alternative to hydrocortisone?

[kangamitroo]

my 5yo dd has small bumps on her arms from very dry skin. she also gets them on her cheeks. the pediatrician suggested hydrocortisone for a while...10days?, then off it, then use it again, along with aquaphor.

i do not feel comfortable with hydrocortisone. this condition has been chronic since her babyhood, however, even when i use extremely mild soap, no soap, or limited showers. (we live on a farm. washing must happen!)

ideas? thanks much!

[tinyblackdot]

calendula?

info here http://health.indiamart.com/homeopat...medicines.html

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Borage oil is great for skin.

[Piglet68]

I wouldn't use the hydrocortisone unless she is in pain from the rash. It just masks the symptoms - the underlying problem is an allergic-type reaction. It could be something in her diet - wheat and dairy are two common culprits.

My son gets those little bumps in his arms. He also has very sensitive skin. But the bumps don't bother him at all so I've never treated them. He'll likely grow out of it as he gets older (Mum says I had his same skin as a baby).

[countrygirl28]

If it is indeed dry skin, raw shea butter may help. I have had trouble with patches of eczema in the past and shea butter works wonders for me. But if it is an allergic reaction, shea butter won't help much. Good luck, mama!

[thixle]

http://www.bumpsonarms.com/

I'm (slightly) surprised your ped didn't tell you this... lots of people have it- including me

Hydrocortisone won't do anything. It can possibly be a vitamin A deficiency, but usually is just a genetic annoyance.

I have found that exfoliating in the shower (just use a bath mitt) with honey, then slathering on coconut oil after helps immensely. I do not put soap on my arms at all- it makes it worse. A good amount of sun helps, too. Mine always gets better in the summer when I get a tan.

HTH

[jenoline]

Originally Posted by thixle

http://www.bumpsonarms.com/

I'm (slightly) surprised your ped didn't tell you this... lots of people have it- including me

Hydrocortisone won't do anything. It can possibly be a vitamin A deficiency, but usually is just a genetic annoyance.

:
I was also going to say that it sounds like Keratosis Pilaris and cortisone won't do anything for it. I used to have, and my middle child has it.

Cortisone is really overused, IMO, and I've heard that it's not good to use it frequently on children.

Moisturize heavily if it's bothering her, otherwise not much you can do.

[luv-my-boys]

I think if you want to steer clear of hydrocortisone the best thing would be to find the underlying reason why its happening. I hate it when drs/medical professions just throw a *cure* via pills or meds and dont address the underlying reason WHY it happened and what can be done. FYI...Im a nurse DS had HORRIBLE, like red raw skin and until we addressed his dairy allergy meds only masked the problem. Aquaphor is a wonderful moisturizer. I have found oatmeal baths...plain old oatmeal and water to help sooth the itch. I also apply the aquaphor directly out of the bath. Winter is the worst, now that he is dairy free, and so keeping his skin hydrated has really helped.

[FluffiB]

Steroid creams like hydrocortisone shouldn't be used for more than 5 consecutive days as they can thin the skin.

I would also look into yeast (candida) overgrowth and/or nutrient deficiencies. Doing stuff to heal the gut would probably help both of these issues. Lots of probiotics and making sure to identify and food sensitivities and allergies should help.

[artemis33]

you might try coconut oil - it can clear up many skin conditions.

I keep Weleda's skin rash cream around for things like this as well (you can find it other places online or at herb or health food stores).

http://usa.weleda.com/our-products/s...-ointment.aspx

[rhiasmum]

My 2nd dd has eczema from food allergies. Taking away her triggers and figuring out what worked for her took a bit but you'd never know now, her skin is great. Some people told me to bath her every day, some told me every two days, etc. She started to not like the Aquaphor so her allergist suggested hydrolatum and that's been great for her. I always use it within 5 minutes of her getting out of the bath. I find I don't have to use anything on her in the Summer. Winter is a killer.
I do have some organic shea butter I just purchased that I'm going to try on her. I only used they hydrocortisone on her if she was scratching. But I haven't had to use it on her in ages. I was very concerned about using it because her eczema appears on her face and I didn't want to damage her skin.
Good luck!

[AprilDaisy]

For dry skin, I make a mango butter salve. So, look for something with that in it. I use it on my nephew's eczema and Hubby's dry feet. It's a good skin soother.

[William's Mom]

Coconut oil or raw honey. We use both of these!