Is this eczema?

[imaginaryfriend]

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?

oh dear. A bit disappointing then. Let's hope now that her tummy is better, the antibs will get a chance to work! And a big grrr at the annoying admin that seems to plague all hospitals and waste weeks and weeks.

Dd seems ok though is complaining of an earache now (grrr) and woke up very hoarse this morning. She still hasn't let me look but from tomorrow morning, I'm going to start giving her the diprobase to coat herself with in the hope that if it is in the offing, this might stop it before it starts iyswim. Doesn't help that we've been really busy (and have a busy weekend coming up) and she could do with just lazing about.

Yes, my dd loves nothing better than lazy days at home. She gets really fed up if she can't hang out in her pyjamas, in some strange invented game she's playing, for most of Saturday and Sunday morning.

Has your dd become more private about her privates as she's got a bit older? Mine has no shyness about hers at all at the moment but I can imagine that changes at some point?

yes - it's definitely changing. I would say most of her classmates (who are generally older than her, she's in yr2) are now very private. She's still not terribly bothered but I can see that she is starting to think about it more (but dh and I are relaxed about nudity so I'm not sure if she gets this from us iyswim). She will still bath with her brother though!

I think I bathed with my brother until I was near puberty. I remember so clearly the first time I saw him be visibly embarrassed at my being nude and I think I must have been 11 or 12 so he would have been 13 or 14. My parents were very uptight about their own nudity. I'm very open with dd but dp is rather shy.

... don't know if you're around fox. Or anybody else? I had a slightly troubling call from GP on Friday who says that she spoke to the dermatologist and as the antibiotics haven't made a substantial difference etc. they want to see about admitting dd and doing a biopsy with a general anaesthetic. I've been googling like crazy to see why they'd do this, i.e. what do they think they're going to find?! But I can't get any answers. I go back to dermatologist on 21st May.

Dd's face is awful today, the rash has spread all round her eyes, eyelids too, and she's extremely uncomfortable.