Severe Ezema & Croupe Cough

I would also recommend an allergy test to see if there is something else (like a food allergy) contributing to the problem.

my son also has ezema got a homeopathic solution from Dr. Mao in Santa Monica (expensive but worth it!!) and it cleared up within minutes and doesn't come back interested email me at ____@____.com if interested

Hi N., Melaleuca has a product that is been tested and proven to work with eczema. It's called REnew Lotion, email me separately "____@____.com"...I 'll help you get it at a lower cost. Hope all is well.

My heart goes out to you as dealing with eczema and an infant is not fun. Shortly after my son was born, he started to have breakouts of eczema. Unfortunately he got that from my husband. My husband has had eczema since he was born also..some 40 years ago. We have tried every kind of soap, laundry detergent, etc. Initially we tried Cetaphil soap and lotion, Lubriderm, Eucerin, Aveeno. But what we found works was using Dove soap and Renew lotion from Melaleuca. We also changed the laundry detergent, as I used to use Arm & Hammer but then switched to the laundry detergent from Melaleuca. My son is now 9 and his eczema has really subsided. The one thing that I did notice as he was growing up was the eczema subsided on his legs and arms but then it got to the back of his ear. Unfortunately, that takes forever to heal as they keep scratching. I constantly had to cut his nails to almost nothing. There was one prescription that his pediatrician prescribed and I only use it when it's really bad. It's called Desonide and I normally put it on with a q-tip behind his ear and put about 3 band-aids over his hear. I normally do this when he's already fallen asleeep so he won't touch it. You can ask your pediatrician to see if that's something you can get.

Hope this helps you.

Hi N.,
I'm sorry about you son's condition. I know how hard it is to watch your child in so much pain and agrevation and there's really nothing you can do. If you don't mind, I'd like to introduce to you a product of mine that my grandmother has showed me for my son's eczema. We had all the symptoms you did except for the cough. We tried numerous medications and nothing worked. Not even benadryl. So my grandmother came to me w/ this bar of soap. We've been using it constantly and I've notice a less scratching during the day. I try to bath him 2x a day. but you know kids. Anyways, the product is called Melaluca. It's smells great, not like a medication soap at all. You can go to melaluca.com and order some stuff for him. They also have creams, detergent, soaps and so much more. I hope this helps. We use the melaluca anti- itch cream right after each shower and before school. Let me know if it works for you.

My husband got hit with a horrendous case of psoriasis seven years ago. It started on his leg and eventually he was covered from his neck to his ankles. Only his head, hands and feet were clear. We tried all the creams. The steroids only made him more miserable. The steroidal creams made his skin paper thin and it tore very easily. He found relief with acupuncture and chinese herbs. We also did alot of adjustments to his diet eliminating all dairy and boosting his fruit and vegetable intake. In three months he was clear. He also incorporated chiropractic adjustments in his treatment. Newborns can be adjusted and it could help. It will definitely help with the croup. I am including a link for you to read.

http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2005/mar/03glick....

I would ditch the Dove beauty bar. We found glycerin soap without any perfumes to be less irritating. You could also try lavendar or green tea soaps. Make sure they have only natural ingredients. Colloidal oatmeal baths are very soothing. It's a tough one. Hang in there.

Hi N.,
I'm so sorry, that you and your son have to go through this.
A good friend of mine had the exzema problem with her little boy. What made the difference in the world to them is two products, they ordered through theit local drugstore/pharmacy.
It's called CeraVe. This product is developed with dermatologists. My friend uses the Hydrating Cleanser (liquid "soap" for bath/shower), and the Moisturizing Cream.
Both products together cost about $30.-. Little Michael's skin improved incredibly within the first two weeks.
Regarding the Kroup Cough, all I heard from other moms is, that frequent visits to the ocean will help. If you can't do that, try to run a Cool Mist Humidifier every night.
Good Luck and best wishes to you.
Sincerely
T.

Hey N.!

I am so sorry to hear how much pain your son is in. I represent a International Health and wellness company. They have a cream that will take his symptoms away! Trust me when i tell you I have MANY clients who swear by this lotion for exczema. All the other products you are also usinf still have chemicals in them to counteract what the stuff your doctor was giving you. we also have bath oil, that you would use to soothe him while you give him a bath. Please contact me and I will give you all the details. you have nothing to loose.

J. Cherry
www.more4mykidzfuture.com
____@____.com

Though your sons case sounds alittle more severe, my daughter has has ezema all her life also. She is now 6 years old. We changed doctors about a year ago and when I took her for a check up I asked the new doctor what she suggested for her ezema. Since nothing else seemed to be working. She told me to use Aquaphor. It is a cream that I apply daily to her entire body. It is the miracle cream for us. Her skin has cleared up more than 90%. It may help him!!! I hope it does. As a parent it is hard to see them go through the itching and constant bother of this condition. Best Wishes!!!
W.

My son had eczema too. We went to a pediatric dermatologist who told us to STOP using soap on him (he's a baby, how stinky could he be?) and the eliminate all perfumes and the like from the laundry. You don't want to shampoo carpets either. The BEST thing he told us about is a cream called "Vanicream". It's a compounding cream (a cream meant to be mixed with medicines to treat other conditions) that you can find at the pharmacy (Target and Costco usually have it). It's not a prescription item but it'll be behind the pharmacy counter.

The dermatologist told us to use it massage it into his skin everywhere but his diaper region twice a day after a 5 - 10 minute shower. Don't rub him dry. Just kinda blot him and then put the cream on. Our son came to love our "Slathering time" because he got a little massage. I think the evening application actually helped him to sleep.

This stuff was AMAZING for our boy! We could see a difference in only 2 days and now he hardly has any trouble. If we see a little uneveness on his skin we just pull out the Vanicream and it's usually gone the next day.

Sorry I don have any advice for the cough. Vanicream stuff has a bigger list of what's NOT in it than what's in it. I hope it can help your little guy.

M.

PS It works wonders on my dry heels too! :>)

My son also had eczema from the very beginning. The first 4 doctors just prescribe medicine and told me there was nothing I could do about it. I finally found a doctor that admitted that eczema is generally caused by allergies. I did an elimination while breastfeeding when he was 4 months old and after 6 weeks his eczema was gone. You should fight the insurance because there is NO reason to wait until 4. Yes, their allergies change alot during the first several years but you need to know now because your son is obviously allergic to something now.

If you can not get them to change I would HIGHLY suggest an elimination diet using all the possible allergens, not just the top 9. The top 9 are shellfish, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, eggs, dairy, and sesame seeds. Also peanuts are legumes which could also include beans and peas. However, fruit can cause allergies, especially high acidic like strawberries and tomatoes. Bananas and avocados are linked with latex allergies which are very common also

If you could, I would suggest finding a different pediatrician for a second opinion. I would be very unhappy about a doctor that was medicating my child that much. In fact, my pediatrician says that the liquid steriod cough syrup is really bad for children and if they need that much medicine they should be on a preventitive inhaler daily like pulmicort. The medicine is just masking the problems. In fact, too much medication will make it more difficult to heal the body.

I found for my son that vitamin E oil was great and Palmers lotion with cocoa butter was the only lotion that worked (eucerin and aveno made him cry). Also change detergent to an allergen-free (trader Joes or All-Free), don't use softener and don't use chemicals to clean furniture or carpeting. When giving him a bath add kosher salt and baking soda to the water. For the cough I would suggest Ezymatic Therapy Ivy Leaf (I could only find it at Lassens). It was tested by doctors and found to help strengthen lungs.

the message board on mothering.com will help you find holostic ways to heal your son's body from the inside out.

N.,
I feel aweful for your little guy and I know how much heartache it brings you to see him in pain and uncomfortable. I wish I had more answers for you, but I only have experience with the eczema. I'm forwarding you a response that I sent to someone else in regards to a fabulous lotion that we found and it worked for us. I hope it helps you too. I wish you the best of luck.
M.

Use SHIKAI Borage Dry Skin Therapy Lotion. You can find it at ShiKai.com. My son uses this morning and night and has beautiful skin because of it. He had the worst case of eczema our pediatrician had ever seen and was almost hospitalized with skin infections - it was that bad. Like you, I did not want to use "steroid" creams on my son and those seemed to be the only ones available from our dermatologist. I searched for over six months trying all sorts of natural remedies. This lotion was our miracle. I've since recommended it to so many families and all have reported great results. My pediatrician even recommends it to his patients families because of the results he saw with my son. I did use the steroid ointments- not creams, in order to get rid of the "raw" skin condition (this should not take more than 3 days) and then began using this lotion to maintain his healthy skin.The ointments work without the burn that a cream can cause (I used Desonide ointment tar). I'm happy to report that he has not had even the slightest breakout in almost 2 years. Good luck to you. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Change your laundry detergent and Read your labels, Lysol is a registered pesticide. Even the Lotions and soaps you use add to the eczema problem Get on the internet and do some research, there are lost you can do for your little guy. Many products like Johnson's has formaldehyde (Quaternium 15) in there ingredients. Our bodies absorb everything you put on it and we are poisoning our children. Oh and change doctors!! Save your self the heart ache and the little guy the agony. There are resources out there and the doctors do not have it
To learn more about safer products:
www.saferisbetter.com/freedon

By chance are you breast feeding him ? if yes,maybe its something your eating or better yet it may be what your using on your body that is causing his break outs, since you hold him a lot, I found a web site that I think might help you with some new ideas how to help your little golden child,

http://www.eczemaresource.com/eczema/links.asp

Blessings to you & the baby

I would demand a blood test to see what you need to remove from the environment. My little boy had a blood test at 8 months. If your Dr. approves it it should go through your insurance. I'm so sorry, I understand the frustrations of nut allergies and eczema!

Absolutely I have suggestions. Consult with an naet certified doctor - allergy testing can be done through a surrogate (you) with the baby in contact with your skin, and can be treated in a non-invasive manner. It has worked wonders for my grand daughter. I love our doctor. He is in Fullerton. Let me know if you want his name and number, or the naet website.

M.

Hi N.,

I think it's really important for you to fight the insurance company on this--sometimes you can request special appeals to go beyond the normal coverage. It really sounds like your son has asthma with eczema, and the allergy tests are crucial to having the correct diagnosis in his treatment. My son had asthma since 3 months of age, but was "treated" for repetitive bouts of "pneumonia". I had to fight to get the "label" of asthma. He has had a rocky road, but is now 17, stable, and controlled. The use of steroids is an extreme method of treatment to control asthma (not so sure about eczema), and should be reserved as a last resource. We used steroidal creams (stronger than hydrocortisone) and Eucerin cream (not lotion) to manage the eczema. Good luck! You are the only one who will stand up for your child's rights. The croupy cough very well may be an asthma "tight cough".
L.

I highly recommend you read the book "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics" by Keneth Bock. It talks about allergies, asthma, etc. Have you cut out dairy and gluten? These along with egg are common allergens. If he is so sensitive, he is susceptible to toxins in vaccinations that other kids might be able to tolerate. Use probiotics to help his digestive system - Klaire Labs makes an Infant probiotic powder - make sure you buy at a reputable store where it is stored in a fridge. Also, do igE and igG allergy testing if you can afford it (one blood draw).

Hi N.,
I'm so sorry about your son's problems. We had our son allergy tested at 15 months because we wanted to get a cat. The Pediatrician did it in her office. If your Pediatrician does it, maybe insurance will cover it. If not, find out the cost of the tests. It may not be too expensive and worth paying out of pocket. You can also appeal your insurance company's decision not to cover your son until he is 4. They may reconsider when they see that it is really necessary in this case.

Good luck.

N., I feel for you! I know how frustrating it is to deal with the allergy symptoms and not know where they are stemming from exactly. My DD is only 6 months old and we have been dealing with severe allergies since day 1 home from the hospital and now that she is older, they are only getting worse. Have you looked into the cause rather than treating the symptoms. Maybe try elminating all food products from his diet with high allergens. Also, my daughter reacts strongly when the weather gets hot as well. I notice it is when we have the air conditioner cranked and that her symptoms really act up (excema, rash, congestion, cough). Maybe it could be an allergy to pet dander, dust etc coming through the air vents? For the rash, regular old Aquaphor does wonders for us. I noticed that many baby soaps have either dairy or soy protein (both of which are high allergens). Good luck!

Hi N.,

Your poor son has severe allergic reactions to something that he is receiving. You need to get an IgG blood test done that will check 110 major food catagories. Start eliminating things from the diet - first to go would be dairy, wheat, soy, eggs and of course nuts.

Insurance will cover it - just need to find the right billing codes to use and the skin pricking test is not the one to do. It will cost you up to $950. If you can't afford this and insurance is still being a (insert word here) then do the elimination diet. Many many families have. Good luck and give a squeeze to your little guy.

btw - doctors have put my daughter on all sorts of prescriptions and she has had so many asthma attacks I can't count them all. When we eliminated everything that caused inflammation to her body, her asthma went away. She has not had an attack in over a year, just some mild problems on occasion when she has eaten something she shouldn't.

You are wise moving to a cool climate. That does wonders for croupe.

Essential fatty acid (the omegas) deficiency shows up first in the skin. Is your child getting enough of those? Wish I could help more.

The following article is a brilliant one for moms with special needs kids:

http://powerofmoms.com/articles/99/1/Welcome-to-Holland/P...

i don't know a lot about eczema but i DO know that a bar soap is probably not a good idea. there is an ingredient in bar soaps that allows the soap to hold it's shape. that ingredient will stay on your skin after you've rinsed the lather off, and will clog pours. you should switch to a liquid soap with no fragrance or color. have you tried Abonne products on his skin? you can only get it through an arbonne consultant...kind of like mary kay. i used to sell arbonne and one thing i ALWAYS heard from people who bought the baby care products is that it was the only thing that worked for their son or daughter's eczema. you can go to www.arbonne.com and put in your zip code. it will give you the name and contact information for the consultant nearest you. that consultant will have product samples that you could try at no cost.
good luck!
M.

Hi N.,

My now 4 year old daughter still suffers from eczema, but it has improved. One medication that we use is called Derma-Smooth, it is a light steroid oil that you apply all over the body except on the face. We use it after her bath and are trying to get it down to using it every other day. For her "hot spots", we use an ointment called Cutivate twice a day. Both products are by prescription. We also apply California Baby Calendula Cream on her twice a day. I like this lotion because it isn't very "thick" but it does provide moisture. For her bath we use the California Baby products. It was interesting because we used to use the Aveeno bath wash, but we noticed she would itch. I always assumed it was the water, but once we changed to the California Baby soap, she didn't itch nearly as much. One note, the California Baby products are expensive. They are available at Whole Foods and Target.
I know you can't do the allergy testing until your son is 4, but you can try keeping him off some common allergy inducing foods like wheat, dairy and eggs. Just try one item for a couple of days and see if you see any improvement. One thing that we did get our daughter off of and we've seen an improvement is artificial food dye, you know the products that give Skittles their color.
I hope this helps. Having lived through it and still dealing with it, I know how frustrating it can be and also how hard it is to see your child uncomfortable or scratching herself until she bleeds. Take care and Good Luck!!!

E. F.

Hello, Our daughter had quite the same problem with ezcema. Our Ped. told us to get her tested as soon as she turned one to the allergist/asthma Dr. We found out that some of the foods she was eating was causing it and eventually it went away. The test was simple it looks painful, they will prick the back with 4 little needles with allergens in it. then in an hour the results will appear on the back and the Dr will read the results and tell you what to stay away from. I am sorry I cannot give you any other experiences with the cough.

Hi N.,

I have heard of other children with similar skin problems and suggest that you try Arbonne Baby Care products - they are botanically based products developed in Switzerland that are proprietary formulations, which means you can't get Arbonne or anything like it from anywhere else. Further, there are no animal byproducts, no human byproducts, PH Correct, your body has an acid mantle on it that is like a bug zapper. When you use products that are not ph Correct then you disturb the acid mantle and your skin is not functioning as it should. They are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested - Products are tested on human panels to insure effectiveness and safety, and are formulated without mineral oil which is occlusive. Occlusive describes something that seals, in this case the pores. This may also seal in bacteria. Often we describe our skin as "dry" when it is really dehydrated. Arbonne designs its products to hold in moisture, not oil and bacteria. -- Google it and you will see what I mean. They are also formulated without dyes or chemical fragrances which are skin irritants and can cause reactions.

If you have any questions or would like to order some, call me and/or check out my website at www.debiwigchert.myarbonne.com and/or www.arbonne.com.

Blessings,
D.
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N. - I think if I were in your shoes I'd re-submit my claim to the insurance (some ins. seem to deny everything the first time they see it), but if they continue to say no, pay for it out of your own pocket. I KNOW it's outrageously expensive, but look at what your baby is going through! If you really can't afford to do that, at least try out an elimination diet to see if he's reacting to any foods. Your pediatrician can help you with how to do it.
You can also find good products on www.cosmeticsdatabase.com - Aveeno and Johnson products have fragrances added to them to make your baby smell yummy, but that stuff irritates the skin a lot.
I have had excema all my life, and I'm using straight coconut oil (from the grocery store) to keep my skin moisturized. Also, you might try to give your son probiotics (health food store). They are yogurt bacteria that promote healthy digestion. Oftentimes, people with excema see an improvement when they start taking them.
I know you have quite a road ahead of you. It will get better! You will figure stuff out and you'll be able to help him. All the best to you!

Sorry you are having so many healthy issues with your young son. Have you tried taking him off all dairy products, acid foods, tomotos, oranges. Have you stopped using soaps that contain sodium lauryl sulfate, cocoamide DEA, TEA, triethanolamine, no mineral oil, no petrolatum, no propylene glycol, pg, polyethylene glycol, peg. All these are irritants to the skin and especially to sensitive people. I have lots more information on my website.Also any lotions or creams that contain any of the above should be avoided. I am the MOm of a 20 year old who was born 3 months early, so I had challenges with him growing up. www.healthy-communications.com

N.,

You could pay for the allergy testing out of your pocket or your could ask your insurance company to reconsider. We paid out of pocket and it was pricey but worth it. 3 years is a long time to let your son be miserable because you don't want to pay for testing.

T.

Hi , I just wanted to tell you that my daughter had really bad ezema, and was healed with Arbonne Baby Products!! 100% botanical and animal free. We had tried everything too, Be careful of what you put on the babies skin( their largest living organ) Also, just about all personal care products contain animal by products and mineral oil (a derivitaive of petroleum) because the cosmetic and personal care industry is not regulated only food and drugs are. they don't have to disclose ingredients. So many people can have reactions.
I'm not sure about the croupe, but take a look at some really safe products called Arbonne.
They might help your little guy, and the great thing is if they don't work Arbonne will send your money back. I think the baby wash is $14 dollars.

all the best,
Elizabeth (mommy to Maddy 8 and Zach 6)