Eczema - Montgomery,IL

Homeopathy is the KEY! If you're close to Naperville, Dr. Polich ###-###-#### office) treats children, adults, etc. Her website is: http://www.dupagehomeopathic.com and on there you can read/see the story about a baby she treated for excema (a friend of mine). It works!

Wow--You already have so many requests. I sifted through them so I wouldn't be too repetitive. I would HIGHLY recommend the same product Kim W. It's called Renew. It's not expensive but it really works! It has to be ordered online. There has been a lot of research with great results! Karen M also mentioned that she's a wellness consultant and has some other products that are chemical free and all natural. That was the key for us. I think I've been using the same products she mentioned. You can email me if you'd like more info at ____@____.com care.

It looks like you have received a lot of great advice. I have eczema and so does my 4 year old son if I don't keep it under control. I believe it is also allergy related. At the advice of a homeopath, I bumped up daily multi vitamins & our Vit C intake along with vit A & E, we almost completely stopped the flare ups. For our son we use Emergen-C Kids Multi in powder form. He drinks it in his morning juice. We also did a dairy/gluten free diet for a year and it helped not only with our skin but our sinus allergies too. Now we rotate our diets so we don't eat the same thing in any given week, but still do not drink cow's milk. We drink soy or almond milk or rice milk. I also use Aquaphor when the rashes are painful but once they start healing, I found a great cream at Whole Foods called Shikai Borage Dry Skin Therapy. It's in a green pump bottle and it has zero irritation as long as the skin isn't a raw rash or the skin isn't broken/bloody. Of course if you can get your 4 year old to eat tons of green leafy veggies and red and orange veggies, etc. it would help too, but since we can only force so many veggies on our son, the multi vitamins help a lot for his skin, allergies, and overall immunity. Good luck and I feel for you. I had bad eczema until my mid 30's and started this regimen. Judy

Both my children have eczema and see a dermatologist - Dr. Annette Wagner through Children's Memorial. She has been a life saver! My oldest now is only on 1 medication (a cream) a couple days a week. My newborn is now on 3 topical medications and is showing great improvement already. If she is not on your insurance plan, I would call your insurance and found out which dermatologist is. Good luck to you and your son!

Two things. First, you might want to consider having him allergy tested if you haven't already. My 2 1/2 year old son had eczema from birth to almost two years. We took him to a allergist (covered by HMO) and she diagnosed him with certain food allergies. Milk, Wheat, Peanuts, and Eggs. On the allergy scale, his are mild but we do our best to minimize or cut-out those foods from his diet. It took a few months but his eczema went away. We hope he will eventually outgrow his food allergies. He also had diarrhea and ear infections which have also subsequently gone away. Second, to treat his eczema, I used a product called Mustela Stelatopia Milky bath oil in his bath. It seemed to help. Also, Aveeno oatmeal lotion helped too. It's a good idea to get advice from your pediatrician on the best solution. Good Luck!

I know this can be frustrating to handle. There are many dietary changes you can make such as cutting down on sugar and increasing consumption of healthy omega 3 fish oils. It is also necessary to make sure you are using a gentle laundry soap as well as bath products. I am a registered nurse and share Shaklee products which include omega 3 fish oil dietary supplements, natural laundry and personal care products. Please let me know if I can get you some more info, including how to get these products for free.

My daughter had eczema pretty bad also.. I used unscented Dove on her in the bath and then Cetaphil CREAM, not lotion, directly after bathing. The lotions have alcohol in them that dry out the skin. This started working within a few days. His skin may be too sensitive for the fragrances that are found in most soaps, detergents, etc... you might try going back to using Dreft on his clothes as well if the dove and cetaphil don't seem to work.

I would suggest first to get him tested with both a scratch test and a blood test for allergies. Almost all eczema comes from allergic reaction. Then you can alter his diet or environment as needed.

I would also recommend switching from Benedryl to Zyrtec. The boy in my daycare who has severe eczema like you described has been on Zyrtec (edited to correct this drug name!) since July and is SO much better. He is allergic to cats and I have 3 of them here at his daycare. I did the anti-allergy shampoo in July and August but haven't done it since September. He still has improved tremendously just from being on the Zyrtec.

Check the labels on the products that you are using. Even the expensive and "medicated" baby washes and creams have sulfates, parabens, artificial preservatives, and petrochemicals that can not only irritate your baby's skin but are not healthy for your baby. Remember, what goes on your baby's skin goes IN your baby. Please visit my website at www.daisybluenaturals.us to learn more about our safe and soothing products. You can call me at ###-###-#### if you would like a free sample.
Wishing you the best,
H.

Have he got tested for alergy ? Sometimes eczema is caused by alergy. As for relieve, my pediatrician recomend zyrtec for itchy relieve since it will last a whole day (benadryl is only for few hours) and if he has ny alergy it might help too. Now they have it over the counter even for children. As for lotion, the only thing that works for my son is Vanicream. Walgreens has it. I've been try almost every lotion knows for eczema and nothing really works as well as vanicream. Before this we tried cetaphil lotion, it works for a while.
Desonide and triamcinolon also can be prescribed if hydrocortizon doesn't work. And since it is winter, usually I just use overall pj and jumper clothes with long sleeve and pants that make it harder for him to scrath. Take care and good luck. I know it can be frustrating.

Hi there.

I see you have many responses. You will have to try different things to see waht works best in your case. I have a 7 year old and 4 year old twins. All of them experienced excema. My oldest was 5 when I discovered Arbonne products. We have done all the same things you have been doing. I found that by washing less often and using a gentle cleanser and natural oil (not mineral oil) product we were able to theal it up and keep it away. It really is true what many others are saying, you need to know what is in your products.
As you fliter through all this advice and try a few things, let me know if you would like a free sample pack to try the Arbonne products and see if those work well on your child's skin.

Good luck.
J.
____@____.com

Hi S. -
My daughter also has suffered from severe eczema. She has multiple food allergies including dairy. Last year, we did a total overhaul of our lives and household by getting rid of as many toxins as we could. We also started supplementing with probiotics and vitamin C from Shaklee and doing "eczema wraps" with Enfuselle lotion from them as well. We have been SO impressed with the results that we decided to join Shaklee and start selling it ourselves. Their products are all natural and free of nasty chemicals and toxins. I posted a while back how to do eczema wraps but, I'd be happy to walk you through the process. I hope he heals quickly!!

Hi, I would recommend you see an allergist. He may have environmental and/or food allergies. My 4 year old has allergies, and eczema is the first sign of these (I was told by two allergists). I think it's really important that you find out the cause of the eczema first and then the correct course of treatment will be more clear. As for how I keep my son's eczema under control: I use real oatmeal in luke warm baths (I take a wash cloth, open it up and pour a Tbsp raw oats in the center and then fold it over so they don't fall out). During the worst of an outbreak this is all I will use on his body and hair. Then when he gets out of the tub I will put aquafor on him while he is still damp. This usually helps the worst of it within a few days (my allergist recommends the baths everyday). I've also seen an intergrative MD - she prescribed Abropernol for my son during the height of his allergy season to help with the itching: it's a homeopathic medicine by the company HEEL and I believe Whole Foods has it or can order it for you. This helps with the itching within a day and it is all natural. I will say you may still want to use this even if an allergist prescribes a new medicine for your son (that is if he tests positive for allergies) - my son is on Clarinex and he still needs it when spring starts! As for another idea to try if you don't want to put him through testing - no wheat or dairy for a week (you can try one at a time and see if there's any effect). A lot of children have sensitivities to these two foods so it's worth a try! Good luck!

I am so sorry and truly feel more for your son who can't help himself. You have tried the OTC products and other things but as you can see, they just don't help. I use a botanically based line of children's products that work wonders. You really have to understand what the ingredients are in the products that you are using on your child to bath and even wash his clothes with. His skin is extremely sensitive and this weather and heated households are making it even more unbearable for him. Give me your email address and I will send you information on these amazing products that really work - guaranteed or your money back. Did you get your money back from these other products that didn't work? I am more than happy to provide pics, testimonials etc. and help you all out. Put an end to his suffering once and for all!

K.
Wellness Consultant

We just started using the Shikai baby lotion on our son - OMG. I will never use anything else on him. I just let me sister try it on her son and she is also sold on it. We also started giving him fish oil since we don't eat a lot of fish. MAJOR improvements!

I hope that you have seen a dermatologist if your son is this bad. When our oldest was a baby, he was covered with eczema. we saw dr. kemp at dreyer clinic. we had some type of prescription ointment when the breakouts were bad. he also told us not to bathe him every day. just wipe him off. also, to slick him up with good old vaseline. we did this at bedtime. also, to use detergents etc that were free from dyes and scents.

I'm so sorry to hear that. I, myself, just went to see a dermatologist for eczema. It's miserable, but the doctor gave me this rx foam, Olux-E, which the pharmacist said was around $400, but the manufactured was offering a gift card and my insurance covered a lot. You might want to check how much it would be, but it was worth it. The dermatologist suggested Cetaphil cream for moisturizing. I know this is for your son, but maybe if you see a Dermatologist, they can prescribe something. I swear it worked and even though I still get some patches, It clears up right away with the Olux. Good Luck, eczema is like torture.

Renew lotion works great. Also they have a Renew bath oil that would work as well. I love to put it in the bath tub when my girls take a bath. It works wonders.

Let me know if you need more info!

Hi S.,

We battled with this for about 10 months with my little guy. We did everything you mentioned and then finally our pediatrician recommended us to a dermatologist. We ended up using a high level of steriod to get it cleared up. What finally ended it once and for all though was finding out that he was allegic to the laundry detergent. We had been using Dreft. We were told to switch to All-Free (what we use now). We also finally realized that his sleeping in our bed (which was washed with regular detergent) was also causing him problems. Now we don't allow him to spend a full night in our bed. He may wake up and join us for an hour -but as soon as he falls back to sleep we carry him back to his bed. So far so good. His skin has finally cleared up. Just note that you need to be careful with steriod creams as they thin the skin. We used it sparingly with Aquaphor cream on top of it and it worked great. The steriod was a prescription strength and we were careful to follow all the doctor's advice.

Blessings,
L.

zyrtec won't clear his skin but will help him from scratching while he's sleeping. It won't make him as sleepy as bennadryl, but it is a perscription. we used it on our son starting at 6 months.we use steroid cream.

major helpful factors for us: make sure you have soft water.
Grandpa pine tar soap (it comes in liquid). smells like a tree or something but my husband swears by it. you can buy it online. we have used it on our 3 yr old as well.

and don't bathe him everyday. every 3 in the winter at most (just clean the essentials).

i wouldn't use lbiderm. i'm not sure about it, but so many of those lotions have wax in them that make it worse. don't use oil or vaseline either. have you tried alveeno for eczema?

we tried oatmeal baths but made the mistake of grinding our own oatmeal and clogged the drain.

good luck!

I have a 5 month old daughter whose skin is very dry and I had heard on TV and then my cousin told me the same thing a few days later and then I went ahead and asked her doctor and his response was the same.....USE CRISCO! Yes the cooking shortening! I put it on her at least twice a day and it helps! It is worth a try! And it is cheap!!!

~K.

Please go to freederm.com!!! We use both creams and the soap.The picture of the kid with the red cheeks was my daughter at 6 months. We havent had any major problems since. I just have to make sure to apply extra applications to her elbows and cheeks in the winter.

What we did for our son and now our daughter was bathe less frequently during the winter (every two days or so) and when you do, don't make the water too hot (can be more drying i think) and don't use soap (use a fragrance free, dye free, sensitive skin wash...we have used dove or aquaphor body wash). After bath we use eucerin creme (the big tub of thick creme, not the lotion). For really bad breakouts the doctor prescribed hyrdracortisone but we use that sparingly...if it gets worse or just doesn't get any better, maybe you could see a pediatric dermatologist? Good luck :(

my daughter is almost 12 and we've struggled with baby eczema her whole life. i did what your doing, but found as the years went on, simple things work great. she shower with aveeno body wash,and lotions with eurcerin cream( it's extra thick in a jar)everyday, and uses baby shampoo on her head.in the winter she soaks in aveeno soak if really dry. she's to the age now where if she notice herself itching overnight, she'll put the cream on herself so she doesn't get scratch marks/scabs as much anymore. hope this helps, but it is sad to see such beautiful skin with the dry patches

My son has eczema too and my doctor just gave me a sample of a cream that seems to work quite well and it is NOT steroid based. It is called Premium Triple Cream. It is made by the makers of triple paste. I'm not sure where it is available, but there is a website on the package and that is www.sumlab.com Hope this helps!

You are using all the wrong products! Those lotions contain petroleum and mineral oils, both horrible for this condition (and bad for anyone anyway). Our son has the same problem. We've been using SkiKai Dry SkinTherapy for several years. It works wonders! You can get it at Whole Foods in the baby skin care section. it's for eczema. We only bathe our son every 3 days in winter but apply the lotion every night. I promise it will make a difference!

I would definitely NOT use any kind of baby oil! We tried that and had major outbreaks of dry/allergic skin all over the place. Not good.

Also, it could certainly be a food allergy...

Don't use fabric softener. Use a plant-based laundry detergent with no dyes or perfumes. No bubble bath or anything like that. No swimming in the winter in chlorine! That causes a flare-up every time we go...

My five-old-daughter is also quite an itchy little thing. We've had issues with eczema since she was born as well. I have found that when she gets limited dairy, the dryness improves tremendously. It could be just a food allergy?

Wow. You really have gotten lots of advice. I am an RN at a local peds office. I would look into food allergies also, but I know of a company who has products without all of those chemicals, mineral oil,.. Arbonne offers healthy, natural, vegan choices that work. I know of patients and others who use Arbonne baby line and some of their other products and it made their children's eczema go away. If you are interested in trying it, I could give you a sample pack to try before you buy. Good luck!

K.
____@____.com

Hello S.:
I am 28 years old with Eczema. When I was younger maybe 5 or maybe a little younger, anyway I remember having it so bad that I had the rough black patches on my skin and when my mom would wash me and the patches would sting and get pus-like. As I got older, I would itch like crazy till I couldn't sleep at night. I would scratch till I itched more because that just starts infections. My mom took me to the doctor when I was little and the doctor said something about not giving me many baths or something. So, i take it not to be in the water too long, my skin gets really dry, and I only use dove soap, deodorant soap for my private areas. But my arms, legs, face I used dove and still do. Now I am doing much better where I use facial stuff and my skin can take other products other than dove from time to time. But you know what I believe eczema is linked to allergies. I would itch when I drank orange juice too and perfume irritated my skin. I was allergic to it. I hated grass. My mom used hydrocortizone, too and as I got older like teenager, I would take oatmeal baths or baths (I love baths) and mosturize my skin really well from time to time when my eczema got on my nerves. I would itch so bad that it was embarrassing and nerve-racking at times in public and at home. I only use tide to wash my clothes, dove or suave for my under arms, dove soap except for face and private areas. Oh, make sure your son drinks plenty of water. That helps too. I put water in my orange juice some of the time. It kind of feel like i outgrew that allergy and I coat my skin well with jergens lotion extra moisture cream, our skin needs thick-like cream based lotion nothing watery. Cetaphil and oatmeal lotion is good too. And good news: as your son gets older the eczema won't be as bad. they say its forever you have it but it doesn't feel as bad and he will manage. Just find what's best for his skin and have him drink water, have patience, and you also PRAY.

God bless,
T.

I am the mother of three and unfortunately all of my children have Eczema. My nine month old has it so badly that she has dry patches over the majority of her body and her skin has started to become discolored. My pediatrician suggested all of the products that you are using for your childen. I just started to use the Hydrocortisone and the Eucerin which seem to work temporarily. The doctor suggested to use an additional creme mosturizer,and eliminate any type of lotions. Due to the season make sure that your house is not too dry and use a humidifier. Also I suggest that you start using oatmeal baths for your son. This will help to soothe the itchiness. I know that it is very upsetting to see your child in such discomfort, but keep on trying and it'll get much better. Good Luck and God Bless you and your family!!!

I have noticed that my kids skin is much better since I stopped using soap and use Cetaphil cleanser and lotion. It is much gentler.

Good luck

S.,

My daugher Chloe suffered with Eczema for years. She was adopted from Cambodia and when we brought her home she had beautiful skin. With 6 months she was a mess. We tried every lotion known to man, with no improvement. The doctor put her on steroid cream and her skin started to bleach out. Everywhere we put the cream would leave white spots. 2 years latter she still has those white spots. My friend introduced me to a lotion called Renew. I also removed all the chemical laden products from my home and her skin began to heal. She will now say " i need my medicine" and go and get the renew herself.

If you would like more info you can e-mail me at ____@____.com

I have been dealing with eczema in my son for about three years. We have seen several different doctors for it. They have all told me to stay away from Aquaphor. Eucerin lotion is okay, but Aquaphor is petroleum-based and is not good for eczema, apparently. So the same goes for vaseline and other petroleum-based products.

There is a lotion called Cerave (or possible Serave)that is available at Walgreens. It contains Ceramites (spelling?) that are supposed to be very healing to the skin. My son's eczema is well-controlled most of the time with this alone now. Most recently we have started using a cream called Locoid Lipocream. It's very expensive but it works like a charm- to clarify this is a prescription med that we use as sparingly as possible but it clears things right up.

We avoid bathing more than 2-3 times per week. Use a mild soap that is free of perfumes, alcohol, etc. Lubriderm isn't really anything out of the ordinary in terms of lotion, I would stick with Eucerin lotion (Wal-mart has a generic that is much cheaper).

We used to see a nurse practitioner at Children's Memorial in Chicago and they were great but got sick of the trip. We are now seeing Stephanie Keller (I think, something like that)a PA at Great Lakes Dermatology in Kenosha and she is great. She actually crawled around on the floor with my son to get a good look at his skin and is very friendly and takes the time to explain everything.

Hi, Sampeda. You've gotten so many responses, but I'd like to chime in as well. My son is the same age as your son, and was at least as miserable as you son is. It was an all-consuming battle on my part to keep his eczema moderately under control.

I have an entire closet filled with this lotion or that cream trying to find the magic potion that would make my son stop itching. There's a lot of "snake oil" out there for desperate parents and I think I've tried it all! I do give my son cod liver oil since that has a lot of benefits.

What made the REAL difference for us was looking to determine the *underlying cause.* It took ALOT of dilegence, and input from our pediatrician, allergist, and a dietician who helped us with an elimination diet to detect an egg allergy, a birch pollen allergy, and dog allergy that were aggravating his eczema.

The changes we made to his diet and environment as a result of this new allergy information (including finding our dog a new home and replacing our apolstered furniture!) have made a SIGNIFICANT difference in our son's (and my) quality of life. He said to me a few month's ago, "I used to itch." That one sentence was an answer to many prayers and made all the sacrifices on our part worth it. Another little thing we did, that you may want to try, is switch from Benedryl to Zyrtek, since our doctor told us Zyrtek does a better job controlling the itching (without putting him in a "benedryl" fog). She was right in our case.

For me personally, I found a small network of other moms who were dealing with the same special needs with their children. In my opinion, most people (especially in the medical community) just don't get the toll cronic eczema has on a child or a parent. If you ever need to connect with someone who understands what your dealing with, please feel free to email me. I'd be happy to be the sounding board for you that others have been for me. :>)

I can relate,my daughter,who is five has eczema. She had it so bad that it had me really concerened. I did not want to put her on any steroids. I kid you not we tried everything! I went to my girlfriends who told me about this great place to shop that had this really amazing lotion that is designed just for severe skin conditions. I can honestly tell you that we love it! My daughter has been break out free for 2 yrs. I highly recommend it!

Hello S.,
I am going to say he either has sensitivities or allergies to foods and/or environmental things. A few things I recommend is go to the library or purchase the book by Dr. Doris Rapp Is This Your Child? There is a website with more info about her book http://www.drrapp.com/
One of the best books, if not anything else buy it! and follow the allergy elimination plans in it.
Another thing is get him tested not just for allergies but for senitivities. When people are intolerant to things it can cause just as much damage to their systems and chronic eczema is just one thng. There are two Doctors offices that have two different non evasive allergy/sensitivity testings. One is the Meridian Stress Assesssment the other is BioAllergenix. These doctors are wonderful, their links are http://www.rhcpc.com/ and http://www.cchirocare.com/

My son and I both went through the MSA- Meridian testing- It gives a complete list of every thing that is messing with ones body in a negative way. My one year old has also had the Immonocap allergy blood test- I hated it- my baby was pricked with a needle, the test only does allergies not sensitivites, and they have to code everything so you are paying for each code, like milk is one code, then eggs is another, and you end up with limited results. By the time your insurance gets to you they only pay a certain amount and for such limited results you may be left with a huge lab bill. Please check out those sites, if you have any questions pleas let me know. There is so much that can be done. If you have not already done these things try it: free and clear soaps, cetaphyl lotion and when your child does bathe use warm water for the shortest amount of time and try cetaphyl cleanse soap if soap is needed- stay away from product that have dyes and sodium lauryl sulfate, as for his diet start a food journal or allergy journal- eliminate the popular culprits like- dairy, eggs, soy, corn (including corn syrups), dyes, sugars, citrus. There are wondurful alternatives at the grocery store or whole foods, it does take work to plan within a budget but can be done. Up side is lots of fruits and veggies are eaten and it is healthier.

I hope this helps
D.

I can completely relate to your frustration I have had excema all my life and as a child my mum tried everything!! the major breakthroughs were anti-histamines, bath oils(oilatum you can order these online diprobase) or cetaphil cream most not all lotions are not rich enough I also swear by aveeno and grapeseed oil after bath or shower I was actually told to shower everyday to prep the skin for moisturisation and to clean of any germs from nails! the other changes were clothes detergent needs to be all clear having carpet can also be an issue we put in wood floors and I noticed a difference immediatly and also we run our humidifier all winter.cotton clothing is also key to help skin breathe,pets can also aggravate the condition and many foods,lots and lots of water if he will drink it the list goes on so if you need any more info pm me I hope and prayer you can find something that works.It did for me after a lot of perseverance.

I realize this is a little late & I did not read through all the responses....

If you haven't tried it yet, you need to get Mustela Stelatopia:

http://www.mustelausa.com/stelatopia.html

My son has eczema too, and this has worked wonders. His skin is so repaired after using these products for a year, that I don't need to get so worried every time he wants to go swimming or have a bubble bath -- normal things I think kids should get to enjoy.

I know you can buy it online, or at some of the larger Bath & Body Works (Fox Valley Mall). I know Babies R Us carries the Mustela line, but I'm not sure about the Stelatopia (they have many products).

Good luck!

Hi S.-
My daughter ha been battling eczema now for a couple of years and our pediatrician also had recommended hydrocortizone and moisturizers. We did not see much relief from them. My dad told us to try Desoximetasone Gel USP, 0.05%. I do not know for sure if it is a steroid or not, but we did see AMAZING results from it. It dried the patches up within just a day or two and if we followed up with a moisturizer it was great. The other recommendation I have is a product that I sell through a brand new company. The company is Votre Vu and the product is called Amour D'Ore. It is a french based product that they just started offering in the U.S. It is a vitamin spray that is EXCELLENT in keeping skin moisturized which will reduce the itching. It is sooo much easier to apply than regular lotions as it is sprayed in a fine mist. It worked wonders on my daughters skin and we all use it to stay moisturized during these dry months. Your skin is beautifully hydrated without oiliness. I am sure you would love the effects!! Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be :)
If you are interested in more information let me know!
Sincerely, K. ____@____.com or www.votrevu.com/kristier

We use Cetaphil bar soap-bath wash and the lotion tub. We also use Dreft laundry detergent for his cloths. The tub lotion is a thicker cream. DO NOT use generic brands as they only contain the ACTIVE ingredients and have caused more breakouts on our son. If you must give a bath only 2-3x a week or shower with them if they are too small to stand alone. Do not towel dry your child either. You want to apply Cetaphil directly to the skin while the natural moisture is still there. I always put it on thick especialy at night. We also apply 2-3x a day if possible. Good luck :)

S., my son (now 12 months) had eczema from 2 month old. After several months of creams, experiements and diets, we found the main thing that causes it is eggs. I figured this out by removing various things from my diet, and it was confirmed with an allergy test. Soap (hypo allergenic babysoap!) and dry air cause eczema in smaller amounts. You don't mention allergies, so if you haven't looked into it yet, it might be worth getting him allergy tested or experimenting by taking out certain foods from his diet. Dairy, citrus, eggs are common causes of eczema, but it could be something else as well. Good luck, it's very frustrating to see you child scratch uncontrollably.

My son too has Eczema and was scratching out of control. My sister, who is a pharmacist, suggested a mix that she uses on her daughter who also has it. After bath and whenever he moisturizes we use a mix of Aveeno baby soothing relief moisture cream and aquaphor. It works wonderfully and you notice a difference in the skin within a few days. Also bathe in the aveeno soothing relief creamy wash. hope this helps.

I feel for you, and your son. My son went through that and continues with flair ups now (he's 14). But I swear by the Aveeno products. They work wonders for my son. We would bathe him with the Aveeno body wash. And every night before he went to sleep we would load on the Aveeno body lotion. If he has a really bad flair up he will soak in an Aveeno oatmeal bath or an epsom salt bath would work too and then load on the lotion.

I hope this helps. Good luck to both of you.

my daughters doctor prescribed Elocon ointment. It works well for my daughter.

try Aveeno oatmeal baths. Oatmeal is a natural skin soother and hydrator! All 3 of my kids have terrible eczema, and it seems to help.

E.

my 1 yr old has that to i know its hard to see them like that. try aveeno (i think thats how its spelled) for babys its in the baby isle with the baby bath stuff. my son doesnt scratch with that. hope it work for you.

Hello! I represent a company by the name of NuSkin and I believe I have the product that will help your son with eczema. The product is called Calming Touch Soothing Skin Cream. It all began when our scientists started doing research for a skin disorder named "Epidermolysis Bullosa." This skin disorder primarily affects children and causes the development of blisters or open sores on as much as 75% of the body. NuSkin continues to research and find a cure for EB.

The entire "Epoch" skin line incorporates some of nature's most therapeutic ingredients, Epoch face and body formulas contain skin beneficial botanicals that soothe and condition.

If you are interested in learning more about the "Epoch" skin line, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you real soon.

Have you talked about it with your ped? Seen a pediatric dermatologist? I'd also talk to a pediatric allergist? Eczema occurs in 50% of food allergic kids.

Have you tried switching your laundry detergent, stop using dryer sheets, fabric softener, bath soap or shampoo?

Animals in the house?

I think all that scratching can cause an infection.

It really sounds systemic to me.

You also can try eliminating types of foods one at a time (dairy, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts (top 8 food allergens) etc) for a couple weeks, but if it's food he may have allergies to more than one type. If you do eliminate, it may not work w/o eliminating all of the foods in that group. For example dairy has many names for it. www.kidswithfoodallergies.com resources pages should have lists of what is in each food allergen. ALso they're great for help.

Before eliminating, maybe keep a strict food/exposure diary and symptom log - then maybe you can see trends and if something is causing it.

good luck!

----

Regarding Nora below - i think she means Zyrtec. That's an antihistamine. Zantac is for stomach acids.

Try eliminating milk from his diet. I know of at least 3 or 4 kids that did this and it helped quite a bit. Interestingly enough, the kids can still eat cheese.
Maybe you do this...bathe him every 2 days, that may help.
Good luck!

T.

Hi S.,
I know how hard it must be to watch your child and not feel like you can help. My husband has suffered with ezcema for years,nothing worked till we found Renew lotion. His skin is gorgeous and clear. I would love to tell you more about it. Please contact me.
R.

try Vanicream. Comes in a 1 lb tub for $20 at Walgreens. You need to get it from the pharmacy (but no prescription is required) My son has had outbreaks of eczema since about 2 yrs of age - he is 8yrs now. My mother's dermatoligist told her to use Vanicream - when it worked for her I asked our Ped's Dr if it was safe for my son. He said yes. (originally we were using Eucerin/Aquaphor but no relief) My son has been using it now for 2+ years - WORKS GREAT!

My 5 year old son has also had eczema since birth. His dermatologist recommended Cetaphil cream. It is thicker than the lotion. Apply the cream right after bath time to lock the additional moisture into the skin. He still has occasional outbreaks that require prescription Aclovate, but the Cetaphil generally works extremely well at managing his situation.

Hi,

I am so sorry for your son. My daughter also suffers from eczema and it drives her crazy. We have tried just about every lotion/moisturizer/prescription cream know to man. I really haven't found that one works better than any other, but we definitely do have to moisturize. We were recently at the dermatologist and they recommended a new nonsteroidal cream called Atopicliar http://www.atopiclairus.com/ Note that this is a prescription and based on the cost, you will feel like you are coating your child's skin in gold, but it may be worth a shot. Also, consider running a humidifier at night, and have him allergy tested if you haven't already. One of the other posters mentioned to avoid Aquaphor. Our derm just recommended 3-5 days of a 2.5% hyrdrocortisone to get a flare under control, followed by daily Aquaphor. We followed this regimin and for the most post, her flare is clear, which it hasn't been in years.

Try Shikai Dry Skin Therapy Borage oil lotion. It's available at Whole Foods and perhaps Vitamin Shoppe. It's very helpful with skin issues which are difficult to clear. http://www.shikai.com/products/borage.htm

I have major skin issues that only clear in winter w/the shikai. I also buy it at Vitacost.com as it's cheaper there... but only if I have time to wait for the shipment. Their shipping is cheap ($4.99 flat for whatever you buy, no matter the weight) but slow

How often are you bathing him? Do it only as needed. Little "bird baths" are fine for the day to day (washing the "important parts") and a full bath/shower once a week is fine. Wash the head at least every other day. Have him wear socks on his hands at night to help with the scratching. Does he drink enough water? Eat enough fish?

I have only been going through this with my 5 y-o for a year so I am by far not an expert. But, I always had a feeling it was an allergy. My dr sent us to a derm, which helped but like you I am not crazy about the hydrocortizone side effects. I finally-totally by suprise-figured out it was a milk allergy. Her skin occasionally flares up, but it is far from the problems she had before. Our allergist appt. is comming up. So my suggestion would be to try that route. I feel better finding a dairy substitute than using the hydrocortizone. Hope this helps.

Hi S. -
My son Roland is also 4 and suffered from eczema since a baby as well. It turned out to be food intolerances to foods high in salicylates such as apples, grapes, peaches, berries, pickles, tomatoes and a few others.
I switched him to the Feingold.org diet and his eczema cleared in 9 days. Now I know when something he eats aggrevates him...since he will get a rash on his hand or cheek. Feingold compiles a food list by region of foods that don't use synthetic additives, preservatives or colors. Kids can't process this stuff so we see hyperness and rash and behavioral issues. Removing foods naturally high in salicylates was on the plan as well (this chemical is similar to what is in aspirin).
Good luck!
S. in Lisle

My doctor told me to use Crisco(not the oil but the white cream). I also use bath oil that I got at a drug store. This is the ONLY soap I use at all on my daughters body. I just put a capful in the tub with her. I wash her hair just before she gets out so the soap does not dry her out. She has been eczema free for 2 weeks!

Take a look at the two products
AlliGel and O2 Plus the website has all the details.
www.lhninternational.com/mrcc

These are natural products and work extremely well and fast.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Blessings,
Marge

If you go in the archives you'll find a lot of answers regarding this issue. Eczema is a secondary allergy to mostly dairy and peanuts...sometimes perfumed stuff etc. Anything that has mineral oil will clog the pores of the skin, most products contain mineral oil...California Baby is great stuff and can find it at Target..worth it. So yes, all that stuff you have tried is not going to work b/c it mostly has mineral oil. I know a ton of friends who rid dairy out of the diet, the eczema clears right up. The book by Dr. Rapp Is This Your Child? is an excellent source and a must on all parents books shelves. Rice milk is a great option for dairy...easy to digest too. He also needs probiotics to help repair the inside of his digestive track, www.smartbomb.com carries a great infant/toddler probiotic called FloraBaby by Renew Life, I've been giving probiotics since my daughter was born. He'll need to take these indefinitely but will boost his immunity which he desparately needs.

Good Luck.
J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator

Hi S.-first of all you need to get him off of ALL of those lotions--they contain so many nasty chemicals!! The number one cause for eczema is what he is eating. Dairy is the number one trigger!! Remove all the dairy from his eating regimen first. To get the skin to heal you can give him pure oatmeal baths (NOT AVEENO or anything commercial). Also hydrogen peroxide and epsom salt baths work great. As far as nourishing his skin-coconut oil or olive oil works much better. I also recommend a product line from Australia that is 100% certified pure called miessence (www.karenmacnab.mionegroup.com she is the local representative in the area). It is a bit pricey but worth every darn penny and that is the only thing we use!!

He also needs to get on a really good probiotic. Please let me know if you have any questions!!

T.
Detox Coach