BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Food Allergies => Topic started by: KittysMum on June 15, 2008, 12:53:43 pm
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Hi all
If you've read any of my other threads, you'll know that we've been battling eczema and lack of weight gain with Kitty. It's occurred to me through reading the posts on these boards, that it may be MSPI. See what you think...
Kitty's 3 1/2 months and has had eczema for about the past 2 months. I've been given emollients, silk bodysuits and steroid creams for flare ups. We've wondered if the cause could be hereditary, our long haired indoor cat, dust (plenty of that in our house!) pollen, food...
As well as the itchy eczema/rash, her problems include: not gaining weight for the past 6 weeks, diarrhea and vomiting after feeds.
For the past fortnight I've half-heartedly given up milk (meaning I've switched to rice milk on my cereal, having black coffee and stopped eating cheese. I love milk and would regularly have 2 or 3 big bowls of cereal swimming in milk as snacks. My nickname at college was 'cereal killer'...) Anyway - this past week, her skin almost totally cleared. (She's breastfed btw)
But because she's not putting on weight, my HV has recommended that I give her 2 bottle feeds of formula a day. On Friday I gave her 2 5oz bottles of Aptamil First milk for the first time. A few hours later, the skin around her chin (where the bottle had dribbled) had come up in a rash (see pic below) This got us wondering...
The next day, her eczema had flared up again in a red itchy rash over most of her body, when only the day before the skin had been peachy.
What are your thoughts? We've got an appointment to see a paediatrician next week, during which I'm hoping they'll do some tests. In the meantime, I'm being really careful to avoid any milk products in food.
Could it be that if she is MSP intolerant, she'll start regaining weight as soon as the milk is out of her system? Do you think we'll need to supplement with a hypoallergenic formula in the meantime?
Thanks in advance for any replies.
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OH WOW... That rash looks really bad. YES YES YES... Stop all milk now.
If it cleared up when you stopped milk, then you have your answer.
I think she will deft. gain weight once her intestines have had time to heal (2 weeks).
I would 100% supplement with a hypoallergenic formula if your doctor says to supplement.
Here is a link to a sticky topic for ingredients to avoid.
www.index.php?topic=69218.0
Poor baby.. I would also push for allergy testing. Just remember though, the results could soy negative if it is just an intolerance.
HUGS to you, Wendy
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Thanks Wendy. That's encouraging! It would be fantastic to know the reason for her eczema flare ups, then we could control them.
It's not 100% clear to me yet, as I also stopped an emollient that I thought was causing the problem at the same time as I thought she was allergic to paraffin. But I suppose she could be allergic to both or just the milk.
But the rash was the flag that made us stop and think really - it was exactly where the formula had dribbled down her chin (and bad mum that I am, I hadn't washed her properly!)
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To me on her chest, it looks just like the reaction my son got to amoxillion (antibiotic). It first started off as hives, but then turned into this awful red rash. The doctor called it something, but I can't remember. Here is a picture. Just showing you because I really think that looks like an allergy to something.
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It does look very similar doesn't it?
Here are my pics: the first is Kitty on Friday morning after a fortnight of me eliminating dairy (albeit a bit half-heartedly); the second is the chin rash that appeared a couple of hours after her first formula feed on Friday afternoon, then the third is her on Saturday morning.
It does look very similar indeed to your son's rash...
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Oh my goodness, that looks nasty :( Poor you and baby. Just wanted to drop in some hugs to you, I read your thread often, have no words of wisdom, just loads of hugs xxxxxxxxx
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Aw, you're lovely!
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I am sorry to be so blunt, but to me that is 100% without a doubt an allergic reaction. I would not have to even question it or think about it, that rash is all I would need not to give her milk. I would NOT give her that formula anymore at all. Either try a soy based or a hypoallergenic formula.
My kids never got rashes from milk, they had an intolerance, so got the GI upset.
When can you get into the doctor?
I would take those pics to the doctor.
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I totally agree - thank you for being blunt! A bit of bluntness can be quite useful sometimes.
Which is why I was incredulous when the HV suggested (as a way to see if it was the milk causing the reaction) that I give her some more and 'see if it happens again'.
I did not agree (unsurprisingly - I told her my baby isn't a science experiment) and she asked a doctor who's got me some Neocate.
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Does anyone know how long it takes for something I've eaten to affect her? I stupidly ate some fish in batter on Tuesday (not thinking that it was made with milk) and now today (Thursday) her face and neck are all rashy again. Could there be a link? (We also had tomatoes in our meal last night - I've read they can cause problems sometimes?)
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Poor baby. It seems like she is really allergic to milk, so it cold have been from the little bit of milk that the fish was coated in. OR it could be fish or tomatoes, both are high allergen foods.
It sounds like you are going to have to go on a very basic diet yourself. Have you read the sticky about ingredients to avoid for milk?
Also not sure if I sent you this link, but it may be worth paying $25.00 a year for.
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
Hugs hun. I really hope the neocate helps her. Just to forwarn you, neocate makes some of the stinkiest poo's I have ever smelled in my life and can be constipating.
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Thanks so much. I'm hoping we'll get some answers next week at the hospital, if they are able to allergy test her. Though I've been reading the other allergy threads, and the results seem a bit iffy, as they perhaps don't show up intolerances, just proper allergies.
Looking forward to these pongy poos! Though I'm only using it to top up here and there, so perhaps I'll escape those.
I really hope she's not allergic to wheat; dairy I can easily give up, but bread, croissants, pasta, cereal... eek.
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Oh, and another interesting thing... I've always had terrible rosacea on my cheeks and nose and since eliminating dairy it's improved loads. I might not go back if it could be that I'm somehow sensitive to it too...
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You say you can't give up breads, corsianntes, etc. They all have milk in them though.
I only found one bread that was dairy free and I know the Pillsbury Cresent rolls do not list dairy in the ingredients.
Allergy test will not show intolerances at all. For us Tyler showed negative to everything, however reacts with a bad rash to oats and very gassy/GI upset with milk. We avoid both.
I still would do the test though.
Glad to hear about your face clearing up, amazing.
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All the best foods have milk in them it seems! I had actually been avoiding those foods; forgot when I posted that message. My lovely dh has actually been baking me bread especially (what a find he was, eh?)
Any ideas how long it takes for the milk proteins to leave my body and hers? Only, we seem to have a day when her skin's better, then it flares up a bit again. I don't want to eliminate wheat at this stage, as I think we need to give the dairy longer first, see what results we get from that.
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It can take up to 2 weeks, but it may take longer for her intestines to heal from the damage.
You mentioned cat before. Are you thinking there is any connection at all?
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Yes, we've got a long-haired Persian. I'm wondering if he could be the problem... do you have any experience of pets causing eczema?