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Severe Ezcema and too many opinions....Help!
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escrappy05@yahoo.com
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My son recently turned 4 months old. From the time we left the hospital he was exposed to enfamil lipil as a supplement. Unfortunately, my milk never fully came in despite trying everything under the sun including Donperidone. In any event, just last month he started to get red irritated areas behind his knees and elbows. Our pediatrician told us to try Nutramigen, which we did. We started using Dreft as well (we were using Method baby detergent prior to this). He was fine for a bit, but then not only did the red areas reappear, but started to develop what looked like a rash on his arms and legs. We took him back to the pediatrician and she prescribed 2.5% cortisone for the red areas behind his elbows and knees and 1% for the other areas of this body that were red. We were told to aquaphor him as often and as much as possible and see a dermatologist (we couldn't get an appointment for 1 month). We did all this and the condition cleared up so we stopped using the cortisone. A few days later, the red areas were back and his entire body was covered with the rash (even his cheeks). My son is usually a very laid back, happy child. he only cries when he wants food, needs to be changed or is tired. So on Monday when he woke up a little grumpy, we didn't think much of it, but we noticed the rash looked worse. As the day progressed and he was sobbing uncontrollably, we decided to take him to Children's Hospital. The pediatrician there diagnosis him with Ezcema and possible skin infection. She recommended oatmeal baths, Amoxicillin (2x/day for 10 days) and Triamcinolone (2x/day for a week) in the red areas behind knees and elbows and aquaphor on the rest of his body. She also told us to change formula and laundry detergent to Alimentum and any kind of detergent that was dye free. The doctor at Children's also told us to see an allergist.
My instinct is that it's not the formula because wouldn't my son have had a reaction to the formula in the three months he was taking it? Is it possible that he all of the sudden became allergic to the formula he was taking for 3 months? It seems odd to me. Looking back now, maybe it was the change in detergent, but now that the doctors have us changing everything, is there a way to figure this all out???? |
Anonymous
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I don't know if there's a way to figure out if the root cause is something other than the formula, but I will say that Dreft is a marketing scam -- it isn't particularly gentle or hypo-allergenic in my experience. All Free and Clear (or another dye/fragrance free) detergent is the way to go. And wash everyone's clothes, towels, sheets with it. If you use dryer sheets make sure they're fragrance free, too.
One more thought: my daughter's eczema gets worse in the summer heat. It's counterintuitive b/c you'd think winter=cold dry air = drier skin = worse eczema. But not the case for her. If your babe has a similar reaction, the miserable heat we've been having recently could be to blame (or at least a part of the problem). You have my sympathy -- this time last year I had an itchy, miserable 7 mo and it wasn't easy. Hope he feels better soon. |
Anonymous
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Summer was the worst eczema time for my children, when they were babies. Now they are older, winter is the killer.
I would say that since you have been treating him with steroids, you could have been masking the allergy to the formula. My brother had issues with formulas as well. He would be ok for a month or two, and then start breaking out in rashes all over his body. I think seeing an allergist is a good way to go, as eczema often goes hand in hand with allergies. My son has the worst eczema when he was six months old. He started having terrible seasonal allergies at the age of two, and yesterday I discovered he was allergic to cats. Seeing the allergist will help you find the answer to the trigger, milk or not. |
Anonymous
| We went through this. Do not go to a dermatologist, you need to see an allergist. Through this board, I was referred to Dr. Athena Economides at the Institute for Asthma and Allergy in Chevy Chase. They also have an office in Wheaton. It is a fantastic operation and she was able to get the eczema under control. We now see Dr. Mark Scarupa in the same practice and are very happy with him. You can usually get an appointment pretty quickly. One thing I will tell you is to stop using Acquaphor and switch to Vanicream. It is over the counter, but the pharmacist has to order it for you. Or you can get it online. Good luck to you. Our situation was really bad at 5 months. Dr. Economides will give you an eczema action plan and it will help! |
Anonymous
| PP again. You can google The Institute for Asthma and Allergy in Chevy Chase and get a little bio on all of the doctors as well as info on the practice. |
Anonymous
Thanks so much for all the great advice. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you all!!! 
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Anonymous
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Maybe it's environmental?
Do you wear any lotion or perfumes? Can you bathe using unscented soaps? My friend's son had TERRIBLE rashes like you describe. She was the self-declared Queen of Lotion. She took her baby to doctor after doctor, including allergists and dermatologists. Nothing worked. She then cut out the lotions and ashed with mild soaps (try California baby for yourself) and that cleared it up. Coincidence? Who will ever know. |
Anonymous
| DD got her first case of eczema on her cheeks - our pediatrician agreed with us that it was probably from dryer sheets I'd use to dry her crib sheet (I didn't start using these until DD was 18 months old and lo and behold, they irritated her skin). I would forgo those completely (scented or unscented). We use Tide Free to wash all our clothes. I found a lotion called Dermarest at drugstore.com - it seemed to work better than Aquaphor for us and help clear up DD's itchy cheeks. We also like Vanicream - ordered that at drugstore.com as well (Dermarest has hydrocortisone, Vanicream does not). |
Anonymous
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OP, PP from 13:16 with another thought. Once he's through this bad patch and you're done with oatmeal baths, you might want to consider not using soap of any kind in the bathtub. I found that just sitting in soapy water was aggravating to my daughter's skin. Hair gets washed and rinsed last; hands, feet, pits and diaper area get a sponge bath with soap and water at the changing table.
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Anonymous
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An allergic reaction does not have to appear at the first, 10th, or 100th time you are exposed to something. It varies from person to person and allergy to allergy. So it might be the formula, or it might be environmental, or it might be something you consume if you are BF him at all. I agree with the recommendation to see an allergist. Allergic reactions do tend to get worse the more you are exposed to the offending agent.
If it is environmental -- agree it could be something on you or DH that is irritating the baby -- like the other PP suggested -- make sure all of your clothes are washed in the same dye free / perfume free detergent (we use Tide Free and Clear and I always do a second rinse). Best of luck! |
Anonymous
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And, when you switch to "Free and Clear" or another such detergent (we use Arm & Hammer), remember it is EVERYONE's clothes that need to be washed in it. Not just the baby's.
As for the cortizone. That deals with symptoms and helps get out-of-control reactions back under control. It is not a long term solution. You still need to find out what is causing the reaction. Cortizone does really help, but please try to use as little as possible. |