Eczema on lips

[forevermore]

DD aged 8 has had terrible eczema since birth. After a long battle and lots of appointments/treatment we now have it controlled on body but it's now around her mouth and lips. We have tried steroids but concerned about frequent use on delicate skin (lips). Would anyone have experience of how to treat this area. She recently started getting cracks in skin and rash around and in corner of mouth and we have been given fucidin (antibiotic) which is helping. But i wonder if there is something else we can try. So far she isn't too bothered but I worry that other children will start to notice and make her conscious of it and her self esteem has already taken quite a battering this far. should we use steroids AND fucidin it try for ANOTHER referall as GPs haven't been knowledgeable if new treatments in the past. Hoping someone here can help. Thanks.

[sagalsmith]

Hi, the most obvious thing I can think about is a reaction to food. There's a good chance that it might be gluten. Sugar is another common culprit. Go on to amazon and read customer reviews on books about food intolerances (not allergies which is something completely different). Steroids and other meds are only treating the symptom but not ascertaining the cause. Also, unfortunately simple pin prick tests, whilst useful for some, is simply not accurate enough and may not be sufficient. Too frequent antibiotics will also cause problems for her gut bacteria and its something to really watch out for long term. Hope this helps. A cheap/very good but harder way of finding out is simply with an elimination diet. Lots online. Good luck!

[sagalsmith]

Oh yes, also might be lactose intolerance since you mentioned it started from birth.

[eragon]

it must be very sore at the moment as its infected, poor baby!

for sensitive skin areas doctors prescribe lower doses of steriod creams.

Steriod creams for eczema are pretty tightly controlled, strength wise, a lot has changed since I was a child, and its my generation that show the side effects of skin damage.
Also my generation didnt have the moisturizers to replace lost water in skin, just the steriod.

I would continue to use the steriod creams as directed, and keep up the eczema daily treatment routine.

winter is a horrible time for face and hand skin damage, due to drying effects of wind and cold on exposed skin.
Centrol heating is another added wear on skin.

I would say USE the prescribed stuff now, as if you leave it, infection and skin damage will eventually lead to the doctor having no choice BUT to give higher strength steriods if left too long without treatment.

I am sure you have already run the gauntlet of pinning down a cause allergy wise as you have had 8 years of this battle, so are environmental allergies a factor for your child? for e.g dust mite?