Stop the Itching!

Poor Drew, he has had eczema for as long as I can remember. We have done the basic hydrocortisone for the last year and it really hasn't made a difference. Drew has finally started sleeping more than 4 hours per night and for the longest time he now gets up around 2 am every night screaming. We realized in the last few weeks that he is also itching like crazy when he gets up. He usually will go back to sleep, but after a lot of fussing. He is just miserable. We also notice that when he takes a nap, he wakes up itching and scratching.

I finally decided enough was enough and talked to the doctor about it. She gave us a Rx for an eczema cream (which insurance will NOT approve-lovely) and a Rx for an antihistimine to give him before bed and naps. She is also having us give him fish oil and milk of magnesia in addition to his multi-vitamin. She said that there is studies about fish oil with autism and with eczema so it definitely is to his benefit.

The dose he has to take is pretty high. She told me it was going to be hard to find a pallatable fish oil for him, but I found one! Looking at the ones in the regular store (chewables) he would have to have 10 or more per day and that bottle would go fast! So Drew and I headed to the Vitamin Shoppe and the salesman recommended Carlson for Kids fish oil. It is a liquid and Drew LOVES it!! It is lemon flavored, and he loves it so much that I can use it as a bargaining tool! It was not cheap, but it should last us quite a while.

The great news is that as long as I give Drew the antihistimine he sleeps through the night. He is sleeping 10-11 hours per night on a regular basis now and does not wake up itching. I have forgotten to give it to him a couple nights and every time he wakes up at 2 am.