What a Life!

I have terrible eczema on my hand. I’ve had it since Ben was born, though until this winter it was mostly on my fingers and not this severe. Ben has also had it on his knees since last summer. I put stuff on it every day, but he scratches it all the time. We get after him, but he still does it. I’ve tried prescription creams and over-the-counter remedies. They will start to improve it, but then a few days later they seem to lose their potency. If I switch products and come back to a product later, it will work again for about a week and then quit. So eczema has just been our ongoing nightmare.

Here is a picture of the eczema on my hand as it appears today (no bleeding cracks at the moment, but it still looks awful).

Well, Mothering magazine has an article in their current issue about treating eczema naturally. I’ve never been one to take vitamins because I think they are better absorbed and more useful if they come from food so I strive to eat a balanced diet. However, at this point, I’m desperate so I’m willing to try some supplements if that will work. The article said that people with eczema are often deficient in zinc, magnesium and vitamin B-6. They also said that Evening Primrose Oil is what was prescribed for eczema before the 1940s when hydrocortisone was introduced because it helps the body make chemicals which calm inflammation. So here are the vitamins I am going to be taking:

I’m also wearing a cotton glove that I bought at Walgreens and applying very emolient cream to the area as needed…aka often enough to keep it from drying out.
If this doesn’t work, I think I’ll just cut off my hand. It’s painful to use my hand because any movement irritates the already irritated skin. There are days when I can’t even knit it’s so bad. I’m just so tired of dealing with this. Wish me luck!