Elecon or Elidel should help with that (IMO, Elecon's better).

Comment: I put one dab of Elocon on my eczema 3 months ago...hasn't bothered me since.

I have made a new friend and he is going through something terrible depressing, a mortal wound in many ways. The similarities between us are astounding, yet amazing too. We are thousands of miles apart and I cannot tell him it will be ok although it will, he needs me and I cannot be there in person for him - I want to reach through the phone and give him a hug, the human connection he needs so badly, yet again I cannot. I feel so very sad for him. I know his pain, I lived his pain, I wish I could do more - to take it away the pain the anquish and the ugliness of it all - yet I cannot. ;(

I use clobetosol propitionate at the moment. It seems to help. My trouble is, I try to avoid using the stuff that helps, because I don't like it. I can often fight off a flare before it really sets in and avoid using the creams and potions and pills. Trouble is sometimes I can't, and I leave it too long before doing so, and then the flareup goes very bad, very quick and takes longer to shift......allowing myself to live a very unhealthy lifestyle for extended periods of time prolly doesn't help much either ...

Anyway, nuff of that :P The Hydroxozine's kicked in and i'm not quite so...edgy now :)

Is the eczema on your hands, Dana? Mine's bad right now too, I have found that wetting the hands, putting the Clobetasol on then putting latex-free gloves on at night is really speeding up the process. hate the gloves, though -need a medicinal beer or two to help me ignore them and fall asleep ;)

*chuckles* the medicinal beer certainly assists:P It is on my hands yes, but it's also pretty much everywhere else. I probably should wear the gloves. And definately drink a beer.

I hate the gloves, but a couple of weeks ago I reached a point of such misery it was gloves or amputation. And this time it really worked. As a kid, I used to tear the gloves off as soon as I fell asleep, no matter how hard I tried. As an adult, I get to use a little "staying asleep assistance" and they usually stay on until the early hours. Once I got the hands under control, the rest didn't seem so bad. Good luck with it.

Whoa, sounds like both your conditions are chronic. Ya'll need to get to a doctor, IMO.

Mine's only on my arm at the bend, but when it flares, it's almost unbearable.

Didn't sleep well last night. Tossed and turned and cried. I've never felt more alone in all my life. I'm just going through the motions, it seems. I'm glad I come here. Besides the laughs, I get to realize that not every other person on the planet is happy and well adjusted. I mean that in a good way, of course.

Oh, and on the subject of skin things. I get bouts of angioedema. A slight irritation to my skin and it swells and itches like crazy. It's like hives only affects deeper. Must have had some irritation to my left forefinger at some point last evening, could have just bumped it on a table, but while I was not sleeping it was itching and swelling and now it's bothering the crap out of me. Antihistimines help some, but make me sleepy so I don't take them when I have to work.

Maybe I'm just destined to be a fool, a freak? Could that be possible? What Would Gannett Do? ;)

I can't open up and I can't share. I'm always holding back, and it hurts all of the people I care about: my girlfriend, my parents, my brother, etc. I don't know what to do about it besides trying to open up.

Have you told them that you have this difficulty? That's probably a good step. I don't mean get people together on the couch for a big announcement...but at some point when they are trying to get you to open up, tell them you can't.

I have always (since my teens) held back. That 'emotional honesty' that some people seem to find so damn easy with those whom they're closest to, has always somewhat mystified me. Don't get me wrong, I tell them things, I tell them how I feel about stuff... but that isn't necessarily the same thing :P

Why?

Because if he told them, he'd have to kill them.

I have discussed it with everyone that it matters to. I've been doing my best to just say whatever is on my mind as long as it's appropriate for the audience, and not outright mean and hurtful. This is sort of a long standing issue and it's an issue that most of the other men in my family have had to deal with. The thing is none of them really ever figure out how they conquer it, if they ever do.

Yes, I'm very much not "emotionally honest."

My girlfriend has basically pulled me out of hiding to a large extent, but there's still a long way to go and she's getting tired of being patient. It's not an imminent break-up situation, but I really want to work on this and sort it out.

I'm afraid the person I am isn't good for anyone, I'm afraid of being rejected and judged. I can be fairly harsh and abrasive sometimes. The thing is this suppressing myself is what ends up casting me out.

Who says I haven't? :P

There's more to the story than I'm willing to relate here. I didn't really post here to find a solution (though any tips would be welcome). I posted to just get it out.

I just realized that I am a wimpy assed loser. Rather than call the police I am going to do nothing and save up for a master cylinder for my car. And just let it go, I just don't want any more trouble.

Fargon, that doesn't make you a loser. You are a courageous individual who had the sense and guts to seek help when you felt that was what you had to do, despite how scary that must have been. It is not your fault that the system isn't set up to offer help to someone in your state of mind. It does not make you a loser that you don't actually want to invite a police/arrest/possible court order or criminal record situation into your life.

Is there any outpatient help available to you?