We have recently moved to Vancouver and in the last 6 weeks I have suffered 3 times from an acute allergic reaction around my eyes and face. Day 1, my eye area starts to itch, Day 2, my eye area is red with atopic dermatitis, Day 3-4, I wake up and can hardly open my eyes because they are so swollen, the dermatitis has spread down to my cheeks and neck and throat..Day 5-6 the swelling reduces and the redness goes away. It is extremely painful and sore and not to mention UNSIGHTLY! I look like I've been in the ring with Mike Tyson. Previously I have been an allergy sufferer i.e. hayfever, excezma etc..but this is getting out of control. Plus it appears to be getting worse each time it happens. Any advice from anyone who has similarly suffered would be much appreciated. I am sure that it is something being ingested as nothing has changed recently that I put on my face. I have an appointment with an allergist but would like to hear from anyone who thinks they can help. HELP!!!

We have recently moved to Vancouver and in the last 6 weeks I have suffered 3 times from an acute allergic reaction around my eyes and face. Day 1, my eye area starts to itch, Day 2, my eye area is red with atopic dermatitis, Day 3-4, I wake up and can hardly open my eyes because they are so swollen, the dermatitis has spread down to my cheeks and neck and throat..Day 5-6 the swelling reduces and the redness goes away. It is extremely painful and sore and not to mention UNSIGHTLY! I look like I've been in the ring with Mike Tyson. Previously I have been an allergy sufferer i.e. hayfever, excezma etc..but this is getting out of control. Plus it appears to be getting worse each time it happens. Any advice from anyone who has similarly suffered would be much appreciated. I am sure that it is something being ingested as nothing has changed recently that I put on my face. I have an appointment with an allergist but would like to hear from anyone who thinks they can help. HELP!!!

Hmm. I know of several creams that can help..but I don't know how safe they are to use around the eye area. Cutivate is a moderately strong steroid cream, and if you REALLY can't control things...there is also the strongest steroid cream called Psorcon which is excellent at clearing things up. You may need a prednisone burst also to really get things going(prednisone is an oral steroid). There's a new cream called Elidel that is non steroidal but supposedly works the same although it is intended for mild to moderate eczema I've never tried it..I have very severe eczema so its all prednisone and high dose topical steroids for me. I've had a reaction on my face before and it was a drug I was taking(Valtrex for cold sores), so it could very well be something your ingesting..just a thought.
I usually post these tips for people with skin allergies that I've picked up over the years..so here goes again..if you can , replace carpeting with hardwood floors it makes a world of difference! So does getting a central humidifier, and possibly one in your room. Lotion up everyday with a thick lotion like CETAPHIL(try to use Cetaphil only if possible) within 5 minutes of drying off. Try to limit showers and esp. hot showers if possible. Use a gentle soap, gentle detergent to wash clothes in. Wash your face with water only.
Well hope this helps! Ask me if you have anymore questions!

Hi, thanks for the advice. The Dr I saw yesterday prescribed me some Elidel (very expensive!) so I'll see if that does any good. Do you mean to use Cetaphil on my face? Will take your advice re: other things and see if they help. Thanks again, Cheers

Hi, thanks for the advice. The Dr I saw yesterday prescribed me some Elidel (very expensive!) so I'll see if that does any good. Do you mean to use Cetaphil on my face? Will take your advice re: other things and see if they help. Thanks again, Cheers

Let me know how the Elidel goes!
Cetaphil can be used on your face, it won't clog your pores. It can be a little greasyish so on your face use kinda sparingly. But greasy is good as far as lotions go for atopic dermatitis. Cetaphil comes highly reccomended from all doctors I've talked to. You can use it over the Elidel to help it from drying out.