any eczema experts please advise needed.

[Gillyan]

Hello

My DD2 13 wks has had eczema since she was 6 weeks. She is FF. Has it badly on her face, neck and chest. Also has it all over her torso, back, legs, arms, backs of knee's etc. Tends to stay on the face and neck and clears up a bit on the other areas.

Saw GP a few wks ago and he gave me some Hydrocream...I had tried E45 and it seemed to make it worse. used that but then did some research on web and got some Oilatum bath stuff and the cream, that has been working lovely, it had all almost dried up, but over the weekend it flared up again, lots more cream and it's less red.

Anyhow, I am quite happy to manage it like this as it doesn't get to the point where it is weeping or infected etc.

Can any of you recommend anything else I could be doing? Have read a few similar threads and now know not to use fabric softner. Any reccomendations on a soap powder?

Thanks.

[dogonpoints]

surcare washing powder is worth a try. More importantly still, set your machine to extra rinse.

Go back to the gp regularly and try different emollients until you find one that seems to help. You can get oilatum and much more on prescription.

[nigglewiggle]

I am no expert, but DD2 has had it since a few weeks old. After trying E45 which also made it worse and prescribed diprobase which didn't really help - I looked on here and heard about Aveeno. I bought some at first and it was miraculous, I then found out it was available on prescription and happily GP will prescribe bath oil and cream. Different things work for different people, but this is universally praised.

Also, I use Surcare washing liquid, with no softener and I don't bath her very often.

HTH

[Phoenix]

Both my brothers had really bad eczema and they had Alphaderm cream, Balneum bath oil, and Polytar shampoo. My mum used surecare wash powder for their clothes.

[Phoenix]

I think Alphaderm is a steroid cream so not to be used too much though. Have you tried Aqueous cream?

[PacificDogwood]

Avoid biological washing powders, extra rinse a good idea.

No bubble bath in the bath. Get good bath additive, Balneum Plus and some others have anti-itch ingredient.

I really agree try different emollients/moisturizers til you find one you like and are happy to use frequently. DS2 and I love Epaderm but Aveeno v popular too.

Cotton clothes for baby, wash before first use. You can get special ones with no/flat seems for severe eczema

Keep fingernails short, scratch mits for tiny babies.

Do NOT put baby on very restrictive exclusion diet (when weaned) without medical/dietician help, this might (I said might, may not) help skin but leave you with malnourished child

It does get better with time, usually, so do not dispair. Get referral to derm clinic/nurse led clinic if you are struggling to get them to show you wet-wrapping techniques.

[wheredidmyoldlifego]

Hi Gillyan,

Our DS had eczema from about the same age and still does (he's nearly 5 now).

Definitely agree with nigglewiggle that Aveeno is worth every penny (did not realise you could get it on prescription so that's great). Use it myself too so great not to have to double up.

We found using oils such as cold pressed sunflower oil with lavender is good (currently using bonbon baby oil from 'nothing nasty') and feel all the E45, epaderm and all other paraben / petroleum based products on prescription make his skin sooo much worse.

We eventually realised reducing baths to about twice a week helps, plus when getting about of the bath, try not to dry his skin but pat him dry and ensure the Aveeno bath oil is still on his skin or stick some more on. We always out him in full pyjamas too so he cannot scratch his arms or legs too much through the material.

Finally don't find any fabric softeners or soap powders made things better or worse - even tried those little green balls which wash the clothes well but did not improve his skin so stick to normal soap washing powders.

Hope that helps.

H x

[dogonpoints]

Bathing every day with emollient in bath water and creams immediately afterwards helped dd2's skin enormously so just take note about what works for you.

[Gillyan]

Thats really great guys thanks for so much detailed information.

i will book her in to see GP again this week and think I'll ask for some of that Aveeno on prescription. Do they do a bath oil too then?

have heard a few times that water can actually irriate but then all the creams say that they are mre effective after bathing so I've been trying to bath her every day mostly every other day thinking the bath oil with help and then slapping all the cream on. Do you think I should ease of the baths then?

[Gillyan]

dogonpoints how funny, cross posted with u, was just typing anothe rpost asking about bathing!! I do feel that bathing her often is helping.

[dogonpoints]

water on its own isn't good, but water with emollients added can be extremely soothing and cleansing and helps teh creams/ointments sink into the skin post-bath.

[MegBusset]

Lots of good advice here so not much to add, but as far as baths go, the current medical recommendation is to bathe at least once a day (using specialist bath oil like Aveeno or Oilatum and slapping on the emollient straight after). This is to help prevent infection. However, as with all things eczema-related, it's not one-size-fits-all and some people do find that bathing less frequently suits them better.

Oh, and do get a referral to a specialist -- GPs are not always that well-informed and a consultant can do things like allergy testing to help identify triggers.

[alypaly]

have you gotasthma, eczema and hayfever in your family

[alypaly]

e45 can sting some people.
diprobase,doublebase,emulsiderm and epaderm creams are brilliant.If you want a thicker one ask for ointment.
Bathing with oilatum ,hydromol,aveeno is benificial.

Aveeno is oatmeal and helps stop itching.
If itching is really bad i think the doc can tailor phenergan to suit her age but check up on that one.
Put mitts on at night to stop scratching.

If you suffer from cold sores, important not to kiss whilst her skin is broken.

[Gillyan]

have you got asthma, eczema and hayfever My MIL said my DP's skin was the same when he was a baby and he's 36 now and still has the most unbelieveably dry skin on his shins thats worse in winter, no eczema though. I suffer from hayfever, but it only started when I was about 17 so not had it since being a baby - coupled together our allergies have clearly set her up with this!

baths thanks for clearing that up, it does seem to be working, the bathing every day with the oilatum in, I'm now putting cream on her 3 times a day too.

Off to the shops today to buy that Surcare, have always used Fairy Non Bio since having DDD1 ( now 3.6 ) but will start doing DD2's things seperately.

I've booked an appoint this morning to see GP tomorrow and I am going to ask for some more things on prescription, I had bought the Oilatum and didn't realise u can have it on prescription. Thuink I'll ask for the Aveena bath stuff and cream and give it a go, just to see if it dramatically improves at all. The Oilatum does seem to do the trick although it has never completely gone.

i agree with herecomesthesciemcebint I don't believe anything particular i scausing ther flare ups as she's not weened yet, I think it will just happen at differing severities. I will ask for a referral to a specialist though just to see if there are any allergies.

I think it must be easy to underestimate how uncomfortable it must be for them! If Ihad skin like that I'd be so sore, poor little babes. I must say she doesn't seem too bothered by it, she's rarely cry's about anything but recently she had bouts of screaming for no apparent reason and all I could think was that it was the eczema

sleepsuits I am using mothercare ones that are lovely and soft and have flattened sleeves and they have built in scratch mits too.

sunsuits good thinking - I am planning out first abroad holiday in 10 yrs for next year and had already thought I would buy a sunsuit for her as she'ss only just be 1 when we go, won't be doing that now!

Thanks all so much for all the detailed replies, you guy's have a lot more time and advice than the GP's!

[ruddynorah]

for washing clothes use no detergents or softeners. go to 'inasoapnutshell.com' and get a bag of soapnuts. wash all her clothes before she wears them from the shops. same with bedding and towels.

for baths use no detergents. use porridge oats in a sock or a pop sock with a knot in the top. let the bath watre run through the sock and squeeze the sock a few times in the water. you can even wash her body with the sock. it basically makes a lovely gentle milky water with no irritants. oats are the active ingredient in aveeno.

after bath use emmolient (whichever you find best, i like diprobase, some like aveeno) straight away. don't rough dry skin just blob the cream on.

if you have a long clear spell you may find her skin will tolerate 'hols and horns' products. they contain no nasties. think i introduced these when dd was 2 and was starting to really need a proper hair wash.

all of the above helps keep the eczema away.

while she has actual red scaly eczema patches you need (in my experience) a steroid cream (go will start you on a low dose). you apply this thinly twice a day to the red bits and keep applying it until it goes first sort of yellowy, then is totally smooth. don't just stop using it when the redness goes. if there is any roughness keep at it. better to clear it properly than have to keep using steroid cos you've stopped too soon.

don't apply steroid any time near when you've done emollient. leave at least any hour inbetween. so if you bath at bedtime fine, do that. then do stories ar what not, then do steroid. don't just stick the steroid over the emollient.

[alypaly]

Gillyan ..morning

I suffer with a similar problem to your DH.
Just incredibly dry skin on my shins. At times it cracks and looks like crazy paving.It annoys me so much ,especially when i come home from hols with a good tan and then i start looking like a lizard.
" weeks ago i asked my doc for some salicylic acid ointment 2%...a large pot 450g and i havent had dry skin since.

I looked it up in my book and the condition is called icthyosis.( scales of a fish)