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Everyday Management of Eczema Treatments for Eczema What is Eczema?

Eczema

Treatments for Eczema: What's Right for You?

Summary & Participants

There are a variety of different treatments that can help control eczema. The therapies can come as creams, ointments or even as pills. However, not all therapies are right for all patients. The age of the patient, the area of the body that is affected, the length of treatment necessary, and the lifestyle and needs of a patient will influence treatment decisions. Learn how to make the decisions about what treatment is right for you.

Medically Reviewed On: June 10, 2008

Webcast Transcript

SHEILA FRIEDLANDER, MD: Thus far, they appear to be relatively safe drugs. Certainly with tacrolimus, we know that if you absorb too much, you could get some immunosuppression because that drug was used as a transplant immunosuppression. That doesn't appear to be the case with Elidel.

ANNOUNCER: Deciding which treatment is a balancing act weighing several factors.

SHEILA FRIEDLANDER, MD: The area of the body involved is an important issue for you when deciding which treatment to use. There are certain areas of the body that are particularly high-risk when you use topical corticosteroids; those include the face, the eyelids, under the armpits, in the groin. The reason is those areas of the body have very, very thin skin. So the skin very easily can absorb more of the agent that you're putting on or be affected by it.

ANNOUNCER: The age of the sufferer is also important. The smaller body size of children makes them even more susceptible to the affects of steroids.

SHEILA FRIEDLANDER, MD: Let's say a young child was smeared in these topical corticosteroids, they could absorb it, and it could have an affect on their growth. It could suppress glands in the body, the adrenals. So we know that too much steroid for too long is dangerous.

ANNOUNCER: However, today, the non- steroidals give doctors a new element to factor into the decision on which treatment to use for each patient.

SHEILA FRIEDLANDER, MD: If I need to use something for a prolonged period for my patient, I will use one of the new immunomodulators, on the face, particularly. I think it's a real gain for us to have an agent that we can use chronically that does not seem to have the risks of atrophy, thinning of the skin or cataracts. So, particularly around the eyelids, on the face, I will use the newer immunomodulators.

A. PAUL KELLY, MD: You think about the nonsteroidals with the age of the patient, the location of the lesions; if it's facial, if it's under the arms, if it's between the legs, if it's on the genitalia, then you would probably go with a nonsteroidal.

If it's recurrent, because they're taking their steroids and not getting better, then you would definitely think about them.

ANNOUNCER: Having new non steroidal options is particularly good news for children and their parents.

SHEILA FRIEDLANDER, MD: There has been some new data that's come out with the newer immunomodulators, particularly with Elidel, and it has been found that it was very, very efficacious, very useful in preventing flare. And the absorption of the drug was minimal. So this is certainly an option that you can use with young children.

ANNOUNCER: While eczema treatments are not cures, having a variety of options means people can have a broader range of safe and effective therapies to treat their condition.

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