Doctors Opinion Needed Please! (EpiCeram vs. Elidel)

[buckeye2010]

For the treatment of dermatitis: are EpiCeram or MimyX (skin barrier creams) as effective as Elidel (skin-selective inflammatory cytokine inhibitor)? I have dermatitis on an area of my body where the skin is already naturally thin(genitals) and am not interested in using steroid creams, so my doctor prescribed elidel. After researching it and finding out that it has a black box warning, I also asked for a prescription for EpiCeram which I am currently using and have used for almost a month now. My condition seems to be slightly improving very slowly, so I just wondered if Elidel would be any more effective than EpiCeram and clear my problem faster? Also, how long should I expect it to take for each of these topicals to work if applying them twice a day?

[buckeye2010]

Okay thanks, so then how long would you expect it to normally take for EpiCeram to work and completely clear the dermatitis, before I should turn to the Elidel? How about the Elidel?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Epiceram is a topical non-steroidal skin cream which is designed to treat atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema. Elidel (pimecrolimus) is an immunosuppressant. It works by decreasing your body's immune system to help slow down the growth of atopic dermatitis (eczema) on your skin. It is used when all other methods are ineffective. You should use it only when you are not benefitting from epiceram.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.