8 year old dd w/eczema - making me so drained and depressed!

jflower

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 1:23 pm

What is the clear cream called in Israel? Do all drug stores sell it?

I have some relatives in Israel now. How much should it cost? Thanks for any info.

jflower

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 1:25 pm

Oops, sorry. I just found the link and see that the Clear Cream is made in Israel.

Will try to get some.

cuties' mom

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 3:53 pm

What helped with my kids was wet wraps. They bathed every night for at least 15 minutes. I wet a pair of 100% cotton pajamas in the bath and they wore it as soon as they came out. I put dry 100% cotton pajamas on top so they won't be cold.

happymom1836

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 5:00 pm

We too have dealt with horrible childhood eczema although our dd was under a year until we fixed it. I would try to talk to her at a calm moment when you are not trying to moisturizew her. Once you pull out the cream she probably panics so get to her at a different time when sh will listen better, She needs to know that her bloody patches can scar her permanantly and that there is an infection risk which will mean more and possibly more painful creams. Tell her that moisture should not hurt and once the open wounds heal it will be relieving to apply cream. My allergist told us to put neosporin or the equivalent on the open wounds first and then moisturize. I was told I have 3 minutes post bath in which to cream the child. The BEST cream we used was/is Cetaphil in the tub-not the lotion pump-too thin- the tub of cream. My dd had red cheeks and red peeling eyelids. Her cheeks eventually got so irritated at one point that they were hard and oozed liquid. She looked like a science experiment. B'H, her skin is beautiful now at age 10.5. Do food allergy tests. We were told to remove the offending foods and treat the eczema too as removal of food was not enough. I wanted to avoid steroid creams but the rather conservative dr said that the minor amt of time with the steroids would knock out the eczema and we would not need the steroids again. He was right-just a few weeks and that was it. Almost the entire rest of the treatment with rare spot treatments with steroid cream, was just cetaphil. Tell your dd this and reassure her that this is not a big deal if it is dealt with properly. Good Luck

cuties' mom

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 6:29 pm

Is cetaphil in the tub nut free?

Young Lady

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 9:40 pm

A few of my sisters kids had terrible eczema in the winter, since she started giving them vitamin D drops and a multi every day, they have NO MORE eczema whatsoever!!!
You need to give 6 drops of 1000IU each day, hopefully it'll help you too!!!

Maybe the clear cream helps, but it doesn't HEAL it, it doesn't go to the root of the problem. Eczema is not just like any rash, it stems from a problem in the body,ie lack of vitamin D.

Good Luck!!!

amother

Mon, Jan 24 2011, 2:47 am

One of my children who is now grown had very bad excema as a child. It was so bad he would wake up with blood all over his sheets from the itching. W tried all kinds of creams,went for the 100 skin prick test for allergies,,,nothing alergic..tried everything. We used so many different creams. Seems like every Dr. seemed to think they had the answer..well finally he started taking Zyrtex to stop the itchy feeling. The joke was that he would say he has thousands of little zyrtecs in his stomach.but in fact it did help along with creams. Now that he is an adult he does every so often have itchy skin and will go back to the zrytex and some cream but he is older and manages his skin condition. He knows when he will have a flair up and starts on the meds before it gets out of hand, which he couldnt do as a little boy. So it does get better...just takes time.

kaffe

Mon, Jan 24 2011, 3:54 am

op, if you live in israel- Dr. Heimlich (the maker of the clear cream) is also a dermatologist. while I have not been to him personally (as his cream worked so well I didnt need to) a friend went and gave two thumbs way waay up.
(as an aside, the clear cream also works really well for PUPPS (pregnancy rash, not puppies) )

simi5771

Wed, Jan 26 2011, 11:51 pm

ok finally bit the bullet and ordered a tub of clear cream :-)

Wow, that stuff is not cheap! We currently get through about 2lbs of vanicreme per week (most of it gets wiped off by our 8 yr old when she insists on changing her clothes) so not sure how far the tiny tub of clear cream will go....

Does anyone have a .co.il web address that can be used to order locally in israel? We have folks who can ship it for us from Israel... I refuse to believe that regular Israeli's pay these prices Surprised

Thanks everyone for your kind and helpful posts!!!

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 8:51 am

happymom1836 wrote:

She looked like a science experiment.

Mine too! My peaches-and-cream baby turned into something that looked like a stewed tomato almost overnight. I would be soaked from holding her. Bleah.

happymom1836 wrote:

I wanted to avoid steroid creams but the rather conservative dr said that the minor amt of time with the steroids would knock out the eczema and we would not need the steroids again. He was right-just a few weeks and that was it. Almost the entire rest of the treatment with rare spot treatments with steroid cream, was just cetaphil.

Worked for us too. We tried all the usual natural remedies, with no effect. The steroid ointment worked in about 30 minutes; I'm not kidding. The enormous benefit far outweighed the risk of exposure to the tiny amount of steroid.

Fortunately, dd outgrew her skin problems early, so our experience may not be so relevant for the OP with an older child. Still, I hope it helps!

simi5771

Thu, Jun 09 2011, 10:32 pm

so here's an update ... about 5 months on. Same fights, exacerbated by DH who when she cries attacks ME for trying to police the cream. We did try Clear cream, seemed to vaguely help but could not afford more than the tiniest jar. Tried LIQUID GLOVES, not sure if that helps. Vanicreme seems best (she hates it).

Anyway she cries and cries so DH lets her change her clothes before the cream has absorbed. DH will not allow me to do cream more than twice a day because it upsets DD too much... yes I am such a meanie.

She still eats poor quality food, avoids veggies/fruit like the plague and on Shabbos goes crazy for food with coloring, sugar etc. I was brought up to eat fruit/veggies BEFORE the delicious stuff. opposite with DH. And over Shavuos.... oh my goodness.... she went completely over the top for dairy.

In the last month it's spread to her face. Bright red. Flaky skin. Before I used to ask her to stop scratching and she would for a bit. Now she scratches non stop.

The more DH and I fight over this, the more she scratches (go figure).

DH getting more and more depressed with me and the whole situation. So we fight more.

My daughter has always been very tsnius since she was little (even more than me!), she's now taken it to new heights. She will not uncover for any pretext, wont swim, wont go outside without multiple layers covering every inch. So no sunlight, no vitamin D.

My DH's latest technique is to switch on the TV in our bedroom (unused by our daughter, practically unused by us up til now) so she can watch stupid TV while he or I apply cream. And guess what? My daughter now watches TV!!!!

We've seen two counselors since I last posted. Both said the same: cream, just do it. DH agrees with policing in pprinciple... but when it boils down to it refuses to police or allow policing of this or enforce healthy eating, drinking water or early bed time.

No medication (although I could use some)

I can't bear to read my post back. sorry

amother

Thu, Jun 09 2011, 10:53 pm

I remember this article. What about the drug mentioned there?

When Life in Your Own Skin Is Agony
By JESSICA KOVLER
Published: April 29, 2003

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Correction Appended

Adam B. Kaufman, 29, describes his skin as a ''personal hell'' that leaves him in unrelenting pain.

''Have you ever put on one of those facial masks and let it harden?'' said Mr. Kaufman, an actor from New York. ''That's how I feel. It hurts to move my face, and my eyes are close to swollen shut.''

Mr. Kaufman suffers from persistent atopic dermatitis, the most severe form of eczema, for which there is no cure.

His doctors told him the condition, while incurable, could be alleviated with steroid creams. They worked for a time but had serious side effects, including swelling. And Mr. Kaufman gradually developed increasing immunity to the drugs.

His experiments with alternative techniques proved mildly effective for a short time; they included acupuncture, tanning beds for ultraviolet rays, baths filled with oatmeal and, once, washing with a ''tar shampoo,'' a petroleum-based solution that promised a cure.

''There's only one way for people to know how we feel,'' he said. ''If you've ever had poison ivy, you know uncomfortable and distracting the itching can be. Now imagine it all over your body all the time.''

But now, Mr. Kaufman has found his most hopeful option yet, a new class of nonsteroidal eczema drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Two of the new drugs, Eladil and ProTopic, are available by prescription. Another, Dermolastin, a protease inhibitor used to treat chronic atopic dermatitis, is still in clinical trials. Mr. Kaufman has been taking Eladil for several weeks, and he says his condition has improved markedly, though not without flare-ups.

The National Institutes of Health estimate that 15 million people in the United States have some form of eczema. Nearly half of these cases are in children and will generally improve by late adolescence.

Atopic dermatitis causes red, itchy, scaly and inflamed skin. During flare-ups, open weeping or crusted sores develop from the scratching or from infections. Patients often describe their skin as looking like leather.

''But this is so much more than just a dermatological issue,'' said Dr. Adam Goldstein, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. ''Physicians need to realize how frequently serious asthma and allergies accompany the visual symptoms on the skin.''

Patients frequently experience the atopic triad -- a combination of symptoms that include allergic reactions to foods and airborne irritants, breathing difficulties and patches of red, flaky skin.

Aside from physical ailments, many patients suffer mentally. Mr. Kaufman, for example, suffered a major depression in 2001, he says, as a result of just not ''feeling right in my own skin.'' Stress, anxiety, insomnia and depression, however, only worsen the symptoms of eczema, creating a vicious cycle of discomfort and misery.

''It's so important that health care professionals become sensitive not only to the physical symptoms of the disease but also the psychological effects it can have on patients,'' said Dr. Lawrence Kutner, co-director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health.

He added that many children could suffer problems in school as a result of lack of sleep from itching and scratching all night and could suffer social problems as a result of being ostracized.

''It can be difficult to concentrate, because the constant itching seizes our attention,'' said Shelley Diamond, a doctoral candidate in psychology who has atopic dermatitis. ''People know the disrupting effects of pain, but not of itch.''

Studies show that pain is far more tolerable than itch, even with medications to control both.

While medications may treat the illness, nothing can cure it. Patients will always have an increased susceptibility to skin flare-ups and an increased sensitivity to other skin diseases.

Ms. Diamond takes 16 medications daily, most for her myriad symptoms, itch, inflammation, dryness, sneezing and wheezing.

Aside from symptoms and treatments, many patients now fear the effect of bioterrorism on their already sensitive skin. The National Eczema Association recently issued a warning urging anyone who has ever had eczema or atopic dermatitis not to receive the smallpox vaccine because of a heightened risk of life-threatening reactions.

Photo: ''It hurts to move my face, and my eyes are close to swollen shut,'' said Adam B. Kaufman, who says a new drug is helping his eczema. (Richard Lee for The New York Times)

cip

Fri, Jun 10 2011, 1:11 am

and does watching tv help her relax? if yes, go for it. (from someone without a tv at home).
and, if you talk to her about the situation, what does she say? does she have any suggestions? what's her worst part? what is bearable? how would she like to deal with it?

ima22

Fri, Jun 10 2011, 2:49 am

I personally suffered from eczema for many years and tried so many (at least 25+) creams, ointments, prescriptions. nothing worked and everything stung like crazy. I completely feel your daughter's pain. the only thing that works for me (I discovered this past winter) is vaseline cream. it got rid of the eczema completely by using it once a day after my shower. it is absorbed really well into the skin when you don't dry off after the shower and doesn't sting, burn or leave an oily, greasy residue. beg her to try it! give it three days and see how much it improves and after it does iy"H, just make it a habit when she comes out of the bath to put it on. don't wait for a flare up. also now with the summer and swimming the chlorine in pools can seriously exacerbate the eczema. don't let her out of a pool without jumping into a shower to wash off. lots of hatzlacha!

willow

Fri, Jun 10 2011, 4:00 am

simi5771 wrote:

Thanks everyone for your kind and helpful posts!!!

Just wanted you to know clear cream was recalled. It has steroids on it. You can find out more on the
FDA website.
If you will use steroids anyways clear cream is a great choice but I wanted to let you know in case you were not aware.

gryp

Fri, Jun 10 2011, 6:55 am

Clear Cream is being reformulated, by the way, and will be back on the market in a few weeks.

Soul on fire

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 4:49 pm

I didn't read the other answers so this may have been brought up already but does the moisturizer contain a fragrance that may be burning her?

lakewoodima

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 1:48 pm

pharmacies in lakewood issued a recall on clear cream a few months ago- since the FDA found undisclosed ingredients that were dangerous -I don't remember the exact details but it sounded scary enough to me that I stopped using it on my son. I knew it worked too well to just contain the few ingredients that were listed online and on the cream itself. So much for the promise that there are no hidden ingredients

5S5Sr7z3

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 2:04 pm

simi5771 wrote:

thanks for all the posts and suggestions. The problem is that once the cream is applied (after a huge battle) she proceeds to change her clothes - removing the cream in the process.

She has screamed and screamed and screamed for nearly an hour. She has made herself hysteriacal.

She has almost lost her voice.

I simply do not have the energy to battle with her anymore.

Does your daughter have sensory issues? I dont have eczema, but I do have very dry skin, and I have some major sensory issues, which means that applying cream really bugs me. By now I just force myself to live with the shmearing, but as a kid I really resisted this. Maybe she doesnt like the feel of the cream and changes clothes to get rid of the 'yucky' feel.

amother

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 2:11 pm

I get flare ups of eczema from time to time on my cheeks and on my elbows. it happens when I get stressed. sometimes if I see I have it a little I realise I must subconcsiously be under stress. I use cetraben cream, it is excellent. you can also apply it as often as you like during the day. once gone the skin looks lovely.