Topic: Help son has a itcy red rash and don't know orgin
niki p WAHM.com regular
posted March 27, 2004 10:10 AM
Hello my 2 1/2 year old has a rash it makes him itch uncontrollable I took him to the doctor and they stated it was atopic excema and prescribe topicort he has never had excema he has extremly smooth skin it almost looks like heat bumps at times. He told me to try benadryl which also does not help. I took him to another doctor he prescribe something stronger that benadryl called hydroxine same type as benadryl but he still itched last night he itches behind the ears the stomach and sometimes behind and under his neck I really don't know what to do I just cannot stand to see him so uncomfortable My daughter has excema but only on small parts of her body like the arm and behind the leg but it is more dry and they prescribe protopic which works so I thought mabe it might work on him but it did not then they thought well mabe it is scabies well we are very clean people and he said he really doubt it because he did not see any tracks or lines on the skin it just looks like a atopic dermatitis any suggestions I have tried and cannot stand to see him like this.
posted March 27, 2004 10:18 AM
Hi Niki...my son gets an itchy red rash from laundry detergent...I can only use the "free" detergents (scent free, dye free, etc etc) .... maybe try switching detergents and see if it helps...
I've had a couple allergic reactions before. The first one was unknown. It started like an insect bite on my tummy that itched and within a few hours it had spread across my abdomen into burning and itching welps! I went to the ER and waited as long as I could stand it. Eventually, I got up, went to the desk, lifted my shirt, and yelled, "how much longer, I can't take it anymore!" LOL! Treatment was a shot in the buttocks of Benadryl which works immediately and went away and never came back. (That was weird *hrmmmmf*)
Recently, I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and developed and itchy rash all over my body that made me nauseated. Treatment: switched medications and tried Aveeno Skin Relief Bath Treatment. I was shocked how well it worked! All I had to do was lay in the bath for 15-20 and the rash totally disappeared! (We're stocking up on this stuff!) In the directions it says you use half a packet for children as directed by a physician so if you want to try something in a hurry, you might want to send DH to the pharmacy or grocery store and call your doc and ask if you should use half, 3/4, or a full packet.
Hope it helps and that others with actual expereince with excema can give you more ideas.
posted March 27, 2004 11:05 AM
Whoops... see what happens when you only do a quick glance over of an article? LOL! Sorry about the bath suggestion. It said to limit baths to a few times a week and only for a few minutes.
Some experts also think it is linked to food allergies such as cow's milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, and fish and sometimes allergy triggers such as pollen, dust mites, and animal dander can make eczema worse. It goes on to say that some skin products can also irritate the skin and to switch to frangrance free or mild soaps, detergents, ect.
"In a case of severe eczema, some doctors find that using an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream on the affected areas can work wonders when nothing else has. Sometimes a short course of oral steroid medicine can help get eczema under control enough so that the methods mentioned above work more effectively."
*Ugh* I hate the steriod meds! I hope it doesn't come to that! If it does, please make sure your doc knows that anyone taking those types of meds need to be tapered off of them (been there, done that.)
posted March 27, 2004 12:35 PM
Hi Niki, I can sympathize with the little guy. I have what's called Dyshydrotic Eczema. Meaning my skin lacks water or moisture. I've been dealing with this for about 3 yrs. now and seeing a Dermatologist for about a year. With some trial and error with meds. my doctor has put me on a very high dose of steriod cream. I only use this minimally on the areas of my hands and legs where I see the rash coming back. It's hard to stop itching sometimes. You almost feel like you want to scratch your skin off. Sorry to be so gross. Mine get really bad when the weather changes from hot to cold and vice versa.
Maybe you should see a specialist like a Dermatologist and definitely limit the time in the bath and never use hot water. Only warm. Hot water makes you itch worse. I use only Dove soap too.
posted March 27, 2004 01:43 PM
My Daughter has excema. But the problem areas can be the stomach, behind the knees, the arm, even behind the ear and neck. I hav't changed how long she stays in the bath. I continue to johnsons baby soap because its milder. I tried switching it made it worst. ALL has a detergent with no dye or fragrance in it also. The flare ups usually happen around allergy season or it she is over heated. An Aveeno oatmeal bath helps when shes itchy. She was prescribe Elidel which is steriod free. And Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream, this one has the steriod in it but works just as well. I only use when she has the flare ups.
posted March 27, 2004 05:55 PM
Especially4Her mentioned food allergies. My ex-brother in law broke out in patches of red itchy rashes all over his body if he ate certain foods. Maybe have a food allergy test done?
posted March 27, 2004 06:09 PM
Have you tried Eladel yet? Its the new cream they have for eczema. It is steriod free and safe for kids. I got eczema when i was pregnant with my second and they gave me some. The stuff is the BOMB, and will quickly fix it if it is eczema.
posted March 27, 2004 06:57 PM
My Dermatologist gave me Elidel first and it didn't help me. It depends on the severity of the eczema. It's all about trial and error. If what the doctor tells you to use is not working, you need to go back and try something else. Hopefully something without steriods will work for him. I don't think they would even use steroid cream on little kids anyway. I used 6 different creams until we found the one that worked. Good luck to you both.
posted March 27, 2004 07:20 PM
My daughter broke out from food allergies too, but it was severe and all over her body. I would think that the doctor would have recognized hives if that was what it was.
Has he eaten anything that would be a likely allergen? Like strawberries, shellfish, nuts ... ?
[This message has been edited by Cheryl@WAHM.com (edited March 29, 2004).]
Well, my brother has excema and he would scratch till he bleed in the crock of his elbows and behind his knees. So much so that he was perscribed medication to put him in a deeper sleep at night. Eventualy they gave him a spray to use so that he won't actually have to touch his skin to rub in the medicine. He also had allergies and asthma. They believed it was all connected.
Now, something else to consider is possibly it is a fungal infection. For the LONGEST time as a teenager I would constantly scratch behind my ears. I was told that I was allergic to the medal in my glasses arms (just like people who have to have nickel free earings). I have to wear glasses so I thought to live with it. I would use cortisone and that helped a little. What I noticed most was that it was "weepy" when I scrated. After I got married (yup....that long of time dealing with it), I finaly went to a dematologist and was told it wasn't excema but it was a fungal infection. I was percribed medicine and it cleared it right up!!!!! Maybe ask for that.
As for the Scabies.....it doesn't matter if you are "dirty" or "clean". Scabies is a parasite that ANYONE can get but be coming into contact with it.
posted March 27, 2004 11:09 PM
Thank you so much I will try to get him in to a allergist or skin doctor. He has scratch so much it has began to bleed. I must admit I did try some of my daughter steroid cream on him because he is so uncomfortable I also just moved and we don't have insurance therefore I will have to pay a specialist out of pocket. but what else can I do I tried a little trincilone cream I know that is spelled incorrectly but it seems he fill just a bit more confortable. Thanks again and I still welcome any suggestions.
posted March 28, 2004 10:43 AM
I am going through the same thing myself. I have seen 3 different doctors all who treated it as atopic dermatitis. They kept giving me steroids and after I finished them I broke out in the rash again. They finally sent me to a dermatologist this past Wednesday. The dermatologist pegged it as eczema maybe something else. I won't know exactly what it is until Monday. Meanwhile I've been sworn off of long hot showers (every mothers nightmare!). Make sure he takes VERY SHORT COOL SHOWERS!!!!!!!!I know how awful he must feel. I've been fighting all of this itching for 1 1/2 months. The Aveeno bath is good in theory, but it didn't work for me. It irritated everything about 3 times as bad so BE ARMED WITH A BACKUP METHOD FOR HIM IN CASE IT MAKES IT WORSE (the itching)! I cannot stress how miserable this rash can make a person. Especially a little boy. You just feel so helpless. Hope all of this helps! Feel free to e-mail me.
posted March 28, 2004 11:32 AM
Aveno makes a shower gel which really helps with itching and can be used in the shower rather than the bath. With itchy skin kids you need to use the dye free detergent and also the dye and fragrance free fabric softener. I would see a dermatologist first, preferably one who specializes in pediatrics. Then if he thinks it is allergy related RUN to the allergist.
posted March 29, 2004 09:48 AM
My grandson has exzema (spell?) and when he gets to scratching too much because nothing else seems to help my daughter sprays the sunburn relief spray that has aloe in it on him and it has numbing medicine that stops that prickly feeling. It works temporarily but watch out for the eyes when spraying. this really helps to keep the scratching down and the aloe is probably good for the skin too. I know it helps the irritation and takes out inflammation. good luck I know it is uncomfortable.
Also scabies can be caught anywhere. You can keep a spotless, sterile home and go outside or to the grocery store and one of those critters gets on you from someone else and you've got scabies. I know this from experience and my children all of us had a rash diagnosed as exzema and after weeks of doctor visits they checked for scabies. It usually starts with dry hard painless blisters between the fingers and in other skin creases. The lines or path of the critter shows up later. The cure is wonderful. Put on a cream stay on overnight, shower off and no more scabies. I know gross but knowledge is power.
posted March 29, 2004 12:16 PM
Do they scabies tend to come out mainly at night because he scratches a lot during the day but mainly at night I'm trying to see is it something outside he is allergic to or what is going on for example this morning he had his eyes were a bit swollen like allergy eyes and he was out riding his tricyle yesterday but the red bumps were mainly on the back down the center and around his pullup line . He kept scratching last night but after so many hours this morning the bumps tend to fade slightly like they go and come any advice
posted March 29, 2004 08:13 PM
The itching seems to be worse at night. I have no idea why but it is. I never got an e-mail from you...does he have any spots that look like ringworm? Anywhere?
Please note: Any work at home or home business advice as well as the opinions expressed within WAHM.com forums and mailing lists are not necessarily those of WAHM.com. Any advice given by forum or mailing list participants is not endorsed by WAHM.com. By participating in these discussions, you agree to allow WAHM.com and its parent company Maricle Media, Inc. and its affiliates to use, reproduce, display and distribute your contributions, in any medium now existing or hereafter developed. Your personal information will not be sold or used by WAHM.com. Use of email addresses posted on these boards for the purpose of sending unsolicited email is prohibited.
posted March 27, 2004 10:10 AM
