Talk to me about eczema

[NotSoThinLizzy]

So DS is nearly 2 has some nasty eczema on his hand and the crook of his elbow. We've been doing the steroid cream and it's not working. Diprobase every 30 mins. Also given piriton for itching. Oat baths and oilatum. Have doc appointment on the 1st. Any ideas to help hes up at night scratching. Will attach pics of flare ups. 2nd pic is after a a week healing.

I think he needs to see a paediatrician and dermatologist, maybe antibiotics, but the basis rule is moisturise moisturise moisturise. Don't wait until 1st to see dr.

Sorry, is pic 1 today or before?

Pic one was a about a week ago 2nd pic is this morning. I call docs every morning to try get appointment but they won't give me one for eczema

Itll go like the 1st pic roughly every two weeks no real chance to heal in the meantime

Have you cut out dairy?
I had awful eczema as a child that was linked to a dairy intolerance.
I have pretty much grown out of it now but it was horrid. Poor little thing.

Looks very similar to my DS at that age. We bought cardiospermum gel and it cleared it up no end. MiL ordered it having dealt with BiL's eczema for 30 years, and FiL is a GP and now recommends it when other options don't work.

No I haven't didnt even think to cross my mind. It's worse when he eats tomatoes so we've stopped that for just now.

You can also buy special cotton tops that can be soaked in cream to help and to avoid him scratching in his sleep and making it worse.

www.skinshop.co.uk/hydrosil/cardiospermum-gel

The packaging seems to have changed as it's been 6 years since we needed it, but this looks like the same stuff.

Is it just that one patch?
Has he had antibiotics?

I would seriously cut out milk etc and maybe try him on soy for a month to see if it makes a difference.
I couldn’t even have chocolate as a kid as it caused a flair up. I think that it’s quite common.

Moogoo Skincare is only only thing that helped me. It's a bit pricey but a tube lasts a while. I had eczema for years and have spent a small fortune on products. Moogoo is child friendly too. Hope this helps.

Try changing emollient. There's one or two out there for every person. From experience, dc's skin responded well to doublebase dayleve gel, but not to greasy ointments. And different, lighter emollient on face. Dove pure and sensitive bar is the only wash soap dc can use - recommended to me by a dermologist while abroad. Wash day while inflamed, less often when skin is calm. Try different anti histimines, as your body can build up a tolerance to them.

Pat dry only with towel after bath. Apply emollient in a downward direction so that skin scales are not irritated. Wash bedding on 60 degrees, or wash as usual and always tumble dry, to kill off dust mites and other irritants. Look at triggers in diet and environment (dust, pollen, weather, etc)

Agree re seeing GP ASAP for antibiotic - it looks infected. If given topical steriod, do your research re weaning off, as if used incorrectly in the slightest, your skin can become addicted.

How long are you using the steroid for? And what kind and strength? When DS was 6m he was 90% covered and had hydrocortisone pungent in 2.5, 1 and 0.5% strengths. We would start with high then go to 1 and then once it jaffa give carry on for at least a week after it had gone with 0.5 and then taper to once a day, once every other day etc as else he would get rebound eczema. If you Google steroid ladder it explains.

Our GP was useless and put fear of God into us about using steroids and said not for more than a week which meant it was just getting worse. They didn't refer us on but we took DS to the HV to get him weighed and they were horrified and referred us directly to community dermatology nurse, so it's worth speaking to a HV to see if they can help.

I have eczema and unfortunately it really is trial and error.
What works for one person, doesn't work for the next.
What works great, then doesn't have any effect a week later.

Child's farm, whilst not great at clearing mine up, has worked wonders on my brother, and is a really nice soothing moisturiser. Fairly cheap and sold in most supermarkets.

I swear by aloe Vera gel, to take away the itch and cool it down, and use calendula to actually heal it.

Keep trying at the docs, I can always get an appt when mine is bad and I'm in my 40's so I'm amazed they are denying a 2 year old. Lie if you have to.

PP suggests soy milk. Soy milk and soy protein makes my dc flare up. We used rice milk for a couple of years, while still allowing cheese and natural yoghurt in moderation. Now dc is able to tolerate full fat cows milk.

Also, if possible try and stop him scratching. Scratching breaks down the skin barrier more which sets up a vicious cycle, there is a really good book called the eczema solution that really helps explain it.

I'd try and get a referral to dermatology if you can. Both myself and my DS have had some very difficult to get rid of patches of eczema. DS is under a dermatologist for something else but they have advised on his eczema too. One of the suggestions given by DS's dermatologist was to use a small amount of steroid cream underneath Duo derm extra thin hydrocolloid dressing and leave it on overnight for a couple of nights. You can't do it long term because it's steriod cream. This worked incredibly well. I tried it myself for 2 nights on a patch I'd had on my leg for a few years that never really went away and it worked. I was really impressed.

Sorry me again if still no joy with GPs say you think he has an infection and they'll have to give you an appt, they may want to swab it and send it off

Also, if you are really desperate, I recommend reading and following a book called 'the eczema diet'. A whole food diet helped dc enormously when eczema was severe, along with a course of vitamins, probiotics and fresh fruit and veggie juices.

Sunlight too, for huge doses of vitamin d, unless it's a trigger.

I really feel for you, eczema is such a tricky beast. I’m mid flare up at the minute and it’s so bad my hands are bleeding. So sore. I’ve tried a million different creams and like Nottobesoldseparately said, something that works one week then stops working. The only way I can keep mine under any kind of control is a restrictive diet which I find hard to stick to. After a decade of trial and error I think dairy, nightshades, wine ( not your issue here!) pork, dark chocolate, strawberries and wheat are triggers for me.

Distract dc from scratching, do not say directly "stop scratching", etc. That will raise anxieties and stress for dc, which will make eczema worse.

Keep finger and toe nails cut as short as possible.

Make sure bedroom is dust free - remove dust with a damp cloth. Make sure bedding is light and airy. Vacuum mattress and use a cotton mattress mattress protector, which helps keep dust mites at bay. Do not keep excess cuddly toys and cushions in the bedroom, as they're a harbour for dust.

Thank you everyone 😊 I've tried childs farm and this ment to be miracle cream stuff my mum bought that is £25 a bottle. I've wondered about wheat before as when he eats bread he gets a sore belly too?

My dd is 13 and has had terrible eczema for years. For the last 6 months we've been using epimax and its actually cleared it up (along with a steroid cream stunt at the start).

If you can't get an appointment can you ask for the dr to ring you back and get a repeat prescription for epimax. They'll usually prescribe a mild steroid cream over the phone too.