Eczema

[minkmama]

I'm new to mumsnet
DS1 has had eczema since 5mths now 18mths. On/off manageable to terrible. We have seen a homoeopath before with some success but changed to another one after it got worse again. awaiting results but has flared up VERY badly now on face, neck, wrists, legs, ankles and torso. Wanted to avoid steroid and believe in as natural as possible but the bleeding and seeing DS1 so miserable is getting us down. PLEASE ADVISE!!!

In the perfect world natural is great but I wouldn't do it at the expense of my children's health and well being personally. What you decide to do in the end will be a trade off won't it? Try Aqueous cream by the gallon and the hydrocortisone 0.5% cream is very mild but does the job if you use it regularly. Sunshine also helps our two little darlings - lets just hope that they grow out of it soon. Hope that I have been some help???

Welcome to mumsnet - I'm newish too!

Ouch! Is he seeing a deramtologist Minkmama? I perfectly understand what you are going through as my DS(16m) suffers from severe eczema as well, I have found a lot of useful information at MUmsnet, have a look at the topic Allergies, we were discussing alternatives to HC testerday, you can find that thread here

If you have more questions or you only want to let go of the frustration, keep posting, Mumsnet is REALLY VERY SUPPORTIVE.

I should previe my postings more often, please excuse the typos...

Welcome Poppyseed!

Thanks for your speedy advice
We used aqueous cream for yonks even as a soap, but recently GP suggested that some babies react badly to it and said to carry on using Epaderm instead. DS1 hates both! We are using almost everything know to man! Have used hydro 0.5% is that the weakest (can't remember - have used 2 strengths so far)? It DID work but skin lapsed into terrible state after we stopped applying after prescribed week. can you still apply it on broken skin?

Sunshine good - heat VERY BAD!!

I would love to have stayed natural with my DS who is the same age as yours, but it was just too terrible not to follow the course of treatment recommended by the dermatologists we saw. I mean bleeding, open, infected, weeping horrible.

What worked: We used oral antibiotics and Elocon with the first really bad flare up and the second really bad case we used alternate protopic and diproogenta. It is goodish at the moment although as the spots come up I put one of my many creams on them. As you know it affects their sleeping which affects their eating which affects everyone and everything so I decided that experts know best - although of course I give him probiotics every day and do whatever else I can - baths in olive oil, diprobase all over twice a day etc etc. Good Luck, Sim

Chandra - you're right, I've been on here for 1/2 hour and feel so much better! Hope DS1 + 2 don't wake up soon cos this is THERAPY

DS1 actually got tested for allergies. He's got Peanut and slight soya but nowt else. Also he has erratic eating problems being such a stubborn little terror so often only likes to eat crispy things and biscuits. have ot give them to him because some days he won't even eat 1 meal
So many different problems with this one!!!

Will my GP refer me to a dermatologist or do I ahve to go private?

go to gp and ask to be referred! be prepared to fight. i heard recently that most gp arent very qulaified on skin conditions. it honestly wouldnt surprise me if it were true.

It very much depends in the severity of the cases and specially, your GP beliefs, but I have seen that most are reluctant to refer before the child is at least 2 yrs. old but on your GP and the severity. We decided to go private when after months of misery (infected bleeding skin, not reacting to HC 2.5) the GPs continue to tell us that they couldn't refer him until they can be sure it was not infantile eczema, we didn't want him to go to to 3 yrs of misery just for the GPs to confirm their ideas...

Ithink it is disgusting that gp wont refer. i fought and fought for dd1 initial referral. i finally saw a new female gp at the surgery and it was when i broke down it tears and started going on about how i couldnt stand it anymore, stating how much work i was missing as i felt it was unfair on dd1 and my parents to leave her when she was so uncomfortable. not only did we get the referral and an appointment date for 6weeks later she also offered to sign me off work. The fact the receprionist knew my name and knew i'd be there every week says how bad dd1 was.
I would love to belive that all these natural/homopathic rememdies work, but have had dashed so many times by 'wonder' treatments. i have heard that some people find great releif in natural rememdies but have found them irrating at times to my own skin let alone the dd's.

short courses of steroids are safe. is his skin weeping at all (wet?). it may be infected, the summer months were the worst for dd1.

I'm really worried about the summer because it is really horrible for him. Sometimes his skin weeps and we've given him antibiotics and hydro, which cleared it up temporarily. I was just hoping to find something natural for long term. We don't really want to see a chinese herbalist (even though DH is of chinese origin) as we're scared DD1 is too young.

The problem is that DD1's case is not as bad as many others but all the same it's not good. His homoeopath is actually a medical doctor as well and he's got an appointment next Fri so I'll ask about a dermatologist...

i own a health shop and I have one customer who's dd has such bad eczema that she even reacts to pure aloe vera gel. the one thing they have had success with is Weleda Calendula baby oil. it only contains calendula, sesame, camomile. You can get it from most health shops.

we have had quite a few customers use this on children with eczema. we use it for cradle cap/dry skin and patches of eczema on our two children.

if you want any other suggestions of natural shampoo/soap/moisturiser which will be mild and gentle and non-drying let me know

there is a link to weleda on this thread
this thread

I did some research on Chinese herbal remedies and the result was that they were not recommended for babies or toddlers as not enough was known about the side effects and there was a fear of liver damage.

yeah, there have been too many studies on the herbal stuff. a bit scary really.

Gloworm - i actually bought the calendula lotion ages ago and it was quite good at the beginning but for some reason it made his skin red after a while. we use other weleda products like the lavender bath milk which i find quite good...it's nice to have something that smells good and theraputic at the same time. i'd be grateful for any other suggestions though!

I do know of two people who used the chinese medicines drinks to help their ezcema and it did work for them. but they were in their teens. i wouldnt try it on my dd's at their ages (4yrs and 21months)

Minkmama, when I saw a dermatologist about my DS eczema, he was horrified as it was practically all over him. I had been using hydrocortisone cream 1% as recommended by peadeatrician. Please see my routine on Allergies / Severe scratching to the head of my 4mth old (the one with 18 messages on it). Even if you don't want to use a steroid cream, at least you can wash with acqueous cream and not detergent.
Good luck.

I also tried the naturist rute and even though we had very good results with the first round of graphites, it just worked that time. Homeopath sweared by calendula cream but it didn't worked for DS.

As the rest I think every baby is different, and what works for one would not work for another one. I guess that as many of you I thought that this hell was never going to finish but it is definitively getting better, I feel full of hope that DS is out-growing his condition.

Now the eczema is better, DS has been diagnosed with asthma, and maybe it's stupid of my part but I really hope that he will outgrow it as well (fingers crossed)

I hope he does. dd1 has ezcema, asthma and hayfever. dd2 has ezcema and hayfever.

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mink, the calendula lotion contains various other ingredients. try the calendula OIL..much less chance of a reaction.

Dessert Essence Baby and Jasons are too great brands available in health shop (prob not H&B).
these are the 2 brands all the time.

some people find evening primrose oil helps. use 500mg capsules, burst them with a pin and spread over skin. use a good quality brand. if you use a cheap brand (and i mean cheap quality, not cheap price), you never know what other unnecessary ingredients are lurking in the capsule.

It's nice to know that for most of you the eczema has either been outgrown or settled...something to look forward to maybe

I appear to be a novice at this treatment stuff, some of you mention things I haven't encountered (more on the hydrocortisone conversation). Can someone tell Mrs Ignorant here what probiotics are and if it's in yoghurt form what am I to do cos DS1 refuses to eat/drink it - won't even eat petit filous!!!

Gloworm- thanks for the recommendations, my local Sainsbury's actually stocks Desert Essence so I'll give that a try.

Chandra - yeah, everyone swears by calendula...i've tried the creams, the herbs but they appear to do the same as the rest if not any better. have also tried fresh aloe vera (plant itself) to no avail

Minkmama, probiotics are strong in some yoghurts, but I give my DS a part dose of the lite Yakult in his morning milk. Before he started on cows milk I was taking a dose myself every day in the hope that he got it through my breastmilk.

hi aussiesim - I actually drank a bottle a day during my entire pregnancy with DS2, hopefully it will work. I gave DS1 some occasionally but then DH said that it was not recommended for his age, so i stopped.

actually, now that i think about it, i'm using Aptimel formula on both babies. Without going downstairs to check, I believe it contains probiotics. Would that be enough?