Your Stories - Contraceptive Pill and Eczema

The Pill affected my eczema - Rosalie, London, UK

Last November I developed sever eczema all over my neck, back, shoulders, front and arms. I am only recovering now and even though the itching is still there it is much much more bearable. I have never ever experienced eczema like it. It was not only itchy but extremely painful, my skin would weep constantly and get so hot it felt as though I was burning. I also constantly felt a tingling under my skin as though it was crawling. I went to my GP and quite frankly I shouldn't have bothered. The treatments were the usual harming steroid cream which I used in desperation and which predictably did not work. I then went to see a Chinese herbalist - again no luck. I spent a fortune on water softners and various "organic" product and spent even more on homeopathy.

During all these months I became very depressed and tried not to leave the house. At my lowest I felt as though I didn't care to live anymore. It has been a very hard eight months but I want to just say to others who know how I felt that there is hope. One day I realised that the eczema had to be caused by something that I was doing on a daily basis as it seemed to never clear up. That's when it struck me that the contraceptive pill I had started taking two years ago had caused a bruising on my skin which I didn't even think could have been down to the pill. I stopped taking it a few months later but remember now that that was when my skin started to itch alot and became very sensitive. Unfortunately the eczema is still on my nipples and is very painful but it is nothing compared to what I had all over my body a few months ago. I have now been off the pill for about four months and my skin is a lot clearer, although it is still very dry. I definitely know that the pill was to blame as the difference is far to great for it to have cleared up on its own. So I urge women with severe eczema to question what method of contraception they are using and to not lose hope.
(July 2007) Contact Rosalie

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Page updated: 25 April 2008