Eczema advice, getting desperate!!

[Bugsy73]

My DS (17) has been suffering with eczema since the beginning of the year. Two big patches on the back of each knee, smaller ones on the elbow. Its come from nowhere, nothing has changed within his environment.
We've been back and forward to the GP, he's tried oral steroids, increasingly strong steroid creams, anti fungal creams, antibiotic creams etc etc. All of them work whilst in use, the minute we stop it just comes back. Getting through tubs of epimax....
What to do? Have asked the GP for a dermatology referral but they were reluctant.
Is it worth pushing for, or is eczema just something he's going to have to live with?
Has anyone found the magic solution?
Any advise would be very welcome. He is so cheesed off with it all.
Thanks

What washing powder/softner are you using? Is he wearing cotton clothes?

Have you looked at patterns for when it’s worse / better? Stress and foods can make it worse.

Have switched to non bio washing powder and yes, his clothes are generally cotton. It seems to have come from nowhere. I was hoping it would improve with the warmer weather/not having the heating on but it hasn't made a difference.

There doesn't seem to be a pattern. He's pretty laid back. I will try and keep an eye on diet etc though. Thank you.

Non bio isn’t enough. Try something like Surcare.
Look at his shower gels etc too.

We've just had DD (16) referred to a private dermatologist. She's had a cycle of flare ups for years including around her eyes. He's confident he can do something for her starting with a uv treatment at the hospital. I think you should be able to self refer if you can afford it.

i have a much smaller child who has eczema all over their body and have tried everything! We’ve just tried something called salcera from the internet and it’s been a game changer. It can sting when applied and it’s quite expensive as we need a lot each application but it does reduce it significantly.

Ah, ok. Thank you! I'll have a look.

What does he wash with? Is he still using soap/shower gel?

He needs to use the Epimax to wash with.

Also have a look at his shampoo, at a minimum it needs to be SLS free.

He's using sanex shower gel. I'll get him to use the epimax instead. Thanks

I got mine as a teen and spend a decade with horrible eczema on my legs. Mine changed after using salt scrubs. 2 parts table salt to 1 part olive oil. In the bath.

A chiropractor friend recommended and by that point I tried everything else.

This will be very painful. But for me I found it cleaned the wounds out and removed the flakes that were so satisfying to scratch off and provided some moisture. Dry and then apply cremes and lotions as normal.

Years of steroids, at times a high dose, caused me pigment issues that remain to this day but I am eczema free most of the time.

I shall try this. Just ordinary salt? Thank you. I'm glad your eczema is now under control.

Having one of my DDs be under a paediatric allergist re her eczema my top tips:

Stick to non bio. No fabric conditioner. An extra rinse for his clothes.

You need to moisturise the eczema after showering - we used diprobase, make sure you apply the moisturiser going down the leg in the same direction as hair grows. 20 mins after apply steroid cream. Eumovate or elocon (on prescription).

Use the steroid cream twice daily until the skin settles then wean off the cream. If you stop abruptly, the eczema will return. So go to once a day application for a week, every other day for a week, every third day for a week. It should take a 3 ish weeks to wean off. Make sure you are using a cm of the product on each knee. Using steroid cream properly in bursts like this is better than using a small amount indefinitely. GPs don't always understand this and advise differently.

Make sure he doesn't overheat. Eczema sufferers run warmer when they have a break out. Heat exacerbates eczema. Cool his bedroom. Thinner bedding. Sleep naked or just pants. Make sure under his bed is clear of stuff and hoovered so it's not dusty. As dust mites can be a trigger.

Use old fashioned soap in the shower and not perfumed shower gel. Highly perfumed products can be a trigger. (Hence why no fabric conditioner).

Good luck

Sanex claims to be 'gentle'. When I looked at the ingredient list it is not! Only Sanex Zero is worth a try.

Made me furious when I had ezcema, turned into a mad woman looking at all the ingredients in the shop.

He needs something basically that isn't foaming. The easiest way is to use the Epimax itself - bit odd but you get used to it. If he wants to use a proper shower product then you can look at 'natural' things like Faith in Nature or 'medical' things like E45 or Aveeno shower gel. There is quite a lot of choice but you have to avoid all the things on the standard shelf.

Thanks, this is really helpful. Do you think we should see a dermatologist? We have the betnovate still so shall use that again and follow your weaning advice. Thank you

Thank you. I hope your eczema has settled. Skin conditions are horrible.

@Bugsy73 absolutely get a referral to a dermatologist. Anything to help and generally GPs aren't up to date re eczema treatment. Well that's my experience anyway.

@Bugsy73 yes regular table salt. I think sea salt could be a bit too abrasive. And remember it needs to be gentle rubbing! The salt hurts enough without harsh scrubbing.

I second salcur. The bioskin junior outbreak cream is brilliant. I use in on my eczema as well as the kids.

My Dh and my 2 dc both suffer from eczema and have patches of bad flares and more settled periods . we've never entirely worked out why Stress does seem to be a factor.

From what I've heard and read eczema affects different people, at different times and for different reasons, and they respond differently to different treatments. And it's also not life threatening so probably doesn't get enough research and funding.

Sorry if that sounds a bit negative but I think people have to be proactive with trying lots different things and be prepared to change again if something stops working.

Dd has flare up where we have to use everything, but maintenance is important, she has to moisturise with something like cetraban or epiderm daily or it gets bad again.

She also has to take a daily antigistimjne from March to September because hayfever flares it up.

Try using an unscented soap and bodywash. Some people report good results using Aleppo soap www.alepposoap.uk/faq

How certain are you / the doctor that it is excema? I don't say this to patronize but as someone who was misdiagnosed with excema for nearly twenty years and turned out to be psoriasis. Push for the dermatology referral as progressing up the steroid potency ladder is not fun.

We've seen 2 GP's face to face and 2 other GPs have responded to the e consult with photos. They have said eczema but I do agree it could definitely be something else. It seems to spread. I don't know it this is an eczema thing or not. I am going to ask again for a referral. Thanks.