My 17 year old is suffering from what appears to be eczema but he says it doesn't itch. When I took him to our family doctor he prescribed steroids. He did use them even though I didn't feel good about it. Well, it has been back now for for a couple weeks and I do not want to have him just drugged up again for it. I am hoping to find someone who treats this naturally. We are in Clinton Twp. and would prefer to be able to use insurance, but as long as the prices aren't unreasonable we should be able to manage. Any suggestions??
EDIT:
He was tested a few years ago and has no food allergies but is allergic to all trees, grass, molds and mildews, animals, fllowers and different chemicals. I am thinking it is the shampoo we are using and have ordered him some natural shampoo with tea tree oil but would still like to make certain that this is what is causing it. I do not want any steroids, pills or cream. Even cream form absorbs into the blood stream and it only treats the symptom, it doesn't find the cause and treat the problem.
Hi S.!
Have you thought about having him tested for allergies, specifically for a milk allergy? I know that when a baby gets eczema its a sign of a milk allergy.
Good Luck!
Here's the thing, people are very skeptical of holistic medicine and I have no idea why. I believe in all natural remedies first, modern medicine second. I think nature has provided what we need for healing, we just haven't found everything we need yet. Anyway, I know I guy here in Cincinnati but I'm sure that's a drive you don't want to make. He has a holistic center here in No.Ky. and he is A M A Z I N G! If you want his contact info I'll gladly supply it.
We go to the Alternative Health Care Center in Grosse Pointe. This is a group of chiropractors and clinical nutritionists who are absolutely amazing! go to www.ahccenter.com Insurance does not cover it and it's not outrageously expensive. I'd say it is very reasonable for the results that you will see. We like Dr. Jantz the best, but they are all good. I believe there are probably alot of REMEDIES out there for exzema, but I would think you want to find out what is causing it and get rid of it instead of just putting something on it that keeps it at bay as long as you put "it" on the exzema. Good luck!
Hi S.,
Eczema is a tough issue. If you like, I could send you a sample of some Arbonne baby wash, which works amazing well on eczema. My pediatrician actually has an Arbonne account with me, to offer the products to her patients. If you aren't familiar with Arbonne, it's a 30 yr old Swiss health and wellness company, all products are vegan, no dyes, waxes, mineral oil etc.. All products have a 45 day money back guarantee. If you are interested, simply email me and I can get your contact info to send you a sample in the mail. Have a great day! *C.
Edit: Ask around for a traditional doc who thinks outside the box. My doctor is an MD, but she is an out of the box thinker and certainly too tries natural first. Also in her practice she has a chinese herbalist and Rieke master. But, so she is not dictated by insurance treatment plans she does NOT take insurance and I have to pay everything up front. Now they give you all the paperwork to file with your insurance to get reimbursed so that helps.
Go to www.naturopathic.org
There is a place to type in your zip code or search by state for a doc in your area.
I completely agree with Molly and I am a Registered nurse who has been on the traditional side of medicine for over 25 years! And actually, just like Molly, will try to to treat naturally first now before I go to modern medicine. Of course there are always exceptions!
I would also seek a chiropractor. A good chiropractor will take x-rays before any treatment, will not guarantee treatment and will not have you coming back several times a week for month! That too is a practice very mis-understood by modern medicine.
I have often thought how arrogant are we to think our relatively "modern" treatments are always better than treatment methods that have been around sometimes thousands of years!
I could go on and on about my change of heart and mind about all of this, but then it just turns into a political discussion and doesn't answer your question.
I've had great results from alternative doctors and they've helped me and my children where other docs couldn't help, not even with meds. Some are better than others so word of mouth is AWESOME! Anyway, Melaleuca's Renew lotion helps with eczema. I had eczema for years and their lotion totally got rid of it. (It comes back when I don't use it...) Inbox me your address and I'll send one.
I wish your son well in dealing with his eczema.
While I believe there is merit to some alternative medicine, please be very careful in seeking alternative treatment for his condition.
Few if any "natural" treatments are approved by the FDA. In fact, I receive a weekly e-mail from the FDA, and there were several warnings issued to companies of "all-natural" products because of potentially serious side effects.
Steroids aren't bad. The anabolic steroids abused by athletes in the 1980's made it a bad word, but topical steroids for eczema are commonly prescribed. You may want to speak with a pharmacist in your area to see if there is the possibility of compounding a steroid into a less concentrated formula.
Whatever you decide, please do a lot of research about the techniques or products they want to use to treat the eczema. If you can't find a lot of scientific data about its use in eczema, that's a warning sign to stay away because there's no proof of its effectiveness or its safety.
Google.com/scholar is a great place to search for credible data on scientific/medical topics.
HealthyChildren.org is a parenting website from the American Academy of Pediatrics that may also have some good advice on various approaches to treating eczema.
In our case with our daughter (who was diagnosed with eczema at 12 months), we use an over the counter lotion recommended by the dermatologist (Vanicream) that is free of dyes, perfumes, etc. It's just a really good, thick lotion to happens to be able to manage her outbreaks by putting it on immediately after bathing.
My other advice would be to skip the Family Physician in this situation and seek a dermatologist who's more familiar with the latest products/procedures available to treat in a manner that you're more comfortable.
I don't know of any holistic doctors but my son has severe eczema. I also have been given by my pediatrician a very very low dose steroid cream for his flare ups (stress sometimes makes him flare up even with lotion). I don't like to use it unless I cannot clear it up. What I've found that works for him is a lotion called Aquaphor, it's thick like Vaseline but it works wonders! I apply it every night after his bath to keep the moisture in and we haven't had nearly as many problems with his eczema since.
My son's eczema doesn't always itch either. At those times, it's more something I notice. The Aquaphor is in the lotion aisle at almost any drug/grocery store or even Kmart, Meijer, etc. It's made by Eucerin.
I swear by it considering how great it has worked for my little guy.
Oatmeal baths work along with aveeno lotions and wash thats oatmeal based. Good Luck
My son was getting eczema from OxyClean. I started doing an extra rinse during the wash cycle and it really helped.
We see Dr. Ami Mavani in Rochester, Mich. She always offers holistic, natural remedies as a first step. She is a wonderful, caring doctor but she is a pediatrician -- however she might be able to recommend a holistic doctor for your son.
