Skin problems

[rosie1]

I'm having very bad skin problems dry skin very sore , I've scratch to much now have sores on legs to embrassed to go to doctors is there any cream I could buy over counter ,

 

[Northerner]

Don't be embarrassed rosie, you can't help it. Perhaps you could ask the pharmacist if they would recommend anything?

 

[Anders]

Try E45 cream, it's magic. You could have developed eczema or psoriasis. This is common amongst people who have an existing auto-immune disease like diabetes. I suffer from eczema and your symptoms describe it perfectly. E45 daily to the affected areas have worked wonders for me, so much so that I forget I have the complaint. It took a week to show and feel any improvement, but now I don't suffer at all as long as I apply the cream every morning.

 

[rosie1]

I will try

Im my worest enemy I don't treat my self well due to bad history (sorry don't know how to put it any way) if I get stressed I will start scratching , I'm retiring soon so hope it helps .

 

[Copepod]

Do ask a pharmacist - most have private rooms for interviews, where you could show your legs, so they can advise the best sort of cream / ointment / dressings. If a prescription is needed, then they'll tell you to see a GP, but in the meantime, there's probably something that you can buy to help. Don't be embarrassed - pharmacist and GP will have seen far worse, and only want to help you get better, not to judge. Often practice nurses are skilled in skin care, and many can prescribe a limited range of medications, both topical [eg to apply to skin] and tablets / pills.

As you suspect it's stress related, then retirement may well help. If you're scratching, then try to train yourself to rub circles round an itchy patch with pad of finger tip - that often removes the itching sensation, while not breaking skin.

 

[Laura davies]

Dear Rosie,

We are all our own worst enemies, i understand. I had itchy scalp for years and was too ashamed to speak to GP about it i almost felt like i have diabetes, major back problems skin itching seems petty to tell the GP about but my goodness the itch was awful when stressed and so uncomfortable. When i talked to GP he diagnosed and got the correct cream and now its manageable. Dont suffer ok

 

[silentsquirrel]

Agree with Copepod and Laura's advice, but if this is difficult for you, I find Sudocrem very good. You may need to look in baby section of supermarket/pharmacy, rather than medicine section, as one of its uses is for nappy rash, but I find it relieves itching very quickly, and leaflet advises it can be used on broken skin.

 

[Bloden]

E45 contains lanolin - make sure you're not allergic to it!

I'd seek professional help, as Copepod and Laura suggest. That way, you get the right treatment for the problem. I hope you get some relief soon. 😱

 

[Anders]

I'd be very interested to find out what a pharmacist says regarding E45.
Eczema can be brought on by stress, but there can be many other reasons.
UV light can help psoriasis. It may be neither of these conditions, but I'll bet it's one or the other.

 

[KookyCat]

I'd get advice too but as a eczema gal myself you could look at some common culprits, in no particular order, biological washing powder/liquid has enzymes which are known to cause issues, SLS is another common culprit and that's in most things that foam including shampoo, washing up liquid, hand wash, some soap, tooth paste and shower gel (hard one to avoid but generally you'd know if that's a problem from an itchy irritated scalp because almost all shampoos are packed with it), and unfortunately it's also in a number of aqueous creams prescribed for eczema (because they can be used for washing), anything highly fragranced can be an irritant too. It could also be habit, scratching when nervous or anxious can be a distraction and can become ingrained so if the pharmacist can't help, and there's no obvious connection to an irritant a trip to the doctors might be a good idea (as much as you'd prefer not to). It's miserable being uncomfortable so I hope you find a solution soon 😱

 

[rosie1]

Thank you all I tried sudocream and I think it's working😱