contributing to the problem).  In the conversation, I told her about the eczema and she launched into a natural health discussion about coconut oil and essential oils.

My sister actually has a Master’s degree in Fine Arts – but through a massive number of random and odd illnesses has needed to use natural medicine.  In short – she has become a near expert on a lot of natural remedies – she is very “crunchy” as she likes to say – referring to granola.  Also she is a medical anomaly – and ends up with conditions that doctor’s refuse to recognize – so she often solves them on her own with natural treatments.

Her husband is a chef – who has developed an allergy to raw chicken protein and seafood – great thing for a chef, right?  Anyway he takes Benadryl (a lot), has used every cream on the market – and still breaks out in a rash – sometimes with no apparent cause because the allergy has triggered a whole bunch of other problems.  She has been using a combination of coconut oil and several essential oils for topical treatment on him.  She uses a massively expensive brand but I went the cheaper route – and ordered them from Amazon…

Oddly – another friend of mine called and during the conversation, she mentioned using coconut oil for her husband’s itchy skin – said it was working great.

Here is the “recipe” for the treatment my sister recommended:

• Coconut oil – can be purchased at grocery store or from healthfood store.  Coconut oil has some anti-inflammatory activity – may have some anti-infective activity – and helps to keep the moisture in your skin. Also coconut oil smells better than lard...I used about 2 ounces – enough to fill up a small plastic jar. 

Two or more of the following essential oils ( few drops each):

• Rosemary – increases blood supply to the skin – the smell is either pleasant or stinky – depending on whether you like rosemary or not, used in European folk medicine for eczema – also has antioxidant, antiseptic and antispasmodic properties.
• Lavender – has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties, also most varieties smell pretty decent - used for centuries for tons of stuff (insomnia, nervousness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, gas, skin infections, burns, eczema, psoriasis…etc)
• Peppermint – also has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties – smells just like you think it should, has been used for all kinds of GI complaints, headaches, stress….I tried the tea for morning sickness when pregnant with the twins but I puked it up – I might possibly have tried smoking it but it didn’t help (don’t do either).
• Sandalwood – has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties – I was excited about this one because being kind of a hippie kid, I really like the smell of sandalwood, only to remember that not all varieties smell the same – oh well
• Frankincense (yes that one) – supposedly encourages calmness, serenity and relaxation which would indicate anti-inflammatory activity - no comment on the smell since by this time I had a whole bunch of crap in the mix, but I do seem to recall that I didn’t like Frankincense incense (haha) perhaps partly because it was either gold or black – used for burns, rashes, cuts etc – and in anti-aging treatments
• Myrrh (yes that one) - has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties – again no comment on the smell– has been used a lot for mouth sores and irritation – sores, ulcers, gingivitis, strep throat, stinky breath….
• Tea tree oil – actually my sister did not recommend this one – but it is a favorite of mine – I have used it for all kinds of skin ailments, rashes, bug bites, acne, seborrheic dermatitis – and hear that it helps prevent lice – most people think it stinks but I don’t, though I can understand why they do - my husband hates it but I usually don't listen to him anyway

I didn’t follow her recommendation exactly (I usually don't follow anyone's instructions exactly - or at all....) – I used a little of all of them - So by this time – I had a pretty goopy mess which actually kind of stank – and I had two bottles of essential oil left – orange oil and lemongrass.

• Orange oil – is a natural insecticide – but CAN NOT be put directly on plants because it will kill them immediately (I know this because I did it) – should not be applied to skin full strength or consumed like that…..but it smells good
• Lemongrass – normally I hate lemongrass as it is present in a lot of Asian food and I think it tastes like citronella – actually that is where citronella comes from and every time I eat something with lemongrass, I think I am eating an anti-mosquito candle – this bottle smelled good though

So because they smelled good – I added a few drops anyway.  Didn’t help the smell.

I mixed it all up – and put this oily, stinky stuff on my shoulders and arms.  

On a side note – notice that 3 out of 6 oils that she recommended are of the mint family (rosemary, lavender and peppermint).  

Wow –it is really greasy – but it kept the itch at bay for at least 12 hours.  Problem is, I don’t know which ingredients helped. I did end up having to store it in the fridge and hack off a little piece each time I use it.

The point is – though I would say that something in there is working for me, I would not recommend this particular experiment – really you should always try one ingredient at a time – but I was desperate and this worked so I will keep on doing it – and my shoulders are really smooth.  Probably won’t rub it on my whole body though….

AND remember I did NOT tell you to do this – my advice really is – listen to the advice you get from odd places and then check it out for yourself…..

Herbal Therapy: Using Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil extracted from the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia plant that can be used to treat a variety of skin disorders. It has been used successfully to treat a number of infection and irritation based skin disorders.

The “Tea Tree” was discovered when explorer James Cook traveled from Great Britain to Australia in the late 1700’s. The aborigines introduced the explorers to the wonders of the plant which they used by crushing the leaves and applying directly to a cut. It was named the “Tea Tree” by Cook’s group after they made a tea out of the leaves. Shortly thereafter, its use spread to Europe and was widely used.

Its use as an antifungal is documented during World War II but in the 1940’s it fell into disuse due to the development of penicillin and subsequent antibiotics. It’s effectiveness was proven in a number of clinical trials dating back to the 1920’s investigating such topics as athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, acne and dandruff.

In the 1970’s, tea tree oil use once again became popular and has since been on the rise due to interest in natural medicines and increasing bacterial and fungal resistance to traditional medicines. Oil from the plant is extracted using steam distillation methods. The compound terpinen-4-ol is thought to be responsible for most of its activity; however the extract contains a number of terpinoids all of which demonstrate some activity.

Tea tree oil has been successfully used to treat a number of skin infections and disorders such as:

• Acne – apply directly to affected area or mix a few drops with normal facial cleanser and use as normal
• Cuts, burns, scratches, insect bites, skin infections, boils – apply directly to affected area
• Seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff – apply directly to scalp with cotton ball or mix with shampoo
• Athlete’s foot – apply directly to affected area with cotton ball
• Thrush, periodontal disease – mix several drops with mouthwash or warm water, rinse and spit
• Eczema, psoriasis – mix a few drops with non-irritating lotion and apply to affected area
• Lice – works best as a preventative by mixing a few drops with regular shampoo and/or conditioner
• Yeast infection, vaginitis – apply a few drops to the tip of a tampon and insert vaginally

Tea tree oil is generally considered safe for topical use but should not be taken internally as it can be toxic if ingested. Minor skin irritation may occur if used in a sensitive area and occasionally specific skin allergies are noted. If you experience a worsening of any condition, additional inflammation or symptoms of allergic reaction use should be discontinued.

Tea tree oil is widely available at any health food store and at many drugstores, grocery stores and large discount stores such as Wal-Mart or Target. In addition, many body care products made with tea tree oil such as creams, lotions and shampoos are now commercially available. Though, in my experience you will always get greater benefit by purchasing tea tree oil and adding a few drops to the shampoo, lotion or cream just prior to use yourself.

What's the deal with perimenopause?

I did not choose to have any children until I was nearing the category "advanced maternal age" - read....old mom. I was almost 35 when I gave birth to twins (without the advanatage of fertility treatments) and then to my shock, I found myself pregnant again 13 months later. Within 21 months, I gave birth to 3 children by c-section. I then chose to have a tubal ligation.

Shortly thereafter, I began having problems with my menstrual cycle. Suddenly after years of being able to set my watch by when my period would come (28 days every month - arriving at 6am), I would sometimes go 45 days, 22 days, 37 days, 18 days. It had become totally irregular. I also experienced painful ovulation called "mittleschmerz disorder" and menstruation that was much heavier and much more painful than even when I was a teenager. The worst part was that I developed polycystic acne. This is much worse than "pimples". This is the type of acne where hard bumps form far beneath the skin. They are very painful, cannot be removed and last for months before going away - often leaving behind a scar. Great....my doctor said there was nothing wrong. My sister in law said it was because I had a tubal....huh? The last straw was when I actually had a hot flash.

I started doing some research after reading about bioidentical hormones from both Suzanne Somer's book and Robin McGraw's book. I learned a lot - it turns out that the main problem is that I am 40...really?

The main sex hormones: Progesterone, Estrogen and Testosterone exist in a balance and when one of them is deficient - the others can become "over expressed". This may result in symptoms of perimenopause.

Bioidentical hormone treatment is all the rage in Hollywood. Unfortunately, I was a stay at home mom and did not live in California nor did I have the financial resources to have my blood, sweat, saliva and other body fluids tested and treated with prescriptions specifically compounded for me. So I did a bunch of research and decided to take a risk and try natural progesterone cream from the health food store. My theory was that I could either get better, get worse or nothing would change.

At first I used 1/2 teaspoon as recommended - that turned out to be too much as I started feeling a little pregnant. I cut the dosage to 1/4 teaspoon rubbed on my inner arm or stomach each day for the 2nd half of my cycle (14 days after I start my period). I do this daily for 14 days of each month. It has been a miracle for me. My painful ovulation stopped, my periods are "normal" for me again, I don't get the acne and I haven't had anymore hot flashes. Really!