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Children's health

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Original poster

SOMEONE PLEASE STOP THIS BABY FROM SCRATCHING!!!

72 replies

UniqueAndAmazing · 03/08/2013 14:45

It is doing my head in.

It's lasted for at least 2 weeks, the weather is making it worse.

Stupid child with her stupid fucking eczema.

We had given up dairy and soya, and she was loads better (no steroid for ages) and then the weather turned fucking hot and all she does all day and all fucking night is scratch.

(and keep me awake of course)

If anyone can come up with a solution that we haven't already tried, or at least the name of a surgeon who can cut of hands, I will kiss you.

(bearing in mind the fact that I know there is no solution, any amount of sympathy and chat will suffice)

OP posts:
Russell2404 · 03/08/2013 15:21

Hello :)

I have the same problem with my son. Hes covered in eczema on his back, legs & during hot weather on his stomach & occasionally his hands & face. I just try to keep his nails short (although alot of the time it makes no difference!) & smother him in oilatum junior cream. You can get oilatum to put in the bath as well. If youve already tried that go to the doctors & ask for hydrocortisone cream. Ive used it before when my eczema got REALLY bad & it works miracles!

Hopefully this has helped a bit :) x

Original poster
UniqueAndAmazing · 03/08/2013 15:27

Hi Russell, it's nice (well not nice, but you know what I mean!) to hear from someone else who's also suffering!
Grin

yup, the steroid we use is hydrocortisone. we're really trying to avoid using it at all because she's only 20months.

She's on Diprobase as normal cream, and antihistamine (although I'm actually convinced that it's sugar water because it doesn't stop the itching at all!)

she won't go in the bath even to cook down (screaming screaming screaming at the sight of the tub)
her main sites are arms and legs. legs we put tights on (which looks great on a boiling hot day like this) because they grip the skin and stop her scratching them.
her arms, we can't really do much with, but she has to wear long sleeves to distract her from their presence.
and i seem to cut her nails every couple of days!

OP posts:
lollipoppi · 03/08/2013 17:42

We use E45 bath cream you can get it from the chemist, it seems to really moisturise the skin and stop him from itching at night x

ChristineDaae · 03/08/2013 17:46

Socks a size too big, thread JUST big enough to go across her back (no excess for her to move it over her head and choke). Socks on as mittens. Can't pull them off, can 'rub' but not do damage scratching,

valiumredhead · 03/08/2013 17:49

Your not using aqueous cream, are you?

DoLovePersimmon · 03/08/2013 17:53

Short cool water bath with a bit of soda and oatmeal (put a handful in a muslin and soak in a water). At night we use muslin top with mittens and leggings (don't know how they are really called). Got them from GP on prescription. Nice and thin.

valiumredhead · 03/08/2013 18:04

You're I mean-bloody phoneBlush

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 03/08/2013 18:11

I found all the prescribed products made it worse. I now use sulphate and paraban free shower gel shampoo conditioner sunscreen etc. after fighting it six years I found a cream that helped. It's the only one out of the dozen we have tried that has helped. I can post link if you want. ?

Ladybythebeach · 03/08/2013 18:18

Hi. My son suffers from terrible eczema too and I have used scratch sleeves to help stop the scratching. Really helped (while also using hydrocortisone) to get on top of things as he had open weeping sores all over.

www.scratchsleeves.co.uk/

Know how frustrating and upsetting it can be.

Sparklingbrook · 03/08/2013 18:37

I am sure my friend puts Oatmeal in tights and runs the bath through the tights IYSWIM DoLove. She swears by it.

Poor DD Unique, it must be very frustrating for you and her. Sad

Lagoonablue · 03/08/2013 18:44

Yes the muslin leggings and tops are a godsend. Get them from GP or buy online. Layer on the cream then put them on. Means they can't break the skin.

Tubifast they are.

Also don't use normal soap powder even if non bio. Ecover is best, no additives and organic. I mistakenly washed my son's stuff in normal non bio and it set his eczema off again. He is now 3 and pretty much outgrown it aside from patches.

Every sympathy. We went through hell when he was younger.

Sparklingbrook · 03/08/2013 18:48

Aloe Vera gel? Is that any good for eczema? Or a no-no?

LittleSporksBigSpork · 03/08/2013 19:10

Seconding scratch sleeves, they're great. Is she on any anti-histamines or bath emollients? I know the urge not to use strong medicines or steroids on someone so little, but getting it under control means less usage of it later and more relief for your little one. It was the miracle that sent my DD2 from being over 80% covered and infected and scratching herself in circles while she sleeps til there was a hole in her mattress when she was under 2 (first appeared at days old) to today, just turned 4, where it's flaky on her legs and face and spotty on her arms and scratching getting rarer and rarer.

redcaryellowcar · 03/08/2013 19:44

I am so sorry to hear she is uncomfortable. It must be really horrid. I am sure you have loads of lotions and potions but thought I would share what we use...
Epaderm ointment, its more sticky than the cream and is absolutely wonderful. We also have cream for slathering on, but the ointment is great with really dry or sore bits.
Dermol 500 &600, one is a bath emollient and the other lotion to use as a soap substitute, they are anti microbial meaning they help stop the eczema becoming infected.
As per previous post I know there are mixed views on use of steroid cream, but we found it could calm things very quickly. Lovely eczema nurse said that you only need to use it once a day, apparently research shows more doesn't make it better. 2we have eumovate which again is more sticky and was given to us by a gp who had eczema and said she had never found the hydrocortisone cream to be very effective and this 'sticks' better!
We also have some scratch mitts, I don't know the name but found that ds just took them off, when his hands were really bad I put scratch mitts like the ones you use for newborn babies on his hands with cream under them, you can get 6-12 month size in marks and Spencer.
Last really good tip I had was to wear clothes inside out, so seams and labels weren't rubbing skin.
Oh and we use surcare washing liquid, and double rinse his clothes and sheets!

VileWoman · 03/08/2013 20:12

I have lots of sympathy, I had no idea how horrible eczema was until DS had it, and he doesn't have it that bad. We've found epaderm is the best emollient cream for us, and we use the E45 bath emollient (it is much more moisturising than the Oilatum one) Another vote for scratch sleeves here as well.

Fingers crossed for cooler weather for you.

Theyoniwayisnorthwards · 03/08/2013 20:36

Go and see a paediatric dermatologist and get a proper steroid. Hydrocortisone does fuck all. Nhs eczema nurse basically told me that they don't prescribe the most effective creams as a matter of course as they are too expensive. Private dermatologist prescribed us a baby safe and more effective cream and once he wrote to the GP saying we needed it she could prescribe on the nhs.

Also advised daily warm baths witj nothing but water and then covering in the most basic moisturiser (liquid parrafin in white soft parrafin £5 for a big pot in any chemist) while still wet to lock in moisture and lock out irritants.

He told me the latest research on eczema takes awhile to filter down through the nhs and that was my experience too. Diprobase is often an irritant. Aqueous cream is no longer advised but several pharmacists I spoke to tried to sell it to me. Also told not to use olive oil and he suggested water wipes for face and hand cleaning. We buy pyjamas wit scratch sleeves and white cotton gloves for messy play.

Original poster
UniqueAndAmazing · 05/08/2013 08:30

northwards I don't doprivate healthcare and the suggestion offends me.

that point out of the way...

thanks everyone for the sympathy :)

unfortunately none of your suggestions are new and most ofthem don't work! :(

we've had a reallybad night. i screamed the house down and went downstairs to sleep. which didn't help at all because I went back after 40 mins

we've got all manner of scratch sleeves, cuffs, comfifast, homemade shopbought eczema clothes.
this morning there were blood stains on her comfifast clothes.

I can't wait till she's old enough to understand not to scratch. Hmm

OP posts:
greenhill · 05/08/2013 08:55

That sounds really tough. I've not had much experience in this (apart from when DC had chickenpox) but I always used to get them to hold two things in their hands (two cars, two animals, two rattles) that way their hands were holding onto something and playing, rather than scratching. Or I'd get them to put one arm around me, so it was tucked behind me on the sofa and play incey wincey spider or round and round the garden with their other palm.

Good luck.

Lagoonablue · 05/08/2013 09:33

If the Piriton isn't helping her sleep then ask for Phenergan. Think that is what it is called. They do give it to help sleep for severe eczema.

If needs be go to A and E. a friend did this and they admitted her baby for a night to stabilise the itching and sleep.

Sparklingbrook · 05/08/2013 09:40

Unique is it possible that by the time she knows not to scratch the eczema will be gone? In some cases they do grow out of it.

tacal · 05/08/2013 10:03

my ds had really bad eczema on his wrists at the beginning of this year. Steroid creams were not helping it and it got so bad it was infected so I got antibiotic cream which did not help either. He was scratching them so much they were bleeding. This went on for months.

The only thing that helped was putting wrist bands on with a very,very thick layer of epiderm ointment underneath. And when I say thick I mean as much as I could pile on under the wrist band before he went to sleep and during the day.

There is still one wrist I cant get to clear up completely but it is much better.

With my ds is always takes 4 to 6 months to clear up his eczema once it has got bad and the steriod creams dont really help. Only the really strong one the hospital prescribed was any good but not keen to use it alot.

I think it could be clothes that are triggering my ds's eczema now. It was cuffs of jumpers that caused the wrists and jogging trousers seem to bring it out on his legs. He was also better after removing dairy.

I hope things get better for your dd soon.

froggiebabies · 05/08/2013 10:30

Have you tried La Roche Posay products? We have had great success with them for dd1. Boots and other chemists stock them and we have always been given samples to try before buying.

We see a paediatrician with dd and he has emphasized that using the steroids in the prescribed way is perfectly safe and is the best way to get it under control.

Your dd might need something a little stronger than hydrocortisone if hers is very bad. We have used Emuvate and Betnovate RD for dd.

valiumredhead · 05/08/2013 12:45

If you can afford it I agree with northward's suggestion of going private. I can't get aveeno on prescription even though it's the only thing that works all the other stuff they prescribed was useless. I just buy it but if it hadn't worked my next stop would be a private dermatologist.

valiumredhead · 05/08/2013 12:46

I also agree with using steroids to get it under control initially.