Eczema woes...

[dcgrumpy]

DD2 has eczema, luckily it has gotten better and better as she's gotten older. We've gone through a few prescription steroid ointments. We now use fluticasone propionate ointment. I try not to use the steroids too often but sometimes we have no choice. Other things I use for flareups are Aquaphor, Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment, CeraVe wash and cream, Eucerin wash and cream, Burt's Bees milkbath, Zip Scab Dab.

A warning for anyone with a child with eczema, make sure you keep their nails short and wash their hands frequently. Tw weeks ago DD had a patch of excema on her chin that she kept scratching. She woke up one morning with a fever and her neck was very swollen. She ended up in the hospital for a week because of infected lymph nodes and had to have surgery to have it drained.

 

[famofsix]

I have been using Eucerin, but it's not the tub kind. I'll go get some of that. I had been using a diabetic cream that was helping (in a tub, too), but the store stopped carrying the brand I bought, and the other brand they had was burning her skin. Anything with even the lightest fragrance hurts her.

Also a good point about the cotton clothing... I've noticed that anything 100% polyester makes her itchy.

Not sure if you said it was the ped that you were working with or the dermatologist. I highly recommend the dermatologist. That worked for us and now DD11 has outgrown her eczema mostly. However, my nephew still suffers and he has certain sleeping restrictions and clothing restriction along with the prescription meds. He ended up with a grass/mold/dust allergy that triggers awful eczema and itchy white spots on his skin. They are terribly itchy when he flares up. He only has cotton clothing and his wash is separately done. He has no carpet in the bedroom and my SIL vacuums the floor everyday. He's the only one allowed in his room. I feel for them but he is a happy kid now and does play outside a lot but the the dermatologist really helped them to establish a lifestyle that eases the symptoms.

My experience was the ped was helpful but she was not able to provided the best information like the dermatologist. for your DD cutie pie.

 

[WeLuvDisney05]

I'm so sorry 1prince2princesses about your dd's eczema. I totally feel your pain. My dd has been dealing with eczema for almost her whole life...she is now 7 1/2. Many, many days we cried together about it. It's SO heartbreaking, esp. w/being a mom & wanting to take away the pain & discomfort & not being able to, I always felt so helpless. Our pediatrician prescribed many different kinds of lotions & allergy meds over the years & some worked for awhile but the eczema always seemed to come back - full force. Anyway, We still don't know exactly what triggers my dd's flare ups. I know some factors that aggrevate it but it's a tough thing to figure out. We recentely went to a dermatologist & ever since things have been much better w/dd's skin. The dermatologist gave RX's for Derma-Smoothe & Cloderm...those seemed to really help our dd. Also, CeraVe moisturizing lotion (from Walgreens) - our derm. also recommended this & it works great - we use this on a daily basis. Funny, I was just commenting to my dh tonight about how much better dd's skin has been lately....Then I look over at dd & she's scratching up her wrist at the crease - Ugh! (We cleaned the house today & I think that aggrivated her skin. Eczema = Frustrating!!!) Well, I sure do hope you find something that works for your lil' one! I know, first hand just how frustrating it can be! Your not alone, though. Your best bet, as others have mentioned is to go see a dermatologist & hopefully together you can find something that will help her!!!

 

[my4kids]

My 8 year old suffers from this and just this year it is starting to decrease in severity. When she was 3-4 it was so bad that when I would try to put lotion on her after a bath, it would sting so bad from the open sores that she she would scream in agony from me to stop. She would have it on arms and legs so bad and would scratch until it bled. Also on her stomach and back side. It would make me cry she was in so much pain. I found the best treatment was to treat before the condition was bad. This was the only way we coped: Short baths in warm not hot water. (Short shower is better)
Remember to never leave the soap in the bath water with the child as it make the water very soapy and aggravates the excema all over) Don't bathe more than every third day.

Clear up any major outbreaks with a prescription cream from the pediatrician. Since these can not be used for more than 7 days, once the time is up on medicine and the rash is better, treat proactivley with Eucerin as soon as child comes out of bath. Slather in Eucerin twice a day. (this does not work well to clear up the probem, but help prevent it after clearing up an outbreak with a prescription.)

Humidifier in the childs room helps.


It is heartbreaking. It does get better. Now my 8 year old can do her Eucerin routine herself and keep a huge bottle of it next to her bed for when she wakes and goes to sleep. Winter was always the WORST. Now her skin is just dry and bumpy, but very few outbreaks of the itchy bleeding rashes.

 

[lewdyan1]

When I have a flare up, I use Elidel.

http://www.elidel.com/index.jsp

It works great!

It works really well for my daughter!

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

I am so scared of using Elidel. I've been trying to exhaust every possible option before trying it. I've had multiple family members suffer with skin cancer, and my husband's grandfather actually is fighting for his life right now because of advanced melanoma. She's just so fair skinned and I don't want to endanger her in the future. It's a hard choice.

 

[Griggle]

Also won't touch Elidel.

For DS(5)'s really, really bad patches we'll use Elicon, albeit sparingly, and they're nearly totally gone the next day. On a daily basis, we use Aquaphor.

I have a friend that does the wet jamas (two layers of jamas, the ones next to the skin should be wet, but really wrung out, and the outer ones dry), it works - but ugh. How uncomfortable.

 

[mom2boys]

I haven't tried Cetaphil, but I'm getting desperate at this point. Honestly, I don't think she's had any time without flare-ups. Ever. I just can't get her skin to clear up. It's heartbreaking.

We went through this with our youngest. His face was such a mess that strangers would stop us in the streets and comment. He used to scratch his feet until they bleed. DH always swore that if this kid had been born 50 years earlier he would have died from an infection. He finally grew out of it. In the interium only two things helped. The first was a trip to Disney's Hilton Head Resort. The pediatrican figured it must have been the salt water from the ocean. Sadly the eczema came back after we came home.
The thing that cleared it once and for all was a perscription ointment that was new at the time. Our dermotolgist had to get special preauthorization from our perscription insurance because this stuff was $150 per tube at the time. I am rambling because I am not certain of the name. I believe it was Elacon - it been out for about 4 or 5 years. My son still has dry skin & itches occassionally but the redness is completely gone.
If you are seeing a dermatologist, I highly recommend one.

 

[nuke]

I developed eczema as an adult. I have it along my hairline on my forehead, in front of my ears and in my ears. My doctor prescribed Nizoral shampoo and it helps so much. I also use diprolene cream which is a steriod so I only use it if I am really suffering.

I've never heard of the Omega 3 deficiancy thing. I may try it to see if it helps. I get flare ups when I am mid-cycle so I know it's somehow hormone related.

 

[Imzadi]

Two things I've found that work the best after years of dealings with these two - over the counter 2% hydrocortisone cream (not the ointment) and plain old hydration.

My now 7 year old DD used to have food allergies and would have eczema flare ups. What worked best for her was cleansing with cetaphil products and using Eucerin for a moisturizer. If you are buying Eucerin, buy the type in the big tub...it is very thick (almost glue like when trying to rub it in) but it REALLY helped alot with her Eucerin. They also have other Eucerin moisturizing products, but they were thinner and, in my opinion for my daughter, much less effective than the thick stuff in the tub!

We found that the best thing we tried was a combination of otc hydrocortizone cream and Eucerin cream. We mixed them in a 1:1 ratio and put it on the affected areas and it worked well.

This thread has been a godsend!
I've had eczema for quite a while now. It actually got worse the last few weeks as the weather got drier. Also, some days it simply gets worse & I couldn't understand it.

Because of a past thread, I did buy a JAR of Eucerin as someone said to get the thick stuff, not the liquid. It would help to a point, then stop working. Then I'd switch to hydrocortizone. It, too would stop working just as the eczema seemed to finally start going away.

When mbw12 said to buy a TUB, I thought, "Well, this little jar really couldn't be described as a tub." So I went back to the store & definitely got the bigger TUB. It is so much thicker.
I was having a problem buying hydrocortizone too. One time the tube was a thin clear gel, yet a different brand was a thick white cream which worked better. I never realized it came in an ointment & a cream. Now I know how to look for the cream.

I've been using the two of them together as belle&beast else suggested. I've found that patting them both on makes them absorb so much better than if I rub them - which just seems to smear over the surface and not penetrate in.

The eczema still has not fully gone away. But it is so much more manageable now. I didn't know eczema could be food alergy related. I also realized it flares up more on days I eat raw tomatoes. They irritate my throat. I hadn't realized they irritate my skin too.

Thanks everyone!

 

[golfgal]

Head and Shoulders Shampoo, for real. My DS's both have eczema and this really works well for them. They do say it stings the first couple times but they are willing to put up with it because the eczema is worse in the long run then the stinging.

Milk is a HUGE trigger for eczema. I don't know if you have tried that. Also, eczema is VERY common in kids with asthma and tends to get better when they are on maintenance meds like Advair for their asthma. It might be worth it to see an allergy/asthma specialist to see if they have any other suggestions.