aaarrrggghhh!! exzema

[lilsmum]

dd (10mth) started with a small dry patch on her chest... its now patches all over her chest,belly,groin,and back and has spread like wildfire!! its just very red and dry (not weepy) i started by using e45 (doc said) that didnt clear it up but it didnt spread, i then bought some eumo base cream same with that, i went back to doc and he gave me 0.5 hydrocortisone and aquous (sp?) cream and that is when it has spread.. i went to boots and bought some oiliatum(sp?) bath stuff but only used that once(last night) so dont know if that is helping yet.. do you put the aquous cream all over? and what about the hydrocortisone? how do you apply both? doc never told me anything really... could these have made it spread? also it seemed to start when i stupidly bought a different washing powder (didnt have my usual brand) could this have triggered it off? i didnt use it long though and swapped back to my usual. i am pulling my hair out trying to think of what i can do??(i know alot of mums have children alot worse than mine) but i know nothing about it.. and from what i have read on here when i have done a search on eczema there is so many creams you dont know where to start!! also a stupid question really but could weetabix or any other foods make it worse? the weetabix question is because i only started giving it dd around the time the eczema started. is there any good websites for info? i have searched on google but there are so many i dont know where to start with that either!! please help !!!!

also (sorry i know its long enough already lol).. what about heating in house, can sweating make it worse? we have GCH and have it on quite high, should i try and keep her cool? just had another thought too... it seems to have spread when dd had a virus she went totally off her food therefore was having more milk could that be anything to do with it?

really sorry its so long just have sooo many questions lolxx

You would put the hydrocortisone cream on first and then the aqueous on top - just on the patches. I swear by aqueous cream - put lots on. I don't think the spreading has got anything to do with the creams, it was probably going to do that anyway.

my ds has had this since a baby and weve only just got it sorted.docs gave me aqueous cream but didnt really help but have just seen another doc who recommeded double base cream.with his hydrocortisone cream and that hes eczema free for the first time ever.sadly though what works for one doesnt always work for everyone.

hi lilsmum, it doesn't matter how little how much they have, it's always traumatic [big hug]

if i were you i would stop with the aqueous as a lot of us have found that it can aggravate certain skins and there was a study on it some time ago too. try and get your doc to prescribe epaderm instead as you can also use this as a soap. go to boots and get aveeno cream for moisturising as many of us have also found this extremely useful and with the gch these days, their poor skins dry out so badly!

i also found sweating to be a factor but i think it depends on the kind of eczema you have. my ds1 can wear virtually nothing and feel better than being wrapped up!

visit here

for more info.

got to go and pick up ds1 now but have a browse through mnet as we've got loads of threads on this!

HTH

lilsmum - aqueous cream makes my dd's eczema worse so it might be that. we use Balneum in the bath, no soap at all, then Aveeno. We also use hydrocortisone on flare ups. Put the hydrocortisone on first and then wait 20-30 mins before applying your moisturising cream.

we have found aveeno has made ds's skin a lot smoother also, have not had anything from docs yet.
karenanne, what is "doublebase"?

Try keeping a food diary. I think my baby has a reaction to cows milk?
Is it any products you use, washing powder, baby bath etc?
Does your baby use her bowels regularly?
Try keeping to cotton things for your baby.
I was baby in no Johnsons products, I use baby organics instead and aqueous cream.
Also had calendula cream and homeopath gave me Calc Carb for it, which helped enormously.
Also offer plenty of water to help flush out toxins that build up.
Hope this helps a bit.

thanks everyone... can anyone help with the other questions? especially the weetabix one?

Hi

When my son was a baby he had horendous (wet and dry) eczema (90% of his body covered). I tried everything homeopathy, chinese herbs and cutting out things from his and my diet (I was breastfeeding).
Finding out what works for your child is a lot of trial and error. For us the following seemed to help:
Avoiding baths (one a week at most try quick shower instead). Water can be a real irritant.

Using hydrocortisone ointment instead of cream (The Consultant suggested this as it seems to stay on the skin better so it can do it's job.

I used to cut and file my sons nails so he did less damage.

Tea tree shampoo (Australian Bodycare) was brilliant for the wet eczema he had on his scalp.

Tea tree oil was great if he got infected.

Avoiding excessive heat.

I found out after about a year that my son had serious allergies which probably contributed to his eczema. Wheetabix could be a culprit but it is very hard to identify the allergen which cause a reaction. There are blood tests which are pretty good but can give false readings.

Teething or any infection that laid him low made the eczema flare up so be prepared.

I know how miserable it is and my thoughts are with you. Most children grow out of it but I never found this a comfort when we were going through it. Strangers used to stop me in the street and look at me accusingly or tell me of some wonder cure they had found.
After a severe allergic reaction I asked my GP for a referal. I did this in writing as I thought it would be harder for them to brush me aside. It worked I got a referal straight away and have benifited from the care we receive at the hospital.

Hope this helps.

hi lilsmum. sorry to hear your baby has gotton worse (i belive it was you asking if it was dry skin or eczema).

Ask for dermol500 lotion, hydrocortisone ointments in stead of creams and apply liberally through out the day (not the hydrocortisone tho).

good websites for info, are talk eczema NES and for groups of mums chatting about it try a (now dead ) yahoo group uk kids with eczema go back to 2001 messages when it was really active.

Hi

Had another look at your question re milk. Cow's milk is a commom alergen which sparks off eczema. On advice I switched my son to goats milk formula and then regular goats's milk. Apparently there is a 20% chance that an indvidual can tolerate goats milk if allergic to cow's milk. Might be worth a try.

Children often get an attack of eczema when they have a virus or infection as their immune system is affected. Eczema is believed to be the product of an overactive immune system hence the link with virus etc,...
Good luck

well ladies, i am not going to say i have cracked it (tempting fate!!) but i have cleared up all of dd's eczema.. guess what i used... sudocreme!!! well i put the hydrocortisone cream and then sudocreme on twice a day and its done the trick!! i stopped using the aqueous cream because i am sure that made it worse.. will have to try keeping it at bay now, i am just so glad its died down though it was like fighting a losing battle at one point...

thanks for all the great advice

xxxxx

fingers crossed for you and well done on some relief for your DD skin.

I used a cream that cleared up really bad eczema for my little one, and my dh, but other people to whom I recommended it found it had no effect! It's at www.comfortandjoy.co.uk, called Serious Skin Saver, but pretty priced.

The dermatologists told us that anything other than really seriously bad eczema is rarely caused by a single thing, and that you are unlikely to be able to identify the exact combination. A huge proportion of kids have eczema and habe outgrown in by 3. But we put ours onto soya formula and off dairy for ayear and it cleared up and we have re-introduced dairy with just a mild reaction now he's 17 months. xxx

that's great news lilsmum - sudocreme is ace as it's packed with zinc which helps the skin heal and keeps it healthy. i believe it also has some lavender which is also good.

hope all goes well with dd xx