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Original poster

Is this eczema?

55 replies

imaginaryfriend · 20/03/2007 11:02

I've been having troubles for a while with dd's skin. She's been diagnosed as having eczema since she was a baby (she's 4.6 now) although she's never really suffered with it on her body so much as having quite nasty flare-ups on her face which have always previously responded to antibiotic cream and hydrocortisone.

Now, for about 2 months she's had an awful flare-up around her mouth and eyes, especially her chin which is flame red all the time. But the worst part is her genitals. She's in such a lot of pain with it and I'm at a loss as to how to help.

I've been to the GP numerous times and tried strong HC creams, antibiotics, antifungals, all to no avail. We've got a dermatologist appointment coming up but not until 4 May which seems an age to wait when she's suffering so much. She wakes about 3 times a night and I have to put a barrier cream on her genitals as they hurt so much in the night. Plus when she wees she screams, at home and at school.

Her skin is very red and has little raised watery blisters on it, there are at least 20 of them on her genitals. The blisters sometimes break open and weep, that's when she's in the most pain.

Does this definitely sound like eczema? Someone suggested the herpes virus, in which case what would be a good treatment for it?

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foxinsocks · 20/03/2007 11:06

as you know, we went through the same thing (and annoyingly, I think it may be coming back)

I thought it may be herpes too - especially as I remember her having a cold sore at one stage and thought she may have rubbed the sore and then passed the virus down below (which I think they can do)

I don't really know what to advise - all I can say is that we were really 1 step away from paying to see a dermatologist having tried (via the GP) canestan, canestan HC, straight HC etc. etc. GP wasn't interested and we really had to force them to even look at the rash ggrrr

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 20/03/2007 11:21

Hello foxy!

Yes, we've been discussing this for ages haven't we?

It's just so bad at the moment, I feel really sorry for her and really helpless.

Did your dd's look like I described?

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foxinsocks · 20/03/2007 11:25

yes, though hers never got to the weepy stage - it looked like bumps/blisters (sometimes I thought they looked yellow) and the surrounding area was red - we went to extraordinary lengths to stop her scratching because I expected she would either make it bleed or weep. She literally had cream plastered on it all the time.

I got a friend of ours who is a GP to look and she thought it may have been some sort of bacterial infection (like impetigo type thing) so my next step was going to be to ask for oral antibs (because no cream seemed to be working).

eviebean · 20/03/2007 11:25

Hello, new to the site but just noticed your chat. My dd is 13 months old and has eczema since she was about 11mo. I have tried every cream going from the docs and from herbal stores, do any of you know whether milk can flare it up, hers seems to have got worse since going onto cows milk!

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 20/03/2007 11:31

My dd is plastered with cream too, her knickers are a sight!

I think I might ask for antibiotics.

Her face is such a mess too.

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 20/03/2007 11:34

eviebean, a lot of children with eczema have quite bad allergies too. My dd couldn't take ordinary milk until she was nearly 2 so there may be a link.

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 20/03/2007 21:54

anybody else on this?

I've booked dd into the GP again on Thursday and am going to ask for oral antibiotics and for a private referral I think ...

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Washersaurus · 20/03/2007 22:06

My DS (19mths) has eczema especially around the tops of his arms and legs (nappy area) and when at its worst on his chin. He sometimes gets very sore looking blistery looking patches. I've been back to the doctor a few times who told me it was ok to use Hydrocortisone cream on his chin and we have Canestan HC for his nappy area just in case it gets infected.

Washersaurus · 20/03/2007 22:07

I meant to add.....I would be interested to find out what your doctor recommends for you next

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 20/03/2007 23:47

thanks.

it's so hard to see your child so uncomfortable and to feel there's nothing you can do

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 21/03/2007 17:44

bump

(seeing the gp tomorrow so any advice appreciated)

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 22/03/2007 17:48

I saw the GP who agreed it's quite bad but can't do anything to hurry on the NHS appointment. He's given me a referral for a private appointment at Great Ormond Street which is going to cost somewhere between £80 - £150 but it'll be worth it if it helps.

He also gave me some penicillin.

Fingers crossed.

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foxinsocks · 22/03/2007 19:22

excellent if (at least you have the referral - I think, if you can spare that cash, it will certainly be worth it. I am definitely going to take dd next time we get a nasty outbreak).

will be interesting to see if the oral antibs make a difference

(btw, we also tried an oral antihistamine in an attempt to stop the scratching but that didn't work - but did help her sleep if that is still a problem for your dd)

friendlyedjit · 22/03/2007 19:28

good luck with the antibiotics. If you can afford to go privately if treatment not working of course worth it. But GP I'm sure could upgrade your referral at local hospital to a more urgent one, by using phone or faxing.

foxinsocks · 22/03/2007 19:33

that's interesting to know friendlyeejit (about the upgrade of the referral)

eczema is bad enough when it is on their skin but when it is around their genitals, it really is a total nightmare

MerryMarigold · 22/03/2007 19:37

my son has a type of eczema which is very red and weepy. he has it on his face, above lip and on chin. a dermatologist prescribed something called Tacromisil, which is not a steroid but works on the immune system in a similar way. it has worked wonders. i hope he never gets it on his genitals though - ouch.

MerryMarigold · 22/03/2007 19:38

i think that cream can only be prescribed by a dermatologist...

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 22/03/2007 20:39

Thanks MM, I'll remember the name of that cream.

We already are as 'urgent' as we can be for the dermatologist. Usually an urgent would be seen within 4 weeks but we're just unlucky that they're very very busy at the moment. Plus I'm imagining there are some really super emergencies with kids with this kind of eczema all over .

This month we do have a bit of money to spare so it makes sense to get the private appointment I think, at least we'll have tried, and Great Ormond Street is one of the best hospitals so worth paying for I reckon.

fox, I wish I'd read your post about antihistamine before bed tonight. We've got a stack of piriton from when dd just now had chickenpox and it would be a really sensible idea to have some at bedtime to help her sleep.

Honestly if you'd seen her genitals tonight when I was getting her ready for bed ... they are absolutely horrendous, flaming angry red with weepy pustules all over, about 25 of them. Poor little thing.

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 23/03/2007 14:04

Jeez, I just phoned Great Ormond Street and their private consultation costs £300!!! That's way beyond our means at the moment so I guess we're going to have to hang on until May ...

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MerryMarigold · 23/03/2007 14:27

hi imaginary. we saw a consultant dermatologist at bupa roding hospital in redbridge. he's called dr. paige. i think he charges about 180 for the first consultation and 120 thereafter. i'm not 100% on the costs (def under 200 tho) as we saw him on my husband's private health insurance. anyway, he does a few surgeries around london, one at the royal london (nhs) and i think he has one in central london too which is private and one in loughton, essex. he seemed very good and has been doing this for years. it is probably worth seeing him, i think, considering the pain your LO is in. you could phone the bupa roding hospital and ask how much they charge there or ask for his secretary's number and arrange for a surgery nearer to you.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 23/03/2007 15:30

Thanks MM, I'll look into that.

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 02/04/2007 22:12

Just an update here. Dd's no better but with pressure from me and GP she's going to be seen two weeks today. It feels like long enough but it's so much better than the date in May we were previously given.

Foxy if you're around I'll keep you posted in case I get any advice that might also be relevant to your dd?

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foxinsocks · 14/04/2007 18:43

how are things going if?

yes, the info would be useful, thanks.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 15/04/2007 22:48

Hi fox, appointment tomorrow morning! I can't tell you how relieved I am, I hope so much they can do something to help her, it's got so bad over the last two weeks - she's waking 2-3 times a night in such pain and needing to be creamed. I pushed and pushed to get this early appointment. I hope we don't get sent away with something we've already tried, I just want to see this gone for good!

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 16/04/2007 18:15

We had the appointment today, thank goodness. Although I'm still confused about what's exactly going on, I was glad that the consultant took it seriously, he said her genital area was one of the most inflamed on a child he'd ever seen.

He thinks she's got some kind of autoimmune condition making her skin flare up like this so has put her on long-term antibiotics (6 months to begin with!! Not happy), has told me not to use any hydrocortisone creams at all on her face and has given me something called Protopic. For her genitals he's prescribed Elocon (which we've had before) and Clotrimazole (which we've also had before) which we've never used in combination and also with antibiotics orally.

I don't feel massively confident as he was rather puzzled as to what was actually happening with her skin as it doesn't look like typical eczema or anything else for that matter. I guess we'll just have to try the stuff out and see ...

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