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[Prettycut156]

Hi, I'm interested to know if anyone has experienced awful facial eczema in their mid 40s?  I have been suffering with awful eczema around my eyes and around my mouth and in between my fingers for about a year now. Burning, itching, red, swollen, almost feels like a sort of anaphylactic shock, puffy, tingling. Skin splitting. You get the idea. I've been to the doctors countless times, all they have done is give me hydrocortisone and say it's one of those things. I've been referred to a private skin specialist who did patch tests which came back negative - once again said it's one of those things. I am mid 40s and am sure given that I am peri menopausal that this must be linked, that this must be the result of a lack of something in my body, rather than it reacting to an outside allergen (I have ruled everything out). I did my own research and thought maybe it was a drop in oestrogen levels, because I have read the skin thins and can cause skin problems. So, after trying HRT, and upping it to two pumps a day, it miraculously cleared up, my skin was back to normal. I could've cried I was so relieved. But after three weeks, it's started coming back. Now I look like a racoon again with the inflamed eczema around my eyes. I am at my wit's end again, I don't know what to do. Has anyone else experienced this? My docs just say it's not a symptom. But it must be! Sorry for long post

[Flossieteacake]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I am so sorry to hear of the eczema and how you are not getting any support with it. Did you ever see a dermatologist? If your eczema cleared when you first started HRT it does indeed sound hormonal. Although it has returned it could go again if you continue taking the HRT. I wonder if your body is adjusting to the hormones.

I understand how painful eczema can be. It really stings. Did the cream help the eczema at all? I find it brings down flares but only if I use it more then the recommended dosage which is not recommended sadly.

[Prettycut156]

Thank you for your reply! The hydrocortisone/fucidin H doesn't touch it unfortunately. The only cream I can use is cetreban, which doesn't get rid of it but soothes it a little.
I am wondering if the dose of my HRT needs to be increased, but just wondered if anyone else had ever suffered with this. It's debilitating, it makes me not want to go out unless I have to

[VanillaLover]

Hello, yes I have always had eczema but in my forties I started getting it on my face for the first time, forehead/eyebrows area and cheeks.

Very itchy, flaky, sore. I was having to use betnovate ointment on it almost daily. Started HRT and it has almost gone. I occasionally get flare ups which I control with one or two applications of betnovate.

Have you only been on HRT for three weeks then or have I misunderstood? You may need to give it more time for your body to get used to the new hormone levels. They normally say three months use for any dose change including starting to assess effects.

[Prettycut156]

Thank you, I started in February, initially on one pump a day of the gel, as that's what the doc said, saw absolutely no difference to the eczema. Then I increased to two pumps a day and it totally cleared up, it was miraculous! But unfortunately that only seemed to last for three weeks and it's back again. I do think it must be hormonal though, as the gel was the only thing to even touch the eczema and I have tried so many things over the last year. So I'm wondering if I need more pumps a day. Just out of interest do you use the gel and if so how many pumps, if you don't mind me asking?

[VanillaLover]

I use a patch which is equivalent to two pumps of gel I believe

[Berto77]

I have developed eczema in recent months on my eyelids and neck. However it my GP thinks it is post viral and I've been put on Vitamin D and Iron as I was low in both after a string of illnesses last year. I am wondering about my HRT getting increased as well. I have some extra patches so have thought of seeing how I fair at 75mg and then perhaps asking for an increase at my next review.