Is this normal?

[Hollyboo]

My dd has had excema since she was two months. It was very managable though. She's five months now and her knees and ankles are the worst parts. I've tried a lot of creams but the only thing that works is the perscription creams that can only be used for three to five days. When I stop using it she breaks out again. Although at the moment it doesn't look bad, she is very itchy. It normally bugs her when she's tired. It's been really bad the last few days and I'm trying to keep her creamed up with silcocks base (seems to be the only thing that worked in the past) She was up at 5.30 yesterday and 6.00 this morning because of the itching. I'm thinking of bringing her to the doctor this afternoon because she's so uncomfortable. Doesn't seem to bug her all day though?? She is on LF Sma and I've started her on baby rice. Her hands are quite dry now, I hope it's not spreading. Any advice. Anyone use Dioprobase?

What I mean by 'Is this normal' is, is she going to be itchy all the time? Will it stop or does she have to grow out of it?

Have every sympathy for you - I am going through the same with my DS - clears up with the steroid creams but as soon as I stop, its flares up again. I was using diprobase and it did work for a while but he is now sensitive to that. The only thing I have found that did help a bit was a cream called allergenics from health food shops. A lot of people swear by aveeno (didn't work in our case) but seems to be helpful for some. TBH, think its a case of trial and error with the creams although I also think that too many changes of creams can make things worse. Sorry not much help am I, but it is so frustrating watching them scratch - my ds's gets worse at bedtime and takes a lot of time to get him to sleep.

Which creams are you told to use for only three to five days?
If its steroids i hadn't heard of that, and with steroids - yes you need to be cautious and apply sparingly, but if you're going to use them you need to continue to use them for a while after the excema has gone and gently wean the skin off it.

I would recommend trying Aveeno, which works well for my own skin and many others on mumsnet. It is a natural moisturiser and apply it as much as you can throughout the day whilst skin is badly flared.

Thanks for that. Nice to know it's not something we're doing wrong. The Aveeno cream worked on dd's face and front of her scalp. She finally has baby soft skin on her face. Her knees and ankles, like that to, get worse at bed time or around her last bottle. This week I've had to rub her knees so she'd fall asleep. It wakes her up as well. Yeah it's horrible watching them scratch and be so uncomfortable. I'm reluctant to use the Diopro because the chemist told me it was sort of a last resort cream. God, I hope she grows out of it.I will try the allergenics though, thanks. There's another cream called DermaNova. My SIL used it and swears by it. But didn't work for us.

Hi Hattie. Cream is called Hydrocortisyl, was told to use it but if the skin improved after one day that I needed to keep usinig it for at least three days but no longer than five. She didn't say anything about weaning the skin off it but that makes sense because it has steroids in it.

Yes i only figured the weaning off bit myself, i used it for years when i was younger - now have white patches where it has skinned the thin . But after a few years of using it i realised that i needed to really really gently wean off it otherwise the excema immediately flared up again.

Now i try not to use it at all and just keep under control with Aveeno.

Hi,my dd1(4)and dd2(15weeks)both have this and im worried especially as dd2 has started with it so young.Where can i get the Aveeno cream from?Tia.

Sorry to hear that, bad enough having one with it! The Aveeno cream is available in bigger pharmacies if you can't get it in your local one. There's a few different ones but the Moisturising Cream with Colloidal Oatmeal is the one they recommend for babies and children. It's in a cream and green tube and only costs about €8. It didn't work on my dd legs but I use it on her arms, hands and face and I rub a little bit into her scalp because it can get a bit dry, her face, (it was on her forehead) really cleared up. I'm hoping she grows out of it.

Your doctor can also prescribe Aveeno. (not all have heard about it, but it is in their book of things they are allowed to prescribe).

The tubes aren't very big, so i ask my GP to prescribe 3 at a time to make it less expensive as i go through it fast! Obviously children's prescriptions are free, so well worth doing.

thanks both