Please help with child's skin condition

Hi,

I'm hoping someone here might can help identify the problem with my child's
hands. Here are three close-ups:

http://home.midsouth.rr.com/themitchells5/

The child is 8 years old. He's had the condition for 2-3 years. The
bubbles are dry, there is no fluid of any type. The condition is always
present, but the severity changes, according to no schedule or cause that we
can determine. It doesn't hurt or itch to any significant degree.

For now I won't say what the doctor told us, but the ointments he prescribed
did not help.

Input appreciated.

jm

"JM" wrote in message
The child is 8 years old. He's had the condition for 2-3 years. The
bubbles are dry, there is no fluid of any type. The condition is always
present, but the severity changes, according to no schedule or cause that
we
can determine. It doesn't hurt or itch to any significant degree.

For now I won't say what the doctor told us, but the ointments he
prescribed did not help.

Input appreciated.

It seems to me that I have had that kind of rash before. Maybe not as severe
in picture three. However, I am pretty sure that I used a hydrocortisone
prescription at a higher strength than you can get over the counter and it
helped. No clue what it is called though. It does look miserable. If you
have not seen a pediatric dermatologist, I recommend seeing one. If you have
seen one, I had to see quite a few dermatologists before my roscea was
finally helped. Good luck.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

Please let me know what your doctor said he/she thinks this is. I have
the same condition that crops up periodically on my index fingers and
thumbs, no where else on my hands or body. I get blisters that have no
fluid in them, they eventually peel and are uncomfortable and the skin
is dry. The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema" She
prescribed 2 different creams, but they haven't helped any.

What does your child's doctor say it is?

lisa
micksmom
mick 7-12-02
noah 1-24-05

The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema"

Bingo. Same thing here. We followed his instructions to the letter,
including two very expensive creams, all to no avail.

We have looked at hundreds of other cases of excema, and we have found
nothing that looks just like what our son has that shares the exact same
symptoms. So I'm not at all convinced the diagnosis is correct.

Thank you for your input.

jm







"karlisa" wrote in message
oups.com...
Please let me know what your doctor said he/she thinks this is. I have
the same condition that crops up periodically on my index fingers and
thumbs, no where else on my hands or body. I get blisters that have no
fluid in them, they eventually peel and are uncomfortable and the skin
is dry. The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema" She
prescribed 2 different creams, but they haven't helped any.

What does your child's doctor say it is?

lisa
micksmom
mick 7-12-02
noah 1-24-05

The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema"

"JM" wrote in message
Bingo. Same thing here. We followed his instructions to the letter,
including two very expensive creams, all to no avail.

What kinds of creams did they prescribe?
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

Hi --

If it's actually eczema, then creams don't always help. Eczema can be
triggered by dryness and/or by allergies (ingested or environmental).
I'd try the following:

Go to an allergist for testing.

Remove all fragrances and colors from any soaps your child contacts.
This includes hand soaps, shampoos, laundry soaps ... for the entire
family, bedding, clothing etc. Some good soaps are Neutrogena
fragrance-free (marketed as facial soap, I think) for the body, and Arm
& Hammer Free for the clothing. ALSO use soap on your child as
infrequently as possible. Do use a hypoallergenic moisturizer.

Remove any pets from the house and clean house thoroughly. (Save this
for last if you have pets you adore.)

Remove the most common allergens from your child's diet. You don't have
to do them all at once. The most common allergens are milk protein
(except human milk), egg, wheat and soy.

Finally, keep a daily diary for what your child is eating, changes you
make to the environment, and the state of your child's health (all
aspects, not just skin). Give each intervention a week or so and see if
it makes any difference.

If the diagnosis of eczema is correct, then removing exposure to a
trigger allergen can make all the difference. If it's not correct, or
if you don't locate the trigger, then all you've lost is some time and
energy spent on detective work.

The book "Is This Your Child?" by Dr. Doris Rapp might be worth a peek.
It's an easy read, and you should be able to get it at your local
library.

Good luck,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

Follow up on the allergy thing. I occassionally get a similar rash,
although not as severe. I have been told it is an allergic reaction.
There are also some fungal infections which look similar, though.
CiCi

"JM" wrote in message
.. .
The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema"

Bingo. Same thing here. We followed his instructions to the letter,
including two very expensive creams, all to no avail.

We have looked at hundreds of other cases of excema, and we have found
nothing that looks just like what our son has that shares the exact same
symptoms. So I'm not at all convinced the diagnosis is correct.

i'm not either, cos i've seen eczema & that does not look anything like it,
and it's in the wrong place too... (generally speaking).

it LOOKS like contact dermatitis or a fungal condition. however it might not
be either of these 3. ask a different dr. i'd say you need to see a
dermatologist pronto.
kylie

"JM" wrote in message
.. .
The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema"

Bingo. Same thing here. We followed his instructions to the letter,
including two very expensive creams, all to no avail.

We have looked at hundreds of other cases of excema, and we have found
nothing that looks just like what our son has that shares the exact same
symptoms. So I'm not at all convinced the diagnosis is correct.


Does anyone in the house have athlete's foot? It looks like a fungus.

JM wrote:
The dermatologist glanced at my hands and said "excema"

Bingo. Same thing here. We followed his instructions to the letter,
including two very expensive creams, all to no avail.

We have looked at hundreds of other cases of excema, and we have found
nothing that looks just like what our son has that shares the exact same
symptoms. So I'm not at all convinced the diagnosis is correct.

It actually *looks* a great deal like the eczema I have on my hands
(mine is pretty bad right now so I can make a direct comparison).
However, there are two major differences between my eczema and what
you're describing. A: If my hands look that bad, they're so itchy that
I wake myself up at night clawing at them, and B: the steroid creams
work like magic on my rash and if I apply it carefully for a few nights
in a row the rash disappears, it's just that it comes back fairly
quickly so I don't treat it unless it's absolutely driving me crazy.
It's a fairly permanent fixture of my life, but the steroids definitely
have an effect.

From everything I've read, eczema is itchy almost by definition, so if
a rash isn't itchy and doesn't respond to strong steroid creams I'd be
pretty suspicious of an eczema diagnosis (just as a layperson who's had
severe eczema for a decade, no medical degree here). What creams did
your doctor prescribe? I've had really good luck with mometasone (US
trade name Elocon). It's possible a cream would help if a strong
enough one is used.

Beth