which do you suspect is the culprit for outbreak?

[LBMarie9]

okay so tonight after daddy put pjs on (doesn't remember noticing his skin -that's why I should do it!)--I noticed my son had hives and red exzema bumps EVERYWHERE! back, arms, tummy--and his ezxema has flared up a LOT!!!
possible reasons:

Last night I decided to lather the kids for the first time with coconut oil---I checked them for a couple hours before bed and their skin looked great! (my son had a couple scabish marks on outer thighs but excema wasn't too bad last night)--Well all today (atleast when I dressed him this morning and changed diapers in afternoon skin was fine)---would he react topically 24 hours later?

The PJS that daddy put on had been washed at Gmas house over thanksgiving break and had been in his bag--however we did wash their clothes twice while away with her detergent (some kind of tide-I've been trying to get ahold of her to find out exact ingredients)--and i didn't notice any of these problems while there last week.

We went to costco to watch more of the vitamix guy do demonstrations---we walked up and he had the yummy fruit ice cream he had made 2 days ago when we were there--I gave one to my son and started to eat one myself..it tasted different--stronger flavor--asked if there was powder of something--he said no--just fruit....and non-dairy creamer!! ah (has casein in it-didn't look for eggs though--anyone know?)--i guess sometimes he adds it and sometimes he doesn't. ----NOW my son did have cheese 2 nights ago becuase I've been iffy about dairy and never really seen a reaction just assumed he had dairy problems too (IgE allergic to EGG) --so I'd be surprised if it was the dairy!

also---you know the safe brand of pretzels? I think I asked about them when I thought he was allergic to milk---they wouldn't have egg brushed on them would they? SNYDER brand (the kind with a couple safe ingredients)

ps- we've had coconut oil in baked things and I haven't seen a reaction--however i just remembered that the one time I made Kathy's Coconut chicken (in crock pot) with coconut liquid-my son had a reaction and I think I decided it was from something else(cinnamon maybe? I'll have to find my thread)--oh I sure hopw we don't lose coconut! ah!

okay just read my thread and the last reaction--the day he had coconut liquid was really weird bumps in his diaper area (the pimply ones that one mom on here thought was folliculitis until found out it was an allergy--either kathy or changingseasons I can't remember) anyway--just wanted to add that tidbit if it helped us figure out. (his pimply things are almost completely gone since we went egg free (i never suspected before)

[lil_miss_understood]

My strongest suspicion is still dairy, though I do think you should take out coconut as well. I think there is an obvious reaction to coconut.
The fact that his eczema has not completely disappeared despite the adherence to no egg in his diet says to me that there is something he gets on a (fairly) regular basis to which he is allergic. I would strongly suggest figuring out what it is asap as there is a correlation between eczema and asthma.
Also, the Snyder's of Hanover pretzels are made in a facility which also handles peanut butter.

[LBMarie9]

thanks for replying--he's not allergic to peanut butter. (thank heavens)---I think I want to trial coconut again to make sure--I don't want to lose it--then i lose ice creams and any chance of homeade YOGURT!!!

when i took him off dairy--his exzema didn't improve (was missing the egg part)--now he's off eggs and has only had dairy a couple times and his ezcema seems maybe a little better (but still far to go)---I know i need to try them together for the long haul--what would be a next guess?

does anyone have like an example menu plan for the TED--for 10 days---I thought I'd never think off doing it--but we've never been close to baseline and I really think TED will show for SURE big reactions-- I read somewhere ---it's only for 10 days off everything--i could do that! (maybe?!!)

or i just want to fork out the money for a Elisa test! how could i find someone in my area that does it (and does it well??)--I'm in SE ID

[lil_miss_understood]

I'm sure some of the other mamas can help you with info on the TED. I've never been on it myself (though I wish I'd heard of it while ds1 was little).
My first suggestion as to how to find a good allergist (which are the ones who do ELISAs) is to ask a naturopath (or maybe a homeopath). I believe there is someplace where you can order one yourself with a doctor's signature but, again, the other mamas would have to fill you in on that.
I got lucky with my allergist in that another mom with a son in ds1's grade recognized many of her son's symptoms in ds1 and gave me a referral to my ND who referred me to the same allergist she saw.
I completely understand your desire to keep coconut. It's hard to be dairy, soy and coconut free. Although even then there are still a couple of "non-dairy" options. Rice Dream comes to mind. There was also a rice yogourt mentioned at one time that I recall. But yes, coconut is the most palatable non-dairy option.
Just be aware, that an ELISA is not fool proof, just like any other allergy testing you may get done. There is always some margin of error. How much? It all depends on the lab you go through. What this means is that there may be a false negative or a false positive for an allergen.

ETA: I wouldn't even begin to hazard a guess as to what it might be instead of these two.

[kjbrown92]

The Snyders pretzels we used to have didn't have eggs, because DD2 was egg-free at the time.

Yes, my DD2 had the "folliculitis" reaction to corn (IgE and IgG tests both said corn was okay, by the way, and corn is her worst reaction).

I don't know what's in non-dairy creamer besides DAIRY (I love their naming conventions -- it should be illegal, but oh well).

Typical TED is turkey, rice, pears, zucchini, but keep in mind there could be a reaction to any of those 4 things (my DS can't do turkey or rice, for instance), so you would have to swap out foods if by Day 10 you weren't to baseline. Eczema in my experience takes the longest to heal (of the reactions).

My neice reacts to Tide detergent with little contact dermatitis bumps all over her body. There was a big discussion about it during Thanksgiving!

[waluso]

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

My first suggestion as to how to find a good allergist (which are the ones who do ELISAs) is to ask a naturopath (or maybe a homeopath). I believe there is someplace where you can order one yourself with a doctor's signature but, again, the other mamas would have to fill you in on that.

I didn't think most allergists did the ELISA test (or even believe it works). It is an IgG test for intolerances and most allergists know little about intolerances. We ordered our ELISA test through DD's holistic pediatrician.

ETA: The ELISA test is a blood test that is sent off to a lab. The doctor doesn't actually do anything but order it.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by waluso

I didn't think most allergists did the ELISA test (or even believe it works). It is an IgG test for intolerances and most allergists know little about intolerances. We ordered our ELISA test through DD's holistic pediatrician.

ETA: The ELISA test is a blood test that is sent off to a lab. The doctor doesn't actually do anything but order it.

You're right. I keep forgetting that my allergist is an exception to that rule- probably because he was originally a pediatrician who became fascinated with homeopathy.

[LBMarie9]

that is interesting about your daughters' reaction to corn not showing up on Ige or IgG i did not know that! so maybe a test is a waste of time- sheesh!

so---doesn't baseline mean no exzema or anything? so would that mean that most likely I'd have to do TED for more than 10 days?

I actually think his reaction last night was what you explained that happens to your neice---I just usually call anything that apperas bumpy and red on my son's skin a hive (which sometimes it is--sometimes it isn't)

[kortner]

chiming in with my tidbit of ted experience...

it can take 2-4 weeks to clear dairy! even the tiniest bit can be found in 'caramel' coloring. and we tried going off it on and off twice before there was a big noticeable, 'oh yeah, he's sensitive' difference!

p.s. our baby definitely gets bumps all over from detergents/dryer sheets.

[crunchy_mama]

My vote for the culprit is the detergent. As that is what Luke's detergent reaction was- but the TED could really help you narrow things down- all babies are different.

[LBMarie9]

I think it is the detergent becuase my hubby put another shirt that had been washed at gmas on today and it came back (or course it could be another wave or reaction to food, but I suspect the detergent) it's weird though--we use dreft for the kids (which I'm sure some of you might tell me is not that great for allergies?!! what do you use?) gain or tide for us.

I really need to get with the program--tonight his face got all blotchy again and new pimply dots on face.------I remembnered the last time we had salmon it happened and got red (it could be the lemon juice too though?!!)

also-at church he had about 4 sucks of tootsiepop sucker which has dairy AND artificial colors--he FREAKED out after nap today--I swear it was the food die because I don't think he has freak out tantrums as a reaction to anything else. ---is that enough dairy (a couple sucks) ---to give him a face blotch reaction?

do a couple of you mind telling me what your kiddies are allergic to and what reactions they have to it? lijke do you know the difference like leg cramps are dairy? night waking is corn--acidic diaper rash is raisins, etc? etc? i'd love to hear what ya'll have come up with from experienmenting and eliminating foods.

(I guess I lost hope in myself when I took Davey off dairy for a couple weeks --didn't see much of an improvement but never ever had really thought egg too--shows how stupid I am and guessing is hard.)

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by LBMarie9

do a couple of you mind telling me what your kiddies are allergic to and what reactions they have to it? lijke do you know the difference like leg cramps are dairy? night waking is corn--acidic diaper rash is raisins, etc? etc? i'd love to hear what ya'll have come up with from experienmenting and eliminating foods.

When my dd was a baby, dairy made her spit up. When she was a toddler, corn gave her really bad eczema behind her knees, under her arms and what I thought was a yeast rash, but I bet it was the folliculitis rash that Kathy's been dealing with, and watery diarrhea. When we retrialed dairy for dd as an older toddler, she got a rash up and down her legs, folliculitis on her butt, an allergy ring around the anus and mushy poop. Also, crazy behavior. We just figured out that she's reacting to bananas again (we cut them out when she was 15ish months, but reintroduced them 9 mths later). They give her rough, sandpapery skin on her legs, arms, back and belly. Since cutting them again, her skin is smooooooth.

Infant ds had mucusy poop with wheat and eggs (I am free of all the other big allergens including corn), cradle cap (in his eyebrows even), eczema on his arms, and lots of spitting up. He still has some roughness on his back, around his shoulder blades. You can't see anything, only feel it. I'm hoping that taking vitamin d (me, not him) will help clear it up. Coconut, bananas (in my diet) and sweet potatoes (in his) make him spit up and have mucusy poop, too.

[kjbrown92]

DS projectile vomited with milk as a newborn, got flushed cheeks and up all night screaming. Then went to screaming for both of them. Then went to a rash on his butt for both. Then went to bedwetting and leg cramps for milk when he was about 6, and rash to soy. Now he gets screaming all night long with stomach/leg pain with milk, and rash around his mouth and horrible behavior for a week with soy. He has others, mostly behavioral.

DD2 gets throwing up from milk, was eczema, now "folliculitis" for corn, and up all night screaming for a whole list of other foods.

In the book "Is This Your Child" by Doris Rapp, she has a chart of the most likely foods to cause the most likely behaviors. You might want to look at that. But it's highly individual.

[changingseasons]

Ok, if he's breaking out in eczema and hives even on his face, it is probably NOT the detergent- that should only cause contact irritation where the fabric touches (unless he's rubbing his face with his clothed arm or something.)

Yes, a few licks of a lollipop is all it takes. I would definitely suspect dairy, since it sounds like he continues to have exposures to it.

Remember that every child is different. No one can tell you that leg pains = corn, or spitting up = dairy. It could be exactly the opposite for the next kid. You need to figure out your LO's reactions to each specific food. The best way to do that is to keep a detailed food journal. And take the suspected triggers out 100%.