Advice needed on eczema (maybe dyshidrotic)

[hivemindneeded]

If any MNers have this or have a child with it and have discovered how to cure or manage it, please pile on and share all tips on medication, creams, diet, herbal - any remedy at all.

DS has a skin condition which doctors twice diagnosed as scabies on the strength of blurry photos in a phone consultation. Scabies treatments didn't cure it and it's got worse.

he gets tiny raised lumps that sometimes blister and break - especially on his hands and feet where they are now very sore and the skin looks crusty and inflamed.

He has tried steroid creams, anthistamines, Dermol, calamine cream. Nothing really reduces or cures it.

Any advice?

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Could it be psoriasis? I have something similar, blisters on palms and soles which is this link. I usually have steroid cream for it (and avoid chemicals which tend to flare it up)which I know is much the same as for eczema but light therapy can help too.

when you look at his hands under bright light, can you see white lines on his skin? deeper than the cracking of eczema. if so then yes likely to be scabbies, but the creams wont get rid of that alone, you need a really good clean of all soft furnishing/bedding/clothing. the bed needs to be throughly hoovered every day. its exhausting trying to control them. such a shame that the weather is so mild and wet, as taking his matteress outside in freezing temps would also help kill the sods

Any sign of fungal infection in his nails or athletes foot type flaking between toes?

It could be an Id reaction where you get tiny water filled blisters on the sides of the fingers, say, triggered by a fungal infection of the toes. Have a google and see if it looks like it.

Treating with an anti fungal could help if so.

have you looked up pompholyx (not entirely sure about spelling). it affects mainly around the border between top and bottom of hands.

I have that and when it breaks out it's awful, very itchy and takes ages to go away.

you need to find the trigger and try to avoid it. mine are heat/sweat and certain cleaning products.

steroid cream helps with the itch. but generally keeping it moisturised is most important.

@purplesequins afaik, pompholyx is another name for dyshidrotic eczema. And this is what I think it is.

@Mandatorymongoose - it could be.

He was referred to an NHS dermatologist but they keep cancelling the appointment. It's been 9 months now.

@RedLemon - had a F2F with a GP who tested for fungal and bacterial infections and they came back clear.

I will look for those scabies white lines. If it is them, they are evil long lasting little beasties. We have hoovered mattresses, boiled and sterilised bedding, clothes, towels etc.

Sorry - last comment was for @takenforgrantednana. (Didn't mean to take you for granted!)

Sounds exactly like the Pompholoyx eczema that I get on my hands. The trigger for me was wearing gloves at work and using hand sanitiser.
Steroid cream to settle the skin and intense moisturiser. Avoiding triggers.

I've never found out the trigger for mine although I think stress affects it. The itchiness is awful and all consuming.

Super strength steroid cream clears it up and not letting my hands dry out too much in between bouts help.

@RegretfulRufus

Sounds exactly like the Pompholoyx eczema that I get on my hands. The trigger for me was wearing gloves at work and using hand sanitiser. Steroid cream to settle the skin and intense moisturiser. Avoiding triggers.

I wondered whether hand sanitiser had something to do with it. He's stopped using it for now. Thanks for this.

Thank you all for your replies. These are really helpful comments and suggestions.

Maybe he needs a stronger steroid cream. I've read that they can make it worse if used too often. Has anyone had that experience/.

OP, try this: dollyandfriends.co.uk/shop/ols/products/australain-botanical-calming-cream

It's good for eczema and other dry skin conditions. I use it for my DD for her eczema and also when she gets sore skin from the cold. Worth a try.

Can you pay for a private dermatologist appointment?

I had this.. it got so much worse when I tried to treat it for any type of antibacterial/anti fungal. What worked for me was to

1. avoid any harsh cleaning products, fairy washing up liquid alone can trigger mine completly! I can only use surcare brand. 2)No harsh/scented shampoos (as this get on your hands to apply) no harsh or overly scented shower or bath stuff
2. wash hands with normal plain un scented soap, pat dry gently, then apply some moisturing cream to lock in your skins moisture. This helps to seal the skin. I used to put moisturing cream on when my hands were already overly dry and cracked which is the worst thing!
3. sun cream triggers mine if it’s already open and aggregated so try to avoid when flared.
4. a tiny amount of hydrocortisone ointment is awesome at settling flares.

I get this when I’m stressed, it’s insanely itchy at times. Mild soaps (and other things that get on your hands like shampoo), and gloves for cleaning help when it’s bad. Lots of good hand cream too.

Hi OP if you're still around! I've had pompholyx since I was about 9 years old. The only thing that has ever helped is steroid cream. I use bethamethasone valerate personally. It's not recommended to use it constantly but what I do is use it for a few days when it has flared up until it clears up, then don't use it until it gets worse again. Everyone is different but mine tends to come and go quite frequently.

Main triggers for me are:
Wet hands. If I don’t get every drop of water off my hands when I wash them then my skin will start breaking out. Wet towels will also really irritate them so I need to change the towels frequently.
Changing temperate. When the seasons change, my hands break out.

I hope that's helpful!

Hi, I also have dyshidrotic eczema. Although I still get flare-ups, it has gotten much better with steroid cream, avoiding hand gel and only using medicated soap.

@irene9

Can you pay for a private dermatologist appointment?

We tried to but they were all booked up for weeks. The good news is that his most recent NHS cancelled appointment has now been reinstated, so he will go to it.

Thank you for all these tips. I got him some Faith in Nature shower gel and he washes his hands with Dermo. These two changes have helped a lot.

I will change hand towels more often - thank you for that tip *@TitoMojito.

His prescription for extra strength non-drowsy antihistamines has finally come through too. There had been a problem with it. So he's in a much better state.

Thank you for all your replies.