Maybe I should just let him keep his eczema. - New pic in post #94, 10/25/10

[Harmony96]

I am going completely nuts over here. DS has had eczema his whole life. I went off dairy early on for a few weeks and seemed to see a mild improvement. I went back on dairy and he didn't get any worse.

I went and saw a homeopath. He had a 200C dose of calc carb about 3 weeks ago and a second dose about 5 days ago. He seemed to improve some after the first dose but then got worse again, hence the homeopath telling me to give him another dose.

Also for the last five days, she recommended that I try cutting out dairy again (for 6 weeks). Last time, it wasn't a big deal. This time, I am going through some SERIOUS withdrawal symptoms. I need to check myself into rehab or something. My dreams are more intense. The toddler is even more draining on me than usual. I can't seem to focus on anything except how many days it will be until I can have it again.

And DS is either going through withdrawal as well or going through a growth spurt. He went from waking up 0 times per night to waking up 3-4 times per night, starving. It's like he's a reverse-cycling newborn again. And his overall mood is getting worse. He was just sometimes a little fussy before and would laugh a lot. Now he cries a lot and sometimes smiles a little.

And his eczema didn't even improve at ALL with this dose of remedy. And he seems to have it on his fingers now, too. The ones that he sucks are getting rough and bumpy skin.

A friend recommended going on an antifungal diet, but the book she mentioned isn't carried at all in a 6-city radius from me. But of course, several copies are available for purchase on Amazon.

On the one hand, I just want to give up on everything. I'm at the point where I just don't have faith that anything I try will make any difference at all, so what's the point of even trying? It's all just a big waste of time, money and effort and won't do anything for us. I saw a homeopathy thread on here and was so hoping that I would be able to go on there and post our encouraging results story or share it on my blog or whatever. But I have yet to be a believer in it.

I'm sitting over here bawling and blaming myself. DS also has a pylonidal dimple, and the first thing that the homeopath did when she saw that is ask if I got enough folic acid. And I can't remember if I did or not. And what if I did something else during my pregnancy to cause DS's current issues?

I wish I could run away from it all.

[midnightwriter]

I don't have much advice, but just wanted to offer hugs. What a tough situation. It was rather insensitive of the homeopath to question you on folic acid after the fact.

If I were you, I'd stick with no dairy and see. Otherwise I'd always regret not doing it. If DS is going through a growth spurt, you might be exhausted because of that, not lack of dairy.

Hang on, there! It will get better. Big Hugs.

[sapphire_chan]

With my own eczema, I find more improvement with reduced grains than reduced dairy.

Since eczema is related to immune functioning, soy is also a potential problem.

How is his eating during the day? For us, 8 to 12 months or so was a time with a lot of night nursing because she was too busy during the day to do more than a sip here and there.

[lach]

I'm so sorry, and I've so been there. We tried cutting everything out and no improvements. It was so bad that he would wake up and there would be blood on his sheets from his cracked skin. His feet were particularly bad, and he'd scream in pain wearing socks or shoes. And it was winter in New England. If we were just running between car and store I'd leave his shoes off and let me tell you I got more than one nasty comment about that. But I'm sorry, his feet being very cold (and I'd cuddle them and dash, i swear) for 60 seconds seemed the lesser of two evils when the other one was putting on socks that made him scream and then would stick to his feet when I tried to take them off.

As much as I hate it, we did resort to Aquafor. It's just about the least "natural" thing you could hope for, but it was the only thing that offered him any relief.

So I'm sorry I don't have any advice except that, but I just wanted to say that I've been there and it's really miserable. For everyone involved.

[Harmony96]

Thanks for the replies. I was about to be all : b/c at one point when I checked, there were 20-something view but no replies yet.

Originally Posted by midnightwriter

It was rather insensitive of the homeopath to question you on folic acid after the fact.

...

If I were you, I'd stick with no dairy and see. Otherwise I'd always regret not doing it.

Thank you for the hugs. s:

I don't necessarily think it was insensitive of her. When I showed it to his doctor at his newborn visit and she told me what it was, I wondered it myself. And I'm sure she had to ask b/c if I DID for sure get enough folic acid, then that dimple would have been caused by something else, and maybe she needed that info to help figure out which remedy to give him.

I am going to stick w/ the no dairy, painful as it is, even though 1) I have done it before and 2) I DO regret trying it b/c I feel like it was a big waste of time, especially when people told me that three weeks wasn't long enough of a trial (which is what I did last time).

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

How is his eating during the day? For us, 8 to 12 months or so was a time with a lot of night nursing because she was too busy during the day to do more than a sip here and there.

Even though he's 8 months old, he's physically developing similarly to how his sister did. He gets around by rolling, and still can't really sit without support (except on his BBLP, lol) for more than a few seconds, and forget about crawling. Verbally, he babbles a little bit here and there but mostly just coos. Anyway all that to say that his nursing habits during the day have not changed.

Originally Posted by lach

I'm so sorry, and I've so been there. We tried cutting everything out and no improvements. It was so bad that he would wake up and there would be blood on his sheets from his cracked skin.

As much as I hate it, we did resort to Aquafor. It's just about the least "natural" thing you could hope for, but it was the only thing that offered him any relief.

s: I've had the blood-on-the-sheets scenario, too. Usually ours was caused by me not trimming a fingernail all the way down to the nubs, and then he's left with the tiniest of corners with which to scratch himself. I wouldn't notice the bleeding (which apparently bothered me more than it did him) until he woke up an hour or whatever later, and he had some dried blood caked around his cheeks.

I have not tried Aquafor specifically but I HAVE tried just about everything else and right now am doing nothing at all, since I noticed that his skin seemed slightly better when I "forgot" to put something on it for a few days.

[MaryMarg]

Hugs again to you mama. Our 16 month old has the same prob--severe on his legs and arms. I believe in homeopathy and am working with our homeopath for a remedy but haven't found it yet. Had DS's check up last week and believe it or not our pedi, who knows we are on the holistic path and don't do meds, said he agreed with our choice not to do the steroid cream! He said "hey, first, do no harm, right?" We were grateful. DS doesn't itch or scratch as much as your babe although cutting nails to a nub is a must with us, too. We too are considering the d/c dairy thing again. All that to say I know just how you feel about just letting him keep it and we are with you! Although we'll keep trying homeopathy and all the reasonable creams and lotions I can find, we probably will just let him keep it. You've got a lot of support including me! You're doing a great job!

[ikesmom]

I know this desperation btdt..

Can I just tell you that you didn't cause this..not your fault for what you did or didn't do.

We wrapped ds in wet cloth and slept holding his hands..sometimes if he sleeps with us dh says he wakes up and ds is holding my hands in his sleep even though we don't have the eczema anymore..habit.

Our situation seemed to get better after he turned 2..we found out he was very allergic to nuts..tree and peanuts..after the allergy testing and completely keeping him away from any possible contact..we found peace.

I just want to give you hugs..I know how crazy it can get and I am sorry..

[changingseasons]

This time, I am going through some SERIOUS withdrawal symptoms.

I can almost guarantee you that YOU have an allergy or intolerance to dairy. That is a very big symptom of it, if you can believe it!! Trust me, the cravings will fade, but it takes a while.

If you saw some improvement the first time you took out dairy, then it's definitely worth doing again. Many babies that have food allergies/intolerances are sensitive to more than one food- dairy and soy are the most common, but other common triggers are eggs, gluten, and corn. You also need to watch out for hidden ingredients; it's easiest when eliminating foods to avoid anything packaged/processed and just cook whole foods at home.

If his sleep and behavior are getting worse after cutting dairy, I would look at whatever you're eating more of- have you replaced your milk with soy milk, or rice milk, or...?

Are you keeping a food journal? Sometimes it takes a while to start seeing pattern with what you're eating vs symptoms in your LO.

Homeopathy can do great things, but it's not a miracle cure. It's not going to just fix food allergies over night. You still need to remove the problem foods and let the body heal, then the homeopathic remedies can do their thing more effectively.

Check out my blog- I have lots of info there about elimination diets, allergy symptoms, etc.

I know it's hard- but when you see your baby getting better, it is so worth it. And sometimes it takes a while for that to happen, but there are a lot of smart mamas in the allergy forum that can support you through it.

[kjbrown92]

[ellegoat]

Just wanted to add a hug too! I have eczema and my DD has it as well, and recently had a pretty bad flare up, which as a mama is heartbreaking to see her so uncomfortable and unable to sleep! Eczema is just such a tough thing to deal with.

Everyone's case of eczema seems to be different, but neither dairy elimination nor homeopathic treatments did anything for me. What does seem to help is eliminating sugar and citrus foods. For the LO, what helps are oatmeal baths and keeping the AC on (the eczema really flared up when we had a hot, humid spell).

[Harmony96]

A small piece of good news... he slept all night last night, yay. I really just want to stop everything and pretend the eczema just doesn't exist. He does scratch it, but I think it's mostly b/c he is just in a "grabby" phase. He scratches anything right now... the floor, my arm, his toys, lol. So as bad as it looks, it really doesn't seem to bother him. He is growing. He seems happy. He smiles at us and at his little friends. But then I remember back earlier in his life, and look at pictures, and his eczema wasn't as bad (wasn't over as large an area and also wasn't as red) back then, so if I DO just give up, it's reasonable to believe that it will continue to gradually get worse over time and eventually cover his whole body.

CS, the improvement I saw last time I took out dairy was very slight, and the improvement stopped after about 10 days or so. It didn't get any worse, but it didn't continue to get any better, either. I can't fathom that I would have a dairy issue. The prospect of being off it just for these six weeks is hard enough. In addition to my withdrawal symptoms that I mentioned earlier, I'm also shaky. I transcribe for a living and had to take a break b/c I was so shaky that I was having trouble typing. Of course, that could have been because I was just hungry in general, too. I got some almond milk and some soy ice cream so far. I tried keeping a food journal but never did see any pattern at all so I was probably doing that wrong, too, just like everything else. I want to see my baby getting better so that I CAN say that this was all so worth it, but I don't think it'll ever happen. The answer has to be out there, but it's not out there for me to find. It's out there and insists on staying hidden.

ellegoat, that's sort of another "problem" that I'm having is b/c eczema is triggered differently by everyone. Someone on my FB even said that hers went away when she cut out avocados, bananas and something else.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by Harmony96

CS, the improvement I saw last time I took out dairy was very slight, and the improvement stopped after about 10 days or so. It didn't get any
ellegoat, that's sort of another "problem" that I'm having is b/c eczema is triggered differently by everyone. Someone on my FB even said that hers went away when she cut out avocados, bananas and something else.

That last one sounds like a latex problem.
My DD2's eczema was from corn. If it's always there, then it's probably something you're eating all the time: the top 4 food intolerances (dairy, gluten, soy, corn) are also in 80-90% of the food supply. If it's waxing and waning, then it's probably a food you don't eat as often. That might help you figure it out. Whenever you start an elimination, you need to make sure that you replace your calories/fats so you're not starving, because then you just release more toxins into your breastmilk (I've heard).

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by Harmony96

I can't fathom that I would have a dairy issue. The prospect of being off it just for these six weeks is hard enough. In addition to my withdrawal symptoms that I mentioned earlier, I'm also shaky.

Do you think it's normal to have emotional and/or physical withdrawal symptoms when you take a food out of your diet?? Dairy and gluten have proteins that are hard for many people to digest, and if your body can't break them down fully, you have partial proteins floating around that create an opiod-like effect.

You said again that removing dairy the first time caused some relief of symptoms. I know that you want to believe that it's not a problem, but you have just proved that it is. If the symptoms didn't resolve completely, then there is probably something still in your diet that is a problem. Some kids have issues with only dairy, some kids have issues with dairy and soy, some kids have issues with a whole long list of foods (mine is one of them.)

Also, if I didn't already mention it, I absolutely would not replace your milk with soy milk- soy is a very common allergen as well- especially for kids who have dairy issues.

And like Kathy said- you can't just take a food out of your diet, you need to replace it with something. Make sure you're getting lots of good fats- eat some avocados, use coconut milk, etc. Take a look at Kathy's blog- she's got a ton of great recipes on there that are allergen-free. Also, there are a couple recipe threads in the allergy forum if you need ideas.

[neveryoumindthere]

nak
I hate to be a broken record, but I can't not share.. We had a full recovery of all our gut issues with chinese medicine within a week. If you look up my old posts in the Allergy forum you should find more details

sorry fussy babe

hth!

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

If it's always there, then it's probably something you're eating all the time...If it's waxing and waning, then it's probably a food you don't eat as often...make sure that you replace your calories/fats so you're not starving, because then you just release more toxins into your breastmilk (I've heard).

Well, it's both there all the time AND waxing and waning. On his "clearer" days, his skin has a significant pink tint and some scattered bumps. On his worst days, his skin is bright red, oozy, and solidly rough (i.e. no "scattering" to the texture).

Originally Posted by changingseasons

Do you think it's normal to have emotional and/or physical withdrawal symptoms when you take a food out of your diet??

No. And I think my reactions are more emotional than physical. The thought of never having dairy again? It's really making me sad.

Originally Posted by changingseasons

You said again that removing dairy the first time caused some relief of symptoms. I know that you want to believe that it's not a problem, but you have just proved that it is. If the symptoms didn't resolve completely, then there is probably something still in your diet that is a problem. Some kids have issues with only dairy, some kids have issues with dairy and soy, some kids have issues with a whole long list of foods (mine is one of them.)

Also, if I didn't already mention it, I absolutely would not replace your milk with soy milk- soy is a very common allergen as well- especially for kids who have dairy issues.

And like Kathy said- you can't just take a food out of your diet, you need to replace it with something. Make sure you're getting lots of good fats- eat some avocados, use coconut milk, etc. Take a look at Kathy's blog- she's got a ton of great recipes on there that are allergen-free. Also, there are a couple recipe threads in the allergy forum if you need ideas.

I think DS is going to be one of those "whole long list" children, too, or at least several items. By this time, last time I took out dairy, I was seeing some improvement. But not now. So here I go, wasting another six weeks. I should just take everything out and make my breakfast, lunch and dinner meal plan and eat the same foods every day. But then how do I do that and not spend all my time cooking from scratch? DD is not a picky eater, so she could easily transition into eating what I do. But DH already doesn't eat enough and if he couldn't eat "regular" stuff then he would starve.

And avocados are my nemesis. I try to eat them anyway, but am horrible at picking good ones. Maybe I'll get some that aren't quite ripe yet and they taste yucky, or maybe I got one and accidentally let it get TOO ripe and it developed those yucky fibrous areas inside. I have some coconut oil that I tried to take internally for a while, but it's "coconut-flavored" lol, so there's only so much I can put it in w/o feeling like I'm eating a bottle of suntan lotion. I tried it in oatmeal and I tried it in hot tea and I tried just chugging it in a little bit of hot water. But between all that, I was only able to force some down for about a week.

Originally Posted by neveryoumindthere

nak
I hate to be a broken record, but I can't not share.. We had a full recovery of all our gut issues with chinese medicine within a week. If you look up my old posts in the Allergy forum you should find more details

Maybe I'll do that in the future. While I am glad that you had a complete recovery with it, right now, I feel like it's just another fruitless path for me and would just be another way to waste a bunch of time and money, neither of which I have to spare.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by Harmony96

But then how do I do that and not spend all my time cooking from scratch?

I'm really not trying to be discouraging, but if you do in fact have a kid with a whole long list of allergies, then yes- you will spend a lot of time cooking from scratch. It gets easier once you get the hang of it. But again, it's worth it in the long run.

Check out some recipes, make stuff in big batches so that you can just heat up leftovers, freeze extra for later, throw stuff in a crockpot, etc.

[momtoTnT]

My ds also has had eczema his entire life (he's 6). We haven't figured out the cause of it yet - not sure if we ever will.

Honestly, the things that work for him to help him keep his skin clear are lots and lots of baths (1 per day minimum, 2 or more if he is flaring) for at least 15 minutes and then moisturizing while he's still damp - we also use aquaphor - we've tried everything else and this is the one thing that gives him relief without burning/stinging. We do resort to steroid creams if it's particularly bad - we've had several staph infections, and those freak me out.

We also have to watch the weather - humidity makes it worse for him. If we can keep him cool, we can keep the itch away. If we can keep the itch away, we can keep the skin clear.

Sorry you're dealing with this. It is no fun!

[Harmony96]

I'm trying a new, made-up recipe tonight that should be somewhat safe, and one which involved more prep time than I'm usually used to... lentil-veggie soup. I chopped up some carrots, zucchini and onions. The onions went into the water, as did the dry lentils, and both of those are cooking at the same time that I'm steaming the carrots and zucchini. Then when everything's done, I'll combine it w/ a can of diced tomatoes and some seasonings and maybe some olive oil since I need some fat in there somewhere.

And guess what. I did it w/o spending the hours in the kitchen that I thought I would, lol. It won't be this way for every meal, though, I'm sure. But like if I'm going to make something w/ chicken and need to bake a chicken breast first, I think I've been "counting" the 30 minutes of bake time as part of my "hours in the kitchen."

I think that reading through the recipe thread and Kathy's blog are going to be helpful. Doing THAT would be quite a substantial initial time investment, because I'd be reading each one and evaluating if it's reasonable to incorporate into my family's meal plan (ease of getting any special ingredients, etc.), and copying it into my personal file, maybe also noting which of the common allergens are absent AND present in each recipe, and sorting them, etc. Maybe this recipe project will be an excuse to teach myself Microsoft Access, lol.

[Harmony96]

What about pumpkin seeds? Like as a way to replace some fat, I mean.

[SquishyKitty]

Are you using any essential oils or anything on his skin?

I ask because that breaks me out worse than anything else out there. I would try the aquaphor, but I'd also try a lotion that soaks into his skin, and doesn't sit on top. Being hot and sweaty also makes it worse. I can't use ANYTHING with perfumes or dyes, for me, it's a completely topical allergy. If I use any cleaners, even "natural" ones, I have to wear gloves or risk an outbreak.

Strangely enough, the house we live in now has a well. It's the only water I've ever used that didn't break me out, and it's pulled from t he stream behind the house and filtered through a system in the basement. So, I also think it has to do with the water. Have you tried only using filtered water (if you have a brita filter or something similar) on him? Might help a little bit.

The second we go somewhere new and I wash my hands, instant outbreak. Its so frustrating some days I want to cry.