trying to find the allergies - please help!

[dancingbear]

Hi all,

My name is emma and my daughter millie is 7.5 months. Firstly i have had allergies my whole life, i had chronic excema from about 6 months to age 13, i have allergic rhinitis pretty badly and am intolerant of soft fruits (strawberry, cherry, plum etc). Millie was okay til about 4.5 months when she started sleeping really badly and then got 2 patches of excema on either cheek which spread across her scalp. her sleeping reached the point where she was up 2-3 hrs every night about 3am screaming and also with bad wind. Went to the docs who were NO help at all, suggested i put vaseline on her skin and said it couldn't possibly be a food allergy so not to cut anything out of mine/her diet (she is breastfed).

I ignored the docs and cut dairy/wheat/eggs/berries/tomatoes/nuts/onions&garlic/beef/pork/shellfish out of my diet, she started to get a bit better at night and her skin cleared up loads. Went on a dinner night out last week and ate all sorts of bad things and th enext night her skin got so bad that she scratched til it bled. i felt awful but at least i know its def food allergies, right??

I just dunno what to do now - she's been having flare ups the last few days on and off and i'm not sure why. i ate some rye bread but had eaten a rye cake before with no bad effect. also had some asparagus and courgette. I think the cake was yeast free but the bread wasn't - could it be yeast.

tbh - i feel pretty stressed out, i can hardly eat anythin at the mo, and don't know where to start with adding things back into my diet. should i just add one thing at at time, for 1 day, more?? I have an appointment with a child nutritionist next week who i am hoping can help us, but in the manwhile, any adviec would be welcome...

thanks

emma x

[litomi]

(((HUGS))) Have you tried adding some taking some probiotics and giving your LO some as well? Recent researches show that probiotics and help with allergies.

[Mom to M&M]

Probiotics are a good idea (look for dairy free ones) and I would also highly recommend doing the Dr.Sears elimination diet for at least 2 weeks - read more here: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041200.asp

Could be yeast as a factor but maybe also wheat - the rye bread would have wheat, no?

[dancingbear]

Hi,
thanks so much for getting back to me! I did dr sears for 2 weeks but guess i haven't been careful enough adding things back in. the rye bread had no wheat just rye, yeast and salt - so maybe the yeast!?

probiotics, yes i read something about this...do you know of any brands you could recommend fro both me & millie?

just tucking into some turkey and rice. my boyfriend and his family are eating roast beef follwoed by chocoalte cake. i think i'm gonna cry!!!
emma x

[Mom to M&M]

Maybe the yeast - hard to say for sure. I give my DD Nature's Way Primadophilus for Children but have heard really good things about Udo's Choice Probiotics for Infants and the one they make for adults too. I know the elimination diet is really hard but breastfeeding really is best for allergy issues and hopefully it will all be worth it when your DD feels and sleeps well!

[tinytatsmom]

Just wondering if you are watching for the diary in the bread and other places they tend to hide it.  i had a friend who EBF her milk protien allergic daughter and she couldn't believe all the things milk or milk powder were in.  Just a thought.

[tmhill]

I did the whole elimination diet when my son was nursing.  I didn't take out white potatoes - so he never got better and we had to put him on alimentum.  Recently he was introducted to white potatoes - and reacted very badly - so I think that was it.  I think Dr. Sears diet says that you can eat potatoes - just be careful with this. 

We use Florastore as a probiotic for our son - it doesn't have dairy in it (of any form) but does have lactose.  Just a suggestion.
Good Luck!
KTH

[mommy_to_2]

You need a huge hug!  How stressful this must be for you.  You mention everything that you have cut out from your diet, but I am wondering about your daughter.  You haven't specified in your post whether or not she has started solids yet?  If she has what kind of foods is she eating?  Could it be something that is eating, rather than something she is getting from your breastmilk?  If you are still exclusively breastfeeding it might be an idea to ask your pediatrician for a referral for allergy testing.  Good Luck.