Introducing milk again...red cheeks & respiratory issues?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Hi,

I think I made a post about this the last time we tried milk out, but here goes:

We are trying for the 2nd time to wean Spencer from soy formula to milk...last time she got horribly constipated (think rabbit pellets  ) so we went back to formula. This week I started adding about 2 oz of whole milk to every sippy cup and then she started getting a snotty nose, wheezy chest and has bright red cheeks today. Not sure if she's constipated...but she hasn't pooped today yet, and was at daycare yesterday and DH never asks. When she was BF she always had eczema, I never cut out dairy totally, and when I switched to formula the eczema disappeared. She does eat very small amounts of cheese and yogurt, which doesn't seem to affect her.

So, do I keep persisting with the milk? keep going with the formula for a few more months and try again?or go to soy milk (does it have enough fats for her age???)

TIA 

[scarlettsmom]

Hi there,

With the wheezing I would say stop immediately.  Wheezing can indicate a very serious allergy (anaphalytic, which can be dangerous/impacts breathing).  My older daughter had wheezing with her penicillin allergy, and ended up being hospitalized for a night and had to get an adrenaline shot...she now has an epi-pen I don't want to scare you, but that's a serious symptom.  Honestly, call your ped and let him/her know of the symptoms.

((((hugs))))).  I hope it's nothing, but for sure stop for now (I would even halt the cheese/yogurt for now until you get some more info).


   

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Spencer's allergic to penicillin too...and eggs. She's constipated now too, definitely stopping. Problem is we see our GP and can only see a ped on referral, and he won't refer us for the other allergies (nor would he give me a epi-pen prescription). I think I'm going to see if I can get her with a dr in the next town, one of my co-workers sees her and she's very thorough.

Thanks 

[scarlettsmom]

Problem is we see our GP and can only see a ped on referral, and he won't refer us for the other allergies (nor would he give me a epi-pen prescription).

Thanks 

 

Wow, that's frustrating.  I'm glad to hear you are going to get around your current GP.  Let us know how it goes.

((((hugs)))) with the constipation.  Poor little bub.  It's so hard doing trials isn't it?  The good news is that there is a very good chance of outgrowing the food ones by 2.   

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Very frustrating...especially since he has always been very thorough for everything DH and I have needed. I so just want her to get allergy tests to find out for sure what is going on...

thanks again 

[lilisuze]

Just reading this post and lurking a bit. Did not know you were MPI too! we are reintroducing milk aswell, but with limited success. Can MPI cause behavioural problems? my lo is not only having red cheeks and runny nose, but screaming a lot for no apparent reason (seems different to tantrums because he cant have his own way) and NW's by the shedload.

Hopefully the allergy tests will get you a list of things to avoid.....

[Mashi]

Heidi I didn't realise you had to have referrals for paeds in Sask!  Wow!  I wonder if Ontario has gone that way too!

Re the fats in soy milk - none of the soy milk that I have ever found had enough fat OR enough of the right nutritional balance (vit D, calcium and a couple of other things, maybe vit B12?) so until DS could do cow's milk I kept him on HA formula.  What formula was she on?

[scarlettsmom]

Can MPI cause behavioural problems? my lo is not only having red cheeks and runny nose, but screaming a lot for no apparent reason (seems different to tantrums because he cant have his own way) and NW's by the shedload.

Oh yeah, can definitely cause those issues.  Especially if your LO has non-ige symptoms (digestive issues mostly).   Sorry things aren't going so great w/the trials.  Any issues with his poops?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We're on Isomil and trying to mix in soy milk... she doesn't really like it much! So, mostly formula still! Thinking if I can get her on to soy milk (cheaper that way) to add flax oil, or maybe coconut oil for the flax and try to get the other nutrients through her solids. (and maybe a multivitamin too)  

Spencer has become quite a terror lately...I had attributed it to age, but maybe not! No NW's or anything, but nap refusals at daycare.

Mashi...yup, need a referral to see a ped, sucks bigtime. Our GP could refer us straight to an allergist but he won't (old school, figures not until she's older or has an anaphylactic reaction    personally I'd like to know before it gets to that point! we are quite certain she's allergic to eggs and penicillin already...)

Have to run, think someone's pooped in the tub again...DH just can't handle that himself!!!!

[lilisuze]

lol about poops in the bath....my DH cant handle that either!

Tari- its always been sick problems and poop issues with my lo. Poops are obviously normally normal now (iykwim!) and we have about 3 days of normal then 2 of runny. Its like it was before we moved to soy really. Anyways we have stopped it for now, til after the holidays then going to try one more time.

Heres hoping this screaming stops, its like tantrums but for no reason! and seems to go on for ages!

Lili xx

[scarlettsmom]

((hugs)) lili.  The food issues along with the age (getting independent and learning to express themselves) can be a VERY trying time. 

And lol about the poop in the bath.....my DH is usually great with all things with the girls, but that will send him yelling for me. 

[deb]

Your GP won't let you see a ped? Or prescribe an epi-pen?!?!? Will he consider a nutritionist if her weight is "off" at least? I'm glad you stopped the dairy - it sounds like she's got a full-blown allergy to the dairy from the symptoms you're describing, not just an "intolerance," which I'd expect would be tummy troubles (poop, gas, pain) but not the red cheeks too. On the down side, I've learned that even the blood tests aren't 100% accurate; elimination diet is really the only way to be sure, but my issue with that is that even if we cut it down to 3-4 foods (hypothetically), what if Josie turned out sensitive to one of those? I mean, DH is sensitive to, of all things, CHICKEN, and many times allergies run in families, but that doesn't stop the docs from telling us to cut back to chicken and rice.

Yes, dairy can DEFINITELY cause behavioral issues in kids who are sensitive to it! It can totally mess with blood and brain chemistry, not to mention if it damages the gut lining then undigested food particles can pass directly into the bloodstream. Leaky gut is nothing to mess with! BTW, artificial colors can also cause behavioral problems in kids sensitive to those (one lives here... ). Make sure you wait a good long time before trying dairy again to give any possible gut damage time to heal.

On the down side, soy can also cause issues of its own, above and beyond being its own allergen for many people. Have you tried rice milk? It's often fortified with calcium and some vitamins, and it has a sweeter taste than soy milk. We got the girls used to it by putting it on cereal, and Nat will CHUG the stuff given half a chance. There are also some calcium supplements available if nothing else is "acceptable;" J won't touch rice milk with a 10-foot pole unless it's hidden in a smoothie or cereal, but fortunately the girls can both handle yogurt, although not straight cows' milk.

It's so rough working around allergies to food; I know we have it easier than a lot of people, but man, it'd be nice sometimes to NOT have to keep such a tight rein on what goes into them!

[scarlettsmom]

BTW, artificial colors can also cause behavioral problems in kids sensitive to those (one lives here... ). Make sure you wait a good long time before trying dairy again to give any possible gut damage time to heal.

Here too (I think, along w/HFCS).

btw, off topic, but Deb, I checked out the links to the sites from the other thread, and omg, my jaw DROPPED when I saw the Eat Right for your Type info.  Wow.  It explains so much.  Just got the book.  Thanks for the info...

[deb]

Any time - that (Eat Right 4 Your Type) is how we found DH's chicken issues.

And yes, HFCS is EVIL!!!! 

[scarlettsmom]

I know - it should totally be banned, (and don't get me started about hydrogenated oils!!! 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Your GP won't let you see a ped? Or prescribe an epi-pen?!?!? Will he consider a nutritionist if her weight is "off" at least?

Nope...and the kicker is I've taken Masyn to the ped in Saskatoon (nearest city) twice, but they will not see Spencer unless I can get a referral!  Living in rural Sask sucks when it comes to Dr's...our regular GP is in a town 1/2hour away, the GP where we live is over 80 years old and we have heard only bad things about him. There is a small city a 1/2 hour in the other direction from where our GP is, and I'm hoping I can find a Dr. there who will refer me. I will see them all if need be. Hoping I can get an appt after Xmas sometime.

I really want the epi-pen though. DH had taken Spencer to the doctor here for tonsillitis and forgot that she's allergic to penicillin. If the nurse hadn't phoned me to get my take on Spencer's illness, they would have prescribed it and he would have taken her home and given it to her!!! That and a medic alert bracelet and I'd feel slightly better! At least our daycare is being proactive about it (apparently one of the staff has a milk allergy too) so this morning the lady in charge of the babies said they will but out all dairy for her too.

I would love to try rice milk, but I'm not sure where I can get it around here. I'll have to check it out and see.

Well I did bath time tonight and no more poop in the tub, and it seems to be gatting better!

[Cozyhat]

It does sound like a dairy issue.  My older daughter used to get eczema and also have respiratory issues.  We did an allergy panel and yes, she came up moderately allergic to milk.  What this meant for us was to eliminate "cups" of milk.  She can have milk in yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc. but, no "cups" of milk.  Instead she drinks organic soy milk.  Nutritionally, I think she does pretty well.  She's also now on fish oil in addition to her daily supplements.  Vitamin D is also important.

I've just recently skimmed through a book called, The China Study.  The author gives thumbs down to dairy, favoring a plant based diet...which I agree, I suppose.  Soy has issues, too.  Heck, wheat has issues, too....having recently discovered that I'm now celiac.  Ugh.  Since when did nourishing our bodies become so complicated, I wonder?

I have dairy allergies as well, but mine don't exhibit themselves in the form of a rash.  My acne cleared up after removing dairy products.  Our skin is the biggest indicator as to what is going on in our digestive tract...it's crazy.

[Mashi]

Ugh, Heidi sounds like a bit of a nightmare. I know living rurally can be so hard for facilities, doctors especially.  Rural life used to be so normal to me (although Ontario, not Sask!!!) and now that I am really pushing us to make the move home this summer I am starting to get in a panic about all of it again, after I've had so many years of living in Asia and Europe where a small town is 100,000 people!! 

A Medic Alert bracelet is a good idea - you don't need to go through your doctor for them, in fact when I got mine (8 years ago I think?) the system had nothing to do with your doctor. Go onto the MedicAlert website and you choose your bracelet and fill in the info required and what is to be engraved on the back.  I think they cost about $100 and there is also a yearly suscription to keep your info on file - so should a person wearing a bracelet be taken into hospital they can get the basic urgent info from the bracelet and there is also an ID number on there. The hospital will call MedicAlert and get the rest of the details that are kept on file.  Things may have changed or perhaps that process was specific to Ontario, but that is how it was when I got mine.

I had many problems getting an epi-pen for myself as well - severe allergies to aspirin, poppy seeds and bee stings. Have had anaphylactic reactions to all three, been rushed to hospital in ambulance and given adrenaline.  It was only after the poppy seeds that I got an epipen (aspirin reaction at age 5, bee stings at age 12, poppy seeds at age 15) and when it passed the expiry date I was not able to get another one, although I can't remember the details of why not, my mother would have probably written it in one of my medical books but who knows where they are now!  When I moved to England, 3 different GPs at the doctor's practice all agreed that I should have one but they were not able to prescribe one to me on the NHS with no "proven" reason to...as in, it was all just me telling them that these things had happened to me and no UK history of it being on my record. I don't know why places are so stingy with them - expensive or not, they can save a life! Not that any of this helps you, but just letting you know you are not alone in having troubles getting an epi pen!

Rice milk should not be too hard to find - there must be a health food store in Saskatoon that can order it in for you. All of the Rice Milk that I have seen in UK and Germany is UHT....so can be kept unrefrigerated for months without going off. So you could buy loads at once and not have to make weekly trips into Sask.  And, look in to getting them to deliver it to you - prob not much more expensive than the price of gas anyway!!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Sheesh, I just typed up a post and then got the internal server error! Oh well, at least it wasn't super long!

I totally forgot about UHT packaging, every time I think "milk" I think perishable! I have to do a monthly run for diapers, wipes etc so I can sure stock up on that too!

I checked out the MedicAlert webiste, they have a program on for school aged kids to get one free, but I'm not waiting that long. I wonder can you get them changed easily if we finally get her tested to add other things? I'll have to check that out more.

That's so frustrating that you can't get the epi-pen! Really I don't get the stingyness with them, I'd gladly pay for a couple even if my insurance didn't cover it. Hopefully we can get in quick with a new Dr. and get a referral for an allergist. I found out my niece (2yrs) had to wait for 6 months to get tested!!!