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Original poster

Eczema...advice sought plse!

94 replies

marz · 07/01/2004 13:25

I have 2 dd's with eczema, dd2 is currently only under control??!! with hydrocortisone and diprobase while we wait for referral to Royal Free, (where dd1 is , who has Protopic)
Questions....
How do I get the diprobase ointment out of dd2's clothes? I use Persil non bio and even on 60 degrees it is still everywhere. Have tried soda crystals and 60 deg. which works better but still not completely non greasy.....also are soda crystals safe for her already bad skin??
Then....can anyone please explain wet wraps....this is probably the only thing we never tried (or were offered) for dd1 so I wonder if it is worth a try for dd2 (5 months)..thing os, her eczema is all over body...can I wrap her whole body??!! ( Just want to be more informed when I get to hospital appt...and then can ask for what I want instead of being soley in their rather incapable hands.....am consideing asking for referral to GOS ...have just joined NES too....my eczema on my hands is so bad now...(due to stress...it got really bad with dd1 until we got her under some sort of control.
Sorry for the ramble...I am just pretty desperate and fed up and so so tired too...need some sympathy too I guess!
thanks in advance......

OP posts:
bunny2 · 16/01/2004 19:06

Thant's interedting Robin. I'll look into molluscum (I recognise the word but havent related it to the spots on ds. I'll have a look in the Dr A book before posting ti to Marz).

robinw · 21/01/2004 05:54

message withdrawn

princesspeahead · 21/01/2004 10:22

can I just say that my 19 week old ds2 has now got immaculate clear baby soft skin for the first time in his life (well, since he was about 4 - 5 weeks old). I'm following bunny's advice and only bathing him 1ce or 2ce a week (just topping and tailing him otherwise), and when I do bathe him it is in an oatmeal bath. But the main reason is that I'm using Aveeno cream as an emollient - what fantastic stuff! It is the only cream he has been able to tolerate - very gentle and wonderfully moisturising - my hands look great too now. Only other thing is that his formula now has probiotics in it, he has been on them for about 3 weeks now. Honestly, I wish I could post before and after photos - from being covered from head to toe in dry, scaly, angry red patches, he now looks perfect and soft and only has a bit of mild redness in his flexors....
let's hope it lasts!

BearintheBigBlueHous · 21/01/2004 11:55

PPH, where do you get your Aveeno cream from? And do you use their oatmeal bath stuff or make up your own?
Ta

fairydust · 21/01/2004 19:16

DD has started with really bad eczema all over her body.

We went to the doc's monday and they gave us some steriod cream (can't spell the name) any way the doc says we can't use it on her face but her face is getting really bad - been using e45 but doing no good can anyone recomend something please.

princesspeahead · 21/01/2004 19:26

I think E45 is awful, fairydust. so many people produce a bad reaction with it.
Aveeno is from boots or pretty much any chemist- non prescription, but you usually have to ask for it at the counter. £6 for 100ml, so not cheap, but if it works for you you should be able to get it on prescription. It is lovely gentle stuff.
I do my own oatmeal baths - big handful of oats in a muslin, bound up with an elastic band, and then squish under the running water of the bath and keep squishing over the skin so the gooey oaty stuff comes out. really softens the water and is great for helping skin heal.

bobthebaby · 21/01/2004 20:14

HI fairydust, How old is your dd? If you can get some probiotics into her that would be good. I found ds's face doesn't flare since we started them.

There are some steroids which can be used on the face, especially if it gets infected. I'd stop using the E45 as it seems to be making it worse. You could try just vaseline. It could be worth another trip to the docs.

honeybunny · 22/01/2004 14:00

Re Aveeno cream anyone.... I've seen plain and menthol (for more XS dry skin) Which one have people had most success with? Having problems with ds2's eczema since started swimming twice a week. I've been doing everything recommended in this thread.... oatmeal baths, no soap/shampoo, even take an oat filled muslin to the swimming pool to shower with afterwards. ds2 can end up in tears with the sting effect that the menthol aveeno causes, yet his skin does seem calmer in the morning. Should I just swop over to the plain aveeno?

misdee · 22/01/2004 23:10

i'd say the plain aveeno.

and i really wish docs wouldnt advise using e45 on ezcema skin. it is very well known to cause bad effects and have a 'sting' to it. my dd1 would rather scratch herself than use e45 these days.
i'm not saying it is bad for everyone, but so many people seem to react to e45 than other eczema products.

princesspeahead · 22/01/2004 23:39

oooh, never seen menthol aveeno hb. sounds like it might sting on broken skin though... why don't you try the plain? I think it is excellent stuff...

Chandra · 23/01/2004 00:46

I would use Eucerin instead of E45, they sell it in boots (is around £10 for the 10% Urea version), they sell it over the counter but I believe is also in the list of medicines that can be prescribed by the NHS. Warn you it stings in cracked skin. I have posted another message somewhere in the this thread with more details.

clairabelle · 23/01/2004 02:03

On PPH's advice started using Aveeno cream on my 9 week old who had started with eczema, it's fantastic no reactions and gorgeous soft skin. I can't reccomend it enough!

clairabelle · 23/01/2004 02:05

Just to add FD mainly used it on his face so hopefully this would help you.

princesspeahead · 23/01/2004 13:23

I'm SO pleased clairbelle, isn't it lovely stuff? I'd never heard of it before my mum mentioned it and then sunchowder raved about it. Glad she is so much better.

fairydust · 23/01/2004 16:20

well last night was the night from hell - was up from 1.15 onwards with dd crying and scratching it had spread all on her face corner of her eye and in her hair.

made an appointment with GP this morning but ended up having to call him out as dd just kept screaming.

Anyway they've given her some more steriod cream which seems to have calmed things a little
Dh also went to boots and got some plain aveeno and within 10mins of putting that no her face she was asleep.

I asked the GP about bathing her and he said carry on as normal.
But having reading so many posts on here you all say not to use soap etc.

So what do i wash her with -especially her hair???

dinosaur · 23/01/2004 16:27

we washed DS1 with aqueous cream

including his hair

don't put too much on though as it is hard to rinse out

he didn't have !squeaky clean hair" but I don't think that really matters for babies

Jenie · 23/01/2004 16:32

Fd we just use water with oilatum mixed in for ds, found that anything else even a slight residue from not thoroughly rinsing the bath after every use will make ds scratch like fury.

He gets moisturised befor and after his bath aswell to keep in the moisture and stop his skin drying out. Also since his latest flare up we're down to bathing him once a week I do get worried about him getting smelly though as yet no one has commented. He gets a wipe of dirty bits every night but even this water has to have oilatum in it.

Jenie · 23/01/2004 16:34

Oh yes and I dashed to the microwave and zapped ds new ready bear (microwave thing with wheat in it so like a hot water bottle) put a few drops of menthol stuff on it and he is as happy as a sandboy sniffing his bear!

Will let you know though if this starts off another lot of itching, what with the heat and the essential oil.....

justtheone · 23/01/2004 23:57

Marz I really feel for you and anybody else who is living with children with skin problems.

My DS (now 2.5 yrs) has had various skin ailments since he was a few weeks old. It can be particularly hard when you realise that the child's quality of life is being impacted and no matter what you try, you still have a miserable child.

I second all the comments on reduced bathing, although some health professionals seem to see it as a lack of care if you do not bathe your child daily. I bathe DS a maximum of twice a week and always use aqueous cream (never soap). I also use Diprobase when he has a minor flare up and move to hydrocortisone when things are more serious. When he was quite bad it was suggested (not sure who) that I cover him in liquid parrafin at night. This had amazing results but it is a very smelly and dirty treatment.

I must admit that in the early days I was trying all types of creams and ointments and E45 definitely made the situation worse.

I am very interested in this Aveeno cream and will definitely try to find it when I next escape to the shops.

Chandra · 24/01/2004 02:14

Adding a bit of a conflictive advice, both the dermatologist and the book I got from my eczema hv said that frequent bahs are a rule:
-At least once daily, twice is better
-Bathing keeps the skin clean and free from crusts and scales, which helps to prevent infection
-It is suitable to add a suitable bath oil to the bath water, to prevent the skin from drying out
-Soaking in the water for 10m helps the skin considerable
-Avoid ordinary over-the-counter soaps which are irritantm alkaline and often perfumed. It is best to use acquous cream to cleanse the skin
-The temperature of the bath should be cool (I use wam) and the bathroom warm. Avoid sudden changes in temperature that may affect the skin
-Dry the skin by pathing gently with a soft towel

... and somebody also told me to apply the emollient 3 min after the bath as the most. After that the skin is getting dry again and emollients will not be as effective.

Hope it helps,

bobthebaby · 24/01/2004 04:04

I do twice a day too. I guess one way or the other works for different people.

fairydust · 24/01/2004 09:44

acquous cream? what is this ????

We've been using oilatrum -what what do u use to clean your childs "bits"

misdee · 24/01/2004 10:00

aqueous cream is a soap substitute which cost a few pounds for a huge tub. oilatum also do a shampoo which cost a pretty penny but i havent tried this.

with bathing, during winter dd1 gets less baths as her skin is easier to manage at this time of year. during the summer months she gets bathed at least once a day. dont use any soap on her, i did use bubble bath on dd2 but her skin dried out and got a bit scaley so now i bath both kids in oilatum plus, they just soak in there for at least 10mins, whilst i sit on the loo seat and read my latest book, then they get wiped over with a flannel, rinse their hair thro, dd2 does need shampoo as she has very curly hair and it dries out so she gets lovely conditioning teratments to keep it under control. then wrap them in soft towel, pat them dry, apply the emoillants then pop on their pj's. dd1 hasnt had soap touch her in years, and she isnt a smelly kid at all. at first i missed the lovely baby bath smell, but now i find it too powerful.

can i recommend a place for pj's for your dd to help her stop scratching these have been excellant for my kids they literally helped my dd1 sleep patterns the 1st night. she was scratching in her sleep waking up a bleeding mess screaming, i got some of these last year and they are great. i even pop dd2 in them now as she has the odd scratch.

fairydust · 24/01/2004 10:08

our dd also has curly hair - what kind of conditioning treatment do u use??

misdee · 24/01/2004 10:14

i do that seperatly to when dd1 is in the bath. i use a shampoo called just for me, then after that used a deep conditioner, whichever i have handy, atm she is using my fudge treatment, then after she gets out she has a detangler added to make it easier and encourage the curls.