atopic eczema

[jessgray]

the dr says ds has allergic eczema or aka atopic eczema. and to use sorbelene cream on it will this clear it up or just make sure it doesnt get dry and itchy?what else works?its just a red rash at the moment on his back and chest.

[kymmy]

Eczema seems to be worse when the skin is dry so sorbolene helps to keep it moisturised.
We use Pinetarsol in the bath and Dermeze afterwards is good if it gets really bad.
:fingerscrossed: You can keep it under control.
Do you know what he is allergic to?

[jessgray]

nope we dont know what its a reaction to yet so i am going to try and figure it out. i think its something he has alot. thanks for tellign me about those products :)

[jessgray]

is there anything else i should do to prevent it from getting worse?

[Ana Gram]

Make sure the sorbelene is unscented and any creams and lotions you do use are also unscented.
Don't use soap in the bath either. No bubble baths ect as that can make it worse. There are a million creams and lotions on the market, talk to your local chemist and see if you can get some samples.

[jessgray]

is huggies bath wash for dry skin ok for eczema? i think its the yellow label one? i'm off ot the chemist later:)

[jasminesmum]

I only use products on my dd that have no sls in them. Not sure about huggies.

Also be careful of what you are washing your clothes in.

[jessgray]

what would be the best stuff to wash DS's things in? his stuff is normally washed with everything else.and we use surf brand laundry powder.

[twinkles]

Hi!

I have very bad eczema, as does my niece. We have both found three things that work really well.

1. evening primrose oil capsules - burst one and rub it gently into the affected areas before bed and that helps reduce the inflammation greatly and aids with moisurisation.
2. any really nasty areas can be aided by using Lansinoh (the sterilised lanolin used for sore nipples when breastfeeding). It allows for a wet heal and immediately moisurises the area. Any very very bad spots can be covered after application with a medical pad and taped in place with paper tape, or if it is on the hands, you can use a pair of cotton gloves etc and left on overnight, it is amazing the results you can get from this. Lanolin is a fat and can cause light staining. Any lightly affected areas can have a little gently rubbed in twice a day and the results speak for themselves.
3. Pure sea water. I have personally found that regular trips to the beach make a massive difference, adding normal salt to a bath doesn't do it, but soaking in the real thing is tremendously helpful.

I use all three as needed and they have stopped the need for steroid treatment

I hope all this helps

Twinkles:)

[jasminesmum]

I use Amolin sensitive for all my washing or Earth Choice.

[almond eyes]

I use Omo sensitive for al my washing.

[Ana Gram]

is huggies bath wash for dry skin ok for eczema? i think its the yellow label one? i'm off ot the chemist later:)

I wouldn't use it but we have had some awful flareups using bath products. Check the ingredients thouroughly to make sure there is no perfumes or fragrence in it. Also don't take the chemist word as gospel, one tried to convince me to buy a $35 cream which he was sure would cure it.:rolleyes:

[nemosmum]

My ds has allergic eczema too well he did but its gone now and has been gone for about a year:smiliedance:

I highly recommend getting your son allergy tested, we did when ds was 7mths old and we put him on the elimination diet and his skin cleared up within a couple of months and has been clear ever since!!!

Some triggers of allergic eczema-

Foods

Dairy foods
Tomatoes
strawberries
Citrus fruits

Environmental

Dust mites that live in carpet, stuffed toys, heavy curtains,beds, pillows etc
Winter weather can cause skin to dry out and create a eczema rich environment
Summer weather, in hot weather the crevices get hot and sweaty and create a good environment for eczema

Products

soap
perfumes
washing detergent
all sorts of products can irritate the eczema prone skin


My suggestions would be get some Eledel cream if the eczema is really bad as this will help relieve the eczema quickly, it is $ BUT does not contain steroids like alot of eczema creams

We use cetaphil products for bath times

I would suggest an allergy test ASAP to find out what is causing the eczema as then you can prevent it in the future

We also saw a natropath and loved what she did for our son, naturl remedies can really help so check this out too:)

Good luck:fingerscrossed: and i hope your bub gets better soon!

[kymmy]

There are many ppl who think they can cure eczema.

You can only try to keep it under control.

We use Amolin and Earth Choice( which is cheaper and lasts longer)
for washing clothes.

Most of the baby products aren't very skin friendly due to the added fragrances.


If you can get to the Beach that is helpful for some.
Unfortunately my boy isn't fond of the water - he rather play on the sand.

[nemosmum]

If you can get to the Beach that is helpful for some.
Unfortunately my boy isn't fond of the water - he rather play on the sand.


Yeah my dad has a salt water pool and its great for swimming in UNLIKE all those public chlorinated pools, especially the indoor kind:mad: they are really not very good for eczema prone skin

Last time we took ds to the allergy clinic his paed. was amazed by his skin and commented that it looked like he'd never had eczema at all!

But you need to be very strict, sometimes i catch dh giving ds chocolate or a milkshake and i have a freak out coz i know the build up of the stuff his allergic too will cause alot of problems!

[kymmy]

Yeah that is right - chlorine is not kind.
Jessgray, I suggest you get an allergy test done so you can help avoid the triggers.

[jessgray]

thanks guys :)
i am going to ask for an allergy test when i see ds's peadtrician next. i am suspecting it may have been triggered by strawberries or laundry powder.he had strawberries around the time the eczema first appeared.

[Milly]

What we do:

-No soap or soap based products (this includeds Johnson & Johnson "soap Free" and Curash or even Huggies - they are not really "soap free" or gentle at all.)
-Use a senstive washing powder or detergent
-QV Wash and Oil is fanastic!
-Zinc cream is great for drying out the eczema when it is weepy. Great great stuff!

And worse case scenario - Hydrocortizone 1% cream from the chemist BUT you must consult with your GP first (and this is only when nothing else has worked and if it is causing too much discomfort and as your child is still an infant) AND only use is very, very sparingly over a very short amount of time (a couple of days). Just enough to get the anger out of the rash, and then continue with the other treatments like what is mentioned above. Only use this on particulalrly stubborn eczema. But, hopefully, once you discover the triggers, you wil not need it at all:yes: I, as an eczema sufferer, have not used a Hydrocortizone cream for about 10 years. :D

[kymmy]

Yeah I was just talking to someone today and she was able to give me some info about the difference between soap and body wash.
The more pure the better - and the pH balance matters.
So even though a child doesn't react to a product it may still dry out their skin and in turn aggravate the skin.

[jessgray]

i have some hydrocorisone 1% cream already :) its the only thign that works for my eczema on my ankle (of all places lol) i havent used it on ds though. but i have noticed its starting to get dry on his cheeks. he has it on his upper chest,upper back near his neck and its starting to travel down his arms.

would this work: DP came up with this last night. because i think strawberries may have caused the eczema would rubbing soem strawberry on a none eczema spot like his leg show if it was the strawberry? i have no idea if that makes sense lol

i wrote down all the products you all mentioned :) so i am off to see what is availble at the chemist and what they have to order in for me lol

[Notchalk]

i have some hydrocorisone 1% cream already :) its the only thign that works for my eczema on my ankle (of all places lol) i havent used it on ds though. but i have noticed its starting to get dry on his cheeks. he has it on his upper chest,upper back near his neck and its starting to travel down his arms.

would this work: DP came up with this last night. because i think strawberries may have caused the eczema would rubbing soem strawberry on a none eczema spot like his leg show if it was the strawberry? i have no idea if that makes sense lol

Firstly, don't use cortisone on the face - it makes the skin thin, and the face is already a sensitive area... it can also bleach the skin (look at DH's ankles...)

Secondly, the direct skin test is not as dumb as it sounds. The usual way to do the allergy testing is to do a little skin ***** and put the allergen on it (or the other way around, not sure)...

We use either Amolin Sensitive or Purity Laundry Liquid for washing, and either pinetarsol or QV Bath oil for the bath (rare - we usually shower him with water only). After the bath, immediately we apply plain sorbolene with 100% pure RoseHip Oil mixed in, and we have advantin fatty ointment/dermaid cortisone for the flareups and problem areas. But we don't use this more than once a week, I'd say. Lately I have discovered paw paw cream, which is really good for getting the red areas under control without using cortisone at all!

However, lately his whole body has flared up and is spotty - so not sure what's going on! Mandarines are new... that's all I can think of.

HTH!

Jo

[JnA]

Hi

I know you have had lots of sadvice already and some excellent suggestions.

To add another 'experience' to the mix:
- we use QV bath oil and QV cream daily.
- omo sensitive washing powder
- and watch water temp. (Jades eczema started in winter and the doctor said it may be caused by the fact that we tend to run the bath hotter than normal in colder weather which can irritate teh skin)

We have also (for another thing) been to an emergency department, and the doctors there gave us two different creams, one for the face, one for the body. I only use them when there is a flare up and sparingly.
I was worried about using steroids on such a young bub, but a couple of medical personel and some actual sufferers of eczema said they have used such creams on young people with little adverse effects. (although anecdote is generally worthless)

I tried the Huggies 'sensitive' with negative results. I would steer clear of all such products. Besides, the QV bath oil is lovely (my hands feel great!) and it leaves the wash cloth nice and soft after it dries - added bonus!

Good Luck

[jessgray]

thanks for the advice :)
i might try rubbing soem strawberry on ds's leg to see if is the trigger. it started to go away but its back again. the sorbelene cream and Qv wash seem to be helping.

[jessgray]

ds's skin has cleared up since he hasnt eaten strawberries:smiliedance: so we found the culprit lol

[kymmy]

:thumbsup: Excellent news Jessgray.

[jessgray]

:smiliedance: i am so happy :) just have to add strawberries to the no go list for ds lol