Bad Eczema

Updated on May 05, 2008
S.B. asks from Atlanta, GA
18 answers

I have a friend who is a new mommy. Her infant son has had a horrible case of eczema...nothing her doctors have told her to do is alleviating his misery...he scratches until he bleeds. Neither of my children had this....does anyone have any other remedies besides Vaseline and Hydrocortizone cream? Thanks for your help!

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L.W.

answers from Atlanta on

my baby has a minor case of eczema. we had luck with oatmeal baths and aveno oatmeal lotion and a cream called Aquaphor. Good Luck.

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C.H.

answers from Augusta on

The hydrocortizone works great for both my sons but maybe he needs something stronger.All she has to do is tell the doctor the others arent working and he should try something new.She could also use different detergants and soaps.Dreft is good for laundry and aveno or something simlar with aloe and oatmeal in it will help.

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D.R.

answers from Atlanta on

eczema can be hard to try to control..our doctor prescribes triamcinolone ointment. we only put it on the spots when they start to come back.
hope ur friend finds something that helps!

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C.Y.

answers from Charleston on

S.,

We have been dealing with this issue as well. Firstly, explain to your friend that Vaseline is made from cancer-causing petrochemicals and should never be used. Hydrocortisone creams only exacerbate the problem b/c they push the eczema deeper into the body affecting other organs and weakening the immune response. Any of the over the counter or prescription drugs, creams, etc are very harmful to the body and do nothing to solve the problem.
The best thing she can do for her son, is find out what is causing this allergic response. I would recommend a holistic chiropractor, and allergy testing, and possibly an elimination diet to determine the cause. Boosting immunity is important, omega 3 supplements can help. Vaccine preservatives can do great harm to a child's body and weaken immunity, not strengthen it.

~C.
www.LostRiverNaturals.com
Organic Goodness for the Whole Family

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S.B.

answers from Atlanta on

My child and step child both have severe eczema. We use Cetaphil cleanser for bath and Cetaphil cream many times a/day. I also mix in Vitamin E oil into the cream. After bath, I rub him down with Sweet Almond Oil or Olive Oil then apply the cream. We used to use Freederm when he was younger. It worked well but I think he finally became immune to it. Also use Free/Clear detergent and dryer sheets. My child is also allergic to peanuts, animals, etc. His has really started clearing up due to the fact he is getting older (almost 3) and we removed both the dog and cat from our home.

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M.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi S.,

I agree with Nola also. This is a systemic problem and has to do with her immune system (i.e. nutrition). If she's not breastfeeding, the formula may be exacerbating it or any of the new foods introduced. Babies are so sensitive to processing of foods, even processing of formulas. This is due to the chemicals used, maybe not in the formula, but in one or more ingredient in the formula.

I DO NOT recommend Aveeno anything because it is a Johnson and Johnson product and most of their products contain a cheap preservative (Quaternium-15, a.k.a. Q-15)that is a known cancer causing agent. You can go to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com and type in Aveeno and see the hazard level. Vaseline clogs the pores and can exacerbate the problem and any steroid cream, even topically, will cause thinning of bones.

I have never had this problem but my Dad did all his life and we found a product called Renew when he was 84. It cleared it up immediately and he has skin as smooth as silk now at 89. No flare-ups.

If your friend is interested, let me know. I'd love to help.

Regards,

M.

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L.J.

answers from Atlanta on

I would recommend Noni Juice to you. It worked for me and my daughter who both HAD severe eczema and nothing else seem to work. I will give you the name of the person who we get all of our information and juice from. She sent me a list of things that have been cured by noni.
Kimberly ###-###-####

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K.M.

answers from Sumter on

Dear Stacy:
Tea Tree oil works wonders! I know a company that sells only natural products for the home and self that will help you change the products that you use everyday that are contributing to the problem. If you would like more information about this company, please contact me at:
____@____.com
I wish you the best!
K.
The M.O.M. Team
www.enhanceyourlifeonline.com

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D.H.

answers from Atlanta on

http://www.herballegacy.com/Eczema.html

I would go to a local health food store and let them know what is going on. You could try an ointment made with plantain or chickweed. I have another ointment in our household which is also great called Complete Tissue and Bone formula and it will work wonders too.

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M.M.

answers from Savannah on

I have had eczema since I was born and unfortunately I passed it onto my daughter. She is 17 months, she has really bad breakouts and she pretty much keeps it on her cheeks. There are several things that work for us. When I was pregnant it was ALL OVER ME, I was afraid to use Hydrocortizone because of the baby so my doctor suggested that I try SERNA. It is a non steroid lotion. I know target carries it and so does Walgreens. I'm not sure about Walmart, I try not to shop there. Also, Target carries a baby eczema cream. I'm not really sure what the brand name is but it is in a white and green tube and says Disney on it, it has a picture of the Winnie the Pooh characters, it too is all natural. Also try Aveeno baby lotion. It is not specificly for eczema but it really helps my daughters face where the doctor told me not to use the hydro on her face becaue the skin on their faces are so thin and the hydro thins it out even more. Aveeno also makes a creamy eczema baby wash. It works very good also. If you need the exact names of any of these feel free to email me. I understand exactly what they are going through and many pediatricians say that they can treat it but they really have no idea. I have been through several doctors until we found one that knew what they were doing.

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A.F.

answers from Atlanta on

I agree with pretty much everything that Nola K said. My daughter hasn't been diagnosed, but she does have VERY sensitive skin (she's 5 mos). We use Balmex for her face, neck, and hands, which work well to clear up any spots. I also use Aveeno wash for both of my kids (and myself b/c soaps irritate my face).

I'd also try a little bit of olive oil. Just rub it into any dry areas and it will hopefully clear it up.

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J.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi S.! Its great that you are asking for your friend. I've heard of so many other families having to deal with the same problems. I definitely know that she should look for any food allergies (sometimes that can cause severe eczema), other than that she needs to be aware of the products that she is using. Lots of the products in our homes have chemicals in them that can severely irritate the skin. Tell her to look for more natural products to replace things like her laundry soaps and bath soaps. Also, I know of this great lotion called ReNew that works wonders on eczema. The wellness company that makes it is a green company and has replacements for all of your everyday products. To be honest many customers that used to have eczema swear by its products. If you need any more information please message me.

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N.K.

answers from Atlanta on

HI S.- how sweet of you to find help fo ryour friend!
My oldest son has had eczema since birth- but has been "under control" for about a year since I took these measures.
diet- sugar, juice (especially OJ) or packaged foods will aggrevate- I found out my son was allergic to peanuts- too so see if she will find an allergist to do minor skin testing for the obvious (milk, peanut, citrus, animals) that may help.
products- make sure she is using ONLY free and clear laundry detergent AND fabric softner on his clothes and bed sheets. If my mother in law does my childs laundry at her house- he breaks out immediatly!
also bath and body products - use only organic or NON scented soaps and lotions. What has worked for me is either Burts Bees buttermilk wash and lotion or Aveeno baby wash and lotion ( Burts Bees does better) and for some reason shen my son was a toddler I decided one day to use BALMEX on his "hot spots" and they dissapeared (better than hydrocortisone) probably beuadroux butt paste would work too. All available at any grocery store or Target..
If you have any other questions please email
Good Luck - I know how heartbreaking and miserable it is.
Nikki Kenney

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N.T.

answers from Augusta on

Hello Stacy,

I am a 34 year old mother of three children, ages 17, 15, and 11. I am originally from Philly, but I relocated to Augusta, GA 3 years ago. And I can understand what your friend is experiencing.

I was born with eczema and whenI was a little girl I had to deal with my hands being tied ( to stop the itching)taking a lot of pills, taking oatmeal baths, using a lot of Eucerin and Vaseline. I could n't even drink orange juice, eat anything with citric acid, chocolate and of course sodas. This was all when I lived in the south from the age of 5 to 9 years.

But after I had my 2nd child at the age of 16, I met this guy whose skin was worse then mine, and he referred me to this doctor (Dr. Vaughn Graves)in Philly who was excellent. The doctor even had eczema, but looking at him you couldn't tell(skin was smooth as a baby's bottom).

My advice to your friend is that it will never go away, but it can be controlled I am a true testament to this. This doctor used to give me shots to control the itching, then he started giving me Psorcon, Elocon and Dermatop for the worse infected areas, and Elidel after it was introduced.

As I got older and couldn't afford this doctor, any doctor that I went to I would tell them what to give me, not allow them to give me what they thought I should have. I have learned from living in the south now and when I was little they will always give Hydrocortisone, it seems like they don't understand that our bodies can get immune to that and get infected worse.

So tell your friend to tell the doctors about those medicines I mentioned and she will see a big difference and help her baby deal with this when its older. I use this medicine for anything, my children do get a slight touch of it in the summer but never as bad as I did when I was little. I can truly say that this doctor helped me tremendously.

I hope this information helps.

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H.W.

answers from Atlanta on

Putting coconut oil into my daughters' food/milk (one is three, the other 11 moths.....but I started her on it @ about 4 months) has completely taken care of their dry skin. It also helps to rub it onto the skin. A lot of massage therapists recommend it, it has a lot of antioxidants, the list goes on and on! It has worked great for my daughters! :)

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D.W.

answers from Charleston on

I second what Donna said. And I'll go a step further. Ditch the chemicals and tell your friend to go natural. There are lots of things in the baby aisle of Whole Foods Markets or Earthfares and other health food stores. I learned to make an all purpose salve with plantain, chickweed, mullein, calendula, and comfrey. It works very well for eczema and I have other friend that make it and now only use that for their babes.

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S.P.

answers from Macon on

There is an ointment that your doctor should prescribe for your baby and I cannot think what the name of it is but it's great for shingles. Maybe you could ask him to prescribe this. I'll also say a prayer for him. Nothing is more difficult than seeing your baby suffer. Take care.

K.B.

answers from Columbia on

Hi S.,

My daughter had eczema also, and it would even flare up even worse when she was getting sick or something, bad for her...but a good indicator for us when she wasn't feeling good and couldn't tell us. But I have a friend who works for a very reputable dermatologist and he gave me tons of Aveeno samples specifically for Eczema and the cetophil (sp?) samples and he told to wash her with some Aveeno Eczema body wash and then as soon as I got her out of the tub (not a long bath by the way..and no bubble baths!) but while she was still wet rub her down with Vasoline, to trap in the moisture, and then I lather her up with some Aveno Eczema care lotion. Also apply the lotion throughout the day to help keep the skin moisturized. My daughers skin cleared up in no time. Now, hers wasn't as severe as what it sounds like your friend's son is, but this might help just to get it under control. My daughter still occasionally gets dry spots or like I said before it flares up when she's sick, but the wash and vasolina and lotion nip it in the bud....Hope this helps

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