Does allergic contact eczema just go when they are not in contact with the allergen?

[nobodysfool]

That's it really,
ds (4) has allergic contact eczema from head to toe at the moment (1st time) and it seems to have gone from the middle to his toes and his head will it just go or is this here to stay?
Any advice welcome.

[PrettyCandles]

Not in my experience. When I have an allergic reaction it has to be treated to go. It may eventually go of its own, but generally not. And in any case it hurts more and more if I don't treat it. What's more, if it is untreated - even if it is mild and localised, then I become more sensitive to all my allergens.

I find that antihistamines and hydrocortisone do wonders for my allergic contact eczema/dermatitis.

[nobodysfool]

The doctors (2 so far) have tried hydrocortisone cream-didnt work and a steroid cream-didnt work told to stop using it and just continue with the oilatum cream.It seems to flare up then calm down and fade then moves onto the next patch of "spots".Im still not convinved it is eczemza.

[nobodysfool]

any more ideas?

[foxinsocks]

and this is the first time he's ever had eczema?

and you know what he's allergic to that's caused it?

[pointydog]

what's he allergic to?

[PrettyCandles]

Any idea what triggers it?

Are you sure also that it is triggered by contact with something - have you kept a food and symptoms diary, for example?

Mine doesn't move around, as you describe. It might spread out a bit from the place which was originally irritated by the allergen, but it doesn't move away from it.

[nobodysfool]

Not sure at all what triggers it.
It started on his groin then moved upwards and spread across one side of his torso then just went everywhere (though the first places look inflamed and sore the rest of his body is just covered in spots).
He had a very mild case of eczema when he was a baby but it didnt look the same at all.Both doctors think he has touched something then touched his groin which is where it has all started from.
Im at a loss really.

[pointydog]

I wonder what made the doctors think that

[nobodysfool]

I have no idea....there is chicken pox at his nursery but it didnt develop into that, i even wondered about shingles but they have both said no.I have had shingles 5 times after i had cp.
They are more like spots covering his body.aarrgghh i feel so useless.

[foxinsocks]

can you go and see a different GP?

[FrannyandZooey]

you aren't useless! eczema is confusing and upsetting and gps don't often know much about it

[pointydog]

I would ask why they think it is contact dermatistis and what they think the contact allergen is. SOunds odd to em

[nobodysfool]

Not at my practice ther are only two and i have seen them both.Does it sound like eczema to you?I had it as a kid but it was never like this.

[PrettyCandles]

Ds1 had something similar. Since he was a toddler, whenever I have given him multivitamins he comes out in a raised pinprick rash all over his body. It does't happen immediately, but after a few days or weeks of being on the vitamins. It took me a long time - months! - to work out what was causing the rash, and it would take a long time for the rash to clear up.

Once or twice the rash turned into what looked like eczema, but not all over his body. If you can imagine what his back and side would have looked like had I slapped him a few times with my open fingered hand, the eczema patches would be where the weals from my fingers would be (not that I would ever strike a child that way, of course).

That was the only tiem the rash itched or hurt him, and only on the eczema patches. Creams that soothed didn't help the skin heal, whereas creams that showed an improvement in the skin stung him. Eventually I tried this cream on him, and it worked wonderfully.

[pointydog]

Dpoes it look lioke a rash? How long has he had it? Does it irritatw?

[PrettyCandles]

BTW have you tried oat baths?

Porridge oats tied up in a stocking, swished and squeezed in the bath water. Very soothing on the skin, and yucky fun for him.

[aristocat]

nobody perhaps you should go back to doctor, especially as the creams are not working and its not getting any better.

my DS has got eczema and it needs to be controlled all of the time.

i would have thought you would get a reaction from the creams?

[foxinsocks]

he's not had any antibiotics or anything recently? (before the rash came out?)

yes, it does sound more like something he's taken, it sounds v similar to the rash you get when you have a drug you're allergic to

[foxinsocks]

did you try giving him an antihistamine?

[nobodysfool]

Thank you all for your replies-
He has had it for 5 weeks now it itches him sometimes but not every min of the day.
The rash are raised spots that have a inflamed red area round each spot, there is space inbetween.The ones that are not inflamed look almost white when you pull the skin taught.They are everywhere.Even tiny versions of it are over his face.I have trawled the internet looking a images of contact eczema and it looks like nothing i have seen.

[pointydog]

hey fox

[pointydog]

does it look like pomphlox (never sure of spelling)

[foxinsocks]

shouldn't really guess on here

even if you have seen both docs, think it is still worth going back and telling them what they have given hasn't worked

often it's an elimination thing - so they will try one course of treatment and if it doesn't work, move onto the next most likely thing

so it's definitely worth going back

but if you haven't tried giving him Piriton (if he can have it, there's no reason why he shouldn't I don't think), then I would try that becuase if it is some sort of allergic reaction, it might be worth seeing if an antihistamine has an effect on it

[foxinsocks]

hello my pointed friend

[nobodysfool]

We were orginally told it was a viral rash (when it was just on his groin) as he had just recovered from a nasty virus.
We gave him piriton which didnt help at all.The last visit to the docs she found he had an ear infection-again, and was given antibiotics which he is still on.