What Works for Eczema? Patient Study Results
For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.
Itchy, dry, red, crusty, flaking skin. Roughly 10% of the population is affected by Eczema. At CureTogether, 952 people have joined our Eczema study so far, contributing 1034 data points on treatments that worked and didn’t work for them. Here are the latest results.
So what works best for patients with Eczema? Triamcinolone, avoiding allergens, moisturizing frequently, Elocon, and avoiding sweating take top spots in patient reports.
To navigate the graph above:
The top right quadrant shows the most popular and effective treatments, and the top left quadrant shows treatments that not many people have tried but that have above-average effectiveness, so they may be options to think about (e.g. Triamcinolone, Elocon, Fluocinonide, avoiding sweating).
Treatments in the lower right quadrant are ones that lots of people have tried but that have below-average effectiveness (e.g. antihistamines, avoiding hair washing), and treatments in the lower left quadrant are reported as neither popular nor effective, so you may want to consider this when choosing a treatment (e.g. homeopathy, phototherapy, tanning).
Where did this data come from? CureTogether members have been anonymously sharing symptoms and treatments for three years now. We analyzed and visualized the data into infographic form to make it more accessible. To thank everyone for their contributions, we’re releasing this result back to the community for free.
This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. Every research study has some bias, so we present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research. Stay tuned for more and please let us know in the comments below if this was helpful or interesting for you.
Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Eczema. Thank you!
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June 21st, 2011 at 1:10 pm
What an amazing and interesting study!
June 21st, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Thank you!
June 23rd, 2011 at 4:07 am
I’ll be trying out Triamcinolone. One thing I’ve found useful not mentioned here is MSM cream – the best treatment I’ve experienced to date.
June 25th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
thanks for sharing treatment for eczema
August 10th, 2011 at 2:51 am
I came on here to tell people about a pretty amazing chance finding.My 30 year old son has had eczema since he was about 3 years old. At times it has been so bad that his hands were totally contracted so he couldnt open them-even bleeding. Well about 2 months ago he decided to “bulk up” as he puts it ie put on muscle and started weightlifting. He also went on a course of Taurine. His skin has completely cleared! I have a small amount of eczema so I tried it too and mine has disappeared as well. I am taking 1 gram daily at night and he is on 2 grams. I checked it out on the internet and it is a safe drug. And BTW I am a Medical Doctor. Taurine is inexpensive and can be bought in Health Food shops. I think it has its effect by holding water in the skin. There is only one published study on its use for skin problems that I could find. If you decide to take it I would be interested in how you get on.My email address in jirj@hotmail.co.uk
Gerard
August 17th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Good to see some research into treatments. But what type of eczema is this for?
The type of eczema is likely going to change effectiveness of treatments, so some treatments may have negligible effect on different types of eczema, which would mean individuals could waste considerable time trialling treatments that will not work for them.
August 18th, 2011 at 3:37 am
Thanks for your comment, Benjamin! Yes, as we gather more data, we will start subdividing conditions into subtypes to be able to study increasingly personalized treatment effectiveness.
Alex
September 13th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Taurine helps keep toxins from entering the bloodstream from the gut. This is probably one mechanism by which is helps to get rid of eczema. On the other hand, taurine helps cells release toxins. If too many toxins are released too quickly you might have a flare up of eczema or psoriasis. So, I would start very slowly and cautiously with the taurine. Gradually build up to more.
Almost the same can be said for MSM. It helps repair the barrier in the gut. Yet, it also releases toxins from cells. To be on the safe side, one needs to start with it very slowly as well.
November 28th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
I just took a good look at the chart and noticed that Shea Butter was nowhere to be found. It is a centuries old remedy that is been used all over West Africa.
It worked so well that I studied it for a couple of years before launching my line of body butters containing 95% Pure Grade A Unrefined Shea butter. My daughter’s skin has never looked better.
I couldn’t get closer to natural if I tried. Shea butter is also used for cooking in many parts of West Africa.
check out these sources:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2283633_treat-eczema-shea-butter.html
http://www.shea-butter-and-olein.com/itchy-eczema-and-shea-butter-7.php
Mitra’s products are affordable and they work.