Eczema doing my head in! Advice please!!!

[ratfly]

You guys have such a wealth of knowledge about eczema, so any opinions on this?

Ds is 6 months old and has had eczema since he was 2 months old. It's starting seemed to coincide with his first top-up bottle of formula, and has gradually worsened as I have weaned from bf.

So, my doctor put me in touch with a dietician, who let me try ds on a dairy free formula. Well, in just 5 days his eczema had gone. No word of a lie - I had never seen him like this since he was tiny. I was amazed and really chuffed. I also slowly weaned him off the hydrocortosone cream as it improved.

Then 3 days later he got a little bit back again, I could only put it down to him trying cereal with raspberries, as nothing else changed. Since then it has gradually worsened again, with lots of scratching on ds's part, and it looks really red and raw again. so sad, after such a quick result. It now looks just like it used to!

So do you think it is likely he did respond to dairy free? Is it something I should continue?

Any experience of this kind of thing?
Should I keep my hopes up, or is it likely that his eczema will continue despite no dairy? I know I am being impatient, but I so want it to go away again!

[Catnapper]

Hi ratfly, I'm not an expert at all but know how horrid it is when your LO's skin flares up so just wanted to offer some support. My dd 7.5 months has had very slight eczema from about the same age and it responded well to Aveeno cream (advice from Mumsnetters as usual) after trying other stuff from GP. Is your ds teething? My dd's eczema virtually disappeared and then it came back when her first tooth was cut. She also had a vile runny bum for the same week and then it all settled again. This was at 6 months. She is now cutting tooth 2 bless her, and the explosive nappies are back and her skin is patchy and itchy again. I searched this site for messages about teething and diarrhoea or teething and eczema and got loads of info (it's all connected apparently) - including the use of a probiotic which I have just purchased from Solgar called ABC dophillus. Actually just replied to a similar post tonight about this. Hope this is useful and sorry and good luck if it's not!

[Heathcliffscathy]

keep him off dairy. and be aware that cows milk is in loads of stuff that you wouldn't think it in (e.g. cereal).

see if he can have goats stuff and if so, waitrose/sainsbos do goats whole milk fresh, goats butter and goat's yoghurt.

this is what worked with ds.

[ruddynorah]

you have to get rid of the red rawness first with the hydrocortisone. keep it up until all the eczema is gone, even past when it's there but it's kind of yellowy dry scaly rather than red. when the skin is then back to normal you wean off the hydrocortisone and just use your emollients.

this is what worked for dd. where i was going wrong was just using the hydrocortisone til the redness went. now i just use oilatum cream on her skin.

also, i've ditched all soap and soap powder. her clothes are washed with soapnuts (inasoapnutshell.co.uk) and she has a bath 3 times a week only, with warm not hot water, and a sock filled with porridge oats to make the water creamy.

she now has no eczema at all.

[Heathcliffscathy]

totally agree with all of ruddy's posts (apart from hydrocortisone bits which I have no exp of). oats in sock very very good. no soap.

[auntyspan]

agreed with ruddy.... i had a similar experience with DD as far as your story is concerned, but used hydro. cream until it was clearing up and then switched to Aveeno, which I use three times a week, more if she has an outbreak. I bath her in Oilatum (get on prescription) four times a week and I can still use normal washing powder on her clothes.

HTH x

[pointydog]

There are such hugely varying degrees of eczema. If someone had never had to use hydrocortisone, then that would just be a dry skin problem to me.

When you say 'slowly weaned him off the hc' do you mean your ds was on a strict cycle of taking it?

[ratfly]

Thanks everyone. It is so horrible to see your lo itching, and knowing he won't understand how itching will make it worse.

I weaned of hc as I heard that if you suddenly stopped it can re-flare (is that a term?!). So I went from 1% (daily) for the flare up) to 1/2 % (for 2 days after) to not at all.

You know, he IS teething. 2 bottom teeth have poked through, and last night he wouldn't settle unless biting something!

Baths really flare him up, so I am reluctant to bath at all until it has receded. But I will try the oat thing..

So it seems that perhaps the dairy free is helping him, but that this is a flare up anyway. I kind of thought that if it went, it went, but I guess not.

[tigerlilysmum]

I so know what you are going through!!! DD has eczema which started when she started teething. I'll be honest and say I was reluctant to use hc. We've had success with Infaderm bath oil, shampoo etc helps calm things down and its a bit more natural so can use everyday. It can be a bit of trial and error to find the thing that works best so be pateint and you'll get there I'm sure -best of luck!

[rebelmum1]

I use calendula or chickweed but dd's is fairly mild, currently having a flare up atm, I'm looking at gluten too. In our case it's always connected to digestion, loose stools and skin probs are hand in hand for us (me included I have the same probs). Acidophilus is a good idea I have been advised with this too but I give it in yoghurt (goats)a supplement might be a bit strong when they are so tiny. But I'm no expert and each child is different.

[Anchovy]

My experience was that there was never a "magic bullet" that stopped DD's eczema. We did all the usual - Surcare for washing powder; no dairy (on drs advice), no bath products; full "grease up" twice a day; h/c whenever needed. This all kept it under control, although be no means "cured". It would flare up perioducally - culprits seemed to be teething, being under the weather generally, central heating, change of water. For us goats milk was tolerated better than cow's milk, although only in smallish quantities. (Cauliflower cheese made with goats butter, goats milk and goats cheese is extremely nice by the way!)

Basically, over time, you get to a routine that works well enough, although we were constantly needing to adjust it or tweak it. We also had a good HV and a good Dr who we used to speak to whenever we needed input. My Dr recommended that we periodically tried reintroducing dairy, and it was clear that that was a key allergen for her, but that she got tolerant of it as she got older. But I honestly think there is rarely one single thing and you can go a bit bonkers if you go down that route of trying to find it (believe me!)

(BTW DD is nearly 4 and has been completely free of it for the last 18 months, althoug I suspoect will always have slightly sensitive skin)

[ratfly]

anchovy - sound advice I think.

I kind of thought that the dairy free milk would 'cure' him, but he flared up recently (teething? raspberries?) and I kind of lost hope. I guess it will not go away completely, but will be more controllable on the dairy free diet.

Even having just a couple of clear days was sooooo nice! I am just greedy for more!!

[Twinkie1]

Aveeno Cream, Bath Oil and Lotion - it changed our lives - DS went from being a miserable scratchy rough little sod to a lovely smooth happy contented baby!

[wb]

Ratfly,

could you get your doctor to refer you to your local allergy clinic?

They'd be able to test your lo and find out if there really is an allergy to cows milk, for one thing and could also test for other common allergens.

My childhood was made miserable by eczema until my allergies to dairy and citrus fruit were diagnosed - 6 months later I was totally eczema free. Thing was, until I stopped eating both I didn't really get much better.

[gingerninja]

Ratfly, Are you still following a dairy free diet for your lo and how's the eczema? My lo has got a nasty flare up at the moment and trying to pinpoint it is a nightmare. We introduced formula at 9.5 months and I think it has been consistently worse since then. It is very distressing when they are itchy all the time isn't it? Interested in what you say about dairy free formula helping.

[ratfly]

gingerninja - Sorry I hadnt checked this thread for ages...
Just to let you know that since introducing dairy free formula his eczema has improved. He still has flare ups, but some days he is entirely clear, which was unthinkable only a few weeks ago.
It's worth asking the doctors to give you some to try - I saw some improvement within a week.