Why does the rash get worse when I switch back to CD?

[phoenix78]

I've posted about DD 7 weeks ago, when she first came down with bad rash after a serious bout of dirrehea. Dr. thought she then had yeast, so we left behind our beloved organic cloth dipes and swtiched to chlorine=free sposies and used nystatin...but rash didn't seem to go away. Lactation consultant then suggested it might be a allergy, so I've stopped drinking milk...got a little better, less red. I ha stopped nystatin all together and just doused her with breastmilk while changes. Still didn't completely go away, but it looked better than it had in weeks. Then I heard about Northern Essences diaper salve being safe for cloth and it seemed like everyone was raving about it. We got it yesterday and it does seem great. So I switched back to using cloth with liberal applications of either the Diaper Salve or Baby Butt(er) Cream. But the rash seems bright red and all over diaper area again.

I have read other posters who said that there may be a rash for a few days after going back to cloth so I'm planning on staying with it for a week, but I'm afraid it'll make it worse. Why does the rash worsen when switching backa nd forth and any other suggestions for getting rid of it? I'm at my wits end.

PS - I had added some vinegar in rinse cycle and sun dried cloth dipes to make sure there was no yeast, which is what others said to do for treating dipes.. Do I need to strip if rash persists? ARGH!

[Michigan Mama]

food allergies are a definate issue at our house, but i still tend to try to strip my dipes if there is a rash issue. could be a detergent prob, or not rinsing well enough.

what is your wash routine? detergent?

nak

[phoenix78]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mama

what is your wash routine? detergent?

nak

I use Ecos Free and Clear detergent - prewash cold with detergent, wash hot/cold risnse and then follow by a warm rinse (to which I've been adding vinegar since yeast) and line dry in sun.

She never had a rash for the first four months we used the cloth with this routine. This is just SUCH a stubborn rash, whether in sposies or cloth. I've been off milk for 2 weeks and while it seemed better until I switched back to cloth today, it was definitely not gone, which leads me to wonder if milk is the problem at all. I think I'm going to start eliminating other foods, like citrus, and see if that makes any difference.

[springbride]

DD had a bad rash a few weeks ago and I found that trying just one thing to treat it for a couple of days helped find the problem... turns out she was reacting to the rash cream!

[Ifluffedthree]

possible detergent buildup or reaction.

[savithny]

Would you be willing to try stopping the cream entirely?

What struck me about your story is that

We got it yesterday and it does seem great. So I switched back to using cloth with liberal applications of either the Diaper Salve or Baby Butt(er) Cream. But the rash seems bright red and all over diaper area again.

What else is new other than the cloth diapers? The cream.

In 6 years of diapering 2 babies, I didn't even use one small tube of any cream (other than Nystatin to clear up an awful yeast rash at 9 days old with DS, before I put him in cloth). I know they say it is "protectant," but it seemed to me that it trapped moisture and kept the skin *wet*, which would lead to rashes.

I'd:

1) make sure diapers are scrupulously stripped and rinsed. Wash on a full cycle with no soap after your next wash to be sure you're getting otu all the detergent residues. If you line dry, I'd consider machine drying for a cycle or two to kill any bacteria.
2) stop all creams. Make sure her butt is bone dry before putting a new diaper on.

[octobermom]

PS - I had added some vinegar in rinse cycle and sun dried cloth dipes to make sure there was no yeast, which is what others said to do for treating dipes.. Do I need to strip if rash persists? ARGH!
__________________

FWIW we found adding vinager in the finial rise made the rashes 20xs worse however if we did a vinager rinse in the prewash it would help restore PH balance back to acid prone skin (rashy) but the diaper would still get a good amount of rinses in the rest of the wash cycle. We also had to be carefull with sun drying during peek allergy seasons.

Deanna

[phoenix78]

So it sounds like my best bet may be to strip dipes and then go now creams and see how she does...I'm willing to try anything at this point, I feel so bad for her. Maybe I've been overzealous with the creams!

[mamamoon89]

I found the calendula salve (this is the kind I use and I would highly recommend it, it's amazing: http://www.bathtimecapemay.com/store...ula-cream.html) is the only thing that really clears up rashes for my baby. That and giving them plenty of time out of their diapers...go outside and let her be naked or just stick a towel under her bottom.
Burts Bee diaper rash stuff is good I've found when the rash is clearing up and keeps it away.

[phoenix78]

Allergy or Chemical Burn?

Just wanted to give an update to see if you smart mamas had other thoughts: Day 3 of return to cloth and rash is worse than ever. There is a HUGE marked outline where her pf meets her skin. I am in process of hot water stripping diapers now and I've stayed away from all creams today and did lots of nude time to no avail. I mentioned earlier that I've been off of milk for a while per chiro's suggestion as possible allergy but I wonder if burn isn't due to a citrus allergy. Yesterday I ate some tomato sauce made from our garden veggies and this morning she had 3 really bad bm's in a row and then the rash redness just took off. Also, if an allergy, that would explain why the rash didn't go away with switching to sposies.

Can allergy rashes look like chemical burns? Because all the images I've seen of chemical burns is just what she has. Bright Red, raw, and sometimes flaky, rarely bumpy. I'm going to cut citrus and be absolutely vigilant about no dairy for a few days and see where we are. Also read about staph, which is freaking me out and I think we'll be going back to dr. tomorrow. I just feel like such a bad mama for not being able to get rid of this for her! I know I shouldn't feel guilty, but if you saw the rash, you'd feel bad too!

[Adsullata]

Try not to feel guilty mama, you're doing and trying everything you can

Do you have hard water? Because Ecos is not recommended for use on dipes, especially in hard water conditions because then it acts like a soap and leaves a residue. We have good luck with country save powder.

My dd used to get rashy really easily with her poops. If I didn't get her diaper changed the moment immediately following her poop, she would get bad red and swollen rashy, looked like baaad sunburn, sounds like what you describe. I also found that if I did use any cream at all, less was definitely more- only a teeny tiny amount. But sometimes she still got rashy in spite of my best efforts and I think it was like you said, extra acidic poo or something. The good news is, it passed and gradually got better as she got older. In the meantime tho, can you use fleece liners in your dipes? Or does she react to synthetics? That helped clear up rashes faster for us, because I'd get the poopy off her quick, then use fleece liners so when she peed it wasn't staying wet up against her skin so much. How often do you change? I know some mamas only change every hour or two and that works fine for them. We try to get dd whenever she wets and that helps keep her skin much healthier.

I also did something I'm a little nervous to admit. I was given lidocaine after dd's birth for a little stitch, but never used it. But I used in on dd for the diaper rash : It was the teeniest tiniest speck! (I did do some research first) and then I spread it around with a teensy bit of cream. But it worked, and not only did it clear up faster, but she was pain free Now I really am going to go run and hide...

[savithny]

Like the PP said, I would consider trying a different detergent, one that rinses more detergenty and less soapy.
(I never used special detergent for diapers, just the free/clear version of whatever I was using from the supermarket).

I would also put the diapers in the dryer for a few go-rounds to get them completely 100% dry quickly enough to kill any yeast.

I never had good results with vinegar rinses. I don't think vinegar kills yeast, and I'm not sure that vinegar will help much with hard water issues, since water softeners tend to be alkaline, aren't they?

I'd run a wash with a different detergent and a bunch of rinses, then dry on hot (if the diapers will allow that --I know some AIOs don't) until bone dry. That way you're hopefully ruling out any reaction to the diapers or any yeast or staph issues in the diapers themselves.

[phoenix78]

Still THERE!

Ok, still dealing with rash but back in cloth because I decided it wasn't any better with disposables, so why bother ruining the enviironment too. I did a hot water strip and then a different detergent per a PP's suggestion (Arm and Hammer Free and Clear Sensitive) but nothing seems any better. I did two weeks off milk and a few days of citric to no avail. She did cut 2 teeth last week and some people have said teething might be culprit...for 8 weeks though? Have your babies had teething rashes like this? Does that mean if teething is cause, there is nothing to be done? :

I was going to next try RLR strip and switching to bumgenius or Allen's detergent and maybe try eliminating gluten next. Ack! I just don't know what else to do. She is going back to dr. on friday - I wonder whether they can test for bacteria or yeast (even though nystatin didn't help, so I doubt it is yeast).

[Siennaflower]

So the rash doesn't heal with sposies? I would continue to try eliminating foods from your diet. Teething caused a rash for us but it was short lived and responded to a barrier cream.

[phoenix78]

Yep, no better with 2-3 weeks in sposies. I've tried Northern Essences Healing Diaper Salve, Better Butt Cream, breastmilk, bordauex's butt paste, cornstarch, no creams, air drying, cold hair dryer drying...NOTHING helps! Also, it seems generally better looking in morning but will be flaming red and occassionally peeling by mid-day. The good news is that for the most part, babe doesn't seem horribly bothered by it. I hope it looks worse than it feels.

[TinyMama]

DD had awful rashes with no apparent cause for about 2 months--from 3-5 months old or so. They looked like you describe--like chemical burns. I did the same thing, trying all kinds of different stuff.

Honestly, nothing really helped. Eventually they got better, and then went away and never came back. I always made sure she was very dry, and then used cornstarch on her bottom, and occasionally a zinc-based cream. But I can't say for sure that anything in particular cleared it up.

It's upsetting, isn't it? Gives me the chills just picturing it.

[ShwarmaQueen]

I loved Weleda Calenda cream when DD had redness. It worked miracles overnight...but I'm not sure that will solve your lo's problem.

Do you keep baby naked as much as possible when the rash flares? This also always helped tremendously with DD.

[phoenix78]

Originally Posted by TinyMama

It's upsetting, isn't it? Gives me the chills just picturing it.

Thanks TinyMama for understanding how upsetting it is. I just feel AWFUL that I can't figure out what is causing it. This is my first CD child and it was going SO WELL until the rash. Not that I have any intention to go back to sposies, but I just feel like it must be SOMETHING I'm doing wrong and that just feels crappy.

I'm actually nervous about taking her to the dr. (even though he is really great, non-judgmental, etc.) but I keep thinking he will find some "medical" reason I've missed and that I've caused her some kind of harm. DH and I are into alternative care and for this reason, have tried all sorts of other options besides seeing dr. for 3rd time about this rash. I'm afraid they'll stick her on some kind of toxic medication. I just really wanted to find a natural way to get rid of it but can't seem to.


Anyone have LO develop rash after a vax? I'm trying to think how close her 4mo vax would have been in relation to onset of the rash. I'm REALLY on the border of vaxing (doing delayed, selective right now) but I wonder if it is any relation.

Maybe I should treat it like their conceptions - stop stressing and it will happen on its own!

[CookAMH]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It's distressing, I've been there! 4mo DS had a rash for 7 weeks when he was a newborn and it was yeast. How long did you try Nystatin? I used it once but it got worse, so I quit. I tried it again 5 weeks later and kept with it more than two days, and it improved and cleared up after about a week.

Though since you said the rash is in the outline of her diaper....it seems it's a contact rash unless the dipes are soaked with pee and could be food. I hope you get some good results soon and get real help from the pedi. As for vax connection, I'm not sure. I do agree though that I doubt teething would be the primary culprit. It seems like teething can exasperate but not be the sole cause of a rash, especially like this one.

[AutumnMama]

I've only read the last 3 or 4 posts, so I apologize if I've missed some info...
Just because the rash didn't respond to Nystatin does NOT rule out yeast. There is actually a form of sugar (too tired to remember what atm, sorry) in it that can feed the yeast, plus a lot of strains are actually resistant.

With both of my youngest I had to go to a dose of Diflucan (fluconazole), and that got rid of it.
I did try Nystatin, but it didn't do a darn thing for the older one, and while it seemed to help my youngest at first, the yeast always came back within a few days of stopping the treatment.

Hope you get it figured out soon, rashes are no fun!

I should add that I did switch to disposables while treating the yeast, it was just so much easier...yeast is HARD to kill, and I didn't have the time or energy to boil every load of diapers long enough to do the job!