Eczema... what would you do / have you done?

[luckysocks]

DS is 2.8 and has terrible eczema. We managed to keep it under control with creams for a while but it's getting significantly worse.

He has regular flare-ups, which I now consider to be when it is particularly angry with split, broken skin and infected. Even when not 'flaring up', it's never clear. There's not much of him which isn't affected.

I keep returning to the doctors and keep being told to use medication, most recently a higher dose hydrocortisone (which I hate using as often as we currently need to), the usual emollients and antibiotics.

It seems to me that we need to be identifying the cause at this stage, but we just can't seem to get any further with treatment than the above. We're currently seeing what happens if we eliminate dairy, but a) nursery haven't cut it out completely yet so we're not getting a clear picture (I've spoken to them about this today) and b) I worry that we don't know enough about it to ensure that we are substituting this with sufficient nutrients.

I'm intending to go back again at the end of this week and have been reading the NICE guidelines, which give me something to work with but again recommend treatment rather than prevention. I'm not shy about fighting my corner but at the moment I don't know what to fight for... should I just be insisting that we are referred to a specialist? A dermatologist? A dietician?!

I know eczema's not the end of the world but it's breaking my heart to see him struggle with it :(

It's a week now since I first posted about this and I've had to come back to let you know how much DS's skin has improved. Here's what we've tried:

1. He hasn't had dairy this week at home or at nursery
2. I'm applying his cream by patting it and working downwards, then just letting it sink in.
3. I was going to order some of the pyjamas (with mitts), but based on the fight we have to get him to wear gloves, I was in two minds about it. But it did get me thinking about how to prevent the scratching in the first place, so I gave him some antihistamine (which he was prescribed a while ago) for a couple of days and I'm keeping his nails filed as low as they'll go so there's nothing there to scratch with!
4. He's had showers rather than baths as he loves them and this means he's not sitting in any residual products
5. This one seems to have made the most dramamtic difference: we bought some 50:50 liquid paraffin/soft paraffin and have smothered him in this after every shower as suggested by osterleymama.

I've also ordered products from the Aveeno range and some eucalyptus wool mix washing powder, but obv not here yet as bank holiday!

His skin's not completely clear yet; he's still got some of the little red/purple spots which make him itch and which are the starting point of his eczema. But it's not hurting him at the moment and most of him is clear, which is a HUGE improvement from last week.

Thanks SO much everyone who has offered help and advice, your suggestions have made such a difference

Hope you are making some progress. Can you push for a referrel to a dermatologist?

I have come late to the thread but my dd (2yo) has terrible excema flare ups and after being fobbed off by my GP several times I have found a sympathetic one. I have listed some of the things the doctors has told us in case they help.

1. We have been prescribed dermol as a moisturiser, to be used at least 4 times a day. Smear on thinly but do not rub as this breaks up the skin. We also use this as a soap substitute
2. Give an antihistamine to break the itch/scratch cycle.
3. Use hydrocortisone on the rough skin outbreaks but review with GP after 3 weeks if no improvement.

We were bathing dd in acqueous cream on the advice of the first GP but apparently that isn't recommended anymore so I have stopped that. Also the first GP told us to use E45 but that was too thick and wasn't helping.

There are some good tips on here that I might start using too.

Just seen the bit about leaving a gap between steroids and lotions, we were also told that.

Poor dd is having no end of creams applied at the moment. I have resorted to bribery with chocolate buttons to get her to sit still!

Hi my dd has ezcema and it started at 5 weeks old she is now 20 weeks old. Im hoping its just baby eczema but it runs in my family big time.

Its intresting to read that dyslexia and allagies, asthma and ezcema are linked as i have all of them. I have two dn one each from my sisters that are both allergic to milk protin and egg. Im so not looking forward to whining dd.

I am breastfeeding and have already cut out fish and seafood. I have changed washing powder and got everything in cotton and snugglepaws babygrows. I ues the steroid cream morning and night. The blue oilatum in the bath and then cream her up with diplobase emoliuant like visaline.

We have our second gp appointment on Thursday. I dont think gps refer untill baby is one years old.

Lots of god advic on here and good luck with getting the referal. Please keep us updated as its helpful to know what to expect.

Acqueous cream for Ds was disastrous - apparently it is a soap substitute - and we were prescribed it as a moisturizing cream along with many others, see link.
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1254715/Eczema-cream-making-skin-worse.html

I've read that there is something in E45 that people with eczema are commonly allergic to - not sure it its Lanolin which DS is allergic to.
www.bedfordhospital.nhs.uk/upload_folder/patient%20information/allergy%20to%20lanolin.pdf
might be why E45 was so bad for him - reading above link.

Neither I or my DC especially DS can wear wool - it causes flare ups but I think that is separate issue to the lanolin issue as I think its removed from wool.

AnAirOfHope If the excema clear up round time you wean a food diary is a huge help though you have to give each new food a few days to a week as skin reactions can take a while. Helped find DD1 triggers.

Fish is awkward as its an anti-inflammatory and fish oil especially EPA is important for helping with dyslexia but fish is a common allergen. I could never work out when it was best to introduce with weaning though none of mine show any allergies to it.

Glad you made some progress OP.

Hi....my ds is 9 and has it since he was two. His skin would come up in small blisters that would itch and then bleed all the time. After years of it flaring up time after time we finally got the referral to dermatologist. Came away with 7 prescriptions!! The things that are working brilliantly for us right now are hydromol ointment ( like really thick Vaseline ) and a soap substitute called dermal 500. Have not had to use steroid creams for 3 months now...a record for us ! Hth
Btw.. The dermatologist we saw told us that gp's are reluctant to refer children to them so you may have to really push ( I refused to leave gp's surgery until I had one !) good luck !

Same here. I burst into tears in front of the doctor and told him how I felt fobbed off and that Noone cares about DS ripping himself to bits everyday. Long story short - one specialist appt soon appeared! Don't hold back on the emotions!!

DD has eczema since she was 3 months old and shes now 3.5. I have only got it under control in the last couple of week. I've been to the doctor so many times and managed to get allergy testing which ruled out any common allergies. I've given up with the doctors and just found out about it myself.

We have found from keeping a diary that hers is triggered by most suncreams, perfumed products (even plug ins), central heating, strawberries, pollen, some animals and hay. We have been putting her in an oat bath every other day, putting double base on twice a day and keeping her nails short. I have also been giving her a multivitamin, fish oil supplement and probiotic every day as well as encouraging her to drink lots of water. I don't know if the supplements help but I figured healthy inside might help her be healthy on the outside.

Good luck. It really is trial and error. I gave up with the doctors when he prescribed aqueous cream as a moisturiser and DD was crying as I put it on, her skin was flaking off. It was only by chance on here that I saw a thread that said its not a moisturiser. I felt so so guilty.

I am so pleased I read this thread. I have been crying my heart out over what's happened to ds's beautiful soft baby skin. I'd already tried a few of the things suggested. Aqueous cream was terrible - a hcp had told us to apply it as a cream and it made things ten times worse. After reading this thread I bought the Aveeno baby wash and eczema moisturising cream and have been using them for less than a week, and the improvement already is at least 50%, so huge thank yous to those who recommended it. We still don't know what has triggered it so have a long way to go, but this has given us some hope.

To the poster who's DC flared up in summer, watch out for grass. I had/have excema and cannot sit on grass without getting itchy.

Hi,

I've had excema since young and not grown out of it. After a really bad recent flare up and going to dermatologist I've been given Zip Zoc bandages and told to put my steroid cream on, then lots of 50/50 then the zip zoc bandages then over bandages. After doing this for 4 nights my arms have gone from really infected and sore and bleedy to me being able to wear a t-shirt with no self conciousness.
I know someone whos dd was given zipzoc at a few months old too so is be ok for kids, but defo use lots of 50/50 if his skin is open.
Hope that helps, I would recomend asking doctor because I cat explain how much its helped me, and it stops scratching at night too

definitely get the referral to dermatologist. they (GP) don't want to give it but push it. my 11 month old had an eczema since he was 2 month old and gp was giving us hydrocortisone cream which did nothing and poor little one was suffering so much. finely we went to see privately paediatrician who specialising in allergies and eczema his name is Dr adam Fox - complete brake through! J was diagnosed with milk and egg allergy and he prescribed us elocon cream which is strong steroid cream to apply on his body and eumovate cream for his hands and face- we slept through the night!!! saw dermatologist at last after the doctor send a letter stating plan of action and one of them was - see dermatologist (GP please make this referral) gp still was reluctant to give to us but we have got it.

we got a referral to eczema education program- have got a lot out of it. with the washing it is doesn't meter which detergent to use just use 1/3 and extra rinse wash at 60.

with cleaning easy too just mix some vinegar with water
and keep baby in the bath for 20min don't rub when drying just pat and apply plenty of ointment so you can wright your name on it.

so far so good

good luck

I'm glad to hear that things are improving for your DS. My DD2 had it when she was younger, wasnt too bad but obviously the itching bothered her . this was the best cream that I found-it was very soothing.www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Living-Aloe-Propolis-Cream/dp/B0034UOYQE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338046901&sr=8-1

But whatever you try I hope it works for you ( and hm LOL)