2 year old with eczema

[abcref]

Hi, I have a little boy who is 2 years old. he first got eczema around 4 months old which was only on his legs. then the following year he had the thick raised patches on his face and would scratch his feet to death. a few months ago i got him to the point where he wasnt scratching his feet and was able to walk without being in pain. Now for the last month or so he is itching all day and night I am using dermol 500 and 600 at bath time sudocrem on the parts where he has really scratched himself, wet wraps oilatum eumovate steroid ointment and protopic. Now he is scratching day and night he has ripped his hands feet and wrists to pieces to which my doctor said is normal and to carry on with creams. I am literally having an hours sleep per night as he is up all night screaming and literally wakes everyone in the house up and i think a few of the neighbours have complained. I also work and have a son who is 7 who is starting to feel really pushed out as i am just too exhausted to do anything, my oldest is starting to really hate his little brother as he is getting all of the attention. Really don't know what to do I am absolutely knackered and dreading going into work on monday as I keep falling asleep whilst I am there. Afew people have said that as his face is and he doesn't get and raised red patches with the crust on it the it could possibly be an intolerance. he also had reflux as a baby and would only sleep on his belly.
anyone else think it could be an intolerance???

Also i can't even take him to doctors as I am in the process of changing and don't have an appointment for 2 weeks (lil one cant be registered til I am)
I have taken him to A&E and they said they cant give him anything and to go home and use the cream
I know I have depression (been there before) and i am practically crying all the time because i dont know how to help my boy and I am so tired

[Marcie Mom]

Oh dear, I can identify with you as I went through a very tiring period when my baby was 2 weeks to a year old.

My baby has reflux and sleeps on tummy too, but I don't think there's scientific relation to eczema.

Before you have an appointment at hospital with child dermatologist/allergist/immunologist, it'd be good to continue moisturizing. That's a must-do whether it's acute flare or not. As for itch, I find that chlorhexidine (anti-septic) helps to reduce the staph bacteria. Bathing in bath oil and moisturizing immediately after is something I do daily.

As for the serious redness in face, I think having an allergy test may help to find out the trigger and do see a reputable child doctor. A&E docs are not specialized and sometimes misdiagnosed. My baby has taken a one-time oral steroid course, and if that's what your doctor prescribe, do follow the course and it should only be one-time. Of course, there are many moms who said it made the eczema worse but it helped my baby a lot. I'm thinking knowing how to prescribe it (i.e. the dosage and duration) does make a difference, so I can't emphasize enough finding a doctor that's reputable in this area. Most pediatricians that are not specialised can't offer better medication/treatment than GPs.

If there's a specific question you have, you can email me at my blog or post here, I'll check at least once a week.

Thanks,
Mei @MarcieMom

[Meimuna]

Wow! I can remember what it was like to wake up every hour for my son. I was really lucky to have some supportive friends. But its soo hard to be that sleep deprived. It messed with my head big time!

I really agree with having an allergy test done. Or you can just take milk and eggs out of his diet for a week and see if you see any changes. Those are the two most common food allergens.

We did quite a few things for my son and I went the natural healing route. All the creams and steroids were great as a band-aid solution but they will just keep giving you a higher dose unless he grows out of it--- which looks like he is getting worse instead of growing out of it. This was how my son was. It turns out that skin and gut issues are very closely related. We helped our son heal his gut and because your boy is so young, it shouldn't take too long. You might start seeing better results in a few weeks to a month. It took us a while to get everything down (about a year) - but it was well worth it!

We added a few supplements to his diet (mainly a probiotic, a fish oil, and a multi). But I wouldn't use just any one on the market. Some could make your child worse. If you'd like more details, you can visit my blog at http://www.abouteczema.org. We also changed his diet. That takes a little longer and is a step by step process. Best of luck! Don't give up hope. I know its hard and sometimes can feel like no matter what you do, you can't win. My son's eczema made me feel like that. On top of that he had other serious health issues which were related. It just seemed like nothing would work. But keep at it, things will turn around.

Meimuna
Holistic Health Coach