the ongoing saga of DDs bum rash continues....

[LackaDAISYcal]

DD has had problems with nasty nappy rash since she was 16 weeks old. It isn't confined to her nappy area either, and she gets huge oval patches at the top of her thighs and more in the small of her back.

We have had about 12 different potions from the GP, inlcuding anti fungals, steroids, emmolients, barrier creams, which work for about a week and then it comes back with a vengeance. I have also tried bepanthen, metanium, kamillosan, sudocrem, E45, canesten, benadryl, calendula crean, arnica cream.......the list is endless and nothing shifts it.

Have been in every brand of disposable nappy, eco and non eco, several types of real nappy and several different nappy/wrap combinations.....all to no avail.

I've also tried several different washing powders, both bio and non bio

Anyway, HV has suggested I see the doc again and ask for a referral to a dermatologist, but I'm worried the GP is going to fob me off with yet another cream that isn't going to work.

She is now 15 months so has been suffering with this for 9 months of her young life, and also gets eczema type falre ups in ger knee and elbow creases and at the nape of her neck.

What realistically should the GP be doing? Should they be taking a skin swab or something to see if it's bacterial? Is there anything diet wise that might help? (HV seemed to think that the link between dairy and eczema had been pretty much discounted )

I'm getting to the end of my tether with it and feeling like I must be doing something wrong that I can't get it cleared up. The longest she has gone without any sort of redness/soreness on her bum is about five days

Oh, sorry that's a bit of a long one ; any advice or shared experience would be greatfully received, ta

Get your GP to refer you to the dermatologist. He'll/she'll be alot better at looking at the rash and they will be able to tell you what it is. I'm afraid the treatment for eczema is creams and ointments, it really is a case of trying to find one that works by eliminating ones that don't.

The GP can only fob you off if you walk out of his surgery without being referred.

Tell him that the HV wants your son referred, and don't leave his office until he promises a referral.

Given that the HV has asked for the referral, I can't think that you wouldn't get one. The GP can always ring her to check that she really does think it necessary.

I know it's not recoemmended these days but my mum went ahead and put Johnsons baby powder on my DD's bottom and it is the only thing I found that worked. Creams did nothing. She was close to 2 by this time.

Thanks, HV didn't think it looked like eczema though. The patches on her thigh are oval and are inflamed around the edges but white in the middle if that makes any sense. I'm wondering if it's ringworm, but if she had been harbouring ringworm spores this long, surely someone else in the family would've been infected as it's highly contagious?

The oval patches - could it be discoid excema? dd had this and it's notoriously difficult to shift. Definitely ask for a referral.

lol wigwambam, I'll be prepared to stage a sit in until I get my referral

Discoid excema and ringworm can be confused. Ringworm is usually normal looking in the middle of the patch and discoid not.

could it be an allergic reaction to something? Can you keep a food diary and when she gets flare ups put that in as well, there may(or may not) be a link. Then if there is a link, you can go armed with the info to the GP

it sounds a bit like ringworm. I had a patch on my wrist for ages and no-one else in the family caught it from me. I got a anti-fungal gel for it and it took a few months to completely clear up. (it was an athletes foot gel that was prescribed)

not heard of discoid eczema. Sometimes the patches are bumpy all over, sometimes not. they start to disappear, but never fully go iyswim before the next flare up.

we have tried to think of a possible dietaryt link but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

Bathing aggravates it though, and even, gosh forgotten it's name....it's clear, but makes the bath water milky....well that stuff doesn't help.

Daisy havent read all the thread but i had this with my eldest dd she used to bleed because of the nappy rash , we also thought it might have been ringworm or some weird form of exema and tried every nappy available but the only 2 creams that worked for use were metanium and another one called fullers paste it is very hard to get both these creams off them at nappy changing time but it did work and plenty of baths also helped it heal

Discoid is also known as nummular excema. Tis a bit of a bugger TBH.

Hope you can get it sorted, it must be awful for both of you

Just a note about metanium. It needs to be applied very, very thinly to work properly. It should be dotted on and pat it to spread so it looks like a dusting of yellow chalk. Don't try hard to clean it all off, just apply another very thin layer after wiping or bathing. It should stick to the worst bits but be thin it can let the skin breathe/heal.

But I'm sure you have done this.......good luck.

metanium doesn't work unfortunately and bathing makes it worse too, but thanks soremummy .

Have heard of fuller's paste; I'm sure it was one of those "treat everything" remedies that my gran used to have.

Have been reading about discoid eczema and it sounds quite similar.

The bath stuff we have is Oilatum.

have you tried porridge oates in muslin in the bath, or bicarb of soda, typing with helper

yep its for everything its like glue though!

I'm concerend about the effect repeated use of steroid creams is having on her as well, especially in such a delicate area. she scrathed herself so badly last weekend that she was bleeding for ages, and I only left her with a nappy off for a couple of minutes. Am worried the steroids have thinned her skin

not tried porridge oats, but had heard of people using it. Tend not to bath her very much at all really as she just scratches and scratches afterwards.

She really is like a little terrier dog; every time I look at her, she has one leg cocked in the air and is scratting in a most unladylike fashion, bless her.

If you could get the fullers paste i would give it a go or i could get some for you. I didnt like steriod creams

did you get it locally SM?

Does it heal when you use the steroid cream? You need to taper off using the steroids not just stop them completely in one go, quite often GPs don't tell you that.

yes got it in chemist accross the road from me

second what saggar said about not going cold turkey with steriods

Daisy. Hi love.
Both my DDs have skin problems. They only thing that triggers them both is DAIRY.
They have soya milk only for breakfast cereals. Very little cheese. Yogurts only on a full moon twice a year. I try not to put butter on sandwiches/toast etc.
Eldest DD has dry skin now but no flares for a while.
DD2 came home from a few days at my sisters covered from head to toe is sore red itchy skin. In her hair everywhere.
I found out that she had had cheese, ice cream, yogurts etc evryday for four days. No link .
I had to take her to the doc eventually as nothing I tried could shift it. She gave me Cetraben bath additive and also Cetraben emmolient cream.
HTH.

steroids are the only thing that seem to amke a difference and yes, when it has cleared after a day or so we just stop with them....two or three days later, it's back.

thanks Ronny . I think HVs main concern was that puting kids on a restrictive diet without the onging advice of a GP or paed wasn't a good idea, and that only a paed/dermatologist would advise such a thing. At least I think that's what she was getting at anyway . I know all about restrictive diets though being coeliac.