Potty Training & Eczema - Help!

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Awel
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by Awel on Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:04 pm

Potty Training & Eczema - Help!

Hi all, I'm new to this website.

My daughter who's 2 since December has suffered with eczema since she was 6 months old. She's been dairy free for over 4 months which has resulted in great improvement in the appearance of her skin although she does still scratch when the opportunity arises. She's in tubifast garments 24 hours a day and we tape the gloves on at night to stop her from scratching, don't really know if we should be doing this but seems to help :? !! She's been prescribed eumovate, betmovate, hydrocortisone, dermol, epaderm, hydrous and antihistamine, and on the whole we are able to keep the condition under control.

Last Monday they took a blood sample for allergy tests, we'll get the results in 6 - 8 weeks time, she's allergic to penicillin and will flare up at what seems like random times. Her hands seem to be the worst part of her body now since they're there and open to being itched.

Her condition get's me down at times, and I've more than once got angry at her for scratching, even though I know that she can't help herself (but obviously it breaks my heart when her skin's torn and bleeding) and then I get upset for raising my voice at her :cry: It's such a cruel condition (not that I have to convince anybody on this website I gues)

We did begin with the potty training about 6 months ago, she seemed keen to sit on the potty, but would scratch at her legs badly (she seems to kind of switch off from everything and goes into a scratching frenzy) . So I was wondering if any of you who have older children could give me some advice on how to approach potty training, also some other tips as to how to deal with the eczema in general would be very much appreciated.

Thanks for reading

Awel

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AnnaB
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by AnnaB on Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:26 pm

Re: help needed please - potty training with eczema

Hi

This sounds very similar to my children over the last few years. My son potty trained and scratched as he sat there. My daughter trained straight on the toilet. With the potty as they are so near the floor they feel much more stable I think, on the toilet I feel children naturally hold onto the seat at the sides. This keeps hands busy with no time to scratch! It certainly helped my daughter did not scratch like my son did. It is a tough time anyway without adding scratchin to the nightmare of training. Good luck.
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Awel
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by Awel on Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:23 pm

Re: help needed please - potty training with eczema

Thanks for the advice.

It's just nice to be able to talk with other's who're in a similar situation. I have to admit that before my own experience with a child suffering from bad eczema, I was rather flippant and would think that it's just a bit of dry skin (how wrong was I!!)

Iv'e read on one of your posts that your children seem allergic to sun, Magi's the same, last summer around her eyes would swell up and she'd have huge red lump all over when she'd been out in the sunlight. We were prescribed uvstat factor 50, just hope things won't be as bad this year.

She's also going to be a little flower girl in May which means wearing a dress that has short sleeves, the thought of this frightens the life out of me!! ant tips off anyone would be brill

Thanks Awel

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AnnaB
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by AnnaB on Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:42 pm

Re: help needed please - potty training with eczema

My children have to limit time outside, school has to provide special access in doors for my son at dinner. He is not allowed out in the sun without a sun hat and it has to be one that goes down the back of his neck also. Have you tried a daily antihistamine. You may find a beautiful summer cardy, Debenhams used to have some nice ones, also look out for a hat that may protect her face. My son takes Cetirizine everyday to try and reduce his face flares. I suppose like me as long as she is having a good time you have to let what will be and deal with the after effects the next day. Good luck
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itchyhippy
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by itchyhippy on Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:23 pm

Re: help needed please - potty training with eczema

hey there
i dont have kids so i'm not sure about techniques but i just thought i'd mention that sometimes scratching can become unconscious. i tend to scratch when i'm thinking or when i'm stressed without even noticing! The itching when she's on the potty could be due to the fact that she is learning with a new skil and a new routine and she is scratching while she thinks about this x

klloyd
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by klloyd on Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:17 pm

Re: help needed please - potty training with eczema

Hi there,
my son who has got eczema with whom too I found it difficult to potty train. mainly b'se I was working and thought a bit of too many people looking after him. Anyway, I noticed he too was scratching while potty training. But, I just went according to his flow and response I did not potty train him literally every day. But I have been telling him that he needs to do it in the potty or need to do in the toilet. But, as he has been getting older may be he has been understanding more as well and I made him sit do his business in the toilet twice or thrice(ofcourse he has had rewards for that) and after wards he has been doing his main business in the toilet. So, by the age of just after 3yrs and time for his free nursery he was completely potty trained with exception of wearing a nappy on odd nights just to save the bed linen from getting wet.But, I do sympathize with you with out this eczema itself it is very difficult to potty train and eczema on top is a bit too much. But, have patience (patience patience and patience is the answer ) and trust with in your self that your daughter would do what you tell her and that she would be potty trained. Ofcourse it's not that I had all happy days. There were days when he has done his business on the carpet. I had huge work of cleaning it up with the wet tissues first and then use soapy water and dry the carpet with kitchen towels etc. etc..Ofcourse we have been getting the carpets professionally cleaned every 9months too. Well, trying her on the toilet directly with that extra seat too is good try. B'se this was how my son learnt to do it.
More than anything
good luck to you

PS: my son's eczema was completely gone in India as long as we were there. In just a week after we have arrived here it has all come back with vengeance it seems. I have read long back some where that the function of the skin is to expel the toxics (if any) through sweating, which it hasn't been doing here in the UK. Exactly what it has been doing in India(the skin has been SWEATING). When i mentioned this to the GP he said it's b'se the skin is being moisturised there in India with the sweat. It's not that he has been sweating all day and night. We have had ceiling fans ac's etc to keep one cool. I just don't don't understand when these doctors get these facts right instead of giving us information what the govt told them to give. They aren't even allowed to give some oral advice officially!It frustrates me so much. My son has been suffering with this condition for nearly 3 yrs all that they can do is give him more anti-biotics and not even a slightest hint of trying to find out what IS causing this? They can't even tell the truth. I'm thinking of rinsing the washed clothes in clean water again in the bath, and put them in the rinsecycle of the washing machine again before drying them.

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AnnaB
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by AnnaB on Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:15 pm

Re: help needed please - potty training with eczema

I only use half a cup of non bio washing powder, much less than the box advises, and put an extra rinse cycle on everywash, no chance of anything left in my washing. Also I wash at 60 degrees to kill the HDM.
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momenvy1
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by momenvy1 on Mon Mar 26, 2018 11:24 am

Re: Potty Training & Eczema - Help!

Children who are included in the category of healthy children, their potty training toilet age come in between 2 years till they are three years old

Veniepie
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by Veniepie on Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:25 pm

Re: Potty Training & Eczema - Help!

My daughter potty trained at 18 months. She was completely out of nappies albeit one at bedtime. However, this last flare up has been so bad and caused such a massive infection we couldn't leave her skin exposed for the shortest of time because she would pull her skin off, the bleeding and screaming and temperature has almost driven me insane. I completely understand how frustrated your feeling. I have had to put her back in nappies and she is complaining whenever she wets herself now as she wants to go Loo. I have resorted to keeping her is nappies and letting her ask to be taken loo and sitting with her stopping her scratching her knees. This isn't ideal but I can't think of anything else to do. She can't roam around without her bottoms on it is too much of a temptation to pull her skin off. May I ask, how have you got the blood tests? I am asking my doctor every week for body bandages and he will not give them to my daughter. He says they cost too much money and don't do alot. We managed to fight for allergy testing on 12 common allergens but I don't know if I will be offered anymore or if I am going to have to fight for that too. It doesn't seem like there is any support in Leicester for this condition and babies are left waiting.

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Marcie Mom
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by Marcie Mom on Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:16 am

Re: Potty Training & Eczema - Help!

Hi there, you can try Tubifast - in my country, they are available in hospital pharmacy without a prescription.
I do think that dry wrap/ wet wrap helps - it is placing a layer of the bandage (that is tubular and more airy than standard bandage) over the skin that has been moisturized (for dry wrap). It does limit the scratching and helps the skin to recover. BUT I see from the other post that your daughter's skin may be wet/ bleeding/ infection, in which case, I'm not sure if wrapping is a good idea. Dry wrap/ wet wrap main purpose is to moisturize dry skin and should not be over prescription like steroid otherwise the rate of absorption of the steroid into skin is more than intended.

I hear your frustration and it i difficult to figure out what to do when there seems to be several conditions happening at once on the skin, along with toddler development like separation anxiety, time of exerting independence, figuring what foods to eat etc. It is therefore important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.. praying for you, take care of yourself too. Stay strong.
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Mei - Founder of http://www.EczemaBlues.com and Mom to Marcie
Visit Mei on her talkhealth blog all about eczema http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/blog/author/mei_m/

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