Steroid cream for eczema - bad effects?

[Ben]

Hi,

Does anyone here have eczema and experience of using steroid creams to treat it? Do the steroid creams have a bad effect on your training?

I had a really weird bout of eczema a few months back, having never had it since a small child. It was with a virus and spread scales all over my body. Anyway, the anti-virus drugs plus steroid tablets and strong steroid ointment (Dermovate) got rid of it. But now I get bad eczema on the palms and fingers of my hands, plus on my face a bit.

I've got some weak steroid cream (eumovate) now too, which seems to help. However I don't like to use it much because I've heard the side effects of medical steroids can bad for training......muscle weakness, loss of bone density etc....

But maybe that's only if you take the tablets, and using a weak steroid cream cause the negative side effects..?

Any advice appreciated.

cheers
Ben

[Dastardly]

Cortico-Steroid creams are topical and also not very strong. They have the opposite effect of stuff like testosterone, they are used to make your immune system calm down - to stop causing the painful rashes.

They will not affect your recovery as the effect is very local and not systemic. If you swallowed the cream it might cause some problems.

I have also been suffering quite suddenly from some eczema for the past 2 years I have been training. The only reasoning I can come up with is Histamine which is contained in all of the foods I am eating large amounts of. And the possibility of being allergic to one of the many amino acids I am currently ingesting fairly large quantities of.

I am what they call "atopic" you may be too.

[ironcross]

Try rubbing white vinegar on your skin after a shower (not before a date with a hot girl or a job interview).

I figure "natural" cures and all that are mostly bullshit, but this really worked for me. Doesn't cure it, just calms it all down some.

[Big Lench]

sounds like it could be contact dermatitis/eczema or something similar. Are you regularly using something on your hands? are you in regularly in contact with or handling any chemicals? (cleaning products, hand wash etc.) what is your job? as it could be something you come in contact with there.

[Bean1871]

I have been a topical cortico-steroid user for years, on and off. Other than the expected effects of calming-down the affected area for a while, I have had no noticeable side effects.

I have read that vitamin D deficiency is a factor in many auto immune responses. Vitamin D3 and direct sunlight to the affected area have done wonders for my eczema. Google vitamin D, sunlight and eczema for some info on the subject. Good luck.
Bill

[ag858]

I've got eczema too, since birth. As I understand it, the side effects the OP speaks of are from long term oral steroids like Dexamethasone and Prednisolone tablets. The Eumovate and even the Dermovate creams won't do that do your muscle and bones. The strong localised steroid cream (Dermovate) can cause thinning of the skin, especially if used on the delicate skin of the face or groin, this happens over the long term though.

Here's what I've been told: Eumovate can be used pretty much everywhere long term, but try to avoid using on the face or groin for more than a week at a time.
Betnovate/Fucibet should not be used on the face or groin but can be used for quite long episodes on the body and indefinitely on robust areas like the hands.
Dermovate is for stubborn areas of eczema on robust areas like the hands.

So I would say if you're just using Eumovate there's really no danger at all apart from longer term use (>weeks at a time) on the face, as it may cause some slight effects like visible veins, wrinkles, that sort of thing.

[Marotta]

Eat all the cream, you'll get mad swole.

[dkggpeters]

I had eczema really bad as a kid and young adult and feel for you. When I was growing up they didn't have much treatment options. What worked best for me was sunlight believe it or not. If I spent time in the sun (need eczema exposed) then it usually cleared up really quickly. The good news is you may outgrow it as I don't have any problems and haven't had any problems for a long time. Good luck.

[Dastardly]

Eat all the cream, you'll get mad swole.

It is a CORTICOSTEROID, it will give you cushings sydrome. Basically massive muscle wastage, a moonface, and a massive pot belly.

[Marotta]

It is a CORTICOSTEROID, it will give you cushings sydrome. Basically massive muscle wastage, a moonface, and a massive pot belly.

If he was dumb enough to take me seriously, and actually eat it, he deserves it.