sudden onset of eczema in 7 yr old pls help!

[lozza1985]

hi my 7 yr old has a rash on the inside of both his legs its very red and angry looking and very itchy , i took him to the doctors earlier and explained it came on very quick we have just got home from spain on sun to thats when it started , the doc said he rekons its eczema prescribed oiletum(SP?) but the itching has got alot worse he has been throwing his self about and crying in pain with it . can eczema start so suddenly and is there anything else i can do for him?x

Do you know, I don't know, but my 8 year old has suddenly (in the last week) developed eczema on both his arms around the crease of the elbow and all down the forearms. Somebody said it might be the pollen season causing an allergic reaction - I'm taking him to the docs later this week too!

Did doc not prescribe antihistamine? Try piriton or something similar.

You could put him in the bath and tie some oats in a muslin or tights and put in water. That may help.

Aveeno stuff is good too. The cream and bath stuff.

its so horrible to see him pain just want to help him didnt think it came on so quick and bad as his did thought it normally sterted of in babies !

Weirdly, there were two children in our docs waiting room this morning who had suddenly developed eczema too. (Not DS, he has had it most of his short life).

Oilatum is OK, but Burt's Bee baby bath and baby body lotion are AMAZING. I use them on me and DS. They are not cheap (about £10 each) but work so well and so quickly they are well worth it. I use Oilatum on prescription for DS most of the time, and Burt's Bees when he has a flare up. From posh chemists, John Lewis, gift shoppy places and larger branches of Boots, or here bees.

thanks can i buy aveeno from the chemist or is it prescription only? no doc just gave him cream will go and buy some piriton tomorrow x

thank you for your replies ! the cost doesnt really matter just need to sort his poor legs out will have a look tomorrow x

You can buy aveeno from chemist.

Also try giving his clothes an extra rinse in the washing machine until it clears up a bit. You could even try changing your washing powder, I use Filetti for DS or Ecover if I can't get Filetti.

Paracetamol will help with the itching a little bit, especially overnight when they aren't really aware they're scratching. I wouldn't recommend using it for more than a few nights though.

Could it be heat rash? (just a thought).

Try antihistemine and E45. Change washing powder to Persil Non Bio. Use cotton pyjamas and clothes. Use cotton gloves at night to help with the scratching.

If this doesn't help go to the doctor who will probably prescribe Hydrocotisone (it starts at 1%, so there's higher %'s if this doesn't work). There's plenty of treatment available so don't despair yet. Good luck.

I use Surcare for laundry which is unfragranced and have started triple rinsing the wash. I've also got a fragrance free shampoo which says it's eczema friendly. I'm using Epaderm on the arms which I got over the counter at Sainsbury's. Aveeno seems to irritate his eczema, though it works like a dream for my dry skin.

quick update took him back to gp today as was alot worse he seems to think its not eczema its a allergic skin reation to something ? given him steroid cream and said if no better by friday morn take him back and he will refer him to hospital ? im confused ! and he couldnt go to school this morning he waas walking like john wayne and in a lot of pain x

How is your son now? Have you had a diagnosis?

hi well took him back to gp who said he didnt know what it was and to take him to a/e so went there waited for hourd with ds to be told its a allergic reaction to something more steroid cream and medicene prescribed and its nnearly gone now x

Out of interest, what did the rash look like? My 7 year old dd came out with an all over body rash on Saturday (well everywhere except her face). ANgry red raised spots and oter areas of general redness. VERY itchy. GP reckoned it was a viral skin infection ut reading all this I wonder if there is something going round at moment.

it kind of looked liked hives with a red raised bumps mainly over legs was very itchy took just over a week to go x