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

octopus

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 4:29 pm

maybe you can ask your dr. about bleach baths.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-prob.....zcema

Hashem_Yaazor

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 4:42 pm

I'm at my wits' end with my son's eczema.
Shea butter -- whipped up, he won't try because of the smell. He used it once and it worked well, but won't let anymore.
Renew by Melaleuca -- someone was kind enough to gift us with it. Used it once, but he says the lotion is too liquidy.
Aveeno -- didn't work. (I'm wondering if he's allergic to oats...I have a daughter who is, but this one I need to get tested)
It's like this with everything...his sensory things come out very strongly with the therapies I'm trying, and it just makes him more miserable Sad

He's an extremely light sleeper and he wakes up if I try applying things then.
I sometimes force on hydrocortisone when it gets so bad even if it wakes him up. It usually clears up then, but I don't want to get to that point.

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 6:59 pm

Hashem_Yaazor, are you able to get OT therapy for your son's sensory issues?
When dd was a baby she refused to allow me to apply cream/sunscreen. When she was 2, this was part of what she worked on in OT therapy and BH it helped tremendously. (Although she still has other agonizing sensory issues.)

gryp

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 7:51 pm

Eggs, dairy, and tomatoes. And gluten.
Has everyone tried cutting those out before seeing expensive doctors and buying creams at $10/oz?

My 5 yr old has been off these things for over 3 months and is a different person. (See my latest blog post.)

If I needed any more proof, I gave him a bite of gefilte fish Friday night just to see if he could handle that much eggs and gluten, and almost immediately he reverted back to his moodiness, manipulation, compulsiveness (see my blog post for more information). Today his eczema is back. I'm waiting a few days until it gets completely out of his system. He's already much easier to deal with this afternoon.

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 7:57 pm

gryp wrote:

Thank you for this post gryp. And for helping me personally in the past!

Eliminating eggs and dairy really helped for me. I was off tomatoes already. Everyone is different with their sensativities, but the foods gryp wrote about are common triggers. It's hard to try the elimination diet. But so worthwhile.

gold21

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 9:30 pm

and pickles, I think- or at least in my experience, pickles have the same effect as tomatoes.

Hashem_Yaazor

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 10:01 pm

I really, really want to start him on a gluten free diet. Really, really. He's at a very hard place emotionally to accept such a change [he is extremely horrible at transitions, and this can potentially set him over the age]. So while I can subtly make modifications at home, he's still getting pizza at school, for example. I'm trying to deal with the underlying issues first to stabilize whatever it is that is going on internally before I send him in upheaval. I KNOW he's allergic to some foods now (before now, it seemed to be topical allergies, but now he has facial rashes and redness under his eyes) so we have got to eliminate whatever is triggering it. I went as far as getting recommendations to an allergist but he's telling me he refuses to go Sad

It takes him a very long time to get over fears like this, and I don't have the strength or willpower to fight him over a doctor's appointment if I can try an elimination diet at home. But at home is not good enough; I need to be able to do this wherever he is.

ra_mom, he's actually the less sensory of my 2 boys. If he applies it himself, he is ok with it since he gets used to the sensation. He did apply some lotion at school I found out. It's just that he's too busy right when he comes home, and too cranky at bedtime, so finding the right time during the day to have him agree to apply anything vs me doing it is a mighty hard balance. I spoke to an OT neighbor of mine as well as my sister who just finished her masters in OT and their thoughts were that he wouldn't qualify since he does have the coping mechanisms to deal with these sorts of issues. It's just a matter of finding the right time to let him be at his best coping Smile

gryp

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 8:54 am

ra_mom wrote:

gryp wrote:

I'm so glad you're doing better!

gryp

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 8:56 am

gold21 wrote:

and pickles, I think- or at least in my experience, pickles have the same effect as tomatoes.

Anything acidic- pickles and pineapple too. Since my eczema is on my hands, every Friday when I cut pickles for salad, I regret it. (yeah, one day I'll use gloves :eye roll) Pineapple also affects my 5 yr old but nowhere as much as tomatoes, eggs, and dairy. And gluten of course.

stem

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 8:59 am

gryp, are you saying that those foods cause his bad moods, or that they cause eczema which makes him irritable and in a bad mood?

My one child who has eczema is my most easy going child, while another who doesn't have eczema is very much like the way you described your sons moods. Now I'm wondering if those foods cause different side effects on each child.

gryp

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 9:09 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I actually gave my 5 yr old a choice between an allergist and the elimination diet. I explained each to him. He chose the elimination diet, LOL. But he was under the impression that it would only last a few weeks. Now that he's used to eating this way, he doesn't care. He can see the difference in himself, that's how obvious it is.

HY- I think it might be worth it to eliminate the eggs, dairy, and tomatoes before doing the big one- gluten. Would he be happy with substitutes for whatever he usually has as far as the eggs, dairy, and tomatoes? I know you mentioned pizza, would he be okay with just the cheese and dough?

By the way, while I was doing this for my 8 and 5 yr olds, I was able to recognize the exact triggers in my 2 yr old- eggs, dairy, and tomatoes again. She used to scratch every night and kvetch "hurting me, hurting me" by her neck, underarms, and a bad diaper rash. It was was easy to avoid those since I was making that kind of food anyway, and she hasn't had a return of eczema for a few weeks now.

I'm not going to say that the change to gluten/egg/dairy- free was easy but it's certainly easier than I thought it would be. And my 5 yr old, used to crave sugar to the point of tantrums every day, that has almost disappeared as well, and he really enjoys the healthier, organic food I inevitably end up buying him. Like Arrowhead Mills makes plain puffed grains for breakfast cereal, and he loves that now when he wouldn't look at it just a few months ago. (That's one of my cheaper purchases.) I don't davka buy organic but when you're looking for allergy-free products, a lot of it is organic.

My 8 yr old is a difference story but he doesn't have eczema. I'm going to write up about him as soon as I get the last time he had dairy out of his system to make sure I'm writing accurately.

gryp

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 9:17 am

stem wrote:

Both. But yes, every child is different.

My 5 yr old with eczema, the foods definitely cause bad moods, and on top of that the eczema and stomachaches he had to endure just made it unbearable. Those completely irritated him inside. To give you an example, when he eats those foods, he suddenly has strong fears (like of the dark) which he doesn't usually have. And he is beyond reason when he is like this. The only thing that can keep him calm is picking him up and holding him tight... until the next time something blows up (two minutes later).

My 8 yr old on the other hand, doesn't have eczema but sensory disorder, and I took him off gluten, dairy, and eggs at the same time as my 5 yr old. I noticed that the gluten and dairy exacerbated his sensory issues. Without it in his system he was much calmer, much more easygoing, and more in control of himself.

My gut feeling (no pun intended) is that my boys are very alike but one is being affected physically while the other is affected mentally.

I don't mean that to sound horrible. But sensory disorder is a problem of the brain.

sneakermom

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 9:27 am

1. I can't overestimate the importance of a humidifier in the bedroom. The air is very dry in the winter and the steam in the house sucks all the moisture out of the skin. My kids were itching like little monkeys all night until I set one up. They also sleep better because the air is more moist. But you have to be careful to clean it regularly because the machine can get mildewy.

2. If your son is having a hard time with shmearing stuff on himself I would put half a cup of olive oil into his bath. Let him relax and play and it will be great for his skin and hair. It sounds funny but it can be a relief.

3. If he doesn't mind oils as much as creams try shmearing olive oil on him it is a natural anti inflammatory.

4. Omega three fish oil vitamins help too.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 9:52 am

gryp wrote:

gold21 wrote:

and pickles, I think- or at least in my experience, pickles have the same effect as tomatoes.

Anything acidic- pickles and pineapple too. Since my eczema is on my hands, every Friday when I cut pickles for salad, I regret it.

I thought I was the only one like that!!

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:03 am

gryp wrote:

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

That's a good idea. I was all focused on how to make the gluten change, but I can easily try to avoid eggs. Tomatoes not as much since he eats pizza in school. In general he doesn't like tomato sauce much, so it's not that big a deal. And eggs can be avoided if I can come up with an egg-free dessert for Shabbos so he doesn't feel like he's lost out. I'm sure you have ideas Smile

Dairy is not a big deal. He's not a big dairy eater; he is my fleishig guy. But he still eats the pizza at school...I have to work the school issue out quite a bit because he's behind socially and it is very important in my opinion for this specific one to be more conforming than I otherwise would care. If most of the boys are eating pizza, it's going to be hard for him to 1)make the change 2) feel like he's part of the group. I guess I'll start with the changes at home and see what happens.

Quote:

I'm not going to say that the change to gluten/egg/dairy- free was easy but it's certainly easier than I thought it would be. And my 5 yr old, used to crave sugar to the point of tantrums every day, that has almost disappeared as well, and he really enjoys the healthier, organic food I inevitably end up buying him. Like Arrowhead Mills makes plain puffed grains for breakfast cereal, and he loves that now when he wouldn't look at it just a few months ago. (That's one of my cheaper purchases.) I don't davka buy organic but when you're looking for allergy-free products, a lot of it is organic.

What kind of grains? This is another issue for me; I keep yoshon and I can't just go and buy things easily at this part in the season. I can get GF cereals like Corn Chex and Rice Chex, and that's what I've been doing.

BTW, I think a lot of it is that it's a vicious cycle.
He has eczema -> feels irritable -> doesn't sleep well -> is more cranky and irritable -> has low tolerance for the remedies -> worsens eczema.
We need to break the cycle, but he has to be on board with me. And it's not going to be easy as he's my most "independent-minded" kid.

But not starting with gluten is a very, very good idea as that is going to be the hardest (he eats challah while everyone else eats gefilte fish; he gets doughnuts on R"C at school as well as some school lunches; packing lunches would be a nightmare since he doesn't like yogurt/string cheese, an egg-free diet would mean none of that for protein, and since the school is PB free I'd have to give soy butter on GF bread or crackers which I really prefer not to do because he says nut butters that I've tried are tasteless but he doesn't like jelly...oh, and he has to have hamotzi for school rules....the lunches are my hardest; suppers I can work with.)

sneakermom

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:03 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

gryp wrote:

gold21 wrote:

and pickles, I think- or at least in my experience, pickles have the same effect as tomatoes.

Anything acidic- pickles and pineapple too. Since my eczema is on my hands, every Friday when I cut pickles for salad, I regret it.

I thought I was the only one like that!!

I also find acidic is bad for me. If I need to cut a pickle I wear disposable vinyl gloves.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:06 am

sneakermom wrote:

We use Vitamin E oil.

I actually had added it in to the shea butter I whipped up, but the smell (which I agree with) is not so pleasant.

When his tolerance level increases (which is what happens when he's not so irritated by the eczema), he'll probably allow basically anything. Textures usually only bother him when eating; it's just that he's so moody now that he doesn't like it on his skin.

yksraya

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:19 am

if he is not allergic to sesame seeds use sesame seed oil. this will do the trick quite quickly and it also takes away the itching instantly.

gryp

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:45 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

gryp wrote:

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Quote:

Arrowhead Mills makes Puffed Corn, Millet, Rice, and I forget the others. Those three my kids really like so I just buy those. They aren't terribly expensive either.

You are right about the vicious cycle. I am seeing that a lot of these kids don't sleep well.

On top of that my 5 yr old still doesn't have control over his bladder at night and he has nightmares sometimes so he likes to sleep in the living room. So he's up a lot. But it used to be completely ridiculous, he'd have major tantrums in the middle of the night while he was still asleep (like night terrors) and wake everyone else up. He'd also have nightmares every time he slept to the point that he was scared to go to sleep. That's also subsided completely. Now he falls asleep about 7:45 (he's in bed about an hour before), wakes up about 9 ih he's wet and to move to the couch, and sleeps the rest of the night straight through.

I think a lot of these kids also are constantly thirsty (just like their skin needs so much moisture). When they drink so much it doesn't give them a chance to stay dry at night.

I think I would take it slow with your independent-minded child. I probably should have done that, LOL. But I wanted to do it over Tishrei when the kids would be home more.

I have to pack lunch for my kids 3 times a week (the other two they can eat the school lunch, BH) and I usually pack brown rice noodles for them (different shaped noodles makes it more appetizing). I just started buying white rice bread for them to have on Shabbos and if there's leftovers, I can pack them a sandwich (they think apricot jelly and strawberry jelly in the same sandwich is the biggest treat, I can make tuna now with the egg-free mayo I started buying). They get fruits and vegetables from the school lunch. (I used to pack them fruits, vegetables, and chicken or meatballs from dinner the night before but I don't want them to have fleishings at a milchig table, and anyway they always seemed to have enough food.)

Between brown rice noodles, egg-free mayonnaise, and the gluten-free egg-free bread, I might as well give them $10 bills to eat for lunch. (:eye roll)

I also gave acidopholus and fish oil religiously (I haven't been so good at it lately Sad

anonymrs

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:53 am

My daughter is off tomatoes, dairy, and eggs, (and soy and nuts) but still has terrible eczema. I am using aquaphor daily but her face/eyes are still awful. She is always rubbing. Also, I can see that something bothers her inside because she is constantly rubbing her nose. She is a year old. Any advice?