Help

[ditavonteesed]

I am now at a complete loss as to what is wrong with my family.
Dd1 has coeliacs and has responded amazingly to gluten free diet but still has really severe excema which we can't seem to clear up.
DD2 has always had diarehha and over the last 3 weeks has been sick an awful lot. It is not a bug as the rest of us have not caught it which we always do when there is a bug around. She has just been sick everywhere now but is not even slightly ill with it IYSWIM. I reached the conclusion that it must be gluten after she had some on friday then instantly had diarehha but now I am not so sure as she has definatly not had any since then
Any ideas what else it could be, it is not dairy for either of them as they have never really had much and when they do it makes no difference.
I think I am going to take dd2 to the GP on Monday and see if I can get her reffered to allergy clinic.

[Anna8888]

On the eczema - have you heard of Avène? It's a thermal bath town in France where the waters are particularly good for eczema; you can go there for a cure.

There is a also a range of creams under the brand Avène that are excellent for eczema sufferers.

[ditavonteesed]

That looks absolutly amazing, just googled it, I think perhaps out of our price range though, will look at their products and will tell SIL about it as she has always had very severe excema.
Anna, I feel like you are being my gaurdian angel this week.

[Anna8888]

Yes, allergies are an expensive business - my sister and my father both have plenty of allergies (eczema, asthma etc) and all the extra cleaning, avoiding animals, fires, cut grass, non-allergenic clothing, creams etc is both a logistical and financial PITA.

On the digestive system type allergies - I think that the most useful course of action is an elimination-type diet. Very lengthy to do though.

[ditavonteesed]

We have tried eliminating the basics and I am not really sure what to try next TBH. I think I am going to try and get some tests done, I have been avoiding them as they are quite unpleasent if you can find another way round it but I think I have come to the end of my expertise.

[Anna8888]

What a trial for you . I hope you get a referral to an allergologist and that you get some good help.

[flamingtoaster]

Does DD1 have Codex wheat in her glutenfree stuff? Some coeliacs are completely wheat intolerant, and others are super-sensitive, and have to avoid Codex either because they cannot tolerate the wheat or even the very low level of gluten present.

[ditavonteesed]

I don't know what codex is, will it be listed in ingredients?
My mum reckons dd2's nappy rash looks like the skin condition associated with coeliacs that she has googled, will check that out.
i need help, I have managed everything I can and while they are so much better they are still not quite there.
Been to a soft play party today and dd1 was fab abput not be able to eat what the others had, but I found it quite upsetting, didn't let on though.

[ditavonteesed]

Just googled some pictures of dermatitus herpetitus (sp?) and that is definatley what dd2s nappy rash looks like and always has done. Arrgghh.

[flamingtoaster]

If you look at the ingredients list if it has codex wheat in it it will say something like:

wheat starch*

and then further down

*Contains gluten-free wheat starch which complies with the internationally agreed criteria for gluten-free foods (Codex Alimentarius).

By the way when DS went to parties or on outings with friends (he is coeliac and has additional allergies) I used to try to find out ahead of time what the others would be eating and give him "safe" versions of the same thing with him. Then he was happy and I didn't feel upset he was missing out.

You say it's not dairy affecting the eczema - however, there can be a lot of milk in some glutenfree items (it helps the texture) so she might be ingesting enough that way to affect her skin.

If you've tested the basics and it's not dairy, egg. etc. then it would be worth looking at preservatives - the only thing which ever gave my daughter eczema was potassium sorbate which was in Ribena!

If you think the rash is DH then if you take DD2 to the doctor - they can do a skin test to see if it is.

Good luck!

[ditavonteesed]

Thanks, think I am going to take them both to docs this week some time.
Sorry for the moan, just all feels a bit much some times.

[flamingtoaster]

Moan as much as you want - I know only too well what it can be like, especially in the early stages/getting diagnosis.