Has my toddler got a milk intolerance? **UPDATE, advice appreciated**

[MummyToBen]

Hi folks

Sorry if there are lots of posts already about this - it's hard to find anything without the search facility.  

Basically, ds (15 months) has always had bad reflux and is still medicated with a ppi.  He has always had some excema - we use special bath lotion (tried many and this is the only one that helps) and aqueous cream every night, but it never actually disappears.  It is only a patch on his back, and does not seem to bother him, but it is more making me wonder if we have missed an intolerance/allergy?

So, my question is - what do I do now?!  

I have thought about switching him to rice milk for a trial period, but then wasn't sure what else I would have to take out? He loves yoghurt and cheese, so I'm worried about how I would take these out of his diet. He currently has a cup of two of organic cows milk each day. Any tips would be gratefully received  .

He came up with hives on his face the couple of times he tried salmon, so he's not had that for over 6 months now....not sure if that helps narrow anything down?!  

Thank you

Claire x

[squeakersmum]

No help here but lurking as DS has pretty bad eczema but only on his back too!

Like your Ben, my Ben never manages to get rid of it completely and we've tried everything.  It does flare up really badly sometimes and then we have to use one application of steroid cream to calm it to the point it's not hurting him again.

Really interested to hear what people say,

Steph XXX

[anna*]

I know this doesn't answer your question, and I'm not sure if it's something you'd be interested in trying but Stan had quite bad eczema (not as bad as lots of kids, but bad enough that it would crack and get infected) and homeopathy really helped. A lot. To the point where most people wouldn't even notice he has it, and I barely ever have to use steroid cream on it.

The homeopath did want us to go dairy free but exchanging goat milk/cheese/yoghurt for cows didn't help - nor did soy - and I wasn't prepared to go any further. It did take several months and several visits to the homeopath to find the remedy that worked for him. Of course, he may have just grown out of it but when I compare his skin now to how it was a year ago, the difference is incredible.

[MummyToBen]

Hi again

Can someone help me figure out if this shows that Ben has a milk allergy please?...........

He had a sickness and diarrhea bug from friday til saturday, and I was advised to avoid all dairy during this time (he hardly ate anything anyway, but I didn't give him his nighttime milk etc).  On Saturday afternoon he ate well and seemed much better, and then had a full meal on Saturday evening.  He seemed much more his normal self and was eating/drinking fine, diarrhea had stopped. 

Then on Sunday morning because he seemed so well I decided it would be ok to give him milk on his cereal, but he was sick a short while afterwards.  So I just decided to not give him milk for a couple of days, until this lunchtime I gave him some cheese.  He woke up from his nap with BRIGHT red cheeks, bumpy skin on his face and in a bit of a grouchy mess (he had terrible wind too  ).  I think he is teething too, but I wondered if it was more to do with the cheese?  I've realised that his cheeks have not been like this at all for the last few days while he was off dairy, whereas they were like it quite often before (although not every day  ).  Also, his excema has seemed slightly better, for the past couple of days, although not sure if this is a coincidence?

So, does anyone think this might be linked, or could it just be a coincidence.  And, most importantly, I don't know what to do next??  Do I take him to the doctors, try and introduce the milk (which I'm now scared to do), give him a few more days without milk and cheese .  I am confused as to what I would need to cut out anyway, would it have to be all dairy, and should I introduce soy?

Thank you so much, I just feel clueless and not sure what next move to take
Claire xxx

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I would start with a trip to the doctor really, that way they can help you figure it out and possibly do allergy testing. That said, it seems like it could be the milk. Spencer was on soy formula and ate a bit of yogurt, but when we tried to intro whole milk we got red cheeks, tummy upset, and a runny nose/wheezing. I have an appt with an allergist in a month, but we decided to go dairy free since Xmas. She drinks soy milk now, and doesn't even like cheese, so that's not a problem.

Yesterday and today I fed her a yogurt, just to see how it went and she has red cheeks again (actually down to her chin and as high as her eyes) and is having loose poos and is fussy. But...this am I noticed that the points of two of her canines has popped through the gum, so it makes me wonder what is really the problem. Never a clear answer with these kids 

[Ellie-Leo]

Hmm can I also join in as I suspect my LO may have a milk intolerance.. Can they develop it over time?

It is hard to tell at the moment because he has had MAJORLY disturbed sleep due to ear problems, but basically having had a small amount of eczema on his legs, which has been kept at bay with cream (epaderm), he now has a blotchy eczema type rash on his tummy too. Although his cheeks are getting rough. Cream isn't making any difference. He has recently had a stomach bug, and also massively increased his milk intake (having learned how to ask for it!) - and I wonder if the bug has left him less able to break down the milk products, he's having more than before etc etc and therefore worse excema. Also he is so uncomfortable in bed, I am wondering if part of it is stomach pains, rather than just ears.

Sorry to hijack your thread! Just wondering if any of the above sounds familiar to anyone, or even logical? Also, I bought some soy milk today to start eg mixing half and half with the cow's milk - is that the right way to start? Is the only way to tell if he's intolerant to start eliminating it?

TIA for any tips

Ellie x

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

 Is the only way to tell if he's intolerant to start eliminating it?

I think so, but I would want to see a doctor first and rule out anything else. We were already on soy formula as she couldn't tolerate reg formula or dairy in BM, so when the time came to try whole milk as we started offering it we noticed symptoms coming up and just stopped. We ended up keeping her on formula for a while and when cow's milk didn't work a second time we went to soy milk until we see the allergist and get a better idea where we stand with it.

Spencer had eczema as a baby, and it only fully cleared up going to soy formula full time, which makes me wonder if it was the trace dairy in my diet or something else I was eating causing it.