Eczema? Frustrated with pediatrician

[oliesmama]

My 5 month old is trying to scratch his sweet little face off! He is so uncomfortable - scratching eyes, ears mostly....took him to our pediatrician, who recommended we see a dermatologist (seeing one this week). Our ped said he probably has eczema, but isn't 100%. He recommends moisturizing and using a small amount of benadryl before bedtime to help relieve the itching, so he can get to sleep.

After reading posts here and info from Dr. Sears, I thought perhaps it's food related (DS is EBF). When I asked the ped. if this could do with food he said 'no, it's environmental'....I had already planned on switching peds, but this confirms it. Whether this is food related or not, saying there is no way it could be seems just wrong.

So, I'll go to the dermatologist this week - hopefully will get some answers. I'm concerned that we'll just walk away with a prescription for something, but not getting to the bottom of the problem. Is there anything in particular I should ask?

Thoughts on what to do next? Should I immediately cut out dairy? Seems like this is the biggest food culprit. I admit, I just started reading this forum, so I'm totally new to this. I want to fix this so badly.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

[nicole_marie]

Originally Posted by oliesmama

My 5 month old is trying to scratch his sweet little face off! He is so uncomfortable - scratching eyes, ears mostly....took him to our pediatrician, who recommended we see a dermatologist (seeing one this week). Our ped said he probably has eczema, but isn't 100%. He recommends moisturizing and using a small amount of benadryl before bedtime to help relieve the itching, so he can get to sleep.

After reading posts here and info from Dr. Sears, I thought perhaps it's food related (DS is EBF). When I asked the ped. if this could do with food he said 'no, it's environmental'....I had already planned on switching peds, but this confirms it. Whether this is food related or not, saying there is no way it could be seems just wrong.

So, I'll go to the dermatologist this week - hopefully will get some answers. I'm concerned that we'll just walk away with a prescription for something, but not getting to the bottom of the problem. Is there anything in particular I should ask?

Thoughts on what to do next? Should I immediately cut out dairy? Seems like this is the biggest food culprit. I admit, I just started reading this forum, so I'm totally new to this. I want to fix this so badly.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

Cutting out dairy, adding probiotic and fish oil are usually the first steps. Using hypoallergenic soaps/detergents and avoiding chlorine swimming pools are some other things that you might try, but don't beat yourself up if you exhaust all natural options and need to use conventional medicine temporarily.

Eczema is one of the hardest disorders to cure.

My 15 month old has been struggling with a very severe case of atopic dermatitis (eczema) since he was 3 months old. He lost 8 pounds on the elimination diet, his face started to swell and he had trouble breathing (and was put on albuterol). We spent a week at Mayo clinic and his eczema is infected with STAPH. We started an oral antibiotic yesterday and he is already showing tremendous signs of improvement and he even slept through the night for the first time EVER.

"Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) is one of the hardest disorders to cure. A homeopathic doctor tried and failed to treat his own infant daughter from weeping, scratching eczema. It went so far as malnutrition and death." -homeopathworldcommunity

"Atopic dermatitis, a common problem, is often an inherited autosomal trait, often in association with other related atopic diseases such as asthma and hayfever." -homeopathyworldcommunity

Examples of inherited autosomal traits are hairline, freckles and the ability (or not) to roll the tongue. Eczema often falls into this category as well, so don't beat yourself up if you have done *everything* and it's still not enough.

You can read my full thread here (which includes photos)...
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...319&highlight=

[nicole_marie]

I should add that my 5 year old had eczema as a baby too. We removed dairy, sugar and added fish oil/probiotic and he was clear in 3 days. Unfortunately, that was not the case with my youngest son.

[ASusan]

Almost going to bed, so this will be short.

Don't get your hopes up with the derm. Was the most wasted money and time, IME. The NURSE of the derm told me to take out wheat and dairy (already had taken out dairy), but the derm (2 of them in the room at one point) didn't want to even talk about the possibilities of eczema being caused by anything other than random, undeterminable factors.

You might ask your doc for a RAST test - blood test. We had taken out dairy (of my diet), but he was still scratching and had bloody, oozing cheeks. RAST-tested (IgE) postive for wheat, eggs, peanut - and when we removed those things, eczema was greatly improved.

Your best non-doctor approach is to do a complete food and symptom journal and look for patterns. Use a thick lotion that comes in a tub. (We tried every natural variation and oil, nothing helped.) We do use benedrl when scratching threatens sleep for more than an hour and/or hands get bloody. At 5 mos, we still had luck putting socks on his hands at night.

[Therese's Mommy]

We went to a derm and while he was very kind and encouraging, it was basically, "yep, it is eczema, here is the best steroid cream for it, come back in a couple of months". And that was it. I am happy to have the cream for those times when my dd is really suffering from seasonal allergies. I will put it on for a one time dose just to take the edge off for her, but for her I have found that bathing her every day when she plays outside keeps the eczema down to the point where it is there, but not itchy or at least not to the point that I notice or that it interferes with her life. Putting the steroid cream on a couple of times completely cleared up dd's eczema, but once I learned more about her I realized the eczema was a real tool for me to figure out what she was reacting to. Clearing up the eczema from the outside while it kept her from itching it didn't help her sleep at all. Her eczema was controlled for a long time before she slept well. That only happened once her allergens were removed from my diet completely. Good luck!!

[kjbrown92]

Eczema is from environmental allergies, food allergies, or food intolerances. Dairy is the #1 - you are right. But it could be any food. My DD2's eczema trigger was corn. Removed it and it completely went away. To say that it "can't" be from food is ridiculous. As much as saying that there is no such thing as food intolerances. Just remember that most doctors are trained that way, so they don't know any better.

[nicole_marie]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Eczema is from environmental allergies, food allergies, or food intolerances. Dairy is the #1 - you are right. But it could be any food. My DD2's eczema trigger was corn. Removed it and it completely went away. To say that it "can't" be from food is ridiculous. As much as saying that there is no such thing as food intolerances. Just remember that most doctors are trained that way, so they don't know any better.

The homeopathic community has been discussing this recently and recognizes that eczema is often an inherited autosomal trait...much like freckles and hairline. I'm not saying it "can't" be food intolerance, because it certainly can. Besides dairy, sugar is often a culprit that not too many people like to talk about or are willing to give up. We are lucky that our allergist recognizes food intolerances and delayed skin reactions. It can't hurt to keep a food journal or have allergy testing done...it's certainly worth it. You might eliminate everything except for rice and pears...only to find out that your baby is allergic to rice. Chlorine pools are huge for my family and we actually removed the chlorine from our son's bathwater to help his eczema.

[kjbrown92]

How about eczema is a manifestation of allergies/intolerances, and the tendency to allergies/intolerances is an inherited trait?

[nicole_marie]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

How about eczema is a manifestation of allergies/intolerances, and the tendency to allergies/intolerances is an inherited trait?

Well, I guess that is for each mom to decide for herself, but I personally wouldn't sacrifice attachment and FTT over refusal of help from western medicine. You get to a certain point of 30% loss in bodyweight, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, MRSA infection...and you tend to have a wake-up call. Obviously, it's fair to give allergies and intolerance a fair chance, but don't pull your hair out. The allergist we saw said he sees DROVES of parents with eczema children that have pulled out their hair, did allergy/IgG/IgE/skin testing and have pages after pages of food journals and notes...only to discover their child was only sensitive to dairy or soy or had very few allergies at all...and their immune systems were severely compromised because they have lost so much weight that they reach a point of malnourishment...and then food elimination creates the exact opposite effect that you were hoping to achieve.

Also, consider that 20% of the general population is a carrier of staph, but 90% of people with eczema are carriers. There is something there that needs to be considered. Maybe simple tea tree baths once a week could be the cure for your child? There are so many factors and I'm not saying you shouldn't try...I'm just saying don't kill yourself over it or think of yourself as a failure if you are unable to heal eczema naturally.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by nicole_marie

Well, I guess that is for each mom to decide for herself, but I personally wouldn't sacrifice attachment and FTT over refusal of help from western medicine. You get to a certain point of 30% loss in bodyweight, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, MRSA infection...and you tend to have a wake-up call. Obviously, it's fair to give allergies and intolerance a fair chance, but don't pull your hair out. The allergist we saw said he sees DROVES of parents with eczema children that have pulled out their hair, did allergy/IgG/IgE/skin testing and have pages after pages of food journals and notes...only to discover their child was only sensitive to dairy or soy or had very few allergies at all...and their immune systems were severely compromised because they have lost so much weight that they reach a point of malnourishment...and then food elimination creates the exact opposite effect that you were hoping to achieve.

Also, consider that 20% of the general population is a carrier of staph, but 90% of people with eczema are carriers. There is something there that needs to be considered. Maybe simple tea tree baths once a week could be the cure for your child? There are so many factors and I'm not saying you shouldn't try...I'm just saying don't kill yourself over it or think of yourself as a failure if you are unable to heal eczema naturally.

This particular OP said nothing about FTT or any of the other things you mentioned in your post. Also, as far as I can tell, the OP hasn't tried healing it naturally. Why on earth would you discourage someone from trying that first?!

Nicole. We understand that you are upset about your child having a staph infection, but you need to understand that the staph didn't CAUSE your LO's eczema- they most likely got staph because of open skin in the eczema. You seem to be posting to every eczema thread around here, telling everyone that eczema can't be cured and to give up on natural treatments. Or run to the doctor and get a prescription. Or I'm not sure really what your point is. It's like you're trying to justify your decision to use Western medicine for your LO, and there's really no reason that you need to do that. No one is judging you for your choices. All we are doing is offering alternative choices, and it's up to each mother to make the best decision for her child.




OP- I agree with pp that the dermatologist will be a waste of time/money. They most likely will just give you a prescription for steroid skin cream- which probably will ease the symptoms (and sometimes is necessary if a babe is really uncomfortable), but won't cure the root cause.

Are you keeping a food journal? Dairy is the #1 intolerance, so I would start there (soy goes along with dairy allergies, so don't make the mistake I did and replace all your cow's milk with soy milk. ) Eggs are another common eczema trigger. Check out my blog for more info on elimination diets, watching for hidden ingredients, etc.

[nicole_marie]

Honestly, I'm just trying to offer a fresh perspective and I kindly offered several suggestions for natural treatments. xo

[changingseasons]

You're right- I apologize for not giving you credit for your natural suggestions. I just thought your last post was a little over the top for this particular thread.

[oliesmama]

OP here - thanks all for your replies. We see the derm today and while I agree that it may be fruitless, I want to make sure we are dealing with eczema. Hoping at least he can confirm what the issue is. Yesterday, I was with a few moms (couple nurses among them) who noticed that he was scratching and uncomfortable, but not at all red/enflamed where he was scratching. Didn't look like typical eczema...maybe I'm mis-diagnosing?

On the way back from the derm, I'll pick up rice milk (is that the right term since it's not actually milk? well, you kwim ). I do consume a lot of dairy, so this will be interesting.

I'll start my food journal as well. At this point, I haven't tried anything beyond heavy moisturizing cream (Cetaphil) and Aquaphor on that. I know there are probably more natural choices - let me know what you suggest or I'll dig through the forum some more. We did use the teeniest amount of benadryl the last couple of nights - once asleep, he does really well.

Thanks again for your posts - I'll look through your blog changingseasons.

[nicole_marie]

Originally Posted by oliesmama

OP here - thanks all for your replies. We see the derm today and while I agree that it may be fruitless, I want to make sure we are dealing with eczema.

On the way back from the derm, I'll pick up rice milk (is that the right term since it's not actually milk? well, you kwim ). I do consume a lot of dairy, so this will be interesting.

Great idea to see the derm just in case! I hope the rice milk is your ticket out of the eczema. It has too much sugar for us...I wish it would have worked...it's YUMMY. We make our own almond milk now from raw almonds, a few dates and a bit of vanilla. Delicious. Some kiddos can't do almonds though.

[oliesmama]

Drum roll, please...not eczema! Whew. We are dealing with two issues - around his ears and his face, he has seborrheic dermatitis. For this we were given some topical cream (promiseb). He also has redness in his diaper area and the derm. thinks that is related to yeast. Got a scrip for a compound cream - I forget what's in it - I know it includes zinc oxide as a barrier....he thinks the diaper area should clear up w/in 10 days.

The face/ears/eyes - derm thinks it could be flaring up due to the crazy pollen we're dealing with - allergens all around outside. (My ped said no way to that - I really need to ditch him!). DS reacts the same way DH and I do to the pollen - red, puffy eyes, itching. Hoping with the pollen subsiding soon (fingers crossed), this will get better.

Crazy enough - DS doesn't have eczema, but the derm confirmed I have hand eczema! I thought I did - it gets bad when I am constantly washing hands and not moisturizing enough (so no surprise it shows up with a newborn and numerous diaper changes/baths, etc). And he said I have contact dermitits on my arm. So, I'm a mess.

I asked about food causing any of the issues - he said he strongly feels it's the environment (it's pollen land around here - it's awful)....so, we'll give it 10 days and if things don't calm down, we'll investigate further.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by oliesmama

Drum roll, please...not eczema! Whew. We are dealing with two issues - around his ears and his face, he has seborrheic dermatitis.

Ummm.... I hate to tell you this, but seborrheic dermatitis IS eczema.

http://www.medicinenet.com/eczema/page2.htm

[oliesmama]

Originally Posted by changingseasons

Ummm.... I hate to tell you this, but seborrheic dermatitis IS eczema.

http://www.medicinenet.com/eczema/page2.htm

Ack! Now I'm confused. I specifically asked the derm if DS has eczema (and I asked him at least 3x)...each time he said "no" - so I don't get it. I mean, if eczema is the overarching terms for several skin conditions, shouldn't he have said 'Yes, and it seems like he has this type'? Or am I wrong? It's all new to me.

Thanks for the link - that helps.

DS did have cradle cap over a month ago, but the flaking has cleared up. The derm said what he saw today looked like a little of that still left (though, no flaking). I told him behind his ears gets crusty overnight (I wipe them off and moisturize them regularly, so they looked ok when I took DS to the derm).

Are you familiar with the cream we were given? Promiseb? He also said to use cortisone, if needed (no surprise there).

[changingseasons]

That is strange- I don't know why he would have said they were different things.

I haven't heard of that cream. Is it a steroid cream? If so- just keep in mind that using that more than short-term can thin the skin and actually make it more prone to infection. Of course sometimes it can really help in the short-term to make baby more comfortable.

[nicole_marie]

Eczema is a very confusing term. Atopic Dermatitis is a better word for it. Seborrhea and Atopic Dermatitis are not the same, but both can be grouped under Eczema because allopathy treatment for them is generally the same. Naturopathic/alternative treatment is not. For example, cradle cap is seborrhea...and you wouldn't lube up cradle cap with moisturizers or you will make it worse. Yeast thrives on moisture, atopic dermatitis begs for moisture (most of the time). Seborrhea usually does not itch, unless there is large build-up of scale and/or breaks in the skin that are healing and/or infection. Seborrhea is a yeast condition, while Atopic Dermatitis is an inflammatory response (immune system). You might consider researching yeast overgrowth and candida. It's a very stubborn condition! My 15 month old has both Atopic Dermatitis and Seborrheic Dermatitis, although our dermatologist said some experts group them together because treatment is the same. We are rotating two different dandruff shampoo's on his head (one prescription, one not). T-sal is the non-prescription one. It has helped tremendously. Naturopathy also suggested dandruff shampoos for his Seborrhea.

I have a really helpful pamphlet from the national eczema association that describes atopic dermatitis (eczema). It indicates that other conditions, such as seborrheic dermatitis can cause similar symptoms. I can scan the brochure and email it to you if you would like. I haven't found information as thorough anywhere online.

xo

[nicole_marie]

This is a great reminder for food elimination:

"Don't exclude multiple food groups at the same time—it's rare to have more than one or two food allergies, and your child can get malnourished with prolonged avoidance of many foods." -National Eczema Association

xo