Monday, September 24, 2012

Treatments

Conventional & Alternative

I'd like to preface this post by saying... I believe balance is key in just about every aspect of life.  This includes dieting, exercising, raising my children, running a business, serving in my church, maintaining family relationships, etc.  Some aspects are harder for me than others.  I am a big believer in seeking a balance when it comes to Conventional vs. Alternative medicines.  I've always believed there are legitimate natural and organic ways to treat several illnesses and injuries while at the same time believing there will always be a place in this world for Western medicine.  There are certain things, particularly with my children, that I would never dare to try and treat myself at home.  We have been fortunate in finding a well respected pediatrician in our area who supports using natural and alternative treatments when appropriate.  In this post I will describe all the different treatments we've experimented with and the results.


This is what the windowsill above my kitchen sink has looked like for the last year and a half.  Basically this has been our experimental treatment area for J.  In the beginning, before we knew that he had Skeeter Syndrome, the primary source of treatment prescribed by the doctors was a combination of oral steroids, steroid ointments, antibiotics and narcotic painkillers.  He has also received this same cocktail intravenously as described in "The Finger Incident".  I don't believe that the antibiotics were ever really necessary.  The doctors were prescribing them to treat Cellulitis (bacterial infection of the skin) which J never had.  We never had much luck with any of the creams including Benadryl, Hydrocortisones, After Bite, Cortizone10, Aveno, Calamine Lotion or anything prescription strength.  The narcotic painkillers didn't always have as big of an impact in reducing J's pain as I had expected either.  They wound up being somewhat useful in allowing him to sleep better during those really tough nights when he had such a hard time falling or staying asleep.  The oral and/or IV steroids seemed to be the most effective in stopping and eventually decreasing his reactions and severe swelling.  The problem being that sometimes it would take multiple rounds of dangerous steroids to accomplish this.

As far as antihistamines went... Children's Benadryl and Allegra never made any difference whatsoever.  We found Children's Zyrtec to be somewhat effective.  We currently purchase a generic brand called "Children's Cetirizine" in bulk at our local big box store.  The maximum dose for J's weight and age is 1/2 tsp twice a day or 1 tsp once a day.  I give him 1 tsp every single morning regardless or his current symptoms.

During the worst parts of J's reactions I will alternate between Children's Ibuprofen and Children's Acetaminophen.  Sometimes these medications seem to help more than others.  I feel they're a much safer alternative to the narcotic painkillers prescribed and I will continue using them as directed during his worst episodes.

We tried a product called Cortizone10 Quick Shot.  It's in an aerosol spray and claims to relieve itch fast and dry quickly.  J screamed his head off the couple different times I tried using this product. It seemed to burn or sting his bites and each time he would not calm down until we put him in the bathtub to soak.

I purchased a product called Medicated Campho-Phenique.  It came in a small glass bottle and claimed to be a "pain and itch relieving antiseptic liquid".  It never seemed to have much effect in reducing any of J's pain or symptoms.

Then I decided to try an aerosol can of "Hospital Strength Dermoplast".  This product claims to be an anesthetic pain relieving spray that relieves pain and itching.  Up to that point this was the product providing J the most relief and we were so grateful to have found it.  The downside was that it was purely a pain reliever and therefore had little effect on actually calming the reaction itself... which usually lead us back to using more steroids.  Late one night after running out of this spray I ran up to the local drug store to pick-up a replacement.  I didn't see the Dermoplast brand we had been using but saw something called Solarcaine that looked to be very similar.  We quickly found it was not the same and did not work the same either.  In fact the Solarcaine seemed to further irritate J when applied.  Upon inspection I realized they were completely different products containing different active ingredients.  My suggestion is to stick to the Dermoplast which contains Benzocaine USP 20% and Menthol USP 0.5%.

I was reasonably happy with the pain relief being provided to J with the Dermoplast.  I was not happy that still too often we were resorting to a prescription of steroids to manage the reaction itself.  I continued searching the internet for a better option.  I was reading through a long thread of comments in a forum when I saw somebody mention that they had been pretty successful using 100% pure tea tree oil to treat their child's welts from Skeeter Syndrome.  My massage therapist sister had also mentioned that we should experiment using essential oils to treat J because maybe we would find one that would help him.  She was much more the believer at that point than I was.  Using essential oils as a natural repellent made perfect sense to me since they were scented, but using them as an actual treatment was a completely foreign idea.  I was very skeptical that a plant oil would have any better results than the million and one other things we had already tried.  However, I have to admit I was curious to give it a shot after running across the recommendation once again from some mom out there who said it really did help her child.


My sister came over with a variety of oils.  She had done a little research and gave me some sample bottles of a few different oils to try out.  I asked her about the Tea Tree Oil specifically, but it was not one she had any experience with (she was relatively new to the world of essential oils herself).  J had a brand new bite on his arm that I immediately began treating with the oils.  My sister told me that I could use them as much and as often as I wanted... and the more the better.  I alternated between the samples of Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lavender and Melaleuca she had given me.  I applied a couple drops to J's bite every hour or even more often when he was complaining.  They seemed to give him relief when applied and he actually started asking me for more oils.  We continued this procedure the rest of the day, a few times throughout the night and the entire next day.  I was honestly shocked when the bite had already begun scabbing over and going away by the next night!  It didn't swell up half the size as it typically would have and it never blistered!  The reaction was being drastically reduced and J wasn't experiencing a fraction of the pain that he would have normally.  I was so relieved that I cried when I realized how effective these oils were.

Over the next several weeks I experimented with different combinations of oils and/or using single oils one at a time.  I discovered that it was actually the Melaleuca oil that gave us the best results.  I also learned that how quickly I was able to start treating J after he was first bit made a huge difference.  The longer he went before the oil was applied the worse the reaction and the longer it took to get it under control.  I attended a few essential oil classes that my sister invited me to.  We were both amused to learn that Melaleuca alternifolia was actually the scientific name for Tea Tree oil.  I also learned how important the purity and quality of the essential oil was.  A common practice for the manufacturers of the cheaper drugstore brands is to dilute the oils with either a cheaper carrier oil or even alcohol.  Obviously this also dilutes the potency and effectiveness of the product.  What drew me into a particular brand was the emphasis they put on the purity and quality of their oils.  They explained their process for testing each batch of oils to guarantee that every bottle contained a high quality therapeutic grade oil.  It also rang true when they discussed their philosophy regarding the importance of harvesting the plants used in making the oils from their native regions.  It's common knowledge that where different foods are harvested has a major impact on not only the quality but the taste.  California Oranges, Utah Peaches, and Michigan Cherries are a few of our favorites.  It only makes sense that climate, soil conditions, etc. are important factors in the quality of the plants harvested to make essential oils.  I appreciate that this company is committed to harvesting their plants where they originate and I believe this plays a big factor into the therapeutic grade and therefore effectiveness of their oils.

As mentioned previously, I have recently signed-up as a distributor with this particular company.  This was due in part to the large volume of product I found myself ordering.  We now receive an automatic monthly shipment containing both the repellent oils and Melaleuca oils that we use for J.  I'm happy to say that it has been months since J has needed a prescription for steroids... we have really been that successful in using the essential oils!  In fact he started preschool a couple of months ago and our Pediatrician, being impressed with the results, actually wrote a medical order for the Nurse at the school to reapply J with the repellent oils as needed and to treat any bites and/or reactions with Melaleuca.  We poured some of the oil into a roller ball applicator which makes it super easy to apply.  We are very blessed that both J's preschool teacher and the school nurse have been more than supportive in using the essential oils to treat J and his unusual condition.  They too have been impressed by the results.


If you or someone you know suffers from Skeeter Syndrome I encourage you to try using essential oils.  I know you will be as amazed as we were with the results.  It is very important to apply the oil immediately and often after first being bit.  You must be careful not to get the oils in or near your eyes as it will sting (flush your eyes with milk should this happen because water will only make it worse).  Melaleuca will not only help reduce the reaction that takes place but provide you with some much needed relief.

21 comments:

  1. I happened upon your site tonight and I am so excited to find out that after 36 years of dealing with these painful sores that what I have is Skeeter Syndrome. For some reason it has gotten worse as I've gotten older. I also have similar reactions to spider bites. I've just always treated them with lidocaine creams and then neosporin when the blister breaks open, which has been the best I have found until tonight. I'm so excited to try the essential oils. I really hope they work to get rid of incessant itching that drives me nearly crazy. Thanks for your site, it has given me some hope on this problem.

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    1. Hi Becky! I'm so glad this site has been helpful to you... I'm so sorry you've been dealing with this on your own for so long! The pure Melaleuca oil we use is also naturally antiseptic so we've been able to replace the neosporin as well! The most important thing I can share is that it is best to start applying the oil often and IMMEDIATELY after first being bit. The reaction seems to be much smaller the sooner the oil is applied... the longer the bite goes before I get oil onto it the longer it seems to take before the reaction gets under control. We keep the oil in a roller bottle and I will roll oil over J's bites every 15 - 30 minutes until they start to calm (sometimes it takes a couple of days)... then less often until the bite completely goes away. He's only 3 years old but already realizes that it's the oil that brings him relief... Melaleuca is what he wants and what he asks for now when suffering an attack. I'm excited for you to find that same relief especially after so many years! Good Luck and please check in again to let us know how you're doing. Take Care!

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    2. Hi, can the oil be applied near or it requires carrier oil?

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  2. Funny thing, I was so excited about finding out about the Melaleuca and then last night I got a spider bite on my neck and so I grabbed an old bottle of Tea Tree oil that I've had forever and never known what to use it for and started applying. I am noticing that the reaction is not as severe as it usually is (so far no blistering and swelling is pretty minimal). I also LOVE how it takes away the itching. I will definitely be adding a bottle of Melalueca to my purse, car, and first aid kit. Thanks so much!

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    1. Fantastic Becky! I'm so glad to hear it's working on your spider bites too! You'll be happy to know that the purer the oil... the better the results! I'd venture to guess you're allergic to the spider bites as well. While insect bites and stings are more traditionally treated with Lavender or the Purify oil blend, Melaleuca is the oil of choice when dealing specifically with allergies. So it only makes sense that it's the Melaleuca oil that brings the most relief to sufferers of Skeeter Syndrome. Thanks for the update!

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  3. My daughter has this same syndrome, but her pediatrician said there is no such syndrome. We are on steroids and was told she gets cellulitis each time she has been bit.we do benadryl every 4hours when bit, we have done antiobiotics, steroids, allergy meds etc. Thank you for the information.

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  4. We have experienced the same thing with my 3 1/2 year old son - steroids, antibiotics, cortisone, benadryl, etc. It doesn't matter what kind of bug spray we use or how much much we cover him in, they still get him. In an effort to lessen the amount of chemical exposure, I use Avon's Skin So Soft primarily, which works just as well as the chemical sprays. Will any of these oils work as a bug repellant?
    My son has had sensitive skin and other allergies from the beginning (went from breast milk to soy, has incident-induced asthma, atypical eczema). Although modified skin allergy testing results all came up negative, I suspect it's all related.
    It takes about 12-24 hours after a bite before these extreme reactions occur so it took us a few times to figure it out. We still went to the ER because my son was so young (18 months) and it was scary (baseball size bump on forehead; eye swollen shut; puss-filled, blister-like burn on ankle that prevented him from walking; red, painful area swollen and hot to the touch, etc.) The ER doctors told us to stop coming since we knew what it was from.... Ok, but why was this happening to him? Is there any way to stop it from happening again?
    I fear I may be creating a phobia of the outdoors in my son as I jokingly refer to outside as 'evil' with the bugs and sun out to get him. His pediatrician, allergist and asthma doctors all say they think he'll grow out of it. While I certainly hope so, I'm not so sure. Have you heard of anyone who has? I am grateful to have found your blog and know that my son is not the only one with this weird affliction. I will definitely try the tea tree oil.

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  5. Hi. What an insight!! Recently my wife & I moved to a tropical climate from a dry one in Australia. We now have mosquitoes and midgies, a type of sand fly for lack of a better description. We had mossies before, but neither of us had an issue, apart from the normal itches. After our move, my wife started to get these little red marks, and as time moved on, the marks form these insect bites turned into bigger and bigger lumps. Two days ago, she got bitten under her eye while asleep. When she woke and looked in the mirror, she was horrified. I asked her what was wrong, and when she turned and I saw her face, it looked like she had been beaten up!! The area around her eye was so badly swollen her eye was almost closed. Next thing, more lumps started to come up on her legs. It now seems that her reactions are getting worse. So, I began some research, as we all do now, on the internet, and after a while, found this "thing" called "Skeeters Syndrome". This led me to your blog, and I must say, what a wealth of information and experiences it is!!! Thank you for starting the "Story of J". I believe we now have a solution and something to let us take affirmative action without the heavy chemicals. Steve.

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  6. Hi i found your website after searching google for a name to the kind of reaction my son has. FINALLY!! Do you dilute the tea tree oil with a carrier oil or just apply it concentrated on the bite? Did you ever apply the oil on the face or near the eye(where my son gets bitten most of the time)?

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  7. Hi there the first time my son had his reaction his entire arm swelled up to 2x normal size, hot and angry looking. We were given antibiotics and prednisone but found quickly they weren't really needed. We give liquid Zyrtec at the first sign of swelling and it stops the reaction cold. His allergist says it's not an allergic reaction so finding treatment can be hard...sometimes we just have to find our own!

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  8. Hi how are you my son has been in and out of hosptials i belive he has this he gets really bad brake outs when it happe. I just had him at childrens hosp yesterday to hsve another dr look at it only thing that helps is well is treating it as a bacteria infection anti bi. We have tryed all the creams you listed above my son has been dealing with this since he was 6 mo old and dr still have no answcers besides childrens in witch said he had the skeeder syndrome i didnt belive it at first because benadrly amd all them creams never helps and my poor little one suffers so much from this the swelling is horrable i decided to look up images of the skeeder syndrome and it looks just like my sons brake outs im all new to this and this blong has really helped and im going to try everything m willing to do and try whatever i can to help lessen the reactions i feels so bad for my son but i has a ? Its FEB how is there any darn skeeders out thats what leaves me so confused . i have been trying ti figure this out for years morher to mother u explained alot i love the all natural stuff expucally when it comes to my children if u have any advive for me could u please send me an email @ kristlew@yahoo.com i just want my baby better already

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  9. The problem gets resolved within few days however in the event that it takes genuine shape then it could welcome more perilous issues. In this way it is critical to treat the issue of cellulitis and here is some of the powerful Cellulitis Natural Treatment that you ought to take with a specific end goal to get alleviation.

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  10. Natural Treatment for Cellulitis may offer relief from pain when used as directed and in discussion with a health care expert.

    http://www.herbs-solutions-by-nature.com/Cellulitis.php

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  11. I found your site 4 years ago when my son started reacting. I used your protocol and had great success. Hes now almost 5. He was attacked in his room last night...of course on his eye lid. No treatment There. Eye swollen shut. :(. I'm wondering. Has your son improved? Will this go away? What implications on his future health have you thought of? So frustrating.

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    1. Hi, not sure about her son, but I'm 26 and have been dealing with this my whole life (with noone taking me seriously). While it genenerally goes away (based on my research) I'm proof it doesn't always. Been treating with antihistamines with little results. Going to try this method when able.

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  12. Effective  Natural Remedy for Cellulitis  aims to replace water and natural oils in the skin, and to maintain skin hydration. In addition, treatment helps to control keratin levels and soothe irritated skin.

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  13. Effective  Natural Remedy for Cellulitis  aims to replace water and natural oils in the skin, and to maintain skin hydration. In addition, treatment helps to control keratin levels and soothe irritated skin.

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  14. Effective  Natural Remedy for Cellulitis  aims to replace water and natural oils in the skin, and to maintain skin hydration. In addition, treatment helps to control keratin levels and soothe irritated skin.

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  15. My toddler started getting insane reactions in the spring. Before this she would get bites and they would be normal, *some* bites are STILL normal. The first reaction was on her wrist it swelled her hand and fingers and half her arm :-(. It was all hot, red, and her wrist (where the bite was) developed multiple blisters that would pop and then reform. THAT incident took a full month to heal. After research I immediately knew she had skeeter syndrome, thankfully her ped. recognized it as a bug bite and NOT as cellulitis, which I was initally worried about.

    Since then this reaction has happened a couple of times, sometimes it does not. She can get 3 bites, but only one reacts. I have recently realized that if I catch the bite after it happens and wash it, and then bandage it up there is little to no reaction. There might be a small blister as indicated on the bandaid when removed, but there is no hard lump or ridiculous swelling, no heat, and it doesn't last weeks to a month, just a week.

    I should note for those interested, I have a unnormal reaction to most bites myself, they can swell up to almost the size of my hand get red, hard, and hot. Allergies run in my family hayfever as well as food. My toddler also has year round eczema :-(. Of course she would have to be the one to suffer this. She is such a good sport about it too. Breaks my heart. She has only just complained about the bite she has now. It is on her ankle..swelled up her whole foot and half her leg. She could barely walk. At first because of the brusing we thought she broke it or sprained it, but realized she had no falls or crying. After feeling it (it was hot and hard) we realized it was another stupid mosquito bite <:(. We hardly go out, so these dumb things keep getting into our house. They bite her the most too :-( even more than me, and I am a mosquito magnet.

    Just to reiterate: Washing the bite immediately after it happens with peroxide and then soap and water and putting a bandaid on seems to be the key, at least for her, so far. Right now she has 3 bites, I caught 2 but missed the one on her ankle, which is why she is suffering now. So hopefully this helps someone!

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  16. Pineapple is the common  Cellulitis Herbal Treatment  as it contains a chemical named bromelain. Pineapple must be expended in supplement structure as a piece of day by day eating routine to evacuate the cellulitis totally.

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