Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Allergies and intolerances

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

how quickly should steroids work on (baby) eczema?/ alternative therapies

43 replies

mrsbumbledosem · 23/02/2011 09:05

My nearly 6 month DD has moderately severe eczema and even though we have been treating with cortesone 1 % for nearly 2 months it's not really clearing it. It may be keeping it under control but on the other had I have been using it for beyond the 2 weeks. We have seen the specialist nurse who was, TBH, not particularly enlightening. She recommended Eumovate which is another steroid but again, even though some say Emovate seems to work immediately on her it doesn't seem to make ANY difference (though I have only used it for 24 hours so far)

I don't really know where to go with this. The GP doesn't seem to know and the eczema clinic didn't give me much help either. I feel really upset as not only does she look awful she seems really subdued and often puts her head down as if she is struggling and of course the itching fits are really stressful...

She is due to have allergy testing but at this point I feel like stopping everything and maybe trying a naturapath or chinese doctor.

Any suggestions? Should I give up dairy? She is EBF with occasional vegatables and fruit. She sneezes a lot too!

OP posts:
greenbananas · 23/02/2011 09:16

Hi mrsbumbldosem - I have just sent you a message on another thread Smile

Alternative therapies are not a good idea - you can get blood tests / skin prick tests on the Nhs and that's currently the only accurate way to diagnose an allergy.

My DS had Emuvate too - it did seem to help a bit but I wasn't happy with treating the symptoms rather than the cause, and putting so much steroid cream all over his tiny body. I felt the eczema specialist didn't listen to me when I said that DS was reacting to my diet (he was EBF)

It's well worth trying a food exclusion diet as you are EBF (obviously while being careful about your own nutrition!)

greenbananas · 23/02/2011 09:25

Have just put a couple of pictures of DS's eczema on my profile... I know there can be lots of reasons for eczema, but in his case it was entirely related to food.

Original poster
mrsbumbledosem · 23/02/2011 09:29

Oh greenbananas thank you- I can't see your profile though. What happened in your situation? How long did it take before the skin cleared up? what are the main culprits? Diary and wheat? Sorry about all the Qs!

that is exactly how I feel re treating the symptoms.

I just made crumpets without thinking - and managed to have them without butter!

Can I ask also- did you give up ALL diary in everything?

OP posts:
DaffadownDilly · 23/02/2011 09:37

I would push for blood tests, DD (23 months) was diagnosed as allergic to cmp at 9 months.

I had been completely ignored previously as I suspected it was something to do with formula. A sympathetic consultant took one look at her and did blood tests.

Nothing worked on her eczema until she was on a hypoallergenic formula, the consultant then recommended betnovate ointment for the really bad bits and an emulsifying ointment for everyday moisturising. Luckily she only has a flare up when she sneaks food.

She really is such a different child from before, it was lovely to see her much happier and no scratching herself all of the time.

There were all sorts of recommendations for BF mums in the literature I received.

dontdisstheteens · 23/02/2011 09:40

Aveeno is well worth a try. It is oatmeal based. The sachets for the bath and moisturising cream made a difference to my ds. HTH.

Original poster
mrsbumbledosem · 23/02/2011 09:40

Daffadown, thanks that is useful, in as much as I really think I need to push for tests ASAP. what is cmp??

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsbumbledosem · 23/02/2011 09:41

Diss, I have tried Aveeno, as well as oats in the bath and it didn't make a difference, thank you though, I believe lots of people have success with it.

OP posts:
DaffadownDilly · 23/02/2011 09:44

cows milk protein - basically dairy, she reacts to goats produce and soya too.

greenbananas · 23/02/2011 10:37

Hello again - sorry about the photos, I am not very technical. Basically, it was infected and weeping and pretty much all over his body but worst on his face Sad

I did my food exclusion 'on the quiet' as family, Sure Start workers and health professionals all told me I should not cut major food groups out of my diet. After I gave up eating all traces of dairy, egg and nuts, DS's eczema improved quite quickly - within a week or so, I think (although obviously the existing sores took a while to heal). The food diary helped me identify other triggers (e.g. citrus, tomatoes, onions and garlic). Sadly, the eczema specialist refused to even look at it!!! so I just had to carry on dealing with it on my own...

I'm afraid the health professionals didn't believe me for quite a long time and I came under a lot of pressure to give dairy products to DS when we started introducing food. However, his allergies have now finally been confirmed by a paediatric allergist. He's grown out of some of them (e.g. can now have tomatoes and citrus without concern) and carries an epipen for his allergies to milk, egg and nuts.

I won't lie to you -- excluding foods from your diet is hard and takes a lot of commitment. Still, I have never regretted it!!

Incidentally, there is a lot of ignorance around about breastfeeding children with allergies. For example, some mums are told that hypo-allergenic are the only option (obviously I'm not knocking these formulas because they are a lifesaver for some babies!) If you don't like what your doctor is telling you, might be best to try a different doctor.

greenbananas · 23/02/2011 10:44

ooh, mrsbumbles, I forgot to add that once I cut out dairy and egg, DS started putting on a normal amount of weight, no longer wheezed all the time and stopped being diagnosed with constant chest infections (for which he was continually on antibiotics!)

It still makes me sad that, given the combination of symptoms he had, nobody thought about allergy as a possibility. Good luck with your DD!!! Smile

DaffadownDilly · 23/02/2011 10:46

How old is your DS now greenbananas?

greenbananas · 23/02/2011 11:00

He's 2 years 5 months

DaffadownDilly · 23/02/2011 11:03

It's promising that he has grown out of some of his allergies. Do you think that will extend to the others? I am hopeful that DD will eventually.

greenbananas · 23/02/2011 11:07

Daffadownlilly, I don't know... I hope, but I don't build on it if you know what I mean.

I suppose I have learned to live from week to week, just enjoying the 'normal stuff' (like learning to talk, playing with friends) - we deal with allergies while hardly thinking about it these days Smile

DaffadownDilly · 23/02/2011 11:11

Yes I am the same, to be honest I was just so glad that someone listened to me and she isn't in pain anymore (apart from aforementioned flare ups).

DD's consultant mentioned that nearly all cmp allergies clear up by five, but I have yet to talk to anyone that falls into that bracket.

Original poster
mrsbumbledosem · 23/02/2011 13:53

This is very enlightening thank you both. There seems to be a great deal of anecdotal evidence that dairy is an excema culprit and I have nothing to lose and a lot to gain from giving excluding it a go. I'm fed up with the constant steroids as well. Fine, if they worked. But they don't.

OP posts:
ClaireOB · 23/02/2011 15:56

just fyi - Forum for parents of food allergy and intolerant children running from 18-25 Feb, clincal experts in paediatric allergy from King's College London will be on call to answer questions.

ClaireOB · 23/02/2011 16:01

There is a podcast with Dr Adam Fox here plus an article about the today's issue of the first national guideline for food allergy and intolerance in children.

fifi25 · 23/02/2011 16:02

My daughters seems to get slightly better then flare up again with the steroid cream. Hers is not sever just in a few places. A friends son had sever excema and she was refered to hospital for wax wraps which she said worked for him.

RumourOfAHurricane · 23/02/2011 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
mrsbumbledosem · 23/02/2011 17:03

Shineon, that is how I feel - that she will grow out of it and that it is something that we have to learn how to manage. And try not to freak out about. But the Eumovate doesn't seem to be as effective as I had hoped - I am putting it on once a day and now, day 2, it still looks horrendous. And interesting that you say the hydrocortesone is ineffective - I am wondering if I should just stop this altogether as well. So at the moment I am doing 1 % cortesonex2 a day Eumovate once a day and cetroben and Dermol in the bath. And yet her eczema is not improving. If you don't mind me asking- did you avoid dairy with your son?

Claire thank you for those links- very interesting

fifi- so what do you do instead? Have you ditched the steroid creams?

OP posts:
fifi25 · 23/02/2011 17:13

Hi, She had Hydrocortisone which she had from a baby. Shes 2.7 now and just changed last month to Eumovate. I have oilatum for in bath and diprobase as an emolleant. She also has piriton to stop her scratching at night which i think is the most effective. Im not sure if you can give it as young as 6month.

She has it on backs of legs and chest.

fifi25 · 23/02/2011 17:16

I use the Eumovate but tbh nothing seems to clear it up whether i use it all the time or not. I find the most effective thing is the Piriton.

DaffadownDilly · 23/02/2011 17:26

Shiny and Fifi, do your DC have allergies/intolerances?

fifi25 · 23/02/2011 17:46

Not that i know of. My daughters isnt really sever. It bothers her but it has never spread. Ive never had her tested for allergies.