should i have seen improvement in DD excema since using Daktakort twice a day for 3 weeks?

[yummyummy]

doc said to apply to just the scaly patches, but it doesnt really seem to have helped and DD is still getting more patches flare up, has anyone used this cream and found it hasnt worked? its 3 weeks now and i am reluctant to keep using steriod cream (albeit mild) if its not showing signs of improvment,

Also, when using steriod cream, i havent been moisturising dd for fear of the steriod not working properly, should i/can i keep moisturising?

tia for ANY advice, apart from giving DD piriton when it gets bad i am really failing to help her itching and red raw flare ups

Definitely use moisturizer with steroids - my GP (skin specialist) said to use moisturizer like Doublebase or Epaderm first, that the skin actually absorbs the steroid cream better if moisturized.

I haven't used Daktakort, but dd's eczema improved very fast if I moisturized then applied the mild steroid cream straight away - was told important not to skimp on that, because if you zap it fast and hard it goes quicker and you ultimately need less steroid than if you are too careful about using it, and hold back.

That said, dd's eczema was always fairly mild - so not sure if that holds true for more widespread or severe eczema. Is Daktakort the steroid?

thanks elibean that makes sense mosturising before as her scaly bits to seem SO dry that the daktacort doesnt seem to absorb very well. The stuff from the doc we have (i think is mild steriod) it has miconazole nitrate 2% and hydrocortisone1% in it

Daktacort is a steroid plus antifungal (Daktarin is just an antifungal so this is that + cortisone) - maybe she would do better with a plain steroid atm?

I know one of mine used to be prescribed Daktacort sometimes but I can't remember why. Our general instruction was to use the steroid only until the dry patches had gone and then try to keep them away with moisturiser but I was always hopeless at doing it regularly and thoroughly so we were always very random at what went on when.

1% is actually quite strong, yy - we used to get 0.5% usually for the kids. How old is DD?

moisturise first, then apply ointment on top.

Daktacort is an ointment - oil based hence why you put ointments on afterwards. moisturisers are ususally water-based so if you put the ointment on first, the oil prevents a waterbased moituriser from being absorbed.

if you get a steriod as a cream then it doesn't matter which goes on first. i fint that the ointment works better on persistent eczema patches better than creams as places like her face and hands get wiped and the ointments have more staying power.

ALWAYS moisturise.

she is 21 mo, doc said to use 3 times a day religiously for 3 wks but i we have done it twice a day morning and night

Why an antifungal, I wonder? Did she have a secondary infection?

We were given just the steroid, and 0.5% not 1% same as Jan...maybe worth asking for some of that. And when you use it, don't be sparing with it - make sure area is well covered.

As for moisturizing, I started doing twice daily moisturizing when dd first diagnosed (about 4 months old) and still doing it once a day after bath now she's nearly 3: she only gets rare flare ups, and when she does I step up the moisturizing and zap them fast with the hydrocortisone - job done.

Good luck!

doc said DD is itching because of a fungal infection, as the scaly patches are also on her chins, elbows fore arms and thighs, he said once we are top of the itching the excema should then start to clear up once DD isnt scratching it all the time

As the Daktacort doesn't seem to have made any difference so far, go back to the GP and ask if you can try 0.5% plain steroid ointment instead.

(I don't understand the reasoning behind him saying it's itching because it's fungal - it's itching because it's eczema, that's what eczema does!)

In short, yes there should have been some improvement. Rule of thumb is 3 days you should notice some improvement with any topical steroid