14 Month Old with Excema and Psoriasis

I am a 65 year old grandmother with both eczema and psoriasis, and have spent the last 25 years fighting it, with prescription medications and steroids. Nothing worked permanently until a few months ago. I bought some NEEM oil (after reading about it on the internet) at New Seasons, and it's a "miracle" in a bottle. Not only did it heal both, but they have not came back in 3 months. Another good one is EMU oil, but I feel the NEEM works much better, and both can be bought at New Seasons, or Whole Foods. Hope this helps you, since there's nothing more miserable than these two conditions.

2 moms found this helpful

First, you sound like you have been a well informed, very attentive Mama. I applaud you. I would really suggest everything you are doing. In addition, take the milk away. I know itsounds bad, use rice milk, or soy. 2 of our children have been through this and our daughter had to use the steroid cream for a couple years! She is 5 now, extremely muscular...and has a little patch of hair under her arms and on her lower back, lip, arms...I would try to remove the dairy as soon as I could to avoid this.

You sound happy, and that is likely a contributing factor to your son's happiness as well. Keep up the good work!

1 mom found this helpful

K.,
The only thing I can say is you're doing everything right. Treat the psoriasis because to not treat it is truly far worse for your son. I was diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 18 months old and thus began the decades of treatment. Back then the treatment was tar mixed in petroleum jelly. Yum. But it stopped the itching and made the rash go away, over time. Treatments now a days have come a long way! Contacting the National Psoriasis foundation should be great help for you.

Though I still have psoriasis, it has faded down to just a spot here or there, now and then, easily managed with Lidex, a steroid cream. After suffering thru years of really bad outbreaks in elementary, junior & high school I never thought I would get it under control. Managing the stress in ones life is a huge factor. It can be controlled!

I wish you & your sun the best in dealing with this.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi K.
I myself have not had to deal with this on my children except one out of three,my oldest had so much itching red bumps, welches,you name it he was also a very happy little boy, I also took him in too the Drs. one after another had test done on him too then one day got tired of it all it was not fair to see him have to go through all this so i just watch and kept track of every thing he drank or ate even water well to make this clear and short he turned out to be allergic to peanut butter,and other nuts, what we done is stop all that and started giving him oatmeal with a little sugar and fat free milk, the oatmeal was great took care of the rashes now they make aveeno soap and lotions too for baths great for it. my baby now is twenty nine yrs and is such a wonderful important man in my life. Good Luck always dear, S., L.

Hi K.,

My three children have all had it, extremely bad, and I struggled with it for some time. Everyone, including the doctors, always said that I should use those thick creams, vaseline, cetaphyl, eucerine, etc. But these all made it dramatically worse.

I have changed their diet a little to include more spinich (spinich is sooo good for the skin) and I have decreased the amount of oils and butter. The only skin product that I have found to work on my little ones has been the arbonne products. They do not include mineral oils that tend to clog pores, and allow the skin to breath and function without the dependecy of a cream. Since I have changed these few things, I very rarely have to use the steroid cream on my children, and if I do have to use it, it is most likely after a day at the fountain, or at the pool. All the added chemicals irritate their skin. It is nice that they are no longer dependent on a cream and the steroid cream.

Good luck to you!
Take care.

My 6 year old son has had exzema since birth. We give him 6 tablespoons of XanGo everyday. 2 at beakfast, 2 at lunch, and 2 at dinner. We apply the juice directly to his affected areas. His skin is so beautiful and soft. His scrapes and scratches heal very quickly. I just order mine from online at SevenStarLife.com. It really helps out.

Mother of one, married nearly 17 years.

These issues are always complex and usually require more than one simple solution but I just thought I'd mention what we're doing that has really helped my daughter's eczema. It's a bit unconventional, but we have her wearing a hazelwood necklace because we heard that it helped with eczema and other problems by absorbing excess acidity in the body. I guess the wood naturally just absorbs it through the pores when it's touching skin...don't ask me to explain it..I don't know! But we are sold on it because within 2 weeks of her wearing it, her eczema was basically gone and has not returned since (except when the wood wears out because it's absorbed all it can-then we replace it and it goes away again). It's also supposed to help with teething pain which is a plus! Anyway, I recommend them to all my friends since we've had such great success with it. Might be worth a try to bring your LO some relief! You can find the necklaces at www.hazelaid.com

Good luck!

Hi,
Your post caught my eye because I have heard a lot about the psoriasis/wheat allergy connection. It sounds like you have already had an allergist check him, but I might also take him to a naturopath and have them do some allergy/food testing. I gues that alot of the psoriasis and other symptoms of wheat/gluten intolerance are early warning signs of celiac disease ( has to do with the intestines).
Good luck, good for you for listening to your intuition and watching the changes in your son.

My husband has dealt with exzema and/or Psoriasis really bad in his hands. We have found that internal nutrition and what he does externally in cleaning has made all the difference. We believe it is a way better route than continuing to treat with cortizone creams which do not get to the root of the problem! We use Reliv nutrition and bar soap. We have found it to be the best nutrition we have ever used or heard of and has a great support system to help people get the results they are looking for. If you want to learn more and even talk to others who have had children with skin issues and ask questions let me know.

____@____.com

My sister-in-law found out that she had severe psoriasis when she was 13 years old. She also is allergic to the sun (a possibiblity you may want to keep in mind for your son). Her doctor told her that cutting out red meat from her diet might help. She decided to try it and now is a vegetarian! She is now 30 years old and her skin is not perfect, but it is better than it was. You might consider researching it or talking to your doc about it. Good luck!
T.

I went through this with my daughter. I took her to an allergist and put her through an elimination diet. She turned out to be allergic to dust mites, and I got a prescription for some intense cream that helped the spots go away.

One thing that really helped was I gave her a nightly bath in warm, but not hot, water. After the bath I patted her dry then quickly rubbed lotion in all over. The doctor said you have about 1 minute till the skin seals back up to get the lotion on. Doing that consistently kept the excema down. Also, use perfume free and dye free soaps.

I found hers really reacted to heat, so I kept her dressed in layers and in breathable clothing and it helped a lot.

Good luck!

Hi there! My son broke out with excema on 2004 of december, at first we didn't know what it was so we took him to see a doctor, they didn't know exactly what it was, until later in that month.. He couldn't sleep due to all the itchiness, he would cry because he wanted to scratch. They gave us a steroid cream them told us to stop using it. We were told to use something to keep his body moist like vasiline (it actually does work) and the only bath soap we use in our home is Dove only because it keeps his skin hydrated.. Well all I can say is follow what the doctor tells you to do and I hope for the best....

My son has had severe eczema since he was an infant. It's been quite the struggle here as well. His worst is when he gets bit by bugs. He's allergic to fleas/mosquitoes. So not only does he have an allergic reaction to the bite, but the poison the bug gives him and in turn, flares up his eczema. It's horrible. I did recently decided to cut out Red Dye 40 and if I can help it, High Fructose Corn Syrup. The High Fructose isn't much of a difference, but the difference with the Red Dye 40 is significant. Not only does it irritate his eczema, but also his Sensory Integration Dysfunction/Disorder. I would check to see if there isn't an allergic to gluten, dyes, or something else in foods that is affecting him. Also, something that helped my son with his eczema was oatmeal baths. No need to buy, just get some regular oatmeal and place in a food processor until a powder, stick in the bath and let your son soak in it. Works wonders. :D Hope this helps!

Hi K.,
I would recommend taking away all dairy right now, even though your son loves his milk. I know it will be very difficult, but it would be better to find out sooner rather than later if that is what is causing his skin issues. Waiting to see an allergist is probably just putting off what the recommendation is goingt o be. Try soy milk- he may like it, or rice milk, which tends to be sweeter than dairy.

Good luck!
C.

My daughter had excema really bad. The only thing that finally worked was colloidal silver cream and colloidal silver oatmeal soap. Go to www.silvermiracles.com. It's great stuff, totally natural. God Bless!

i'm so bummed for your babe. i have had psoriasis fo 20 years now and it really can be so uncomfortable. my doctor is andrew blauvelt at OHSU. he does not specialize in peds but he is the top in his field for psoriasis research and treatment. i would also consider finding a naturopath doctor to guide you in his treatment.

through the years this is what i've found works for me...
lecithin-daily
shark cartledge-daily
(i take them in pill form; you can find them at new seasons, whole foods, etc. check on the age acceptance.)
selsen blue cool naturals shampoo with 3% salacylic acid-any time i shower. i use it on my skin as well as scalp.
baby lotion-almost nightly i coat the areas and it seems to improve the flakiness.

then of course, there is olux and luxique that are topical steroids. good luck on his treatment.

I recently vacationed in Hawaii and found a kukui nut product that worked SO WELL on my daughter's sunburned skin. According to many locals I spoke with about the product, kukui nut oil really helps with eczema and psoriasis. You could order their cream online ($11 compared to $15-$20 in Hawaiian stores), and just try it out. Go to www.OilsofAloha.com for more information.

Hello K.,
This can most likely be handled with homeopathic treatment, which deeply heals the cause of the issue in a natural way and without elimination diets which only help as long as you avoid those items. This is another choice to problems that is quite effective. I had both done and seen the route of allergist and dermatology that is becoming well-known to actually suppress the problem and later cause deeper ones rather than cure it.
Good day :)
Liz Brandegee
Classical Homeopath

K.,

I am so sorry to hear to hear about your little man. I have two small children (4 & 2). Both of them have severe eczema, my daughter (4) was diagnosed at two months and she was head to toe all over her body, the gave me every prescription known to man. The last prescription that I received was Elidel and I used oh about two times. What I have found to work is remove all scented and dyed things from their "contact". For instance your laundry detergent make sure it is fragrance and dye free, the soap you use to wash them, the lotion you use after baths (I have found the Cetaphil is the best lotion for eczema and also Cetaphil bath wash). After we did that my daughter's skin started to clear up, now her skin is stll dry; however she is not itching at herself all day now.

Oh, when they have a break out I have found that vaseline is the best it locks in the moisture. I one time had my daughter head to toe covered in a thin layer of vaseline due to a break out.

Hope this was helpful.

Please, please , please go see Dr. Kate Wiggin, a naturopath. there is no reason your son should be on that mediation, it could really do some damage. She'll be able to help you. She's the best natural pediatrition ever, specializes in eczema & does house calls. Look her up online or just email me if you'd like her #. Good luck.

I can totally empathize! My DD eczema popped up at 11 months and I spent a very long 5 months trying everything under the sun to eliminate it. We did blood allergy tests, elimination diets, tried every hypoallergenic, "natural", "free & clear" product on the market.

What we found worked for her was getting the chemicals out of our home. The allergy test wasn't a waste, we learned she was allergic to cow & goat milk (now drinks oat or hemp), certain nuts, and specific cheeses & spices. But the main issue with her was a chemical sensitivity to Quaternium-15 aka Q-15. It's a cheap preservative used in body wash, shampoo's, all sorts of things and when it mixes with water it releases formaldehyde.

My sister told me about an online store where I could shop directly from the manufacturer and get chemically free products. By this point I was beyond skeptical to desperate! I thought I'd try them just so I could eliminate one more thing but I was very happily surprised. Within 3 weeks her skin was what a baby's skin should be! She's been eczema free for over 3 years now.

I know psoraisis is different. My best friend's mom and DD have psoraisis. Her mom's has psoriatic arthritis and is debilitated by it. She is shopping at the same store and says she's found some huge relief. She also says sun exposure (not overdoing it) helps with the psoriais as well.

When we had the results we had I told all my eczema/psoraisis friends about the store and today 3 years later we all still shop there because the results are still wonderful!

I'll bet you $20 that he has a food allergy. You can try weaning him from certain food (one at a time) for 4 days and see if it gets any better. Or take him to an allergist or a naturopath. Often dairy is the culprit.

I would be suspicious of the diet. Be aware that not all intolerance shows up in tests. My daughter had this because of gluten allergy (and dairy, different reaction) but has never tested allergic, trial and error helped me.

good luck,
H

I am going through the simialar thing and the doctor gave me the heavy duty cream and the excema is slowly going away but has left the white patches. My daughter too had he rash all over her body and the doctor said that it was a viral thing and will clear up. She was miserable for the whole week of the flare up that I even went to the hospital because I didnt know what was ailing her. I have 7 children and I have never experienced this before. And I thought I was a pro..LOL.There were many things that I thought could have been the problem. maybe the new envoriment of daycare, being exposed to pets, new food allergy, I have thought of so many possible ways that this could have happened and I still have no clue and I am so glad that she is back to happy self agian.

K.,
Been there tried everything. Resolution, take away ALL COW dairy products, especially milk and cheese. Offer soy or rice milk and goat yogurt and cheese.
Since we did this 8 yrs ago our son has NEVER had another outbreak.

Be Well.

P.S. as far as allergies, don't trust "chemical" doctors. They have no clue and their "tests" aren't accurate, see a naturopath, it's worth the money.

Hi K.,

You MUST contact the National Psoriasis Foundation at www.psoriasis.org. Their national headquarters are located right here in Portland. They have a ton of resources and will be able to assist you in any questions you have. Also, there are many, many families struggling with this right now and you may be able to contact them through the foundation. August is National Psoriasis Awareness Month. Good luck!!

I grew up with severe excema and horribly dry skin. I was a difficult baby always crying, itching and not sleeping well. Back in my day, treatments didn't work well, so my parents were very frustrated. Fast forward to my teen years, they found the OHSU Dermatology Dept. The physicians there have the latest, greatest information. I found treatment that finally made my life comfortable. Between Zrytec and steroids, that is good for flare ups. There are also non-steroid treatments on the market now that work well. In addition to meds, learning to bath in tepid water only. mild soaps, and learning about irritants in your life -- all are part of the recipe to his comfort.
Best wishes to your little boy -- wish I could help you more -- Give him hugs from someone who has been there.

First off about me. I am a very famous healer internationally known and the author of several books in dozens of languages about healing.

I too had eczema as a child which reappeared in adult life. It is now gone since I found the right remedy for deep skin ailments.

It is limited to Naturopaths and Chiropracters in Oregon where the law specifically forbids MD's from practicing homeopathy a holdover from the draconian laws made from 1912-1914 so that Medical Doctors could push out all other systems of healing. Harvard Medical School did a study called the Flexner report which made it illegal for many forms of healing to be practiced. In the past 35 years we have one by one overturned those laws.

Homeopathy is practiced widely now and so are a myraid of healing methods.

We can talk for hours about diet. But, not to oversimplify allergins change in children and mature adults from year to year.

The only real cure for allergies has been forbidden in this country since it was discovered. It too is vibrational medicine that removes your allergies by placing them on a machine in tiny glass jars while you hold onto balls made of multiple metals and keep your feet on metal plates.

We human beings are our healthiest from age 6 to age 35 when things begin to reappear or morph into something else.

Now for the record, while I am a practicing homeopath I went to someone else who studied with RAJAN SANKARAN. Sankaran IS ABSOLUTELY MOST BRILLIANT LIVING HOMEOPATH ON THE PLANET TODAY.
Find someone who studied with him. Your child's case is complicated. Do not go to someone who studied with someone who studied with Sankaran. Second generations seldom have the energy that is caught from the great teacher. The direct students might have it. Not all will.

My homeopath cured me of asthma after 29 years of having it. So he is a brilliant homeopath and a student of Sankaran. He is not in America or I would send you his name.

I do have a remedy I would advise but I am sending you on a quest to really heal your son. Do not settle for anyone who is second rate as they will set him back for years and years and drive the eczema into asthma.

I cannot urge you enough K. H. to look far and wide for help. Do not take the recommendations of your friends even if the homeopath who cured them was a wonderful person. You have a really, really difficult problem. If you are in the L.A. area call Asa Hershfeld he studied with Rajan Sankaran directly. He is a brilliant homeopath.

I haven't just gone through this with a little one I lived it. I feel for your child as he is literally crawling out of his skin.

Doctors have palliatives but no cures for eczema, and psorias or asthma nor allergies. Many of the medicines they give you cause kidney and eye damage.

Go on the quest to find the very best person to fully heal your child.

My parents weren't up to it and I suffered throughout life until I found my own way.

When my child had asthma I sang her out of it. But, then again I have the power of a singing doctor. Ordinary singing does not do it.
However, music does soothe the soul and so you can sing him to bed and sing songs with him to comfort him while you look the a really great homeopath.

In addition to what everyone seems to be saying (clear & free detergent, cetaphyl soap, cortizone or oatmeal, checking the diet, etc), I would like to suggest aquaphor lotion a few times a day. It is not as greasy and messy as vaseline and it works wonders.
Best wishes with the little man and your pregnancy!

First of all let me say I am sorry you lil one is having to experience this but with his mommy's help I am sure everything will be great for both of you. Stay strong and stay smart.

I have absolutely no experience with psoriasis but my daughter had severe excema as a lil one (Because of outside stresses she was only breast fed for six weeks due to her mommy becoming ill). As soon as I had to start weaning she started showing signs of excema. I did everything they suggested (granted this was almost 20 years ago so things I hope are much better now). With time and lots of effort we figured out what her triggers were and I am sure you will figure out what works best for your little guy.

My suggestion is this: Try Dreft Detergent I use it for everything. Also remember your childs clothes are only as clean from perfumes and additives as your washer is and if you are using another detergent, fabric softeners (which we now use thanks to some dye free - hypo-allergenic ones now being on the market) etc.

If you have your own washer dryer it is easy enough, just spray down the inside of your washer and run a rinse cycle before washing his things (this includes towels, washclothes, sheets and blankies) and clean the dryer before putting his clothes in. I think this is the reason I started washing the whole families clothes in dreft :)

By the way - we went home to visit family last year for an extended visit (2.5 weeks) - my daughter being 15 I didnt think about bringing my detergent I was busy dealing with a toddler that had never shown any signs of excema.

Well to make a long story short into the second week my daughter was breaking out at almost all her joints and miserable because in her words she was freakishly ugly because of this - my husband was commenting on how the rash on this thighs had come back for the first time in like 5-6 years (about how long we had been married) and my toddler was breaking out. The culprit........ Mom the sweetheart that she is had helped out with the laundry and although it smelled wonderful (my hubbies comment) she had used a national brand not Dreft.

Once we figured this out hubbie made a mad dash to the store my daughter soaked in an oatmeal bath as she muttered about being ghastly and I stayed up most of the night washing everything .... sheets, blankies, towels, socks e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g... and within 24 hours everyone had made remarkable improvement.

I am sure there are other brands that will work for you but I prefer Dreft because of the toddler stains and how well it works on them.

Be strong ......... better days are ahead,,, one step and a time....