Would you go to the doctor for eczema?

[Janeway]

7 yr old has always had severe eczema. We have not taken him to the doctor for it in a few years. We have always been told to use stuff like Cortisone 10 but don't use it much. This is pretty severe eczema. Is it worth checking in with the doctor again on this? Or more than likely, we would just get told the same thing we have always been told and would be wasting our time and the doctors time?

[PrincessMommy]

I would try changing her diet first.  My daughter had eczema for years and eliminating dairy (I know, it's a PIA sometimes - but thank goodness for Almond and coconut milk so widely available) has almost eliminated it.  We started with OTC creams then went to prescription cremes- but when she started having trouble in her armpits (doesn't stay) and eyes we needed to figure out what was triggering it.  Perhaps do some googling to find out what are usual triggers for eczema.

 

IF that doesn't work, then I would recommend a dermatologist. 

 

Good luck. 

[Seasider]

Skin is the largest organ and the body's first line of defense against infection. Go see the doctor.

[Janeway]

I would try changing her diet first.  My daughter had eczema for years and eliminating dairy (I know, it's a PIA sometimes - but thank goodness for Almond and coconut milk so widely available) has almost eliminated it.  We started with OTC creams then went to prescription cremes- but when she started having trouble in her armpits (doesn't stay) and eyes we needed to figure out what was triggering it.  Perhaps do some googling to find out what are usual triggers for eczema.

 

IF that doesn't work, then I would recommend a dermatologist. 

 

Good luck. 

I am thinking it was not as bad when everything we fed him was organic. But after husband got laid off, we stopped with the organic foods. Now he is in miserable shape.

[Zoo Keeper]

My son's severe eczema  was directly related to food allergies....once we had allergy testing, eliminated the offending foods, and got a RX from a dermatologist, things cleared up and did not return.  He's been eczema free for 10+  years. 

 

 

[Paige]

My daughter has eczema and OTC stuff would be like doing nothing. I would take her to the Dr. I'm planning on taking DD back to he doctor soon because her r/x stuff is no longer working and I'm afraid she'll get infected.

 

It's hard to know what you mean by "severe eczema." I mean, severe anything would mean definite Dr appt for me no matter what medical issue it is. When I say severe, I mean lots of open sores that won't heal and her skin would frighten small children. We did allergy testing too but got no hits.

[Amy in NH]

Our doctor prescribed triamcinolone for my kids with eczema and it made a big difference. I think one of my adult kids has another prescription for an atypical eczema on their hands.

[My4arrows]

My DS had bad eczema due to food allergies as well. Once we eliminated dairy gluten and soy he has had perfect skin. This summer we tried adding back in dairy with some cheese and it reappeared again. Elimination diet will probably give you the best results. Unless it's a gmo triggering the eczema, I can't imagine organics alone would help. We were always organic, but the eczema still persisted.

[Arcadia]

My husband's nieces eczema was worsen by shrimp allergy. My relatives have asthma related eczema. Once the main trigger is found, the eczema flares were much less and milder.

 

It's worth going to the doctor or doing an elimination diet or in our case it was laundry detergent and dryer sheets that causes the most problems.

[SparklyUnicorn]

For severe eczema, yes.  I don't rush to the doctor for minor things.  Eczema can be pretty painful.

 

 

[EmseB]

My son's eczema was due to dairy, egg, and nut allergies. The doc didn't mention allergy testing until he had a severe anaphylactic reaction to one food, but once we did a scratch test and eliminated all problem foods he didn't have more eczema.

 

I had a doctor that told me to use creams and bath stuff but didn't address the root cause. My son was miserable. If I had it to do over I would have pursued the cause much sooner and insisted on allergy testing. I didn't know what I didn't know.

Edited August 22, 2017 by EmseB

[Ali in OR]

Eczema can be the result of a food allergy but not always. I found the article I remember reading several years ago about a genetic cause:

 

http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/dec/researchers-discover-genetic-basis-eczema-new-avenue-therapies

 

Anyway, I suffered through eczema as a child, it went away through most of adulthood, and it returned about 5 years ago. My triggers are heat, sunlight, sweat, stress--not food. I know how much relief I get from occasional use of triamcinolone ointment. I only use it during flare-ups, and I only need to use it for a day or two. OTC corticosteroids do nothing, but a relatively low dose of triamcinolone works wonders for me. I can't imagine not trying to find some relief for a child suffering from eczema. I see a dermatologist now, but my primary care started me on the triamcinolone first--no need for a specialist. See a doctor.

[cintinative]

My kids get occasional flares of eczema. Nothing I would consider "severe" but our pediatrician has prescribed some triamcinolone so we can deal with flares when they come.  We also use really mild soap (Cetaphil).  

 

As others have mentioned, often times allergies trigger eczema. I have eczema and mine is flared by allergies and my cycle. When mine is bad (I would not consider it severe, though), I get the weeping kind and it keeps me up at night. I definitely need something more than the over the counter products then.

 

I agree with the others--go see at least your pediatrician, and consider allergy testing, or an elimination diet. 

[sarasue7272]

Please go see the doctor. 

I haven't had a bad outbreak in seven years, but I have had eczema my entire life. The last time it was EVERYWHERE - all over my back and arms and upper body. It really hurt. I would just lay on the bed and be pitiful. I didn't cry, but a child would have. 4-5 times of applying Rx cream very sparingly were all it took to get things going in the right direction. I had already found the cause. That time it was different body lotion. I had used it on my hands for a month or two with no reaction before I started using it all over, so I thought it was safe.

I also can't drink milk. It makes me itchy, rashy, and wheezy if I have enough of it. Just took me 29 years to figure that out! So really, try to figure out what is causing it (even though lots of doctors say it has no cause it might have a cause) and get some cream to treat in the mean time.

[HS Mom in NC]

Yes.  My daughter has it and has 4 medications for it that do different things: one for the itching, two for stopping/preventing it and keeping the pigment from being damaged (she gets it on her face too,) one to seal moisture into the skin. Go to the dermatologist-peds and general practitioners aren't trained well enough to handle most cases.  They're dabblers, not specialists.

[Pawz4me]

At 54 I recently developed a patch of eczema on my lower leg. First time I've ever had it in my life. Mine is about two or three inches in diameter and is, I think, relatively mild. It's still itchy enough to be extremely aggravating and distracting, and sometimes it burns. I had my annual check up last week and the PA recommended OTC cortisone, but it sure doesn't seem to help much (if any). All that to say -- for a young child whose eczema you consider severe -- yes, I'd take him to the doctor ASAP.

[heartlikealion]

Is it symmetrical? We went to a dermatologist to look at a patch on dd and he said he didn't think it was eczema because it was not symmetrical, as in, like two patches behind both knees. She had it one one arm but not the other, or at least not in a similar location.

 

I don't know if that dermatologist completely knew what he was talking about but that is what he said.

[Hyacinth]

Yes.

 

Over the years we tried every lotion, potion, and pill prescribed by every pediatrician, dermatologist, chiropractor, allergist, naturopath, and snake oil salesman  we could find for my poor sufferer. About a year ago we went to yet another doctor (thinking much the same as you, OP: "what's the point?"), but this time was different. Long story short, this dermatologist recommended phototherapy. DS goes once a week and the difference has been significant.

[lulalu]

Yes go.

 

But also it isn't always allergies. I took high amounts of zinc for three months and mine cleared up. Could be a mineral diff.

[Elizabeth86]

Yes. go. My oldest had it for a short time when he was in diapers and it was mild but miserable all the same. Id do all I could.

[Seasider]

Is it symmetrical? We went to a dermatologist to look at a patch on dd and he said he didn't think it was eczema because it was not symmetrical, as in, like two patches behind both knees. She had it one one arm but not the other, or at least not in a similar location.

 

I don't know if that dermatologist completely knew what he was talking about but that is what he said.

Symmetrical? Um, no. It can be, I guess, but that's probably less likely in our experience (4 here with eczema) than random patches.

[Janeway]

Eczema can be the result of a food allergy but not always. I found the article I remember reading several years ago about a genetic cause:

 

http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/dec/researchers-discover-genetic-basis-eczema-new-avenue-therapies

 

Anyway, I suffered through eczema as a child, it went away through most of adulthood, and it returned about 5 years ago. My triggers are heat, sunlight, sweat, stress--not food. I know how much relief I get from occasional use of triamcinolone ointment. I only use it during flare-ups, and I only need to use it for a day or two. OTC corticosteroids do nothing, but a relatively low dose of triamcinolone works wonders for me. I can't imagine not trying to find some relief for a child suffering from eczema. I see a dermatologist now, but my primary care started me on the triamcinolone first--no need for a specialist. See a doctor.

I had eczema as a child and it was weather related.

[Janeway]

My daughter has eczema and OTC stuff would be like doing nothing. I would take her to the Dr. I'm planning on taking DD back to he doctor soon because her r/x stuff is no longer working and I'm afraid she'll get infected.

 

It's hard to know what you mean by "severe eczema." I mean, severe anything would mean definite Dr appt for me no matter what medical issue it is. When I say severe, I mean lots of open sores that won't heal and her skin would frighten small children. We did allergy testing too but got no hits.

when he was a baby, it would cover his entire turso and cause him to wake up screaming. As a grade schooler, it is all over his legs and arms and he scratching resulting in bleeding. Since this is how it always has been, and every time we go to the doctor, we get told to just use that cream, it seems like a waste. Maybe he needs to just go to an allergist.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Have you tried bleach baths?

 

I'd see a good dermatologist and /or allergist.

 

ETA- wet wrapping after bath.

Edited August 22, 2017 by amo_mea_filiis.

[Seasider]

when he was a baby, it would cover his entire turso and cause him to wake up screaming. As a grade schooler, it is all over his legs and arms and he scratching resulting in bleeding. Since this is how it always has been, and every time we go to the doctor, we get told to just use that cream, it seems like a waste. Maybe he needs to just go to an allergist.

Yes, that sounds pretty serious, not to mention miserable for him.

 

People with unattended eczema are more prone to things like staph infections and even type B strep. That's stuff you don't want to mess around with. This child is basically walking around with open sores - please see some kind of doctor. An allergist would be great. Our respiratory issues brought us to allergist in the first place, treating the eczema just went hand in hand with that, prescriptions administered by the allergist.

 

Personally, our family experience with dermatologists has been a lot like our experience with real estate agents - the good ones are like gold, but many of them just weren't at all helpful.

 

ETA my point about a dermatologist is - get references! Ask friends for a name, don't just pick one kindly.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Seasider

[Guest]

I didn't go to the dermatologist for about 25 years even though in my childhood I had severe eczema.  It was relatively under control...and all the treatments were the same and so my regular doctor could just order those up for me.  But when I went back about a year ago, I found that there have been a lot of changes, new meds (which cost the earth, some of them, but there are grant programs to get them....)

 

I kept most of it under control with diet, but even when I was on the strictest of diets, I still had eczema.  It can be allergy-driven, but it also can exist all by itself.  

 

SO, that said, I would take your kiddo to both an allergist and a dermatologist. I

 

have scars on my body from eczema breakouts that got infected (very common!), and until the past year, my skin has always had a "thickened" quality to it.  It doesn't anymore.  My hands look 20 years older than the rest of me because of the scarring, but they are better than they used to be.  

 

I recommend getting whatever help you can, not only for the health benefit, but also because the way one's body "presents" has a lot of emotional impact, and it also affects the way others treat you.  I know I am stronger because I had this, but frankly, there was a lot of commentary I could have done without.  Even at my 40th, one of they guys said, "Oh, I remember you!  You were always scratching!"  It just was a sour note in a lovely evening, 40 years later.  And for most of my life, I have had to dress for camouflage, and my activities have been circumscribed--can't swim in the lake, I'll be sure to get an infection; can't do yard work or sweaty athletics, it will make my skin sting like fury...that sort of thing.  I wasn't able to articulate how this felt until the past year when I don't have the issues anymore...my life was "normal" to me, and I didn't sit around feeling sorry for myself.  But now, now that my skin is almost normal, I know that I missed out on a lot of things, and that I still DO because I formed the habit.  

 

ETA:  It was only in the past year or so that I realized that MOST people don't feel like they have an army of ants crawling all over them 24/7.  THAT is how it feels to always be itchy.  

 

 

[catz]

SO, that said, I would take your kiddo to both an allergist and a dermatologist.

 

 

 

:iagree:

[Guest]

7 yr old has always had severe eczema. We have not taken him to the doctor for it in a few years. We have always been told to use stuff like Cortisone 10 but don't use it much. This is pretty severe eczema. Is it worth checking in with the doctor again on this? Or more than likely, we would just get told the same thing we have always been told and would be wasting our time and the doctors time?

 

Just to respond directly to two things:  

 

1.  Cortisone 10 does JACK for me.  Nothing.  Ever.  It is much better to use a strong corticosteroid and get the skin healed up than it is to keep mini-dosing on stuff that does nothing.  

 

2.  MANY of the OTC and even the generics that are cream-based use a cream that is full of histamines.  (I know, go figure, right?  :::eye roll:::  Use an ointment.

 

3.  If a doctor tells you the same thing you have always been told and you push back and s/he has nothing else to offer, then get a new doctor.  Doctors start at the same point but if you push back and the doctor knows you have already completed Step One, then either you get moved to Step Two or you find another doctor.  That's what my mother did for me and she never stopped until she got help for me.  

 

As an aside, every doctor I ever went to said mine was the worst eczema they had ever seen.  But I got help.  One of my childhood doctors just died and I read his obituary and I realize now that my mom had really gone all out, as he was an incredibly intelligent and compassionate and accomplished dermatologist.  

 

One last thing I will say about finding a dermatologist:  in our area, a lot of dermatologists are focused on the botox/collagen/face-peel crowd.  Find a *medically* focused dermatologist.  It doesn't mean they *don't* do botox etc...but it is not the focus of their practice.  And they don't say things like, "Oh honey, your skin looks TERRIBLE!"  :::scowl:::  They just get after fixing it.  

[Alice]

My husband and two of my kids have eczema. 

 

There is a lot that can be done to make it better/ keep it under control beyond Hydrocortisone....bleach baths, antibiotics if it is colonized, moisturizers that are new, stronger steriods...plus looking for an allergen or other trigger. However, in a lot of cases eczema is not truly curable in the sense that it goes away never to come back. It may if it's very tied to an allergen. But for my kids and husband it's not. So the doctor very well may not be able to say "Do this and it's cured." But they should be able to give you ideas of "Do this and it will be much much better." 

 

If you aren't getting the answers from that doctor, go to a different one or go to a dermatologist. 

[Kassia]

We have been to many doctors with my dd (now 15) with no luck.  She's had eczema since she was an infant and I feel so bad for her.  We've taken her to both allergists and dermatologists and nothing has worked for her.  We've spent a fortune on various creams that usually just made things worse.  She does have times where she has open sores and she also keeps her body covered even most of the summer because she's self-conscious from the eczema.  

 

One of my sons had it very bad as an infant - at one time we were at the hospital for something else and they wanted to quarantine us because they thought he had measles.  It's hard to look at his baby pics because of how bad the eczema was.  He would just scream from being so itchy and it was so hard to comfort him.  He did outgrow it - ended up with asthma for a while, but has been fine since then.  I had hoped for the same with dd, but she never outgrew hers.

 

 

[Paige]

when he was a baby, it would cover his entire turso and cause him to wake up screaming. As a grade schooler, it is all over his legs and arms and he scratching resulting in bleeding. Since this is how it always has been, and every time we go to the doctor, we get told to just use that cream, it seems like a waste. Maybe he needs to just go to an allergist.

I would not go back to that doctor. Get someone who will do something; allergy testing, phototherapy, various prescriptions- there's so much that can be done when cortisone is not effective. There's no need to suffer.

 

We do not see a symmetrical pattern to it. I think my DDs is genetic because my dad has severe eczema as well. He was probably 40 or 50 before he found a doctor who made a difference and he drives far and waits a long time to get in, but it's worth it. As a kid, I remember my dad's hand looked like monster hands. 🙠One was always scaly and bloody and not human looking. Since he found the right treatment he hasn't had a problem.

[Meadowlark]

Yes. My son has had severe eczema his whole life (he's now 9). When it gets really bad and I can't control it, we go to the doctor for a prescription. He's had many things over the years but the prescribed creams definitely work. Clears it right up in fact. My son's knees and legs would get so bloody and scabby that they worried about him getting a staph infection.

[heartlikealion]

Symmetrical? Um, no. It can be, I guess, but that's probably less likely in our experience (4 here with eczema) than random patches.

 

See this confuses me. For the dermatologist to tell me that and me to wonder from that point forward, "okay if it's not that then what is it?" Who diagnosed your family's as eczema?

 

Dh has eczema. Ds had eczema. Though I don't think either had that confirmed by a dermatologist. I do believe theirs really is/was eczema. Ds had the symmetrical stuff. Both feet, both legs. Dh has it on his face and has tried umpteen creams. Dh and I both have psoriasis. Mine was diagnosed by a dermatologist (different dermatologist). Don't know if dh's was actually confirmed by a dr.

 

I tried the steroid cream on dd but I didn't like it exposed (for the cream to rub off on other things or her to touch it) so I tried covering with band-aids. She had a bad reaction to the band-aids. I tried doing it at night with her wearing long sleeves, but most of the time she doesn't want to wear a long shirt to bed. Then I tried sensitive band-aids but they fell off so easily. She still has the tiny raised bumps on her arm, but supposedly they aren't contagious so I'm hoping to try applying cream again when it's cooler and she can cover her arm with a sleeve. We initially went to the dr to outrule ring worm as the pediatrician was stumped as were we.

 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I have only mild eczema but it is completely controlled as long as I avoid dairy and processed sugar. I can have small amounts and be ok but if I push it too far I'll be terribly itchy at night. I have a friend who's the same way.

 

The child of a friend had severe eczema triggered by corn (among more common allergies like dairy and eggs). Corn and corn byproducts are in TONS of other foods. I'd exhaust all possible food allergy possibilities while also seeing a new doctor.

 

It takes a long time off a possible food trigger, and being really strict about not eating it, before you'll see improvement. I didn't realize my allergies and eczema were caused by food sensitivities until I did a Whole30. I had tried cutting things out before but wasn't consistent enough for long enough to see results.

 

Hope you can find what helps your son!

Edited August 22, 2017 by 2ndgenhomeschooler

[Random]

Just my personal experience with a son who had miserable, severe eczema for years:

 

We saw many doctors for many things he was dealing with (including food & environmental allergies).  And, finally we saw one who was able to help his eczema.

 

If I were you, I would go because you never know when you'll get that one doctor who can actually treat you, rather than just masking symptoms or reciting what you could've read for yourself on mayoclinic.com.

 

[fairfarmhand]

It's miserable. Really awful. Take him m to the doctor. Also change his diet.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gingersmom]

As someone who suffered from eczema I can't imagine not going. I kept seeing doctors till I found one that helped me.

 

When my son had it as an infant I immediately sought treatment. In his case allergy testing found the cause and it disappeared.

[Seasider]

See this confuses me. For the dermatologist to tell me that and me to wonder from that point forward, "okay if it's not that then what is it?" Who diagnosed your family's as eczema?

 

Dh has eczema. Ds had eczema. Though I don't think either had that confirmed by a dermatologist. I do believe theirs really is/was eczema. Ds had the symmetrical stuff. Both feet, both legs. Dh has it on his face and has tried umpteen creams. Dh and I both have psoriasis. Mine was diagnosed by a dermatologist (different dermatologist). Don't know if dh's was actually confirmed by a dr.

 

I tried the steroid cream on dd but I didn't like it exposed (for the cream to rub off on other things or her to touch it) so I tried covering with band-aids. She had a bad reaction to the band-aids. I tried doing it at night with her wearing long sleeves, but most of the time she doesn't want to wear a long shirt to bed. Then I tried sensitive band-aids but they fell off so easily. She still has the tiny raised bumps on her arm, but supposedly they aren't contagious so I'm hoping to try applying cream again when it's cooler and she can cover her arm with a sleeve. We initially went to the dr to outrule ring worm as the pediatrician was stumped as were we.

 

DH was diagnosed before we met, but saw a dermatologist as a child. Our kids first were diagnosed by pediatrician but moved on to allergists. We have seen derms for other issues but the allergist and pediatricians (now primary care physicians) have always helped manage treatment.

[Pippen]

Our doctor prescribed triamcinolone for my kids with eczema and it made a big difference. I think one of my adult kids has another prescription for an atypical eczema on their hands.

 

Yes to this! People respond differently to different types of steroid creams. OTC did nothing for me. 

[Guest]

One of the problems with persistent eczema is that it gets infected. So then you have to treat infection. So you keep treating infection and you burn through entire classes of antibiotics. This means that if you get another infection, you are going to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

 

This happened to me.

 

Mercifully, I found other help and over 5 years or more, I got back the use of MOST of the classes of antibiotics.

 

It would have been better to have used the cortisone to heal the sores than to let them stay open to infection. And I would not have been as miserable.

 

I don't blame my doctor. He was TRYING and he never stopped.

 

So yeah, I'm shorter than my growth chart predicted because when I was very young, the doctors prescribed massive systemic corticosteroids. Five feet five inches is normal and so fine.

 

I made up my mind when I was twelve that if using cortisone so I could have a relatively normal life meant 5 years off my life, that was OK. I'm 60 now, and life is more precious but I still hold to that assessment. Eczema was miserable for me. There were a few days each year when I woke up and could not move because my skin was stiff. As I mentioned above, it did not occur to me until a year ago that the feeling of an army of ants crawling over oneself was not a universal experience.

 

I thank God for cortisone, oral and topical. It has been a gift of healing far outweighing the potential risks. I have none of the icky side effects (I know some people do) but that is probably because this is what I need to be normal.

 

I'm writing this screed so that maybe someone will see that there are risks worth taking (cortisone), that it is very hard to understand the impact of suffering on another person, or even oneself ( I never actually realized I "suffered" until about 10 years ago, but calling it what it was --suffering--was a big step forward in learning to heal it, and to say that while suffering has brought me many gifts, I don't see a big benefit in it when it can be relieved toward a better life. And I know that not all suffering can be relieved toward better life. But when it can...do it!!!!!

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I tried the steroid cream on dd but I didn't like it exposed (for the cream to rub off on other things or her to touch it) so I tried covering with band-aids. She had a bad reaction to the band-aids. I tried doing it at night with her wearing long sleeves, but most of the time she doesn't want to wear a long shirt to bed. Then I tried sensitive band-aids but they fell off so easily. She still has the tiny raised bumps on her arm, but supposedly they aren't contagious so I'm hoping to try applying cream again when it's cooler and she can cover her arm with a sleeve. We initially went to the dr to outrule ring worm as the pediatrician was stumped as were we.

 

Cover in gauze and gauze sleeves. You'd put a gauze pad over the creamed area, then slip the gauze sleeve over to hold it in place. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

 

My son is adhesive allergic and we wrap everything. He once fell off his skateboard getting mild abrasions on his torso, leg, and arm. He looked like a mummy for a week! Lol.

[lexi]

My daughter had severe head to toe eczema. It was awful. She was diagnosed with food allergies. We changed her diet. The eczema is completely gone. She is so so so much better now. She's allergic to a ton of foods with dairy, eggs, and nuts being the worst. I only used cortisone once or twice after changing her diet just to hurry along her healing, but otherwise we did it all without meds. One dr wanted her on prescription steroid creams for a year. I found a new doctor and we made diet changes and used tons of lotion (and did wet wraps).

[Janeway]

I need to get him allergy testing for sure.