steroid cream - your thoughts

[jembelina]

DS excema just seems to be getting worse and worse. Rather than flaring up it just seems to be continuous:banghead: Went to the doctor today and in desperation accepted a script for steroid cream (sigmacort 1%). Up until now we have been using elidel successfully, but it seems to have stopped working. I am really not keen on using the steroid cream, but at the same time want to relieve ds symptoms as much as possible - the poor little thing is covered!
I'm just wondering what other poeple think about using steroid cream?? Do you use it? Are you against it?Do you swear by it? Is it a last resort? Etc,etc!!

[bigglet]

I know there are a lot of mixed reactions to using steriod creams for eczema but for me I would rather hit the nail on the head and get it cleared up within a few days rather than suffer for weeks using products that just don't work.

I suffered severe eczema when I was pregnant and tried practically everything under the sun and avoided steriod creams because of my pregnancy - until it came to the point where I needed serious relief - my OB said it was ok to use it as long as it wasn't long term use.

With regard to children I will use steriod cream if it is the last resort and nothing else I have tried have worked. I would rather the relief rather than the suffering - as a eczema sufferer myself I know what it is like. As long as you don't use it long term then I think that is ok - I've used Elocon and Sigmacort and only had to use it for a few days before I got total relief whereas I went through months trying other creams and health alternatives to no avail.

[Ana Gram]

We have tried just about every natural cream out there on the market in 2 1/2 years and they really didn't do much good. DD's skin would just get used to them and flare up again. We have two creams now Sigmacourt for her face as you shouldn't put steriod cream on the face and Elecon for the rest of her body. It wa sthe only thing that has kept DD's ezcema managable after the last dreadful head to toe flare up.

[jembelina]

i would try different natural treatments before resorting to steroids on my kids:)


That's exactly how I feel, which is why the tube is still sitting on the kitchen bench unopened! We are waiting on an appt at the childrens hospital, but apart from the fact taht I have heard the waiting list is 12 months, the doc told me today, it will simply be a matter of eliminating things at his age anyway. It is so frustrating because, regardless of excema I am very concious of what he eats - he has a very simple, fresh, homemade diet. We are currently using an aromatherapy blend made by my mum, but it has only been 5 days, so not sure how it will go. I have been looking at that honey, might give it a try! Tahnks for your quick reply!

[kymmy]

We have all steroid creams under the sun for our boy. He has had severe eczema for almost 2 1/2 years. We rather not use the steroid as it has not helped any way. The way our doctor explains it is to put it on like crazy but only for short periods (a few days).
My boy's eczema is ok atm and we just use Dermeze and Pinetarsol in the shower/bath.

:hugs: I know it is difficult.

[bubbles28]

I myself have had eczema since I was a baby and have used steroid cream all my life. I have had no side effects from it and continue to use it.
My DS also suffers from atopic eczema and pretty much has it all the times. He is allergic to dairy, egg, tuna and peanuts. We avoid all of these foods and basically he only eats fresh produce meats and bread and he still has eczema. We have tried all the natural creams and non have worked so we need to use the steriod creams. I really try to aviod puuting anything on his face and if need be only use the sigmacort 1% for face.
I try to keep his skin moisterised by putting Dermeze on him twice a day..this helps with the eczema a bit.
When I was young I use to get it really bad on my legs. My parents use to put the steriod cream on my legs then get wet bandages and wrap my legs in them and put glad wrap over the wet bandages. I use to have them on over night and in the morning the eczema would almost be gone. It is something worth trying if your child has severe eczema, it works wonders...sounds silly though!

[Miaow]

Ejs recently had some excema on her chest (from teething according to the doc) - some 1% hydrocortisone cream has cleared it up in 3 days (using it morning and night). I'm just hoping it doesnt come back. The chemist suggested some Hamilton Oil which is parrafin oil and it didn't do a thing really

[Little_Toad]

I dont think 1% hydrocortisone would be too bad.. just dont use it on the face.

Try use the elidel except in bad flare ups.

have you tried protopic?
I find it heaps better than elidel. it lasts longer too.
You can get it from getpharma.com (get the .03% for kids)

[m0nal1sa]

We've been using cortisone creams on DS for about a year. After his quick bath at night, we put QV lotion on him then cortisone cream. But only for 10 days, then he has at least a 4 day break. We often don't have to go the full 10 days.

His excema mostly flares up if he is teething, unwell or eats something that has trace of nuts or eggs to which he is allergic. We try and avoid all trace of eggs or nuts, but it is not always possible as products from overseas do not have the same food labelling laws.

Washing his clothes in hot water and using a sensitive skin laundry detergent has also helped to reduce the severity of outbreaks.

m0na

[Miaow]

I dont think 1% hydrocortisone would be too bad.. just dont use it on the face.


Agree there about the face....When EJ was 1st perscribed hydrocortisone cream it was for a rash on her face - It made the skin red, imflammed and thick flakes appeared :( It was only after that that I found it shouldnt have been used on the face - wish the doc had known that! She luckily doesnt have a problem though with it on her body and it worked well this last time.

[mythreelittlemonkeys]

Matilda just been prescribed Egocort 1% for her face!! eek! so what do I do...she has a referral to specialist but not sure when appoint will be...no natural stuff has worked and my poor baby all red, flaky and inflame dand bleeding on face so I was rather hoping this would help the doc said to use really sparingly...

[Whispers]

doctor gave me a script for ds b4 i used it i tryed bepathan and amazingly in 3 days it was cleared up

[TammyB]

My son had a coin eczema on his back that would not go away. We were only using Hydrozol which was doing nothing for it. A dr told me that coin eczemas are very hard to get rid of so we didn't try anything else for a long time. Then it started to really irritate him and it was weeping from him rubbing his back on his change table/floor/bed. So we took him to the dermatology dept of the hospital here and they gave us some cortizone cream (strength 2 on their scale of 4) and it had completely disappeared within 2 weeks and has never returned. If only we had done it sooner for the poor little guy.

[xkwzit]

DD1 had a bit of eczema, it started when she was about 3 yo and we've had it for over a year now. We tried all sorts of moisturisers, the over the counter steroid creams and elidel (which really didn't do her much good either). I was reluctant to use a stronger steroid cream, as the over the counter one had not worked, but finally - in deperation we tried one.

It worked really well, the eczema would go down within 1 or 2 days of applying it and then we'd go back to normal moisturisers. So now we only use it for a day or so when she has a flare up (perhaps once a month). I wish I'd given it a go earlier...

Cheers

[pegasus]

I've had eczema all of my life and only found steroid creams to work. Once I get it to clear up it's fine for a while before I get another flareup.

Recently got a flareup around my eyes and eyelids - tried all other stuff first (paw paw etc) and had to go back to the Diprosone - cleared up in a couple of days and stopped the itching and stinging instantly.

I'd rather use something sparingly for a couple of days to get rid of it than fiddle around and have the stinging and itching.

[Little_Toad]

Matilda just been prescribed Egocort 1% for her face!! eek! so what do I do...she has a referral to specialist but not sure when appoint will be...no natural stuff has worked and my poor baby all red, flaky and inflame dand bleeding on face so I was rather hoping this would help the doc said to use really sparingly...


You should SERIOUSLY get a second opinion,
There is notning worse than steroids on the face cause the skin is so delicate and it thins it out giving the worst result over time.
Have you tried a non steroid cream like elidel or protopic?

[Kylles]

I've had eczema all of my life and only found steroid creams to work. Once I get it to clear up it's fine for a while before I get another flareup.

Recently got a flareup around my eyes and eyelids - tried all other stuff first (paw paw etc) and had to go back to the Diprosone - cleared up in a couple of days and stopped the itching and stinging instantly.

I'd rather use something sparingly for a couple of days to get rid of it than fiddle around and have the stinging and itching.

My kids both suffer from it. Their doc told me to not use paw paw ointment as it can actually make it worse.

We use steroid creams, but since moving to a colder climate my DD is now almost completely over it and only has the occassion dry skin outburst but not nothing too bad, it's now just the baby. I try to keep ontop of it and at the first sign of a flareup hit it with the cortisone... if you can keep ontop of it with moisturiser too it will help greatly.