Doctors, allergies and eczema

[Schae]

My 8 week old has eczema. I'm on an elimination diet (dr sears). Last Monday we went to see a dermatologist as the eczema was sooo bad and other doctors had not been helpful.

We were given steroid/cortizone creams and a syrup to give ds2 once a day (also a steroid). All these things cleared up his eczema (I'm still on the diet).

Today we went for a follow up with the doc, and basically it's carry on as we have been - but give ds2 the steroid syrup three times a week for another month and then go back and see him again. This bothers me, as it's just pushing medicine at us and not looking at what triggers the eczema.

Anyway, basically I'm asking if it does any good continuing with the elimination diet whilst ds2 is on these meds? When can I start adding things back into my diet (been doing the ED for three weeks)? Will he even get a reaction from anything I eat considering he's on medicine?

thanks in advance!

[mamafish9]

You're probably not going to figure out much while he's on the meds.  So I'd either go off the meds and see if with the ED he's OK now, or go off the ED (it's not good to be on for more than a few weeks).

I personally would stop the meds and see where he's at on the ED - 3 weeks is long enough to have cleared stuff out of your system, so you'll be able to see if his skin stays OK off the meds.  If it does, then you can start adding foods back!

[Schae]

thank you for your reply (you're very knowledgeable, i've read your other posts) :)

we've cut out the meds and his skin is much better, BUT he's now having very mucousy poops. I have no idea what to do anymore. They smell very strange and are brown. *sigh*

not sure what the next step is...

[KimPM]

Important - If you are stopping cortisone, you need to taper off.  I see by the date it may be too late for tapering.  Hope everything went okay.

[mamafish9]

Well, it sounds like the ED has eliminated some of his reactive foods, but not all.  The next step would be to rotate out one of the foods you're eating (switch for something else).  What are you eating, we may be able to help you guess the most likely culprit.  Also, are you on any supps, they often contain hidden ingredients.

[Schae]

@Kim - we went down to 3 times a week last week tapering off the cortisone. :)

I am eating:

sweet potatoes, potatoes, rice (normal and basmati), rice cakes, maize meal (hmm, this is fortified - i better look at it), different squashes, pears, pear juice,  rice milk, chicken and lamb. I recently added: goats milk and cheese and rice bread.

I take salmon oil supps - thats it.

[Eliasmom]

You may also want to add some hemp milk or coconut milk into your diet to get some fat-important for both you and baby.  If you continue to battle eczema, you can try wet wrapping.  If you google it, you should find some references for the technique or you can check out parents of food allergic kids.

[kjbrown92]

i'd take the goat's milk and cheese out and see if you can get back to baseline. that would be my first guess.

[Schae]

thanks all.

baseline would be no new eczema? is that possible?

we're having a tough time tho, as its summer here and its HOT which aggravates the eczema too.

And today we had bloody mucousy poop nappies - i'm eliminating the salmon oil capsules.

*sigh*

i don't know what to do next.

Do you think allergy blood tests are accurate on a 9 week old?