Eczema - anyone else having to use steroids continuously??

[lizziejo]

DS has bad eczema which is currently pretty well controlled with frequent applications of Epaderm all over and at the moment daily application of steroid (usually HC 2.5% or 1%, Eumovate if really bad)on his hotspots. Trouble is his backs of knees will not clear and as soon as I stop the steroid it gets worse again (have tried tailoring doses down etc.)

GP said never use for more than 3 weeks without a break but our dermatologist was less rigid.

Seems a bit pointless to stop the HC only to then have to go up a step to more potent steroid to get it back under control.

Is anyone else having to use steroids all the time?

Hi, DS is 21mo and has had steroid cream almost daily since he was about 3mo. We were reassured by his paed that HC is very weak as steroids go and it's much better to use it as needed than leave the eczema untreated.

dp has the same problem.... as long as he uses the cream it stays away but the second he stops the cream the itching starts so he never stops using it

he got so sick of the flare ups he just won't be convinced to give the cream a break now and havng seen what happens when he does i can't blame him.

he finds it the best balance to have a shower every 2/3 days and apply eumovate to all the trouble spots right after, more or less often seems to cause problems for him.

not sure if that's what you wanted to hear...

Thanks for your reply - thats very reasssuring, was starting to think I was a bad mother!!

I guess that's the trouble with eczema, you don't want to risk a flare so you keep on with the steroids.

my son used steriods from a about 3 months to 5 yrs.

he is now 12 and all he needs is daily moisteriser ( that he refuses to use!)

we've been using steroid creams on dd2 (10) pretty contnuously for months and months now

Hi lizziejoe,
i can totally relate to what you are saying, my four month old has horrible eczema particularly irritable on his face, as soon as i stop steroid cream it flares up and becomes infectious. i feel very guilty for using steroids but feel a million times worse when i stop and it flares up.
i am also using a cream called allergenics from he health shop which seems to be helping, and adding a drop of evening primrose oil in one feed per day as that is suppose to help eczema suffers. Anything herbal is worth a try.

The guidelines about 3 weeks or whatever are not much help when you still have a flare up are they.
I personally would try hitting it with the higher dose steroid in case that helps bring it under control and allows you to get to a point that you maintain it with epaderm.
I used to be so worried about using the steroids but over time I realised that we needed them so much, and it was only for a few months in the end. It just feels like forever when you're in the middle of it.