Dealing with Eczema in My 22-Month-Old: Tips and Advice

[WLMcCoy]

My daughter (who is 22 months old) has been dealing w/ moderate/severe eczema since she was 6 months old on her hands & feet. We go to the dermatologist every other month & to her pediatrician as well. We get 1 or 2 different prescriptions each time. Nothing has ever worked or even put a dent in her symptoms. We're constantly applying creams/lotions. & we've recently started a daily dose of Zyrtec (per doctors orders, despite my resistance of oral medicine, I'm desperate for her).

She will probably grow out of it, but most people can be comfortable w/ the condition w/ the helps of creams/lotions, but she just can't get any relief. & I constantly have people ask about her 'rash'. I don't mind explaining that it's eczema, but I don't want her to become self-conscious about it when she gets older.

There is no price on getting this taken care of, but most of her prescriptions aren't covered by our insurance b/c they're considered "cosmetic". & we have to pay to go to her doctors.

OK.. so after my mini-rant. Does anyone have any advice on helping her itching & breakouts. Home remedies? Lotions? Creams? How have you dealt w/ eczema?

 

[esavvymom]

I have some of this Rapha Remedy lotion that I use on my kids in the winter for extreme dry skin. It is the only lotion that clears their skin up without any pain (other lotions usually burn or sting because they have such dry skin patches in the winter). We've never had to deal with eczema, so I don't know how it compares. I also use it for a number of other skin issues I've had and it's fantastic!! Eczema is one of the many things it can be used to treat. Just browse through the testimonials and click on the "Original Rapha Remedy" link on the "order" page. I bought a 2 oz jar of the Rapha Remedy with P73 Oreganol, and it has lasted for a long time for us and I've not even used 1/4 of it with regular winter use. The Original Rapha Remedy for 2 oz is $19.95- but like I said, it will likely last! Good luck!!

 

[erinyourpclady]

My youngest DD (7) has eczema as well. We use Hylira as an all over moisturizer 2x a day and Triamcinolone cream for outbreaks. She washes with Cetaphil and I "should" wash her clothes in All free and clear but I have been a Tide girl for YEARS! Additionally she also takes Zyrtec and as needed Aubutrol. She had RSV and Brochoulitis as an infant and because of that as well as the ezcema she is at a higher risk for asthma. That being said..Hylira is VERY expensive but it works amazingly! And the tri cream really helps with her itching. Perhaps your ped or derm can get you a sample of the Hylira?

 

[Shawnna]

Melaleuca's Renew Lotion...I know several people with eczema who swear this is the only thing they have found for relief. That being said...if you use their laundry soap, softeners and the tea tree oil shampoo it will probably help also. I think they also have a bath oil made from tea tree oil. Melaleuca is a wellness company. They do not use any kind of toxins in their products. The draw back to tea tree oil is that it has an odor...not all of them, but some. My kids use the oil and gel when they get blisters and cuts because it has great healing qualities...but they say it smells like bug spray. You can check Melalueca out at www.melaleuca.com

I will tell you that Melaleuca...like a lot of direct sale companies gets a bad rap because of pushy sales people. I joined (like a Sam's Club membership) under my sister in law so I didn't have that problem. There is a fee to join and you are required to purchase 35 points worth of products each month. The cost will vary but I usually spend about 70 dollars each month. I buy all of my cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, softener, toothpaste, dish detergent, some shampoo and of course the melagel and melalueca oil. They have vitamins, weight loss/management products, etc. Most of the products are very concentrated so it goes a long way. The cost looks expensive...I buy the large laundry detergent and it costs 30.00, but I only have to buy it every other month...and I do a lot of laundry. You can join the company to make money...by getting other people to join and buy 35 points each month...or you can join just to purchase the products for yourself.

You can probably join online at their website but if you would like to talk to someone who knows all about their products I can put you in touch with my sister in law. She is a good Christian woman and she is not pushy at all. I can tell you what I know, but I just use the products I like...I'm a preferred customer...and she is doing it as a business.

I probably have a sample tube of Renew if you would like for me to mail it to you. I do not mind.

 

[DebbieJ]

Eczema is often a sign of food allergies/sensitivities. Has she been tested?

 

[MLinAZ]

Eczema is often a sign of food allergies/sensitivities. Has she been tested?

I second this. My son suffered from terrible eczema as an infant. I even tried eliminating foods I thought were the problem but couldn't find a pattern. Turns out he was allergic to so many foods that we would have had to start over completely to figure it out. But once we got the major ones figured out his eczema disappeared.

And we recently found someone that does Advanced Allergy Therapeutics and when they did the testing we found out that poor Logan was allergic to sooooo many things including BIG categories like oh, calcium, herbs & spices, oils & fats, SUGAR....we are lucky he's done as well as he has for 5 years. But he is now just about allergy free, just 2 more allergens to treat! It's amazing what a different kid he is now that he's not battling allergies constantly.


Advanced Allergy Therapeutics test using digital signals and a strength test - no needles, no horrible skin tests, etc. If you can find an office near you I HIGHLY recommend it!

 

[Liquid Sky]

Eczema is often a sign of food allergies/sensitivities. Has she been tested?

I agree with allergies as well! My son has had eczema since birth. We have used so many products (Cetaphil, Arbonne, Melaluca, Aveeno, Burt's Bees..etc) and found that Protopic worked well for us. I didn't care for the Renew lotion that was mentioned above. I really like Muestela products.

Well, low and behold we finally found out my son's eczema caused by DAIRY! We took dairy out our diet for a while due to all the negative things dairy does to the body (highly acidic...rips calcium and minerals out of bones...etc). He had no eczema symptoms during this period. It didn't really catch my attention until one day, we wanted ice cream for a treat b/c we missed it.

My son started itching 30 minutes after eating it! Sometimes he'll start itching 15 minutes after eating dairy. It's crazy! Now I know what the cause is!

Now, my other son developed really dry feet. Some parts became super dry and got hard patches that started cracking. I had a sheduled check-up during this issue and had the doctor check it out. I got the "it's eczema" shpeal due to the dry AZ heat and blah blah blah. NOPE! I am POSITIVE it is caused by an allergy to food. We have since stopped giving him dairy as well and guess what?? It got better!

I am a FIRM believer that all conditions (diseases, eczema..etc) are caused by foods, primarily! The biggest culprits are dairy and gluten.

 

[pampered.chris]

I have exema on my hands and I will get "spots" during the winter. My hands were horrible this last winter and still haven't cleared up. I get a Eucerin/steroid cream rub that I put on before bed then put socks over my hands to keep me from waking up itching. My insurance doesn't cover the cream but it usually clears it right up. Currently I have not been able to get it to disappear on just two of my fingers.

Water is my enemy. I clean with gloves on and try to keep from cutting up "wet" stuff, watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce without wearing gloves as the water in these wrecks havoc on my hands.

My daughter also had excema as a baby and we used eucerin for her, nothing extra, but like it was mentioned above, she also had asthma. She is 12 now and hasn't had problems with either in years. She gets an occassional flair up when she uses a new lotion or body wash where it is more of a rash than excema patches.

Good luck, I know how frustrating it is!!

 

[niclowther]

Melaleuca's Renew Lotion...I know several people with eczema who swear this is the only thing they have found for relief. That being said...if you use their laundry soap, softeners and the tea tree oil shampoo it will probably help also. I think they also have a bath oil made from tea tree oil. Melaleuca is a wellness company. They do not use any kind of toxins in their products. The draw back to tea tree oil is that it has an odor...not all of them, but some. My kids use the oil and gel when they get blisters and cuts because it has great healing qualities...but they say it smells like bug spray. You can check Melalueca out at Melaleuca: The Wellness Company

I will tell you that Melaleuca...like a lot of direct sale companies gets a bad rap because of pushy sales people. I joined (like a Sam's Club membership) under my sister in law so I didn't have that problem. There is a fee to join and you are required to purchase 35 points worth of products each month. The cost will vary but I usually spend about 70 dollars each month. I buy all of my cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, softener, toothpaste, dish detergent, some shampoo and of course the melagel and melalueca oil. They have vitamins, weight loss/management products, etc. Most of the products are very concentrated so it goes a long way. The cost looks expensive...I buy the large laundry detergent and it costs 30.00, but I only have to buy it every other month...and I do a lot of laundry. You can join the company to make money...by getting other people to join and buy 35 points each month...or you can join just to purchase the products for yourself.

You can probably join online at their website but if you would like to talk to someone who knows all about their products I can put you in touch with my sister in law. She is a good Christian woman and she is not pushy at all. I can tell you what I know, but I just use the products I like...I'm a preferred customer...and she is doing it as a business.

I probably have a sample tube of Renew if you would like for me to mail it to you. I do not mind.

I joined Melaleuca last year, and I love the products! The Renew Lotion is awesome- my son and husband both have very sensitive dry skin. Also, the laundry detergent is the only (non-expensive) detergent that didnt break his skin out.

That being said, I don't order any more b/c of cost to order each month. I have build up a huge supply of the detergents and lotions. Of course if you have a big family, I'm sure you'd go thru stuff faster.

If you want a daily vitamin- they're the way to go and it is worth it to order each month w/ them.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Eczema is often a sign of food allergies/sensitivities. Has she been tested?

This - and the posts after it - are so on target.

So many times, we treat the symptoms, instead of getting to the heart of the matter, and treating the real problem. Don't settle for more chemicals and medicines that only mask the problem with bandaids, find someone who can find the CAUSE of the eczema, and go from there. (often you have to look outside of the mainstream medical community to do this.)

 

[1234blessed]

Melaleuca's Renew Lotion...I know several people with eczema who swear this is the only thing they have found for relief. That being said...if you use their laundry soap, softeners and the tea tree oil shampoo it will probably help also. I think they also have a bath oil made from tea tree oil. Melaleuca is a wellness company. They do not use any kind of toxins in their products. The draw back to tea tree oil is that it has an odor...not all of them, but some. My kids use the oil and gel when they get blisters and cuts because it has great healing qualities...but they say it smells like bug spray. You can check Melalueca out at Melaleuca: The Wellness Company

I will tell you that Melaleuca...like a lot of direct sale companies gets a bad rap because of pushy sales people. I joined (like a Sam's Club membership) under my sister in law so I didn't have that problem. There is a fee to join and you are required to purchase 35 points worth of products each month. The cost will vary but I usually spend about 70 dollars each month. I buy all of my cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, softener, toothpaste, dish detergent, some shampoo and of course the melagel and melalueca oil. They have vitamins, weight loss/management products, etc. Most of the products are very concentrated so it goes a long way. The cost looks expensive...I buy the large laundry detergent and it costs 30.00, but I only have to buy it every other month...and I do a lot of laundry. You can join the company to make money...by getting other people to join and buy 35 points each month...or you can join just to purchase the products for yourself.

You can probably join online at their website but if you would like to talk to someone who knows all about their products I can put you in touch with my sister in law. She is a good Christian woman and she is not pushy at all. I can tell you what I know, but I just use the products I like...I'm a preferred customer...and she is doing it as a business.

I probably have a sample tube of Renew if you would like for me to mail it to you. I do not mind.

My grandmother thinks Melalueca is the cure for everything & we always get tickled at her. When my cousin was born (she is 6 now) she had severe eczema, it covered alot of body surface. She was on creams, plus a steriod cream, at 6 mo.! After seeing no relief Nannie gave her parents the Renew lotion & some of the other products (detergent & cleaning items), they started using this & it cleared up! Now they continue to rub her down in lotion everyday, just to make sure this problem doesn't occur again. They also use the detergent faithfully, it has no harmful toxins to irritate the skin! As was mentioned above, I would just join Melalueca, a one time $29.95 join fee & purchase 35 points a month, this is great for personal use! I hope this helps & I hope you can find something to help your daughter, whatever you decide to use!

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

I agree with Melaleuca's Renew Lotion...I LOVE this lotion. One thing you can do to save costs, is join with someone, I've got 2 other friends who we "joined" under one name and we rotate months of ordering.

I LOVE renew, I love their laundry detergents and their vitamins are awesome, they have ones for helping with your eyes that really are great.

I've got 2 friends who's children have been on prespcription everything and steriods to the max and they were given Renew to try and within days they're much much better.

HTH,

Lisa

 

[AnnieBee]

For what it's worth, The Body Shop also has a great tea tree oil line (I think this is the "magic" ingredient in the Melaleuca line). I have no idea if it is cheaper or not, but it could be worth checking out. They won't have all of the products, but they have "neat" TT oil, and a "freshener" that my DH and I use daily like a cleanser, it is awesome. It would give you a chance to try tea tree oil prodcuts without having to go through a consultant...

I have also liked the Aveeno Baby products for skin issues. My DD's both had very mild excema they grew out of (2 year old suffered from VERY dry patches on her cheeks all through this last winter still), but I haven't had to deal with it as bad as your DD's sounds. When we would have real trouble getting it to clear up, hydrocortisone worked wonders (but we only had very small patches to deal with, and just used it occasionally and then followed up with Aveeno to try and keep it from coming back...) but obviously you don't want to be relying on steroids alot...

Anyway, hope this helps a little, and hope you find a solution! I know how bad you must feel for her...

 

[Shawnna]

Yes, you can find tea tree oil products in a lot of places...even WalMart carries some shampoo. I haven't used those before...actually until I started using the Melaleuca products I had not heard of tea tree oil. However, the Melaleuca oil is the highest concentrate of tea tree oil available in products. I hope you find some relief for your baby. Poor thing, its terrible when our babys are hurting in any way.

The Renew lotion bottle says "specially formulated for the treatment of dry skin. With Allantoin and T36-C5 Melaleuca Oil.

 

[DebbieJ]

So many times, we treat the symptoms, instead of getting to the heart of the matter, and treating the real problem. Don't settle for more chemicals and medicines that only mask the problem with bandaids, find someone who can find the CAUSE of the eczema, and go from there. (often you have to look outside of the mainstream medical community to do this.)

^^^This. Keep researching and asking questions. You will find the problem! Even when it comes to doctors, we are consumers and can take our business elsewhere if we don't like how we are treated.