Eczema advice please for a 2.5 year old

[WelshSara]

My 2.5 year old has always had quite sensitive skin. It's always felt quite 'rough' to the touch at it's best, at it's worst, it's been patchy with dry skin and pinky in parts.

I've been avoiding harsh soaps and lotions and try to keep things simple for her. I make my own washing gel in order to avoid the perfumed stuff we get in the shops and I put oats or camomile ocassionally in the bath if need be.

She's recently had a nasty flare-up - mostly on her upper trunk, her back has had the worst of it. Red, itchy and scratchy rash. Doc gave her a mild steroid which I have used every day for nearly a fortnight. It was almost close to clearing up but last night she had one or two red, raised spots, and this morning, it's spread (on her back) to about 30 spots. Some look like mini whiteheads.

I don't really know what to do or what this is? Can someone advise me please.

The first thing I would do was find out if anything in her diet triggers an outbreak, by keeping a food diary. DS's triggers are citrus fruit, berries and cherries, basically any fruit with a high acid content.

I would try and use other emollients when the eczema is less bad and save the steroid cream for bad flare ups, at least that's what works for us.

Have you tried manuka honey cream? We find it works as well as the steroid cream, but it can't be used on broken skin or it stings

www.manukahoney.co.uk/categoryexternal.html
We use the SKin Care Cream in the green tube/ pot

The other creams that work well are aveno and gamaderm, both available on prescription. Gamaderm contains evening primrose oil and really moisturised the skin.

The other thing is using dermasilk. They make t shirts, long sleeved tops, trousers, tights etc made of silk, so DS wears these under his usual clothes and it helps stop the itch and means we can layer him up in cream before bed and school.

HTH and that this is the sort of thing you were looking for.

That's a huge help Sleepy, thanks.

I'll get onto getting the cream - need to get back to the GP because I've noticed her the past week coughing under her breathe; like a very quiet clearing of her throat - connected?

• so I'll ask for these creams in the meantime.

Are these larger spots eczema? sigh I thought I was cracking it with the steroid cream. I admitt, since not really having to deal with it before, that I don't really know much about it. Hate to see my little girl struggling in discomfort.

Not keen on steroids. Have you tried Salcura? They've got a website and also sell on Ebay, or you can get it on Chemist Direct. The Zeoderma cream cleared up my baby's skin in days. Now she's got lovely skin. Yum! Also they do a bath oil, which I use as well. All natural stuff, absolutely no nasties. Worth a try

Also I've noticed that my DD's eczema gets worse when she's under the weather. If your DD's got a bit of a cough or something, that could explain why it's flaring up again.

sometimes if the steroid is overused you can get colonisation of skin with bacteria. take her to the docs to see if you need antibiotic with hydrocortisone (something like fucidin H cream)

Alypaly - a posibility. Is this how her skin would react (cluster of larger pimples)? Couldn't get appt this morning, so tomorrow now. I didn't use steroid cream this morning on her (was glad too) and it seems to be drying up but will get doc to explain to me when I see him.

Her diet has probably taken a dive what with christmas and three birthday parties since the new year - too much sugar. WOuld this contribute?

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I intend to look into all your suggestions. Much appreciated. x

Sossiges - I've had a peek at Salcura. Might get some. What kind of skin does your DD have? At it's best and worst?
Sorry to interrogate - have tried so many things and none seem to get her past the 'best' stage i.e. looking fine but still really rough to the touch.

if it is quite widespread doc may put her on flucloxacillin. inist on an urgent appt as skin infections can spread quickly.

the other eczema that forms little pustles is dishydrotic eczema which is very itchy. my older son gets it on his hands and feet and all his skin splits and itches like hell

Thanks Alypaly - I will keep a sharp eye on it. My Mum has her today while I'm at work so will call her in a bit to check her back - if it has sread, I'll call docs again and tell them m y concerns. Thanks for that.
Off to google 'dishydrotic eczema' now.

welsh ...if it is on her body it is probably less likely to be dihydrotic. it is normally just on hands and feet.

it was just with you saying that little spots with white heads appeared. that is how my sons started

Alypaly, I agree I don't think it's that on my 2.5 year old, BUT you've just helped me diagnose what my eldest has on her hands. She's had ocassionaly clusters of these tiny blisters on her hands, and gets particularly distressing at times. Docs are rubbish at poinpointing exact terms, but this certainly is what she has. So, thanks!

WelshSara - To cut a long story short: at about 9 months she developed an almost all-over rash (pale pink ovals), didn't seem to bother her & nothing I put on that really helped, Diprobase from the Dr. made it worse. That seemed to clear up by itself after about 6 months, but then my DD developed very dry itchy skin in a few areas: back of neck, around ankles & onto feet, on her hip, elbows, knees, also the skin on her tummy & upper arms was very rough. The worst was on her hips and feet, she would scratch until it bled if I didn't stop her. Around her ankles it was really red, dry & sore looking. Other affected areas had little red spots & small lumps. Also itchy but not so bad. Tummy was rough a bit like goose pimples. (I tried literally dozens of products on her skin since she was 9 months old, anything that was supposed to be moisturising, good for dry skin, eczema, I tried it). Anyway she had that for about 3 months, on & off, until I bought the Zeoderma, I put it on all over her, within 24 hrs I saw an improvement & it kept getting better every day. Her ankles which were the worst bit were completely better within 4 days, I think. All the lumps & bumps are gone & the chicken skin, she's got gorgeous skin now. I think you should try it, I can't praise it enough. Get the Zeoderma & the bath oil. I really hope it works as well for your DD as it did for mine.

Am sold! Thanks so much Sossiges (love your username BTW) for taking the trouble to tell me all of that. I appreciate it. Off to ebay immediately. xxx

U're welcome. All the best . Let us know how it goes xx

welshSara how old is your eldest.

My eldest DS developed dishydrotic eczema...which is more commonly known as pompholyx.

Two of my Gp's kept treating it as a fungal infection until i eventually said.how many times are you going to give the same treatment before you realise its not fungal.It was not typical of a fungal infection because it was not between last two toes. Used to work in dermatology myself so i decided that i had diagnosed pompholyx.This was after 3 consecutive lots of daktacort. Went to another Gp in the practice who happened to suffer from it herself and she immediately said OOOOh its pompholyx. Treated it with 2 weeks of mometasone ointment which is a strong steroid and diprobase. Cracked and blistered skin healed up and he has had no problem since.

his flares up when he was waiting for his results of degree. She said it was stress related and was caused when immune system was low

Hi Alypaly
Eldest in 22 and in Med school - ruled out latex allergy, but from my googling today, the damp environment within the glove doesn't help. I think it's stress related with her - it's seemed to flare up massively last summer before her 4th yr finals, but hydrocortisone has but a small effect. I'm so pleased - perhaps we've
cracked BOTH my daughters' skin probs! I've bought a small pot of a cream suggested by Sossiges, and it should be with me by the weekend.

What are your experiences of Oilatum junior? Have used it 3 times in the bath now (since youngests skin flared up - I tend to only bathe her twice a week now to prevent her skin drying) - am wondering whether this has caused the spots? Possible?

Eldest is 22.

My DS1 is also 22 so it looks like finals year is a trigger. he was really stressed before his results in pharmacy and then when he went to America whilst he was waiting for his results,it flared up. It was very warm in the areas where they travelled too.

i used to be a rep for Stiefel who make oilatum. It is a good all round emollient that will ultimately reduce the need for steroids.

do you have a picture of that area of her skin?

I've tried to take a pic, but the redness has faded and while the picture catches some paled spots, it's not really showing the roughness. If she has another flare up (God forbid), then I'll post one ASAP. Thanks.