Page 1 of Help with Eczema please.

Hi all,

This is not for me but my sister. Her 3 year old has very bed Eczema and has had since she was a few weeks old. Her doctor just keeps giving her some crap cream that does not work and basicly doesn`t seem to give a s***. I did not know how bad this was until the other night. Jasmine (my sisters Daughter) started scratching her legs. This got worse and eventually she was in tears and her legs and hands where covered in blood. This really hit me and i understood for the first time what my sister was going through.

Has anyone got any ideas to help this. I found this site but not 100% sure whether to give it a go or not. Any advise would be great.

Cheers

The Jackal

This item was edited on Friday, 14th July 2006, 16:18

Ok, the stuff you have found contains 1% Hydrocortisone. This would be the healing part of the lotion. The rest will be to moisterise the skin. You can get 1% Hydrocortisone here Note it says if should not be used on under 10`s. That fact alone would make me stere clear from what you have found. Hydrocorisone is a steroid and can damage the skin if used incorectly.

The problem is people will pay what ever it takes for a cure. Firms know this and some take advantage. I am not saying the one you have found are, but be carefull.

Ask to see a different doctor or have a look here http://www.eczema.org/ There are links to local groups. They will be a wealth of info.

Good luck.

Dr 42%er.


It`s not easy being different. It`s not easy being cool....but somehow I manage....

Aw bles :(


All my family suffer from Eczema especially my brother who has had since a baby. I would recommend making sure you take the child to a good skin specialist.


I use 'Forever Freedom Products' which really helped me. I drink a detox drink and use a moisturiser … but not sure if it is suitable for a 3 year old :( .

I agree with sminty she needs a referal to a peadiatric skin specialist its worth checking on NHS direct if they need your GP to do the referal or if they can do it themselves.

The problem with alot of creams used to ease the discomfort of eczema is that they are toxic and most are only licienced for adult use unless prescribed for short periods for children as they accumulate in the liver.

There are also issues with steriod use in developing children.

Hope she gets the help she needs soon

mmm chocolate

I`ve had Eczema for years,used loads of different ointments and creams from my GP all i discovered was that they thin your skin.

What i did discover was cutting down on sweet stuff it seems to stop the itching and allows the Eczema calm down and eventually dry out,sadly it`s never gone away just under control now (well it works for me but were all different).


(A.C.C Founder)

Please research this first, it was a long time ago and I`d hate to advise anyone wrongly but I read something a long time ago about using oats in the bath. Basically just put oats in an old sock or the toe of a pair of tights (or stockings if you`re saucy) and tie it to the tap so the water runs though it.

A friend of mine has eczema and she found that cutting out dairy helped her a lot.

Actually cutting out dairy helped me - I don`t have eczema but I used to have bad mood swings which were linked to stomach cramps until I switched to soya milk - now I`m not mental anymore (well not much) :) .
I have Keratosis Pilaris on my arms which are a bit unsightly but at least they don`t itch. I truly feel for anyone who suffers with eczema.

I`d go with the see the skin specialist. I have relatives who suffer from Psoriasis and another with eczema on their legs (yes, they scratch it until it bleeds). The one with the Psoriasis has been admitted to hospital a few times for intensive treatment to control outbreaks. Some of the creams/ointments prescribed are very powerful and use of steroids will thin the skin over time. I work with a Slovakian girl and she has very bad skin all over, even now she wears a cardigan in work and heavy foundation makeup. Her doctors back home had been prescribing her these creams for years and now her skin is quite bad, it`s basically like she has body dandruff :(
It maybe worth trying to see an alergy specialist if you can, as they may find something that she is particually alergic to (dairy products etc) which may help control/eradicate the eczema.

LB2

I also strongly recomend getting the little one to a skin specialist. I work on a childrens ward and deal with bad cases of eczema on a regular basis.
Steroid cream can be used but in certain ways and in certain strenghts so buying over the `counter` is not the answer.
The eczema association website is good and can give info towards finding specialists in your (your sisters) area.
Skin prick testing is another really good route especially on a 3 yr old and can show up very unexpected results which could also make a huge difference to the skin.
As for scratching................finger nails cut as short as possible, a gentle handcream (if hands arent sore) to soften skin and nails to prevent breaking the skin and get the GP to prescribe a different sort of general use body cream as the skin can build up resistance to one used for long periods. Hope some of the advice everyone has given helps in some way or another

Juls

I was put on a dairy free regime from the age of about 3. I was lucky enough to see one of the top alergie people in the country. (all though he could not find a vein to save his life. Ouch) This is in the days when GP`s did not bellieve allergies were real. It really did help. Eczema, asthma, mood swings, bed wetting and consentration all improved, my mum says within a week. The good old skin prick test. It`s not as bad as it sounds. Well the itching after was if I remember. Any way, good luck.

Dr 42%er.


It`s not easy being different. It`s not easy being cool....but somehow I manage....

I`ve heard about the oats in the bath one too. Apparently it does work (at least to relieve for a while). This was from adults, so you might want to ask a specialist...