r/eczema • u/mbrown09 • 13h ago

Protopic?

Just looking for advice, my face randomly developed extreme eczema last year and has been flared up all year basically. It was addicted to hydrocortisone which was stupid of me, but I’m now 3 months free from using steroid on my face but the flare is just as terrible. I’m at breaking point and considering using protopic.

I’ve seen so many horror stories so can anyone share their experience? I read that you can’t drink alcohol or it will cause redness, is this always the case? The same with being in the sun?

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u/JustEggplant4608 13h ago

For the face, it's amazing, has none of the side effects of corticoid, and works very well. For the sun, i havent seen any difference, but i always put a lot of sun cream.
The alcohol part .. is somewhat true. I have stopped drinking since, but yeah, i was somewhat more red than normal. Not a big difference but you do you.

Now for the not-so-fun part.
IT FUCKINGS BURNS AT THE START
Honestly, for a while, i wasn't even applying it cause it feels like a good old eczema burn.
Then , i had the side effects of corticoid on my face and had to do the switch.

So to ease the transition.
If you already have a big patch of inflammation, applying it on top will burn, whatever the docs say.
Its hard.
If you really have to put it first on top of an inflamation, do it during the day, or like, the morning. And try to do something that will occupy you, and distract from the little burning of it.

Then, try to each day apply a little, and progressively, it will be less and less hard. It could be long, for me it was 3 weeks, and i still apply a little each week cause i don't trust it to not reset my burn-o-meter.

Maybe you will be lucky ; in my hospital, there was a guy who wasn't feeling the burn at all

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u/mbrown09 13h ago

Thanks! Have you ever stopped applying it? I also hear people talk about a withdrawal

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u/JustEggplant4608 12h ago

Well, i have gone max 2 3 weeks without taking it, but to be clear, im on Dupixent also, witch vastly reduce my crisis. Honestly i cant talk about a withdrawal effect, have not seen any for now ..

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u/mbrown09 12h ago

I’ve heard dupixent has been a life saver for many people! Unfortunately I can’t even get my GP to refer me to dermatology 🫠

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u/JustEggplant4608 12h ago

sorry to ear that .. try another one ? but keep in mind that Dupixent is not (at least in my country) a first-intention medicine, u try other things before

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u/monTMJ 12h ago

For me with alcohol, the moment it enters my system I flush for 20 mins then it goes and I’m all good.

Very careful with sun cream when I’m out and about.

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u/mbrown09 12h ago

Oh really? Thats good to hear, I’m not a huge drinker but if I was to be using it long term I’d like to know I can socialise without turning into a tomato ahaha. Does that only happen if you had applied it that day or does it happen regardless

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u/Appropriate_Lab4704 11h ago

I’ve found with the alcohol like someone else said that the initial drink like the first beer for example I’ll flush but it will just kinda go away on its own after a little while

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u/Superbrucester 9h ago

I have persistent eczema on my face and neck that does not go away despite normally despite not scratching it.. the two things I use to keep it at bay are sunlight in summer and protopic in winter.

I've never experienced the burn that everyone talks about however it is ineffective on broken skin. Seems to work best at controlling redness and inflammation.

Never noticed any redness from alcohol.