Monday, December 10, 2007

Eczema

Google searches for creams/ointments for relief from eczema seems to throw up my blog at times. (It is interesting to note the kind of searchwords that throw up my blog.) So if it helps people, here is what I know from our experience in providing relief to our eczemic son.

Atogla: a skin emollient that soothes and nourishes the skin. We apply it on his face and body soon after bath, without towelling him too much. A dermatologist told us that eczemic people have less moisture content (than the usual 10% ) in their bodies, so moisture retention is a must. Not all medicals shops have it though it is manufactured in Chennai. I get my stock from 7 Hills Medicals in Anna Nagar. It costs Rs.100 for the cream; the lotion is more expensive. The cream is what Ash's dermatologist has recommended.
Eumosone M has also been recommended by paediatricians but I guess it has steroid/cortesone content and not too good for long-term, daily use.
Right now we use an ointment called HHsone, mixed in liquid paraffin at bed time or if he itches real bad. There is also a teaspoon of a syrup called Lormeg to be taken at bedtime.
Ever since we found this wonderful doctor called Patrick Yesudian on PH Road (behind Kumaran hospital, though getting his stupid secretary to give an appointment is a feat), Ash has found great relief from his affliction. Until then he had been a dermatologist's delight. He told us not to stop any food - seafood, egg, citric fruits whatever - unless he shows an allergy/itching within two hours of consuming it. So nowadays Ash takes everything except cocoa products. He still itches when he takes chocolates but I cant deprive him of the pleasure of having them once in a while, itching or no itching. When he is old enough to understand that it is not right for him, let him stop of his own accord.
Ash's skin condition had flared up sometime back - probably caused by the Bournvita and other cocoa-based health drinks we were giving him. I think there has been a miraculous change once we stopped that. But it must be a different thing that causes allergy in another eczemic person.
The doctor also recommended that we let him wear full-sleeved shirts and trousers - something like a night suit so that he wont scratch himself pink. We are yet to do that - still looking out for night suits. We also needs to prevent him from playing in sand/mud - which is not difficult living in an apartment.
And I didnt know until recently that eczema was the same, age-old disease called karappan in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. That means there will be a cure in Ayurveda too. To think I had baffled elders in Kerala by calling it eczema!

28 comments:

the other romila said...

granny knew it best after all....
I have an aunt who is allergic to several veggies, so once the doc said. "wrap the veggie around your arm in the night, if your skin isnt red and itchy you can eat it."

You know, sleeping with those veggies caused her more irritation than eating them as cooked. She simply plods through scratching her nose most days. Poor thing.

Anonymous said...

Hey that was a nice blog.My 19month old daughter too is suffering from Atopic Deramatitis since she was 6months old.Currently we are using Emoderm and Elidel 1% cream twice a day.I did not know that emoderm has steroid.Your blog made me think of seeing another doc for a second openion.We have hard water and also we live in aparment so sometimes i have to let her play in the sand with other children.

Shivani said...

Hi

Eumosone M is a steroid but Emoderm is a non steroidal cream / just like vaseline and other body cream types. it fall in the category of Atogla cream So neednt to worry about Emoderm...
you can use it on ur babys full body as well... I am using it too these days... I am refering to Head of Skin and Dermatology Dr. Kar. at RML delhi... He is gem of a person. a very down to earth person so approachable So Humble... despite of his designation....

Anonymous said...

I havent tried Emoderm yet. I guess it is just a cream. As for Elidel I find it is out of stock in Chennai in places I checked. I gues it is one of the milder ointments like Topgraf/Tacroz.

Shivani said...

If people are getting relief from some particular doctor or particular treatment
Please join in So the suffering can be minimised ... :-)for Eczema Atopic dermatitis sp.

If some one is suffering from arithritis the best doctor is Dr Sanjeev Kapoor in Delhi.. if some one wants for the details I can share that as well.. My Mom in law is being treated by Him and that is too 10 yrs suffering.. but now she can do her chores...

career after kids said...

My 2 years daughter is also suffering from eczema.whenever she gets out in wind she gets rashes on her face.She gets rashes even when we ON the fan.We don't let her go outside on windy days.WE put her full sleeves t-shirts and pants.I apply an oil made from boiling neem leaves in coconut oil.I apply it 3 times a day for 4 days and the rashes goes away.Her skin has become sensitive so any body lotion except Himalaya soothing body lotion for dry skin,irritates her skin.I apply himalaya body lotion daily after bath and whenever she goes outside.I am giving her ayurvedic medication and waiting for good results.

Anonymous said...

i would suggest dermadew soap for bathing and dermadew cream for applying on skin
propygenta cream is also good
wash affected area with potassium permanganate if possible

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

ladybird said...

Thanks! I guess your writing matures as u grow older. Also, I now keep a larger audience in mind, and take care not to give too many unnecessary details.

Unknown said...

My daughter was afflicted with atopic eczema within 15 days after her birth (she is 4 now). And my new born son also got it now :(
The hard lessons we learnt from our experiences and from our Doctors in India & UK.
1. Dont give any steroid for more than 2 weeks; apply on hard patches only; not on face; use milder ones 1st. (Elidel is a bad steroid -look for US FDA restrictions on this.)
When we were in Chennai, a Dr. in Apollo prescribed Elidel continously for 2 months to my daughter. Then I searched the net to learnt this. I threatened Novartis that I will sue them. They simply apologised and left it there. Now my daughter is at risk of getting skin cancer at any stage of her life :( So, be careful with steroids.
2. Simply apply moisturisers (3-4 times in a milder way) e.g. Aveeno, oilatum, etc.
3. Dont use any soap. give bath with lotions like Dermol, oilatum, etc. Worst case is give soap bath once a while, but use very good soaps like Dove, Pears, etc
Dont give frequent bath. Contact with water should be limited, i.e. give quick bath.
4. Give loose, cotton clothing only (give full sleeves ones to avoid any rash)
5. Food control is the choice you make. We controlled diet to my daughter for 4 years (very strictly indeed). No citrus fruits or vegetables, no non-veg & egg, no dry fruits, etc. But didn't find any positive result. I am not saying to eat everything. but keep experimenting by giving one of the above items in a small way.
5. There is not much value in visiting Docs, once you know what kind of eczema it is. Sadly, most of the Dr. dont know much on eczema :(
6. Aware of side effects of eczema, imp asthma
7. Keep surroundings very clean, dust-free.

Ladybird said...

Thank you, that was a very comprehensive and useful piece of advice. WE have been using elidel of late, 3 tubes down, esp on the face. I better stop.
We also give him bath thrice a day considering the heat in Chennai, I better stop that too.
I realise the info and advice we received from doctors in the initial years of A's eczema were not good enough to chalk out a proper strategy. We have learnt what to do just when it got too late.
But I must say his skin looks much better these days. (Touchwood!) I hope it stays that way.

Unknown said...

Hi, I am a working mom of a seven month old baby, Manasvi. She has rough skin all over her body, with dry patches on her arms, legs, stomach, chest, etc. She keeps on scratching all day, at times those scratches also lead to slight bleeding. Now, her skin is like this from the time she is born. When I use steroids like eumosome-m (of course on her doctor's prescription) her condition improves, but upon stopping the steroid, it recurs. I consulted a dermatologist, and she diagnosed it as cradle cap, and said that her skin condition is normal suborrea dermatitis. She recommended emolene. Now I feel that emolene has led to an increase in her rashes. I find atogla more effective.

I want to take a second opinion for two reasons:

Firstly, inspite of her head getting clear, her skin condition does not improve, and she continues to scratch all over all the time. Secondly, her father has psoriasis in his family.

Can anyone please recommend a good skin doctor for infants in delhi, preferably south delhi.

Ladybird said...

Hi, Mamta: I wouldnt know any doctors in Delhi though I lived there some 15 yrs back :) I have tried Eumosone-m and emolene for my son, but he doesnt like emolene (it probably burns his skin). What we now apply is QV cream (from the gulf/UK/AUS)on damp skin (no towelling after bath) or emoderm (available locally). When the skin gets dry at other times we use liquid paraffin (slighly messy). When there is a flare-up, we mix Lycor 1% ointment (mild steroid) with liq. paraf. and apply whereever needed. For very bad flareups, Efficort (steroid). Of course steroids shouldnt be used without dr's advice and not more than 2 weeks at a stretch. For the scalp, u can try sebowash.
We now consult the doctors at CMC Vellore, TN. Our son is recovering from an extremely severe condition, and I hope your daughter never gets into any such state.

Tamil said...

Has anyone ever tried ayurvedha treatment for eczema? If yes please throw your suggestions.

Thanks

Ladybird said...

I have tried more than once but the regimen is so strict that we couldnt persist with it. And moreover during flare-ups you need allopathy.
Some vouch their kid's eczema cleared after 1-2 yrs of ayurveda or homeo, so no harm in trying if u have the willpower or the patience.

Anonymous said...

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Tamil said...

Hi Ladybird,

We have tried ayurveda and it has changed our life. she had realllly bad eczema that we had to apply emolient every 2 hrs only to see her skin rough and dry head to toe.
her patches never disappeared even with steroids. and the antihisthamines at 4 months of age dint help her to sleep. she slept only on mother's lap or somebosy had to hold her hands from itching.

At 5 months of age we stayed in a ayurvedic hospital in chennai and they tried different medicines orally and she is now free from steroids and antihisthamines.

still she has some mild dry skin or blisters depending on water and climate in UK but its manageable with oil bath and the external ayurvedic cream which i apply once or twice a day. And some internal ayurvedic medicine twice a day.

i am writing my experience thinking it might be useful for parents like us. we were helpless without ayurveda. i will sure recommend ayurveda for extreme eczema babies.

Hari said...

I thought I should narrate my experience as well. I am from bangalore. My daughter is 1 1/2 year old. She started showing sign of rashes two months back on both her cheeks. I first applied Bednovite for the first two days. Realised it was not healing. Then I consulted my Pediatrician who prescribed the cream flutibact. I was applying this cream for the next two weeks. She initially showed some improvement but over a period of time the rashes were back and became distinct and to add to our worries it was spreading.
Then I should take her to a dermatologist. I consulted one of the leading dermatoligist in bangalore. He prescribed the following

1) No Soap( instead use SS LOTION)
2) Frequently applly Moisturiser - VERA - E Cream
3) Apply a ointment by name CUTISOFT twice a day

This medication I continued for two week and did not work. However she was not scratching her face like how she used to do before. So after two week I took her back to the doctor and explained him that this not working.He told us that this a clear case of ATOPIC DERMATATIS , not caused by any infection , but could be due to multiple facors. He also told us that her skin is alergic to any one of the following and also mentioned that it might take months / days to heal.
Next he asked us to apply the following course:

PICON - A product of BIOCON. ( Slightly Expensive Cream )

Applied for another two week. No sign of improvement. And during this time period I have been researching online on what
are the possible treatments for this. I also got scared reading some of the blogs that there are children suffering from

this ailment for as high as 6 - 10 years. While researching online I found one interesting fact that this case is seen on

almost 15% of the world population ( not sure if this a correct fact). This was an eye opener to me because by then I was

quite sure there must be some medication available for this on the traditional medicines like AYURVEDA / SIDDAH

I was also keen on trying some of the medication techniques my grand ma uses ( PAATI VAIDHYAM ). My neighbor asked me to

apply KUPPAI MENI KEERAI Juice ( extract) ( its a popular siddah medicine ). I was roaming the entire Bangalore to get this

green finally found this at shivaji nagar. The person selling this also asked me to visit a AYURVEDIC MEDICINE SHOP inside
ULSOOR Market. While coming back from shivaji nagar I also visited this ayurvedic shop which is supposed to be in this are

for almost 200 years. This person asked me to appy the following medicine which turned out to be really effective.

The medicine is called LOOKMAN- E-HAYAT TEL. The person who gave this medicine was a quite old person and he told me that

this is a effective oil and should definitely take care of ECZEMA. Initially I was not even interested in buying this

medicine. But since I heard good review about this place I thought I will take his advice and buy this oil. The oil costed me 30 rupees.

I came back and again researched online found some good review about this product on mouthshut.com. Also visited their website and checked their composition
(www.lookman-e-hayattel.com) Realised it is nothing but TIL Oil ( 97 %). Also researched about TIL oil and found this is a good medicine for treating Skin related ailments.

After reading all these reviews, I thought I should try this medicine atleast once. I have been trying this medicine for the

past 4 weeks now and I can really that this is working. Her infection on the left cheek is almost gone ( no scar ). The right cheek is still has little infection but I can really see its working.

I would say AYURVEDIC Medicine in this case really worked for me.

Again I am not a doctor, I am not prescribing any medicine here. It might be a case that I was lucky and my kid responded to this medicine very well. But I thought this information is worth sharing..

Anonymous said...

hey,i really need some advice!!i had dis disease when i was 1!!nw,m 21years of age!!i ve scars n my legs!can u suggest me any ointment so dat i cud get rid of dis??everytime when i c it,i really feel bad!!!:(

Tamil said...

It has been a long time since I have posted my last comment. Just to let you know all, my daughters eczema is completely gone after year long struggle, thanks to Ayurvedha. My daughter does not take any medicine for eczema instead only apply basic moisturizers. she is now getting treated for food allergies from the same ayurvedic hospital in chennai. Its worth trying Ayurvedha or Siddha if your kid has been suffering from severe eczema.

Anonymous said...

Ayurveda is best for eczema..

Deepa said...

Could someone please suggest a good Ayurvedic doctor in Bangalore who has helped your kid with her/his eczema

Unknown said...

Best Dermatologist in Bangalore - Radiance Medispas


It is the best skin specialist in bangalore. Radiance Medispas provide skin treatment as well as laser treatment also in all over in Bangalore & Hydrabad, India. Some of they Skin treatment service they provide are laser hair removal, melaglow, acne treatment, mole reoval, botox treatment, chemical peels. To fix an appointment in Best Dermatologist in Bangalore Call +9180-41733328 or Visit http://www.radiancemedispas.com/default.aspx

pooja said...

Hi all!! My daughter has been suffering from Atopic Dermatitis since she was 20days old and 7months down she's still suffering. I have visited a couple of doctors and tried ointments too for her. Applied Cetaphil Restoraderm moisturizer but no good :( could anyone suggest a ayurvedic treatment center in Mumbai. These blogs are really encouraging..

KC said...

Hi, I am using Atogla lotion for my 3 year old son for the past 2.5 yrs. I am concerned if there are any side effects to using it for such a long term. We use it twice daily as he has atopic rashes if we miss even 1 application. Should I switch to another lotion for some time?
Regards,
Kavita.
http://kavitachate.blogspot.in/

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