Whelehans Pharmacy :Eczema: Prescription medication options (Part 2)
Ask your Pharmacist
Eczema: Prescription medication options (Part 2)
Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie
Over the last two weeks in the Examiner, I discussed how the initial approach to eczema including avoidance of exacerbating factors and hydrating the skin and steroid use more severe cases. This week I discuss prescription options which may be required for resistant cases.
Bandaging techniques
This is an option only prescribed by specialists. They may be more effective than steroids alone, decrease sleepless nights and prevent admission to hospital. The benefit of using wet wraps in the long term (beyond about four weeks), or in less severe cases are less firmly established. Emollients are applied under a double layer of tubular bandage such as Tubifast®, the innermost of which is wetted with tepid water. Tubifast® garments are an easier alternative to the bandages and can be taken off easier to apply more emollient. When necessary, topical steroids can be applied under the wet wrap, but this form of occlusion will increase both the efficacy and the side-effects of the steroid.The advantage and disadvantages of wet wraps are as follows:
Advantages
Reduces inflammation, provides a barrier to prevent scratching, reduces water loss, reduces steroid requirement, improves sleep, may reduce admissions to hospital.
Disadvantages
Increases steroid absorption and side-effects, training required, commitment and time, may be difficult to get children to co-operate, child may feel too hot or cold, increased infection risk, high cost.
Other treatments
Where the control of dermatitis is resistant to conventional therapy, referral to a dermatologist is necessary. Other treatments including ultraviolet light therapy and immunosuppressants such as methotrexate are restricted to severe cases unresponsive to conventional treatments. For the purpose of this article I will concentrate on conventional therapies only.
Free Eczema skincare consultation at our Eczema Clinic
Whelehans Pharmacy offer free Eczema skincare consultations at our Eczema Clinic on Saturday May 27th with skincare expert Trish Wallace. Learn how to reducerednessandirritation and how to reduce frequency of flare-ups. Whelehans offer a range of effective products that give clearer skin in a safe and effective way without the need for stronger and potentially damaging prescription medicines like steroid creams. Book your free appointment; call Whelehans at 04493 34591 or e-mail health@whelehans.ie.
This article is shortened to fit within Newspaper space limits. More detailed information and leaflets is available in Whelehans