Eczema, any relief?

Demetra - posted on 07/01/2010

My sister was born with it, here are a few suggestions: try bathing your child with aqueous cream, or an aqueous based product. Here in South Africa we have Cetaphil or Aquabar. A soya-based formula was the only thing she could drink, called Isomil. things that used to trigger her eczema and asthma: Pet hair, avocados, bananas, dairy, tomatoes. try avoiding anything too acidic. The only thing she was allowed to drink was apple juice because of its low acidity levels. I would also suggest you take your child to a homeopath, this helped my sister tremendously.
Good luck

Kate - posted on 07/01/2010

Have you had an Allergy test done to see if he has any allergies...

Holli - posted on 07/01/2010

People with some type severe allergies in general and eczema can go hand in hand. Because of this, you should see an allergist and get him tested. Also watch for food and drug allergies.



Almost everyone in our family has eczema and psoriosis to some degree. We keep it under controll using the Aveeno line of lotions (and soap/shampoo/diaper creme for my toddler daughter) and rarely have to use any steroidal creme. They are all made with oatmeal and soy and are dermatologist recomended. I believe they used to be available by rx only for a long time (they've been aroud for 60ish years) but have been on the shelves for a relatively short amnt of time, considering.



As far as laundry detergent, we all have allergies to detergents and we've found other than using free/clear detergents, which noone has issues with, but my daughter's clothes can still sometimes smell like urine if she had an accident. (Oops). Arm&Hammer was the best for our skin (the bakiing soda and oxy is tough without being harsh), the only allergies we have had with A&H is one person with one of the scent options. We also use the Downy ultra for fabric softener.



Also, try to get clothes that are 100% (or close) natural (cotton, silk, rayon, fleece, etc), as synthetic materials such as polyester will not allow the skin to breathe and can make the eczema worse. (I find this is more common in girls clothing than boys, thanks to all the dresses and tights, but pj's are HUGE culprits of it). Crib/toddler mattresses that have the "plastic" waterproof coating can restrict skin air flow also making skin issues worse (and can make kids sweat easier). To remedy this, we got flannel and jersey knit sheets, as they are softer and looser. If you have a regular bed and have a mattress protector, make sure it is hypoallergenic and is "breathable". They cost a little more, but are worth it in the end. Also, check the pillows. There are hypoallergenic pillows. I found out I was allergic to the down pillows I was using, and then found that the fiberfill ones I had switched to was keeping dust particles in for me. There are washable cases for pillows to prevent that from happening, plus a wide array of fillings.



As he gets older and gets it under control, you may have to teach him some interesting hygeine habits. We can't use the alcohol gel stuff, It will crack our skin open in a matter of minutes. Also, several of us were medical and had to wash our hands many times through the day. Multiple hand washings are horrible for eczema people, so if we don't HAVE to wash our daughter's hands, we wipe them down with non-scented wipes.

Staci - posted on 07/01/2010

Try seeing a pediatric dermatologist. My daughter had a huge excema problem (every bend of her body) I finally took her to see one. She ended up on singulair, hydrocortisone valerate cream, zyrtec, atarax (she scratched so bad in her sleep)........I also bathed her everyday using aquaphor on all areas of excema (lathered it on - and yes, I put it on over the steriod creme) and used Burt's Bee's baby lotion on entire body. After revisiting Dermatologist at her recheck, he was amazed at how good she looked.....my daughter hasn't had any huge issues since january!!! Note - she also has a lot of allergies. Currently, we are just using the aquaphor and Burt's baby bee lotion...occassionally using the steroid creme if necessary....
Good luck..............seeing the pediatric dermatologist made a HUGE difference.

Jessica - posted on 07/01/2010

are you sure it is eczema? my friend went to a similar situation and once her daughter had an abscess and had to have it surgically removed the discovered it wasn't actually eczema. is he seeing a pediatric dermatologist or just a pediatrician?? what is his diet like? most kids with eczema cannot eat eggs since it causes the rash to spread, and cannot be in the sun for long period of time or when its at its highest, just a few thoughts, hope this helps.

Janice - posted on 07/01/2010

Try cetafil (sp?) soap for dirty parts. Is the diaper area eczema or yeast? Both my girls have it and once it gets out of control, it is hard to re-contain. My doctor prescribed a combination of different thing to get it under control (genericcs- hydrocortisone ointment not cream and mometasone furoate ointment). I have found that the ointments do work better than the creams. Hope this helps!

Candice - posted on 07/01/2010

I'd probably recommend a daily bath in either some bath oil that you usually get from a pharmacy/chemist/drug store. Let him bathe in it then coat it in a cream, as creams are a lot thicker and moisturise well. Maybe see another Dr to get a second opinion or recommendation to a skin specialist?

Maggie - posted on 07/01/2010

That sounds exactly like my son from the time he was 7 months old until 15 months. The pediatrician kept saying he has "that kind of skin". My gut told me otherwise. I took him to an allergist and he was diagnosed with food allergies. Once I eliminated those foods from his diet, his skin was perfect. He is now 4 years old with great skin, no more eczema. Give it a try.

Melissa - posted on 07/01/2010

eczema care cream you can buy from the drug store or walmart, etc - it's a smaller tube, but works wonders - they have an adult & kids. i absolutely LOVE it.

Cherese - posted on 07/01/2010

My son had it really bad around that age & the only thing that worked was a Rx for Desonide Cream--I had to mix it with Aquaphor because it is too strong for babies, but his dermatologist mixed it for him and it completely went away after a couple of nights. I hope this helps!!He's almost 3 now and I rarely see any dry skin any more.

Nancy - posted on 07/01/2010

Well, I was giong to suggest Renew from Melaleuca, but it sounds like you are a customer too! Have you tried Renew bath oil in the bath? Renew Body Wash is very moisturizing, or you may want to try the new Renew Hand Wash - it may be even milder?? Also, you may want to try Aquaphor - I've heard a lot of people say they had success with that. I have heard a lot of people say that Renew and / or Aquaphor works better than the steroid creams the doctors prescribe, and I'm sure they are safer. I assume you use MelaPower laundry detergent? That should make sure the clothing is not irritating his skin. Use melaleuca cleaning products to be sure you don't have toxins in your home irritating his skin either.
Good Luck!

Laurie - posted on 07/01/2010

The only thing not mentioned so far that I can see is air drying and sun. My sister had it really bad when she was young (30 years ago) and my mother literally could not put diapers on her or she was absolutely raw. Keeping it open to the air and the sun helped tremendously. Of course this was really only practical during the summer - when she would have been 10 months or so to 14 months old as her birthday is in late August. She toilet trained very early as a result and my mum got very good at catching her before she went on the carpets etc. Lots of towels around to catch the accidents. My daughter has now got the same thing although not quite as bad as my sister and I find that keeping her coated in vaseline helps as well as letting her crawl around on the floor bare bum for even an hour or two a day helps a lot. I think in my daughter's case it is not allergies but that her teeth are just starting to come in and will likely break through the surface any time now. Cortisone cream on her skin (face, wrists, ankles) also helps clear up those areas but only open air seems to help her bum.

BethAnn - posted on 07/01/2010

which fire I will be there ! LOL

BethAnn - posted on 07/01/2010

My daughter has exzema and the only thing that works (other than all hyper allergenic no dys no scents everything, wipes, diapers, soap, bubbles, tissues, lotions, ect.) is the prescipition Desitin must get it from your Dr. apply twice daily after about 5 days it goes away my daughters comes back frequently but this always works, what usually flares it up is dyes and perfumes even colored shoes always put white cleaned in hyper allergenic socks on her feet if the inside of her shoes is color...weird but it works.

Kendall - posted on 07/01/2010

Try curel, original. You can also try uddercream(found in the lotion section). There is also an eczema cream that Target sells, it has Winnie the Pooh on it, that worked wonders for my little one! And around the age of 2-2.5 my daughter's eczema got alot better. I still have to lotion her after a bath and she occassionaly gets dry skin.

Lynetta - posted on 07/01/2010

PLEASE start giving your child omega 3 oil. You can try giving him 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cod liver oil everyday until his skin clears up then a few times a week for maintanence. I just give it to my boys right from the spoon but the older twin is starting to rebel so i have switched to the omega 3 gummie bears which he like very much. Trust me this will clear up the eczema in no time. It worked for me personally and my youngest son :-)

GayL - posted on 07/01/2010

Well, my son is 4 and his is "just" under control...meaning its not itching him like crazy, its not inflammed and red, and it hasnt spread anywhere new. Its still on his arms and legs, but not nearly like it was when he was younger.

Part of the reason I think...I took him off of milk for nearly 6months. He drank soy milk (YUCKO) with a lot of chocolate in it. I noticed a change right away. That was accidental...his sister was having issues with milk, so we just removed it from the house for a while.

The other part was, give him baths...just water, nothing else. Only use soap once a week or so to clean the stinkies, like you said. Wash his hair with ultra gentle cleaner...find one specific for eczema.

And every time you get him out of that tub, lotion him up while he's still wet.

They do outgrow it generally. It can be irritated by other allergies, so pay close attention to what he's eaten when he starts itching or complaining.

Good luck

Jennifer - posted on 06/30/2010

Hi,percription--SYNALAR 0.025% Cream or FLUOCINOLONE ACETONIDE CREAM USP, 0.025% which both are them same just one is generic.
My son is 2 and when he was born I breast fed and had no problems but I had to put him on formula and the Eczema started...
Come to find out what flared it up was food allergies..and types of soaps,perfumes, things like that..but I wash him every other night.Dove unsented for body,armnhamor for cloths..

Kerri - posted on 06/30/2010

i have a friend that lives in the country. her doctor recommended she use the "utter butter" which is a cream used on cows utters after they are milked. their eczema on both of the children cleared up with in a few days and seldom returns.

Esther - posted on 06/30/2010

Hi Angie,
I read lots on this subject and most of it is repetition - so I dove into "old wives tales".
I boil my daughters bath water. and give her a herbal bath consisting of camomile and "Herba Bidentis" this is what has mainly helped.
Extra rinse all her clothes.
Iron inside out.
Moisturize. (especially the neck).

Ofcause i use all the other products that you no doubt have been prescribed. But there is definitely a HUGE improvement. I will no doubt dance around a fire at midnite if told this will help her and if it works I will be happy to share :))) LOL

Good luck.

Kyla - posted on 06/30/2010

Find out what he's allergic too. I had to do that with my son. Kept a journal of all the food he ate, and the places we went and things we did and compared them with his flare ups. Doing that for a few weeks I determined that he's allergic to dogs and cats - went to the allergist who confirmed it. Now his eczema is completely gone and only flares up if he IS around pets.

Wendy - posted on 06/30/2010

Eczema usually implies an allergic reaction to something. My oldest son got it bad when he had eggs, but fortunately he eventually outgrew it. I suggest having him checked for allergies. (Seasonal, food and environmental)

In the meantime, California Baby's Calendula Cream is wonderful for relieving and healing the skin.

Stephanie - posted on 06/30/2010

Hi there, I can see that you are getting a ton of advice and not sure if what I am about to offer has been said or not yet but thought I would offer it any ways.
My son (30 months old) suffers from eczema on his legs, arms, and face. I have been treating it for about 6 months and I can honestly say the the issues on his legs are 100% cleared up. I use Cerave with the blue label. http://www.cerave.com/
I swear by this lotion, I use it for my skin issues also, it is kinda on the expensive side but totally worth it. Another lotion I use that has had the same effect and I LOVE, is Jafra's Tender Moments massage cream.
Ok, so for laundry detergent, I use Costcos brand Free and Clear and no Fabric softener.
Bath wash, I use a 2 in 1 from Jafra, Tender moments, http://www.jafra.com/corporate/region/us... the light green and white line. I stand by these products and use them on both my kiddos.
Hope these tid bits help,
Steph

Leigh Ann - posted on 06/30/2010

My son also has severe eczema and needs lotion daily. It got so bad with him drooling and scratching that his face was bright red and he looked like he had been burned. What works for him is bathing every other day and a special compound that has to be made at only pharnacies that have a lab. It is 2% hydracortisone powder mixed with aquaphor. Also it isn't coverec under insurance because it is a specialty medicine. Also I've fouind he needs to stay away from fleece outfits and can't get too sweaty as that brings on another batch of bumps. I hope this helps you1

Natalie - posted on 06/30/2010

Ah bath once a week?! but why?? Baby shampoo instead of soap is best since it has a neutral PH.
Canesten worked magic for my child, when nothing else seemed to work. Instead of lotion him up with every diaper change try rinsing his diaper area with lots of clean fresh water and letting the area breathe for a while before putting on the new diaper, change the diaper every hour max, even if it doesn't seem to have pee.
Hope it works! Good luck!

Sicily - posted on 06/30/2010

Both of my children have eczema, there doctor recommend baby aveeno products and or dove soap. I found that soap products with perfumes make it worse. So, try those and see what happen. Also give you child a lukewarm bath. Aveeno product also have shampoos. Hopefully this work for you.

Nicola - posted on 06/30/2010

I would also say anige would is on the right track with dove, Dove is more natural and has a nuterual PH level.

Nicola - posted on 06/30/2010

This is what I found with my son: My son can't wear wool it makes him flare up. I only use hyper allogetic soap and baby shampoo (it says on the bottle), normal soap even if only on his hair and privates can cause it to dry and flare as its too acidic (infact it can cause bowel problems in some people). I got an eczema cream from my local pharmacy thats made by the pharmacist for general eczema on his body. For the bum rash I found the best thing was to not use the budget wipes and to only use natural ones with added vitemins and to ensure there is no alchole or alchole conbination chemicals (pretty much anything ending in (ol)), the usually say on them fragrence free and hypo allergetic (I tand to find the bambo ones the best). I also used a special cream from his bum (as none of the normal creams worked) it was recommended by a nurse. I don't know if they sell it over there but the brands either (going off memery) vitachem and its called Vitemin A baby cream, If they don't sell it there you can probably find a simular cream, its a silocon based cream with vitemin A so it keeps out moisture, allows ventalation and the vitemin A helps the rash heal quickly (I call it baby rash miracle cream). I how this helps really its just sticking to nartural non irretant things. Also if you have the chance if its warm let him run around with no nappy on to let it air a little.

Anige - posted on 06/30/2010

My daughter that will be three years old in August has Eczema. I give her a bath pretty much every night. I don't let her have a bath no longer then 5 minutes. I was told when we first notice her Eczema from her doctor to use Dove unscented soap and unscented moisturizing lotion and it worked great. However on my husband side his cousin has Eczema and her mother gave me the tip to use St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Moisturizing body wash and then after I dry her off I put Gentle Naturals Disney baby Fragrance free baby Eczema Cream on her and it seems to help her a lot also.

Everyone gives good advice on here. I do have to amount I did not read everyone's. Good Luck and I hope what I wrote helps if you try it.

Angie - posted on 06/29/2010

Thank you all for the help. I have to say how encouraging your posts are.

He has started to get better, He spent a few days with Grandma and I forgot to pack the Renew lotion. She used A&D on his butt and the really bad patches on his legs AND he is almost back to normal. His chest and sides are still kinda rough but not nearly as bad as his legs are.

Christina - posted on 06/29/2010

my son has bad eczema too. i've seen every doctor in town and they all acted like i was the one doing something wrong or that they couldn't help. some doctors put him on an oral steroids and a topical steroid but that only helped a little. then i read in parents magazine that kids can be allergic to things and the reaction wouldn't be hives or swelling but a rash that looks like eczema.
i brought my son to an allergist and found out he was allergic to milk protein, eggs, nuts, and bee stings. i cut all of that food out of his diet and his skin is almost 100% better

Kristen - posted on 06/29/2010

I would also make an appt with a dermatologist if you haven't seen one yet. They may have some extra tricks up their sleeves to help make things easier for you and him.

Alexandra - posted on 06/29/2010

hi, my 8 months old son also has eczema very badly, and when he has a break out I will use the 1% cortisone (steroid) cream to get him more comfortable, as he gets so very itchy. i dont like to use the Steroid cream too much as it isn't really good for the skin. I live in Australia so I dont know what kind of natural stuff you can get in the States. I also use Cetaphil Cream, the Cream is much thicker than the lotion and hydrates the skin well. I use that 2 times a day all the time. We have a cream here called "hopes Relief" which is made up of 5 different natural ingredients, one being Manuca Honey, which has Antibacterial Properties. Another thing I sourced from the Internet is 'Neem Oil" completely bnaturally derived, it can be blended with other oils and you have to test it on the skin first, but I found that to be very good. It is so hard to treat this skin condition, I still have not found what the trigger is to my sons eczema as he has had it since birth, I find that cothes that are not soft can really agitate him. anyway I hope you can sort it and that he can get some relief soon Good luck!

Melissa - posted on 06/29/2010

I use Melaluca too, good stuff. have you had any testing for food allergies done. That was a major cause of my daughters. Also my daughters allergist told me they changed the recomendations and say a bath every day is good just to pat down after and apply lotion. I used vasoline after bath and my doc had me wrap her limbs and trunk in saran wrap and then put zip up cotton pj's on before bed. It really helped get hers under control. Even now if she starts to dry out too much I will do that for a night or two.

Sue - posted on 06/29/2010

Same here, my daughter had eczema when she was 3mths. Took her for an allergy test and found out she would react to milk and eggs. (I was bfing at the time) So i eliminated all dairy food from my diet and viola....she was all cleared. Now she's 20mths old and i still nurse her but no dairy food for her or me.

Mimi - posted on 06/29/2010

My sons diet was to blame for his eczema. We took out dairy and anything made with eggs. It cleared up really well.

Shannon - posted on 06/29/2010

My son had eczema really bad and the Desonide cream that the ped. gave wasn't working. Finally my ped told me that i should cover him from head to toe with Vaseline. I thought that was crazy and that it would make my little boy so uncomfortable especially in the summer months, but it worked like a charm! i bathe him every day now, and right after his bath i cover him in vas. to lock in the moisture from the bath. i assume that you already dab him dry and not rub him dry with a towel after his bath. that helped a lot surprisingly as well. hope that helped!

LATOYA - posted on 06/28/2010

My 3yr old has eczema and it is really hard to keep under control. I bathe him with dove sensitive skin and I also us cetaphil lotion. I also have to monitor what he eats, things that have acid in are not good for him, things like apple juice, grape juice, fruit punch, apples, and too much tomato products. I also had to start using the same detergent he used. I also noticed that when he gets sick with things like colds and different types of viruses it gets worse. It is a hard thing to deal with but just keep them cool and moisturized that's about all u can do for them and make sure u keep his nails clipped.

Cristal - posted on 06/28/2010

Eucerine you can get it from Walmart, target or walgrens

Heather - posted on 06/28/2010

My son was diagnosed with severe excema at 3 months. He is now 5. I use stuff called Balnetar. You pour a little in the bath of lukewarm water and let him sit in it for about 10 min.(not too much longer) Then I put aveeno lotion,fragrance free and then I coat him with A&D ointment. Its amazing how well this works. When he has a bad breakout, I will mix cortizone10 in with his lotion.Good luck,The Balnetar is found behind the pharmacy counter for about $25-$30. Well worth the money and it lasts quite a while since you only use a capfull or two each bath approx 2x a week. And its non-prescription.

Nancy - posted on 06/28/2010

Organic Calendula Lotion works well for my son. His is a mild case, so I'm not sure how well it will work for your child, but if I recall, the brand is California Baby.

Becky - posted on 06/28/2010

my daughter has it too not real bad infact it just came back recently and i used hydrocrosone on her last night and this mornin its alot smaller and not so red
becky powers
http://workathomeunited.com/footballtrac...

Judy - posted on 06/27/2010

you can try a product called Boiron it's a homeopatic med,called sulphur at a real health food store - they are very tiny and disolve ( my son loved them) He kept getting this rash that wouldn't go away, in spite of the ointments & it disappeared afterwards.
I've use it when my eczema flairs up & it has been under control. my homeopath doctor gave it to me and my son, when he was under 2 yrs old.
also my friend said that the Arbonne baby products worked well on her niece's eczema....good - luck!

Jessica - posted on 06/27/2010

Elcon ask your doctor about it . This stuff really really helps my 4 year old. he gets it so badly in the bends of his arms and legs and keeps it on his Behind also. He also has asthma and the 2 seems to go together according to his doctor. also try the Aveno lotions and soaps they do not seem to cause break outs. I hope this helps

Christina - posted on 06/27/2010

use DermaCort Anti-Itch Cream after bath and then lotion up with the Renew Lotion, I also use the renew body wash. for the diaper area wash every time you change pamper , the wipes can or may be the cause too. Do let me know if it works , All Melaleuca products :)

Christina

Rachel - posted on 06/27/2010

oh it's a cortisone cream I believe.

Rachel - posted on 06/27/2010

My almost 9 month old baby girl has eczema. Hers started to get bad a couple of months ago, but now is barely noticeable only on her outter thigh and a couple of small patches here or there on her back and arms. You seem to be doing everything right. I also only bathe her once a week in the tub(I keep her clean with wipes or a wash cloth everyday in between) and use an oatmeal bath wash by Johnson's. I use Aveeno Baby Soothing Releif Moisture lotion on her with works awesome. It's thick and creamy and absorbs great! I still wash all her cloths seperate from ours in Dreft, and my dr. told me to watch the sun too. I don't take her out in the sun for only a few minutes of course and she is totally covered. I know that the Dr. told us if it gets bad again they can give her a prescription lotion with a steriod in it. I would definitely talk to your son's doc. Good luck.

Rhonda - posted on 06/27/2010

I have used Cetaphil skin or facial cleanser and Cetaphil lotion. They have worked very well. These items are over the counter at most supermarkets and drug stores... let me know if you try it and if it works.. it does take a little time to see results..

Carrie - posted on 06/27/2010

first of all stop putting lotion on him it will only irritate it and make it worse use Ivory bar soap and thats it if you miss the yummy smell of baby lotions do what I do put it on his feet it works .. both my kids have this and I know how bad it sucks but this is what I do and it works for really bad spots put a lil bit of gold bond medicated lotion just on that spot

Sarah - posted on 06/27/2010

My son suffers as well 19 months we have been dealing since birth. We use cortizone 1% when it is really bad and I have found that 100% organic extra virgin coconut oil works wonders. You can get it at any health food store. We use it everyday after the bath. The cortizone works within a few hours. On the affected areas. His Ped suggested this treatment and we have not had any major outbreaks. Hope thi helps, good luck.