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My 3 year old son is covered in eczema, he was seen by a dermatologist last year however was discharged as his skin cleared up however within a couple of weeks it was back. We have tried every cream and lotion etc under the sun and for the last month it has really flared up. My son is up every night screaming clawing at his skin and the last 2 days his face is now covered and he has never had it on his face before. I have spent the night crying because I cant do anything for him. We have had him back and forward to the doctors however for some reason they are reluctant to refer him back to dermatology. My son's whole personality has changed because due to the fact he is getting no sleep at night he is really grumpy during the day, its affecting the whole family as he keeps his sister up at night with all the screaming, I feel totally helpless. I was wondering if anyone can recommend anything I could try eg something I could buy over the counter or alternative therapies. Thanks in advance.

So sorry to hear that! Not sure of the healthcare system where you live, is it possible to see a pediatric dermatologist or a specialist in a children clinic in hospital without referral? Lots of scratching can lead to infection, and if infection gets complicated, can be quite serious - below is extract from my interview with dermatologist and Dr Clay Cockerell's explanation of the symptoms to look out for:
Symptoms – infected area is filled with pus/blister/boil. As above, this is a sign of an infection and should be treated with an antibiotic. These are usually localized, but may require drainage. A caregiver should be notified who will prescribe a regimen such as applying warm compresses, topical antibiotics and possibly oral antibiotics. Generally, the patient should be seen soon and a culture performed. This is not usually an emergency, but if there is fever or redness that is spreading like above, it might require more urgent attention than a follow-up in a clinic.

Symptoms – lymph node on neck or armpit becomes protruding/ sore. This is also another sign of infection and would generally be treated like cellulitis. This is not usually an emergency, but would require antibiotics and culture.

Symptoms – fever/ chills, low blood pressure. This is a sign of a serious systemic infection, and the patient should be taken to an emergency room by an ambulance. This could be a manifestation of Toxic Shock Syndrome, which can be caused by some forms of Staph, or could possibly be necrotizing fasciitis, which might need emergency surgery.

Take care,
Mei

Hi. My 3 years old daughter has same problem. But now it is a history. About a month ago we started using probiotic called Latopic. We got it from Poland. She is so much better and the rush is gone plus she can eat everything. However we were told to use it for 3 months. Magic

I'm so sorry - that brings back so many memories of our son doing the same. Re the eczema - we had a two part system built for us. We had care actions to take for 'active' eczema and different ones when it wasn't playing up.
When it flared up we used:
- moisturisers which was part of his daily regime anyway (we massaged these in at night during the worst period)
- various steroid creams (for a specific duration)
- bleach baths (I don't know whether these are recommended as a way of managing infection where you are located) (the other post re infection is great - antibiotics might be needed - the infection can be a big part of the itchiness / discomfort so clearing it up can make a difference)
- wet wraps (they protected his damaged skin, kept the skin from drying out so quickly and the dampness seemed to ease some of the itch)
- antihistamine (it took the edge off his distress)
- soft cotton clothing (mitten pyjamas at night to minimise the damage from scratching)
- a mattress cover, linen that wouldn't rub and damage his skin too much as well as sensitive laundry powder, additional rinses and hanging in the sun if possible
- sometimes soft music at night helped him relax a bit
Once it passes, working out a good maintenance regime does help. I don't know whether there is a paediatric dermatology specialist that your gp can refer you to but you might need to do a mama bear and insist your son gets a treatment plan / referral etc. In our country, there is also financial assistance you can get when your child has chronic eczema which can help with any private treatments you might need.
Best of luck!

Frankie75
Have you phoned the hospital back if not too many months have passed they may see you, if not you are in your right to ask directly for the GP to refer you again. Good luck and please be strong to ask for what your child and family need.

My two year old has eczema and we found out she is allergic to four different foods and if she eats those foods her eczema gets worse. Maybe have your son tested for food allergies.

I really feel for you we are going through the same thing. Our daughters face is really bad and keeps getting infected. The last swabs showed traces of MRSA so it is now really worrying.
We have been told by the Dermatologist to bathe her face in Dermol which contains an antiseptic that reduces MRSA microbes amongst others.(Derma nurse previously told us not to use it on her face) Unfortunately we did what the Dermatologist suggested and her face has got much worse so she is rubbing it more and I expect it to be infected again shortly. We are in a nightmare catch 22 situation and the experts don't seem to be able to help.

Our only hope is that yesterday we removed cows milk from her diet (which test shows she is allergic to). Now it is a waiting game but Im not hopeful from what I am reading not many people find it makes a difference.

Recent studies suggest that the ezcema causes the food allergies not the other way around.

The only option left seems to be immunosuppressants which increase the risk of some pretty nasty cancers (one of which is already in our family)

I always thought eczema was just a mild skin rash. How wrong I was. Feel like screaming

Hi bertie,

Hugs and sorry to hear of what you're going through. I would think antiseptic is not to be used on face.. my daughter uses antiseptic (chlorhexidine-based) wash when she got impetigo. Now occasionally, I would shower her with it if we can't make our way to the pool. I used an anti-fungal shampoo and I suppose in some way, the wash would flow down to the face though I do not know how much and if it's of any use. So far, good thing that my daughter's eczema had seldom gone to her face.

All the best with the elimination diet and hope it works or something else does so that your daughter won't need to go on to the immunosuppresant route.

Hugs, take care,
Mei

So sorry, I know it's awful. There's a Japanese skin care line that has this Moisturizing Skin Cream I use for eczema and many friends have told me it's great for kids, too. Totally safe and really works. It's very soothing and you immediately start to see redness, dryness, flaking and cracking disappear, and it lasts. I know it feels really good, too, a relief, so I'm sure little ones would feel the same.

I'm so sorry to hear you've been going through that. I know this is a little late, but I found a really great product to help with my son's eczema. Our whole family has been frustrated and nervous with all the steroid creams and medication (I really don't like using harsh chemicals with my kids when I don't have to). A friend of mine recommended Yoreganics. They talked a lot on the site about how laundry detergent and skin care products can cause nasty flare ups. We switched over our laundry care and have been using the Yorebalm which has helped tremendously! It's an all organic and natural and I feel so much better about putting something on my kids that doesn't have all the steroids in it. We know there's a lot more to do with diet, etc, (let's be honest, kids aren't really great about wanting to eat organic) but we're glad to have this relief. Hope that helps! Good Luck with everything!