Sometimes people face the situations, when choosing the lesser of two evils is the only way out. It’s a pity but sometimes such situations concern certain health disorders and available treatment options. What is better - to suffer from symptoms and try to cope with them or to expose oneself to the side effects of the treatment with no 100% warranty of its effectiveness? Here choosing the lesser of two evils means evaluating the benefits and risks of the treatment.
Speaking about atopic dermatitis or eczema as one of the most common skin disorders, which is not life-threatening, but which may bring really much suffering to one’s life, the answer for the question “To suffer or to treat?” is definitely “To treat”. However, it is the point, where I would like to shift the process of evaluating the risks/benefits of eczema treatment to the comparison of two basic approaches to fight eczema with commonly used corticosteroids and new medications Elidel and Protopic, known as immune system modulators or immunosuppressants.
Well, there exist quite a lot of myths about steroid therapy. Most of those scaring stories refer to the use of anabolic steroids, taken by bodybuilders. Medications, prescribed for the treatment of eczema, belong to the absolutely different type of steroids, called corticosteroids for their anti-inflammatory effect. However, there is no smoke without a fire, and the so called “steroid phobia” mostly stems from real and sometimes very serious side-effects, associated with the use of this type of medications.
Here is the list of side effects, which potentially may accompany the use of corticosteroids in treating eczema: cataracts and glaucoma, hypertension, growth retardation, weight gain, negative impact on gastrointestinal tract and even skin.
Of course, the word “steroids” is not synonym for danger, risk, and side effects. Mostly, the risk of experiencing the above mentioned side effects depends on the method of administration, length of treatment, patient’s age and severity of eczema.
Lately, corticosteroids as the anti-eczema medications received new rivals – Elidel and Protopic. These are the non-steroidal medicines, and thus, they are widely promoted as the way to control eczema without experiencing the side-effects of steroids.
Both Elidel and Protopic have certain advantages over traditional corticosteroids:
- they are very effective (about 97% of patients report about some improvements);
- the results of treatment appear very quickly (1 week is enough to feel the difference);
- they can be prescribed even for children of 2 years old;
- they can be used anywhere on the skin, including neck, face and around the eyes.
The last benefit of using Elidel and Protopic anywhere on the skin surface is especially important for those people, who experienced thinning of skin during the use of corticosteroids. Unlike steroid medications, neither Elidel nor Protopic make skin thinner and cause the appearance of stretch marks, skin discoloration, and spider veins.
Finally, it should be noted that Elidel and Protopic work more selectively in treating eczema. They do not affect many of the body systems and functions, as steroids medications. They aim at suppressing the key process, which is considered to be responsible for the appearance of eczema symptoms.
It is known that eczema is often associated with the activity of immune system, or, it is better to say, its over activity. Sometimes it becomes too responsible for performing its defense functions and treats even the small dust on the skin surface as the dangerous invader, thus causing skin irritation and eczema. Elidel and Protopic work like a cold shower for immune system, suppressing its activity and reducing its level of vigilance.
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