Topic: My itchy eyelids are driving me crazy! Doc suggests Cortaid. Thoughts?
Tammy N.
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I have had it drilled into my head....no steroids whatsoever, but I wonder if this is different. Cortaid has only about 1%.
For about 2+ months I have been dealing with red, itchy, inflamed, flakey eyelids. My LLMDs do not know what's causing it. I've been to the doctor and dermatologist. They said "contact dermatitis". Both recommended Cortaid.
I'm not sure if it's related hair dye or make-up or what . Recently, I realized I am reactive to colbalt and I've been taking quite a bit of B12 recently. When I google allergic reactions to it, it says you can experience what I'm experiencing.
In the meantime, the Allergist said she thought it was important to stop the cycle of inflammation and itchiness. The skin looks wrinkled and feels rough (I don't want my skin permanently damaged).
My concern is that I don't want it to come back with a vengeance once the medicine wears off. Can this happen?
I've held off because I don't want to solve one problem only to cause another. But I need relief.
Thanks, Tammy
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Ellen101
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Cortaid applied to your lids is not the same as taking steroids. You do have to stop the cycle or you could end up with bigger issues. It really bothers me when I see the posts saying No steroids ever. Steroids have a place and sometimes are warranted. I am on a daily steroid inhaler which 2 LLNP's as well as an LLMD has said to stay on.
Applying some topical cortaid to your lids will probably calm things down, but you do need to find it the trigger or your problem will continue. Try eliminating what you can. I would start with the eye make up first and then try adding it back in once things clear up. Another thing you could try is when you are in the shower gently washing your lids with baby shampoo and warm water. You may be experiencing some blepharitis as well. You may get better answers by seeing an ophthalmologist as they see lids issues all the time.
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Catgirl
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Tammy, I had this last year. My eyelids, and even above on one eye, itched insanely. I tried coconut oil, washing with mild soap and water. Nothing worked. I thought it was yeast related. My doc was stumped.
I noticed it after going on an herbal formula. I was on several herbal formulas but I think it was the new one that did it (or maybe a combination). I told my doc and he thought possibly parasite related. I stopped taking it, and it cleared up.
Is there something that you've been taking for the past two months that was new? Maybe it's a combination of some things you are taking?
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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Tammy N.
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Thanks Ellen, I appreciate your thoughts.
Catgirl - I've been wracking my brain. I also was wondering if it was related to herbals I'm taking for parasites. I tried stopping that (and the LDN I take) but after about a week off, all of my symptoms started coming back, so I went right back on. I have been on the same parasite herbal formula for about 5 months. I noticed some itching about 3 months ago, then it got really bad about 2 months ago. This is also when I was using a tinted hair product.... that I thought may have been the culprit. But I stopped that at the end of Dec.
This past Tuesday, I stopped the salt/c to see if that was contributing. But still no improvement. Now I'm thinking maybe it's the colbalt???
I don't want to go off the anti-parasitic herbs again (because I clearly need them, as I still am passing parasites daily), but maybe I need to try.
Like you, I'm trying coconut oil and anything else I can think of. This is f r u s t r a t i n g!!!!!!!!
Posts: 2238 | From East Coast | Registered: Jul 2010
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MichaelTampa
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An NAET practitioner might be able to sort through the things you're taking and find out if there is an offending item, and, if it is an allergy, treat it.
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Kudzuslipper
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Hi Tammy. I get the same thing from time to time. The skin gets hard and cracked. Most often when I am being bad and eating more grains/carbs than I should(like daily instead of as a treat) and sometimes i think when i try different eye drops. I use slightly stronger steroid cream when this happens and it nips it in the bud. So I think the cortaid is a good idea to start.
What a derm told me though was to only use it til the problem is gone and no longer... As daily use can thin the skin...and cause other problems as well. If you feel you are gonna rebound, stop by first switching to .05 strength and then use it every other day for a few days. (Wallgreens brand has a .05)
Things I learned I can't have in any make up or creams is camoimille, corn oil starch and grain proteins. Lots of powder cosmetics have corn starch in them. And many, many lotions and potions have chamomile.
I know this isn't for everyone... But I am so much worse with herbals. Do you have hay fever? Or seasonal allergies? If you do I think that can give you a clue as to what natural products to stay away from.
Good luck...I know how annoying it can be (not to mention making your eyes look old and wrinkled beyond your years)
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posted
I had similar symptom before when I started to treat fungi with Sanum products. I think it's related to fungal die-off. Tea-tree oil applied on the eyelid have helped tremendously.
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
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From the sounds of it, I'm thinking you mean OUTSIDE the eye, though, the skin.
I'd call your LLMD's office Monday morning. I would not use cortaid on my eye lids.
You say you're on the east coast, so there's a 1 in 3 chance you're rather snowed in. If you have some coconut oil at home, that might offer some skin relief.
Others' suggestions that it may be something you are taking makes sense.
HYDRATE your body - and your air around you.
This holistic doctor's site and his book are also excellent:
ASTAXANTHIN - an antioxidant that has great promise for the eyes
Also be sure to get your FISH OIL - Many here really like OmegaBrite - just Google.
TAURINE is an essential amino acid for the eyes. Be sure your diet includes plenty. Vegetarians MUST supplement as it's primarily in muscle meat, fish and eggs. And for SKIN, including eyelids -- this works from the inside out.
GOTU KOLA is a wonderful herbal supplement to help the skin, also from the inside out. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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- Backing up, you say:
" . . . realized I am reactive to colbalt and I've been taking quite a bit of B12 recently. When I google allergic reactions to it, it says you can experience what I'm experiencing."
Sounds like you have your answer as to the cause. My guess is stopping those for a day or two and then going to a lower dose may be of help, but talk to whoever suggested this for you. Sounds like it's not in proper balance right now. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Judie
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Hair dye can cause your eyelids to be red and itchy. Lot's of dyes contain cobalt and other irritants. I had to stop dying my hair because of it.
Eye makeup has cobalt too.
Lot's of hair dye contains PPD which is a well-known eye irritant too.
Here's a list of chemicals in hair dye that cause problems:
"The most common allergic reactions to PPD are dermatitis of the eyes, ears, scalp and face, which may include a rash, extreme swelling and a severe burning sensation on the scalp."
Topical, mild steroid cream gave me PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE!
Look up "central serous choroidopathy."
I'll send you info on what I use now.
My only risk factor was mild topical steroids.
I had perfect vision before this and now have to deal with this problem for the rest of my life.
"My concern is that I don't want it to come back with a vengeance once the medicine wears off. Can this happen?"
Yes, this is what will happen over time. At least in my experience.
You need to removed the irritants to really fix the problem or it'll keep happening.
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GiGi
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Dear Tammy,
From my experience, B12 should not be taken as a run-of-the-mill supplement. The form of B12 is also important.
When Lyme first hits, many seem to be depleted of B12. But that corrects very quickly. My storage of B12 a few months down the road, when lab tested, was off the chart and upset the neurologist who discovered I had Lyme. I had not seen Dr. K. yet, but another alternative doctor. The neurologist used the word "criminal".
B12 is known to feed parasites. One reason Dr. K. hardly ever recommends any B's, except certain B's IM when a person is still in a very dilapidated state. B's oral feed parasites much better than us. That is why per Dr.K. 12 lbs of parasites is common. I still have that note from a lecture I heard from him 10-12 years ago.
Proper testing with ART will tell you if you need it = B12 and which kind. But it is good to learn testing oneself, because it changes from one day to the next.
Hope you can clear out whatever is not good for you.
Allergies are often caused by over-use and it is the body's way of telling us that more is not better.
I also would not use any cream unless it tests well energetically.
Wishing you the best.
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glm1111
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Tammy, What parasite herbs are you taking? If you have been on the same ones for 5 mos, maybe trying another formula might help. I would switch up.
Have you ever had a nut allergy? Maybe the Black Walnut Hull is causing this. Eliminating the B 12 as GiGi suggests might be a good idea if they it feeds the parasites.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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Tammy N.
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Thanks everybody.
Kudz - Thanks for all your thoughts. You may be right about the herbals. I'm trying to recall but I think my eyes were better when I ran out of my para herbs. I think I'm going to give them a break for a week again and see what happens. Also this comment of yours hits it on the head "I know how annoying it can be (not to mention making your eyes look old and wrinkled beyond your years)". UGH!!
Judie - Yikes, that is awful! Did you use extra strength....and for an extended period? I was just thinking of trying something for 3 or 4 days.... the mildest one I could find. (Kudz above mentioned Wallgreens has one that's .05)
anuta - my acupuncturist also recommended tea tree oil. I didn't know if it was too strong.... unless maybe if it is diluted with water before applying.
GiGi - Wow, I didn't realize B12 feeds parasites! I was prescribed it after being ART tested. Then again I haven't been back for a recent visit. I really need to work at learning how to test myself. It's a goal of mine but I haven't really made any progress yet.
Thanks.
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Tammy N.
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Gael - I've been taking Para A tincture. I do have an issue with walnuts (not an actual allergy....I get canker sores), but I thought the hull was different.
I thought I noticed an exacerbation when I tried Parastroy, so I backed away from that.
Maybe for now I'll just do salt/c. And diatomaceous earth.
I stopped the B vits for now also.
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Judie
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I had only used a little hydrocortisone cream and it was months before the reaction. It wasn't even on my face, more like the neck area.
I woke up one morning and couldn't see very well out of one eye. There was a black dot, like when they block out a face in a TV show.
I was told from my ophthalmologist that it didn't matter if I used the cream several months before. It was enough to trigger a reaction because it stays in the body.
I was told to never do anything steroidal again (including creams) because each time it could trigger even worse problems with my eyes.
This happened to me before I had Lyme. I don't want to even imagine what it would do to me now.
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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Tammy N.
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Judie - do you think the doc was absolutely sure it was related to steroid cream? Is there any way your vision issue could be attributed to something else? Maybe Lyme related?
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Keebler
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- Those with lyme have been advised to avoid steroids, even in cream. Topical steroids can cause lyme to become worse.
However, if required to help save sight, eye DROPS may work well - along with systemic lyme treatment. If not an emergency, though, there may be other kinds of drops that would work, and should be tried first if possible.
Steroid creams should be avoided - always, though, even if on treatment. There are so many other options. -
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Judie
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"do you think the doc was absolutely sure it was related to steroid cream? Is there any way your vision issue could be attributed to something else? Maybe Lyme related? "
Yes, it was ABSOLUTELY the steroids. It was my only risk factor. The doc even wrote it up in his report and for me to avoid even the creams.
This was several years before I was infected with Lyme. I had perfect vision before this and never had an eye problem in my life. This was absolutely not related to Lyme.
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Kudzuslipper
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Hi Tammy, How are your eyes doing? I have actually been going through it myself. My usual treatment of cortaid wasn't working. I stopped carbs for a few days and already it is better (i was pretty much only eating rice) I don't believe mine are yeast related, I have never had outward signs of yeast even when I was on mega abx... But I think with me it is grain allergies, which I have tested positive for. Why do i always fall back into thinking it's ok to eat certain grains, when I know I feel so much better without them? I guess it's because,after you've been good for a while, one time, two times, makes no difference, it's only after months when the bad stuff starts happening. Maybe now that I have actually written it down it will stick. Hope your eyes are better.
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My eyes were also driving me crazy. Two of my LLMD's told me to put colloidal silver on my eyes. Two drops in each eye in the morning and afternoon. She said that some of these infections were becoming resistant to antibiotics but not to colloidal silver. The other thing that absolutely helped eliminated for some time was Zithromax with Albenza and colonics. But my LLMD has me pusling very low doses of Albenza. I think I should go up to adult dosage. That's another discussion.
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Tammy N.
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Kudz - thanks for checking in. Yes, my eyes are a little better, but not great. I'm still not sure what the cause is. The shortened list of triggers I've now whittled down to (I think): Parasite herbs, eyeliner, colbalt in B vitamins. Perhaps also yeast. I'm thinking it may be a combo of these things.
mlg - I haven't tried colloidal silver. I think I might give it a whirl. Thanks. (Yes, sounds like a good idea to up your Albenza dose).
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