Good afternoon! I just found out this morning that my 4 year old son has Atopic Dermatitus. Looking for any input from anyone who has dealt with this. The doctor said to avoid extreme temperatures in water, keep the air in the house moist and to keep him very hydrated. I'm looking for suggestions on any soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, etc that you may be using that seem to help with the break-outs. And, any other information you can provide. I know it's a distinct possibility he will develop more allergies in the future and possibly even asthma. Can you tell me any allergies that your kiddos have gotten, etc?
As always, thanks much for any information!
Aveeno products make us break out. I only use California Baby super sensitive for bath for the kids and lotion. They are unscented.
Laundry detergent Arm & Hammer Sensitive unscented formula. No dryer sheets.
Household cleaners - Basic H with vinegar and water for everyday cleaning and Bon Ami for scrubbing.
I also keep all perfume scents from the house. No air freshers etc
I've got Atopic Dematitis and so does one daughter. My 2 daughters and I have all kinds of food allergies as well. There is no cure, it's all about management. This is what we use:
Aveeno lotion
All free and clear laundry detergent
Fragrance free everything
Lots of organics for food and home products. The fewer chemicals the better.
No bounce or dryer sheets! No fabric softeners.
Dove and aveeno bath soap
Shampoo: whatever works and doesn't make us break out, we stick with it and avoid making changes.
2 of us eat gluten free and find it helps our allergy sensitivities in general.
One daughter had severe asthma which she outgrew.
I have developed more allergies over the years. Most recently have become allergic to newsprint and other inks. More atopic dematitis. Bummer.
My 2 boys have no allergies. Lucky them. But they still get the fragrance free laundry soap and no bounce sheets. We try to keep that stuff out of the house and make our home as allergy free as possible.
In addition to the great advice below:
1. cetaphil gentle cleanser (soapless) -- at nite. Water washing as needed in the day time. pat, don't rub dry.
2. zinc/titanic oxide based sun screen. these physical barriers also serve as barriers between my son's skin and other elements.
3. stay away from citrus and lemony stuff and mango when in the sun. or rinse immediately after eating/drinking.
4. Perhaps cook in olive oil versus soy vegetable oil. (stuff made with soy oil makes my son's skin irritated)
hth jilly
Well, I had some atopic dermatitius ( eczema ) , contact dermatitus, and later got hayfever and rashes to all sorts of things, now have occasional wheezing. We have children with the same issues from infant for some on to the hayfever. That daughter is suffering right now from symptoms of spring, etc. Then grandchildren now with it and brother and father with it and it's just very much a hereditary thing I think. I would be careful about things with perfume in them, I use dial soap but you may need to find something very mild for him, I use Tide but my mother got terrible dermatitus from that years ago, or they think it was that. Just keep an eye on what he uses and how it affects him. Some makeup that is for allergy sufferers make me break out in a rash. You just have to try things and see how he does and I hope he gets better as it's very miserable.
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/tc/atopic-dermatitis-topic...
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/underst...
We only use a few drops of woolite, no fabric softener or sheets.
We use "allergene" cycle which boils the water for her sheets and towels.
We got a water softener. You can get them for under $400 at Lowes. A plumber charges around $150 to install brand new around here.
Culligan wanted $3,000. The softener made a huge difference.
She had milk allergies which she outgrew around age 4. She has no signs of asthma. She does have allergies when things bloom and she takes Claritin which works as long as she takes it daily.
we LOVE Crunchy Clean and Rock'n Green Detergents (both available online, the least expensive option is the company site on both) - discovered these when started cloth dipes many moons ago but they are for clothes too. If you have hard water, Rock'n Green is the best but Crunchy Clean has the best smells! We use wool dryer balls (found almost anywhere: diaperswappers, etsy, etc) instead of fabric softener - softener's not good for your machine or hoses anyway.
We use alot of Eucerin Cream, have a whole house humidifier (inexpensive to have installed by a professional IF your furnace is not on an upper floor), have a UV light installed and a carbon filter - these things are expensive but worth it. take bleach baths as needed (1/4 c. to a tub full of H2O about once a quarter - as your allergist recommends).
This condition is typically exacerbated by dairy and any other food allergies present; my family carries the following: ALL nuts, peanuts, eggs, peas, grapes, shellfish, fish, ginger, garlic, rosemary, potatoes, poultry, maple syrup, ALL peppers, ..... It can also be exacerbated by seasonal and/or environmental allergies including but not limited to: trees, flowers, grass, animals, mold, mites, dust, .....
We eat organic, alot of raw, drink soymilk, and try to where as much organic as possible..... all of these things seem to help. combined, while we're still so allergy-fied going outside can be a scary proposition, We have the best life possible for us and are able to avoid allergy meds as much as possible (my DH and I grew up on multiple allergy meds and find the side effects so detrimental to our quality of life that we only take them/give them to the kids on rare severe occassions).
As an aside, there has been some determination of allergies associated with ADHD, and side effects from the meds include sensory input overload which can result in huge (negative) behavioral changes, including mood disorders.
If your kids have food allergies, visit kidswithfoodallergies.com, peanutfreeplanet.com, FAAN.gov....I know there are others but I'm pressed for time - sorry!
Good luck!
I just wanted to let you know that atopic dermatitis can be a symptom of celiac disease (an allergy to the gluten in wheat). http://www.celiac.com/articles/805/1/Atopic-Dermatitis-Is...
My daughter's skin problems finally resolved once we diagnosed her and removed gluten from her diet.
Hi C.,
My son has atopic dermatitis. He is 5 now and has had it since he was 1 or 2 (can't remember exactly when it first showed up). Obviously it is very hard to figure out what they are allergic to! We use fragrance free/sensitive skin everything. Dove soap for bathing. Tide free and clear for washing clothes, although I have used the equivalent in purex and cheer with no issue. No fabric softener or dryer sheets. I use those dryer balls in the dryer instead. We use aveeno skin care products for sunscreen and lotion. My ped said to put lotion on him daily and that helps to protect the skin. Also, the ped prescribed 2% hydrocortisone cream for when he has breakouts.
Best of luck. It can be frustrating, but you will get used to it.
Cyndi
