Possible Dairy Allergy

[khaoskat]

Ok, try to make long story short.

For the first three months DD2 was nick named vomit comet by DH. I would use the cloth diapers from Walmart as burp cloths. I would get 2 handfuls of spit up after each feeding and then more between feedings. Ped wouldn't diagnose anything because she was gaining weight adequately. Even the LC's at the hospital were concerned when they saw how much, often, etc she was spitting up as a newborn. We also had a ton of gas and colic issues with her as well. Only thing that would cut it was Gripe Water.

At three months, after a friends recommendation we eliminated dairy. Within about 2 weeks we were great. Only time she would spit up is if I would ingest something without thinking (totally forgot claim chowder was cream based -- DUH), then she would be back to spitting up within 8-12 hours after nursing after I ingested the dairy. Colic and gas would come back as well.

At around 7 months we had three incidents of her getting dairy directly...2 times were Gogurt and 1 time was mac n cheese. The first time it was just red splotches around her mouth and where the gogurt touched. The second time again was just red spots from the Mac n Cheese (she ingested like 1/4 handful of shells with it on it), but it seemed that the spots covered a bit more area. The third time (gogurt again) was more wide spread - around mouth, down neck and a bit on the chest, and this time she started getting pimples in the red splotch areas. Again it was also anywhere the gogurt touched - hands, knuckles, etc.

Now we are just getting over a 1+ month long rash around her mouth. It appeared the day after she stole a chocolate chip cookie from her brothers. It got worse, and at times it would start to clear up and at times it would get worse.

She is 17 months, and it has cleared up significantly the last couple of days after our friend suggested giving her some Benadryl.

She also has a lot of issues with gas, and has a lot of issues with diaper rash (something neither of my other kids had).

Ped keeps saying she will refer to allergist but never follows through.

[kjbrown92]

I would see the allergist. If it's a dairy allergy, then you'll have an action plan if her symptoms get worse. If it's not a dairy allergy, then it sounds like a pretty severe intolerance, and it still needs to be avoided.

I always called my projectile DS an Olympic Vomiter because man, he could get some distance!

[khaoskat]

Lol. I would get two huge handfuls per spit up session. I was going through burp clothes and those bag sleepers like they grew on trees. I would get two feedings out of burp clothes and one spit up out of sleeping bags (I was changing her like 8 or more times a day for clothes alone and it was not from poop).

[Catt75]

Those pimples within the red rashy areas sound like hives. Please push for them to refer to an allergist. The symptoms sound like they are getting to be more after each exposure.

[kjbrown92]

I was the one changing clothes at every session when I was having milk, because DS would projectile all over me during the feeding, and then usually on the "spitter" (burp cloth) as well. He was only 2 weeks old and vomiting green bile when I knew something was wrong (which the pediatrician said was perfectly normal...)

[khaoskat]

Originally Posted by Catt75

Those pimples within the red rashy areas sound like hives. Please push for them to refer to an allergist. The symptoms sound like they are getting to be more after each exposure.

We are changing Pediatricians, so it could take a bit longer. Our Ped has failed on way too many things with our children over the last two years.

The final straw was when she diagnosed DD2's rash around her mouth as Impetigo (we took her in since she had had the rash for over 1 month and it was not improving). When I looked up impetigo, I was like she never had the puss filled blisters, nor the ozzy yellow crust. Plus, I am nursing and have been nursing her, so I should have it since I am in close contact to her mouth several times a day. A friend of ours, who has medical background, saw it the same day as she was diagnosed with impetigo and was like "That is NOT impetigo". Then another friend who was there suggested we give her Benadryl and see what happens because it looked like Eczema. And after 3 doses of Benadryl (I only gave it to her once a day) the patches are drying out and the pimples are almost completely gone and are now a slight pink vs bright red in your face.

[mbbinsc]

My DD gets similar hives from dairy, though luckily she kept all down as infant! I think you need to get epi-pen, just in case there is an exposure not controlled by benadryl, or if she has other IgE allergies yet to be discovered. We learned the hard way with DD eating some of DS's peanut cookie.