Stopping eczema itch in the daytime

[FuriousDuckling]

3.5yo DD has very itchy spotty eczema. We keep the dryness under control with epaderm and bad patches with eumovate, but it's the all over crazy itchiness we just can't seem to help her with. At night she wears scratchsleeves and seems ok with it, but in the day she can't stop scratching constantly, and sometimes gets totally hysterical. Particularly bad times of day are first thing in the morning and bedtime - just before, during and after bath. She has Oilatum in the bath and we wash her with Dermol.

We've also tried... Aveeno (stings her), Eurax (makes her scream, doesn't seem to help), Clarityn, cutting out dairy and soy, switching to non bio, a whole range of emollients... and nothing has helped. It's worse with bits of skin that are on show so I'm dreading summer

Is there anything else I can try?? TIA

Wolfie funny you should mention oats, I had a bit of porridge left over in a pack and bunged it in her bath tonight. Seemed to help her stop scratching when in the bath, if not afterwards.

We have tried so many emollients! About a dozen I think. Dermol cream not one of them admittedly, though generally she tolerates creams less well. She says they sting and doesn't like the cold feel, and also they sink in so quickly. Don't suppose you could recommend any more ointment type ones?

I really wanted to try wet bandaging, lots of people seem to recommend it. But when I asked the GP about it they fobbed me off! Said that it wasn't a well regarded treatment any more and anyway they didn't have anyone who knew how to do it. From what I understand you have to get the right sized bandages fitted, and have a nurse show you how to do it properly? I am still v interested, and hoping that this eczema clinic may be able to show us, if we ever get the appointment...

Fairies thanks for sharing your routine. Shea butter sounds just the right texture, I will have a look for some. Dammit I have just thrown away some aloe vera gel that we had and never used! Is is pompholyx you have on your foot? I have it on my hand and it itches like a bugger...

Having seen a GP about this recently for my DCs:

• yes, use a non-drowsy anti-histamine for daytime AND Piriton at night (this was a game-changer for us)
• yes, what others have said about full-on use of steroid cream for a short burst to bring it under control seems to be the new guidance (however, a month down the line from doing so, all eczema here has returned, with a vengeance)

Also, just wanted to reassure you that they DO seem to grow out of it a bit as they get older. We have DC1 at 6yo who is so much better than 12 months ago! when it was so bad that the school teachers were worried. DC2 at 3yo suffers and I do think his could be related to food or environment, as the flare-ups he gets are very sudden.

Cross posted, thanks all for adding your thoughts.

I shouted at her for scratching today, hated myself for it . It drives me mad when she can't stop, but obviously not as much as it does her. All 3 of us ended up in tears (me, dd and dc2 the baby who hates it when anyone shouts!). I am at my wits end, I just want to help her and can't.

That is v interesting what you all say about steroids. Think I have been terrified about using stronger versions (even though I use dermovate on myself). But maybe we have been damaging the skin more using frequent weak steroids.

Agree about GPs not knowing much about eczema... annoying when it is so common! Need to see that dermotologist asap.

Iwill I forgot to say thanks for the cold metal idea - good tip!

i have never had eczema on my foot until recently i dont know why it has started there! The steriods were not helping. So i tried the shea butter just to see. It has helped and covering with muslin has stopped me itching. The gel can sting a bit but it does cool it immediately. Also the sun helps me, but i dont want a horrible looiking foot so trying to get it better before it sees the sun.

Furious i dont think it is pompholyx i think i just have itchy skin. always had eczema did go for a few years i think it returns when i am too busy!!

Hi my daughter had a lot of itching and I only use Dry2Alive. It's made a massive difference and she now asks for it herself. It's really light so absorbs into skin without feeling heavy or sticky. It's natural too. I bought mine online from www.expresschemist.co.uk but you can also buy from their own site www.dry2alive.com. I also use it on the dry skin on my legs and its great. I told the mums at school and they have been using it too.

I haven't read all of the replies so apologies if I'm repeating stuff already said. My DS had dreadful eczema and the GP just couldn't help. She tried but nothing she gave us worked. He looked like a burns victim! GPs are not expert enough in skin conditions and they seem afraid to prescribe strong enough steroids. Definitely push for a referral to a dermatologist .

We saw one of the top dermatologists at Grt Ormond St privately in the end. His advice was that we should bath DS twice a day. He said it puts moisture back into the skin. We use Epaderm as a soap and bathe DS in plain water. Then we pat him dry and apply his steroid all over. We were told that steroids should be used for long periods or else the eczema will just come back.

He also advised not to use Dermol products as he said they would no doubt sting. He also said he found them too drying. The best thing for moisturising is 50:50 which is made of paraffin. It's really, really greasy! Or Vaseline is good too.

My DS's eczema is now so well controlled that most people don't believe that he has it. He literally went from
Looking like he had been in a fire with weeping, bleeding skin to now having lovely clear skin.

Just to add that if you can use something like Vaseline or the 50:50 on your daughter several times a day it will really help.

I know people don't like to use paraffin based products but they work. It's what would be used if eczema got so bad it needed hospital treatment. I was reluctant at first but I had tried everything else, natural remedies, all of the creams you can buy in Boots, all of the mild steroids you can get from the GP etc etc.

I used to see my DS suffer and unable to sleep from the itching so I really sympathise. Please, please try and follow what I've advised for a week or two. Sorry if I come across as a know it all but I just really want to share the benefits I received from being able to see an expert in Eczema.

Hi all, not sure if this has already been mentioned but Aqueous cream is no longer recommended for eczema as it contains SLS (soap) which really irritates eczema.
My 6 month old has severe eczema and she rubs two areas on the back of her head all night long. We bought silk cloth to put in her cot. This really helped but the big breakthrough came when we discovered friars balsam. This stuff really stops itching and it's an antiseptic. It's safe to use on babies over 3 months and you can get it in most chemists. My mum used to use it when we had a cold as kids and I know doctors use it to help dressings stick on. Well worth a try.

Hi all, not sure if this has already been mentioned but Aqueous cream is no longer recommended for eczema as it contains SLS (soap) which really irritates eczema.
My 6 month old has severe eczema and she rubs two areas on the back of her head all night long. We bought silk cloth to put in her cot. This really helped but the big breakthrough came when we discovered friars balsam. This stuff really stops itching and it's an antiseptic. It's safe to use on babies over 3 months and you can get it in most chemists. My mum used to use it when we had a cold as kids and I know doctors use it to help dressings stick on. Well worth a try.