Know of anything I can use besides steroid creams?

My son (and I) have eczema and his gets really bad in this colder weather but nothing is seeming to work right now. Not even the steroid cream the doctor had prescribed for him, which I don%26#039;t really feel comfortable using on him anyways. Any suggestions on a lotion or something that will help? I can usually fend mine off with Eucerin or any thick unscented lotion but his just stays red and dry even with applying it 3 or 4 times daily.|||wow tis is just like me and my children .I started using California Baby calendula cream you can use it on your face day and night its recommended for eczema and its all natural you will love it .hope this helps..|||You can use some stuff listed here:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema





Immunomodulators


Antibiotics


Immunosuppressants|||I have mild to severe eczema/dermatitis too, and yes it is a lot worse during the winter months, especially January - March.





Out of all the pharmaceutical treatments, topical creams are probably the safest for your boy. That%26#039;s because when they are used as directed they are only in the skin; they do not get absorbed into the body. The other things like immunosuppressants are systemic medications, and they%26#039;re a lot more disruptive to the normal state of the body. No doctor is going to prescribe that for a bit of eczema anyway, it would have to be an extremely severe case.





I have two strengths of steroid creams to use on my dermatitis. The normal cream is Triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%. The stronger one is Fluocinonide 0.05%. When I have a breakout that doesn%26#039;t respond to the normal cream, I use the stronger cream and that works quickly. I am not supposed to use the strong cream very much, overuse is damaging to the skin. So I only use that 3 or 4 times per year for bad breakouts.





The thing to keep in mind with these creams is to use them only when they are needed. When you have a rash, use the cream as directed until maybe 2 days after the rash has disappeared. Using them excessively can cause thinning of the skin and increases the risk of absorption into the body.





It is better to stay ahead of the rash - treat it when it first starts to appear, don%26#039;t let it grow and get out of control. The first step of treatment can be a moisturizing cream like you mentioned, that%26#039;s good. Be observant though and if it doesn%26#039;t respond to moisturizers, step up to the prescription. The longer a rash has to develop on the skin, the harder it will be to cure.





My advice to you is to return to the doctor with your son. You will probably get a stronger steroid cream, like mine. I don%26#039;t think you should be afraid of it, just remember to follow instructions and only use it for rashes that don%26#039;t respond to normal treatment.





You might also want to consider going to a dermatologist if you haven%26#039;t already. Dermatologists are generally more current on treatment options, and have a lot more experience with diagnosing skin disorders. Honestly it can be very difficult to tell the difference between various skin conditions because many of them show up with the same symptoms.