A LITTLE boy suffered such severe eczema that people thought he had leprosy, his mum has revealed.
Boaz LaQua’s skin would be left weeping in sores after his skin became reliant on steroid eczema cream.
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The two-year-old was left bedbound for weeks at a time and forced to sleep with socks taped to his hands so he wouldn’t scratch his skin.
Savannah LaQua, his mother, applied the cream to mild acne when Boaz was only four months old. She hoped it would help soothe him.
Savannah, who was just six months old, began to wean Boaz off the cream. She was shocked when she saw weeping sores appear all over his body.
TSW refers the constellation of symptoms that can develop after a person has stopped using topical steroids.
TSW can cause severe symptoms such as burning, flaking and peeling, flaking, spreading, swelling, redness.
Savannah, a Forest Lake resident in Minnesota, USA, has stopped using lotions and only bathes Boaz one per week. She is sharing her story to help raise awareness about the condition.
She shared that about two months after we stopped using the cream, he began to develop red rashes and bumps. These were getting worse by each day.
He was so swollen all over that he could not walk for more than a week.
His body was so hurting that he was unable to walk. It was terrible to see.
“People said he looked like he had leprosy because he was covered in them and his skin was scaly and rough.”
Leprosy is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae – it can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose.
Stay-at-home mum Savannah said it was stressful for her as she didn’t know much about TSW, so didn’t know what was going to happen.
She added: “We had to tape socks to his hands because he was constantly scratching. It was like chronic itchiness and there were open sores.”
‘NOT A NORMAL TWO-YEAR-OLD’
Little Boaz was in that much pain that he couldn’t go out in the heat and had to stay in bed for weeks at a time.
He had to be constantly monitored to make sure he wasn’t scratching his skin.
Savannah said: “I couldn’t take my eyes off him for two minutes because he would be scratching himself and making himself bleed. He wasn’t living the life of a normal two-year-old.”
Savannah had diligently applied the creams twice a day for more than a year after Boaz suffered with mild eczema behind his knees from the age of three months.
After a friend advised her of the side effects, she decided to discontinue using the creams and wean Boaz completely off them.
Savannah stated that she didn’t believe he actually needed the creams because it wasn’t so bad and definitely not worth it.
“No one tells you but you aren’t supposed to use these kinds of creams for more than ten days.”
What causes eczema?
Eczema affects approximately one in ten people in the UK, and one out of five children.
It is a common skin condition that can cause inflammation.
Paula Oliver, dermatology nurse who works with Epimax said people who have eczema need to keep the skin as moisturised as possible.
She said: “Having a good skincare routine is key to managing symptoms. Wet wraps can help – especially for those who find it difficult to not scratch at their skin.”
Paula explained that knowing what triggers the condition is important and named a few:
- Allergens
- Clothing made out of materials such as wool
- Harsh cold weather
- Central heating that can dry the skin out
- Foods that are acidic
- Chlorinated water in swimming pools
Six months after ditching the cream, Boaz is starting to slowly recover but Savannah is sharing her son’s story in a bid to raise awareness.
Savannah stated that she only wants to share her story to help others.
Because topical steroid withdrawal is not well-known, the skin experts aren’t going to warn you.
“Parents should trust themselves, be able to identify their children and conduct their own research. I’m ashamed because I didn’t look into it myself.”
She added that many people say it can take years to recover from the condition.
She added: “Because he’s only two, his skin regenerates quicker so hopefully it won’t take as long.
“He’s so much happier in himself now but there’s a long way to go.”
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