Eczema cures! So incredibly desperate!!!!

[Kissmenever]

Hi all,

My lovely dd (5) has suffered from eczema from the age of 3 months, but recently has an awful flare up to the point it’s causing her so much distress, she will cry and say “I don’t want this skin anymore mummy, I want skin like yours” this is breaking my heart so much.

We have tried:
Hydrocortisone creams / steroid creams
So many ointments and creams
Several different non bio washing detergents
Cutting out dairy

Her school teacher has even called me up saying DD is struggling to concentrate in class!
Drs just fob us off with creams and washing lotions, I have asked drs for a referral to a dermatologist, but they say it isn’t “bad enough” yet.
I have attached a photo of the eczema on her neck currently.
I’ve also heard good things about “happy skin” eczema clothes, can anyone vouch?

Thank you so much.

Hello everyone - we're just reminding you that, while the advice and experience of your fellow posters is invaluable, Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here and so we'd always urge people to seek real-life medical attention - and if you think your problem could be acute, do so immediately.

Even qualified doctors can't diagnose over the internet, so do bear that in mind when seeking or giving advice. Thank you.

We went private and were prescribed Elidel it was a game changer for my Ds (eyes and face)

www.thepharmaletter.com/article/novartis-launches-elidel-cream-in-uk

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

Hello everyone - we're just reminding you that, while the advice and experience of your fellow posters is invaluable, Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here and so we'd always urge people to seek real-life medical attention - and if you think your problem could be acute, do so immediately.

Even qualified doctors can't diagnose over the internet, so do bear that in mind when seeking or giving advice. Thank you.

I do agree I tried everything and it was only seeing a paediatrician dermatologist that we got anywhere. We started with a mix of a few drugs and ended up with just one for flare ups. It's been three years since we sought treatment and it's hardly flared up anything since.

The things that work for my DD and I are only using fairy non-bio washing liquid for clothes, only using sanex body wash, using oilatum in the bath when it flares up (she hates this!). I use betnovate steroid cream, nothing weaker works for me, I had to go to the GP three times before they would prescribe it instead of the weaker stuff. If I get a really bad flare up, usually on my hands, the only thing that works is, before bed, to absolutely smother and cake my hands with emollient cream (NOT the steriod), and I mean a really thick layer, and then put on cotton gloves and go to bed. This really helps me, but you have to do it for a few days before it starts to get better. Maybe worth a try if your child will tolerate it with a cotton bandage or something similar.

Dermatologist at Evelina children hospital recommended a tepid bath with Milton in every couple of days and then copious Emoliants hydramol followed by cetraban.

Worked when nothing else did.
We still have regular Milton baths when skin feels itchy

I read an article a few months ago on Finger Lime Caviar. It is an Aboriginal remedy for eczema. Lots of before & after photos. Unfortunately I can’t find the original article, but here’s some info you might find helpful: www.wildnativesaustralia.com/amp/finger-lime-citrus-australasica-~skin-benefits

@Jacaranda75 - that would be both painful and expensive. Finger lime is still a citrus fruit and it would sting like F and do more harm than good. Citrus and essential oils are known to exacerbate eczema symptoms more than they help.
Meanwhile, it’s delicious in gin.

@Justilou1 you don’t apply it neat! It is suspended in an emulsion.

AIBU to think that there must be something more we can do for this eczema http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4433517-aibu-to-think-that-there-must-be-something-more-we-can-do-for-this-eczema

Please look at my post here and the improvement in my DD's skin in a week!

Lots of great advice... Benadryl, Diprobase, Eumovate and the scratch sleeves PJ's I think worked well - Hydromol in bath too.

I hope you find something that works for you too.

Still nope. A better understanding of what eczema is would explain why it’s a chronic auto-immune reactive problem for people. For some reason the skin’s normal barrier function (usually in skin folds where sweat and humidity gathers, or where where clothes rub, or nappies sit) is ineffective and the normal immune response goes into overdrive. Usually steroids work to stop the reaction, but after a while, the body learns to rely on steroids to heal in those areas and without those, the reactions become worse. Elidel is a better idea. It suppresses the reaction at the source. It is a strong medication and few GPS really understand it. It is a topical (local) immunosuppressant that ceases the steroid cycle and allows the body to realise that it can heal itself. If that doesn’t work the next step would be methotrexate. Best avoided if possible as it’s a systemic immunosuppressant and this would mean that the child is CV. Elidel works very well when used in conjunction with consistent medical advice. (Barrier creams, avoiding fragrances products, etc.)

Moo goo cream and body wash was the only thing that worked for ds. That and giving up dairy.

Oh your poor poor kid.

Fromy own many decades as an eczema sufferer:

• see if you can board out the guinea pigs for a month
• try OTC antihistamine last thing at night if pharmacist / Dr says it's ok for her
• +1 on the water softener, made a big difference to us and we weren't expecting it to at all.

I haven't had dairy in decades and my eczema persisted, so it's not always dairy

Hello, I’m so sorry that your DD is going through this. My DD2 had terrible eczema and we tried everything suggested by the doctors. In the end we tried rape seed oil on the itchy sores and it cleared up within a week (despite her having it all over both legs for years). We gave her Piriton at night to stop the itchiness while it healed, and still just use the rape seed oil to maintain/ stop her skin getting dry. We found that olive oil doesn’t work.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that we found eating oranges made her worse.

We have an excellent paediatric dermatologist (private for the first appointment and then transferee is to the NHS - absolutely worth the money)
How did you do this?

It would be really helpful to know what the process you went through was. Even if my gp makes the referral, there’s a 6 month wait.
@Newmummyinlockdown

@Elizabeth1972

Sorry, I forgot to mention that we found eating oranges made her worse.

Dd is the same. In fact most citrus fruits and strawberries. Pineapple is the work of the devil and literally brings on a reaction similar to anaphylaxis

Yes, this. My DD (now 6yo) had fairly bad eczema. We tried everything. Then we went for a sea swim & turns out this is the only thing that actually helps & heals the skin nicely. No idea how & why exactly bit it does wonders for her.