Seeking Moms Who Have Had Luck in Treating Kids with Severe Eczema

Both of my girls have eczema as well as I do. I haven't found too many things that work and I've gotten the same response from the dr. But one thing I've found that works pretty good is a lotion called Cetaphil. You can find it at almost any store in the lotions. I know Wal-Mart carries it. My mom also uses it and her eczema is so severe it covers about 80% of her body.

Hi S.: My son is 5 and he also just started having this problem about 3 weeks ago and Im lost and I just started trying everything. What would you say worked best so far. I was told if Benedryl does not take the rash away its not allergies and it didnt so its got to be related to something else. I have tried changing detergents,soaps, everything with no success either so please let me know if you have new suggestions. Thank you and Im glad I found someone at least who I can relate to with this problem.

I don't know all the exact facts but I do know that there are medical reasons due to the kidney, I believe as to why children get eczema. My niece has eczema but it is very mild. You need to do some research as to the reasons the body creates such dry skin. Be careful of what detergents you use on her clothes. I use to put baby oil on my neice after a bath. Good luck, I know how hard it is to see them suffer.

My 4 yr old daughter has had it since she was 6 mths old. She breaks out in red, sore patches all over her body, hands, arms, face, legs, you name it. Some of them hurt her also, and she'll scratch at them and they get really sore. I tried so many different types of OTC treatments and even tried taking away certain foods such as white flour etc as I noticed that was a culprit for her. But it doesn't stop. She's been on Eildel since she was 2 yrs old now. I only have to use to get the skin to clear up. Then once the break outs are gone, I stop until she breaks out again. I don't like using the medication, but as bad as her break outs are, I needed to do something to help her out. Like I say, it's usually only for a few days at a time just until the patches clear up and then I stop. I have not noticed any side affects at all at this point. I took her to a Dermatologist who specialized in Eczema and she added a couple of other medications to switch in between the Eildel use.

If you can find an OTC to use that's Great, really, go for it. If OTC had worked for us we'd still be using it. But my daughter breaks out 24/7 365/yr, basically non-stop.

Good Luck to you. It was great for me to also see all the others Moms' responses. There's some solutions that you've received that I'm going to try also. Thanks to all of you out there!

My daughter has had mod-severe eczema since birth. After many pediatricians and cortisone prescriptions later, I finally brought her to a pediatric allergist who tested her for the top 8 food allergens: milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, treenut, fish and shellfish. Turns out she was allergic to milk and egg. He wasn't a very good allergist because he said that she could still eat those foods in moderation and refused to test for any other foods because it is so rare for anyone to have a food allergy out of the top 8 that it is like searching for a needle in a haystack and not worthwhile in his opinion. I took her to Dr. Robert Wood, head of pediatric allergy at Johs Hopkins from a recommendation from another parent. He tested her for everything under the sun. He sees children who are very allergic to many foods, including those out of the top 8. We figured out my daughter's allergies and strictly avoid those that she is mod-severely allergic to. For those that she only has a mild allergy to, I give to her on occasion and only on a 4 day rotation. She has some flare ups once in a while that I treat with elecon ointment and Zyrtec antihistamine for the itch. For us, all the lotions and potions just weren't enough. We were trying to treat the symptoms but until we found out the cause of her misery, she continued to itch and scratch and bleed and be miserable. I know that eczema is not always caused by food allergy but since you've already done some testing that points to this area I would find a better allergist. Dr. Wood was great but he is in Baltimore (we just moved here). Before we left Baltimore, I did ask him to refer me to someone here. I can dig out the number if you are interested. Good Luck.

My daughter had severe eczema and I used natural herb treatments to take care of it. My daughter was also a level 4 milk allergen as along with other allergies. If you are interested in the herbal mixture I have let me know and I can send you a copy. My daughter's is not so sever anymore, just more of bumps on the skin we are working on.

Also reflexology has been very useful with the eczema and allergies and she actually is down to a level 2 now. Good luck!

my daughter has milk allergies and severe exema too. we cut the milk and started using Gentle Natures Baby Exema Cream on her. it worked great. her skin cleared up in a few days

Okay, well I am M., and new to this site. I don't know if my youngest child actually has it eczema yet, but his father does and there's a cream that you can actually buy at Wal*Mart for psoriosis...My fiance has eczema very severely and so does one of his other children. It worked wonders after just a couple of days. I don't remember what it was called, but it says psoriosis right on the side of the tube. (it is in a large tube, not a bottle). And it has a pink cap. All he did was ask the pharmacist at Wal*Mart and it's what he showed him. I believe the cream was around $7.00. Hope this message helps you! Wait, I just looked at another response of someone else and she said Eucerin cream...that may be it but I am not too sure.

S.,
I know finding things for skin problems in children is a challenge. One of neighbors has 2 children with severe eczema and has tried everything out there. Recently she stumbled upon a product that she swears by, she loves it so much she decided to sell it. It is called Arbonne, and if you are interested in trying it she will let you try the whole baby kit for a couple of days. I am not trying to puch her products on you in any way but she can not bleieve the difference it has made in her childrens skin, and like you has tried several prescriptions for them aswell. Please feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com if you would like some more info. I do not know all that much about the products but they are supposed to be natural, no drugs. I hope this little info helps. have a good day,
D.

Fortunately I have not had this problem with my kids, but I can relate because I had eczema when I was small. Back then there weren't the fancy creams there are now, but the one thing I remember is the only soap I could use was Dial and they had me use a dandruff shampoo on the rash. Mine was also stress induced and fortunately I have since grown out of it. Another thing I have heard works is all natural lines. Have you checked into Daisy Blue Natruals? It is a Minnesota company and they have a web site. I have a friend who sells it and swears by the results. www.3277.daisybluenaturals.com

S.,

MY daughter and Granddaughter both have ski problems and have also tried all kinds of treatments that didn't work at all and some made it worse. We have found that Sage Tea works wonders and it is really easy to make

Boil 1 cup of water remove from heat, Add 2 teaspoons of ground sage (from the cooking isle of you local grocer). Steep the tea for 10 min. strain through a coffee filter. Apply with a cotton ball. Keep remaining tea in the fridge for latter use. Keeps about 2 weeks.

If you would like any other NATURAL skin care help please e-mail me directly at ____@____.com

a little about me
I am a certified birth Doula through both CAPPA and DONA
I am the mother of 3 adult children and Grandmother of 3 Granddaughters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The beauty of my body is not measured by the size of the clothes it can fit into, but by the stories that it tells. I have a belly and hips that say, "We grew a child in here," and breasts that say, "We nourished life." My hands, with bitten nails and a writer's callus, say, "We create amazing things."
-S., from I am Beautiful: A Celebration of Women in Their Own Words
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My 15 month old has had eczema since birth. Her doctor wasn't concerned at about it but I am as it is on her face and she scratches at it. I've used Aquaphor (basically petroleum jelly) on it which has worked wonders on all of the spots except the spot on her chin. She drools quite a bit so if I continue to apply it throughout the day it acts as a barrier to the drool and moisturizer for the eczema and usually clears it right up. Unfortunately I don�t always keep up with it and she has break through eczema that flares up pretty quickly. Her doctor isn�t worried because she says kids usually out grow it. Good luck!

Eucerin Cream worked for my son, what creams and lotions have you tried?

Hello,

My daughter had baby excema when she was a little girl. It wasn't as severe as your childs sound so I wish you the very best of luck!! My doctor recommended Crisco. I know is sounds very silly and I had the same responce but living in Minnesota as soon as those cold winters come both of us get super dry skin. You lather the crisco on before bed time and usually a pair of footie pajamas to help is soak into the skin. It has no chemicals in it to hurt her poor sensitive skin. Another thing that is a HUGE help is a humidifier. It brings mostier into the air to help their poor dry skin. I know this is odd advice however it helped us quite a bit so maybe something to try and see how it helps you. Good luck to you!

M.

You may have already tried this one, but have you tried to use Vanicream on her? I think I've picked up mine at Target, but they don't keep it in the aisles. You must ask for it at the pharmacist's desk, but a prescription isn't required to use it. It is a rich cream developed by the Mayo Clinic to relieve sensitive skin problems. How frequently are you washing her? It's best not to wash daily, but lotion should be generously applied every day. The Vanicream is nice because it soaks in well and isn't greasy.

You should also absolutely make sure that the clothing you put your child in isn't synthetic or wool. It is best to dress her in 100% cotton and use a gentle, non-irritating detergent. The sizing in new clothing can be irritating, so always wash anything new before it is worn. One of my best friends grew up with severe eczema and I've been developing it as I've gotten older. I hope this info I learned can help you!

I just read the other responses and forgot that my friend was serverely allergic to dairy products. She had to take a pill before she could eat anything dairy and didn't eat them very frequently, so that could also be a contributing factor in flare ups.

I can sympathize with you! My daughter has really nasty ezcema that caused bleeding sores as well as allergies and asthma. I have found some wonderful products that have helped her to be able to stop taking the meds. I have her on 2 different antioxidants (made out of foods such as blueberries and citrus), vitamins and B Complex for the ezcema and asthma. When I started her on the B vitmains, the ezcema disappeared in 1 week which was better than the 3 -4 weeks the doctor told me it would take with the steroid cream he gave me a prescription for. It hasn't come back since.

If you want more information, please let me know.

hello -
My daughter had eczema when she was under the age of one, and now that she's almost 2, she has pretty much outgrown it, we've been lucky. We used to treat her with Aveeno hydrocortisone (over the counter), and also we were prescribed a .2% perscription hydrocortisone - made by Taro that we were able to use everywhere except for her face and that really helped. Both of these really seemed to help. Also, shortly after applying the hydrocortisones, we used to put Aquaphor healing ointment on the areas that were most affected. For us, Aquaphor was a lifesaver. It is found amongst other lotions in the store, and it is kind of pricey, but a small bit goes a long way. We were given samples of Protopic when she was younger, but I was hesitant to use that as well. Good luck - I hope some of this info helps.
J.

I'm wondering if you've tried to modify her diet? I have a nephew with eczema, my sister-in-law is pretty good about sticking to an organic diet. His eczema seems to flair up when he spends a lot of time with his father who isn't in to the organic thing. He eats a lot of processed sugars when at his fathers which seems to make it much worse. It goes away for the most part when he's back with his mom, eating organic. Something to consider.

Good luck!

I have suffered from eczema on and off all of my life. Nothing from the doctor was able to help me, until protopic came out. I only use it when it get really bad and out of control, I too am concerned about the unknowns.

But once it gets into control I use a product called Look, No X E Ma! Cream its made by Four Elements. You'll have to look for it in a co-op or other natural food store. It has no chemical preservatives, like parabens, so it isn't shelf stable forever and will go rancid after awhile. My son has had only a couple of eczema spots in his 18 months and this cream has cleared them up, almost over night. This product is completely safe, in fact all of the ingredients are edible.

Speaking from my own experience with the condition. I get breakouts when I gets overly stressed, overly tired and eat too much junky food (including alcohol). I generally feed my family a diet of whole and organic foods. But, sometimes we get too busy and I let things slide out of convenience, then I pay the price.

Really trying to get the foods out of her diet that contribute to flare ups and removing as many allergens as possible from her space is the best you can do to control it. Also, make sure she gets plenty of rest.

Good Luck!

Have you tried Vanicream (better than Eucerin! ) Also, has she been checked for any other allergies? We used to use 2.5 percent hydrocortizone AND vanicream. It varies because her flare ups go away and suddenly disappear. My daughter is 9 months.

My daughter as mild eczema.Nothing seemed to work for long untill I tried a product by Melaleuca called Renew Intensive Skin Therapy. Thier phone # is 800-282-3000 or www.melaleuca.com. This company only sells via catalog. If you have more question please feel free to email me. ____@____.com. I love this suff so much I give it to everyone I know that has some sort of skin problem. They all love it too. Hope this helps J.

S., my almost 2 year old daughter had bad eczema since birth at 4 months we had found no releif until we removed cows milk from her diet, the other great product line that worked to clear it us and we use to this day is the baby line from daisy blue naturals. I loved it so much I became a consultant...we too were reccommended by our doctor some of the basic cremes/soap on the market AND cortizone and prescrition cremes....the natural Daisy Blue products did the trick and without the potentially harmfull chemicals and irritaing ingredients. If you want to see a picture of our little one let me know or please check out my website www.3623.daisybluenaturals.com I live in the Mpls. St. Paul area:) That eczema is so hard to see your little one suffer from. I am so glad we found the right skincare for her. (also the allergies and the foods to avoid).

i have found that the cocoa butter body butter from The Body Shop did wonders for my 4 yr old! don't know why but it has cleared almost everything up. I make sure to apply it daily and she has done very well. We had tried several other OTC things prior to this and nothing else worked.

Hi S.,

My son had pretty bad eczema when he was a baby. Our doctor gave us Elidel cream and it was amazing. I did some research on it before I gave it to him and felt comfortable with it. Our doctor said that most kids outgrow eczema, and it appears that my son has, as we haven't had a problem with it in over a year. My son is 3 now. Our doctor also said that eczema can be a sign of other allergies that will develop later in his life. We still have not seen any signs of allergies in him, but are always on the lookout. Ask your doctor if he has any samples of Elidel for you to try to see if it will work for you. I wish you the best of luck!
A.

My daughter doesn't have eczema, but I have clients who's children do. I sell Arbonne. Arbonne is a health and skincare company from Switzerland.
My father-in-law is allergic to everyhing under to moon and lived with dry, cracked and bleeding hands for a long time. He started using Arbonne and within a month his hands were cleared.
I strongly believe in this company. I have heard and seen so many peoples skincare clear up in such a short time.
If you would like I could give you a sample to try. The sample has hair and body wash, oil, herbal diaper cream, sunscreen and lotion. Arbonnes products are herbally and botanically based, free of dyes, perfumes and chemicals. Pediatrician and dermotologist tested.
If you would like to hear more about Arbonne and their products, please send me an email. You won't be disappointed.
B.
____@____.com

We took my son completely off milk and within 3 weeks his skin cleared up completely. He also stopped having reoccurring ear infections and is generally just a happier boy. It takes a full 2 weeks at least to get completely out of his system. He can still have yogurt and cheese, just not milk although we took him off everything in the beginning and slowly reintroduced.

My 19 mo old son had terrible eczema for the first year of his life. I tried everything. Nothing worked until I completely eliminated dairy from his diet. He had RAST blood testing done at the pediatrician which were just borderline for the possibility of him having an allergy but if yogurt even touched his skin he would break out with hives. The allergy testing is not 100% correct. I would strongly recommend trying to eliminate dairy from your child's diet for at least 3 weeks and see if it makes a difference. My son started to sleep much better once dairy was eliminated from his diet as well. He drinks soy milk, eats soy yogurt etc. You do have to watch for hidden dairy in foods. You need to avoid the milk proteins and they can be in foods with many different names. I am an avid label reader now and it is do-able. I got a lot of advice from a food allergy bulliten board on babycenter.com. They have a lot of knowledgeable moms who have been through it all with their kids and have some great advice. If you haven't at least tried to eliminate the allergens, then it is definitely worth a try. You may be pleasantly surprised. Good luck!

Both of my sons (ages 3 and 16 months) have had boughts with eczema. My younger son has had it much worse. After a blood test that revealed allergies to eggs,milk,oats, and soy, we put him on the lesser of two evils (soy). This made a world of a difference for him. We also use laundry detergent that is free of dyes and perfumes and no fabric softener. Eucerin and the other one aquafor? help a lot. The doctor told us that food is the leading cause of ecezema. Our sons ecezema was so bad as a baby, that he would have open sores that were oozing on his head. Since we cut the milk and egg products, he is much better. Hope this helps!
T.

S.,
How frustrating for you and awful for your daughter. I have a couple suggestions. Almost any skin problem with my children I had used Aquaphore (over the counter in the lotion and baby sections), and was very pleased at how quickly and effective it was. I have since become familiar with the company Arbonne (www.arbonne.com) and have been using their diaper rash cream on various skin problems, with wonderful results. I like their products because of the natural, non-petroleum based ingredients. They may have other products that would help your daughter's skin, too. I would be very leary of Protopic, also. I hope you find something that helps.

Sincerely,
M.
(4 year old daughter and 3 year old son)

My 15 month old son has had eczema since birth and the dermatologist that we take him to recommended vanicream lotion which you can buy without a prescription. They make vanicream sunscreen and soap as well. This works very well to keep the eczema away. Sometimes when we don't completely cover him in it everyday we have to use the prescriptions which also work well. Desonide comes in lotion and petroleum gel, I like both for different reasons. I also use a liquid on his scalp about once every two or three months, which is also a prescription that I can not remember the name of right now. Dr. Bender is his Doctor and he does a really good job.

Hi Sara,
Your daughter is probably sensitive to something she's eating and not necessarily true allergic. My husband is a ND and deals with skin problems all the time. He can test your daughter and tell you what she's reacting to. He uses kinesiology and drops to tell what she's allergic to so it's not painful. His number: Chiropractic Advantage - ###-###-####.
C.

S.,
Its almost as painful for us as parents to watch our babies suffer!! I have struggled personally with eczema as well as my boys. I have tried most topical stuff from the derm, some that in doing research after I would never recommend... I ended up getting relief by switching to natural products (Arbonne has been amazing in my life!) and by putting their baby oil on wet skin. Also, my baby niece suffered serverly from eczema (the worst I have seen) and found she had some intense allergies... and has improved dramtically over the past couple years with an allergist and dietician involved. Please feel from to contact me with questions ____@____.com. Stuggling with this personally, I know how frustrating and painful it is! Good luck

I have a 10 yr old and an almost 3 yr old and they both have eczema. I think that we have tried just about every cream that Dr's have thought of. From Triamcinalone, Elidel, Cortizones, Lotions and potions. The last prescription the doctor has given us has been the best that works for my kids. The name is Desonide, I prefer the gel cause it sticks longer. There is also a lotion. We were told that vaseline makes matters worse which was the case for us. Lotions that have worked for us is Eucerine and Cetaphil. (Both available over the counter). My son also does not use any soaps of any kind for his baths. Even the baby shampoos would dry him out when they would run over his skin while washing his hair. We use Paul Mitchell Baby Dont Cry Shampoo and its not as dry and it smells good. Another trick that our Dr. told us about is a home remedy. OLIVE OIL She said when the skin is wet rub some EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (as you would with baby oil) and it takes dry spots out. Especially dry knees and elbows. Works really well for us. Hope you get some good info!

My son had excemia when he was young and we treated it with Aquaphor which is an over the counter expensive version of vaseline. Have you tried that?
L.
-mom to three great kids!

You might be interested in seeking out the help of a homeopath who can do an entire health intake and find the exact remedy that your daughter needs to help clear the excema. I have a few friends who have used homeopaths for their childrens excema and have had great success with it. Both my daughter and I use a homeopath for a variety of reasons. The first being I had a yeast infection when she was born, so of course she was a yeasty baby and still is occasionally. The other, for her, is that she's unvaccinated and we use it for immune support. It's great because it works with the body internally, which is where the cause of the problem is...the problem isn't the excema, that's just the symptom. An interesting note, as well, is that I've been told by a few complimentary care providers that anything going on with the skin is an imbalance of the gut, or GI tract. Sometimes a probiotic can be helpful for that. You can get acidophilus called Primadophilus for infants and children at your local natural foods co-op or store. It's like $15, but goes a long way. It'll help to balance out whatever she's got going on inside. But I'm not a care provider, this is just mom experience talking here.
Nichi Hirsch
Healthy Beginnings
MyHealthyBeginning.com