Eczema triggers + effective treatments
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Topic: Eczema triggers + effective treatments
Posted By: Speck8
Subject: Eczema triggers + effective treatments
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 7:06pm
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Hi guys,
My DS has always had a smidge of dry skin but from about the age of 4 months he developed full on eczema. At first it was just his face and behind knees and in elbows but then he got this other type of eczema ALL over his body! All of his eczema does seem to have faded quite a bit since (not sure exactly why) but it's still definitely there. I'm really keen to suss out what EXACTLY is triggering his eczema. I did go dairy free for 1.5 weeks but am back on dairy now. Mostly cos I top him up with formula at night and have concerns about going on soy formula etc. But I think cutting dairy out MAY have had an effect but I'm not sure. I also think the hydrocortizone MAY also be helping. I've tried all the other usual creams (Aqueous, Fatty Cream, Almond Oil, Dermasoft etc etc) and none of the have made a difference. So my questions are: What triggers your baby's eczema? And what do you find to be the best treatment? (other than general moisturisers). Has anyone been to see Dr Joseph Williams in Akld? |
Replies:
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 7:29pm
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My boy started at about 6 months and before that we had some restless sleep. We went dairy free at about 8 or 9 months and within 3 days he slept better (use to wake up between 12 and 20 times) down to one time waking up.
His excema didnt get much better. I used everything people told me too. Went to the GP who told me it isnt allergies. I then went to go see a private allergy specialist specialising in kids. Dr Allen Liang at St Helliers bay. He did blood tests the day before his first birthday. It came back that he is severely allergic to egg (good thing he never really ate that except for in baking). I was given 555 cream (it is a silicone based one) and pirmacort (or something like that, basically a cortizone.) Put the cortizone on and leave it on for at least 30 min but better for an hour before you put anything else on top. Then use the 555 after that and put as many times as you want on. Use the cortizone until 4 days after the excema completely dissapears. I was told to eat dairy again and see how he handles it. But he didnt at all. So he is considered allergic to that and we so far found kiwifruit. To be honest his excema is really a lot better but he still has two small spots next to each corner of the mouth that just doesnt dissapear. (he is on antihistamine as well every night) This week he is off everything before his skin prick tests and his excema is a lot better again. So my thing is go see a specialist or get a GP to order the right tests for you. It might mean that you will have to pay yourself (it was $220 for the first visit and $100 each time after that) but it is worth finding out exactly what is causing it. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 7:50pm
1. Found out that DD's eczema was triggered by food allergies, especially dairy. Soy was another big trigger 2. Specialist prescribed Cetomacrogol cream and that was the only thing that worked for us. GP can also prescribe it. We use emulsifying lotion to wash her and avoid all scented lotions/soaps etc. 3. never heard of him. I can highly recommend Dr Rohan Ameratunga though! ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Speck8 wrote:Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 8:16pm
ditto to kabe's answers, but our DD is allergic to cats and environmental conditions. In Winter her skin is a dream, in Summer its a nightmare. The creams noted above that Rohan Ameratunga precsribed for us have been a godsend TBH. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: JoJames
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 8:29pm
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What triggers your baby's eczema?
I'm currently thinking it is dairy, even though I haven't fully cut out dairy I haven't been having much, and also peanuts. Both of these cause DS to get hives if they get in contact with his skin. Also overheating. Currently his skin is amazing. I'm planning on getting him tested soon. And what do you find to be the best treatment? (other than general moisturisers). We bath him most nights in pinetarsol for 5-10 mins, don't let the skin get wrinkly. We Use all the usual hydrocort and fatty cream, i tend to use tui bee balm on his face after the steriods and it seems to work. I use creams twice a day. Also I give him probiotics with his breakfast - ezcema shield, I don't know how much it does but naturopaths swear by them. Also I err on the side of cool when dressing and in bed, also He pretty much only wears cotton, and maybe wool as a top layer if its cold. ------------- http://www.alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: Speck8
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 8:49pm
| Hey Kabe, what formula did you use if your LO was allergic to dairy and soy? |
Posted By: AuntieSarah
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 8:58pm
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My son is allergic to dairy & egg (+ cats & dogs). He was also COVERED in eczema. Even after I'd cut everything out of both our diets he still had it, until we got some antihistimine and 1% hydrocortisone (were previously using 0.5% which was doing nothing) and after using both of those it finally cleared up (for the most part).
Would also recommend Rohan Ameratunga  Although we did get the hydrocortisone, antihistimine and first lot of allergy tests done through our GP.
If you have health insurance for your child it may cover an allergy specialist - ours does
GOod luck, it's a hard road figuring out exactly what's causing it! |
Posted By: E&L+1
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 9:18pm
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Dairy seems to flare up DDs skin. If she gets too hot that makes her itchy.
What helps is her amber necklace (it took a couple of weeks but it has all but cleared apart from when she dribbles heaps and the odd bit in her creases), baking soda baths or pinetarsol if she's really itchy. Aveeno baby moisturiser, aqueous cream and hydro-cortisone are what I use regularly as well as bee balm. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kimnthekids
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 10:04pm
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Our DD has suffered since she was only a few weeks old! At 3 months we were referrred to a specialist and we ended up stopping BFing and going onto Neocate formula (which is in no way milk based) Her whole body cleared up, but then started flaring again, especially 1 cheek, chest, neck, behind knees. We've just gone for blood tests today prior to starting solids to check for allergy to dairy/wheat/egg.
Also think there are environmental factors but have been told we cant check for those until she's 2 :( what helps? Lots of moisturizing - lemnis fatty cream and an emulsifier are the best for us, only bathing 1-2 times a week (with warm not hot water, using aqueous cream as a soap nothing else) Her amber teething necklace does seem to help some. Steroid cream helps temporarily. Clothing from Kumfy kids has been a saviour (no inner tags, attached mittens for no scratching) And no havent heard of him. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 01 October 2010 at 10:21pm
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jeepers people will think I get commision for this stuff but... inner health plus is fab !!
some skin conditions are a result of an overgrowth of yeast in the stomach - so limiting foods containing starch, yeast and sugars may help but also taking acidophilis supplements to help balance to internal growth of bacteria and fungus- as they are also an immune booster its a great product for little people anyway incidentally for grown ups great if you get thrush all the time, take anitbiotics or get dandruff I have put loads of people on to this and no one has said its rubbish yet ps hydrocortisone is great but use sparingly as overuse can cause sensitisation due to the skin being thinned over time - obviously when you have a poor wee soul in agony you do what you have to do also adding olive oil (or apricot, almond etc) to the bath is really soothing (and much cheaper!) ------------- http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
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Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 05 October 2010 at 9:19pm
She went on Neocate formula, which we got on prescription. Weaned her off it about 6 months ago, as she's growing out of her dairy allergy ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 07 October 2010 at 9:31am
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My DS is allergic to wheat, eggs, dairy and peanuts. We went for the skin prick test to figure it out. And even though he is avoiding all of those things he is still really bad at the moment.
He is on BM and formula and I am trying to wean him onto neocate fully, but if he isnt feeling well he will refuse the bottle. I have also tried to cut everything he is allergic too out of my diet, but wheat seems to be hiding in so many places! We did go to see Joe Williams. He is a GP that specialises in skin conditions. He has a cream that is part steroid, part anti-fungal that he prescribes. It was good, but as soon as we stopped using it the eczema was back. We are now on a natural cream called xma-ease which is about $35 a tube from the pharmacy and works well. We also have a hydrocortisone cream, but I feel like we have been using that for too long now, so try to avoid using that on his face. We also put a few drops of lavender essential oil and milk in his bath and that seems to work really well. Solids is a whole other issue, as he reacts to alot of food like pears, apples, pumpkin etc so his diet is extremely limited to just carrots, pumpkin and a gluten/dairy/egg free cereal. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Lucky apple
Date Posted: 07 October 2010 at 1:21pm
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I'm interested to hear how people find Xma-ease.
HuntersMama - you guys have found this good? |
Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 08 October 2010 at 7:14am
Ive found it great. The only thing other than a steroid cream that actually works. Its now around $32 - 35 a tube, and that only lasts us about 2-3 weeks as I slather it on all day to keep things under control. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Speck8
Date Posted: 10 October 2010 at 9:27pm
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Just intrigued regarding Cetomacrogol cream and wondering why my doc hasn't prescribed it??? Went back to the docs today as his eczema has gotten even WORSE and the1% hydrocortisone doesn't seem to be working - sooooooooooo frustrating! I'm at my wits end and really don't know what to do. Of course it didn't help that RANDOMLY for the 5mins while we were at the docs, the eczema seemed to have calmed down, only to flare up for the rest of the day.
Plus I keep going backwards and forwards with being dairy free - I start doing it and then people (ie: doc) says only a very small percentage of people's eczema is caused by dairy and cos it's such a hassle being dairy free, I start having it again but then I worry and argh, it's doing my head in. PLUS I'm not sure if it's affecting him or not? Like he seems to wriggle around like a worm a lot but I don't know if that's cos he's uncomfortable or if that's just him. We have a paediatrician appointment for early Nov but I don't know if I can wait that long????!!!!??? |
Posted By: JoJames
Date Posted: 11 October 2010 at 2:27pm
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Speck, fatty cream has cetamacrogol in it, I think the others got a stronger formulation of it specially prescribed, We use Locoid on his body which is much stronger than the 1% and works really well.
The peadiatrician should help heaps, have you tried the excema probiotics? Have you looked at your washing powder and what you use in your bath for irritants. ------------- http://www.alterna-tickers.com">
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Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 12 October 2010 at 11:44am
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My DD has bad eczema, we have an appointment at the eczema clinic at the hospital next week and I cant wait to go!! I think shes allergic to the cat as we have been away for 2 weeks and it cleared up a lot (not totally though) and we were back for 1.5 days and its worse now than before we left.
We use fatty cream, emolient ointment, oilatium plus in the bath, 0.5% hyrdocortizone (which works while we are allowed to use it (3 weeks on her body, 1 week on her face) but it comes back the day after we stop using it!), use ecostore laundry liquid for her clothes and nappies, dont use anything else in the bath etc but none of it works too well. ATM she has raw patches on her face, bum, knees, as well as those patches behind her knees, in the folds of her neck and in her elbows. The rest of her is covered in dry skin that not even the emolient ointment works for more than 1/2 an hour  ------------- 
+1 May 09 Angel 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 12 October 2010 at 1:34pm
Neocate is actually made from cows milk but the proteins have been reduced back to amino acids so there is basically no dairy protein in it which is the main part of dairy that people react to. Speck does you baby have frothy mucousy poohs? This is usually part of dairy allergy/intolerance. You could do a simple 10 day test where you totally cut out dairy, replace with soy or rice milk, oil instead of butter. If there is no improvement in the ezcema in this time then it will not be related to dairy. Then do the same for wheat which is another big ezcema trigger. Your GP can request a skin prick test for the main food group, you might as well get the things like grasses tested as well. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 12 October 2010 at 1:35pm
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There is an semi elemental formula at the supermarket. I think it's HA??? ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com">
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 12 October 2010 at 9:24pm
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Neocate is not based on dairy proteins at all, it made from elemental amino acids. Its the dairy protein that causes dairy allergys. You can look it all up on their website, I'm sure all the info is on there.
HA formulas are still based on dairy, the protein chains have just been broken down a bit so its easier to digest. this is based on the fact that breastmilk has smaller chains of protein so is easier to digest (and formulas have different whey: casein protein rations which make them more or less easy to digest - and more /less filling) ... so some bubs find some formula harder on their tums. sorry to butt in ... I'm a food tech (I develop infant formulas) so just wanted to give accurate info.
My boy has bad rashes but generally only on his bum (started at 16mths), we've had prick tests (no positives) and hair tested (too many positives!) and tried lots of creams .... we were told it would probably go when he gets out of naps, but it hasn't ... so we put the steroid creams on all the time still as that and micreme are the only things that seem to help. Apart from not eating fruit! (But he loves fruit). ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: Mei131284
Date Posted: 18 October 2013 at 1:00pm
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Hi There, My son had very bad eczema for 5 month , we went see a specialist and had allergy test but it didn't work. it went over all his body. I went to see Dr Williams a few weeks ago, now he is pretty much eczema free. The Dr is so awesome I highly recommended. You need go early in the morning on Monday, because the clinic is really busy and it is definitely worth a trip. They open from 830am. |
Posted By: VivienneDav132314
Date Posted: 04 November 2013 at 3:16pm
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Hi, I found a really effective treatment for my daughter's eczema - its called TOPIC medis - its an all natural formula and we saw it start to work from day one! There is a whole range of cleansers and creams you can get which you can keep using even after the eczema is gone. Here is a link to the website! http://www.kamedis.co.nz/collections/topic-medis |
Posted By: Daniel127692
Date Posted: 05 November 2013 at 9:17pm
| Their Topic line is indeed the only remedy that ever worked for our son. Cheers, Dan |