What's the best way to find out?

[Marnica]

I am really a novice here. Just starting out on this frustrating journey of trying to figure out DS's issues and quite possible my own in the process. I lurk here as much as possible, but find with a full-time job and a 2 yo, I have little time to "research". I guess Im looking for some advice about testing that would simplify things for me.

DS is 2, He has had skin and digestive issues since he was an infant. Nothing horrible, but enough to prompt me to start looking into things.

So far we have done the enterolab test. Results were sensitive to gluten, soy, and yeast. Also a run of the mill allergy panel done at the same time as the 18 mo lead test said a soy allergy as well. I'm not sure if this was ige or igg however. Id have to look.

We just did the alcat test and I am awaiting the results.

We have been off gluten, soy and yeast since the enterolab results and had done trials of dairy and wheat free when he was smaller. He also doesn't do cow's milk and hasn't since he was an infant. he does goat's milk however. I have to say that at this point I see a very slight improvement in his digestive issues which really were going too much and his stools were not formed. he was never constipated or had blatant diarrhea. He now goes maybe twice a day and about half the time his stools are well formed, and half, they are kind of loose (sorry if TMI!)

His skin rashes/exzema remain a mystery. The patches/spots come and go. Soemtimes quickly, sometimes they will last for weeks. This led me to think there are other foods which is why I did the alcat. Also thought Id mention DS had severe tongue-tie at birth. I am just learning about the MTHFR gene variant and the whole folate deficiency issue and myelination. I have to admit, science was not my best subject, and although I find much of this interesting. I get lost alot
I also have had lifelong tummy issues which I bet may be food related.

Ok...I know Im long winded sorry! Is there any other tests that you experienced moms think would be useful? Are there any tests that test for vitamin deficiencies? I know there is a urine test right? but DS is still in diapers so I guess that's out. I have found the testing we have done so fart to be very $$ and finances are limited here so I feel to a certain extent my hands may be tied. I guess I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I just want DS to be happy and healthy and I wouldn't mind figuring out my own issues too!

Thanks for reading if you made it to the end!

[Marnica]

Really? Nobody has any suggestions?

[mamafish9]

The top four intolerances are dairy, soy, corn, and gluten. Corn gets missed a lot on testing, it seems. If it were me, I'd pull corn next - it is often an eczema/rash trigger. Then if that doesn't work, try pulling the goat's milk (I'm suggesting corn first because I know milk can be a valuable source of nutrients).

I'd definitely get him on a few basic supplements - trace minerals, magnesium, A, D, K2 would be my first ones. It's really easy to end up mineral deficient, and fat soluble vitamins really help with mineral absorption (and are often deficient as well).

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by mamafish9

The top four intolerances are dairy, soy, corn, and gluten. Corn gets missed a lot on testing, it seems. If it were me, I'd pull corn next - it is often an eczema/rash trigger. Then if that doesn't work, try pulling the goat's milk (I'm suggesting corn first because I know milk can be a valuable source of nutrients).

I'd definitely get him on a few basic supplements - trace minerals, magnesium, A, D, K2 would be my first ones. It's really easy to end up mineral deficient, and fat soluble vitamins really help with mineral absorption (and are often deficient as well).

Dairy came back fine on the enterolab test, so I'm assuming all dairy is ok, but I just feel better with goat milk since it is less allergenic in general.

Corn I know is a biggie. I was kind of waiting to see what the alcat test said about that before trying to pull it, but maybe I will just go ahead and do it anyway. It is hidden in many things too isn't it? Do you know what I need to look out for in terms of hidden not obvious sources. I know the Vitamin C I give him is corn derived as are many vitamins so how does that factor in????
As for minerals, he takes a multi with minerals, I give him extra zinc (when sick, which he is alot), extra a, and he's already on d.(2,000mg) He also takes CLO (Nordic Naturals).

I have been doing epsom salt baths for extra mag but he only gets a bath every other day. Do you think that's enough? I guess I could try and give him some natural calm. The K2 confuses me. I looked into that a while ago and don't know how to dose this. Also seems like it's hard to find. I know thorne has k2 drops, but they are way to $$$ for me and you need a doc to order them.
I did see that they have a new d/k2 combo supplement. It is 1000mg of d and 1 mg of k2 per drop. in terms of k2, what would be a good starting off point?

Thanks for responding. I am feeling very confused, and very alone. There is nobody IRL that gets what I'm trying to do with DS. They all think his problems are "not that bad" and tell me "he's fine, leave him alone and stop giving him all that crap". My husband is supportive, but uninvolved. He basically just tells me to go ahead and do what I think I need to, but doesn't really seem all that interested in the hows and whys of all of this. It's a very lonely place to be sometimes.

[mamafish9]

You can get the Thorne K2 drops on iherb.com. The bottle is expensive, but it lasts forever, there's a lot of doses in there.

Kathy in this forum found the ALCAT very accurate, but it still missed corn for at least one of her kids. Yes, corn is in everything. If you post links to the specific supps your son is on, there are mamas here a lot better than I am at identifying trace corn issues.

If getting corn out doesn't address things, I'd do a dairy removal trial as well - it may be fine, but that's a common enough intolerance I'd test it.

Lots of us are here because no one IRL gets the hard and lonely journey this can be. So stick around - join us in chat .

ETA: missed the MTHFR gene thing first time around. You can get Thorne MTHF folate on iherb.com as well - give about 1/4 of that per day (it's pretty tasteless, so easy to open a capsule and mix powder with a little food). And I'd also do a little B12 - sublingual is best, I used Jarrow methyl B12, but I can't remember if it's trace corn or not. (Note, when we went corn free, we avoided things like baking powder, but didn't worry about corn derived ingredients in supps, and for us, that was good enough - isn't for everyone, but you'd probably see improvement if corn is an issue even without getting every last source of corn derived stuff in your supps).

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by mamafish9

You can get the Thorne K2 drops on iherb.com. The bottle is expensive, but it lasts forever, there's a lot of doses in there.

Kathy in this forum found the ALCAT very accurate, but it still missed corn for at least one of her kids. Yes, corn is in everything. If you post links to the specific supps your son is on, there are mamas here a lot better than I am at identifying trace corn issues.

If getting corn out doesn't address things, I'd do a dairy removal trial as well - it may be fine, but that's a common enough intolerance I'd test it.

Lots of us are here because no one IRL gets the hard and lonely journey this can be. So stick around - join us in chat .

Thanks, I will check out the iherb site. Do you have any idea about dosing k2?
I have no idea where to start.

[mamafish9]

Originally Posted by Marnica

Thanks, I will check out the iherb site. Do you have any idea about dosing k2?
I have no idea where to start.

If you're going to order from iherb, get the mthf folate too (see my added edit above0. For K2, a drop a day of the Thorne is plenty.

[DevaMajka]

I've also read that egg is a big trigger for eczema.

Originally Posted by Marnica

Thanks for responding. I am feeling very confused, and very alone. There is nobody IRL that gets what I'm trying to do with DS. They all think his problems are "not that bad" and tell me "he's fine, leave him alone and stop giving him all that crap".

I get that too. It can be quite aggravating! Ds's doc said it couldn't be related to food that I'm eating (it's obvious it is). I've heard things like "all kids get rashes" from family and friends, and "why not just put diaper cream on it?" It's like people think I'm too dense to think about that stuff on my own
Dp is supportive for the most part, but doesn't think I should be as concerned about foods where the reaction "isn't that bad" and still doesn't think that little amounts could cause a reaction. grrr. But he watches for crumbs because he knows it's important to me.

[sierramv]

To PP, I did that same dance with my pediatrician and family members for almost two years with my first DS.

Finally I took him too a Naturopath that specialized in Children and food sensitivities. She pulled him off Dairy and Gluten for two weeks, within 5 days his rash, etc cleared up.

After a couple of years we were able to reintroduce some of it to an extent, well not dairy. Follow your instincts. Good luck!





Wife to DH, mom to DS(8),DS(3),DD(18months)!!

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by DevaMajka

I've also read that egg is a big trigger for eczema.


I get that too. It can be quite aggravating! Ds's doc said it couldn't be related to food that I'm eating (it's obvious it is). I've heard things like "all kids get rashes" from family and friends, and "why not just put diaper cream on it?" It's like people think I'm too dense to think about that stuff on my own
Dp is supportive for the most part, but doesn't think I should be as concerned about foods where the reaction "isn't that bad" and still doesn't think that little amounts could cause a reaction. grrr. But he watches for crumbs because he knows it's important to me.

Egg tested ok for him on the enterolab test...Ill see what the alcat says. If it is contradictory, maybe Ill pull them and see.

sierramv - we alreday see an ND...he is the one that ordered the alcat for me, and he is supportive. He does his own allergy elimination, which Im doing with DS (homeopathic sensitization drops) but his testing machine said gluten was ok for DS, and enterolab (which I trust those results) said it wasn't, so I'm not so sure. All I know is that what I have done so far has helped mimimally and it is obvious we have a ways to go to figure this all out!
Thanks for the support!