Eczema: What worked for you?

I would LOVE to hear some remedies for eczma. My daughter has eczma, has had it since just before she began solids. Prior to that she had an infant dermititis so she has always had skin problems. The Ped we saw just before she was 4 mths told us that it would go away on its own and to not worry too much. And I have heard the same from many other parents, but she scratches so badly and it breaks my heart.

We have used: Sigmacort, Oilatum, Dermaveen, Dermeeze, Jurlique and A Calendula cream and salt baths ...we are currently trying QV wash. I would love to know of some good creams? If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them, or if you had a similar situation I would love to hear how your story turned out. Did they grow out of it? Did you have to make some diet changes?

We tried to cut out things when she was a baby and it didn't really make any difference. I am concerned about getting her allergy tested, and taking her off foods if its going to go away on its own anyway. We don't use any soaps on her, and even use a sensitive washing powder.

Should I act now? Or should I wait? I get mixed responses...most say wait, but I am wondering if anyone has had their toddler/baby tested and what happened? How did it help? Did it go away by itself anyway?

TIA,

*hugs*
Cailin

Hiya Cailin,

My little girl gets eczema from neck to knee, poor little thing.

I've tried many things and wasted a lot of time and money in the process...not many of them work for long if at all. I try to steer away from prescription creams because most are cortisone based, and I don't like the long term ramifications of them especially since it's her whole body that gets covered in them.

I've found that keeping her away from all soaps works wonders...she gets washed in a good quality sorbolene such as Hydraderm, and then a dose of it after her bath/shower also. When she has a flare up I use Lucas Paw Paw ointment, which is really fantastic, and natural, which I like, and finally we use omo sensitive to wash in.

I think everyone responds differently to different things though, but there's a few simple solutions that may help you out :)

Hey Cailin.

I have suffered from dermititis all my life & mum had tried a thousand things on me as well. She found out that I was sensitive to a lot of chemicals which was the underlying cause.

So mum changed washing detergents a hundred times until she found one that was ok - Spree. I know it's not one specifically for sensitive skin, but it worked for me & now at 24 I still use it.

There was also a bath that I had all the time. I can't remember what was in it, I do remember though that it smelt REALLY BAD, but it always made me feel better. I'll ask mum tonight what she used.

Now that I'm older (and use only Spree!) I tend get the dermititis when I am stressed or when wearing jumpers during winter.

Caitlan,

I am by no means an expert on this eczema stuff but I have found that after bathing Will in QV (or Oilatin if it is really bad) using some emulsifying ointment to seal the bath oil seems to work quite well. We are still using cortisone creams and working our way through a variety of 'natural' remedies but nothing has cleared it up completely. My next attempt is going to be a homeopath to see if they have any ideas.

Also we did the alergy test at 9 months and it confirmed our suspicions about dairy, tomato and egg, but I would think that you know what your little girl is allergic to. Trust your instints is my advice, but if you would like details confirmed do the allergy test. If you do have the test, have a list of the sorts of things you would like tested. Will coped OK with the test, just a few tears on a couple of the 'scratches'.

We did find though that during our holiday to the Whitsundays it cleared up a lot - maybe we should move to a deserted island!

I would love to hear if you have any breakthroughs!

Camilla

my little girl just got diagnosed with infantile eczma and i have been told to use sigmacort on flare ups, vaseline in between (especially around nappy) sorbelene cream to soften skin if needed and plenty of filtered or soft sunlight (ie morning or afternoon) and lots of "free nappy" time . Working wonders so far Colleen (ps keep trying the food as it may be caused by the eczma not the other way round)

Hi All

I have suffered from eczma and dermatitis problems all my life and I have found that not using soaps on the skin and using lots of sorbolene cream helped a alot. It was actually recommended to me by the skin specialist I used to see.

Good luck.

Bailey has had excema since he was 7 weeks old and luckily as he has got older it doesn't seem to bother him as much anymore, but I consistently use HAMILTON EXCEMA CREAM and HAMILTON BATH OIL for excema, chicken pox, nappy rash etc. It works really well. You can buy it from most chemists. When it is really bad I go to the doc for Predisone cream but I only use it for one-two days, it clears it up really well. I will have to find out the name for it and post back.
I also use PURITY or AMOLIN SENSITIVE washing liquid for Bailey's clothes, towels, bedsheets etc

Good luck!

I know this post is probably a bit late but my baby suffered with severe eczma, he had scratched his face and chest so bad, he didn't have a clear patch of skin on his body. We went to the skin specialist and he prescribed cortisone cream and within 3 days most of it was gone, we used the cream for about 4weeks and he has had no more ever since that was about 2 1/2 months ago.
He recently had allergy tests done and he has tested positive to cats, he is also allergic to dairy products.

Thanks for all your input, my baby boy also has excema, although I did not start the topic, what has been written before is reassuring. Tonight, when I changed his nappy, his bottom is raw and the same excema like rash is in between the elbow crease. I have been using cortiosone cream prescribed by the dr., but I am looking for other remedies. His excema was on his face, firstly I thought it was due to the dry wintry air, then spread to his arms, belly and legs. All of that has been cleared up for a couple of weeks and now tonights outbreak, I am sooo concerned about whats the cause? How do you find out?

Has he been to a skin specialist or just a doctor?
Has he had any allergy tests done?

Vanessa,

I know how tough it is trying to figure out the causes of eczema, it is a real guessing game ](*,) !!! If you or your husband has allergies I wouldn't rule out foods exaserbating it but obviously you would need to have this confirmed by an expert. Talk to your GP about finding a good paediatric dermatologist - one who won't only prescribe cortisone creams - who may refer you to an allergists for testing.

One thing I have found works wonders for Will is Ella Bache creme intex, which is hidiously expensive (and costs more than my moisturiser) but he only needs a little bit on his face to keep his eczema under control. It doesn't work anywhere else on his body, but lucky for us he seems to be growing out of it!!!

Good luck
Camilla

DS 31/1/03

My daughter has had eczema for 3 years (ever since she was 4 and came off soy milk), however I don't cut out milk, but I have found an amazing cream that has gotten rid of the eczema. I have to use it twice a day or it's back, but it's fantastic. It's called medihoney. It's available over the counter at the chemist, and is all natural which is why I use it, i couldn't keep using the quarterzone creams. She only has it behind knees and arm joints, but it's worked! My friend's son has been hospitalised on and off since birth and she uses it too.

Andrei has just started getting eczema since we arrived back in Australia, pretty sure it's the change from a humid climate to a dry one. I've just bought some QV kids wash and QV kids balm and hoping it will work. I also have to stop my sandpaper face DH from getting too close to him. [-( The eczema is only on his face, not bothering him but looks nasty.

My 10 month old daughter suffers from eczema to the point where it bleeds , gets infected and stinks. We tried all sorts of things to fix it but for her the thing that works is using omo sensitive and pure emu oil. When we first used emu oil we needed to use it a couple of times a day for the first week, now we use it once daily after her bath (or swimming in chlorine) and she rarely flairs up. When she does it is very mild and we treat more often and it goes away quickly. Emu oil is not cheap but we got a 25ml trial size bottle for $10 at southbank markets (brisbane) and I am still using it 3 months later so really it is worth while. My baby no longer suffers. But i must admit if it was $100 for the same size I would buy it for my bub as it works so well for her. Every baby is different but I think it is well worth trying.

Emu oil works a treat, as does putting some rolled oats in a stocking, and using that to wash instead of soap. me, my 3 sisters, 2 brothers and my 2 boys have it bad, my 2 year old bleeds all the time, and they are my 2 tried and tested remedies. Hope they help!

On the oatmeal theme, I have found Dermaveen products are great for the itching. There's an oatmeal bath and shower oil, it's brilliant. You can also get oatmeal shampoo. xo

I recently come across an all natural cream that I am using on my psoriasis, and it is actually working! It's also recommended for eczema and dermatitis.
If you google, XMA, you will find it. I got a trial jar, which is the size of a little lip gloss pot, and before i had finished it, I could already see some results!

Cailin - How is Paris going with her eczema now?

Nic

Hey ladies.

I just thought I'd let you know that I have stacks and stacks of customers that buy our Hemp Body Butters and swear it works a treat on excema, dermatitis etc. It's nice and natural, and from what my customers say, it certainly worth a try, and not expensive.