DS, 14mths, recurring cough and skin problem. Any ideas??? (bit long!)

[PregnantGrrrl]

DS has had a problem with his skin, but only in his nappy area, since about 6mths old. He will claw it until it bleeds, even trying to scratch it through clothes. On days when it's worse, he even drags his bum across the floor to scratch it.
It takes 2 of us to bath him, and if we're alone when we change his nappy we have to pin his arms down with our legs so he can't get to it. Once the skin is broken, it's obviously worse as wee etc gets into it. I finally got a doctor to take us seriously, as she saw it when it was especially bad, and she gave us Timodine cream to use- it definately improved. We could bathe him nicely and even let him round round without a nappy on. However, it contains steroids, which means we can't keep on using it. The 2nd tube is empty, and the problem is coming back.

At the same time, DS has had recurring coughs, and we've been given antibiotics twice for this. He has a cough again- despite no family / friends etc having had anything.

Could it be an allergy / reaction to something? Could they be connected in some weird way? When we gave him cow's milk to drink he reacted badly with night waking and a sore tummy- could it be a dairy issue, or am i being bonkers?

we're really at the end of our tether.

I sympathise so much. Sounds awful. Go back to gp and demand referral for allergy testing. I'd stop all dairy products as a precaution. Ds2 had allergies to loads things from 6 weeks old. We tore ourselves apart trying to make sense of it all and work out what it was causing reactions. One day his face and mouth swelled up to huge proportions and he ended up in hospital, but still we never got to the bottom of it. We excluded foods from his diet that we knew were making him bad but he also reacted to different fibres in clothing and carpets!! At 10 months old he woke up one day and didnt have any blotches anywhere and he's been fine ever since! we were told he could grow out of it but the way it happened was just so bizarre!!

Hi PG are you sure the skin is not infected if it is then it will not clear up until the infection has gone. I would go back to the gp and ask for a dermatology referral rather than allergy testing as it is so localised.
Also you could give piriton which would help with the itching you can buy it in boots but again ask the gp for it. Don't worry too much about using the steroids you have to use a really high dose for a long time to cause problems.

I definitely see similarities with DS and the symptoms he's had when we've been more lax about dairy. He has prescription formula (still at 2yrs old) but eats a bit of cheese and butter.. and some goats cream cheese that I use for cooking creamy sauces.. You're not bonkers.

Also, take no notice of gp or anyone else who scoffs at "intolerance". The allergy consultant explained to me earlier this month that there are 2 kinds of allergy - one which (I think) gets teh mast cells going and that's when you get the "real" allergy symptoms, but there's also the other kind (like this) which is called an intolerance, but he still took it very seriously. They can't test for it in the same way, but he still went to great lengths to discuss it with me.

Try posting on the allergy thread? Great source of info. and "been there, this worked" info... good luck!

PS It may well be something else, shoudl have said that first, but no harm in cutting out dairy for 48 hours and seeing if there's any improvement what so ever.

PS meant to say, DS also has a persistent cough if we run out of formula and try giving him milk on his cereal etc... takes a coupe of days to clear. Also, the reason the irritation was localised for our DS is that it was the milk proteins in the poo that did it (so they said). HTHs too...

will have to take him back to doctors soon- he's desperately trying scratch through his PJs this morning. The GP said that the 2nd tube of cream would be the last, due to the steroids in it...i think she said we'd have to try something else if it didn't work this time.

we've had anti-fungal type stuff before aswell, so it's not an infection i don't think.

i'll slap some calamine on it today to stop him scratching so much in the meantime

Since you said nappy area I am presuming he is in nappies - could it be the nappy?

no, we tried changing the kind but there was no difference. he sometimes wears washables, but no change in washing powder and no problems with skin anywhere else.

i think i'll have to ask for a referral- not sure whether to ask for dermatolgist or allergy testing first though.

a dermatologist will be able to do allergy stuff as well for skin so it may be a way of hedging your bets. Even if you cut out cows milk on cereal etc formula is essentially cows milk so cutting out other dairy won't make a lot of difference

Hope you get somewhere soon poor little mite it must be driving him mad and you

i could give soya formula for a bit- although it reeks.

ds2 was brought up on soya milk from 6 wks old. It does reek but it eased the cows milk intolerance. You can also buy soya milk in carton to replace cows milk when he's older. How old is he?

14mths

At 14mths he doesnt need formula milk so i would buy cartons of soya milk and use for cereal etc. I used to make ds2 puddings, macaroni cheese etc with soya milk. I would definitely go to gp though and not leave until you're satisfied.

I would still give soy formula rather than soy milk - the composition and inclusion of vitamins and calcium varies massively amongst the ones I saw in the UK and 14 months is quite young. All the allergic youngsters I know had neocate up to (and beyond if they could) 2 years.

If it's not the nappy then it must be the wee and poo, or rather the proteins from a food in the wee and poo which are coming out concentrated. It may not be dairy, but it's a good first guess, espcially given the cough.

For the cough I recommend trying vicks vaporub on the feet quite thick - followed by a pair of warm socks.