Symptoms continuing to get worse after eliminating culprit?

[haren.13]

I'm 99% sure (after doing an elimination-then-reintroduction along with a food journal) that DD is intolerant to milk. 1.5 days into the reintroduction she got bright red cheeks, that night she had an awful burn-like diaper rash. Slept poorly the whole week of the trial. We stopped dairy last Sunday and by Monday her sleep was improved, but the face rash has persisted and possibly even gotten worse ~ now her chin is starting to break out with eczema like bumps (which she's only ever had one other time, and it was only 1 or 2 bumps before). I thought the diaper rash was going away, but it got worse again, as well. Is it possible that the remaining dairy in her system is causing these reactions? Last time we eliminated dairy I was doing a really detailed food journal and could not, for the life of me, figure out what was causing all the rashes for almost a month after we got rid of it. The reactions didn't seem to coincide with any foods in particular because she would react one time she ate something and then not the next time. After the rashes cleared up, and until we reintroduced dairy, she was clear (skin and butt), even when we gave her suspect foods.

Based on all that, does it seem like the dairy was (and is) the culprit of the intermittent rashes? No other foods that I could figure out based on journaling were causing them, and we're having the same thing happen since the reintroduction and second elimination. Can a food cause rashes for almost a month after it's eliminated? I know that dairy is supposed to stay in the system for 2 weeks...but a month? And would the rash get worse?

[kjbrown92]

Did you replace dairy with soy? There's a big correlation between milk and soy intolerances (not sure why) and a lot of people replace one with the other and find the child worse instead of better. FWIW, DS had a "withdrawal" from gluten (but it was the crack addict begging kind) but anything else that was taken out, got better, not worse.

[haren.13]

Nope, no soy ~ I've been afraid to introduce it for the reason you mentioned. We basically just eliminated it. I do put almond milk on her cereal (which we've trialed and is "safe") and drinks water (she has only ever had water or breastmilk, really ~ we got her to drink a little cow's milk during the trial but she didn't like it) and other than that we do a multivitamin for vitamin D and make sure she gets fat and protein in other places.

Looks like I need to be diligent about journaling again ~ ugh I fell off the journaling wagon when her rashes went away the first time...I know I should have kept up...

[haren.13]

Oh, and I've been very careful to eliminate ALL dairy, hidden and obvious (thanks to you ladies for posting links to sources of hidden dairy!). DH told me he was looking for crackers for DD at the grocery store but he gave up trying to read the basically indecipherable labels (unless you know what you're looking for), because he was afraid of getting something she couldn't eat.

She still breastfeeds, but there is very little to no milk and has been none for maybe 3 months (I'm 6 months pregnant) ~ I'm just now starting to make colostrum so I might need to eliminate dairy from my diet, too

[kjbrown92]

I guess it's not the easy answer then. Sorry. The food journaling really helps. For my kids, the bright red cheeks are pretty soon after the food (within the hour), if that helps (though I don't know if that's true for everyone).

[Chinese Pistache]

Have you considered corn? It's hard to track down unless you know what you're looking for: http://www.cornallergens.com/list/co...ergen-list.php

[haren.13]

We have considered corn, but she doesn't have it often enough (even hidden corn) to coincide with the rashes. If she doesn't clear up in the next couple of days though we'll probably take it out again :P

Looking back at her food journal, I'm kindof wondering if it's berries that are contributing. We were pretty sure they were on the "bad food" list but after total elimination and then reintroduction we didn't see rashes. Maybe her "bucket" just wasn't full enough yet to show signs...I'll try eliminating those again, too.

Poor thing is going to have to sustain herself on a diet of sprouted wheat toast with peanut butter :P And don't say wheat...please please please let her have her wheat...at least for the time being The timeline doesn't fit for any reactions to be related (and she was clear for a while and still eating all kinds of wheat products).