Hi IC,
I stumbled upon this thread only today.
I too have ezcema for as long as i can remember and i'm only in my 20s. Had all the symptoms you mentioned abt your son.
I think i understand wat is the "chills" you're talking abt. Actually its more like involuntary mini shivers. I get it everytime my excema flares up because the skin gets super sensitive and any contact or movement to my skin will cause my body to react with a shiver.
During the worst outbreak nearing my A lvls few years back, it cause not just flakin but also pus to develop on my whole body on all the open wounds. My bedsheet was stained yellow, there was blood... shall not continue... Anyway, was hospitalized and given oral steriods, applied treatment in some funny suit, and a huge doze of all the medicines i cant remember.
Just wanted to say that NSC does not help.
They give temporary relief like steriod oral tablets and cream which causes thinnin of the skin and easier chance to get a open wound from scratching.
From experience, there are certains DONTs you can get your child to avoid which will make his conditions worse. I
've seen all the kind souls who posted b4 this so this is kinda like a consolidation list:
1)Hot water baths. Cures the itch durin the bath but makes your skin worse in the long run.
2)Swimming pool. The chlorine is a killer. Makes your skin super dry and sensitive after.
3)Food allergies. Varies from pple to pple. Seafood, beef, high protein dairy products, liquor, personally its seafood and nuts ( peanuts especially).
4) STERIODS and STERIOD CREAM. it causes all sorts of side effects which i need not elaborate further on.
5) Stress. This is one thing tt always get to me. Before exams, I'll get a mini relapse. Not significant but it still shows up.
Have faith in TCM, after a fren recommended me to one in Bukit Batok, I've been taking her perscriptions every mth and haven had any major relapse for 2 years. It not cheap, abt $100 a mth. All small irritations at the most. But i haven stopped, so god knows if it'll come back once i stop the medication. But as far as i know, its all herb based and no side effects from long term use. Diet plays an impt part, havin the discipline to not eat what you may be allegeric to definitely has helped me.
Shall PM you the address if you need. Hope your son gets better!