Anyone's pre-schooler have bad eczema??

[Mannie89]

Not sure if I'm posting in the right area but... My 4 year old step son has reeeeally bad eczema! We just can't figure out how to get rid of the stuff! The poor guy has it so bad all over his legs that he gets huge red, scabby, bleeding patches because they itch so bad and he can't help but scratch them.

We've taken him to the dr. about it and they won't prescribe anything for it. They just say to use hydrocortisone cream for a week until it kind of heals up and then use a special body wash and lotion to help keep it under control. Nothing we've tried works. I've tried the hydrocortisone, extra moisturizing body wash and thick cream lotions. Maybe I'm just a moron but I can't find the body wash they've suggested using anywhere!

I'm wondering if anyone else's LO has had a problem with really bad eczema and how they've gotten rid of it or how they are controlling it... Is there any home remedy that has worked really well for you? Any lotions or oils we can use that can be found just about anywhere?

I feel so bad for the little guy because the weather is starting to get really nice around here and he can't even wear shorts because of the huge patches and scabs. He says his friends make fun of him. The only thing that helps keep him from scratching them is putting a bandage on it but I'm not sure that covering it is good for it.

Makes me feel like a bad mom because I have seriously no idea what to do for it that will work for him. The hydrocortisone takes the itch away for a short while but it honestly doesn't do much for actually healing it since you're not really supposed to use it for more than a week at a time. Feeling like an idiot...

 

[KJM2]

My lo is two and he has eczema he is having a flare up at the moment has been for the past two months or so. We use Aveeno bath oil moisturise 3 times a day with either hydrous ointment or hydromol we use hydrocortisone and eumovate but still can't get on top of it. It's really frustrating, we were at the GP recently and he was prescribed an antihistamine to stop the scratching but only helps abit.


I think the important think is keeping the the skin moisturised regularly and try and limit scratching but it's like a viscous cycle skin is dry so lo scratches and then this aggravates it. I notice you are in the US we are in the Uk so realise your health system is different but we have been referred back to dermatology I'm hoping they can give us some strategies to help us manage it as unfortunately there is no cure.

 

[FAB mama]

What is the body wash that they suggested? My LO doesn't have eczema, but I had the same large red patches as a child and still get flare ups. I know he feels…

You need to keep him moisturized with a very sensitive, fragrance free lotion. Just because it says that on a bottle though doesn't mean it will work for him. I had one that just made me itchier. Don't overuse the hydrocortisone stuff because it can create other problems. Watch out for anything that might be aggravating it, like laundry products with fragrance or anything that traps sweat against his skin or scratchy carpet maybe. Use sensitive soaps. I use California Baby Super Sensitive on my LO because I know myself and DH are just prone to problems. It's working great. Treat it like you would a peanut allergy or something, there's hidden things he may need to avoid. It's also recommended to avoid using too much soap (dries the skin) and avoid hot baths/showers.

 

[Rileys.Mammy]

Can you keep on at the Dr about it? I'm in the UK and my lo goes to eczema clinic every couple of months and he used to use Hydrocortisone but it didn't do a lot for him so we use that on his face as the skin on your face is more sensitive and use eumovate on his body, our clinic advises to use the creams with Riley's bad flare-ups for 1 week, if it's still sore use for another week but if after the 2nd week it's still sore to book an appointment at the GP's as it should clear up within a fortnight.
xx