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Children's health

Eczema - nothing working and feeling sad

26 replies

Suzie81 · 10/10/2019 15:09

I feel so sorry for my 5 month old. For the last two months he has had horrible eczema. He gets it all over his torso, arms, neck and cheeks. Now seemingly developing on his forehead. When it's bad he scratches himself silly.

The steroid cream we were given works wonders, but the moment we try and come off it the eczema comes back with vengeance. I'm constantly moisturising, and I've tried every cream under the sun, but nothing other than the steroid cream seems to touch it. Do I just keep buying endless creams until I find one that works? They're basically all the same anyway except the branding and price.

I'm at a complete loss. I've been looking into food intolerances but this started when he was still fully breastfed, so unless it's my diet I think that's unlikely. I personally don't eat much of the common ones like milk, so looking online there isn't really much I can change.

I know its a common problem, but it just feels increasingly hopeless and I hate seeing him grumpy and upset. He's such a sweet little boy, but when he's covered in angry, red rash, he's just miserable. Sad

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poposaurus · 10/10/2019 15:16

Have you tried Childs Farm moisturiser? Works wonders!

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Solasum · 10/10/2019 15:19

Have you tried cutting out all eggs from both of your diets?

Insist on a referral to dermatology or paediatric allergy testing.

And also your GP for Protopic cream. It works like a steroid but isn’t one so doesn’t thin the skin. They are usually reluctant to prescribe as it is very expensive, but great.

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MintTeaLady · 10/10/2019 15:21

I would fully cut dairy and egg from both of your diets for a few weeks. That’s what cured my son’s eczema (as well as applying the creams).

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Suzie81 · 10/10/2019 15:21

Hi. Yes childfarm, didn't help sadly. Going to read up about the protopic creams, not done across this before.

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Suzie81 · 10/10/2019 15:24

I am going to go complete non dairy and non egg and see what happens. I don't eat much of the stuff anyway, but seems worth a shot.

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Solasum · 10/10/2019 15:25

Sorry, looks like he is too young for protopic at the moment.

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Solasum · 10/10/2019 15:25

There is egg is surprising things I found, like sausages and things

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Tractorgirlz · 10/10/2019 15:33

My DS was the same but it’s got a lot better now at 16 months old. It’s just on his legs and slightly on his back. Before it was everywhere including his cheeks. We had to cut out egg & tomato and use childs farm moisturiser. I only bath him every other day or 3rd day with plain water and a bit of child’s farm shampoo for his hair. Put cream on every nappy change. Someone recommended dream cream from lush too, that worked on her DS. It’s so difficult. Fingers crossed they grow out of it!

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Tractorgirlz · 10/10/2019 15:33

All the greasy creams from the doctors made him more itchy too...

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AuntImmortelle · 10/10/2019 15:36

Please ask for a referral to either a paediatric allergist or a dermatologist. Your Gp may be wonderful but so few are real experts on eczema.

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Doyoumind · 10/10/2019 15:39

Ointments are much better than creams imho.

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Mylittlepony374 · 10/10/2019 15:39

Try Kawakawa. It's a native New Zealand plant that's great for skin things. Frankies apothecary sell it online.

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moreismore · 10/10/2019 15:41

I agree cut out egg immediately. Egg protein passes easily into breastmik and it’s a common culprit. Also you and baby should take a probiotic. Cytoplan cytobiotic active is safe from birth.

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moreismore · 10/10/2019 15:42

Not sure if it’s mentioned above but I’d also limit baths to a few times a week and try oats in an old pair of tights in bath to soothe skin

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moreismore · 10/10/2019 15:43

And possibly an omega supplement or make sure you’re getting plenty of good fats in your diet.

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BertieDrapper · 10/10/2019 15:45

My DD had it really bad from around 6 weeks till roughly 18months. Once she hit one year we moved her to dairy diet, she's allergic to egg white so removed that too.

We used the steroid cream twice a day for 2 weeks and then once a day for 2 weeks.

Her skin cleared and without having dairy it never came back.

She has now been able to have dairy (she's nearly 4) and her skin has never flared up again! Fingers crossed.


We got fobbed off by the GP on countless occasions as they just think it will clear up before they hit 2..... but keep pushing back and ask for a referral to dermo and for allergy testing.... do you have private health insurance? That can be a great help and being seen sooner!

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Lunafortheloveogod · 10/10/2019 15:51

For us it’s dairy, citrus, most aerosols, berries, heat and too many baths. So it really is trial and error until you find what works. His teeth coming in also flared it up, assuming it caused him to run warm for a few days. We use surcare for washing too as it’s one of the recommended ones, doesn’t smell lovely like the rest just nothingness. And sudocream antiseptic worked better than the prescription creams.. child’s farm made him worse. We also got scratch sleeves for changing and when he can get at himself they’re Silk mittens on a bolero looking thing. So he can’t even get a good rub like he did with the cotton ones.

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Suzie81 · 10/10/2019 15:56

Thanks for all the replies. A lot to think about and some new ideas to explore. As others have said, the GP is okay, but I just don't feel they take eczema that seriously... They see it as an inconvenience that will hopefully go away eventually. But it's awful watching your child suffer...

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Frazzlesandacoke · 10/10/2019 15:57

Came on also to recommend Surcare, massively helped with DD's eczema. Also using Oilatum products for her helped enormously.

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SinkGirl · 10/10/2019 15:58

For my boys dairy caused head to toe eczema of varying severity - this cleared up within 48 hrs of changing to prescription formula. Obviously if you’re bfing it takes longer as it needs to get out of your system then theirs. Can take 6 weeks. Even small amounts of dairy in your diet could cause it, mine are 3 and still react horribly to the first step on the milk ladder.

Many babies who are allergic to dairy are also allergic to soy so I would start with those two things (start with dairy for six weeks then cut out soy). I would suggest seeing a dietician to help with all this but it’s so hard to get an appointment, we waited months.

Hang in there. It’s so awful for them but hopefully you can find what’s triggering it for them. Epaderm or Hydromol at every nappy change with steroid cream as needed did generally stop it getting utterly out of control.

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MerryMarigold · 10/10/2019 15:59

I remember being where you are OP. It was really bad and got worse with teething. I cut out all washing powder and soap/ bath stuff/ shampoo. I used Balneum for bath (prescribed) and just scrubbed bum etc with my hands (stuff was in the water). Likewise just rinsed his hair out with the bath water containing the Balneum. Used soap nuts for the washing (washed our stuff sister in proper powder!). A doctor whose son had eczema prescribed Aveeno and it really worked. It was the first cream after the usual more slimy ones which absorbed. We saw a dermatologist who said use the steroid as soon as you see a small patch. Don't wait for it to get bad as it's harder then to get rid of it. His advice helped too. We had the steroid mixed with antibiotic in, think fucidin it was. Anyway, now he's 14. It stopped when he was about 10/11 and he developed asthma instead!

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AutumnCrow · 10/10/2019 16:01

You are weaning him off the steroid cream gradually, aren't you? Not just stopping it?

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whatisheupto · 10/10/2019 16:02

Tomatoes and berries are culprits for NY DD too..... foods high in histamines can be the cause. We use Ecover Sensitive... definitely don't use normal washing powder or fabric softener.

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whatisheupto · 10/10/2019 16:02

Ooops... my DD not NY!

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Lindy2 · 10/10/2019 16:13

My DD had bad eczema and it was caused by a dairy intolerance passed on through breastfeeding. We discovered the cause when I gave her a formula top up at 6 weeks old and she came out in massive hives all over her body. We ended up in A&E.

I cut out dairy from my diet and the eczema reduced enormously. It didn't completely disappear but was around 90% better within 2 weeks.

It is in fact quite possible it is a food intolerance and it is being passed on through your diet. The only way to know is to cut out the most likely causes like dairy, egg, soya etc and see if you see an improvement.

DD grew out of the dairy intolerance at around age 6.

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