Skin conditions help please

[Claw001]

I’ve posted about my son before.

Just before Christmas my son (14) had some kind of severe reaction on his face. GP thought allergy. Anti allergy tablets didn’t help, it got much worse and also spread.

Back to GP who gave steroid tablets, steroid cream, antibiotics and anti allergy. It cleared, for 7 days, until the day after steroid cream stopped, flared back up again and got worse.

Back to GP, said no more steroids. Gave moisturiser and anti allergy tablets. It got much worse.

Back to GP, who gave steroid cream, antibiotics, anti allergy, told me not to use moisturiser, as son had allergic reaction to it. Nothing cleared it this time. Referred to Dermatologist.

Dermatologist today, has said eczema, definitely no more steroid cream, as it’s making it worse. He has prescribed steroid tablets for 5 days, a different moisturiser and anti allergy. Come back in a month. I told him the minute the steroids stop, it flares back up again and gets much worse each time and moisturiser doesn’t work or just aggravates it etc.

Anyhow, he gave me a letter detailing what GP should prescribe to take there today. My GP said cannot have prescription for 48 hours (Saturday morning). So I currently have nothing to treat my son with (only anti allergy tabs) His ‘eczema’ if that’s what it is, is all over his face and body. He cannot sleep, it’s itching like mad or attend school.

Phoned Dermatologist dept, just as unhelpful and said my GP needs to prescribe!

What can I do?

I am so sorry that your son is still suffering at this level after all this time. I remember your previous discussion about it and the pictures you attached.

Seeing as you are not going anywhere medication -wise, would you consider to try an exclusion diet?
Have a look here nutritionfacts.org/topics/eczema/ and maybe start with this video nutritionfacts.org/video/best-foods-to-avoid-for-eczema/

Give it a go for two weeks - alongside any medication and creams prescribed of course - and see if hopefully it makes a difference.

Before being tempted by oral supplements look at this video and save your money. nutritionfacts.org/video/eczema-treatment-with-evening-primrose-oil-borage-oil-vs-hempseed-oil/

Eczema is sadly a very wide umbrella terms that just describe a non typical skin inflammation. It mean atypical dermatitis and this can vary from the well known dry-flaky skin to a very angry, sore and vast skin manifestation.

Hopefully someone expert will step in and have wise words.

Thank you King, much appreciated. I have been reading about Autism and the link to gluten allergy. My son has an extremely limited diet, packed with gluten.

It would be extremely difficult and stressful for my son to make any changes to his diet. Particularly, if it’s unnecessary and not the cause!

I tried to mention it to Dermatologist and I also tried to show him my son’s recent blood test results/letter from paed. He totally dismissed me! And refused to even look at the results, symptoms etc of why my son was recently referred to a paed!

He told me anything from a paed, is a matter for my GP, not him

He just looked at my son’s skin (which has flared up again, despite steroids, anti allergy etc) told me definitely no more steroid cream, as it’s making it worse. Then prescribed more steroids for 5 days after which I’m to just use moisturiser.

I did protest, this has already been tried and failed. His only response well it shouldn’t fail! Come back in a month! Ok what should I do, if when steroids stop, it flares up and moisturiser isn’t working? That won’t happen then waved me out!

Oh sorry thanks for the links, I will have a read

I hate it when specialists dismiss you without even listening to you or looking at pictures you might have taken with you.

And the human body doesn't have compartments, everything is linked to everything, so saying this is not for me to look at is rubbish, especially as we learn more about gut bacteria and their massive role in the immune system response and reaction so of course diet plays a role.

King he told me it’s definitely eczema and wasn’t interested in what the cause might be. Or why when steroids stop, it flares again the very next day.

The whole point of my GP referring was that steroids and moisturiser is not controlling it. Yet he has just prescribed more steroids and moisturiser!

He didn’t seem like a Dermatologist at all! Just another GP! Plus it was in a health centre, not a hospital, I’m wondering if he was a GP, with a special interest in skin!

My teenage son also suffers from eczema. He has it behind elbows, knees, on his torso and had just started a patch on his neck. The only thing that seems to ease it is steroid cream and as soon as we stop using it flares up and is even worse than before.

I do wonder if in my sons case some of it may be stress induced. He is currently being assessed for asd and school and life in general for him can be quite stressful. We have only seen the gp so far but I intend to go back with him if things don't improve. He also has acne and is on long term antibiotics for that, although they have made no difference to the ezcema.

I hope that things improve for your son soon.

I have had eczema on and off all my life but only small patches which have always been treatable by steroid creams. Similarly to your son, however, in November my face came out in a hideous itchy, red, puffy reaction and nothing touched it. I tried an exclusion diet in January and think it is down to dairy and gluten, and cutting these out has pretty much cleared it; when I tried a little cheese and pasta two weeks ago I had an immediate regression for a week. I have booked to see a private allergy consultant next week to confirm this.
Is there anyway you could try some gluten free substitutes with your son? I appreciate it isn't easy but some alternatives are very similar to the 'real' thing - for example Tesco red lentil pasta surprised me by being almost indistinguishable from normal pasta when in soup.
I hope you can find something that helps, it is a horrible condition to live with, I have been up at 4am crying so many nights because I can't sleep. I have also found using a hair dryer can soothe the itch, especially my scalp where I struggle to put creams.

Thanks Pun I hope things improve for you and your son too. My son is self conscious of his face, its making his anxiety worse. He cannot hide it or cover it

Yes, my son suffers with high anxiety too, always has done. It could be a combination of things, hormones, anxiety, diet etc.

I do find it strange how it happened so suddenly. He went to bed one night, without any eczema anywhere or any history of eczema. Woke the next day, with his face absolutely smothered in hives, sores, swollen etc. I do think it was triggered by an allergy reaction to something.

Did your son’s happen suddenly? Or gradually? Does he have a history of eczema?

King I’ve done a bit of googling! Person we saw was NOT a dermatologist! It’s an ‘intermediate dermatology service’.

www.communitasclinics.com/clinics/

Here it says ‘the ENT team have a special interest in skin’

So exactly the same as my GP!

My son has had little patches before now but this is probably the worse it has been. We are using the steriod cream again this week so it doesn't look as red but I know it will flare again when we stop. The moisturiser doesn't seem to help at all.

Really don't know why it has worsened now. Like your son he had quite a limited diet. I feel I'm fighting a bit of a losing battle as eczema is dry skin and acne is greasy skin so difficult to treat both at the same time!

My son is very self conscious like yours, although it is more acne on his face than the eczema. I do feel for him as he is just understanding and trying to accept his differences whilst being assessed for asd and then he has skin problems. I do worry as he is vulnerable to being picked in anyway, so I hope this doesn't make things worse.

It seems a shame that you didn't get to see an actual dermatologist. I did wonder if I took my son back to the gp whether they would do a referral or just try more creams. Behind his knee is often bleeding and scabs over. The gp did suggest that the antibiotics for the acne would help the eczema but they don't seem to at all!

He says that it hurts at times and is very sore, so I guess we do need to book another appointment, I just have a feeling that they might be a bit dismissive as you seem to have experienced. I hope these new creams help ease the situation for your son and if it doesn't that they are more proactive in a months time. Good luck!

Oh pun your poor son, I really feel for him and you. It’s a real confidence crusher, isn’t it. You feel so helpless!

It’s more than just ‘eczema’ it’s the impact it has, on our already vulnerable children my ds rarely leaves the house, as it is. I’ve given him pocket money, so he can have his daily walk, independently to the corner shop, to buy a packet of crisps and drink.

He hasn’t been able to do this since it started. People ask ‘what’s wrong with your face’ or children point etc. He doesn’t have the skills to deal with it all. His walk to the shop, has been ruined. It sounds really trivial, however to him, something so small, is so important!

We ended up in A&E today, after my ds had another severe reaction to parafin based creams, ‘non Dermatologist’ applied to his skin yesterday.

Hospital consultant has made an urgent referral to hospital based dermatologist and more steroid tablets for 5 days. Said I should hear from Dermatologist within a couple of days. Definitely worth pushing for a referral, if treatment is not controlling symptoms.

I will keep you updated and offer any tips

Really glad that they are taking it more seriously now Claw. Hope that things improve for him soon.