Infected Eczma keeps reoccurring - what now?

[Catbert]

DD2 (20m) has periodically suffered a mild patch of eczma on the backs of her knees, a smidgen on her neck and under her arms. It's always been "ok" and we cream, and it has never been too bad. Occasionally she would have bubbles in the bath and normal shampoo.

All of a sudden one day she developed an enormous, horrendous looking rash all over tummy and back, and was clearly in distress, itching and such. I really thought it was chicken pox all over again! Docs gave me anti-biotics, mild steriod cream, emollient for the bath and aqueous cream. Have been regularly applying aqueous cream as often as poss. NO lather products at all. Steriod cream once a day after bath, ran the course of anti-biotics. All cleared quickly and skin looking great. Moment I stopped using steriod cream and anti-biotics and it flared up all over again. The eczma on back of knees now gets really bad quickly and gets almost scabby unless it is creamed excessivly and often. Docs prescribed another course of anti-biotics and told me to not worry about using the steriods because it was better to keep it all under control than to stop using it too quickly because I was worried about steroids (0.05%).

NOW it looks like it could flare up again and I have only just stopped the next course of anti-biotics, and have run out of steroid cream.

WHAT is it all about? I am having so much "advice" it is making my head spin (don't eat oranges, tomatoes, have I tried removing wheat / dairy etc from diet?, it's an allergic reaction and I should ask for a blood test to see what she is allergic to, but docs are loathe to do this? Steroids are just treating the symptoms and I am not looking for the cause etc etc etc)...

Help? Can anyone advise? Is this short term? Is this for life now? How on earth do you work out what is causing it? Can I ask for a blood test? Eczma doesn't run in the family, but asthma does. Are mild steroids that bad if we use long term?

Sorry this is long... Any messages appreciated. Not back on MN until tomorrow now. Night all x

[Elibean]

Poor DD....sorry she's going through this. Not much help, really, except to say I had the same advice re using the steroid cream immediately and unsparingly - stop the flare up asap. DD's grown out of her eczema now, and never got as bad as needing antibiotics - but if I were in your shoes I'd definitely be using the mild steroid cream ongoingly. We used it almost daily for about a year, on small patches. I think its preferable to infection.
That said, I understand totally how much you want to find the cause...I hope that works out for you...but meantime, I'd use the steroid cream ongoingly.

xxC

[wavingordrowning]

dd (then aged 3) had really bad problems with infected eczema adn we were looking at the recurring cycle of steroid creams and antibiotics just as you describe. After loads of trial and error we have made huge progress and have not had any steroid cream or antibiotics for over a year. Every case is different but just in case it may help you dd here is our extensive list!

we use a cream called Eumobase (boots, superdrug etc BUT not available on prescription) each night after her bath and more frequently if her skin looks dry. At one point I was using it 4 times a day. We use Aderma bath stuff in the bath (not available on prescription) and Diprobase cream as soap. Never use bath bubbles and use a sensitive skin shampoo as sparingly as possible. Aveeno (cream and bath product) is our back up - this is available on prescription. We also use Living nature Manuka oil and honey antiseptic gel (www.livingnature.com) on any cuts, grazes, suspicious looking patches which I check for each evening after her bath. there is also a soothing evening primrose oil and manuka cream which is good too. Manuka is meant to have natural antibacterial properties.

Changing our washing powder to Surcare has completely cleared ds's eczema and has also helped dd's skin. It's easily available. I also hear good things of Boots own brand sensitive skin washing powder but I haven't tried it.

Sorry to go on for so long but I really hope that you get soemhting useful from that long list of skincare products - I know how worrying it can all be. Good luck.

[KBear]

I know you have had loads of "what not to eat" advice but I couldn't pass by without saying that my DS gets excema if he eats bananas.

His face used to crack and bleed when he was a baby as well as other patches on him which weren't so bad. I read on a US site about banana allergy and stopped giving him them. Two weeks later, excema gone. Really, it worked like a miracle.

He's now four, his skin is smooth and clear, and he does have bananas occasionally and he's ok but sometimes might have one a day for a couple days, say at nursery and he'll get a little patch of it somewhere so he goes back on a ban!

I wish you every success if finding your cure for your baby but I had to share mine in case it's "the one".

[Catbert]

Thanks Elibean for the advice on Steroid cream!

Hmmm. Bananas? She loves em. Perhaps I'll try stopping them for a while and see what happens. It's got to be worth a go!

Think I'll have a trip to Boots this morning and check out the washing powder and creams!

Thanks all.

[GREATauntymandy]

only read title so forgive me if I dont answer properly!!.
My eldest son had terrible excema when he was little, he grew out of it, well all but little bits now and then.
I treated it with sudacream! We were under the hospital and nothing they gave us worked. (yuk warning) I used to clean out the puss! and pack the hole with vream and them bandage for bed. Did this every night after bath and it cleared up. When mild used steroids to keep at bay. now he gets contact excema when eating apples so doesnt eat them unless cooked.
He cant eat any raw fruit, but can have juice or cooked fruit.
His worse reaction was to citrus and anything with citric acid in. hope this helps.

[wavingordrowning]

Remembered loads of other things as I was dropping off to sleep! sorry to bombard you with what may be useless information but really hope that something might work for your dd. the national eczema society is a really useful place to contact. they have a website but I can't remember what the address is. We got loads of useful tips from there eg

dont' use fabric conditioner;

wash clothes at 60 degrees if at all poss and/or give clothes an extra rinse to remove all soap residue.

Duvets are not a good idea as it is quite difficult to regulate the temperature. Generally, dont' let the child get too hot and sweaty.

Keep finger nails really short so that they can't shred the skin and scrub under the nails with a nailbrush to try and keep germs at bay.

Good luck. (will probably remember loads of other tips as soon as I press the Post Message button!)