please recomend a cream or eczema specialist having problems with everything tried

[cakenomore]

any thing i put on 2yrold son's eczema seems to make it worse. tried double base, dipro base, E45, Aveno, Epaderm and loads more. all causing problems, noticably red and inflamed after use and gets better when stop using. Using eumovate ointement (cream version caused more irritation) daily which also irritates but steriods seem to benifit.

anyone else had this problem? health proffessionals treat me as neurotic mother. I think its the parrifin causing problems but also preservatives in creams.Can anyone recomend anything?

Also i think i need to see someone a bit more knowledgeable than local hospital dermatoligists. Can anyone recomend anybody?

[greedychops]

Hydromol is the only one we have used that has improved ds1s skin but it has paraffin in too, so might not work, but worth a shot.

Make sure you are scooping out the cream you need with a spoon, rather than using your hand in the tub as if the skin is infected, it infects the whole tub.

Our dermatologist was a bit rubbish, but got referred to a paediatric dermatologist and his skin started improving straight away.

[cakenomore]

thanks will defo be using a spoon to get cream from tubs in the future.

hydromol is one we havent tried yet but am quite hesitant to try any parrafin based creams as he ends up in a complete mess.

does anyone know of anything without parrafin in?

[JaxTellersOldLady]

no idea if this was a fluke or not, but before I got married I had eczema and my friend said to try Dead Sea Magic, it worked for me, but at the same time we moved house and were cat free for the first time in years, so might have been coincidence.

[tiredfeet]

Going to watch this thread as struggling to find something that works for ds eczema too. Will also be using a spoon now, good point!

[cakenomore]

tiredfeet - am intersted to find out if anyone experiencing the same problems. Are you finding that the creams and ointements are making things worse or is it that they are just not working?

thanks for suggestion jax, will google it!

[Dontbugmemalone]

I also suffer with eczema and the only thing that helped my skin was dermol (sp?) lotion, you should be able to get it from the gp.
It doesn't smell nice but it absorbs quite quickly. You can also use it as a soap substitute.

I just wanted to add that I used a lot of steroid creams over the years and the skin behind my knees and on my arms is really thin because of this.

I also found that certain soaps/cosmetics, being too hot/cold, animal fur, too much sugar, non cotton clothing/bedding really irritated my skin.

I really feel for you and your son.

HTH

[justabi]

My son has eczema and was particularly badly affected with eczema on his face when he was about two. We tried lots of different creams recommended/prescribed by doctors which didn't seem to help or even made it worse. We now swear by waitrose bottom butter... sounds odd but it is brilliant and now my son is 4, he uses it twice daily in winter/when his eczema flares up, but he seems to need it less and less.

[Bilbomum]

Allergenics was the only one I found with no paraffin and it worked on ds's face but not his body. It's expensive but is available on prescription. Only available in a tube rather than huge pot unfortunately.

[Micron]

We use Oilatum Junior on our Daughters eczema, have you been told to apply the steroid and emollients in the direction of hair growth - not to rub in both directions as this can folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles)

[mumbar]

DS uses 'simple' soap. Again his is allergies as oppossed to eczema. I take it your using Non-bio washing products?

Little sprout products are supposed to be brilliant aswell.

[cakenomore]

thanks for all the support and suggestions. got more help and information from you all than countless appiontments at docs and hospital.
especially like the sound of allergenics, checked out the ingredients and seems very promising.

yes he does have allergies too. I know of the ones that cause immediate reactions but do not know ifother things are causing the eczema flare ups. problem is his diet is so restricted anyway i am a bit hesitant to start cutting other things out.
Has anyone with eczema tried any of the allergy and intolerance testing from alternative health centers? wondering if it might be helpful. he has been tested properly for allergies but they cant detect the non imeadiate kind of allergy or intolerance.

[BoffinMum]

David Atherton at Great Ormond Street is your guy. He is a paediatric dermatologist and will probably prescribe a very low dose steroid in vaseline, to be used with hot wet bandages covered by dry ones. Clears it up a treat.

[DiscoDaisy]

DS bathes in camomile tea and uses Kamillosan nipple cream as it has camomile in it.

[BoffinMum]

Dr David Atherton

[RitaMorgan]

I was told anything like E45 or Aqueous cream often makes it worse. We use Hydromol and it's been brilliant - very little in it to react to. Oilatum Plus in the bath, and a hydrocortisone cream for flare ups.

[MistyB]

My DS reacted to anything with petroleum in it and I think cream and foods can be quite individual. We used muscle reaction testing to check creams before using and found two that worked
Earth Friendly Baby
Lush Dream Cream
and Aveeno (available on prescription or in Sainsbury's)

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

Pawpaw ointment worked the best on DD. I used a petroleum based one, but there is a non-petroeum based version available from //www.pawpawshop.co.uk/.

[minimuffin]

Something called SK cream cleared up my baby son's eczema a treat when prescribed paraffin-based stuff failed. It's only got about 3 or 4 natural ingredients in it. You can buy it from //www.camomilehouse.co.uk - I have used the lanolin-free version as it's recommended for children. Their baby soap is beautiful too. The only helpful suggestion the GP made was less bathing esp as we are in hard water area. More difficult with a toddler than a baby I know but it seemed to help.

[duchesse]

I make my own now since petroleum oil stuff seems to DD3 itchy as well as red, scaly and dry.
I use beeswax, olive oil, honey and wheatgerm oil. Just made a new pot yesterday as am experimenting with quantities. If anybody wants to know how to make it, please say and I'll stick it on here and tell you where I found the stuff.

[Bilbomum]

Cakenomore, do try the Allergenics I mentioned before. However please don't consider 'alternative' allergy testing, they can be positively dangerous imo. The only real way to test for allergies is RAST (blood) or skin prick done either by your GP or consultant. It sounds like you've already had some testing done so should have some idea how the system works. I think it's a matter of trying different creams until you find one that works for your ds.

Eczema is a very difficult thing to treat, what suits some is terrible for others. My ds suffered from 6 weeks old and I was convinced there was something in his diet causing it (he has severe food allergies as well that we knew about). We were treated by a good dermatologist but we never managed to get it under control. He wore the comfit fast suits for 3 years day & night just to protect his skin from scratching. However just before he turned 4 his skin started to improve, he's now been pretty clear for about 6 months and the difference is amazing. I haven't changed his diet or living conditions (we were on the verge of getting rid of our carpets) he just seems to have grown out of it.

I have every sympathy with how you're feeling it's awful knowing you can't make them better and very tiring looking after a child who doesn't sleep because of scratching. I think the only way to prove an intolerance is to cut it out of the diet and then reintroduce after a few weeks but please don't waste money and time on 'quack' tests.

[lifeistooshort]

I would really recommend pure potion. It worked wonders on my DD

[thumbwitch]

have a read about this man - he is based in Australia but his stuff is little short of miraculous - and you can email him to ask if he would ship to the UK.

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

Diprobase

dermol

[EleanorJosie]

Oilatum?