Can't do it anymore

[Podmog]

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[BubblesDeVere]

i'm sorry to hear that you're having a rough time at the minute.

Do you find that the eczema gets worse around the warmer weather? I do, i have suffered from psoriasis all my life and at the minute have it quite bad on my head, thought i am in the middle of treating my arms.

I agree with you saying it's a load of old tosh about growing out of these conditions, because it is not so and it is also not always related to allergies etc.

As for the friends excluding you, are they really friends worth having if they are going to be like that.

Take care hun.

[starshaker]

i know how ur dd and ds feel i used to have it and i didnt grow out of it till i was in my teens but i was lucky cos i did grow out of it. i have a friend in ur situation she has to wrap her son in bandages every night and sometimes during the day she had to fight to get cream from the docs as he wasnt gonna give her it she has had him at specialists and thats what they say oh hell grow out of it. she cant work she cant really leave him with any1 as it would mean them learning his very complicated routine. i know this prob doesnt make u feel any better but just letting u know ur not alone on this and u will get through it

[FastasleepTheInsomniac]

Podmog! I'm bl*dy fed up of the f*ing sound of bl*dy scratching all day and all night, scratch scratch scratch....and it's my DH not my DS!!!!!!!!!! AAAARGH! Seriously could bang my head...or his head... against a wall some nights! Totally sympathise.

[mouseman]

I don't know what kind of eczema your ds has but have you tried the Chinese herbal treatments? I had severe eczema years ago and had tried everything - even as far as twice weekly steroid injections at a Harley Street specialist and nothing helped. I went to see a Chinese herbalist in Soho and within two weeks it had drastically improved - now I only have occasional flare ups.

[bunny2]

Sympathy Podmog, I could have written your post 3 years ago. The relentless sound of scratching is enough to drive anyone insane, especially when you combine it with a lack of sleep. I dont want to recommend another site as I love MN but there is a site called Talk Eczema and on there are many people going through similar to you, you may find help there too.

[bunny2]

talk eczema

[bobbybob]

I know this feeling well Podmog. What about giving zyrtec for a couple of days to see if it helps the scratching (if you ds is over 1 year old) or seeing the doctor to see if it would help if he is under 1.

The lack of sleep is the worst, nobody who hasn't been there can understand eczema.

What could your church friends do to help you? What do you need right now? (I know you need sleep - but is there anything else?)

[Podmog]

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[pixiefish]

yes posmog.

I have just had 3 really bad nights with dd waking up every half hour or so and crying cos her face is itching.

I also hate it when people tell me she'll grow out of it- it's on her face and i'm petrified she won't grow out of it.

I'm fed up of blood all over her clothes, her coats never last very long cos i have to wash them so often. So yes it's flippin horrible isn't it.

[pixiefish]

podmog i mean

[ruty]

podmog i'm so sorry you're going thru such a difficult time. Can't believe you're not getting more support from your church community - i don't go to church any more but my father is a priest and used to run a very supportive network of people in the parish. Maybe you should ask outright fro somebody's help, sometimes people can be a bit slow to realise what you need.

[bobbybob]

It doesn't sound as if the antihistamines are doing much - can you try a different one?
As a minimum they should allow a child to go to a toddler group with some dust etc.

Sadly nobody really understands eczema unless they have been there. I have just found a Playcentre where they are falling over themselves to help me (using paste instead of PVA, changing to vinyl gloves, banning peanut butter on the day we go). I am quite overwhelmed, if I had found them a year ago I think I would just have sobbed the place down.

Why not try for a meet-up for other allergy mum's in your area. I know you are knackered, but so will they be too and even if you only meet one other person you will be talking to someone who understands. There might even be someone on MNet. I've just met up with saacsmums and it was great.

[misdee]

podmog, cant type much atm, but consider applying for DLA as your dd needs so much care especially at night

[Podmog]

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[Podmog]

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[misdee]

oops, didnt mean for your ds to turn into a dd.

have you tried the sleepsuits at all? they worked wonders for us and helped brealk the icth scratch cycle and help keep infections down. and the organic plain cotton ones can be boiled as well, excellant for removing emoillants from them.

[bobbybob]

A big vote for zyrtec (cetirizine), we found all the ones that make you drowsy were awful, but zyrtec given in the morning allowed him to sleep at night because it was long lasting. He appears less drugged because he actually gets enough sleep now. It's licensed from 6 months old in the states and we only give 1/3 of the dose as a maintenence dose, saving up the rest for an emergency.

[Podmog]

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[misdee]

my dd's both get dla.

we use the mitten sleepsuits from cotton comfort.

[ruty]

again about church why not ask your vicar to put a note in parish mag about what you're going thru and how people can help. Then it doesn't come from you. He/she should be pleased to help.

[tatt]

Can't really offer any help - just sympathy. If you can get together with someone else going through the same thing it might help - it certainly helps me to talk to other people with allergy problems.

The people saying they'll grow out of it are just trying to give you hope. There was a child at the primary mine attended who didn't show much change until she was 6 but then saw a considerable improvement. She still has eczema at times but no more wet wrapping. Unfortunately they don't know what made the difference.

Why not write your own article for the parish magazine - keep it factual but mention anything anyone has ever done to help you and what it meant to you. Sometimes people don't realise what they could do.

[bettythebuilder]

altho we have little history of eczema in the family I believe that for some it can be made worse by dairy products,so for anyone restricting dairy intake check that your anti histamines don't contain Lactose (the sugar found in milk). The medicines are usually better than the tablets, where it is used as a bulking agent.Sorry to divert a bit from topic.

[SofiaAmes]

Try a non-drowsy anti histamine like clarityn.

Have you tried travelling to see if it is better in another part of the country, or even another country. (If moving might even be an option for you) My dd's eczema was much worse in england than in italy or california (places we go to a few times a year), although it did flare up terribly in the airplane because of the dry air. She did grow out of hers, although it doesn't sound like it was as bad as your dd and ds's.

I think looking at diet is really important. (There are a lot of food allergies in my family and some of us are allergic to the weirdest things...personally I am allergic to sulfites and have to avoid things like wine, any food cooked with wine, dried fruits, lots of fruit juices, etc.)
And you probably have done this already, but have you experimented with bathing more and/or less and bathing with filtered water (you can buy a simple filter that fits onto the shower head online).

It's very possible that the people at your church have no idea how difficult the eczema is for you (and your children). I don't think I would have had a clue until having a child with it. Even my mother didn't quite believe me when I would tell her that it could go from clear skin to bleeding patches overnight, until she saw it for herself. I think the article for the newsletter is a good idea.

Don't know if it is the same with your water company, but ours gives you a break on your water bill if you have metered water and a child with eczema. Not quite sure why though....

Good luck.

[Podmog]

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[Louise1980]

You have probably heard this before but I understand except its me, ds1 and ds2 who are sctatching!! Have you tried cocoa butter? You can get it from a local high street chain although i dont no if i'd be allowed to tell you the name on here?

Im sure you know which im talking bout!

My ds1 nearly got addmitted to hospital because his became infected and weepy, i had 4 diffrent creams to put on it and bandages, antihisthamine medicine (didi i spell that right?), antibiotics and paracetamol to try to get under control. It took six weeks of bandaging to get it clear but i found the cocoa butter the best, you can put it in the bath, in a body butter and in a roll on stick.

I also found he is worse if he doesn't have a suitable bubble bath in, even just water.

As for meals where are you? Im in north east and if you are near to me id have no problems bringing a meal once a week or so?

Hope you get sorted