Anyone found dairy and eczema are linked?

[Roseii]

Sorry not sure If this belongs here on in health. Dd1 has never ever had dairy issues to my knowledge, she's always eaten all forms of it, has an iron stomach and never gets sick/tummy problems. However her eczema is getting steadily worse And she's drinking more milk than ever-she's addicted to the stuff, I am really loathed to take it away from her
She has the eczema that makes the hair follicles raised and red (can't remember the name) on her legs pretty badly, odd patches of rough red skin in all the crevices, and recently developed what looks like a ton of chicken pox in her armpits and all down her arms, that's more eczema too. Dr has prescribed a bath oil, a steroid cream and a moisturiser, and has never ever mentioned her diet..

Anyone had reason to believe their LO's diet and eczema are linked? Thanks.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Well, Spencer's ezcema disappeared when I stopped BF (was eating hidden dairy at the time) and has never returned. Masyn has the same bumpy redness on her arms and legs, she doesn't get loads of dairy anymore though. Hmmm, makes me wonder! 

[~ Vik ~]

Yes, absolutely, 100%. Just on my iPod so typing quickly, but Dylan's eczema was at its worst as a baby before we discovered his dairy allergy. It improved a bit then (around 6mo) but didn't really get better until we got allergy testing done and eliminated everything from our diets. Even now it's pretty much gone but will still flare up if he's exposed even if he doesn't get hives. I realize Dylan's a bit different because he is actually allergic to dairy, but his eczema seems more linked to it than any of his other allergens.

[anna*]

Not for us, eczema here is reaction to detergent.

[Hedgehog17]

Yes, totally.

DS's main reaction to dairy (He's MPI) is an eczema flare-up.

When he gets no dairy the eczema is barely there.

DH's eczema has almost disappeared since he went dairy free (he's not 100% dairy free but close to it) and his asthma has vastly improved too.

Dairy is a common trigger from eczema.

[~*~Louisa~*~]

Sophina has extreame excema, there isnt a particular rhythem or rhyme to it now other then her skin hates the heat and it also hates the cold lol

As a baby there was a huge link between dairy and her excema though, our dietion told us its usually the milk protien which causes excema and lactose is responsible for bad tummys

[~*~Louisa~*~]

to add if you think its linked it probabaly is, you see her every day uyou know if it gets worse with the dairy, thats how i knew Sophina was

[Mashi]

Yes, my DS's was. It was his cheeks that were really bad when he was a baby and they cleared up within a very short time of going onto Nutramigen. 

Dr has prescribed a bath oil, a steroid cream and a moisturiser, and has never ever mentioned her diet..

This is EXACTLY what we were given for DS from the start when he was a baby, rather than anyone looking for the cause of the excema.  Diprobase (moisturiser), hydromol (bath oil), dermacort (steroid), and epaderm (parrafin cream for overnight).   The hydromol and dermacort did very little for him - probably because he was still getting the milk - and the diprobase made it worse. He would scream and cry as I rubbed it in and for a good hour after I put it on he looked like his skin was burned.  I used it one time on my own excema break-out and it stung like mad, so I binned it.  The epaderm is good, quite soothing overnight.

Finally had a dr who prescribed Aveeno.  Worked wonders for DS.  It is very expensive so good to get on script if you can, and we had both the lotion and the cream (the cream is a bit thicker) as well as the bath oil. It cleared him up quite quickly!!!     

[~Emma~]

Is it keratosis pilaris that your DD gets?

 I have found dairy to be the main symptom (that and gut ache) of dairy for DD. Its fairly cumulative with her so she is hard to get back on to dairy as she will do days and be fine then after a few days or even more than a week sometimes the eczema flares and the guts get painful. 

 We use emollient and bath stuff for her all the time but only use the steroid cream when things are flaring, she tends to itch like mad before the skin itself gets really bad.

 Your doc isn't likely to biring up food allergies, they dont know enough about it really I dont think, IME neither do HV's. 

[Shiv52]

Your doc isn't likely to biring up food allergies, they dont know enough about it really I dont think, IME neither do HV's.

Agree

Rosa had really bad skin as a baby that was only healed when i went dairy free.  even now her skin flares if she gets too much dairy. 

Even if the doctor did mention it the only way to know for sure is to cut back the amount of dairy she is getting and see does it help her skin clear up.  I actually found the creams etc only helped so much.  its the limiting dairy has helped here. 

If she is taking loads more dairy than normal and her skin is getting worse I do think there could be a link. 

[Roseii]

Thanks everyone.

Vikki do you know if I could get DD tested for a reaction to dairy?? Dd2 is/was mpi but her skin is perfect, it's all a gut reaction with her.

Thanks Mashi, I will look up that Aveena. She isn't bothered by the cream so long as she can rub some into DH's tattoos swell

Emma yes that's the one, that's what she has on her legs and a bit on her arms (and looks a bit like that on her cheeks too but I don't think it's hair follicle there?!) On her armpits and inner arms
It's angry red patches and spots, but that's getting better with the steroid, but I'd really rather not keep applying it

Even dh thinks dairy could be the culprit. I seriously have no idea how I will
Get her off the milk to trial it though

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I seriously have no idea how I will
Get her off the milk to trial it though

Would she understand if you explained that you want to see if it will make her skin better by not having milk?  We are starting to explain to Spencer why she cannot have some of the foods we are eating and she takes it all in stride (granted, she has been off dairy and eggs since before she can remember and gluten for almost a year)

I would think that if ezcema is the only issue that an allergy test may not show anything, we did the skin prick and blood tests for milk and eggs and it was all negative.  I would think with a true allergy you would see more of a reaction...

[~ Vik ~]

I would think that if ezcema is the only issue that an allergy test may not show anything, we did the skin prick and blood tests for milk and eggs and it was all negative.  I would think with a true allergy you would see more of a reaction...

That was my thought too - Dylan gets hives and swelling on direct contact, and the eczema flare afterwards. He never got hives from my BM but his eczema was horrendous as a baby from the proteins in my milk.
Eczema is an atopic (allergic) condition, just like asthma, but that doesn't mean results would show on a standard allergy test

[EloysH]

If you are interested in a good read that covers the link between food intolerance, gut health and skin amoungst other behavioural conditions read Dr Campbell McBride - Gut and Pyschology Syndrome.

 It's a real eye opener, essentially is says skin conditions and many other health problems are reflection of gut issues and gut health.

She details a very strict diet to heal the gut, and then shes says once the gut is healed alot of the intolerances and skin conditions won't be an issue.  We haven't done the diet or anything but this booked has helped us immensly.

[~Emma~]

DS has keratosis pilaris. I was told by my doc that its likely not related to anything, just one of those things. He gets it on his arms and legs and also red rash on his face sometimes. I have often wondered of had an intolerance of some kind. He was a refluxy baby, very constipated. mmmmmm. 

Eeeek, I cant imagine restricting DS's dairy now. It would be alot of explaining, quite often though he does ask for 'Dylans special milk' on his cereal. (we use the Kara coconut stuff, quite nice actually)