By wendy on Tuesday, August 03, 2010 - 02:30 am:| By wendy on Tuesday, August 03, 2010 - 02:30 am: |
Hi!
My 6 year old son has severe atopic eczema and we also have tried everything. One thing that seems to have worked wonders recently is changing his washing powder from the regular sensitive stuff to just plain white vinegar. I also use it diluted to wash floors and wet dust his bedroom. His eczema is clear for the first time in months. We also use goat milk soap, emulysfying ointment and he has a milk and soy free diet. Next to combat the excessive dryness I will be giving him evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil capsules. I've heard good things about it from this and other sites. I'll post again in a couple of weeks if there has been any improvement or not.
| By Laff on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 04:35 pm: |
Hi I suffered from eczema very badly as a child and mildly most of my adult life, then it just seemed to appear on my hands. One day I came across a website put up by the Cambridge university hospital regarding milk and Soya allergies I followed there instructions to avoid all milk and Soya products which worked amazingly my skin completely cleared up for the first time in my life and only comes back if I weaken and eat the wrong food.
I’d tried cutting out milk and cheese before but as this guide explains milk derivatives are hidden in many foods you wouldn’t suspect so it never actually worked.
I’ve placed the web link below, they offer some really good alternatives to milk Soya products.
I hope this helps someone eczema is traumatic illness particularly when your very young.
? as wont display web address htt?://ww?.cuh.org.uk/resources/pdf/patient_information_leaflets/PIN2243_cow's_milk_and_soya_free_diet.pdf
| By jp on Thursday, December 03, 2009 - 03:34 am: |
Hello everyone
I have been combing through this site and have found lots of interesting suggestions. My little girl is now 3 and has had severe eczema for most of her life. We rely on cortisone and paraffin almost exclusively now after trying just about everything you can imagine.
One interesting thing some of you may be interested in. We looked for a plush/soft toy for ages for our girl but because of the dust mite problem with 'traditional' toys, she could never have one. A few months ago, we purchased a (admittedly expensive) toy from a website that sells PVC (kind of like vinyl) covered toys. She loves it, and now doesn't get a completely red face after cuddling it... Think the site is called comfort for eczema or something.
jp
| By shannon on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - 03:58 am: |
My 2.5 year old son also has a very bad case of eczema and also has crusty sores on wrist, knees, and ankles. We have gone to allergist, dermatologist, nutritionist, and pedi who all offered little help. We did however discovered many allergies. We tried steriods they don't work and are not worth the danager. We use Aquaphor (we should have stock in it!) We also use a Lotion from California Baby - "Super Sensitive" This is the only on that seem not to irrigate.
| By steph on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 07:58 pm: |
Dear Lizard Queen
Find a new GP. They need to do a culture and make sure he does not have a staph infection - kids with atopic dermatitis often have a staph infection without realizing it - one of the signs is that the flare up does not go away with the usual treatments.
Getting the culture does not hurt and they will probably perscribe an antibiotic - Kephlex or bacrim -
As far a lotions it seems a lot of people here like the aveeno which is not an option for us since my daughter has an allergy to oats. We use vanicream and aquaphor the most.
I had a dr. once tell me that there is no quick fix for eczema - well after 7 years of my daughter having eczema did he really think that we thought there was.
You need a specialist - even our pediatrician said so - they have so much more knowledge and tips. We finally found someone she is a pediatric allergist and immunologist. Eczema is not a just a rush - there is always an underlying condidtion - that needs to be delt with.
| By natalie on Friday, April 17, 2009 - 09:24 pm: |
Hi
I really feel for you and your poor little boy - I know how awful it is seeing them suffer so much, especially at such a tender age. I can't help but wonder what your GP has advised, especially if he is a dermatologist? It's hard to know what to suggest. Only today though I heard about an organic product which is supposed to be fantastic for eczema but I don't know whether it would be effective on such a bad flare up. Might be worth giving them a call and asking them at Spiezia Organics. The product I heard about was their organic Calendula Ointment, which is listed in their Body section. Good luck - I hope you soon manage to find something really effective.
| By Lizard_Queen on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 09:34 pm: |
My 3 year old has eczema and I am reaching breaking point with trying to deal with it and his GP. He has had a flare up that has lasted 6 weeks and nothing seems to be helping. He is itching himself raw and has now developed crusty yellow scabs around his chin area which the GP (a dermatologist) says is another flare up. Ive never seen him flare up with sore yellow crusts before. I need some support and advice please. Im desperate to help my little boy who is in so much discomfort.
| By otoys on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 10:31 pm: |
Hi Julia
I hope by now you've had some success with one lotion or another for your poor little girl. If you are trying Aveeno at some point, I would suggest that little and often might produce better results than smothering in one or two sessions. Another short term alternative to just get a flare-up under control is Piriton syrup. It will probably make her sleepy due to the anti-histamine content, which may help you all to have a more restful night. I think on the bottle it says for 12 months onwards, so at 13 months your daughter should be old enough, although I have a friend whose son was prescribed Piriton at 8 months old because his eczema was so bad and for a while this did help. I'd be inclined to only use this short term though. Clarityn would be more practical for daytimes as it doesn't cause drowsiness, although it may be less effective than Piriton. Needless to say that anyone wanting to give this to a baby under the recommended age stated on the bottle should only do so with a doctor's prior approval!
Also, if you can afford it, opt for undyed, unbleached, organic cotton products rather than conventional cotton, as the latter can contain residues of very nasty and irritant chemicals. Hypoallergenic fillings such as wool or polyester in duvets and toys are dust mite deterrent, which all helps too. Hoovering the bed daily and washing sheets and duvet covers at 60 degrees C to kill dust mites are also worth doing.
I hope all this helps!
Natalie
| By JuliaL on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 02:52 pm: |
Thanks for the name of Aveeno lotion - my little girl is 13 months and althou eczema is mild it still gives her broken sleep and both me and my husband are pretty exhausted. we have tried a few creams and lotions from the docs and also a couple of natural remedies. at the moment we are trying vasaline in the day and calamine lotion at night. not sure how long should wait for any improvment but we are gonna try this for 2 weeks and if no improvement will go to docs and ask for Aveeno lotion.
| By otoys on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 - 12:43 am: |
Hi
I have three children who all suffer to varying degrees with eczema. My eldest is now nearly 10 years old and she has suffered the worst. She was just a couple of weeks old when she first had it. She's always, always, had eczema since then, but it's very much under control now, MOST of the time. We've recently come to the conclusion that it may be a hayfever type reaction in her. She's started suffering from hay fever over the last summer or two and also loves horse riding but has to cover up completely and take Clarityn before she goes riding. I'd never really made the connection before with hay fever and eczema - I just thought they were completely separate but am becomingly increasingly convinced that there's a link there with her.
We've tried so many different creams and remedies and even bought an expensive water softener as we live in a very hard water area, but the best non-steroid relief we've found was Aveeno Lotion, made by Johnson & Johnson. My middle child is three and also gets eczema occasionally (she had it more as a baby) but my youngest (who's 22 months) gets it really badly, really quickly, on his face if I don't use Aveeno Lotion on him daily, without fail. It is 100% effective at keeping it at bay for him - it's amazing. Interestingly, I breast-fed all three children - my eldest only until she was about 5 months, my middle one until she was about 10 months and my youngest was breast-fed the longest until he was about 13 months. So there doesn't seem to be any logical link or pattern which reflects how long they were breast-fed in relation to their degrees of eczema - although I'm nevertheless still very pro-breast feeding!
Of course, everyone reacts differently, so do a patch test first and Aveeno Lotion is quite expensive to try at about £8 a bottle (I think), so if you're in the UK, get it free by getting it on prescription for children under 16.
A few years back, we did also have some success with relief from the itching with a vinegar-based product called Grandma's Vines (although my daughter didn't like the vinegar smell!). It is a clear, runny liquid, which dries quite quickly and then stops smelling! I think she eventually became tolerant to its beneficial effects but it did certainly help for quite a while. I think I ended up finding some in my local health food shop.
My father had a very serious road accident in France in July 2008 and was in Intensive Care and unable to move for over 14 weeks. There is a lot of eczema and asthma from his side of the family and the shock and trauma of the accident seemed to trigger lots of allergic reactions in him - sometimes he'd come out in severe rashes in reaction to antibiotics he was given, but also his skin became completely dehydrated and was peeling off literally everywhere. I took a bottle of Aveeno Lotion on one of my trips to visit him in France and within 2 days of applying it quite intensively twice a day, his skin was totally rehydrated and as soft as silk! It was hard to believe the complete transformation! His skin had been very itchy and for a number of reasons he was unable to reach to scratch, which must have been torture for him, so it was such a massive relief for him to have his skin back in good condition. My biggest concern was him getting cold after the short visiting times had ended, as he was on a ventillator and unable to communicate, but I made sure I covered him well with blankets and the nurses were aware he might feel cold or shivery from all the cream! (Which reminds me, warm the cream by rubbing it in your hands before applying it because it is really cold when it goes on!) Fortunately, my father has virtually no recollection about the "creaming" sessions!
I hope this helps someone else the way it has my children and my father (and me too). I'm prone to eczema on my face - so I have to make sure I put Aveeno on straight away when I come out the shower as I can literally feel my face tightening up as the water on my skin from the shower dries.
I wish you good luck with finding relief for the agony of your, or your children's, eczema. It would be really lovely to hear from anyone who tries this and finds it to be helpful.
| By Jimbob on Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 08:34 pm: |
Have you tried keeping them in the fridge, I know this helps some people.
| By Hiedi on Sunday, November 16, 2008 - 07:39 pm: |
Hi there i need some helpful hints on what to do? My daughter is 7 years old and her eczema is up and down what i have a problem is getting her to put creams on as she seems to itch more when creams are applied no matter what creams they are.
| By av99 on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 06:25 pm: |
An important word of caution about trying new cream or formulating your own cream:
I tried the recipe posted earlier (with shea butter, jojoba oil and coconut oil). It felt incredibly good on the skin and provided great relief from dry skin initially. I had no known allergy to the ingredients prior to this, and had used creams that contain many of these ingredients before. Yet after about three days of using this this new recipe daily (all over my body)I developed one of the the worst allergic reaction I can ever recall. I was covered with red bumps and the skin became extremely itchy. The recovery this past week has been painful. Perhaps it was because of the concentration in which these ingredients were included (e.g. even most commercial products that list shea butter as an ingredient contain a number of other "fillers")
The lesson learned for me are:
(1) natural / organic / unrefined ingredients are desirable , but can cause very adverse reactions especially when used in high concentration. Use them carefully.
(2) Patch testing is critical and should be done repeatedly over a few days or weeks.
Hope this help someone avoid the same misadventure that I had.
| By staylor on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 - 11:41 am: |
I've just discovered a wonderful product called Probiostart, and want to share it with all parents of eczema sufferers. My poor son Harry used to keep us up all night with his itchy, red skin. We've been giving him this for a month now and i am overwhelmed with the results! He hardly complains now and its made a huge visible difference. I suppose different children respond to different treatments but i really recommend trying this product out. i bought it at my local chemist but i think you can buy it online if you google it.
| By Amma on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 01:05 am: |
I am so glad I have found this site... all the docs and all the literature told me eczema was very common but I hadn't come across anyone with the same problem. My 19 month old has severe eczema and it started when he was around 5 months old, and as you know it's just life changing, both for your child and yourselves. Before it started he was a happy child with good weight, lovely glowing skin but ever since the eczema it's just all gone downhill. He is now underweight, doesnt sleep well, doesnt eat well, has reflux, and his eczema is so bad he scratches his skin raw, it's heartbreaking to see and not be able to help him. Have tried all the creams, and Tubifast and Comfifast garments, he's seen doc's, dermatologists, but they're all useless ! I am at the end of my tether, I just don't know what to do, it's just so hard !
| By wilk on Sunday, July 06, 2008 - 02:31 pm: |
Hi
Our son developed eczema when he was about two months old, it started on his folds then spread to the rest of his body, the only area that was spared was his nappy region.
I can only tell you what worked for our son, it’s not a cure but the treatment we have discovered has improved his skin 99.9% to the point where we don’t consider he has eczema anymore just very sensitive skin.
As with any treatment you should patch test first as every baby is different.
We tried all the creams and ointments the doctors could prescribe but his skin just seemed to be getting worse, we were just putting 50/50 on him in the end and he was screaming when it was applied. So I decided to investigate if there was any alternative treatment, using the internet I discovered all these ointments are mineral oil based and mineral oil can be very drying for the skin they also they contain some very worrying chemicals one being SLS (sodium laurel sulphate) which started life as an industrial degreaser. SLS is also hidden in emulsifying wax.
I just couldn’t believe that they were asking us to put this stuff on our baby!!
After a lot of research I now make my own cream using unrefined shea butter, karanja oil, jojoba oil and coconut oil. I fill a beaba 300ml jar with the shea butter melt this submerged up to the lid in hot water (you have to keep refilling the hot water till the shea butter is melted) then add 50ml of karanja oil and 50 ml of jojoba oil two tea spoons of coconut oil stir well. This can all be brought from Shea butter cottage. I have been using this since January 2008 and his skin has improved beyond belief. You need to try this for at least a month to see improvement.
For bathing I use porridge oats wrapped in a muslin cloth secured with elastic band, run this under the hot tap and squeeze in the bath water, this helps soothe itching skin.
If you are using hydrocortisone we have found you have to wean the skin off of it by appling it for two weeks then every other day for one week then every third day and so on, otherwise you get a rebound affect where the skin just flares up worse again.
Other useful tips:
Don’t use Johnsons top and tail on a new born babies skin.
make sure the baths not too hot no more than 36.4 degrees.
Use 100% cotton clothing. Keep them on the cool side of warm.
Use cotton wool and plain water when changing nappies.
Cut and file nails as short as possible.
Use a baby sleeping bag if age and temperature appropriate to stop them itching their body while asleep.
Use an anti-allergen mattress cover.
Good luck I hope this will/has helped someone else with this terrible curse.
Useful links.
Raw materials for cream ww.akuawood.co.uk/
Body wash ww.essential-care.co.uk
Sun cream ww.greenpeople.co.uk/no-scent-childrens-sun-lotion-spf25-150ml.aspx
Coping with eczema ww.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068730/
| By ks on Saturday, July 05, 2008 - 10:30 am: |
i feel u how, im 21 but i also think abt it all the time that i might never be able to get married ..... don worry i guess we can meet up an chill till we die hozzzat 
........... be happy i know ppl who have even severe health conditions then us eczamites ... thsi is the way this world works .......u have the poor u have the rich , u have healthy n u have the unhealthy, unfort we come in the later. honestly i have become so sick of eczema too , but i cant help it either .. if u want u can email me at livinginthedark@live.com , ill be more then willing to talk to u tc
| By how on Thursday, July 03, 2008 - 07:23 pm: |
eczema is preventing me from getting married..so sad
| By Ursula on Thursday, July 03, 2008 - 08:29 am: |
Hello this is the first time i've discovered this forum & it's fabulous! I've felt so isolated from anyone who knows what I'm going through. I have a 4 yr old son with chronic atopic eczema who was diagnosed at 6 mths old. I do wet Tubifast bandages on him twice daily using emulsifying ointment. I've tried everything - DermaSilk, Tubifast Garments, naturopaths, wheat/dairy free diets all array of natural & prescribed creams etc etc You all know what I mean. i'm desperately trying to purchase Tubifast Garments in Australia but they're soooo expensive - I know they will make life a bit easier so i can justify spending that much money for the sake of my sons condition (and quality of family life) & health but how are we suppose to finance it. Desperately seeking any help someone can provide me with & anyone within Australia - NSW esp. who can assist me. Cheers & good luck to you all - it's a real challenge I know. Looking forward to frequenting this forum more often for a much needed chat with those who understand!!!! Ta - Ursula :-) Please feel free to contact me at ursula_best@hotmail.com
| By Jimbob on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 10:20 pm: |
Sorry to hear that. I was going to reguest a prescription for them from my sons consultant as his gp was not willing without a letter from the consultant first. I am not sure if it is worth it now, though everybody has different experiences so it might be worth a try.
| By trottytroo on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 06:21 pm: |
Hi Everyone
Has anyone tried Dermasilk clothing, if so what do they think of it? I got some for my son but to be honest it seems to cause more irritation, i think its due to the fact that they are quite loose on the skin - also if you use an emmolient or steroid cream, you have to wait quite a while before you can put the dermasilk on - and in that time my son can do quite a lot of damage to his skin unless i put pj's or clothing on him until all the cream has sunk in, so can be a bit of a pain to be honest or perhaps i was expecting and hoping for too much!
#Tracy
| By mummycantfixit on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 12:46 pm: |
My four and half son has just being diagnosed with Pomplyx (hands and feet). It's a nightmare come true. We have the most horrible time at night, with him basically clawing at his feet and hands. They become red raw and hot. I have tried all the creams, patting with lotions (with wet washer to try and get hands and feet cooler - this has had some effect, but not for long)and many sleepless nights. I was speaking with a friend the other night and she mentioned cornflour with water (into a paste)works a treat (old wives tale)Her mother used it on her when she was young (also a sufferer). So, being desperate, I tried this. It was a very messy experience. I applied it over his hands and feet. First my son was crying and saying it's still itchy mummy. But in around 10 seconds, he stopped crying and said it wasn't itchy anymore....IT WORKED!!! He even went to sleep and wasn't at all restless as he usually is. I had to reapply once more that night, but went to bed around 1.30pm. He woke in the morning and was a little itchy as I hadn't applied since 1.30pm, but his hands and feet were no way as red or affected as the other nights. There are still blisters, but not as bad. I know this isn't a cure, but if it helps relieve the pain, thus relieving the effect of the itch...I'm all for it. I'm just giving this information to any other mums or sufferers out there who wants to give it a go. Let me know how it goes. My email is ptc2@bigpond.com.
| By francesleary on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 09:09 pm: |
I've been battling my daughter's eczema for the past year. She was about 3 months when it developed so badly. I eventually discovered that I had to find the most natural products I could....only those would do any good. Burt's Bees helped her skin, but still her scalp was awful.
Finally after much trial and error, I realized that the environment was having a great influence on her skin. It wasn't just an internal problem.
When I discovered Shaklee I switched over all of my household products to ones that are non-toxic (it's surprising how harmful standard cleaners are). I also started using a natural scalp treatment they have. Within a very short time, she was eczema free. She still has dry skin occasionally, but everything is completely manageable. She's 15 months now.
| By Saran on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 10:28 am: |
My son is 5 and he has had eczema from the age of 6 weeks. I have been using hydrocortisone and diprobase to keep it under control. He gets eczema everywhere but the folds. He always has it on his face and on his wrists. Someone recommended hemp cream and like lots of other products I have tried I though let’s give it a go. He has been using this cream for 3 weeks now and we apply it 2-3 times a day on top his hydrocortisone and this is the first time I feel that his eczema seems to be on the mend and his skin actually feels and looks normal. I only got the hemp hand cream but after couple of weeks I started to use it on his legs and the results are very good. Because he is not touching his face with his wrists, his face is also clearing up. I am now going to try the other hemp products from Body Shop and see what happens. The cream was around £9.00 but i still have half tube left.
| By Tracy on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 - 01:54 pm: |
Dear all, to let you know that a new range of childrens garments have now become available on prescription. The name of the garments are call cinifast garments.
| By Jimbob on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 09:51 am: |
Suzanne, you should not have to be buying tubifast garments. They are expensive but your daughter deserves them. Health visitors can actually prescribe the garments so it might be worth asking your daughters health visitor. This is what we do when using them.
| By suzanne on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 05:42 pm: |
Jimbob,
Thanks
We tried comfifast first but had dreadful problems with these as she used to pull at them ,making holes in them during her sleep.It was very stressful for her.We now have tubifast which we all get on much better with.GP reluctant to prescribe too many sets as they are expensive! Had to buy a set over the counter, top and leggings- £50 !!! Hope you manage to get hold of the Derma Silk garments soon.
| By Jimbob on Monday, August 06, 2007 - 10:43 am: |
Suzanne your daughters derm nurse can actually prescribe them or at least that is what I was told. I am having problems getting the prescription at the moment as the receptionist at the doctors told me they would need a letter from the consultant. I am actually going to speak to the manageress today as this is not what I was told when I first asked about the garments. When we evenyually get them I will let you know how we get on. I have done the wet wraps with James. Have you got the tubifast or comfifast garments as this is easier than having to use the different sizes of tubigrip.
| By Suzanne on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 10:21 am: |
Jimbob can you let us know how you get on with the Derma silk garments?My daughters derm nurse told me about them the other day.We are wet wrapping her at the moment but the impact that this is having on the whole family is huge.
Thanks
| By Jimbob on Thursday, August 02, 2007 - 06:23 pm: |
Trottytroo, dermasilk garments have just become available on prescription and are supposed to be very good. I am in the process at the moment of getting them prescribed for my son.
| By trottytroo on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 01:18 pm: |
Hi everyone
well things not going too bad at the moment - our Dermatologist done allergy blood test which showed quite a few things, wont do skin patch test they want to wait till he's bit older. Anyway we have cut out all the 'trigger' foods, he is taking a probiotic in poweder form as he cant have dairy, we are using wet wraps and we seem to be winning!!! As long as we keep up what we are doing his skin is pretty good, still quite itchy but only has few patches at the moment.
We have been trying to get DLA got refused, asked for reconsideration got refused again so now got to go to appeal - has anyone else been through this? they have said that what we have put down is basically an exageration of the help and care he needs - THE CHEEK - IF ONLY THEY REALISED. start to think is it worth it but then read that other people can get it so why shouldnt we - wwill help pay for his suits, food, probiotic (£15 jar), creams etc - not that we begrudge a single penny of it if it helps!!
He is potty training at the moment so his legs are suffering the worst but we/ve been putting gloves or tshirt with attached gloves on still hard though - its been a novelty for my son to be able to run around with no bottom half on, cant remember the last time he ran around naked!!! people dont realise how much it can affect everyday life, our son is so funny though cos its like its all new to him seeing wee wee actually coming out and not in a nappy HAHA certainly giving us all some laughs.
Well thats my little bit off my chest lol - hang in there everyone and keep smiling :-)
| By Jimbob on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 04:47 pm: |
I received an email today regarding the dermasilk range. It is going to be available on prescription from the 1st August. The garments look really good and will hopefully mean that I don't have to buy more eczema sleepsuits. I hope this information will benefit others.
| By Jimbob on Saturday, June 02, 2007 - 11:48 pm: |
Hi Tina
Sorry not checked this site for a while as things have been rather hectic. James has been refusing all foods for a good few months now apart from raisins and neoacate advance(milk alternative). Dermasalve baby and infant cream is the best emollient we have found and is natural, unfortunately notavailable on prescription. We realised that any petroleum based products just made James's skin worse. I would definately say, at least in James's case, that eczema is 90% due to food allergies. Unfortunately the other 10% is harder to control as it is enviromental allergies and stress, luckily for us the reaction seems to be more easily controlled from these.
| By lacey on Friday, June 01, 2007 - 02:55 pm: |
Hi mums,
I have twin boys they are almost 1 , and the most adorable pair,hard blimin work though. Jake is a big boy and James is quite petite. Dont ask me how it's not like i feed one and not the other lol. As you can imagine it's a pain in the but buying x2 different size Moltex oko. Anyway i did a promotion on a site for some free Moltex. Thinking nothing would come out of it i forgot and a few weeks later a box arrived so i was like whats this, it was the nappies ***SHOCKED***. I emailed them to say thanks blah blah blah. Then i thought i'll ask if i can do it again, they said that was fine so i've started again. As you can imagine i dont get out much with the tiny tear ways in tow so i have'nt mangaged to keep in touch with my friends, bad i know. So im going to ask a big favour of you and ask if somone would help me out on this one. There is trial apply for stuff so no cost for you. Any help would be well appreciated,
Thanks so much
lindy xx
free-econappies.co.uk/freenappies?referer_id=889
| By tina on Tuesday, February 06, 2007 - 04:56 pm: |
thank goodness there is somebody out there who can relate to those allergys as ihave been to a dermatologist and was told there were no such thing as apple/carrot allergy some colors in sweets have the same effect thank you,thank you for saying you have same problem with your child what do you find helps if there is a flare up hope your child is well.
| By Jimbob on Tuesday, February 06, 2007 - 10:34 am: |
Apple seems to becoming quite a common allergy. My son can eat cooked apple but can't eat them raw. He can't have carrots at all. Both things flare his eczema and also give him wind and runny bowel movements.
| By tina on Monday, February 05, 2007 - 05:59 pm: |
hi,i am seeking information has anyone heard of carrots and apples as a major trigger of eczema my son is three an has a very bad reaction to these produce he gets an itchy rash starting from his neck up to his forehead and irritability
| By trottytroo on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 03:14 pm: |
well the pj's seem to be doing the trick so far - well better than before he wore them - he has just had a really BAD 2 weeks - we had him allergy tested then de-sensitised for sugar - his body was like it was on fire and he was literally covered from head to foot - even his face where he hasnt had it for months, but he is now looking so much better. when he went back to the naturopath he said that when getting rid of the sugar from the body the sugar heats up the blood and we hadnt even told him about his body heat!!!! also said his reaction to dust mites is severe so sending de sensitiser for that but said the reaction shouldnt be as bad!!!!!
but he does seem to be getting better and now we have also found a really nice moisturiser which the hosp. has prescribed - double base gel so much better than what we've had up to now but im not holding my breath!!! also he's given us something else for the bath cant remember what though!!! its the first time in about 6 - 8 weeks that my son has actually wanted to stay in the bath and play without too much scratching and no crying!!!
so i am keeping my fingers crossed but not counting my chickens!!!!
| By trottytroo on Monday, January 15, 2007 - 10:33 am: |
hi Sarah
thanks for the tip my son has a hospital appointment at the end of the month so i will mention it to them then.
He never had colic as a baby although he did have problems keeping milk down when he was born and was in SCBU and had to be tube fed very tiny amounts and gradually increased it.
We should get the de-sensitizing stuff for his sugar intolerance this week so we can start on that and see how it goes and then do the same with the flour, then he will be tested for tomatoes as i have cut them out of his diet and seen a big improvement but am loathe to give him some just for one day to see his reaction - seems so wicked so think i will see what the allergy test shows first!!!
his sleepsuit seems to be working, i think because he cant scratch himself he's not hurting himself either so its not waking him up he's slept for a few nights now - fingers crossed it continues x -
| By sarah on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 08:07 pm: |
Hi Tracey
I know exactly what you are going through as similar for 18 months with our son.
Through loads of research we found everything lead back to digestion (did your son have colic?) as well as allergies to certain foods anything refined/high in refined sugar allows bad bacteria to go wild in an already delicate stomach. But diet is a long term solution (wholefood and careful diet). Homeopathy also helps longterm but if you were like us you need something to make life bearable now.
Are you in the UK?
There is a paste which hospitals use with children when they are hospitalised for their eczema - it is Icthammol and zinc in yellow paraffin. It is absolutely horrible to apply - like icing a cake (but obviously a distressed wriggling infant)- you then have to bandage over with tubigrip. It gets everywhere but if you persevere and sacrafice a few sleepsuits it is worth it . After a week of use (appying twice a day and keeping bandages on all the time) our son went from waking itching every hour at night to waking without itching just 3 times after use for a week.
We have gradually been able to step down use and he now sleeps through (almost - but just a normal toddler).
Not many Doctors know about it - the eczema nurse suggested it and also encouraged us to stick with it when we felt like giving up.
Obviously it is available on the NHS.
Good luck
Sarah
| By Jimbob on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 10:59 am: |
Hi Tracey
Glad to hear that Sidney was more settled with his new designed sleepsuit. I hope it was not just a one off and it carries on helping.
| By Michael Chin on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 05:16 am: |
There is a treatment plan for adults that has worked successfully on me and my family at
URL: h t t p://eczemafix.blogspo t.com/
But this does not work well on people under the age of 5 as they do not suffer the discomfort well (as small as it is).
What we had to do is to continue bathing our 2 year old in clean sea water. If you are not near a beach to get it, try buying large quantities of seasalt and have your child play in the bath. You only need to make the salt concentrations in water as salty as the ocean.
Works fantastically and now our child does not have eczema.
Regards
| By trottytroo on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 09:16 pm: |
hi Kelly
so good to know there are other people out there going through the same thing
my son has just been allergy tested and his intolerances are sugar and flour - although there are still some other foods etc to be tested for - we are now waiting for the de-sensitizer to arrive and apparently how it works is Sidney has to avoid sugar for 7 days and we give him the drops for the 7 days and this should then allow him to have it in moderation???!!! we will see - sceptical yes but will give anything a try eh also i have taken to sewing socks onto the ends of his pyjamas/babygros and sewing the legs up of babygros as he's started to undo the poppers - but last night was the first night of wearing them and he did settle better and sleep a bit more peacefully - a one off - who knows - fingers crossed X
| By Jimbob on Monday, January 08, 2007 - 01:45 pm: |
Hi Tracey
In some children the sun and different humidity actually helps eczema sufferers. The sea also helps some but not sure if your son went in the sea. My son was 2 in October and he has suffered with severe eczema since he was 6 weeks old. He has lots of food allergies which means he is on a limited diet. He also takes starflower oil, flaxseed oil and probiotics which seem to help. James's skin is not as bad as it used to be since we have found out his allergies through tests and going back to basics with his diet. We basically weaned James again and introduced 1 new food a week. Since he has been taking the oils his skin has definately become softer. We use a cream called Dermasalve for babies and infants. This seems to work best out of all the creams and lotions we have tried. I use sudocrem on any areas that have open wounds as this seems to help them heal faster. We have just started using a product called aalgo that you add to the bath. It is washed dried seaweed that is then made into a powder. It smells awful but seems to reduce the itching. The things that we use to treat our sons eczema are not on prescription unfortunately but we tried that many prescription emollients and none of them helped for more than a few weeks. We still really struggle with the scratching at night. James has a huge dose of vallergan forte which would knock most adults out and he still does not sleep through the night. His body quickly becomes used to the vallergan forte and therefore does not work well when used for more than 2 or 3 nights in a row. Even when the vallergan is working well he still svratches in his sleep after the first few hours which means we still don't get much sleep. Wet wraps work well for some eczema sufferers. It actually helps some children sleep through the night. They do help James a little but not to that extent. If I come across anything that helps James sleep I will let you know.
Kelly
| By trottytroo on Saturday, January 06, 2007 - 08:19 pm: |
hi
my names Tracy and my 17month old son has severe eczema since a few weeks old. We have tried numerous creams and lotions and potions - the bath oils seem to make him even itchier, the steroids work but only until we stop using them - we went on holiday to Turkey in October and were absolutely dreading it but for some reason his skin was the best it has ever been!!!! he wore a sun protection suit for the whole of the 2 weeks we only used aqueous twice a day and for bathing and for some reason he had the best 2 weeks sleep ever. any ideas why??? but for those whose little ones like swimming use swim/sun protection suit - the sun protection ones are better as they seem to be more like divers suits. Now we are at our wits end and i watch my son and feel like crying he is constantly ripping his skin to pieces making himself bleed, the only part of him that is clear is his bottom and his face apart from that he is covered from neck down. Me and my husband have not had a nights sleep since he was born and even my elder children get woken up by his crying - please help any ideas would be grateful -
we have cut out tomato products ie baked beans, soup, tomato pasta sauces etc and there does seem to be an improvement but may just be coincidence so will leave it another week and try giving him some to see!!!!!
seems so wicked though
| By Jimbob on Monday, November 06, 2006 - 07:51 am: |
We use sudocrem for my sons severe atopic eczema. Which also contains zinc. It actually contains 15% zinc oxide and it really seems to be helping. It has not cleared my sons eczema completely but it is much improved.
| By Maya on Monday, November 06, 2006 - 05:11 am: |
Hi Everybody.....
I have read about some recent findings that Zinc defeciency can aggravate eczema.My child has had the worst case of wet-eczema possible and we tried EVERYTHING available under the sun to give my child some relief.Suprisingly,quite contradictorily to the recommendation of dermatologists,CALAMINE LOTION worked in a wonderful way not only to stop the eczema from 'spreading' but even controlled the existing patches .Though 'theory' says that Regular and plenty of moisturisers can relieve eczema,I have seen myself the wonder of Calamine(main component of which is Zinc)which is 'supposed to dry out the skin and aggravate(?!) existing eczema patches to give relief to my child that we'd long been waiting for.
Desperate parents,give simple calamine a try !!
| By Julia on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 10:08 am: |
I have used Probiotics for 2 years on my three yr old. It really works!
The only one I found suitable was Natures Way Primadophilus Reuteri or P. Bifidus.
P. Reuteri is the same bateria as found in Human mothers milk.
With the probiotic we keep the eczema at bay, no need to moisturise or be terribly careful what you eat.
We do however eat organic and buy only organic skin creams and shampoos. I think Eczema is a warning - showing that we are eating or are in contact with too many chemcials
Also avoid the commerical disposable nappies and try Moltex Eco or use "real" Nappies. Commercial nappies always brought my son's eczema up.
Also use something like Ecover (liquid) for washing clothes, all the other commercial brands, even the so called sensitive ones are just a chemical cocktail.
Useful website are
naturesway.com
betterlife.com (cheapest supplier of NW P Reuteri that I could find)
simply-organics.com (you can practically eat their creams they are so natural.
naturebotts.com
greenbaby.com
Some of these sites sell clothes detergents etc.
Any more advice, please do not hesitate to ask
eczema@uwclub.net
All the best
| By rachel on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 07:36 pm: |
I have just found this website and am so grateful.I have a 3 and half year old daughter who has suffered with excema since she was 8 wks old. I am at my wits end as despite using a vareity of emollients, bath oils, steroids the excema is just not being kept at bay. The latest steroid (elocol) got rid of it all (hurray) but a day later it was all back. The dermatoligist prescribed protopic which I am anxious about using. Elidel has no effect. I have now stopped all the creams and am just rubbing in calendula cream. Her skin is so sore now she is bleeding, the skin is cracked and feels like toast to touch. I have cut out a lot of food stuffs from her diet as well but as yet this has not made a difference. She is so brave about it all, but the sleepless nights and constant scratching is very debilitating and I am becoming very depressed. I wondered if anyone had any advice at all. I have tried 3 homepaths, a kinesiologist,2 dermatologists and am now trying the natural route and do not know what to do next. HELP!! thank you rybs@home3277.freeserve.co.uk
| By Tracy on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 10:31 am: |
I read somewhere about skinZinc, but before you try it make sure it isn't this one....
http://pinch.com/skin/scfaq.html check out this there were steriods found in it.
Also it can be made at a chemist at half the price.
Just some info I came across
| By MALA on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 02:15 pm: |
TO:RITA
HI RITA,
I happened to read your message and just wanted to give you a HELPFUL ADVICE-TRY HOMEOPATHY.
Wish you best of luck,
Mala
| By CR on Monday, June 27, 2005 - 11:41 pm: |
Dee, we found the same with our daughter, her hands would be so sore after playgroup. We use small cotton gloves now which provide a barrier between her skin and the 'mistery contact allergies' possibly things like sand,water & playdoh contains lots of strong colourings etc we always apply loads of barrier beforehand but gloves have been our only sucess so far. She is fine with wearing them and the other children are asking for them too! Are there any pets there which she would not normally come into contact with? CR
| By dee on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 06:36 pm: |
my neice has echzema ..we noticed that wen she comes back form nursery her echzeam gets worse r their n e tips for wot she can play with n should avoid in nursery settings?
| By Rita on Saturday, June 11, 2005 - 04:43 pm: |
Vijay, understand the suffering eczema causes, I have a 5yr. old with eczema who has had it bad since age two. Now she is developing recurring staph infections and has been on Prednisolone, on and off, and many antibiotics since March. It really does affect the whole family and the DRs. just don't get it. Its hard to keep a positive outlook when medical people don't know what to do, send you from derm. to allergist and back to med. Drs. You are definitely not alone in this. Rita
| By Eva on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 12:29 am: |
Our 18 month old son has had moderate eczema since he was about 4 months old. We have found that the best defense against a major flare up is keeping him from scratching (of course). We keep him in footed, 100% cotton pjs that zip up (he is so active and used to break right out of the button-up ones). THE ONLY PLACE THAT WE HAVE FOUND THEM IS AT THE CHILDREN'S PLACE. And they are cheap, like $9! I wanted to share this with all of you because they have been quite a life saver for us, helping a great deal. Good luck.
| By Guam on Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 06:01 am: |
Anyone know of a company that makes a water proof body suit? My daughter loves to swim but the chlorine in the pool makes her skin irritated. We use vasoline, but I was thinking that a body suit like a dive suit would at least protect 90% of her body and she could join swimming after school. We live in the tropics so a lightweight suit would be ideal.
| By Lindsey on Saturday, December 25, 2004 - 12:44 am: |
For my children which are 9 and 10. I use Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly to keep their skin moisturized it is really helpful.
| By Jane on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 07:40 am: |
We bought our son whos five a gameboy for Christmas and it is brillant. We use it in the car as it keeps both hands occuppied.
| By ruth on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 05:49 am: |
hi sharon - i put the gameboy idea up as we found it helpful for our girl (now 5yrs) to help take her mind of the itching and scratching - as she often gets covered from head to toe in it. i am not really an advocate for the use of a lot of these games - but i think neccessity is the mother of invention - and if it works as well as giving them some happiness out of it - then go for it. i too live in australia and know exactly what you mean of cattle prod therapy!
if anyones interested - i'm looking for ideas on good homemade eczema creams. i'm going to post one here on the 'creams' section - which i have just made up - its so incredibly easy - its ridiculous. i've just about run myself bankrupt supporting major companies with expensive cure all creams when all i wanted was a good heavy duty moisturiser that didn't sting like hell and wasn't like being deep fried. see what you think - its not going to cure anything - but will help moisturise.
| By Sharon on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 02:22 pm: |
I have 4 children (5b,31/2b,2g,3m b) and only the eldest two have eczema. My eldest John has it severe,and Sam's cleared up at around 7months (due to diet control) but has recently come back again!!!! We live in Australia and find coping with it very hard. I want to carry an electric cattle prod with me for the insensitive and stupid peolpe, I include some Drs in that. Thank you for your site it's refreshing to sound off to other 2nd degree sufferers(parents, caregivers,loved ones ect of sufferers). We have found the following usefull *cold packs-we use sml packs of frozen peas. *creams, spray bottles of water ect kept in te fridge *wet wraps *specialized clothing. I make most of John's clothes and find that making them into dress up uniforms can help when he is bad. *distraction is very helpful. The gameboy idea sounds great!!!! Hopefully this can help someone as some of your ideas have helped me.
| By Urmi on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 01:33 am: |
TO CLAIRE WIJAYTILAKE,
Hi Claire,
I've been sending you E mail for the last 7-8 days and al of them have been returned saying "returned mail:user unknown".....could you please check your account?
How's Nitara?I'd ike to continue with you as soon as possible.
Take care.
Urmi.
aishani2002@hotmail.com
| By pinky on Friday, November 07, 2003 - 12:00 pm: |
hello barnie,
i liked your idea of the cold-packs but it can be better if you explain them in a little more details like how do u make the 'rice packs' and where does he use them?
my daughter is also going to school and suggestions of this type can be extremely helpful for parents like us.
thanks,
pinky
| By Barnie on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 10:28 pm: |
As with most eczema sufferers when our son gets hot he also gets very itchy. We have made cool packs, we use cotton material and make bean bag type packs containing rice. These can be kept in the freezer and used whenever he gets hot. He keeps a few in the freezer in the kitchen at his school so he can use them there. We use rice as its less likely to cause a reaction
| By Urmi on Friday, October 10, 2003 - 02:29 pm: |
VIJAY,
I am an Indian mom of a 3 year old girl sufferring from severe eczema since she was 2 months old.Previously we were in USA but as you know eczema takes a toll on the patient as well as the caregiver's quality of life,we really could not continue and my husband took a transfer to Singapore.My daughter's case was so bad that the doctors in US told us her's was a case that was beyond steroid treatment and at one time she was so 'uncontrollable' that I took her to Calcutta(our native town) and by the grace of a very experienced homeopathic doctor she is now 99% clear and people don't believe that she had such a terrible thing until the see her photographs.
I know you have the worst possible experience of homeopathic treatment and I'm ver aware of the effectiveness as well as 'dangers' of homeopathy but if you want you can E mail me as my daughter has multiple food allergies and we can share many informations.I do have such a friend from Canada;she has a 2 yr old girl and we keep in contact regularly.
My E mail address is : aishani2002@hotmail.com
It always feels so much better to talk to somebody dealing with the same problem otherwise people normally don't understand how much miserable this problem can be.
Wish you good luck.
Urmi.
| By Vijay on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 12:04 pm: |
By Vijay on Saturday, September 27, 2003 - 02:57 pm:
I am new here and would like to join in discussions. Not sure if I'm posting in the right place. My little girl Nitara aged 2 is suffering with eczema to the worst possible extent. It has ruined 4 lives - mine, my husbands, our older daughters and Nitara herself. I feel its driving me crazy. I first of all want to add a warning to those thinking of trying homeopathy. It made a terrible situation worse ( we never thought that possible) and it seems our baby will never recover from the mess homeopathy made of her skin. Please do not assume as we did that it can do no harm. It can be very very dangerous. I'm happy for anyone who has been helped by it but I would advise you not to put your precious babies at further risk. If anyone has a child with severe eczema I'd be happy to email for mutual support.