change it up or stay the course?

[LisamommyRN]

So I've been on increasingly strict eliminiation diets for about 6 weeks: first dairy and soy, then top 8, then corn, citrus, tomatoes, etc, then one TED, then after a week, altered TED slightly, and I've been doing that for a week. Obviously, I haven't been seeing a ton of improvement, but there has been some, patchy improvement over the last two weeks of the TEDs. (Our symptom is yucky mucousy bloody poops, DS is 11 weeks now.) Here's the thing- YESTERDAY, I bothered to look at my BCP- they contain lactose and corn. I've been taking them for four weeks. So dairy could have been the problem all along, and all this other effort for naught.

So- I will take a break from the pill, but should I keep up the TED, or start adding foods back? I'm eating chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, pears, olive oil, and sea salt. We've only had one bloody diaper in the last 6 days, but they're still mostly mucous.
TIA
Lisa

[DevaMajka]

My opinion (which means little to nothing in the allergy world ) is that you should either stick to the TED or add *everything* back in except what you suspect. Imo, it won't do any good to add things slowly right now, since you aren't at baseline.
It could totally just confuse things, because you could add something and symptoms don't get worse, then you'll assume that food is safe. And then 2 months later, you could discover that food has actually been a problem all along, and is confusing everything else and making you just about go crazy. (ask me how I know ).

So I would either stick with the TED sans the BCP, or start eating everything minus what you are suspecting (or the top 8 and common intolerance foods, if you are so inclined).

[kjbrown92]

I'd wait for the BCP to get out of your supply (4 days minimum) and see if you're at baseline, then start adding foods back in one at a time. You've already come this far, what's a few more days?

[mamafish9]

Yup, stick with TED a few more days - hopefully that will get you to baseline, sounds possible. If not, then you can consider adding in a bunch of things, but you may be really close to the answer, so don't give up quite yet.

On a TED though, I'd only give any combo 4-7 days - if it's not totally solved, then change something up.

[LisamommyRN]

Thanks for your answers, you all seconded my gut instinct. (No pun intended.) I'm looking at adding things back in Sunday if all goes well.
Sigh. Cross your fingers for me.