Eczema: 6yo prescribed emollients and piriteze. Other ideas?

[thelady]

A good friend's dd has had v. bad eczema since she was tiny. No tests for allergies that I know of, and only prescribed stuff like oilatum and antihistimines to help.

Poor thing is scratching herself to bleeding, especially while asleep.

Is there anything the mum can do/try to help? V. low income, so no way to go private for allergy testing etc. We wondered about a controlled detox, but worried about diet implications/practicality for such a young child.

Thanks!

Has she tried cutting out dairy for a couple of weeks? There's a proven link and it was definitely the cause of my ds's eczema. It won't do her any harm to cut it out for a week or two. Doctors are rubbish when it comes to ezcema. I'd also go down the natural route - stay away from chemicals and try stuff like natural oils etc.

If you look down the threads on allergies, there is alot of advice given today under the heading 7week old with eczema. would stay on but have to sign off now, sorry. However I mentioned a site that sell protective clothing for children on there and thats really helped our dd. They are expensive but worth there weight in gold. Have a read and you may find some of our posts helpful. sympathy for your friends dd, poor thing we have been there!

Thanks very much for the tips. I'll be seeing the mum tomorrow, and will try and have a few suggestions for her.

It's great having a place like this, as I know people will have tried the things they're recommending, rather than just doing web research and wondering if there's any truth in it.

steroid creams? Or is she trying to avoid them?

I don't know how she feels about the steroid creams. From our discussion, she's pretty much given up on the doctors for the moment, and has just been going to the chemist to get OTC stuff.

I'm wondering if it isn't related to something in the school uniform, as this flareup has started since schools went back last month and the weather warmed up.

tbh there can be so many different reaSONS for eczema. It can be unmanageable to go through all foodstuffs, clothing, powders, etc.

The usual medical routine involves steroid creams, emollients, possibly wet wraps.

I think we were in a very simular situation with our dd now 5 yrs. Doctors were not sending us to a dermatologist, I was desperate. That was until I saw a newly trained doctor who just happened to have done his training on eczema/wet wrapping ward. Bingo, he refered us straught away thank goodness. Later we discovered an allergy to nuts and therefore had skin prick testing to confirm this. To cut along story short she is now alleric to many things so having tests done now is not to difficult. Our dermatologist seems to refere easily so I recommend your friend to push and push for a Dermatologist. Its the first step. Im not saying they know much more than your friend probably does but I found the testing valuable and the training on how to wet wrap ect also they can help you try samples of different creams ect. Dependant upon the care her dd needs alot of us have now discovered about disability living allowance. She can put in a claim to try and get some finacial help. Does she ever get hives. As for the recent flare up could it be maybe chemicals in her clothing Teflon in school trousers/skirt. I get my dd 100 percent cotton ones from Asda along with the cotton shirts in there too. dd always has long shirts to prevent her itching in school and the teacher does apply her cream. She wears gloves for painting and I also wash her clothes regular due to the amount of dirt/dust at school as she has a dust mite allergy.

ask for Aveeno as an emollient.

our routine as per dermatologist.

weeping eczema: oral antibios + Epaderm in the bath + aveeno + steroid ointment (Vioform as it has an antiseptic to it)always apply last as the ointment would prevent the aveeno from being absorbed.

bad eczema (red itchy swollen): - epaderm in bath, aveeno, steriod ointment
(1% hydrocortisone)

eczema (itchy bumpy skin) epaderm, aveeno (several times a day)

and everyday: aveeno 2x daily all over body. limit baths to 10 mins and no hotter than blood temp.

hth.

everything is available on prescription.

Be aware that dermatologists in different local authority areas can have different approaches. For example, in my LA area they do not go down the route of allergies at all. Very reluctant to look at diet unless pushed. They suggest routines like kiskidee's.

Yes, I agree emolients are very expensive! Pointydog I agree, us getting allergy testing in the beginning was very difficult, as it was they turned us down for ages. I think it was purely after the fact that dd had her life threatening peanut allergy confirmed and then I would go back with suspect foods explaining reactions stinging lips ect. Maybe they didnt feel they could ignore this as I probably by rights should have been under an allergist which I am not exactly, they just give me odd appointments when I ask to have these tests done. We even considered private tests previous to then. However getting a referel to the dermatologist is definately the next step.

I don't know how she's managing either! Definitely causing a lot of stress anyway, which is why I said I'd pop on here and ask for help/advice.

Thank you all again.

Thelady Have you got a printer? You could always print off any good info for her to read. Its always so hard to take it all in, I know. My dd is getting on fairly well at the moment but its taking alot of effort. I dont even dry my washing outside during the summer months to avoid the pollens. Im sure people think I am mad. Tumble drying towls in the heat of the summer. How is her school about it do you know?

aveeno is good for a lot of kids and her doctor can prescribe it. They don't like doing so as its expensive but its worth asking. They could also ask about a prescription for piriton because if there is an allergy that may help, unless she has a problem with the colouring! Useful at nighttime as it may make her dopey.

Probiotics - live yoghurt is Ok if money is tight.

Switching to goats milk sometimes helps and now its in supermarkets its not as expensive as it used to be.

Thanks again - half the town seems to have come down with a stinker of a cold (me included) hence the total silence.