By Hiedi on Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 07:51 pm:

hello i'm after advice frm any1 who reads ths. my daughter is 7 years old and her eczema is variable but always worse after her emollient has been applied. She is using 50/50 at the moment and when this is applied she then itches and itches for 20/30 minutes and i don't know why?! The thing is though throughout our 7 yrs we have had numerous creams and this itchiness after application always happens! so as you see i need to find out why. Any help or advice would be much appreciated

By Jimbob on Thursday, August 02, 2007 - 06:19 pm:

Dermasilk garments are now available on nhs prescription. So if you are in the UK these may be worth a try. You can get them in the USA but I think they would be expensive.

By mamitche82 on Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 12:17 am:

my daughter is three years old now we have been suffering with E for about a solid two years I don't understand what i am doing wrong i bath and put the topical cream on it as prescribed. i even took her to the best doctors in this area. And everybody says the same thing.Why is this so incurable? My daughter suffers with all the itchy flacky patches all over her legs and she is very bright child her siblings do not suffer with E and it hurts me when she asks the question on why her skin looks ugly!!!

By trottytroo on Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 02:54 pm:

hi everyone
can anyone tell me of any suitable sunscreen for a toddler. now that we suddenly have all this sun! my 20month old sun needs sunscreen - on his face anyway as thats the only part of his skin exposed - but i dont wanna try just any and i know that a lot of the baby ones are worse than normal adult ones.
any ideas please would be more than welcome!!!
regards and keep smiling
Tracy

By kaceys mum on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 11:44 am:

my daughter of 4 has eczema on her arms and legs and very badly on her hands which are constantly cracked and infected. Recently she had a form of mrsa infection within the eczema and since then it has been one bug after another. Any ideas on how i can protect her hands without gloves as she will not wear them. Once the bug is in her hand it is then transferring to all the other parts of her eczema oviousli due to her scratching, she has very old looking hands due to the constant cracking dryness etc.

By wheatfreecured on Sunday, October 29, 2006 - 04:56 pm:

Chris,

Please look at this site, and see an allergist.
rileychildrenshospital.com/document.jsp?locid=775

You need the testing to see what you are allergic too and the blood work... Ige is very important to your skin health, it is a marker in your blood.

By sweetysl on Sunday, October 29, 2006 - 03:43 pm:

It doesn't come and go, it's always there but the goosebumps will become less obvious (the itching will be less as well) if I apply lotion everyday (once a day after bath). Lotion used : Amway BodySeries G&H Lotion. once I stop using the lotion, the goosebumps will become more and more obvious and the itching worsens.

By wheatfreecured on Saturday, October 28, 2006 - 05:17 am:

Christopher,
It looks like an allergic reaction.. have you used anything... like a bug spray on your self or around your home or school.. or inhaled any type of fumes. How long have you had this... does it come and go ?
Or a sun lotion, or soap ?
This looks like you ingested something or inhaled it.. think back to the time you had this skin condition and where you were or what you did... were you wearing wool ?

By plasmagic on Saturday, October 28, 2006 - 04:38 am:

hmm atopic does look inflamm, might be some other form of eczema but i doubt is atopic.

By sweetysl on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 09:26 am:

no, it doesn't flare up after scratching. It's like goosebumps (goose pimples) and can be very itchy at times.

By plasmagic on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 09:09 am:

it doesnt look inflamm to me. but dry n itchy skin may be eczema, does it flare up once u scratch?

By sweetysl on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 08:35 pm:

IS THIS A KIND OF ECZEMA?

Please take a look at the pictures at :
photos.yahoo.com/sweetysl

Symptoms : Itchy and dry skin.

Could somebody confirm that this is indeed a kind of Eczema? A skin specialist once said this is Atopic Eczema!

Thanks and regards,
Christopher
sweetysl@yahoo.com

By Hiedi on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 01:03 pm:

HELP HELP that is what i need 2day and lots of other days as my daughter is a bad eczema sufferer and she just itches till she bleeds and it breaks my heart to see her, so when she is sat their doing it i say pleses stop and i give ger ideas to try to stop but she doesn't and then i get upset and shout which makes her worse!! HELP wot can i do to keep me and her from goin insane?

By Loraine on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 05:17 pm:

eczema cure for babies and children, no food just fruit juice? sounds pretty dangerous to me!

By Grace on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 05:55 am:

Eczema Cure

Try going on a fruit/vegetable juice fast for a week. Take juice 5-6x/day and no other food. Use raw spinach, carrot, beet, radish, lemon, orange, grapes, apple, papaya, pineapple. Start for 7 days and continue if necessary. Flush out toxins in liver. That cured me.

By ruth on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 06:53 am:

quite right jane - impetigo is due to an infection of the skin which begins as local redness then progresses to itchy oozy erosions and honey coloured crusts - people who suffer from eczema can also get impetigo - which is an infected state e.g. babies who suck on dummies or are teething commonly will get impetigo around their mouth,chin and throat areas. It is highly contagious through contact with the lesionsand treatment includes cleansing with antibacterial soap and water, topical or oral antibiotics. Individuals have to be careful in not spreading the infection. It is obvious from what you have said here that the condition is not improving and that you need to have a medical review done of your child's condition. It is not up to the receptionist to dictate or make medical decisions about these things - this person may need reminding of this!. Its simple - INSIST on seeing a doctor and DON'T take no for an answer - you may well need to be prescribed antibiotics to help clear this condition up and that may well be the reason why you have had it for the last 6 months when you haven't needed to!. Nurses and receptionists cannot prescribe antibiotics - only doctors can. Hope it helps.

By jane on Sunday, December 28, 2003 - 02:25 pm:

Hi, Sorry to read the problems you are having. If its impetigo I would have thought they would have given you something to clear it up. I know my nephew had it and he wasn't allowed to go to school etc till the medication had start to work as it was highly infectious. I know its easy for me to say an you have probably tried but couldn't you insist to see a doctor, especially if the problem is not getting any better. Good Luck.

By Sick of seeing the Nurse on Sunday, December 28, 2003 - 02:18 pm:

Hi my 17 month daughter was diagnosed with baby excema about 6 months ago. Since then our doctors receptionist refuses to let us see a doctor and always insists we see the baby nurse.

Since then the nurse has told us it is not excema but impetigo. My family keep telling me it is excema. I have mild excema on my face and it does look a bit like this.

My daughters is red scaly patchy some are round and its all over her legs and arms.

Please help is it excema? Or is it impetigo? If impetigo should I be more worried that she has had this for over 6 months?

By Naminder on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 09:30 pm:

Hi dd,
you can read more about wet wraps under this section under 'children with bandages/wet wraps'.

Yes, we've all been there, feeling helpless for our little one with E.
I'd recomend reading as many of messages as possible. You can also order youself factsheets to help with steroid and emollient use from the left hand frame on this site.

If you're struggling with sleep, yes been there too, I have 2 mittened sleepsuits you can have for your baby, aged 6 to 12 months. Just e-mail me on info@eczemavoice.com with your address and I'll post them out to you.
Best of luck.
regards.

By dd on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:49 am:

I can't believe it! There are lots of mom's with the same worries and concerns as me! What is a wet wrap? None of my doctors have told me about doing that. I saw everyone talking about protopic, it hasn't worked for my son, nor any other topical creams. The only time his skin seems to clear is when I give him an oral steriod. My son is 6mnths, I wish I could get him comfortable, and also able to sleep a full night!

By abc on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 11:39 am:

My son is suffering from severe eczema since he was 2 years old, and I visited almost all skin doctors in town,but nothing works.lately I observe that my sons eczema flares up when his body is too hot and if I put cream on his skin,it seems in my observation that heat is trapped in his body and after few hours the skin flares up again. so I decided to bath him in cool water twice a day for five to ten minutes, and them put a light cream or hypo allergic lotion , this days he sleeps well.

By Naminder on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 11:45 am:

Hello there Clare,
pleased Daniel has had a good spell lately. Arun's skin did seem to get drier in the winter, it's a good to idea to slap on the emollients before you go out. Also I think the central heating can dry out skin.

Frustrated mum,
A lady contacted us with the offer of a couple of cotton comfort sleepsuits, size 3 to 4 years. Contact me on info@eczemavoice.com if you'd like to have them.

By Clare on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 09:52 pm:

Dear frustrated mom,
Do you have any skin clinics or suchlike? As I mentioned in my post back in July, we went to the nurse practitioner and she showed us how to wet and dry-wrap...maybe this would help with the itching? (I don't think you should use it on broken or infected skin tho due to the infection risk, but I may be wrong). It's hard to get 100% cotton socks but some places do them (www.purecottoncomfort.co.uk is one). The only other thing I can say is hang on in there. If the creams aren't working..go back to your doctor. Take care, Clare X

Hiya Donna,
I'm so sorry I havn't been on to reply to your mail but the last 6 months have been a bit of a whirl (moving, viral meningitis...nice!) I'm so glad the wet wraps worked for Melissa and I hope her skin is still lovely. Daniel's skin was still fine (only a few patches) until the last week or so. Does anyone else find that the eczema gets worse in winter? Nothing has changed in our regime/eating etc. The only thing I can think of is the central heating is on as it's on the chilly side! From the looks of things I think I may go to the chemist tomorrow and get some more tubi wraps..the only problem is, he's grown so much I'm not sure what size to get!

Anyway, take care all of you,

Clare X

By Frustrated Mom on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 01:47 am:

Please help me. I have a 2 1/2 year old son with eczema on his feet. He was first diagnosed with athlete's foot.(WRONG!) I finally found a reliable doctor but the treatments are not working and the doctor can't do any more. My son has no allergies (he's been tested) and we haven't changed our detergents, eating habits, etc. We are using Eucerin soap and lotion at the doctor's request. He takes antihistimine when the itching is unbearable. (I don't understand that because he has no allergies.) Then the Doctor has me using Cutivate cream on his feet for one week because it is so strong, then Aclovate for 2 weeks, and Elidel for daily treatment after the other 2 are done. The Cutivate is the only one that works but is so strong that it thins his skin out to the point of cracking and bleeding. I decided to stop using all of the oinments and started using Vitamin E to heal the cracked skin. It is semi-working but he keeps saying "Ow, mommy. Foot hurts." Then he rips off his socks and starts picking. I make sure he gets plenty of fluid, he only gets baths every other day, we use mousturizers, and I have a cool-air humidifier going in my house. I also insist that he wears socks at all times to keep the chapped skin from drying out. What else can I do? He's only 2 and in pain and I would do anything to stop it! Please help me.

By Lindsey on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 10:44 pm:

my 2 1/2 month has eczema on arms legs and face I have just read on one of the other bits to avoid latex gloves would this be the same advice for latex dummies? and has anyone changed their babies milk Tom is currently on cow and gate I will try anything....anyone had any problems with gripe water or infacol or colic drops or am I just searching in vain for reasons for his face flare up (I tasted a bit of the colic drops (yuk) and my eczema has got slightly worse)any tips would really help

By Anonymous on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 10:39 pm:

My 11 yr. old daughter has what looks like sunburn (at the beginning) that burns and itches on her neck then it is really scaly and brownish her neck looks like she's aged 50 yrs. It's wrinkled and looks horrible. This condition comes and goes can it be eczema?
Thank you.

By Jen on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 12:02 pm:

Brenda,
what is anahystame? Is it a steroid?
If your daughter is getting worse, I think she needs to go back to your doctor and be reviewed. Has anything alse changed that may be affecting her?

By Brenda on Thursday, October 31, 2002 - 09:15 pm:

Hi, I am a mother of a 16month old who suffers from eczema. I have never heard of such condition until now. I am from the US and I would like to know more about this condition. Our pediatritian says that my daughter's eczema from a scale from 1-10 (10 being the worst) that she is a 2, therefore we only use a mosterizer and anahystame if the itching is bad. The thing is that I believe the areas where she has the AD are just getting worse. Is this normal? Is my daughter ever going to get better?

By Helen Hawkins on Friday, August 02, 2002 - 10:55 pm:

Hi to all you parents with a baby/child with eczma.. I have just found our own personal miracle cure... after two years with our second son Sam who has severe eczma and us as very depressed parents and desperate parents our Consultant advised us to try a new cream (not steriod), well, I can only say, how fantastic!! I want to sing from the roof tops.. For the first time since my son was born in March 2000 he has baby soft skin and I keep touching it as it is unreal. gone are the swollen hands and skin that looks like it has been struck by a mad man with a razor blade.. no more cuts, scratches and blisters.... The cream - Double Base Gel... a purple box that can be bought over the counter or on presciption... What a joy.... Now I only have to find a variety of food he can eat as he is allergic to everything! and life should be ok.. This is my first note but I hope it helps lots of people.... A very relieved Mom (Helen) and her more contented and sleeping peacefully son (Sam).

By Donna on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 10:08 pm:

hi clare, so glad Daniels skin is good at the moment. We finally got advised to use the wet wraps on melissa - a total hassle the forst couple of times, but now it's easy. We do them every 2 or 3 nights and her eczema is barely noticeable, so it's well worth the hassle. Keep hanging in there !
love donna

By Clare on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 - 10:47 pm:

Hiya Naminder,

Sorry about the late reply. We're not online yet after moving to the other end of the country! (I'm typing this on a borrowed laptop on the floor!)

We went to the nurse practitioner at the skin clinic and she was fantastic. She showed me how to dry and wet wrap and how to apply the creams properly (sounds like it should be common sense, but she gave me some great advice). She also gave me some sample tubes of different moisturiser to try, as I was struggling to find one that Daniel didn't react to. One of them was doublebase..it is fantastic! It's fairly new, but I would strongly recommend anyone giving it a go. Very light, goes on a treat with no residue and he seems to find it quite cooling as well. The 500ml version also comes in a pump dispenser so you don't have to worry as much about cross-infection. (Do you think they'll give me a job?!)

Seriously, I'm so glad we found it. Daniels skin is a lot better at the moment, in fact it's almost been clear! We still have the flare ups, but we deal with them. He still wakes up in the wee hours and ends up in our bed, but ho hum...I guess he wants to make sure he's an only child! I think our bodies would go on strike if we had a decents night sleep..it's been so long!

Anyway, many thanks to everyone yet again...When I started this thread I was seriously at breaking point and you helped me more than I can say.

Take care,
Clare X

By Naminder on Tuesday, July 02, 2002 - 08:33 pm:

Clare,
Did you go to see the eczema nurse recently?
How did you get on? How's Daniel's skin now?

By Clare on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 11:55 am:

Well, it looks like I spoke too soon. After a terrible night, Daniels skin is bad again, although not all over his body like it was. His face looks awful, so I've put some steroid on this morning. Thanks yet again for all your responses. I'm trying the E45 junior cream on him (in a cross as per suggestion!) so fingers crossed. I forgot to mention..I asked the doc if he could be reacting to the emulsifying oint and in return he gave a condescending laigh and said it'd be like saying he's allergic to water...I can't wait to get away from here! As for the lack of sleep, I was diagnosed with the PND before all this really started getting bad, but it's not helping! I've almost weaned him onto the bottles, so I'll be able to start the tablets soon and hopefully they'll be a big help. I'll look into the night-time nanny thing tho..it would be nice to get a good nights sleep..all problems seem to decrease in size after a good zzzzz! All his clothes etc are cotton, but i've just got the cotton comforts catalogue which is fantastic...mo money, mo money, but it'll be worth it Thanks again for all your suggestions..I'm printing them out so i can refer to them - you are all my gurus!
Clare X

By mikaela on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 08:40 pm:

Naminder left a message on breastfeeding thread. Im also trying your oats tip at the moment Thanks for that. I will let you know if it works. Mikaela

By mikaela on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 08:30 pm:

Dear Clare So glad Daniels skin is a lot better. Its true about the creams it can take ages sometimes until you find the right one. Im sure on this website in past messages you might find some advice that would help you. When I first read a lot of the messages I picked up some really good advice example the atarax. I must agree with you about your periods affecting the babies. I knew when my period was due with both my children by a change in there behaviour every time. I hope you are feeling a little better yourself because you are important too. Take care Mikaela x

By jane on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 02:23 pm:

Hi Clare, make sure the bed linen is 100% cotton and all clothes. Hope you don't think I am insulting you by saying that as it is probably one of the first thing you were told but just in case you weren't. We have used good old Olive/Sunflower oil as well as an emollient. Good luck and anytime you want to have a chat feel free to email me. Good luck you are among friends.

By Jen on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 12:06 pm:

Clare,
you could try going back to basics and just use vaseline and only on the dry bits.
I asked a friend who is a homeopath what to use for itchy skin and he suggested glycerine and rose water available from any chemist. This is meant to cool the skin and reduce the itch. If you try it let us all know how it works.
Each time you try anything new, apply it in a small cross on the skin, that way you can monitor any reaction very easily.
I read about a company called Night Nannies who look after kids overnight so their parents can sleep. A lot of the symptoms of post natal depression are similar to those sleep deprivation. It might be an idea if you get really exhausted.

By Clare on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 11:04 am:

Dear all,
Thank you so much for your meassages and I'd like to apologise yet again for being such a misery guts! The epaderm, if anything, made Daniel itch even more (sigh). On Friday, he fell asleep at 6pm after a particularly bad afternoon of itching and crying. He slept until 10pm, and then just had a feed and we put him to bed without his usual creams and bath. On Saturday, his skin was much better! Dry and still itchy, but not half as bad! We didn't put anything on him yesterday and bathed him in just a normal moisturising bath (soapless) and this morning the only red patches are on his cheek and a little on his neck (dribble from teething) and on only one of his knees! We still had a bad night, but he didn't seem to be itching as much. His teeth are nearly through, so I think that maybe this is part (small or large) of the sleepless nights. I know all the above goes completely against everything you are supposed to do with eczema, but for the first time in ages he skin looks almost normal for the most part. Naminder, it looks like you were right about the reaction to the emulsifying oint...now we need to find a moisturiser that helps the dryness of his skin (and therefore hopefully the itch) without him reacting again. I also started my periods last weekend for the first time in 17 months and I'm seriously wondering if this affected him as well. Anyway, sorry for taking so long to reply, Andy goes down to Oxford tonight and won't be back until next weekend, so I'll probably be writing another teary mail in the week! Thanks so much again to all of you for being there.
Clare X

By mikaela on Wednesday, May 15, 2002 - 09:04 pm:

Dear Clare Im so sorry about your visit to the doctors. Dont give up breastfeeding rind the NCT Im sure you can take some kind of antidepressant while brestfeeding, if you really don't want to give up. At least is worth a try by ringing them they know more about breast feeding than the doctors. Im confinced that feeding my son for so long nearly 3yrs kept him a lot clearer than at any other time. Like you say when feeding they don't scratch. Do take care and like the others do email me if you want to. Mikaela x

By Sarah on Tuesday, May 14, 2002 - 08:12 pm:

Claire,

Sorry to read about your experiences - I sometimes think the medical profession have run out of ideas when treating eczema. I have eczema myself and I'm 28 years old and understand what you're going through when trying to get advice from your GP as it can get very fustrating. Some doctors do not realise how bad the side effects are with steriod creams. Hopefully the anti-depressants will try and help you. Like yourself, It does help in writing down and sharing your feelings. If I can be of any help please feel free to email me at sarahpeace3@hotmail.com. Take care and I hope things start improving for you and your son soon.

By Clare on Tuesday, May 14, 2002 - 06:43 pm:

Dear all,
Thanks so much for your messages. My visit to the docs was, well, I'm sitting here having a bit of a weep to be honest. Firstly, apparently there are no anti-itch creams that he is willing to prescribe as they can sensitise the skin even more. But wait, there's more... He told me that I couldn't be angry with the other doc for countermanding his prescription of Atarax as he was pushing it to prescribe it for someone of Daniels age and that the other doc was only doing what she thought was right..He told me to go and check on the prescription for Atarax to see if the chemist had had any luck with the manufacturer. When I did, it looks like it's been cancelled. The only thing I did get was a prescription for Epaderm to use instead of the emulsifying oint and I had to push for that. Oh, and he also gave me some 1% hydrocortisone cream to replace the 0.5%, saying that it was anti-itch. But I'm not hppy with using a steroid cream unless his skin has flared up (the itch seems to be there no matter what). When I pressed him, he has decided to refer Daniel to a skin specialist. Who knows if the appt will come through before we have to move though. I've got the anti-depressants for my post-natal depression, but it means that I have to stop feeding him myself, and in the middle of the night, breast feeding is often the only way he'll settle and stop scratching for long enough to have a doze. It's his head, face and neck that are the problem itchy areas..his sleepsuit protects the rest of his body well enough. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate all your help and support...it's getting me through the day. I'm so sorry for offloading on you all, especially when Daniels skin is probably not as bad as many of your children have.. I'm very good at putting on a front and not showing how down I am, even to my husband, but writing things down is cathartic if nothing else. I pick up the Epaderm tomorrow (they had to order it) so I'll let you know how we go with it. Thanks again to all of you.
Clare X

By Jane on Tuesday, May 14, 2002 - 05:38 pm:

Hi Clare, Hope that you got on okay at the docs today. Take care

By Naminder on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 10:00 pm:

Mikela,
I left you a messgae on the breastfeeding thread.

By Naminder on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 09:59 pm:

Claire,
have you considered that Daniel may be reacting to the emulsifying ointment. Some people may be allergic to it. I agree you need another emollient, but which one?
On the oats subject. We used to soak oats overnight, drain off the water, eat the oats and used the water in Arun's bath! No wastage you see!
Also if you think your GP is not taking you seriously, you could print off this thread and take it with you. Just edit off the w********r post!

By mikaela on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 09:37 pm:

Dear Clare. Sorry to hear you are still not getting any sleep. I know this might sound like a strange thing to stop the itch. When my son was daniel's age we used vasogen nappy cream to stop him itching. This cream is alright if you are not allergic to lanolin. It did dry the skin a bit so I would put moisturiser on first then the vasogen. I really don't know why it stop the itching but it did. I think it must be cooling and it does form a barrier thats why its nappy cream. Hope this helps and best of luck at the doctors.Mikaela

By Jane on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 08:46 pm:

HI Clare, Forgot to say ask the doc about wet wrapping. We started wet wrapping at nine months and it certainly made him more comfortable at night.

By Jane on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 06:45 pm:

Hello Clare, Good Luck at the docs in the morning. You can get creams with something in them to stop the itch. We have tried a couple Balneum Plus and the one we are trying at the moment is and E45 one. I have a feeling Oilatium do one as well. Our son is three so I am not sure if they can be used on a child as young as Daniel. It is worth asking though. We have found the E45 one best. We also put seasalt in his bath which seems to help. You can get Balneum plus bath additive as well which helps with the itching. Ask your doc and he will let you know if the can be used on Daniel or not. Porridge oats in a piece of tight in the bath helps as well (strange) just let all the "gunk" squeeze out of the porridge oats on to his skin. Another thing we find that helps at night is a ice pack from the freezer wrapped in a tea towel to cool the hot spots down. We also used to use one when we went shopping if Tom got really hot we used to stick it in his pram and he would hold it and it helped. Good luck.

By Clare on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 10:29 am:

Can anyone please give me any advice regarding Daniels itch? We're still getting very little sleep and although the hydrocortisone cream is helping his skin flareups (the eczema goes a kind of peachy colour rather than red and angry) he is, if anything, getting itchier. The emulsifying cream doesn't seem to be moisturising as much as it was and the diprobase doesn't seem to be doing much. I'm going back to the doctors tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it at all. Any advice would be appreciated as I'd like to have some ammunition for the doctor. I know it's taken me a week to take him back and I'm getting guilt trips for not doing it sooner, but I really couldn't face it. Looks like I'll have to go on the anti-depressents after all Ah well, these things are sent to try us, but whoever sent eczema had a sick sense of humour. Sorry to be miserable as per usual.
CLare X

By mikaela on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 10:01 pm:

dear clare glad you had some good news about moving. We live near oxford. Im really pleased you had some sleep, but do keep the atarax in mind really did help my son.I really think if using steroid cream is helping at the moment then use it. We dont really have a lot of opptions at the moment. Perhaps with good luck your new dr will have a little more understanding of eczema. Glad again that you are feeling more positive and more in control. My son has had eczema for nearly 4yrs and I have still picked up a lot of great advice from the people on this web site. Its brilliant to know I am not alone. Take care and keep writing Mikaela

By clare on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 05:04 pm:

Donna, I forgot to say..good luck with the baby skin specialist, I hope it's sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed that the Alphaderm keeps doing the trick.Also, thanks for mentioning the way you put your baby on her front to get to sleep. We've tried it with Daniel (on his side and on his front) and he seems to settle quicker for his first hour or so of sleep (and so the rest of the night goes, every 1/2-1 hour). Lets hope that we get some more 6 hour sleeps soon
Take care
Clare X

By Clare on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 03:06 pm:

Thank you so much for all your support. After reading my post again the following day, I thought that maybe I was being a bit presumptive, questioning the doc...now I don't feel like a guilty lay-person! Typically, on Thurs night, Daniel actually slep for 6 hours! Woohoo! Unfortunately, the other nights havn't been as good I'm putting more hydrocortisone cream on than I ever have before, as it seems to help his skin a bit at the moment, but nothing seems to help him sleep. As for changing docs, well, we had a bit of news on Thursday and Andy has a new job so we're moving anyway! They want him to start in 2 weeks time!! So a major move from the North West to near Oxford...the following weeks are likely to be pretty stressful on top of the lack of sleep, and maybe it's a little excessive just to get away from this doc! ;) Anyway, I'm in a more positive mood now and I'm determined to get some answers. Thanks again for all your support,
Clare X

By Donna on Saturday, May 04, 2002 - 08:59 am:

has anyone tried eucerin cream ? I have just sent off for some free samples and wondered if anyone had tried it with any success ?
PS Thank goodness for this discussion board, it is so helpful !

By Mikaelwild on Friday, May 03, 2002 - 08:17 pm:

Im so sorry for you clare. Can you not ask for the prescription back and take it to another chemist. My step daughter was given it for her daughter in liquid form, she got it from loyds chemist.Im really fumming writing this so I will probably not put in any full stops.. My stepdaughters baby was given bloody valergans by one dr at 8mths old just because she wouldnt dam sleep. NOT for any medical problem like eczema. Then she gets atarax no problem. It seems so unfair. I agree with donna about your dr change him. Also try different creams what works for one doesnt work for another. Hope your next email can be a little more positive for you Take care

By Donna on Friday, May 03, 2002 - 11:30 am:

HI Clare, your Doctor sounds like a complete wanker if you'll excuse the language. My daughter's skin flared up really badly this week and a trip to the Doc got us some steroid cream called Alphaderm which has calmed it down, but for how long I wonder. He also prescribed some oral antibiotics as her whole torso was weeping and scarlet red, poor baby.He is referring her to Great Ormond Street where - if we are lucky ( fingers crossed) she may be able to see a real baby skin specialist. I am at a loss as to which creams to try now as I feel we've tried them all. At least she is sleeping relatively well since I started putting her on her front instead of her back. Commiserations and don't be afraid to get bolshie with your Doctor

By Clare on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 10:23 pm:

Well, now I'm really annoyed...I rang the chemist today re the Atarax and was told that they were having some problems and that the doc (not the one who has seen him the last few visits) had prescribed some cream instead. The cream was fucin-H, which Daniel has reacted badly to. I explained this and was told that they'd speak to the clinic. Then I got a call from the doc who said that she wanted to see Daniel as they 'don't like just prescribing things willy nilly without the child being seen'. Daniel was seen by the other doc yesterday! She then said that there are no antihistamines licensed for children under the age of 2 and would only be prescribed if it was really bad...er...hello? The doc who actually SAW him prescribed them. Then I was asked if I wanted something to stop the itch OR treat his skin...erm...am I missing something here? (yep..a decent doctor). She told me to see how he goes tonight and if he has a bad night to take him back tomorrow. I am so at the end of my tether! I'm really sorry to write this whingey novel, but I'm fuming! I'm so glad that you're baby has lovely skin so far Mikaela, all my fingers are crossed for you. Thanks for the support Davinder, I might see if there's anything other than the emulsifying ointment..in an ideal world I'd rely on the docs advice re creams but..(see above!)
Clare X

By davinder on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 10:53 pm:

and Clare don't be afraid to try different creams. There may be a reaction to diprobase! so ask for something else. We are using emulsifying onitment on our second one but we think there is a reaction to this so we are going to try another.
Trial and error is key to this.
Sleep is only around the corner...good luck
Davinder

By mikaela on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 09:02 pm:

Hi clare hope you get some sleep now. But if it doesnt work see a different dr. We tried diprobase it only keeps the skin moisturised for 2 hours we were told. Neutragena do a perfume free lotion we found this really good at first. I am sure that with eczema they get immune to the cream. At least that was what I found. We are using eucerin cream at the moment. We found out it is on prescription NOT told because of course it is more expensive than diprobase. If you do try that ask for it in 150gram tube. We also use eucerin bath therapy, and it is bubbly what fun.I really hope the atarax works for you like it did for us. Just keep telling yourself is nothing you are doing and you are doing your best. Also I did take the plunge and have another baby. Hes 7mths now and breastfed starting to eat but very slowly, always watching for a rash. But at the moment hopefully he is ok. If its any consolation my 3yrold has been a lot better since he has had sleep. good luck mikaela

By Clare on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 04:38 pm:

Dear Naminder and Mikaela,
Thanks for the replies. We've had about 6 hours sleep in 3 days. Daniel had his 6 month check this afternoon and, being in just his nappy, the doc didn't have any choice but to see his skin (they havn't actually seen all of him before believe it or not! every time I've gone to get him stripped off they've stopped me!). He had the cheek to say that if I'm not moisturising his skin enough then of course he'll be itchy! My response was to say that if I moisturise him any more often, he'll never be dressed and I'd have emulsifying ointment over my hands constantly! The diprobase doesn't seem to have made alot of difference in 5 days of 3x's a day, but apparently eczema is an 'ongoing condition and miraculous instant results can't be expected'...you don't say! OK, sarcasm mode off...I would have thought that, as the diprobase was prescribed for the itch, we should have seen a slight improvement with the itch? If anything it's got worse Anyway, he said he couldn't and wouldn't prescribe any antihistamines as Daniel is too young. So..I mentioned Atarax and lo and behold, I will hopefully be picking it up from the chemist tomorrow morning (they had to order it in). As you can see, the support from the docs is lacking somewhat (ahem), so many thanks to everyone, yet again, for being my island of sanity! Mikaela, I hope you're getting a bit more sleep with your 6 month old Naminder, thanks for the tip on the sleep thread, we are not alone!
Clare x

By mikaela on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 10:09 pm:

my son didnt sleep in his own bed until he was nearly 3yrs. That was when his eczema got really bad. We tried piriton and phenegans no good for us. I read on this website about atarax. Five nights of sleep it worked for us. It is suitable from 6mths but only on presciption. His skin improved and his temper. I would have too but I also have a 6mth old baby who is still waking up at night. But at least for the moment he is sleeping and not itching, which makes me feel a lot better. I would like to add that I really find this website helpful, and encouraging when I am having a bad time with my little boy

By Naminder on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 09:22 pm:

Claire,
AHHHHHHHHH, SLEEEEEEEEEEPPP. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz......
For most of Arun first year he wouldn't go down on his own and slept with us, despite the health visitors objections.
Have faith though, he now sleeps 12 hours a night on his own and his own bed.
Check out the thread on sleep in this section. Do a key word search under 'search me' on the left for more info.

By clare on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 08:43 pm:

Thanks so much Donna! I've ordered a catalogue tonight. I'll look into the chickweed cream as well..the itch is the major problem at the moment. Daniels skin has really flared up again this week so we're now on Oilatum Plus and Diprobase (with the 0.5% hydrocortisone when needed). Fingers crossed. I havn't tried the hypoallergenic formula as yet as he only has one formula bottle a day and it doesn't seem to make any difference to the flare ups like the tomatoes etc do. Btw, can anyone offer any tips about getting Daniel to sleep please? It may be partly a behavioural thing on top of the itchiness, but he refuses point blank to go to sleep anywhere other than in our arms at the moment..as soon as you put him down, off he goes on a crying spree, bless 'im. I know the general concensus is to try and leave babies when they do this for ever increasing amounts of time before going in and settling them, but when we leave him, he rubs the skin off his face (the scratch mitts stop major scratches, but he rubs that much that it's like friction burns) so we really don't like to leave him at all. Any suggestions will be extremely welcome as we're both walking zombies right now
Clare x

By Donna on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 02:36 pm:

Hi there Clare. Sadly no real news on Protopic except that it seems to work only in the short term. However, the website you want is www.purecottoncomfort.com where the sleepsuits with mitts attached are available. You can also get the David Atherton book from them ! I contacted them just the other day and received a catalogue of their products within 3 days ( for free )Hope this is of help. BTW, someone mentioned chickweed cream to me as a good skin soother and it seems to be quite good. Has anyone out there tried their babies on these hypoallergenic formula milks like pregestimil or nutramigen ? if so, did you see any improvement in the eczema ?

By Clare on Wednesday, April 24, 2002 - 10:37 pm:

Hi Donna
Thanks for the post Any news on the Protopic will be great. The health visitor has been today and is taking a course on eczema in children!! Woohooo! She has been given some samples of the new E45 junior selection which has cream, mousse and a spray! The spray sounds brilliant for babies who don't like being greased up all the time...if it works that is. The major interest factor for me is that it seems to be very cooling for the itch (she tried some of the mousse on my arm). Major problem is that it isn't available on prescription, but to be honest if it works I'll sell the car and mortgage the cat! She's going to get back to me with more info so watch this space. I think if it works it'll be a boon for when we're out and about and need a quick cool'n'moisturise, saving the heavy grease ups for at home. If we end up getting some to try, I'll post the results here. Can anyone tell me where I can get the sleepsuits with the inbuilt mitts please? Daniel has discovered that if he sucks his mitts til they're soggy and then waves his arms like a lunatic they will fly to the opposite side of the room! Also, does anyone have any suggestions about playmats? Small child has now discovered the delights of rolling over (the look of triumph on his face!) I'm wondering whether to just get a thin duvet (hypoallergenic of course) and some cotton duvet covers? The diet goes on (so far tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries are a big no-no). Last but not least.. I've read alot of praise for the book by David J Atherton and can't find it anywhere. It may be out of print, although I really hope it isn't.

Thanks again to everyone for being an outpost of sanity!
Clare X

By Donna on Wednesday, April 24, 2002 - 09:57 pm:

Hi there Annica, thanks for your support. Tell me, how old is your child, and also are there any side effects related to Protopic that you know of ? I have tried homeopathy but after 5 weeks there is no real improvement so I am inclined to abandon it . Good to talk to you, this message/discussion board is so helpful.

By Annica on Wednesday, April 24, 2002 - 07:18 am:

Hello Donna,

I am using the creme protopic now for two weeks and the result is realy incredible, you are not red anymore and the itching stops too!! I hope it works also for your daughter!!
Have faight in it!!
Good luck!!

By Donna on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - 10:28 pm:

Hi Clare, I am exactly like you ! my daughter is 5 and a half months old and has had eczema since she was 3 months old. I too have tried all the creams and also homeopathy, and like you have felt incredibly depressed at times as Melissa seems destined to be itchy, red and scaly and not a proper happy go lucky little baby. I am looking into the new cream Protopic and will let you know if I find out anything useful. In the meantime I am using SOS cream from Barefoot Botanicals ( based in Islington) and the M-Folia range from the Taylor Jackson company. Both these companies have websites so check them out. Keep your chin up !

By Clare on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 10:07 pm:

Thanks for the advice Maria and Kate. At the moment I'm giving dairy poducts the benefit of the doubt, although if it gets as bad as it was, then I'll have to think again. As you may have gathered, his skin has settled down somewhat (thanks be to -insert deity of choice here-). I've bitten the bullet and have used the steroids on his cheeks and the worst parts of his neck and they are much better than they were. Tonight I've tried it on the worst parts of his torso, so watch this space. When I went to the docs I did ask about other preparations to use instead of the aqueous cream as it doesn't appear to be making that much difference. I guess that question must have kind of sailed over his head as he muttered something about aqueous being all Daniels skin needed along with the steroid and emulsifier. The infection in his skin has nearly gone now so it's not as 'crusty', but I still feel like I'm fighting a losing battle trying to keep his skin moisturised. I'm blaming myself as i don't think I'm doing it often enough, although at the moment I don't feel as though I'm doing anything other than moisturising/dressing/feeding/undressing/moisturising etc. I'm getting quite good at the old 'wave toy frantically with one hand whilst simulateously applying cream/fending off thrashing arms with the other' all the time singing baa baa black sheep... Anyway, thanks again, all this support is invaluable to me. Sorry for moaning yet again, I'll have to rechristen the topic 'Clares whinging corner'!
Take care,
Clare x

By Kate on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 08:10 pm:

Dear Clare..I know its really scary when it starts and you feel so helpless. It took my daughters eczema some time to calm down... we used aqueous cream from the doctor at first with steroid and fucidin, then switched to just Ungentum M as the aqueous cream didn't help. We used this twice a day. We also bathed her less often and used Emulsiderm (also prescribed).I would be wary of over the counter medicines as they change the formulations at whim and if it is any good it is expensive to buy and much cheaper to get it prescribed..you can ask your doctor what is in it. I'm digressing here as what I wanted to say was..my breastfed daughters eczema started when my periods returned and it was cyclical with my cycle. It dramatically improved when she had a two week break from dairy products..we went on holiday to switzerland and she didn't like any of the varieties there. She went back onto dairy when she came home but it has never been so bad since..however she was 1 1/2 years at that stage so not really dependent on milk. Oh and on the breastfeeding...my daughter loved the two hour feeds..her best effort was 8 hrs in a 14 hour day plus night feeds of course..and she was a titch..I think it is more common than you might think..the only people who brag are those whose babies barely feed, the rest of us are too semi comatose to comment. Sounds like you are doing really well though.

By Maria D on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 01:06 am:

Dear clair,

Have you established wheather Daniel is allergic to milk. There is a hypoallergenic milk available on prescription called Nutramigen. My daughter's eczema improved greatly when I changed from breast feeding to this milk, maybe she was reacting to food I was eating.

I think food is a big factor in controlling eczema, as you are just starting to wean Daniel it is a perfect opportunity to find out if certain foods trigger reactions. He doesn't know any better at the moment and will think healthy foods are the norm. My daughter is 15 months old and has never had sweets, crisps or any processed food and she is perfectly happy at the moment. We just introduce one food each week, it is a long slow process but is helping to lessen her symptoms. The most allergic types of foods are dairy, eggs, gluten grains, fish, nuts and strawberries. Also foods from the deadly nightshade family, this includes potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines.

If you follow any sort of elimination diet you must make sure he is having the correct amount of formula/breast milk each day so that he is not lacking in any essential nutrients.

I found a useful book called Optimum Nutrition for Babies and Young Children by Lucy Burney. It taught me a lot about nutrition and gave me lots of nutritious ideas for meals.

My daughter seemed to react to aquaous cream and Oilatum, they both contain lanolin which can be irritating for some people. At the moment we use Diprobase, it comes in a pump dispenser which it useful for trying not to spread infection. In the bath we use Balneum plus or Emulsiderm. All these are lanolin free.


Hope this is of some use to you
Maria xx

By Clare on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 10:03 pm:

Well, the visit to the docs was relatively productive. He gave me some different steroid cream (0.5% rather than the 1% one we had which also had antibiotic in so he may have reacted to that). Daniels skin was infected so he's on antibiotics and lo and behold his face does seem to be alot less angry looking! Hurrah! The bad news is that his body and arms/legs have got worse. I'm wondering if the aqueous cream we got from Boots may be causing a reaction? I do have some E45, but am a bit scared to try it. The doc has also suggested that it would be a good idea to rehome the cat (she has started to moult..coincidence or allergen - I have no idea). So, if anyone lives in the North West UK and wants a cat let me know! Thank you yet again for the messages, it's a real boost to read them and know that there's someone out there who can give you encouragement. (The Doc pulled a face when I said I'd been on the internet..well yahboosucks to him..you have all been more help than the professionals)
Clare X

By Jane on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 11:05 am:

Hi Clare

You sound exactly like me at the beginning when ours all started. There were so many things that you would think it could be that or it may be that that you end up in circles. Hopefully your Doctor will help you come up with a plan. Go prepared with a list of questions. I used to get in there and go completely blank. Is your Health Visitor any help? All ours suggested was a Positive Parenting course and not to use biological washing powder! We are not having anymore children but you may change your mind later!

Take care Jane

By Clare on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 11:01 pm:

Thank God for this site! I feel so helpless at the moment, so reading your responses has been a real boon. I'm still trying to sort out what to do next. I'm taking Daniel to the docs tomorrow..they fobbed me off today with an appt for next week (apparently it's not an emergency) but I'm seeing a doc tomorrow come what may. I'm going to print off the food diary and get his diet back to basics (swede, parsnips, apple, pear and baby rice is on the menu for the coming week or two, unless anyone thinks these are bad?!) I'll keep on with the one bottle of formula a day (I use it to mix the baby rice as well), but I guess from reading the other messages that I may have to find a way of cutting dairy right out. My other worry at the moment is the cat...to keep or not to keep, that is the question. As you can probably tell, I'm trying to come at this from all angles. As for the P-N depression, I'm fighting it, and as long as I feel like I'm winning, then the tabs go on the back burner..but I havn't ruled them out (thanks for the support on that one). Anyway, thanks again for all the advice..you are all angels and have no idea how much it means to me. Please let me know if anyone has any further thoughts advice (and yep, he is my first baby...and last!) Thanks again.
Clare X

By Jane on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 01:42 pm:

Clare

I have found this site and the National Eczema Society a real help. Somedays you do seem to go round in circles. Make sure that you go back to the Doctors and see if they can try another cream/ointment. We went through loads with our chap, but we are now using Epaderm. You mentioned that you are suffering from post-natel depression. I know alot of people will not agree with me, but last year I ended up in a sorry state with things starting to get the better of me. I went on anti-depressants for six months they never solved the eczema for our son but they made me start to see things alot clearer. Do not be afraid to ask for help they helped me and I stopped them after 6 months and felt human again. I am not sure if there are some that would be suitable to take if you are still breast feeding.
Take care Jane

By Naminder on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 09:55 pm:

Clare,
hi, managing eczema for he first time can be very confusing. When to apply steroid, how much, which emollient or bath therapy to use.
Bath emollients should never be applied directly onto the skin, only in water.
Aqueous cream can cause skin irritation in some people and I remember reading here that it does depend on which brand used.So it really is a case of finding an emollient for you. I used emulsifying ointment for Arun, which always worked for me.
If the steroid is worsening the eczema, then go back to your GP and get help. My son's doctor explained the itch-scratch cycle. Basically, if the skin dries out, it must be moistened with an emollient. If it dries further it will redden and itch. The skin is then prone to breaking and infections can occur. You must try and prevent redness, hence a good emollient that works for you. It trial and error and lots of support needed on that route to effective management. I hope I'm making sense.

I would suggest you order yourself the Xma-files on How to apply creams, food allergies and a food diary. Click on the Food Diary and xma files and they will be sent you straught away.
As your son's eczema has worsened lately and you are weaning him, could there be a link? Keeping a food diary will help find any foods which may be aggravating his skin.
This road can be an arduous one, but stick with it and let us all know how you are getting on. Is this your first child? Everything is harder with the first.
Good luck

By clare on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 06:22 pm:

Thanks for replying Jen. His neck looks more like hives, as though he has a scarf of them around his neck and shoulders..it's spreading onto his chest and around the back. The food thing is something I'll definitely keep an eye on though. Basically, it looks as though he has had the skin on his cheeks and neck/shoulders completely removed and has started to look yellowish at times (although I'm not sure if it's the emolliant). I guess I'm panicing as it's difficult to know what to do about his face..can I wash it with the bath moisturiser? Or is it a bad idea to get it on his face? My husband has been to Boots today and got some Oilatum Junior for his bath and some Boots aqueous cream rather than the aqueous cream the doctor has given us as at least we can see what is in it. The emolliant we have from the docs simply says 'emulsifying ointment' and I'm wondering if there's anything else we can use. I only use the aqueous cream on his neck, as the emulsifying oint tends to ball up in the creases, but I worry that this isn't enough. Should I wash his face/neck before every cream application? As you can see, I havn't been given much (read 'any') info from the docs and I'm desperately trying to figure out what I can do re diet/creams. I'm a complete learner in the management of eczema and for the sake of my baby I need to get up to speed. I guess so far it's been a case of keeping his skin totally moisturised, but this has stopped working and I'm loathe to use the steroids. Sorry again for harping on, I'm in a bit of a state and having a 'what have I done to make it worse' attack.

Clare

By Jen on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 03:05 pm:

Clare,
hang in there, this is always a difficult time.
When you say he gets E around his neck, could it be a reaction to milk or food which has travelled down to the neck.
My son always get a bit red around his neck if milk has dribbled down or scraps of food collect there.
My health visitor told me to keep the area as dry as possible, but to use Sudocrem to reduce the redness. Don't know if it'll work for you though, worth a try.
Take it easy.

By Clare on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 11:16 am:

Sorry to be a drama queen folks, but I'm getting a little het up. Daniel is now 23 weeks old and his eczema has really flared up over the past week. It is mainly on his face and neck (in the folds..a bugger to get cream onto) but has now started to erupt on his torso, legs and arms (kind of pin prick type pimples on his belly). When I first went to the docs, she said it was dry skin, but gave me some steroid cream along with aqueous cream and an emolliant, just in case. Needless to say, it got worse and she just gave it a quick look, said 'it's eczema use the steroid' and I was effectively dismissed. After managing to control everything with just the creams and a moisturising bath (lucky us) this week has been a nightmare. I used the steroid for 2 days and it got worse. Now I'm wondering what I've done wrong. He is weaning and has been eating all sorts (he's greedy like his dad!) and I really don't know where to start! Has anyone got any basic diet tips that are available to buy commercially? Any tips on creams/baths that I can buy over the counter? Unfortunately I have post-natal depression and, although I'm fighting it, this whole affair is starting to get me down (only alot!) I don't want the tablets as I would have to stop feeding him (he has one bottle feed a day to give me a rest from the 2 hourly feeds..he's a big baby - I knew I should have married a short man!) Compared to the trials that some of you are having, I know I'm quite lucky so I'm sorry that my first post is so long and arduous, but I'm getting to the end of my tether.
Any and all tips will be greatly appreciated and I'll now go and get the washing (hardly any detergent, no conditioner, extra rinse cycle) out!
Clare X