Different types of Eczema?

[weddell]

My dd is 22 months old and has had eczema since around 1 or 2 months. Hers is really terrible, has at times almost covered her and hasn't responded well to doctor's suggestions. She had allergy testing at 9 months and again at 21 months after a scary episode where her mouth and lips started swelling after eating. She is allergic to milk, sesame, and egg. My dh had childhood eczema and still gets occasional flares. He also has food allergies (peanut, tree, fish).

I have looked into all sorts of eczema treatments because dd seems so miserable. Her doctors say to keep moisturizing her and that in summer it will get better because the air isn't as dry. Then today I was talking to a mother in my dd's music class and she said her son's eczema was worse in winter and moisturizing his skin really cleared it up. I'm starting to feel completely crazy because dd's eczema is WORSE in the summer and moisturizing it just gives her moisturized eczema; it doesn't help at all! My dh said the same thing about his: the humidity makes it worse and moisturizing doesn't do a thing.

So I guess I'm wondering if in others' experiences there are different types of eczema that respond differently to weather, moisture, etc. I think doctor's don't know what eczema really is and so they just tell you general information that may not apply and I'm starting to get frustrated that the information given seems really wrong for dd. Obviously hers is related to her food (and possibly other) allergies and not just super dry skin. I don't see how moisturizers would treat allergies? Am I missing something here?!

[cat19]

The only moisturizer that has really helped my son's eczema is Vanicream. You can get it at the pahrmacy (though it's not prescription); it they dont' have it they can usually order it for you.

But nothing would've helped if we hadn't first used steroids (both oral and ointment) to clear it up. Now when he flares, we pop out the Desonide to use for a day or two on the worst spots, they clear, and we're good for a while longer. We also do a daily antihistamine (Zyrtec works for him).

If you haven't tried a dermatologist or haven't tried steroids, they're worth trying. I wouldn't want to have to have them on my kid's skin every day for months and months, but to clear flares and to reach that initial clear skin, they were essential for us.

[moonlight mom]

My son's eczema is also worse in the summer. Actually, it gets really bad in the summer and is almost nonexistent in the winter. I have bought and tried everything. What works best for his summer flare ups is 100% aloe vera gel. A few days of applying it several times a day usually works. If it is really bad, I put on hydrocortisone for a couple of days and then the aloe.

[Tofu the Geek]

I had eczema when I was a kid and flare ups while I was pregnant. Any type of moisture on mine made it supremely itchy, moist and mush, and really red. I was much better off keeping it on the drier side, although it hurt because it was so dry, it wasn't near as itchy or red. The only topical treatment that made my eczema feel better was Rosa Mosqueta oil. It is an EFA and is absolutely safe for babies and children. This kept it from driving me insane. What made it go away was eating Udo's Oil (I think it's now called Udo's 3-6-9 blend) which is a vegetarian (i.e. no fish oil) EFA blend. If your DD is nursing you could add it to your diet. If not, you could add it to her foods (on salad, poured over cooked veggies, in a smoothie, just do NOT heat it).

Aloe vera gel didn't work for me unfortunately. It stung like heck when I applied it, and then dried out my eczema even more. And the drier it was, the more of a "burning" feeling it had.

[k9sarchik]

You would have better luck with finding an alternative medicine specialist to combat the allergies and eczema.
Your best bets would be to find one of these: Bioset practitioner, Naturopath, Homeopath or a Family physician specializing in Anthroposophic medicine. They would probably not be covered under your insurance though. General doctors, peds, and allergists really only know how to treat the symptoms and tell you what needs to be avoided.

[weddell]

Originally Posted by cat19

The only moisturizer that has really helped my son's eczema is Vanicream. You can get it at the pahrmacy (though it's not prescription); it they dont' have it they can usually order it for you.

But nothing would've helped if we hadn't first used steroids (both oral and ointment) to clear it up. Now when he flares, we pop out the Desonide to use for a day or two on the worst spots, they clear, and we're good for a while longer. We also do a daily antihistamine (Zyrtec works for him).

If you haven't tried a dermatologist or haven't tried steroids, they're worth trying. I wouldn't want to have to have them on my kid's skin every day for months and months, but to clear flares and to reach that initial clear skin, they were essential for us.

I agree with you about using the steroids to clear things up first. We have tried that and the hydrocortisone wasn't strong enough and we went up to aclovate. That isn't strong enough to completely clear her skin either and her allergist gave us something even stronger that our ped didn't approve of because of how strong it was. But it cleared her skin within a week. The problem is that within days of stopping, she starts to flare again even though we use other treatments. Neither of her doctors wants her on it constantly (I don't either) so that isn't an option. We are doing aclovate everyday even though it is a steroid, it helps but doesn't clear her skin completely. I'll look for the vanicream though, it sounds promising.

Thanks to everyone for your experiences and suggestions. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has experienced hot, humid weather being worse for eczema.

[Tofu the Geek]

And I second what k9sarchik said. You need to address her issues internally NOT just from the outside. In my case, it seemed to be a serious lack of EFA's more so than allergies (even though I have some allergies). And the thing about EFA's is that kids need them for their developing brains anyway, so it can't hurt to get her on them as they will benefit her in many ways, and it will be a bonus if they help the eczema.

I would stay far away from steroid cream, especially on a child that young. It thins the skin and also the steroids accumulate in the liver and kidneys and can cause a whole host of problems in the body.

Also, before you try Vanicream, I looked up the ingredients, they are as follows:

purified water, white petrolatum, cetearyl alcohol and ceteareth-20, sorbitol solution, propylene glycol, simethicone, glyceryl monostearate, polyethylene glycol monostearate, sorbic acid and BHT

and here's the info on it from the Cosmetic Safety Database http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/pro...3Dvanicream%26

[weddell]

Originally Posted by TechnoGranola

And I second what k9sarchik said. You need to address her issues internally NOT just from the outside. In my case, it seemed to be a serious lack of EFA's more so than allergies (even though I have some allergies). And the thing about EFA's is that kids need them for their developing brains anyway, so it can't hurt to get her on them as they will benefit her in many ways, and it will be a bonus if they help the eczema.

This is exactly why I have been frustrated with the standard "moisturize" advice, because it really isn't addressing the problems causing the eczema. At 22 months, my dd is still breastfeeding and I have been supplementing my diet with fairly high doses of EFA since the third trimester of pregnancy. I haven't tried giving her any directly though. I would like to, but she doesn't consistently eat or drink anyone thing that I could mix them with. I could try giving her some in pill form, but I'm not sure if she would take them. I'll look into the ones you mentioned in your earlier post. Thanks!

[WC_hapamama]

Stop a minute.

Is there a chance that your child has a secondary infection in her eczema? I know that with my kids, when their eczema got infected, nothing, and I mean nothing, would clear it up until we kicked the infection.

Signs that eczema is infected is if it's oozing, has a yellow crust, or really red.

Mainstream medicine would indicate some kind of antibiotic, topical or oral. Maybe one of the other Mamas here could suggest an herbal treatment with antibiotic qualities.

Something that I've found that helps some too is to use wet wraps. You bathe the kiddo, blot dry, apply any ointments, then your moisturizer, then put on damp cotton PJs (or just arm or leg wrappings), and then dry pjs/wrappings over that.

Another thought is that your child may be allergic to the moisturizer... particularly if you're using a lanolin based moisturizer, something involving nut oils, perfumes, or another known allergen. I've seen milk in moisturizers.

[FireWithin]

Originally Posted by weddell

I haven't tried giving her any directly though. I would like to, but she doesn't consistently eat or drink anyone thing that I could mix them with. I could try giving her some in pill form, but I'm not sure if she would take them. I'll look into the ones you mentioned in your earlier post. Thanks!

I gave my 14 month old tiny EFA pills that he loves: nordic naturals Children's DHA. They taste like strawberries. very easy to eat.

[weddell]

Originally Posted by WC_hapamama

Stop a minute.

Is there a chance that your child has a secondary infection in her eczema? I know that with my kids, when their eczema got infected, nothing, and I mean nothing, would clear it up until we kicked the infection.

Signs that eczema is infected is if it's oozing, has a yellow crust, or really red.

She had a secondary infection last month that was treated with antibiotics and that seemed to clear the infection. Her skin doesn't look infected right now and I hope that that around of antibiotics would have cleared any other infected areas. Infection is a good idea though. I'm always looking at her skin for signs of redness, etc since those infections can turn bad very quickly. I have checked all her moisturizers for things she might be allergic to and haven't found any. I've tried switching to different brands to see if that helps and to see if different ingredients have a different effect. My current favorite is vegetable shortening. It's been recommended to us by three different doctors now and I like it for her hands since it is food safe (although I'm not sure I'd actually want to eat it)
Thanks for the reply!

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by k9sarchik

You would have better luck with finding an alternative medicine specialist to combat the allergies and eczema.

General doctors, peds, and allergists really only know how to treat the symptoms and tell you what needs to be avoided.

ITA we finally beat eczema by finding out and treating the CAUSE. It's just h*ll and I wish you luck. A million different opinions and theories.

BUT fyi, the best cream we've found is from Beelief and is simply honey, lavendar and rosewater.

[Tofu the Geek]

Originally Posted by weddell

This is exactly why I have been frustrated with the standard "moisturize" advice, because it really isn't addressing the problems causing the eczema. At 22 months, my dd is still breastfeeding and I have been supplementing my diet with fairly high doses of EFA since the third trimester of pregnancy. I haven't tried giving her any directly though. I would like to, but she doesn't consistently eat or drink anyone thing that I could mix them with. I could try giving her some in pill form, but I'm not sure if she would take them. I'll look into the ones you mentioned in your earlier post. Thanks!

The Udo's oil I mentioned is a liquid format. What I did was make a smoothie every morning for myself with the oil in it (can't taste it at all this way) and then give my kids a bit of the smoothie. If you want to be sure of how much they are getting, you can stir it into their smoothie after it's mixed up. They can also just eat it off the teaspoon. At 3, my DD would just slurp a full teaspoon. Your DD might still be a bit young for that but you could always give it a shot.

Make sure whatever you pick up it has omega 3, 6, and 9's so she gets a range of EFA's.

Are you doing a 3-6-9 for yourself? Or is it just a 3? Check what yours contains as you could change what your taking to make sure your getting a wider range and increase your dose for awhile to see if it makes a difference for her.

[izzzesmommy]

I just started using this stuff called skinzium on my dd's eczema. I am amazed, but I think it might be working. When I stopped using it for 2 days it started coming back.
I am not happy it has -parabens in it, but it is better than steroids.
They sell it at CVS and I think they have a website. It comes with a shampoo, that is so un-necessary. But if you contact them directly you can order the lotion alone.
Good Luck!
And I agree with the others on diet. I just keep trying to eliminate things we have been eating for a long time. Just because he doesn't have a major reaction (like eggs for him) doesn't mean it's not showing up on his skin as eczema. (we're thinking soy :-(

[Tofu the Geek]

You mentioned she was on antibiotics. I'd add a daily supplement of children's acidopholous or probiotics to her diet. This loads the body up with good bacteria so the body can replenish it's supply of healthy flora which will have been depleted from the antibiotics. It will also help combat yeast which is a contributer to eczema.

The children's versions are usually a powdered format that you keep refrigerated. Kids usually love it because it tastes sweet like breastmilk. Just make sure check the label as I *think* some brands may use a milk sugar to sweeten. I know the brand we buy does NOT have any dairy so dairy-free ones are obviously available and may even be the norm.

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by TechnoGranola

It will also help combat yeast which is a contributer to eczema.

BINGO

[attachedmamaof3]

Our DS#2 has had eczema since he was around 8 months old. And still EBF...we went through the whole elimination diet, where he and I were both basically eating NOTHING (including sugar) that could possibly be an allergen. We did this for a 6-9 months. 6-9 months of misery. To make sure things like dairy, wheat, eggs, fish, beets I mean EVERYTHING was out of our systems. Then, he got tested. Nothing. He's not allergic to foods, that's not what was causing it. He has no allergies.

Moisturizing doesn't even put a dent in it. It just makes his eczema full of moisture. He scratches until he bleeds and has his own skin under his fingernails. He claws the scabs of in a fury of scratching. He can't sleep. We've changed bedding, we've changed flooring, we've changed every environmental thing we possibly can. We had him on probiotics, we've done nystatin, we've done tea tree oil externally, we've done Flaxseed Oil internally...we've done it all. It hasn't made a bit of difference. He's gotten impetigo 2 times because he can't make himself not itch.

At this point, we finally gave in and agreed to try steriod cream. I know. : I know. It was a sad and solemn day at our house. We were truly at a loss. We do not put it on daily and we apply VERY lightly with the tip of a Q-Tip (because I'm scared of it!!! Seriously.) when he begins to seriously flare up. It clears it up within the day. The rest of the time, we try to keep it relatively dry and we've taught him to rub/pinch his skin instead of rip it with his fingernails/teeth.

I was SO one of the people who wanted nothing to do with steriods. NO-THING. Until it was the only thing that worked in almost 2 yrs of trying everything else. I know this goes against everything I believe in and it's taken me a long time to get over it, but I'm not sorry.

[BusyMommy]

Oh, I can top you. Before we figured out what was causing it, we started using the protopic the dr. gave him. You know, the one w/the black box warning about cancer. But, it was like a miracle. His face could go from oozing hives to clear in a day.

[weddell]

Originally Posted by attachedmamaof3

Our DS#2 has had eczema since he was around 8 months old. And still EBF...we went through the whole elimination diet, where he and I were both basically eating NOTHING (including sugar) that could possibly be an allergen. We did this for a 6-9 months. 6-9 months of misery. To make sure things like dairy, wheat, eggs, fish, beets I mean EVERYTHING was out of our systems. Then, he got tested. Nothing. He's not allergic to foods, that's not what was causing it. He has no allergies.

Moisturizing doesn't even put a dent in it. It just makes his eczema full of moisture. He scratches until he bleeds and has his own skin under his fingernails. He claws the scabs of in a fury of scratching. He can't sleep. We've changed bedding, we've changed flooring, we've changed every environmental thing we possibly can. We had him on probiotics, we've done nystatin, we've done tea tree oil externally, we've done Flaxseed Oil internally...we've done it all. It hasn't made a bit of difference. He's gotten impetigo 2 times because he can't make himself not itch.

At this point, we finally gave in and agreed to try steriod cream. I know. : I know. It was a sad and solemn day at our house. We were truly at a loss. We do not put it on daily and we apply VERY lightly with the tip of a Q-Tip (because I'm scared of it!!! Seriously.) when he begins to seriously flare up. It clears it up within the day. The rest of the time, we try to keep it relatively dry and we've taught him to rub/pinch his skin instead of rip it with his fingernails/teeth.

I was SO one of the people who wanted nothing to do with steriods. NO-THING. Until it was the only thing that worked in almost 2 yrs of trying everything else. I know this goes against everything I believe in and it's taken me a long time to get over it, but I'm not sorry.

This sounds exactly like us! (sorry, I don't mean to sound excited, but I know how you feel about trying everything you can think of and you still have a baby who scratches until they bleed) One of the worst days for us was last fall. I was driving my dd to her music class and I could hear her scratching in the backseat (I hate the noise of my baby SHREDDING her skin). By the time we got to where we were going, both her feet were a bloody mess, there were pieces of skin all over her lap and she smeared blood all over her face. I was crying and trying to get her cleaned up. It's times like that where I decided we had to use steroids while we worked on other methods. DD sleeps with socks taped to her hand and feet to prevent her from seriously hurting herself. She's had cellulitis (a serious skin infection that can require a hospital stay) because of her hands. For a while it was affecting her development because she would just sit and scratch and wouldn't play or interact. It really sounds like your babies have the same type of eczema.

We have been doing some probiotics, but I'm thinking of getting some different ones since I'm don't think she is getting enough to help. Our allergist gave us Elidel too (the one with the black box warning). It didn't help much and our ped didn't feel the benefit we were getting was worth the risk. I would have used it if it had worked better for us . I will look into different EFAs too, I think ours are 3 and 6?

I'm still looking for the cause, but at this point I can't stop treating the symptoms at the same time.

I really think there are different types of eczema that respond to different treatments. I'm just tired of hearing people say "just put a little vaseline on it, it'll clear right up!"

[WC_hapamama]

Both of my kids with severe eczema have used proptopic or elidel. We use it in short bursts (no more than a month at a time), and when we're using it, we're religious about protecting them from the sun. We treat them like the topical corticosteroids... use them until things are under control, then taper off.

Our allergist (who did clinical trials for both drugs) feels that both drugs are safe when used in short bursts, and that the risk of cancer (lymphoma is what triggered the black box warning) is very, very slim.