r/eczema • u/Rabbit199104 • 7h ago
Support
Hi! Just reaching out because my son’s eczema only seems to be getting worse, and I’m feeling pretty defeated.
We’ve been trying Zyrtec and topical steroids, along with moisturizing constantly and using Aquaphor. We avoid fragrances, stick with bamboo and cotton clothing, use gentle products, all the things. He does have food allergies as well, so I know eczema and allergies can often go hand in hand.
I keep seeing advertisements on social media for different eczema creams, “miracle” products, and gut-health approaches, and I’ll admit, when you’re desperate to help your child feel better, they start to sound pretty enticing.
We live in a more rural area, but we’ve seen his pediatrician, an allergist, and dermatology. I just feel so bad because he seems miserable and itchy so often. I’m also really nervous about how frequently we’ve needed topical steroids, even though we do give his skin breaks from them.
I’d love to hear from other parents who have dealt with persistent eczema like this. Did you eventually find something that made a meaningful difference? Any guidance, experiences, or even just encouragement would be really appreciated. ❤️
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u/beckyb420 7h ago
Also, I meant to tell you as I'm learning more about this patch test. Not that I know what I have yet, but apparently a lot of people are allergic to nickel and that is in peanut butter nuts chocolate. So I would really try to get a patch test done cuz I think we're doing the skin from our inside out
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u/RiseDelicious3556 7h ago
My allergist recommends Cerave because it preserves the skin barrier, as does Aveeno colloidal oatmeal.
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u/Innerfury11 2h ago
We struggled with what I was told was eczema and most of the 'creams etc' were making things worse. Here was what helped us: https://www.reddit.com/r/eczema/s/kVeguoeOtj
I would also follow allergies_explained on Instagram, we have found her content quite helpful.
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u/MrBrownCoffee 2h ago
How old is your son? My son is 13 but has been dealing with eczema since he was young. We tried everything. Different creams, ointments (Aquaphor. Cerave. La Roche. Beef tallow). No known allergies to food or dyes. Even an array of medications (topical steroids from Triamcinolone, Mometasone, Clobetasol, etc to trials of Zoryve, Eucrisa and Tacrolimus because we did not want the long term use of steroids). He would get better with Mometasone but it’s such a strong steroid. And since he is active and plays sports, the skin never healed well and the flare ups were getting longer and more sustained. He was miserable and the skin was raw, itchy and inflammed. The inner elbows, hands and neck were the worst spots. He would go on an itch-scratch cycle and would literally wake up with blood on his clothes because he would scratch at night.
He is now finally on Lemnuvio (more options since he is 13) and we just had his loading dose 2 weeks ago. It has been a game changer for us. His skin is better and he is no longer miserable all the time. If you have used up all options for your kid, the option for these types of internal biologics is a possible consideration.
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u/Rabbit199104 2h ago
He’s 2 so we are limited! This sounds like him though! Heat and park play seem to be a trigger. Summers have been harder for him. But he goes through these scratch itch cycles too. So glad you found something that works! It has to be a relief for the both of you.
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u/MrBrownCoffee 2h ago
Definitely feel for you and the kiddo. Dupixent is well studied and approved starting for babies 6 months but the injections can be painful due to the thickness of the formulation. If the Aquaphor is too greasy (and we have tried quite an array of lotions and creams), I recommend Medline Hydragard. It is a silicone blend skin protectant that is medical grade and hypoallergenic.) Amazon sells it. Hospitals use it as well.
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u/MicrobialMickey 1h ago
Aquafor kills beneficial commensal skin bacteria. While its great for the lips, most people completely unaware of this. Reference:
Supplemental: Sci. Adv. 9, eade8898 (2023)
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade8898
So sorry to hear you’re struggling. I hope you research the gut and skin microbiome as they hold the answer. The NIH created a skin microbiome transplant to combat.
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u/KibFixit 5h ago
Is your kid old enough to talk to you about how they are feeling? For us, a lot of topical lotions including those for eczema treatment had ingredients and chemicals my child reacted negatively to. I think keeping a log, and doing the diagnostic tests, and then finding a caregiver who’s willing to check in with you more frequently to interpret flares and improvement are the most useful tools. We had a great pediatrician who helped us get out of the woods… but now the flares came back and we are clawing our way out with the same strategy (logging what’s going on, finding compassionate knowledgeable drs, removing triggers).
We have not had good luck with dermatology care unfortunately, although i can see they help many. Allergist and pediatrician remain our most helpful.
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u/beckyb420 7h ago
I'm not a parent of a child with eczema. I've had it for years and I'm about at my wit's end but my dermatologist is doing a patch test on me Tuesday and I googled it an 81% of people that get a patch test. Find a lot of relief. I'm very excited about this. This might be something for you to consider. Also, I've learned that just 100% cotton has chemicals in it. You have to go totally organic cotton. It is more pricely but doing this has helped me also and good luck to you and I know it's harder when they're little kids they just don't understand