Elimination diet and still getting hives

[tooticky]

Dd has been getting hives for the past 5 weeks. Every day, at different times of day or night. I detailed the issue in another post here:

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/1310545/hives-in-4-yo-searching-for-cause-advice-would-be-lovely#post_16416563

She has now been dairy free for 24 days, wheat free for 17 days, and free from all of the top ten allergens for the past 4 days. She had had occasional trace amounts of soy over the past 24 days.

For the past four days she has been eating rice, pear, turkey, and Enjoy Life snack bars and cookies.

We have cut out all supplements for the past two days.

She is STILL getting hives!

How long should I keep this diet going before I look harder at the possibility that they are being caused by environmental allergens?

I have a referral to an allergist, but we're in Canada so it will probably be months or even a year before she will be seen. We can not afford to see a naturopath or NAET practitioner at this point.

TIA for any suggestions or ideas!

[Piglet68]

Hi Erin! DS has suffered from hives in the past. I don't think they are food related as his diet is fairly limited and doesn't vary much. OTOH I'm pretty sure he reacts to fragrances and other environmental stuff - for example his last outbreak occurred when MIL was visiting us (all MIL jokes aside, lol). She was staying in a local motel and he'd break out near the end of each daily visit, then it would disappear after she left and return the next day after she'd visited. I wondered if she was wearing some fragrance that he was reacting to. Anyways, just thought I'd mention to look at your soaps, shampoos, etc. Even if they haven't changed recently sensitivities can occur any time (I eventually outgrew mine).

[dawncayden]

I have found that hives were not food related but environmental for ds1 and ds2. Laundry detergent, certain clothing materials, fragrances, soap, shampoo. Any of these things could give hives. 

Hugs :)

[dawncayden]

And since I have read you other post now  we had 2 cats and carpet but suspected that those were reasons for the hives all over his back and tummy. Since moving and finding new himes for our cats his hives have diappeared. 

[tooticky]

Thanks for the replies! I think I was leaning towards foods being the cause because of the stomach aches and sore bum that were happening too. It may be that there was a food sensitivity that was unrelated to the hives - the gastro issues have been going on much longer than the hives after all.

Your posts are reassuring  Thanks!

[tinuviel_k]

I had hives once or twice a month for ten days or so every time, for almost nine months. It was horrible! I tried a very extensive elimination diet, tried visiting family in another part of the country for a month to see if it was something in my home environment, changed all my body care products... nothing changed.

My doctor and I noticed that I was getting sick quite frequently; catching a lot of colds. Maye one or two a month during the winter! I noticed a strange pattern; about five days after the onset of cold symptoms I would break out into fresh hives.
My doctor had my vitamin D levels checked. When they came back quite low he wondered if my low D levels were causing my immune system to go haywire. He thought it was possible I was catching more colds because of a low immune system and that my immune system was reacting to the cold virus with hives . He put me on a high D3 daily supplement and we had my blood levels checked every four months to make sure they were where they needed to be.

After I'd been taking the D for a few months and my levels approached the low side of normal I stopped getting sick and I stopped getting hives. I got sick once later that year and had a small hive reaction five days later. But since then I have caught much fewer colds and when I do I don't get any more hives.

[tooticky]

Wow - interesting, tinuviel_k! Vitamin D is such an important supplement...

I have been giving my kids fermented cod liver oil daily for about three years. I have never had them tested to make sure it is an adequate dose, but that may be something I should do.

Also interesting is that your hives were linked to getting cold viruses. I had read elsewhere as well. I'm not sure if I'm on a wild goose chase, but she did have chicken pox about two weeks before the hives started. I gave her an antiviral during the pox. Maybe the combo threw her for a loop?

I have started giving her kombucha, starting yesterday, to support her gut flora.

Last night was the first night in weeks that she wasn't really uncomfortable. She scratched just a few times, and she only had a few hives during the day yesterday.

Fingers crossed!

[tooticky]

Eeek - see this update: http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/1311658/pretty-clear-allergic-reaction-to-wheat-now-what#post_16429541