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Allergies and intolerances

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Original poster

Eczema type rash all around dd's eyes, eyelids, nose and mouth, but no where else on her body

49 replies

Jalexandra · 01/11/2006 19:57

Hi, I have posted before about my 16 month old dd's rash on her face, but have just been to my GP (again) as the 'eczema' she has had on her face has not got any better at all after I have been applying 0.5% hydrocortisone cream twice a day for about 3 weeks. Her rash is straight down the middle of her face, with little red spots around her eyes, on her eyelids and red rough skin around her nose and mouth. I thought facial eczema was more likely to be on the cheeks, or somewhere else on the body but she has no other patches anywhere else.
Has anyone else experienced an eczema rash like this. Also is it safe to put hydrocortisone on her eyelids. My GP has now given me 1% cream.
I would be very grateful for any advice.

OP posts:

misdee · 01/11/2006 20:10

are you using wipes to clean her face?

Original poster

Jalexandra · 01/11/2006 20:15

Sometimes, but when it first appeared we started using water instead. It didn't make a difference. I have thought that she might be allergic to something like that but so far I haven't found anything. I just use oilatum in the bath for her.

OP posts:

misdee · 01/11/2006 20:16

stop using the wipes on her altogether. just use a flannel and water.

i wouldnt put hydrocortsone on too close to her eyes on on her eyelids.

Original poster

Jalexandra · 01/11/2006 20:23

Thanks I will definately do that. Have you seen this kind of thing before?

OP posts:

misdee · 01/11/2006 20:24

i have 3 chidlren with varying degrees of eczema.

have they given you an emoillant to use at all?

Original poster

Jalexandra · 01/11/2006 20:31

I have diprobase, which I put on several times a day. I am finding it hard to accept it is eczema as it is only on her face. My ds has baby excema which he has since almost grown out of, but he never had anything like this especially on his face.

OP posts:

beegee · 01/11/2006 20:38

Just wanted to 'bump' this for you.

Don't really have any advice myself - I'm sure someone can help..good luck.

Original poster

Jalexandra · 01/11/2006 20:45

Thanks beegee

OP posts:

Original poster

Jalexandra · 02/11/2006 07:53

Any other opinions would be great.
I am thinking of asking for allergy tests

OP posts:

tatt · 02/11/2006 10:38

haven't heard of eczema like that but can't think what else it would be either. If you go for allergy tests they'll need some idea what to test for so would probably want a detailed food diary. Also if you use biological powder on clothes/ bed linen/ towels swich to a non-biological one in case its soap residures.

You could try a little antihistamine cream and see if that helps. If the rash improves it probably is an allergy, if it doesn't it doesn't prove it isn't. Ask the pharmacist for the cream, it may be sold as bite cream. Try it on normal skin other than the face first (twice) just to make sure she doesn't have an allergy to it.

Original poster

Jalexandra · 02/11/2006 10:56

Thanks Tatt. I am going to start giving her pyriton twice a day and see if that helps

OP posts:

tatt · 02/11/2006 19:42

I've been thinking about this and wondering if it could be milk related. That often causes redness around the nose and mouth although I haven't heard of spots on the eyelids. Perhaps she's rubbing her eyes with her hands and something (maybe milk traces) on her hands is the problem? If the piriton doesn't help she's old enough to try goats milk instead of cows dairy. You could even ask your gp to let you have a milk free formula to try for a couple of weeks. Don't try soya or rice milk without professional advice. Soya is linked to nut allergy, rice milk doesn't have many nutrients.

Original poster

Jalexandra · 02/11/2006 21:16

Thanks Tatt. It could be milk related. She has milk and cheese everyday and is a messy eater so maybe that is the cause. I think I am going to try and get her an appointment with a dermatologist.

OP posts:

Spidermama · 02/11/2006 21:26

Jalex I've had exactly what you describe on my face for the past two days. I think it came with the cold weather. It's horrible. My eyes are suddenly like those of a 90 year old.

I have had eczema, off and on, since childhood. I've found mine comes up for various reasons (pregnancy hormonal changes, dust allergy, pollen, dogs etc) along with my asthma, but I have recently begun to control both very well by cutting things out of my diet. The main offender seems to be dairy.

Allergic reactions are complicated. They're often to do with the immune system being overloaded and often you find if you remove the dietary elements which are causing problems, the immune system can handle the other allergies (dogs, dust or whatever) much better.

I have slipped up and had a couple of cappucinos lately and some cheesey sandwiches because there was nothing else. Things really do clear up for me if I'm very careful about avoiding dairy, but it does take quite a lot of thought and energy.

FWIW I don't agree with the creams. They do nothing to combat the root cause but only supress symptoms which ought to be allowed out. It's far better to tackle the problem holistically.

I've found my homeopath has been brilliant in this area. I know that not everybody finds homeopath helpful but I certainly have.

Good luck.

PrincessPeaHead · 02/11/2006 21:27

jalexandra I have ezcema-y children as well. One thing you could try, if it is food related (and it being just on her face might suggest that it is a reaction to food on her face, if she is a messy eater...) is to get a tube of diprobase OINTMENT from the chemist, and put a thin layer of that all around her mouth and the affected areas before every feed. This will act literally as a barrier, to ensure that nothing gets through and touches the skin. You can safely put it on eyelids (try not to get it in the corners of the eyes though.

My ds who had appalling ezcema on his face, did this from 5 mths plus, and it was very effective (in conjunction with other creams at night). My dermatologist explained at that food smearing/fist chewing/dribbly stage, any ezcema that was there could easily get infected either bacterially or fungally (lots of funguses in saliva apparently), or the ezcema could just be irritated further by food.

the other thing you could ask your gp to try BEFORE you go onto 1% (which is strong, and I suspect if .5% made NO difference then in isn't just the strength of the HC which is the problem) is to try Trimuvate cream. This is .5%HC plus an antibiotic plus an antifungal and is the cream of choice for faces where HC alone hasn't worked. I'd move onto trimuvate in the evenings, diprobase ointment before every feed (milk or solid) and see if there is an improvement in a week.

hth

Spidermama · 02/11/2006 21:38

PPH I know that works for some people but I have to say the last thing I want to do is put anything at all on my eczema. Even water makes it flare up. I try to leave well alone.

PrincessPeaHead · 02/11/2006 21:45

I understand that, but the trouble is with babies is that they don't leave it alone, do they? my dd1 in particular used to scratch and scratch, it was awful. we sedated her at night (with a drowsy antihistamine) in the end (on derm's instructions) to try and give her skin 12 hours a day at least to heal...

different people react in such different ways to things, you just have to find out what works for you jalexandra. that might be doing practically nothing, like spidermama, or something else entirely to the suggestions on this thread.

oh the other thing I wanted to say was that oilatum makes all my children itch like mad by the way... but if your dd's body is OK then it probably doesn't bother her.

Original poster

Jalexandra · 02/11/2006 22:10

Spidermama, thanks for that. I took dd to see some friends today and they thought she had been in some kind of accident as her eyes are so red and puffy. It is awful. I will definately cut out dairy food and see if it makes a difference.
PPH thanks I will look for the ointment. On wednesday at my GP's, I specifically asked for Trimuvate and he said it was too strong to use on an infants face and he wouldn't prescribe it. It is so frustrating. Poor Amy is constantly rubbing her eyes now.

OP posts:

Lact8AllThePies · 02/11/2006 22:49

I was going to post about this Jalexandra. My dd has had exactly the same symptoms as this for the past 9 weeks. We've had 3 appointments with the Dr's now. She's been presrcibed aqaueous cream, which did nothing, hydrocortisone (timodine) which cleared it up straight away but I was told I could only use it for 5 days then as soon as I stopped using it the rash came back. We've been again today and been given diprobase.

Does it seem to irritate her? DD doesn't touch it at all so I'm thinking it's not ezcema but now I'm wondering does all ezcema itch?

I'm going to follow PrincesPeaHead's advice as the reaction to food seems the most likely reason in DD's case, she gets covered every meal time.

The doctor advised that I just use the diprobase twice a day but dd eats all day long, would it do her any harm to have it applied more than this?

Sorry for hijacking Jalexander, I'm just releived to know someone else who's dc has the same as when I've searched on the internet I couldn't find anything that resembled dd's face.

PrincessPeaHead · 02/11/2006 23:13

well you can tell him that professor john harper (paed dermatologist at gt ormond street) prescribed it for my 5.5 mth old!

if you are looking for a paediatric dermatologist I have utmost faith in harper - I have brought him 2 appallingly afflicted children (he took photos of ds2 he was so bad) and he had them sorted within a fortnight on a single consultation. bloody marvellous man! best of luck.

PrincessPeaHead · 02/11/2006 23:15

lactate have you been given diprobase ointment or cream? the cream is a perfectly good emollient, but the ointment is needed as a barrier. it is the same sort of consistency as vaseline, so sits on the skin and stops anything else from touching it IYSWIM

you don't need a prescription for it, just go and get a tube from the chemist if you have only got the cream. I'd be interested in knowing how you both get on.

PrincessPeaHead · 02/11/2006 23:16

oh and lact8 you can bung it on 100 times a day, it is not a medicament, just an emollient (or barrier).

PinkTulips · 02/11/2006 23:24

haven't read through yet so sorry if i'm repeating

dp uses hydrocortisone cream for his exzema and it's extremely harsh stuff. i'd be wary of using it anywhere on the face at all and tbh if it hasn't worked in 3 weeks i'd doubt it will at all.

could you possibly get a second opinion from another gp? it really doesn't sound that much like exzema from what you've described. was anything new introduced to her diet? or a new detergent or something?

Lact8AllThePies · 02/11/2006 23:29

Thanks PPH, it says Diprobase Ointment Emollient on the tube so I'm guessing that's got both in there?

I'm desperate to get this sorted. She looks so ill when she's in her pram and I feel like such a bad mum that I can't fix it for her.

The Dr said today I have to use the DiproBase for 15 days and if there is no improvement then take her back. I'll be insisting on a referral if it's no better.

How did you arrange to see Prof Harper? I'd be happy to travel to London if I thought it would help her

PrincessPeaHead · 02/11/2006 23:46

yes that is the ointment lact8

is that all you have though? that will be a good barrier etc but it isn't actually dealing with the eczema, is it?

I saw professor harper privately (he sees private practice at the portland consulting rooms on gt portland street) which was about £200 and money absolutely well spent, if you have it. his secretary's no is 020-7580-4400.
I find that GPs are really NOT good at managing eczema, if you are unhappy with her care I would really try and get a referral to a paed derm rather than go back repeatedly to the same gp.
good luck!

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