AIBU to think that there must be something more we can do for this eczema

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Hello! Posting here for traffic.

Our two year old has always had mild eczema but over the last month it's got significantly worse... The itching all through the night is unbearable for us all.

We've tried all potions and lotions available both over the counter and prescribed and now the GP has said that he has no further solutions but that lots of children live with and then grow out of this type of eczema... We've booked to see a dermatologist privately but can't be seen until the New Year.

Does anyone have any advice?

Oh love

What is say only from my own experience, is that those heavy ointments made my skin worse for years and years, and no doctor would believe me. Eventually I found Burts Bees which really helped, and now Aveeno.

The ointments were so thick and greasy and made my skin feel suffocated.

Also - sleep with cotton gloves on so as not to scratch when asleep!

@OogieBoogiePoinsettiaPlant

Have you tried any anti-allergy syrups for the itching? Like children's piriton or cetirizine or loratadine (kid's version)?

Piriton is by far the best for skin problems; Epaderm lotion as an emulsifying wash is good, and Diprobase cream or ointment after bathing. Avoid dairy and also avoid citrus , either eaten or in washing/ skin care products. Try to avoid sugar too. This is what has helped me in the past ( although I am a bit older).

To need to quit dairy for more than a few days. It'll still be in her system. Quit it altogether, strictly.

My son would flare with fairy non bio as it's scented.
Try ecover zero. Its the only one we could use

Oh poor baby :( do you think the cold weather is also aggravating the flare up?

I’ve suffered with eczema all my life, ask your gp for a referral to a dermatologist and allergist so they can test for common allergies. I would do a food diary and remove common food allergies one at a time to see if any improvement. Also look at what your using on his skin make sure nothing as perfume in it. A cream like cetraben for daily use and I would ask the gp for a steroid cream to help calm it down. Also antihistamines can help with the night time itching. Hope he improves it’s a horrible condition and not a one fit all solution. If a cream doesn’t work try another one until one does. Bath time is a trigger for me and have to use soap substitutes as my skin won’t tolerate anything else, pat skin dry and cream on within 10 minutes or my skin dries out.

My skin was also unbearable and the only thing that worked for me is the laroche posay cream from boots. There's apparently something in it which changes the skin environment/ bacteria.
It's worked absolute wonders for me and I have had eczema for 11 years. Hope you find something that works soon

Your gp should be referring to dermatology if they have run out of ideas. I'd see a different gp.
In the mean time has anything changed in their environment - eg even if the brand of detergent hasn't changed has something new been added.
Are there any known allergies in your family? Worth cutting out food groups?
Could you purchase excema garments (you can get some that are like pj's, put on after creaming before clothes, can get gloves to wear at night).
Are there any other health concerns, Dc1s excema improved when other health conditions were treated.
Most of all you need to keep pushing for treatment.

Fairy non bio made DS’s worse, Persil non bio is the only thing we found which was OK. The diet thing takes longer than a few days, proper allergy tests are the only way to properly work it out. DS is allergic to dust mites and winter is bad because of closed windows and central heating but he’s also allergic to various pollens so having the window open in spring / summer also makes it worse!

My son was this bad. I really feel for you. It is horrid to see them suffer. What worked for us was a combination of Cetirizine, 100% organic cotton clothes, 100% cotton bedding and wool duvet, silk pjs at night, not letting him get too hot, wet wraps on his arms and legs, very short baths that were on the cooler side, Epaderm ointment, wooden floors downstairs and in his bedroom, vacuuming every day, mopping everyday and washing everything in Fairy non-bio and double rinsing. He has got better with age but we had to stick to all of this until he was at least 7!

@HavfrueDenizKisi

DO NOT cut out dairy despite how many people tell you to.

Please ask for a visit to a paediatric allergist (we saw Adam Fox in London for our DD).

You need a wash plan, emollients and proper steroid cream used appropriately under consultant guidance.

GPs aren't experts and fob you off with out of date info (usually - I'm generalising) but you need a specialist.

With correct guidance you can get this under control and change your DCs outcomes for the long term with this being really manageable.

Our DD was similar at 2 and is a teenager now with minimal problems.

Why?

If you suspect your child is allergic to something, you don't keep giving it to them.

If she were to stop dairy for 2 weeks, her legs won't drop off.

Yes I think I agree about the steroid ointment, the GP give us the smallest tube and it doesn't last at all. I'll ask for more I think.

I just want her (and us) to be able to enjoy Christmas.

I will change washing powder to either of the ones I haven't tried as recommended above and look into oat baths, as I haven't tried those either.

I think we have tried everything else suggested so far.

We also have special pjs with gloves being delivered tomorrow hopefully.

What is she bathing in? My daughter got eczema I swapped her bubble bath and shampoo to just unfragranced childsfarn, after bath pat dry a little then moisturise (again unfragranced) while still a little damp to seal in the moisture. Are you breastfeeding? Might not be applicable for you but I also discovered my daughter was allergic to eggs and me eating eggs then feeding her caused flare ups.

My ds suffered fairly badly with eczema as a baby

Things that worked

Washing his clothes in fairy non bio and then putting it thru an extra rinse after the full cycle - tumble dry, don't line dry

Ceterazine antihistamine

Aveeno in the bath plus aveiro moisturiser

Steroid cream as prescribed, and then every other day after it appeared to clear for a couple of applications to male sure

Pure Potion (from Holland & Barrett) all natural, non steroidal and bloody brilliant IMO as a moisturiser - great for chapped lips also!

Homeopathic remedy from a Homeopathic

We got there in the end - probably due to a combination of good skin care and him growing out of it.

It's the gp not knowing what's what. Child in my community was hospitalised with eczema it was brutal. Rigid steroid and emollient and bathing (as in doing exactly what was recommended) routine cleared it up and kid has v minimal break outs occasionally. Was horrendous in their first year of life as I recall. I also recall yoghurt causing flares but obviously every child is different.

Oh yes, and oat baths are bloody brilliant also!

Sounds as though you need to work out what's changed in your child's environment in the last month that could cause a reaction?

Change of washing powder or softener, new fabric in clothing, new pet, new foods, new drinks, new furniture or bedding would be the obvious starting points.

These links should help.

eczema.org/information-and-advice/triggers-for-eczema/household-irritants-and-eczema/

Factsheet eczema.org/wp-content/uploads/Allergy-Feb-18-1.pdf

Also as I recall the hospital doc - derm I assume banned all shower gel bubble bath you get the idea - it was recommended kid was washed using the emollient only until there was significant progress - I recall that part really clearly.

That needs steroids to get it under control - no emollient is going to help that level of spread. Poor her, and you. I had to manage very bad eczema in DS for ages - he finally grew out of it at about 6-7. Steroids really help to clear up a flare up and then emollients can keep it in check if used properly.

@ItsAllAboutTheLighting

First of all, stopping dairy for two weeks is not going to show a difference - you need a much longer period off it in a controlled way.

Secondly dairy provides the most calcium children need for strong bone growth and removing it from a diet because you 'suspect' a dairy allergy is not actually safe. You need a consultation with a nutritionist

Thirdly most people who have an allergy to dairy are allergic to the protein in the milk and often switch to, for example, goats milk which has the same protein thus making the switch meaningless. True allergy to dairy that causes eczema is actually quite rare (despite every Tom, Dick and Harriet trotting out this trope with minimal experience or understanding).

I'm not saying dairy cannot be a problem, but it needs to be investigated properly and not arbitrarily stopped in a child's diet because Maureen at no 24 said it worked for her kid.

I've suffered excema like this since I was a toddler. I'd guess that it's a combination of things that's causing in, and as it's been a recent worsening I'd guess part of the issue is central heating. Things I'd try:

• putting either a bowl of water in front of the radiator or drape a wet towel over it to add moisture to the atmosphere.
• Check for changes in the ingredients for household products or any new products that you have.
• replace all soap for an emollient (and don't use hand sanitizers!)

-use the strongest steriod cream that you've been prescribed until you see the specialist

• zinc is your friend. At bedtime coat with a thick layer of zinc and caster cream, but don't rub it in, just leave it sat on top of the skin. Cover with pjs and change daily or cover with a simple bandage but dont bandage tightly (this mimics wet wrapping!)

So based on my experience the dermatologist will prescribe steroid creams and emollients and explain how to use them. They will prescribe stronger steroid creams than the GP and they will tell you to be much more liberal with them. They might prescribe a twice weekly maintenance dose as well.

The main other medical route you can go down is allergy testing. We paid £500 to have it done. Apparently the majority of children with eczema will show no allergies in the testing but obviously if any do show up that is hugely helpful.

I'd really recommend the Eczema society helpline for advice, especially if you call on a Monday or Thursday afternoon you seem to get put through straight to a dermatology nurse. For free!

Then there is the huge list of things that people recommend:
Hypoallergenic washing powder plus extra rinse
Always wash new clothes
Lots of hoovering and dusting
Washing bedding at 60 very frequently
I'm sure so many more ...

Push for a referral. Our daughter's eczema was awful two years ago, when she wasn't even 1 yet. Fast forward to now and you wouldn't know she had it, and the slightest flare we can get under control immediately. We were prescribed something called Protopic, which is a kind of immunosuppressant, rather than a steroid like most eczema treatments. You can only get it through a dermatologist consultant though, I believe. It's worked wonders - we used it once daily at first but then gradually reduced to every other day, alternating with an emolient. Now we still do an emolient once a day and only use the Protopic on the tiniest flare ups she get, and they're gone within a day or two. I honestly can't rave enough about how well it worked - I realise I sound like I'm selling the stuff! honestly if your GP can't help then you do need to see a dermatologist, as that looks so uncomfortable for her. You'll probably have a long wait, though, unless you can go private. We waited 6 months and this was back in 2019.

Yes you do need stronger steroids, used correctly and weaned off slowly.

Again all this is explained properly of you see an expert in the field.

Disappointing that the GP isn't willing to provide any further treatment, can you see another one?

Difficult to advise without knowing what you've already done, but reducing frequency of baths helped here. Certainly no bubble baths or soap - we use oilatum junior in the water and epaderm cream to wash them with. Then epaderm wherever needed a few times a day plus eumovate on the worst bits as needed (although I think DS could do with moving up to a stronger steroid).

Agree with others that cutting out dairy for a few days isn't going to make much difference, but I wouldn't be cutting it out without medical advice.