Eczema

[Danestress]

I need to change something for my 12 year old. He's always had very mild eczema, and we've always been able to manage it with hydrocortisone and just keeping the skin moist.

 

It's around his face now, though, and I don't want to put steroids there.

 

He's an athlete and play 2 or more hours of tennis most days, so cutting back on showers is not an option for us. But I would like to switch him to shampoos and soap that will be more gentle, and I would love any other suggestions. His face looked inflamed tonight around his eyes:(

[WeeBeaks]

My 7yo has very severe eczema. Here is what our allergist has recommended in terms of soap and lotion: Dove fragrance free, Eucerin, Aquaphor. Eucerin has "calming cream" that sometimes helps DS. It absorbs well so would presumably be suitable for a face, non-oily. There is a Eucerin body/bath oil soap targeted at sensitive skin given to us in samples that seems to be working well on DS in terms of washing but keeping his skin very moist.

 

You probably already know it, but moisturizer is best put on when the skin is still moist from a shower to absorb better.

 

We have to use prescription items as well, but those are the regular recommendations given to us.

 

If the facial eczema is new, did he change soap or anything new lately to cause a flare?

[TheCoffeeChick]

The past few months I've been having extremely horrible eczema. I finally went to the allergist, and told him I had been keeping the showers to only every other day, but he told me that I was doing it wrong! He said I need to shower every day to get the moisture into the skin. He also said the best time of day to do this was right before bed and to keep the temp as low as possible. Immediately after patting off from the shower, I was to apply a moisturizing cream to my whole body and spot treat the bad areas with the steroid cream. I after months of dealing with bleeding eczema it went away! I still get itchy if I don't moisturize constantly, but it is so much better than it was.

[abbeyej]

Our pediatrician speaks very highly about some Scandinavian studies that showed (relatively) high doses of probiotics could drastically reduce eczema in children. I didn't have to put it to the test, since limiting ds' allergens helped, but it certainly sounds like an innocuous thing to try. He didn't suggest a particular brand or dosage...

[Quad Shot Academy]

Taking Zyrtec twice a day at the first sign of a flare up has "cured" my son. We were using steroids on his face for about 6 months and had no hope of ever controlling it, when a specialist at Children's Hospital told us about new studies using Zyrtec. You use it twice a day at the first sign of itch or rash and use it for a week after it has cleared. He was on it for about 6 months, then we weaned off and he was on it off and on for a while, but I have not had to give him any for the past 6 months. Benadryl is ineffective.

[Tree House Academy]

I will have to try the zyrtec. My son has terrible exczema this year as well. It has never been this bad before. Wonder why?? Our dr said to use hydrocortisone, but it is not working...and I hate to use steriod cream all the time. Thanks for the suggestions. :)

[Quad Shot Academy]

I will have to try the zyrtec. My son has terrible exczema this year as well. It has never been this bad before. Wonder why?? Our dr said to use hydrocortisone, but it is not working...and I hate to use steriod cream all the time. Thanks for the suggestions. :)

If you remember, let me know if it works. He said the studies are exciting because they always thought that the rash caused the itch, but now they know that the itch causes the rash.

[Samiam]

Not to get on a soapbox, but eczema is often a sign of food issues. Our skin is our largest organ, and will often show us signals that something is "off" internally. Unfortunately, we are not trained to notice these signals as such, but instead, just use something that covers up the signal.

 

Red food dye is a common cause of flare-ups for eczema. Although I know alot of people think changing diets is just too hard, but baby steps will often show the path that this is what needs to be done to correct the issue. Start with eliminating red food dye, which is in ALOT of foods, even ones you would think should be naturally red, ie ketchup, or cranberry juice. And orange or blue/purple products often use red food dye.

 

Another cause is acidic foods such as orange juice.

 

See if a few changes like this help. They won't be over night fixes, as it will take a while to clear out what's in his system, but they will be long-term fixes.

 

Also, alot of lotions that Dr's recommend, such as Euchiprin (spelled wrong, I know) do more harm than good. Anything that has laureths/laurates in it, is just a toxic chemical. It's not going to fix the problem, again, just cover it up. Look for more natural products, such as essential oils. Lavender oil, mixed with a carrier oil, such as Almond Oil or Coconut Oil, will do WONDERS, and no toxic chemicals within.

[smrtmama]

I need to change something for my 12 year old. He's always had very mild eczema, and we've always been able to manage it with hydrocortisone and just keeping the skin moist.

 

It's around his face now, though, and I don't want to put steroids there.

 

He's an athlete and play 2 or more hours of tennis most days, so cutting back on showers is not an option for us. But I would like to switch him to shampoos and soap that will be more gentle, and I would love any other suggestions. His face looked inflamed tonight around his eyes:(

 

Do you have a dermatologist? If not, it might be time to get one. We're currently using a phenomenal prescription emollient moisturizer on my daughter that has worked wonders.

 

In the interim, though, have you tried a calendula-based cream?

[Danestress]

that could determine sensitivity to certain food? I definitely wonder whether there is a food issue, but I can't begin to decide - wheat? Milk? I would pay to know!

[Danestress]

Thank you for the input.

[Quad Shot Academy]

that could determine sensitivity to certain food? I definitely wonder whether there is a food issue, but I can't begin to decide - wheat? Milk? I would pay to know!

 

My son was solely breast fed when he developed eczema and I was on an allergy diet myself. My son was tested for allergies using a blood test and we did numerous allergy elimination diets too. When we went to see the specialist at Children's, the first thing he did was hand me a packet of studies showing that eczema is not caused by food allergies, but that the allergies can worsen the symptoms.

 

You can get blood or skin tests or you could do an allergy elimination diet to find out for sure.

[Dobela]

I need to change something for my 12 year old. He's always had very mild eczema, and we've always been able to manage it with hydrocortisone and just keeping the skin moist.

 

It's around his face now, though, and I don't want to put steroids there.

 

He's an athlete and play 2 or more hours of tennis most days, so cutting back on showers is not an option for us. But I would like to switch him to shampoos and soap that will be more gentle, and I would love any other suggestions. His face looked inflamed tonight around his eyes:(

My son's eczema is worse after dairy. We also have to use dye free fragrance free laundry detergents and such. When his was really bad, he wore only cotton clothing because the blends didn't allow his skin to breathe properly.

[Caitilin]

One of my dd12 has had it for years, but lightly; this winter it's been much worse--hormones, maybe or just winter. Anyway, she switched to drinking almond milk over cow's milk, and has had almost instant relief. It was a pretty easy switch for her, once we found a "milk" she liked. Try something like that first, and see if it helps. If not, take it to the next level. That's my advice--I don't do a lot of doctor visiting, though, so know that that's my bias.

 

We also use coconut oil after bathing to seal in moisture. I try to avoid petroleum-based products like Eucerin and the like--petroleum and skin shouldn't mix, IMO.

 

I hope you find something that works!:grouphug:

[Jenn in Mo]

For mine, a simple RAST blood test did the trick. We discovered he has an allergy, of all things, to beef. Beef! Within a week of stopping beef, his face cleared up on its own. Within one meal of spaghetti a few weeks later, it flared up within the hour! We also noticed that after we dropped the beef, we weren't constantly reminding him to - p a y a t t e n t i o n - anymore. It was a constant mantra before. He also stopped falling out of chairs.

 

Anyway, it's likely not a beef allergy necessarily, but I think allergies are always a good place to start just in case it's something as easy as removing a food from their diet.

[Amy loves Bud]

Romy had terrible eczema her first winter. A local friend mentioned fleece. Well, she was sleeping in a fleece sleepsac and I wore a fleece jacket most days that her little face was mostly resting on.

 

I eliminated the fleece and it cleared up almost immediately.

 

I don't know if it was something about the fleece itself or that it was just very drying, but it made a huge difference. If he's wearing a lot of fleece, you could try that.

[Samiam]

My son was solely breast fed when he developed eczema and I was on an allergy diet myself. My son was tested for allergies using a blood test and we did numerous allergy elimination diets too. When we went to see the specialist at Children's, the first thing he did was hand me a packet of studies showing that eczema is not caused by food allergies, but that the allergies can worsen the symptoms.

 

You can get blood or skin tests or you could do an allergy elimination diet to find out for sure.

 

 

There's probably a Dr. down the hall who could hand a packet of studies that shows food allergies DO cause exzema.......these studies have to be taken with a grain of salt. If Dr's buy the drug companies propoganda hook, line and sinker, the Dr's just tend to go with the flo and say whatever is "in" these days. It often pays off to see a Dr' who is open to alternative ways of thinking, meaning let's talk about what's obvious. If my child drinks cows milk, his eczema flairs up. If I stop letting him have cow's milk, his eczema dies down. Obviously, his skin is still sensitive, so I also have to be careful with what detergent I use, what body products he uses, the whole works.

 

So, okay, maybe food allergies didn't CAUSE the eczema, it was all of the environmental factors affecting his sensitive skin, but food issues certainly affect the eczema in a negative way. Watching intake of certain foods can make eczema go from a horrible uncomfortableness to a mild case that is barely noticed. Then adding in the other factors, ie body products, fabrics, etc, eczema will virtually disappear without any steriods, prescriptions, or any other intervention from "modern medicine".

[gandpsmommy]

Dd has had very mild excema since she was a baby. Last fall she had a more severe and very persistent bout of it on her face. It started as a small rash and spread, and we just couldn't get rid of it using over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream and our normal moisturizers, as recommended by her regular doctor. We finally went to see a dermatologist. He prescribed a stronger hydrocoritsone cream for her to use for a short period to begin to get rid of the rash, and then recommended that she wash with a gentle, mositurizing cleanser for sensitive skin and follow with a similar moisturizer. He gave us a few samples, and we chose Cetaphil cleanser and mositurizer. It has worked well for her for over a year now. He told us that when a rash gets severe, the skin can become irritated by things that wouldn't normally bother it, and that sometimes it would take a stronger dose of hydrocortisone cream to stop the reaction and get the skin to calm down a bit.

 

I don't think it helped that dd is a gymnast and was exposed to chalk dust three or four times a week at the gym. But now that it is under control, she does fine with the chalk dust just by washing after practice and using her moisturizer.

 

Good luck figuring out what will work for your child!

[lllll]

Eczema is caused by food allergies a large percentage of the time. When it is not, it is often caused by environmental toxins.

 

Try eliminating wheat, dairy, eggs, and nuts from his diet and see what happens.

 

For soaps and lotions, look for phthalate-, petroleum-, wheat-, dairy- and nut-free products. The best line I have found that meets these standards is California Baby.

 

Yep. This is what gets rid of eczema in our family. Dairy products are especially eczema-inducing. When 3rd ds was a preschooler he had eczema in various places - legs, arms, a little on his face - so I took him to an allergist, because I know it can leave scars. He was questioning me about his diet and one of the things he specifically asked me was, 'Does he drink a lot milk?'. I said yes (rather proudly, btw), that he even figured out how to pour his own and gets it anytime he wants it. And he drinks a LOT. Well, this doctor about jumped out of his skin. He YELLED, 'NO! Don't let him do that! (etc. etc. etc.)' I was stunned.

 

Anyway, we didn't eliminate dairy until much later. Ds continued to have some eczema. But when we went vegan (which means no dairy, among other things) his eczema disappeared entirely. Which leads me to believe that most of the doctors KNOW the real cause - but they ALSO know that most people will NOT change what they eat. Thus, the endless prescriptions, allergy shots, etc. But have you ever noticed how thin and healthy many of these doctors are ....... ;)

[HollyDay]

We recently saw a dermatologist for our 13 year old. She said eczema often gets much worse at the start of puberty.

 

She recommended using Cetaphil for soap and moisturizer. She said to get the various "weights" of lotions and layer them as needed.

 

Zyrtec for 2 weeks solid to quiet the flare, then as needed was also strongly advised.

 

She prescribed Atopiclair, a non-steroid cream, for the face and other sensitive areas like inside elbows, etc. She also gave us a prescription steroid cream to be used as needed, but NOT on the face since it will strip the pigment.

 

She advised no dairy at all.

 

Shampoos have been a problem for us. Dd has VERY curly hair so we have a double issue. The dermatologist said to rotate products to reduce the chance of one becoming an irritant. She said to avoid products with lots of ingredients we couldn't pronounce and ones that have known irritants like sodium lauryl sullfate (that does not look like I spelled it correctly). We could try one of the cetaphil liquid soaps for shampoos, but that would be too harsh on the curls.

 

Other misc. advise, avoid dyes and perfumes in laundry soap. Use a high thread count sheet. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, even if you don't think you really need to.

 

I have never found the acidophilus to really help. We have certainly tried it, but I did not see a major difference.

 

However, I have seen a difference when we use New Chapter Berry Green. Our pediatrician mentioned this one last year. His wife got some and started giving it to one of their children. He noticed the child's allergies and eczema improving. We have the same thing here. When dd takes it regularly, her allergies and eczema are better - not gone - but better. No idea why on this one.

[delaney]

I don't want to sound like I am on a soapbox here but here goes:

Eczema is a SYMPTOM not a condition that can be cured or treated. Allergies are the underlying cause and you need to discover the culprit before you can really address it. My kids have huge food allergy issues and eczema was always the marker. Oddly 2 of them react to milk yet don't test positive for the allergy. You may need to try remove dairy for at least 3 weeks so it exits his system and then try something else. When we met with our allergist at Georgetown University Hospital he was really firm about this. There is a girl in DDs dance class that is covered with eczema to the point where people stare at her. Family refuses to get rid of the dogs b/c they say that isn't the problem. If my kid looked like that I would be ripping out carpet and everything else on the list of usual suspects.

[hornblower]

DD & I both get flare ups when we get sloppy about taking our EFA's.

When we again take our salmon oil capsules (Alaskan wild sockey) it gradually goes away within a week or so of taking double doses, then we go back down to a regular dose.

 

I tried flax seed oil years ago & it helped, but not as well as salmon oil.

[abbeyej]

that could determine sensitivity to certain food? I definitely wonder whether there is a food issue, but I can't begin to decide - wheat? Milk? I would pay to know!

 

Dana, I would go to the pediatrician and ask about blood tests. If it were me, I would ask about the ImmunoCap Childhood Allergen Profile -- but there may be other names as well. It's a simple blood draw and looks for antibodies to the most common food and environmental allergens. If everything comes back negative, you can feel more confident that true allergies are unlikely a major factor in this. (Sensitivities to dyes or some such could still be a possibility -- that wasn't an issue for us, but then, the kids don't get a lot in the way of food dyes or preservatives either.) If he gets a couple of positives, I would recommend following up with a pediatric allergist. (And with positive results, a referral should be pretty automatic.)

 

T *obviously* (to me) had some food allergy issues going on when he was quite small. Our ped (at the time) didn't take me seriously til he ended up in the hospital. But we had tried elimination diets, and they were just not helpful because there were so *many* things at work. Having blood tests to give us a starting point helped tremendously...

 

Whether or not food allergies *cause* eczema doesn't really concern me. It's quite clear that they can make eczema *worse* for many people, and that eliminating those allergens to the best of our ability can drastically reduce eczema symptoms (and other symptoms and signs of inflammation, etc). So I definitely think it's worth doing.

 

But I'd also try the probiotics. Check Whole Foods (or similar) for refrigerated probiotic powders, then mix in a small amount with yogurt (with "live and active cultures") each day -- unless, of course, you determine he has a problem with dairy, then you can buy the dairy-free probiotics and mix with juice, etc.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Do you have a dermatologist? If not, it might be time to get one. We're currently using a phenomenal prescription emollient moisturizer on my daughter that has worked wonders.

 

In the interim, though, have you tried a calendula-based cream?

 

Do you have the name of the prescription? Does it have steroids?

I appreciate any info:)

[Sandra in FL]

Protopic, Elidel, and all kinds of creams. When I found out he had severe allergies and we removed the allergens, the eczema completely disappeared. He doesn't bathe that often - a lot of spot wiping (but he's only 8 years old). He also takes cod liver oil daily and is casein and gluten-free.

 

For ds, eczema is just a symptom of whatever allergen he's exposed to. Remove the allergen, and his skin is beautiful. The same applies to his asthma. He's drug-free as long as the allergens are controlled.

 

When he gets older and body odor becomes a problem, I plan on using coconut oil after baths. Some ladies on this board have suggested it as a natural deodorant.

 

HTH,

Sandra

[Quad Shot Academy]

I won't quote anyone directly, because I don't want to be argumentative, but I just want to say one more thing.

 

At the time: I was a home birthing, non immunizing, non chemical of any kind, preservative or coloring of any kind, mom. Doctors kept telling me that my son's eczema was caused by allergies, even though the tests were negative. I got rid of all chemicals (I only had very few to begin with), only had cotton clothing, washed his clothes and mine in special detergent. I went on an allergy diet myself so my milk would be safe. I lost 30 pounds in six months, yet his eczema only worsened. I used homeopathic medication and herbs. I was afraid to even use lotion because I have always heard that if you cover up the symptom of the body, the child will develop allergies and asthma. I finally weaned him and put him on a allergy diet, yet it worsened. I used coconut oil for lotion and as a food. Then, I tried expensive lotions, cremes, salves and homeopathic cremes, yet it worsened. It got so bad that my Naturopath, Chiropractor and later, Pediatrician would not treat him. They said his life was in danger from infection and it was spreading to his face, so the scars would spread to his face now too. At the time, I thought they were being dramatic by saying his life was in danger. I shudder now, when I realize just how much his life was in danger. A baby in Australia died of untreated eczema. My son is allergic to all the antibiotics he has ever been on, so if he had gotten an infection, there may not have been a treatment for him.

 

So, we went to see the specialist. I had no intention of using steroids and certainly not an internal medication. He spent a long time showing me studies and trying to convince me that my son needed treatment. He says parents come in all the time not wanting to treat, convinced it is allergies and if they can just keep the kids away from allergens they will be fine. According to him though, studies show, that eczema comes and goes with no rhyme or reason. Parents that believe flare ups are caused by allergens, take note when they kids flare and blame it on a "cheat" but when the kids "cheat" and don't flare up, it goes unnoticed. It took me 6 months to move from topical steroids to an internal medication. I would take Zyrtec any day over having to use three different steroid cremes three times a day.

 

I believe all of you that say a food allergy diet has cured your kids, but my point is just that it doesn't cure all kids. Of course people should look into allergen connections and try natural remedies first. I also think producing fear in people about treating eczema is a dangerous road to go down. (I am not saying anyone in this thread has done that, but I do know people said a lot of things to me about the dire consequences of treating the symptom of eczema.)

[smrtmama]

Do you have the name of the prescription? Does it have steroids?

I appreciate any info:)

 

 

It's non-steroidal and is called Hylatopic. It's a brand new (less than a year old) prescription and quite expensive (around $130 a bottle), but was the only thing to calm my baby's full body eczema flareup. A lot of dermatologists have coupons so you don't have to pay more than $25, though, and one bottle lasts forever.

[Marylou]

Renew lotion by Melaleuca helps every single time with my children's flare-ups (on their hands).

[joannqn]

I'm firmly in the allergen camp too. DS had severe eczema as an infant. It turned out to be detergents. I rewashed every fabric thing in the house that could be washed in water only with an extra rinse. His clothes, my clothes, DS's clothes, DD's clothes, all bedding and blankets, and our slings. I also stopped using any soap or shampoo on him. Almost all of it went away within a week or two never to return. One spot on his foot would not clear up; I used triple antibiotic ointment on the spot after a friend's dermatologist father said that bacteria is often a problem with eczema. It cleared up. Now he only has a problem if he uses the wrong soap. I let him use glycerin soap. Shampoo doesn't seem to be a problem. I wash all of our clothing in All Free and Clear liquid, half the amount the bottle says to use, and a double rinse for every wash.

 

I broke out in horrible eczema for the first time ever in November. I'm 99% sure it was my IUD...and allergic reaction to it, so I had it removed last week.

[Quad Shot Academy]

You know, you are right. There is a small proportion of the sufferers of eczema who have pure, unadulterated, plain ECZEMA. I should have made that clearer in my original post--please forgive me.

 

I have been down the path your son was on. Every doctor I ever saw, I was his worst case evah. I burned through all the *classes* (but one) of antibiotics treating the resulting infections. My greatest help has come in the past 5 years, but it is not *gone*. Nevertheless, getting rid of the allergens and all did make it better...but not gone.

 

So yes, your point should be noted. I should have done a better job.

 

No worries! I wasn't talking about your post Patty Joanna! I wasn't really talking about anyone in particular.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I won't quote anyone directly, because I don't want to be argumentative, but I just want to say one more thing.

 

At the time: I was a home birthing, non immunizing, non chemical of any kind, preservative or coloring of any kind, mom. Doctors kept telling me that my son's eczema was caused by allergies, even though the tests were negative. I got rid of all chemicals (I only had very few to begin with), only had cotton clothing, washed his clothes and mine in special detergent. I went on an allergy diet myself so my milk would be safe. I lost 30 pounds in six months, yet his eczema only worsened. I used homeopathic medication and herbs. I was afraid to even use lotion because I have always heard that if you cover up the symptom of the body, the child will develop allergies and asthma. I finally weaned him and put him on a allergy diet, yet it worsened. I used coconut oil for lotion and as a food. Then, I tried expensive lotions, cremes, salves and homeopathic cremes, yet it worsened. It got so bad that my Naturopath, Chiropractor and later, Pediatrician would not treat him. They said his life was in danger from infection and it was spreading to his face, so the scars would spread to his face now too. At the time, I thought they were being dramatic by saying his life was in danger. I shudder now, when I realize just how much his life was in danger. A baby in Australia died of untreated eczema. My son is allergic to all the antibiotics he has ever been on, so if he had gotten an infection, there may not have been a treatment for him.

 

So, we went to see the specialist. I had no intention of using steroids and certainly not an internal medication. He spent a long time showing me studies and trying to convince me that my son needed treatment. He says parents come in all the time not wanting to treat, convinced it is allergies and if they can just keep the kids away from allergens they will be fine. According to him though, studies show, that eczema comes and goes with no rhyme or reason. Parents that believe flare ups are caused by allergens, take note when they kids flare and blame it on a "cheat" but when the kids "cheat" and don't flare up, it goes unnoticed. It took me 6 months to move from topical steroids to an internal medication. I would take Zyrtec any day over having to use three different steroid cremes three times a day.

 

I believe all of you that say a food allergy diet has cured your kids, but my point is just that it doesn't cure all kids. Of course people should look into allergen connections and try natural remedies first. I also think producing fear in people about treating eczema is a dangerous road to go down. (I am not saying anyone in this thread has done that, but I do know people said a lot of things to me about the dire consequences of treating the symptom of eczema.)

 

:iagree: As an RN I have to agree that many times prescriptions are needed and can be a blessing. Of course, I am also interested in natural remedies as well, but there are many conditions where prescriptions are truly necessary.

[ChrisB]

My oldest DD just had a flare up and I started giving her Vitamin A and Cod Liver Oil--mostly Vit. A. And it is helping!

[Quad Shot Academy]

Oh, but I meant to point this out in my post, and I forgot.

 

I note you are from Colorado. I spent 30+ years in Boulder, then moved to the Seattle area. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Colorado...but my skin is better here! (smile)

 

My mom lives in Seattle, so I have spend quite a bit of time there. I prefer Portland more though. I was thinking the other day that if they Zyrtec didn't work for my son, I would have had to move to a moist climate! Portland or VA would be my choice!