OT - Elidel: Eczema treatment

[princesstigerlilly]

...we use the Original Moisture Cream in the fat, round tub when my son has a mild flare up. FWIW, I took care of a little boy about 8 years ago that had moderately-severe eczema, and the regular use of this same cream after baths and after washing hands kept it under control

Here it is http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=16893&catid=10401&trx=PLST-0-SEARCH&trxp1=10401&trxp2=16893&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-SEARCH

 

[DiznEeyore]

...we use the Original Moisture Cream in the fat, round tub when my son has a mild flare up.

That's what we use, too.

FWIW, I also use it daily. I don't have eczema, but do have contact dermatitis and get little red bumps on my forearms and on my legs. When I use the Eucerin every day, those bumps are *gone* and my skin is perfectly smooth. LOVE that stuff!!

 

[DawnMarie]

For my son(11) we use a product called "Eczema". It works great for us. It's an over the counter lotion(ordorless) that has hydrocortisone in it. It has worked better for him than the Eucerin lotion. Its $10 a bottle and is normally on the bottle shelf in the store. We buy it at the CVS. I dont know if walmart or Target carries it.

We also use perfurm and dye free detergent.

 

[HamTown]

kmk160 sorry if you thought I was yelling at you I've heard so many people think it is a steroid and I'm guessing some physicians aren't making the distinctions to parents.

Glad to hear good things about the Eucerin cream. I have contact dermatitis on my upper arms myself so I may just have to try it.

 

[wendithepooh]

I have battled eczema most of my adult life.It started about 3 years after I had started doing hair.The DR pushed Eucerin so I used it all the time.Almost 2 years ago I went to a dermotologist and he treated me,but unsuccessfully.He finally decided to do a patch test to see if I was allergic to anything.It wasn't the scratch test like for air allergins.So they put 24 commonly allergic things on my back and left it there for48 hours and then another 48 hours and checked it.I was allergic to 7 out of the 24.They said it was pretty high %.One of the things was Lanolin found in Eucerin that they had been pushing on me for years.Now that I know what these things are my hands hardly break out.If you have questions about what is causeing these things ask for a patch test it is called the T.R.U.E. Test and you can find info on-line.The great thing about knowing what I am allergic to is that I can stop using them.The dr said that it will never get better.It will only get worse.You cannot build an immunity to them.Horrible huh?

Elidel was a joke for me and now I'm glad I didn't use it very long.

I feel for everyone that is going through this.

 

[PatsGirl]

After six months with a patch of what turns out to be eczema on the backside of her ear I mentioned it to my DD9's dr during a routine 4th grade physical. I thought it was just her failure to dry well behind there and then tuck her long wet hair ebhind her ears -- oh well, not getting the mother-of-the-year award again this year

Dr prescribed clotrimazole and betameth creamtar (just reading it off the tube ya know) which cleared it up in NO LIE, two days. I can't believe she lived with this for many months and I kept berating her for not being more pro-active about it.

Don't know if my sad (or neglectful ) story will help anyone but... it would sure make me feel better, lol.

Brenda

 

[Natalie77]

I was curious if anyone has tried the Aveeno coillated oatmeal bath? I have seen this at walgreens but we haven't tried it yet My dd 8 has had eczema pretty much all her life. We do the hydrocortisone and eucerin, but am always looking for something else that could provide her some comfort. I know someone earlier mentioned soaking in a sea salt bath, but this seems like it may sting her skin?? I don't know I may be wrong. Anyways it has made me feel better knowing that others are suffering with this. Sometimes I feel guilty like there was something I could have done differently so she would not have eczema? I know that is probably stupid, but you know how it is when you have kids I always feel like I am blaming myself for something. Anyways thanks for the support I love this board!

 

[ncbyrne]

I'm glad I found this thread. My DD and her DD (my DGD) age 9, both suffer from eczema on their face! The pediatrician recommended Eucerin and said to slather it on heavily. Never mentioned it should be applied after a bath. I'm going to tell my DD about all the posts of advice and maybe some of these tips will help.

 

[jlodoj]

My son (4) has eczema. We use hydrocortisone cream, eucerin, aveeno oatmeal bath as well as the aveeno baby wash. We only bathe him three to four times a week. We do wash him every night though! When his eczema flares up, I use a little bit of eczema oil on that spot. This is oil in a bottle that was prescribed by the dermatologist. We tried elidel a couple of years ago, but it didn't help our son.

 

[Small Town Princess]

My DD (7) and DS (4) have both battled this awful condition from about 4 months of age. My son's is EXTREME! We have used every medication and wonder drug known to man. We have tried chiropractors and natural herbals. We have had complete allergy testing done three times. We have tried hords of doctors and specialists. Each time you get a new doctor they want to start all over and try everything we have already tried. It is such a horrible feeling when you are told that there is nothing more that can be done.

The doctors have assured me (yah right) that the amount of Elidel they used to test those lab rats was 500 times as much as what we are putting on our kids and that's why they got cancer. I'm sure they are getting kickbacks from those drug companies for saying that. But in our situation there isn't much choice. Do you watch you're child scratch themselves bloody and develop staph and every other infection? Watch them scream in pain when water touchs their throbing raw skin? Have everyone stare and ask what's wrong with them or whisper like you can't hear them??? Our kids have to have some kind of life here and now. I hope and pray everyday that I'm doing the right thing.

Here's what we have found to at least keep it at a managable stage:
1) Daily short baths with no soaps, shampoos, etc. Not too hot or cold.
2) Hydropacking- which is to "grease" them up with all the meds, put on warm, wet cotton PJs (long sleeve), and then dry cloths over the top. You must leave the wet cloths on until they dry. The kids hate it (I can't blame them) but it helps.
3) For meds we use Elidel (when it stops working we alternate to Protopic) on the worst spots and Aquaphor everywhere else. When it's really bad, we use steroid ointments (creams do not penetrate as well). The kids feel like little greased piggies but it's the only way. WARNING: That Aquaphor stuff ruins clothes. Especially elastic on underwear.
4) Listening and watching them SCRATCH continuosly is enough to drive a person insane! Make sure to clip finger nails every couple of days.
5) Cotton everything.
6) Diet is a tough one. My son is allergic to EVERYTHING (even lettuce). Make sure they are drinking fluid (water, gatorade, etc.) all day. Yogurt is great. We can always tell a big difference if we can get him to eat it. We have also found Probiotics very helpful. Sprinkle and hide in food. Watch out for food containing dyes- red and Yellow are big triggers for us.
7) Extreme temperature changes are bad. Pollens, dusts, molds, trees, weeds, etc. are also very bad for us. We have to run our AC from spring through fall in Iowa.

I hope this helps someone. I wish everyone luck. I feel your pain.

 

[Questlove]

For those of you that are recommending the Eucerin lotion, could you please specify which product you are referring to? I purchased the Aquaphor with 41% Petrolatum and have just started using it with little success. Please clarify. Thanks!

I didn't know that there was another type of Eucerin, the one that I used that did not work on dd was also Aquaphor. I will look for the tub one and try that...thanks guys.

Small town princess, I feel the same way. It hurts me everytime she scratches her skin so hard. I cut her nails and file them down every other day.

 

[Lorikr65]

My husband has eczema and psoriasis and what works best for his is AmLactin or Ammonium Lactate (prescription).

 

[jckdisneybound]

I feel for all your kids, I have eczema ALL my life and have been to the dermatologist more than I can count. The regular white Euricin works great, Dove soap is awesome, have used it all the time. Being down south always clears is up Hopefully we'll be moving to Florida soon.

One thing that people have mentioned that helped me as a child was the cotton pjs, some times when the flairup is wicked bad, benedryl at night can control the itching. My parents also used to pin my dad's tube sock over my arms and pin the to my pjs at my shoulders. I would still scratch but would do as much damage.

The things that really stink, luckily my flairups are mostly weather (winter) and stress related. But the normal progression for eczema is allergies (mine keep getting worse and worse) adult onset asthma. I haven't hit that road block yet, but was told don't be surprised when I get it. Im 34 now and they're surprised I don't have it yet. So unfortunatly usually this a condition that truly lasts a lifetime.

 

[ang]

Eucerin lotation can by this in stores? Which stores?

I feel for all your kids, I had it since I was little. I tried so many things... I do wear cotton...I live in t-shirts....LOL...

 

[Questlove]

Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update and inform you that the reason that my dd "rash" was getting worse was because it turned out to be scarlet fever. Today was my third visit to the doctor's office and it turned out that she only had the rash symptom. No fever, no sore throat, nothing other than the rash on her back and chest. The doctor decided to do a strep test even though my dd did not have any swollen lymph nodes or trouble swallowing or anything in that department. The test came back positive.
Thank you for all of your helpful information on eczema & other suggestions.

 

[Gretchen]

Hi,
Haven't posted in a long time, but just had to respond to this thread. Briefly_
DD has suffered with the big 3: allergies, eczema, and asthma for the last 8 years. What we do: cotton everything, shower, not baths every night. Use baby soap (liquid) or oil of olay sensitive skin bar soap. Clean wash cloth every night. Use free and clear detergent. Tide is really bad, if you have to use it (it does clean really well) double rinse and use about half what they tell you. White cotton sheets on the bed. Bed is bagged with plastic-the cheap kind from Wall mart. Just before pollen season in the spring she goes on clairtin. If the asthma is bad, we switch to benadryl. The key is to avoid getting itchy and or dry. DD is supposed to slather herself with fragrance free lubriderm. This burns a little if she is red, so she'll use vasiline. If she gets broken out, we will use the prescription strength cortisone cream. One other thing that has helped is a scalp oil for psoriasis. I'll post the name if anyone is interested. DD is better in the summer than winter. You can do bleach baths too. This will kill the bacteria on your skin that causes the infection when you scratch. One reason DD is a lot better in the summer, we have a chlorinated pool. Put a half cup of bleach in with the tub water, swish around in there for a bit, rinse and slather the lotion, etc.
Dr. told me about the bleach bath.
Thanks,
Gretchen

 

[annakris1973]

My DBIL has terrible eczema. I was suprised to read that nobody has tried DIETARY changes. He went through all of the different creams and medications, but it wasn't until he cut out all dairy products that he saw an improvement. He uses all Johnson's baby products, perfume and dye free detergent, all cotton clothing, and soy products instead of dairy (he loves Silk chocolate 'milk'). Every now and then, he'll break down and eat ice cream, and you guessed it, within 24 hours he is itching and scratching again. I don't know if this will help anyone, but it sure did make a difference for him.

 

[Gretchen]

Oops. Forgot the diet stuff. Son was allergic to dairy, soy, eggs. Cut all that out, and no more eczema. He's ok now, no allergies. Even eats eggs. Go figure. DD had sensitivity to eggs, milk, but no out there allergies. We cut out the eggs for a couple years-she's fine now. Her eczema is more environment, not diet related. Oh, while nursing my son I couldn't have any dairy, soy, etc. tried the vanilla rice milk-great on cereal with none of that weird soy after taste. Well, weird to me!

Gretchen