Nothing like a cuddle from DD after a hard day's work!
Oct 2007
in my own world
3,267
Severe eczema and handling criticism
Hi all
Need some advice as ive become very tearful everytime i see dd2 face.
Bit of a background, dd1 had severe eczema and we went to all the specialists including paedeatric dermetologist and westmeads childrens hospital.
All only gave temp relief.
We went to melbourne and found a chinese herbalist and
His cream worked wonders and dd1 now 5 yrs old has no sign of eczema.
Dd2 also developed eczema and we initially thought it was not as severe as dd1 it now seems to be.
We have tried everytime including food elimination as she is fully breastfed. She is 7 months.
Her face is raw and red and so painful to look at. She has days where it has cleared heaps.
Everytime i take her out people are always commenting on her face and offer their miracle answer.
Now ive tried many things including steroid creams due to despeperatuin
But nothing is working and im getting more and more depressed everytime i see her poor face to the point where i dont even want to go out anymore due to knowing that people will stare and comment.
Things ive tried on dd2:
Chinese herbal cream
Elimination diet (advice from paed)
Qv intensive as the cream didnt agree with her
All her bathing is done with qv barh oil
Dermaveen
Moogoo but i think cream based prosuctions not good for her
Carolines cream
Paypaya pute brand with no petroleum
Aloe vera cream from asap
Bactroban
Dermaid 1%
Resolv 1%
I know every kid is diff but i really am so lost for solutiptions and really need aomething to stop her itching continuously.
First of all, sending you a giant hug xx
Eczema is horrible and even worse to deal with when it's your little one that has it.
I've dealt with it on and off throughout my life, including having it on my eyelids. I was prescribed a non-steroidal cream specifically for that which was like a miracle, I can't remember the name unfortunately as I'm too sleep deprived right now, but you could only use the tube for 3 months once opened as it had no preservatives and the GP had to ring through for permission to prescribe it. I will have a hunt later to see if I still have some and can tell you the name. Not sure if its suitable for a 7 mth old but you can always check.
I don't have any other new suggestions I'm afraid, other than seeing a dermatologist if you haven't already?
When I was little I had horrible eczema all over my legs and like you my mum tried everything, the doctors gave us so many creams. In the end what cleared it up was a neutrametics mud mask pack, my mum would put it on very thick at night and it would dry out and when I woke up we washed it off.
It's so awful isn't it? My DD had it so severely we had to bandage her. The only thing that helped for us was medihoney eczema cream.
Has she been on oral steroids at all. Not for permanent solution obviously. But DH gets it really badly and sometimes he has to opt to steroids for some relief and then weens off them once it's healed. Sometimes it comes back and sometimes it goes away.
The best thing to help all my kids on top of ointments was a humidifier in their room at night. This keeps the moisture in their skin and allows it to heal. And sometimes when it heals completely it goes away.
I'm sorry I can't be much help but I can offer sympathy. It's awful. I look back at photos of my son and his poor little red raw weeping face - but a big smile usually too.
My mum even embarrassed a poor mum whose DD had eczema by saying oh my grandsons is much better now, maybe my daughter has the answer. I quickly replied that I knew there was no one answer for all children's and that I'm sure she was trying everything she could. Gee mum
My son benefitted somewhat from me switching what I wore when I breastfeed. All natural, cotton, double rinsed in sensitive liquid. And his clothes too of course. No wool in the house, not even the softest merino.
On his paed allergist paperwork he has said to us that a few days of steroid cream use to get the rash down was better than using a little bit of steriod cream often. I hated using it, especially on his delicate face. In colder weather I used to slather cream on his cheeks before we went out. Just as a barrier. The weather always seems to make it worse.
I'm sure you will get there. Dd you go back the the same herbalist? Did he offer a different cream for DD2 or is it the same cream?
Last edited by Lenny; April 18th, 2013 at 12:36 PM.
No direct experience but my sisters 3rd DS suffered terribly with eczema on his face which got worse once he started teething . like your DD cortisone only worked temporarily. her GP ended up taking swabs as it was so bad it was oozing stuff and it turns out he had a staph infection which is why the cortisone only worked temporily. he had to go on ab's to clear up the infection first then they were able to tackle the actual eczema.
Im sure its been looked into & I only mention it as it was the problem for us.. Has it been check for fungal infection?
Rohan went 7 months & 2 GP's telling me he had eczema & when I finally asked if I should see a dermatologist, he found it too be ringworm! 3 weeks later with the right treatment it was gone.
This was on his back & while my Mum had eczema as a child we have no strong family history so it is obviously different to your situation with your DD's But thought I would put it out there anyway.
Not sure if you have already tried this, but my sons eczema is caused by soy and reconstituted apple juice. Keeping those out of his diet has practically cleared it up.
I feel silly suggesting this, but have you tried plain goats milk soap? I know your DD has eczema pretty extreme & I hope you don't think I'm making it out to be less than it is...
DD3's back was red raw for weeks as a NB. I had suggestions of covering her in sorbelene & putting a jump suit on her wet, but I tried the tiniest bit of glycerol based sorbelene once & she screamed, so I assume it stung (not scented). Aloe vera gel had the same affect.
The thing that worked was a cake of goats milk sitting IN her bath, so much that the water was actually milky. I found QV not so great & used plain olive oil over that.
Oat meal shampoo & cond on DD2, but she's old enough now that we've worked out what soaps she reacts to & which ones she doesn't. DS got a bit of a rash on his face if I ate tomato.
I only suggest because its not in your list, even though it probably won't be the answer, it might at least give your DD some relief.
Nothing worked on a patch under DD3's neck though. It was there for about 8 months. Even steroid cream only cleared it up for a day, max. Moved to the other side of the country & it hasn't been back
I really hope you do find some relief soon x
Last edited by ~clover~; April 18th, 2013 at 03:04 PM.
Nothing like a cuddle from DD after a hard day's work!
Oct 2007
in my own world
3,267
Thanks i have goats milk soap in the drawer so might try that
Again at woolies the lady commented on dds face and then was talking to the other cashier about it like i wasnt there!!
She goes oh whats that on her face
Me she has eczema
Her: oh poor thing it must hurt (no ***** sherlock)
Me: yeh
Her: have you tried creams?
Me: yeh nothing works (try to quickly pay and get out)
I second the humidifier, we have one for ds and it works a treat. We also found that warmth and heat caused it to flare up so try and keep him as cool as possible and have a little fan in his room at night too. We have also tried a myriad of creams, the one thing that works for him is a dermeeze moisturiser that is clear and sticky like an ointment and seems to plump up his poor skin.
I hope you find something soon that helps and gives you both some relief.
My sister had severe eczema as a teenager on her back, lower stomach and groin.
Light treatments were the only thing that cleared it up for her.
My DH has chronic psoriasis, light treatments worked for him also.
My other sister has an undiagnosed skin condition that nothing works for...... She has seen a skin specialist, and still no answers.
It's horrible not being able to find anything that works
My sister eventually grew out of her eczema in her mid-20's.
I hope you can find something that works for DD.
My DH hated wearing shorts and even stopped playing football as a teenager, because people would stare at him he was a leper.
Severe eczema and handling criticism
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hun for you and your DD2.
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