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is there anything that anyone knows of that I can use for this? Eldest boy has just had the fourth outbreak in as many months, poor guy, I'm guessing that it is a sign of being stressed/run down, there has obviously been lots going on between me and the ex (his dad) he was also being bullied and had a big school change last month.

I'd just like to know if there is a more natural option for treating this, rather than the normal antibiotic route that the dr keeps taking. Ideally if there was something that could boost his immune system to try and stop any further outbreaks then that would be idea (although he wouldn't be able to take it everyday as his dad doesn't agree with our hippy ways )

Any ideas gratefully appreciated

Sarah

My brother and I had impetigo a few times when we were younger but we were never given AB's for it - I remember my mum putting a purple lotion on us but I've no idea what was in it. Sorry, that wasn't much help, was it?

It sounds like you would be best treating the reason he is run down as well as the impetigo. Echinacea would boost his immune system and chamomile is good for stress, but you may be best seeing a professional herbalist who would be able to identify exactly what he should be taking. www.nimh.org.uk has a list of practitioners and I am sure you could find someone locally.

well you see, now you do realise that I'm not going to be happy with anything except the purple lotion!

I was wondering about echinacea as a general boost, like to check here as although I try and read about this sort of thing, it just doesn't seem to go in at the moment, I blame pregnancy head!!

I'll ask my mum if she remembers what the lotion was

purple....wouldn't that be zinc? hmm, I may have made that up

I take it that all bedding/towels/flannels etc etc etc are thoroughly washed in a hot wash after each outbreak (make sure his dad is doing the same ) because it's a bacterial infection & highly contagious he could be re-infecting himself. Where is it starting, is it the same place each time? ie if it's starting on his feet could it be socks/shoes that need to be anti bacterialised?

I also found this site
http://www.aromatherapies.net/articles/ ... tment.html

I feel for him. I had it a few years ago. Didn't realise anything was wrong, but I thought I was getting acne which was getting worse & worse to the point that I didn't want to leave the house. It was only when I put my knuckles down on the settee as I was about to sit down & fetched a layer of skin off that I realised it was something 'else'. Mine was cleared up with Anti B's & a lotion (not purple) & fortunately it hasn't returned.

Had to google this as I didn't know what it was - but it mentions on Wikipedia:

For generations, the disease was treated with an application of the antiseptic gentian violet

Maybe that is your purple lotion?

When I had it, I was given an AB lotion, which helped. It was on my face, and I covered it (loosely) at night and changed my pillowcases every morning, to keep it as germ-free as possible. But the thing I really found helped was a warm salt water soak as often as possible during the day. I did hear somewhere that you are supposed to use non-ionised sea salt for that sort of thing, and if nothing else, it relieved the itching, and stopped the spread, while the lotion killed of the germies that had already got set up in my skin.

You know that kid at school who sat with the hand up hissing 'miss!miss!!'... well, I feel like that kid!!

A close friend of ours suffered.. a LOT... she was like a human lizard, bless her, impetigo was right up both arms, across her back & round her neck - not pleasant at all.
So, she goes on hols to Turkey & has a sulphur wrap.... impetigo disappeared by the time they came back & that was after 7 years of suffering!
Anyway, it was around 5 months before it started to creep back - for 3 years they went back to Turkey & did the same thing, with the same results... and then she found this place... (actually, I did a web search & found it) but she tried some sulphur products & whilst it wasn't quite as succesful, she can now wear a t-shirt any time of the year!
http://www.harrogate-sulphur-soap.com/
Worth a try??

Mix a drop of tea tree and lavender and apply them neat - OK to use both of these neat. You can then put a little oil or lotion over the top to stop all the EOs evaporating. Do this 2-3 times a day. In addition give him Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin A supplements daily and plenty of fresh veg and fruit to eat.

Also put a drop of your EO blend in a liquid soap dispenser for hand-washing. The main problem with impetigo is that it's so infectious. I'm sure you know to boil everything - bedclothes etc or stick some disinfectant in the wash if you can't boil it.

Like you said, it's probably stress-related but hopefully once you've got rid of the infection and helped boost his immune system, that'll be the end of it.

Thank you for your ideas everyone, I am waiting to see what his face looks like when he gets back from his dads tomorrow to start to act on it, Luckily I know that everything in his bed here is clean as he has been having alot of wet nights, again putting that down to stress and worry, and I have abit of an obsession with towels etc so they always go on boil washes, and tea tree oil goes in the wash as well. It's just been one of those frustrating things that here we keep his mouth clean and as soon as he gets a spot near it it is cleaned and he is jumped on whenever his hand gets close, then he goes to his dads for a couple of days is allowed to pick at it all he likes and comes back with sores not only round his face but down his legs as well

I've got tea tree and lavender, so will start using that when he gets home if it is not any better, luckily he is with us this weekend so we can have a clear 5 days to use it reguarly on him, and if that doesn't make a difference then we will work through the list.

Thanks again,

Sarahx