What is a treatment that ACTUALLY works for atopic dermatitis?

Answer 1

There are many different treatments available for atopic dermatitis. Unfortunately you have to go through a lot of trial and error to figure out exactly what will work for you. The most important thing is to establish a daily regimen to care for your skin. Keeping your skin moisturized is extremely important, and I personally recommend Vanicream since it's free of many of the irritants that many of the other moisturizers have. Here is a list of other treatments to try, some over the counter and some that require a visit to the dermatologist:

Corticosteroids: These are usually the first line of defense for eczema sufferers. You can get Hydrocortisone OTC, but anything stronger will need a prescription for. If there is a large surface area that is affected you can also take Predisone, an oral corticosteroid, but it should be taken with some caution.

UV Light: You can get PUVA or Narrowband UVB treatments as ordered by a dermatologist. These can be time consuming as they require several trips to the clinic every week.

Antihistamines: Antihistamines can sometimes help. The best ones are unfortunately the ones that make you drowsy. OTC you can get Benadryl. You can also get Hydroxyzine with a prescription.

Antibiotics: Since atopic dermatitis is frequently accompanied by staph infections, antibiotics are sometimes needed to clear it up. Some dermatologists recommend taking bleach baths (just put 1 cup of bleach in a full bath tub) or you can take oral antibiotics such as Dicloxacillin or Flucloxacillin.

Calcineurin Inhibitors: Protopic and Elidel are prescription only creams that are not often prescribed by dermatologists, but if you have very stubborn atopic dermatitis that is not responding to any other treatment then this might be something to try.

Other: There are many other drugs that can be prescribed for eczema that is particularly stubborn. Cyclosporin and Methotrexate are sort of the "kitchen sink" of treatments and are used only if other options have been exhausted as they can be high risk and suppress your immune system. Doxepin is a drug that is particularly helpful if you're having trouble sleeping and is a good antipruritic. For treatments that don't require a doctor, putting 10 drops of lavender oil in a bath can help soothe the skin. Putting something cold on a particularly itchy spot can at least temporarily stop the itching sensation. And aloe can also relieve some itchiness (although make sure to get it in a cream or ointment not a gel).

If none of this helps, you may want to look into other causes such as contact dermatitis or food Allergies.