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Dry skin/eczema after ileostomy?

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Posted 11/4/2014 8:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,
Has anyone else gotten very dry skin after colon removal? I know we can get dehydrated easier, and I'm often thirsty, but I do pee regularly, so I'm not sure that's the issue.
I've gotten such very dry skin -and it's in patches on arms, legs, and back - that the PA said it could be eczema. I didn't have dry skin issues before getting ileostomy in August.
I'm wondering if it's possibly diet related? Or will it change after J-pouch creation in the upcoming months?
Any input appreciated. :-)
Posted 11/4/2014 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
well, this is weird- becaue my skin ahs been so itchy the past 2 weeks, I scratch & scratch, then get hives! So I bought some itch relief lotion by Curel, used it, it sort of worked... then tried OTC Zyrtec, an indoor/outdoor allergy med that is the best to use for hives. That sort of worked too.. My skin doesn't "look" dry- no scaly flaky patches. And every year when the heat kicks on, right about now, I tend to get itchy. but I can't help thinking it's sort of related! The skin around the tape edges of my wafers has been itchy like mad, no irritation under the wafer, just right at the tape edges. And it seems to have spread, that itchiness... Whatever! It's always something, eh? wink
Posted 11/4/2014 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
Eczema is an AI issue so it's no surprise that we may suffer from it. I was told to never use lotion with the ingredient lanolin. Lanolin blocks the moisture that is needed to heal the skin. I have not had eczema in over 20 years since treating it effectively with a non-lanolin based lotion.

Sue
Posted 11/4/2014 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Wow! Good to know about the lanolin! I've been using eucerin cream because it seemed so heavy-duty, but it's lanolin based.
I actually had psoriasis 20 years ago (pre-UC), so I have been wondering about the AI thing. This begs the question; though I now I have no colon to negatively react, maybe I still shouldn't eat "anything I want"? That might need a new thread started on that.

And Eva Lou... My main thing is itchiness too. I can only see the dry patches if I hold my skin in certain light and kinda twist or pull it a little. Sorry about your hives! The white tape on my wafer eventually gets a bit itchy on me as well. I am experimenting right now with using a little benzoin tincture under the wafer to see how well that makes it stick. If it's super good, as some on this forum have said, I'm gonna remove all the white tape. I use convatec moldable (love the moldable part!)

I'm gonna try doubling up on my fluids and upping my olive oil intake. And changing lotions!

Post Edited (Gentle Now) : 11/4/2014 8:50:25 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/5/2014 9:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, you definitely need to drink enough fluids. You should avoid foods high in fibre, difficult to digest, and those which cause gas or diarrhea. It is also advisable to try out various food, especially fruits and vegetables, to distinguish those which are easier to digest.
Posted 11/5/2014 10:43 AM (GMT 0)
Yes ....as soon as I came home from hospital I noticed my skin had changed ..I used to have really nice soft smooth skin, now I have dry skin, bumps, age spots, and worse rosacea....it's awful
Posted 11/5/2014 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
I drink a lot of water, always have, so didn't even really need to adjust my intake after surgery. It's basically only water & coffee for beverages for me. And I just checked out my lotion today- no lanolin! I've always been prone to AI disorders, including skin ones... So far the Zyrtec really helps, combined with the lotion. But yeah, it's a drag, AI disorders.. that was really my only fear re. surgery, that I'd have it done, only to have another auto-immune thign crop up.
Posted 11/7/2014 1:47 AM (GMT 0)
I've been having some minor issues ever since my colectomy. For a while I'd get bad red patches on the side of my face. I remember about 3 or 4 weeks post op I started shedding ridiculously. It was seriously like a snake shedding it's skin - I was pulling off inches/sheets of dry/dead skin at a time.

I haven't had any major issues lately, other than the occasional itching and easily drying out (and it's not due to dehydration or lack of water intake). I'm assuming my AI issues have switched from the colitis to some kind of psoriasis or eczema but haven't had any serious enough problems to get it checked out just yet.
Posted 11/7/2014 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
AFter my colectomy, I developed rosacea. 4 years later, I still can not leave the house without foundation. It was very severe in the beginning.

I heard studies with rosacea, that when using a probiotic that helps the bacteria of the small bowel, it diminishes rosacea. Wonder if eczema and psoriasis is also related to the sb.

A friend of mine just underwent hip surgery, and developed eczema. Her dermatologist said it's common after surgery, stress of the AI system, and gave some ointment....didn't catch what it was. Prognosis is, it will go away as quickly as it came.
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