Eczema help?

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  • Rhonda_A
    Rhonda_A Posts: 17
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    I have a 10 year old that gets eczema real bad from August - September and not as bad in spring. It usually starts with some type of nasal allergy then her skin flairs. The dermatologist last year perscribed a 2 part kit. First part is a bleach solution. It looks like hand sanitizer. The second part is a foam mositurizer. They seem to work well but it's very expensive. We had her allergy tested and she came back with nothing wrong. As soon as I get her under control, I will try the coconut oil.
  • jezzi16
    jezzi16 Posts: 128 Member
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    One other thing I've found is I use creams not anything Vaseline like, for some reason it makes me itchier then the rash gets worse.

    Thats because while it mositurizes it also blocks air from getting to it which makes the breakout worse.
  • jezzi16
    jezzi16 Posts: 128 Member
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    I have a 10 year old that gets eczema real bad from August - September and not as bad in spring. It usually starts with some type of nasal allergy then her skin flairs. The dermatologist last year perscribed a 2 part kit. First part is a bleach solution. It looks like hand sanitizer. The second part is a foam mositurizer. They seem to work well but it's very expensive.

    Try just a beach bath - much less expensive

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eczema-bleach-bath/AN02003/
  • Stephanie0417
    Stephanie0417 Posts: 5 Member
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    My daughter has severe eczema. Have you had your child allergy tested? My daughter is allergic to a wide variety of food and airborn allergies such as pork, beef, eggs, dairy, poultry, strawberries, watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, honeydew, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, pineapple...Plus she is allergic to dogs, cats, grasses, molds, weeds, dust, etc. etc. She's had to completely change her diet and try to avoid the airborn allergies as much as possible. We're starting allergy shots for the airborns (you can't do shots for food allergies) in the next couple of months. I would consult an allergy doctor, if you haven't already. Plus you need to switch to fragrance free, hypoallergenic soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, deodorant, etc. Use a vaccuum with a hepa filter. Wash her bedding weekly in hot water. Incase her pillows and mattress in hypoallergic coverings. Make sure she baths nightly before bed. Keep her skin lotioned with antibiotic lotion, cetaphil cream, vaseline, etc.
  • Erin0164
    Erin0164 Posts: 64 Member
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    I had eczema on my face for many years until I gave up cow dairy. I can eat goat and sheep cheeses, but nothing from a cow. After 14 days of completely eliminating dairy (it's in so many things!) my eczema disappeared.

    Good luck.
  • FitJenJen
    FitJenJen Posts: 22 Member
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    Hi! I've had eczema my entire life and this is what generally works for me: keep skin hydrated meaning use loation everyday and especially after shower/baths. Never use loation/soap/laundry degetergent/anything/etc with dyes, perfumes or scents (it irritates skin). Do not use fabric sofener. If skin is irritated/itchy anti-itch creams like cortizone tend to help alot. Also if skin is super itchy, icing it actually helps (it numbs the skin and then you don't feel the itch.)
    Don't use super hot water on skin but just warm water. Things that tend to irritate my skin alot: salt water (basically any water thats not fresh including pool or ocean water), any grasses/plants/etc on bare skin, fur (cats, dogs, etc). Taking a shower after coming into contact with these things helps it alot.
    Avoid certain foods like strawberries or tomattoes. I personally try and use steriod cream as little as possible but they certainly do help alot when needed. I tend to use them when I have a flair-up and try to lower the dosage/stop them when it gets better (with the blessing of my doctor.) Also, I at least scratch alot when I'm asleep (you cant really help it) so wearing gloves to bed helps (if it doesnt bother you). I also don't know what doctor you go to or whether you have access to one but I go to a doctor who specializes in asthma and allergies (those go hand in hand with eczema) so she is very knowlegable about it. Hopefully this helps you a little bit. :)

    ^I TOTALLY AGREE

    I've had eczema for years and a salt bath sounds like it would hurt.

    My dermatologist suggests Eucerin lotion daily, that helps prevent the worst. When it does get bad, my Dr. prescribes a cream.
  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
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    bump. My hubby has eczema that flares up badly in the winter and want to read this for later. His doctor prescribes him a great ointment, but when he runs out he'll go FOREVER before calling his doctor for a refill. I'm eager to see what other suggestions people have.
  • wtfusernameisnttaken
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    I didnt know the proper place to put this question...but thought I would try at least somewhere!

    7 year old has terrible eczema...arms/ back of legs...back of ears..Docs and Dermo just throw creams at me left and right..nothing seems to help her..


    Just thought someone out there might have seen something that works? It doesn't appear to be food related..unless we start at the beginning with wheat...etc..I have never pulled food intake like that severe.....but have watched the common triggers...strawberries...peanuts..etc..


    any tips??

    My son had bad eczema when he was little.... We tried a ton of prescribed creams, nothing worked... Then our Pediatrician suggested we use Cetaphil and then put aquaphore (sp?) over the cetaphil.... that worked like a charm because the cetaphil moisturized the skin, while the aquaphore sealed it in like lard.
  • lauralind5
    lauralind5 Posts: 133 Member
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    A friend of mine had watermelon size patches on her back, her grandma gave her this stuff aquaphilic ointment to use and she has used it diligently every night for about 3 months now and its down to about the size of your fist or less. She has tried EVERYTHING. Diet elimination, soaps, Rx creams, etc etc.
  • wcjcjplourde
    wcjcjplourde Posts: 21 Member
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    Our dermatologist had us using the Cetiphil line, along with the topical steroid, when needed, for our oldest. Just switching to the Cetiphil was a HUGE help. He hasn't had a breakout in over 10 years and hasn't used the topical in almost as long.
    When Neosporin came out with their eczema line, I tried using that on my youngest. He gets rashy, but not the way my oldest was. That seems to work well for him also.
  • Newmammaluv
    Newmammaluv Posts: 379 Member
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    My 3 year old has it on her arms and legs.. baby aveeno oatmeal milk bath. It's new and so far its wonderful!!
  • Determined24
    Determined24 Posts: 137 Member
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    Oatmeal baths always worked for my baby...and raw shea butter works wonders...
  • Franzibear
    Franzibear Posts: 41 Member
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    * Salt / Milk bath (helps clean + soothe skin)
    * Good diet (little sugars and such)
    * Lotions (hurts but helps, anything not soaked with perfumes etc. might be best)

    I used to have bad skin and grew up sans soda etc. due to that.
  • Spokez70
    Spokez70 Posts: 548 Member
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    My two youngest both have it and it's a constant battle with flare ups caused by the weather or changing soap or laundry detergent or something. The best thing we ever did though was get them tested for food and environmental allergies so you can at least identify some of the triggers. Just remember if they end up being allergic to something nutritionally important like dairy they will need vitamin supplements to make up the deficiency in their diet.
  • Amryfal
    Amryfal Posts: 225
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    interesting - i didn't know that dairy was an eczema trigger. i might have to try cutting that back.

    i get stress-induced eczema on my hands and arms. after my doctor tried almost every steroid cream on the market, going up in strength, we finally got to a dosage that cleared it up. it was an ointment, which absorbs faster and stays on better than the creams.
  • doriyoung
    doriyoung Posts: 42 Member
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    an allergy test might help narrow things down for your daughter tho.

    I second this. My youngest son had eczema for three years and we tried lots of things. We took him to an allergist and discovered he was allergic to peanuts (not deathly, but enough to give his asthmatic reactions), we cut out peanuts and guess what? No more eczema. Totally gone.

    Get your daughter checked for allergies.
  • gjsmommy
    gjsmommy Posts: 90 Member
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    I have eczema and I did as a child too. Surprise, surprise my 3 children have it as well. For my daughter, hers are caused by food allergies and my son his are his environmental allergies. My children's allergist has always pointed out that eczema that appears in the body's creases & folds (behind the knees, arm folds, armpits, groin/upper thigh area) are often food allergy related. You might want to get your child tested.

    We try to manage it by avoiding the food allergies in my daughters case, my son is allergic to weeds, grasses etc & can't avoid them since he plays baseball so he also takes zyrtec & nasonex. Both have an allergy to dust mites so we have to encase their pillows & mattresses w/covers that keep out dust mites. We vacuum & dust often & keep the stuffed animals to a bare minimum.

    We use aquaphor after her baths daily. And when she breaks out in a rash we use hydrocortisone sparingly & top it off with the aquaphor.
  • Papayamaya5
    Papayamaya5 Posts: 45 Member
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    When I was younger, my dermatologist told me to avoid dairy, especially eggs, because that can be known to cause flare ups - I've had terrible eczema most of my life and the creams and lotions never helped - I'm now vegan (dairy and meat free) and am mostly gluten free and honestly my skin has never been better, no flare ups...I also avoid certain chemicals like SLS in products because it irritates my skin
  • amv1023
    amv1023 Posts: 61 Member
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    my 1 yr old has bad eczema, especially on his back. I used all the lotions and creams suggested by the doctor and nothing helped (some even made it worse). I tried coconut oil and it worked like a charm...I put it on him as I would any lotion and he hasn't had a flare up since I started using it on him
  • ali_b83
    ali_b83 Posts: 324 Member
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    My 9 year old gets horrible eczema. The only thing we had luck with is Cetaphil. Not taking hot showers helps to not aggravate it further. ^^Forgot about coconut oil! Swimming had made my 4 year old's eczema dry and red, and coconut oil helped in two days! Magical, that stuff is.