Apologies if this is in the wrong place as I strongly suspect it is. I've got reasonably nasty eczema, and am using a potent steroid (elocon ointment) for it. I'm 21 weeks pregnant, and afer seeing 3 different drs at my surgery I finally found one who is an ex gynaecologist who said that steroid creams of different potency will react differently in the body, ie some will cross the placenta and some wont. Because none of the other drs had said that I'd stuck with my elocon ointment for the first 19 weeks, thinking that any possible damage would be roughly the same. After talking to this dr (who seems fantastic) I cut back down to hydrocortizone which is the least potent steroid there is. It's been really horrible being on steroids whilst I've been pregnant, I know there is a minimal risk to the baby, but I'm finding it difficult as I'm first time mum, and there have actually been very few scientific studies that I can find into the effects of steroids on developing babies. We've just come back from holiday which was lovely, but my eczema is now all flared up, and I'm thinking longingly about the elocon which did control it better. I dont want to take it though, as it's such an unknown entity. I'm off to my 20 week scan tommorrow ( a week late as we were on holiday) and I will hopefully be able to see then is there have been any problems. This was suggested by the ex-gynae dr. I'm then off to the drs again on Thursday to discuss steroid treatments. Eumovate is stronger than hydrocortizone, but apparently doesn't cross the placenta, so if everything is ok tommorrow I may ask about that.
My reason for posting was not to rant about my gp surgery (although sadly the ex-gynae dr isn't in again for a while), but to see if any of you had any experience of using steroid creams during pregnancy, and how you decided on the potency to us? The pregnancy hormones are causing a flare-up anyway, and of course, lower strength creams are not helping. I am using a steroid inhaler for my asthma as I read it was important to keep asthma well controlled so that the blood has enough oxygen in it. Also I think the effects are more localised that with a cream - thats what the drs say anyway.
Anyway, over to you, and I would love to hear how you got on with it
My reason for posting was not to rant about my gp surgery (although sadly the ex-gynae dr isn't in again for a while), but to see if any of you had any experience of using steroid creams during pregnancy, and how you decided on the potency to us? The pregnancy hormones are causing a flare-up anyway, and of course, lower strength creams are not helping. I am using a steroid inhaler for my asthma as I read it was important to keep asthma well controlled so that the blood has enough oxygen in it. Also I think the effects are more localised that with a cream - thats what the drs say anyway.
Anyway, over to you, and I would love to hear how you got on with it
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