Excema nightmare

[Beatrice]

Having an awful time with DD's excema at the moment. I know it's a really common problem and lots of mums have to deal with it, but I'm getting really upset about it and don't feel like I'm doing the best for DD at all. She's 6 months now and has had it since she was about 3 months. Up until now it's been mostly on her tummy and legs and I've managed to keep it under control with Epaderm and 0.5% hydrocortisone. But this week it's suddenly spread and got much worse - don't know if it's because of the hot weather or because she's started eating a lot more or what. The worst is her face. She's red all over and constantly scratching at herself. I've had conflicting advice about using hydrocortisone on the face - is it OK or does it damage the skin? And are there any side effects from absorbing it through the skin? She also has a very dry, itchy scalp which the health visitor recommended a horrible, sticky paraffin cream for. I put that on her scalp tonight before bed and she's smeared it all over her hands, rubbed it on her face and I think in her eyes, and probably swallowed a load as well by sucking her hands. Don't want to use that again - anyone know an alternative for really dry scalp? She's also got awful red blotchy marks all around her mouth - a reaction to food on her skin when she's eating. What should I be using to clean her face after she eats? She's so miserable and uncomfortable I'm desperate to know how to help her. Would really appreciate some suggestions.

Hi Beatrice

So sorry my dd also suffered from eczema from about 3 months and the hot weather definitely made it worse. I find now that a combination of Oilatum in the bath and then Aveeno cream (get from the chemist) I find works well for the daily moisturiser and then fucidin h (for when skin is broken and infected) and then cortisone or stronger sometimes if it's really bad. Unfortunately sometimes you have to blitz it to clear it up and then stop using the strong creams once the worst has gone. This I was told by a dermatologist is better for the skin than prolonged weak cortisone that doesn't have any effect. Hopefully it's just childhood eczema for your dd. Mine is nearly 3 now and it was certainly at it's worst in her first two years. I also found that some piriton (antihisthamine) at night worked as well sometimes when it was very bad as it helped to reduce the itching. With regards to her face my dd also got blotchy after food and I used to just use cool boiled water and cotton wool to clean her. Hope it gets better.

Hello I am in the same boat but a bit further along, so if you give me a bit more info ill see if i can pass on the bit of knowledge i have.

How do you feed and what? Is the scalp yellowish flakes like cradle cap? I know its a common and usually stupid question but do you use persil to wash your clothes? Do you have pets? where does DD sleep at night?

Jemma

OK, thanks Jemma. To answer your questions: She's bottle fed (and has been since 6 weeks when I gave up bf because she still hadn't regained her birthweight - please don't tell how bad this is for excema, I know). Apart from that she's just had fruit and veg, chicken casserole and lentil and veg soup. It's not yellowish flakes on her head any more, they disappeared a few months ago and now it's just very dry. We don't have pets but do wash with Persil - does that make a big difference? Any advice would be appreciated, especially if you know a better washing powder to use.

My DS used to have dreadful problems but luckily now we seem to manage his skin. We use Ecover washing liquid for clothes and that seems to have worked the best as it is quite natural and mild. It is £3.99 a bottle from most supermakets and you just use two capfuls in each wash. I was also told by a dematologist to do an extra rinse on washes to make sure you get rid of as much of the detergent as possible.

Banana allergy - My son suffered similarly with excema from two weeks old until I found a miracle on an American internet site for excema sufferers. Someone on there said their child happened to suffer with an allergy to bananas and described my son's symptoms, ie his face, legs and groin area were worst affected, to the point his face would have weeping sores. I immediately stopped giving him bananas (I'd eaten hundreds whilst pregnant and breast feeding too which probably didn't help), and within a couple of weeks it was like a miracle cure and he has not had a single bit of excema since. He is now almost three and I found this info about two years ago. My advice is if it's not bananas, it could be something else which is aggravating the condition. Take your time and use the process of elimination with food and you might strike it lucky. When I look back at my son's baby photos where his face was red raw I thank god for the internet!

My best wishes to you all and your children for some relief from this awful ailment.

Just resurrecting this thread to ask a couple more questions. Does anyone have any experience of excema on the eyelids? DD is constantly rubbing hers and they look red and sore. I've never heard of any treatment suitable for eyelids, but I need to do something because she's rubbing them like mad. Also, I remember reading on a previous thread (which I can't find now) something about cleaning their faces with cotton wool impregnated with aqueous cream, especially after eating. Does anyone do that, and how exactly do you do it? Thanks again for all your responses to my first post.

you must use some weleda calendulon OINTMENT(NOT calendula CREAM) its perfectly safe for eyelids(i used it on my newborn ds's dry eyelids- please try some i know you wont be dissapointed-i use it on my excema and it really helps with the tight dry feeling(which is awful when its eyelids)-
i dont rate any of the aqueous creams ive had on prescription -i find them harsh and not the best moisturisers-some of them make the itch worse(i havent tried aveeno yet though)
try to get the weleda ointment from your independant health food store(ask them to order it for you) or go to weleda website
weleda-here
this stuff is truly amazing i cannot stress enough how much you need it!
if you have difficultly getting some cat me -i have an unopened tube here!

ive tried to find it on site but it isnt with the other calendula products -i will email them and ask why -(cat me if you want to try some )

theres a section on the site (right hand column at bottom) that says email a pharmacist for advice-this might be useful for you

found it -go to remedy finder on the right hand column
when it brings up the remedy finder on the left hand screen sroll down its on the second table-calendolon ointment
they also recommend other things for excema maybe the pharmacist could tell you more

Thanks earlygirl - I'll give it a try

Just read through this thread and found it extremley helpful,thankyou all.

Beatrice,

Have you considered going to see a homeopath? Both my daughters (3 yrs and 20 months) suffered from eczema. Constitutional homeopathic treatment could offer you the 'cure' I experienced with my children. My eldest daughter had sores on her body that used to make all her clothes stick to her. In the end we had to bandage her. The homeopath I took her to see prescribed about 4 different remedies over the same number of months, all with varying success. Then she struck upon the one that worked and 4 days later there was no eczema, nor has there been since. I have since used homeopathic treatment for a range of ailments and have been consistently impressed by the results. My homeopath advised me to change nothing in the way I was caring for my daughter's skin while she was treating her. I was using hydracortizone cream on the worst bits. Homeopaths seem to feel that flushing it out of the body is a good thing and surpressing it back into the body is best avoided. I paid £28 for the first appointment (where we chatted for 2 hours) and £20 for any appointments thereafter. Sometimes she would just get an update on my daughter's progress on the phone and then mail me a remedy (a small white sucrose based tablet) for which she would sometimes charge £5 and sometimes not charge at all. I think it's the best money I ever spent. Once the treatment works, that's it. There are no tablets to take regularly etc.
I hope you consider this alternative to traditional medecine.

Good luck

have you applied for DLA? some children with ezcema do qualify.

Thanks for the suggestion Misdee, but having read about some of the problems other kids with eczema have I don't think dd is bad enough to qualify. She rarely needs any treatment at night and I've never had to wet wrap her.
Isabellasmummy, my GP is also a homeopath and she has given me some tablets to try, but I haven't used them regularly because it's quite difficult to get dd to swallow them and I'm not convinced that they would do anything. They were calc. carb tablets. What did you dds have?

IsabellasMummy, I would love to know where your homeopath practices.

Beatrice, ds1 is on so many homeopathic remedies since his (who is also a med doctor) is so in depth...sounds v. similar to isabellasmummy's one! he has taken both tablet form and pillule (tiny balls). both are made from sucrose so don't taste horrid and in any case they're usually meant to suck/chew them to absorb the remedy through the lining of the mouth. will dd refuse to swallow the tablet or point blank refuse to take it at all?

I highly recommend persevering with it as like IM, it was the only thing that virtually made his eczema disappear at times!

My daughter came up in terrible eczema after her vaccinations at 12 weeks. After going to the doctor who precribed me oilatum and a useless cream called Diprabase, I have since been to a homeopath who has given her a remedy which has really calmed it down. I also bought a cream and bath oil called SOS by barefoot botanicals which has virtually cleared it completely. they also do a spray which is for infected eczema. It is quite expensive but really is worth it. Also you might be interested to know that oilatum is wool based so can really irritate eczema even though most doctors prescribe it!! unbeleiveable

Tina Head knows all about unravelling vaccination related eczema: www.aneducateddecision.com - she is based in Surrey. She might be able to recommend someone in your area? Good luck.

gingercat,both my sons reacted to their vaccinations by erupting in unbelievable eczema and as a result were referred to an immunologist who is fab.He broke the immunisations down into sections and they had everything split up and in small doses.it took a long time ( ds2 is still in the process of having his)but it has definitely been better than having the whole lot in one go.
ds2 particularly has had a rotten time.His face was literally raw and bleeding and weeping,and his sheets looked like a butchers apron every morning.He is loads better now and although his body is patchy,his face is peachy.Just wanted to let you know it does get better.

my dd is 2.5 and seems to suddenly have got excema on her chest. am taking her to gp but wanted to know if it's usual to come on at her age? in past winters her skin has got a bit rough but this is much worse any advice appreciated/ xx

i havent had time to read all the posts so sorry if i repeat some of the things previously mentioned...

i am nearly 16 and have suffered from ezcema for as long as i can remember

i used to cry and scream all through the night and scratch myself raw

i was always told i would grow out of it, first when i was 6, then 7, then 11, then 14, yet here i am, still with ezcema.

however from years of trial and error, FINALLY i have it under control and you cant even notice my skin, apart from a tiny bit on my hands.

so here are my tips... they wont work for everyone but you can try.... they work for me :)

firstly, showers/baths were a killer for me. try rinsing off skin with cold water at the end of a shower and then 'hug' dry. this cools skin before moisturising.

i cant use any aqueous creams as they trap in heat and irritate my skin more, however some people find they work well for them. instead i use AVEENO, which i love. you can get it on prescription in the uk which helps :)

if neither or these work, try using straight olive oil, its really natural and an amazing moisturiser. it can be a little messy but sinks in really really quickly.

so, moisturise twice a day, i know its a chore but try and made it as bearable as possibly, for example, warming up cream a bit in the winter.

for those flareups, (i always get back skin when it gets cold outside and the heating goes on, and again in the spring when it goes off and the weather improves,) ask you doctor for a steroid cream. as soon as dry skin or red blotchy patched appears apply cream immediately. you have to catch flareups in time. if however, cream stings and hurts when applied, try using ice packs and stress balls. another thing is hotwater bottles but try the ice first.

oilatum bath oil is ggood to use when the weather changes as it keeps skin moist while your body adjusts to the climate.

probably the most important thing to keep my ezcema under control are anti-histamines.i take cetrizine every day in the morning and ucerax in the evenings. these make you drouzy so you sleep all night without scratching. they do not affect me in the mornings and i still do wake in the night sometimes but not because im ripping my skin appart. i used to get so tired, even if i was sleeping all night due to the scratching. sleep loss increased greatly when i turned 13.

i think thats all... please ask me if you have any questions

i am thinking of setting up a website to help and advise people on how to live with eczema. do you thing this is a good idea and would work?

good luck

avalon