I am going to set up a doctor appointment for him first thing Monday morning to see if there is anything else we can do about it. Right now he has two meds but they just don't help.
Anyone know of anything?? Maybe in a pill form?
During the game
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After the game
4 comments:
I have had eczema my whole life, so I can sure relate. Here's what I've learned after 35 years: cool or warm showers. Never hot, and try to be quick about it. Try to avoid baths. Use a very mild soap, like Cetaphil, (he'll get used to it not being as 'foamy' as regular soap) all over the skin. It's best if he uses his hands to apply this; even terry cloth can tear at raw spots. Rinse well. Lightly pat skin dry (do not rub with the towel!) and here is the most important part: APPLY LOTION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, within 3 minutes of getting out of a shower. Fragrance-free Curel works the best for me, but his mileage may vary. It will take some experimenting, but the mild soap plus lotion routine is what has really changed things for me. Don't skimp and get cheap lotion, like from the dollar store. Get fragrance free and resign yourself to spending $6 or $8 a bottle.
But that's it: cool water, mild soap, good lotion FAST. I wish someone had told my parents this when I was younger, it would have saved me some of the agony and embarrassment of eczema.
There really isn't any cure for eczema, unfortunately. You have to just try to deal with it, which is particularly hard when you're a kid.
I think the reason the lotion is really important is because people who have eczema (and a few other skin problem, like psoriasis) don't just have eczema to deal with: on a cellular level, our skin is different than a normal person's, and it can't hold moisture the same way. So think about it like this: lotion can help your skin hold moisture in, but only if you get it on your skin fast enough that the moisture doesn't evaporate. If there is no moisture there, all you've got is dry skin with a layer of waxy stuff on top. Right?
Beware of so many of the prescription strength cortisone creams/salves. They're really bad for your skin long-term. Plus, it has always seemed to me like I build up a tolerance to each one and soon require higher and higher strengths to achieve any results. Even worse, most of the topical medicines HURT SO MUCH that you can't help it: you will claw your skin off, because the medicine feels like you've poured acid on open wounds. And of course, it's just a painful vicious cycle. I have more self-control now than I did as a kid, and I still can't help it. Salve sucks.
So as an adult, when I get overheated, a cool quick shower, Cetaphil and a fast lotion application can bring my skin back under control. Since your son is presumably an active little guy who doesn't much like any of the above, I'd try to do it on the go: a quick rinse of his bad spots (mine have always been the classics: behind the knees, inside elbows, back of neck) even with bottled water applied with a very soft cloth: like maybe flannel. Cetaphil comes in a liquid form, too, so follow the rinse with a light film of soap, rinse again, lightly pat him dry and slap some lotion on him. If you practice at home, I'll bet you could do all this in a couple minutes, and no one would even have to know.
You've got to try to keep him cool at all times. Sweaty = problems, so be aware that he may really struggling with summer activities (like playing baseball) but hasn't connected all these different situations to the same result. Air conditioning is the only thing that helps when it gets too hot.
I hope any of the above helps him. I am a classic lurker, but I had to comment when I read about your boy. Best of luck to you both, and if you have any additional questions/concerns, feel free to give me a shout-out here.
p.s. Watch out for public pools, too. Chlorinated water can bring on a flare-up that sometimes lasts for weeks.
I have excema too, but it generally only breaks out in cases of EXTREME stress for me. My Dad also had it - his broke out when he ate eggs or played with the cat. Do you know what is making him break out? Lastly, my Dad's excema was so bad that he would itch till he bled at night (asleep, mostly unaware) so he occasionally slept with socks over his hands to keep from scratching to deeply.
By the way - adorable son!!
Shelley, thanks so much for your comment. We currently use the really thick eucerin on him after showers but don't always put it on right away so we plan to start today. I think today we will go to the store and stock up on soaps and creams and buy him some that he can carry in his backpack. It's tough right now because boys don't really care what their skin looks like but I can tell he is in so much pain and it breaks my heart. He does say that the RX creams burn so we try to stay away from those.
I'll let you know how it goes!
M.
Jean,
I think his flares up when he sweats and gets hot. The summer is our worst month with his eczema because of soccer and recess times.
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