Eczema or fungal infection? Has GP got it wrong? Can ezcema start on the back?

[SamJamsmum]

I have a 16 month old with funny scaly dry red patches on her back. Some are oval and some are just uneven. I thought it was initially dry skin but it didn't respond to cream so I went to the GP.
She said it looked just like eczema but couldn't be as it was on her shoulder blade and back so told me to try aqueous cream and oilatum in the bath for dryness. After a few days of that she then prescribed daktarin as she suspected it could also be a fungal infection. After 5 days of daktarin not much is happening. It doesn't look like ringworm.

I just met with a friend today who said 'bollocks' to the notion that eczema can't start on someone's back and that it definitely looked like eczema.

Can anyone with any ezcema experience confirm this? She has one tiny patch on her wrist but nothing on any creases. It's all on her back and shoulder - about 4 little patches.

If it is ezcema what would you suggest I use?

Thanks in advance and for reading this far.

DS had a nasty case of eczema on his back and tummy. The GP was surprised that it was there as it's an unusual place but never suggested that it was anything other than eczema. It was like you describe - scaly, dry, red patches.

We had to go back a few times for stronger and stronger steroid cream and it eventually cleared up. Aveeno cream and putting oats in the bath also seemed to help and we still put Aveeno on now to stop it coming back.

A few days of aqueous cream and Oilatum isn't go to do much, IMO, you need to give it longer than that. Maybe ask for a mild steroid cream too.

Hi my DS suffers with eczema aswell, what you describe sounds very similar to his. I think it can start anywhere, my DS got it on his tummy to start with but has just had a nasty attack on his arm and bum

I agree with hensmum that aqueous cream isn't going to do much. My DS has a mild steroid cream for when it flares up and we use diprobase on him everyday to prevent it in the future. I have heard that almond oil is quite good for it but we havn't tried that yet. We give DS fish oil everyother day on recomendation from a friend and I think it helps a little bit.

My DH suffers from it aswell but his is food related, he can't have anything with citrus in it. His brother also gets it and its dairy and wheat for him.

HTH

Thanks very much. Would you suggest I go straight to a mild steroid cream or is it worth trying aveeno or diprobase first?

It started with one patch and it seems to slowly spread. Does that seem to fit with eczema?

Is it often related to diet?

(sorry for all the questions)

I would ask your GP for a very mild steroid cream and see what he/she thinks, my DS uses a 1% one and it works very well to clear it up. Diprobase is more of a preventive cream rather than a cure cream (at least thats what my gp told me).

My DS's often spreads if we dont treat it straight away, if your concerned you could allways get a second opinion from a different GP. It's worth it to keep hasseling them about it because it can get very sore and itchy in some cases.

My DH and his brothers is food related, but I'm not so sure about my DS's as we have tried cutting out different food's and it doesn't seem to help. My DH also seems to think that pollen brings his out aswell but a GP hasn't confirmed that.

You could try using a different washing powder and making sure you wash beding and towels regualy (not implying that you dont already!).

If in doubt ask a GP!
Maybe some one else will come along and answer soon aswell!

HTH

Excema is related to diet in most cases. Such as, it can flare up worse if someone eats lots of dairy products.

I have excema on the tops of my arms and legs. It doesnt effect me that much as I know what makes it worse. Eg. Johnsons baby stuff - anything. And all soaps containing sodium laureth sulphate.

my advice would be to use the oilatum bath/shampoo for a few weeks. Go back to the GP and get him/her ro prescribe a topical steroid such as eumovate.

Use vaseline inbetween.

Does the doc not think it could be a real mild bout of psoriasis? I suffer from this, it kind of looks like excema, but comes up randomly. I can get it on my face, back, tummy,chest arms and legs.
At the moment I just have slight marks on my face.

Nothing helps it. Ive tried Aqueous cream - itches more.

Id go back to GP and have your DC refered to a deromtologist.

dermotologist!

The South African tea called ROOIBOS (or Red Bush) is proven to help with eczema and other skin diseases. Put a couple of teabags in the bath, or make up a brew and apply with cotton wool once cooled.
www.rooibosltd.co.za/research/index.html

hi

proper treatment of eczema

oilatum in bath every night (never just water), and moisturise straight after bath.

an emollient cream eg aveeno/diprobase/epaderm three times a day more if poss

this reduced the steroid requirement

aqueous cream is only good as a soap substitute really, rather than emollient cream

steroid cream start with 1% - for flare ups and bad patches. wouldn't try eumovate first in a 16 month old. also unlikely to be psoriasis.

to be honest i don't think you need a referral to a dermatologist, eczema/ringowrm is bread and butter GP stuff. and they can look quite similar. see another one of not happy.

makes sense to try and avoid dairy for a while and then maybe wheat.

an interesting link about food and eczema in KIDS

its poorly understood and it maybe just the same people are vulnerable to both food allergies and eczema - its called atopy and is a genetic predisposition

Eczema is not related to diet in most cases. (There was new reearch on teh news yesterday showing that scientsist may have found the gene which increases likelihodd of being atopic)

Eczema can appear anywhere on the body. It might be more common to get it in elbow and knee creases etc but it can most certainly appear anywhere.

totally agree pointy dog