Eczema - experience of excluding CMP ?

[Whelk]

dd1 (3.7) has eczema which is significantly worse during the summer months and can almost disppear over winter. She is allergic to egg (and previously strawberry, pienapple, lentils).

Because of this we have always assumed it isn't related to her diet, as was the advice of the eczema clinic, and so it wasn't worth trying food exclusions.

What are your thoughts on excluding CMP?

It could be worth a try. I was always told my lifelong eczema was not due to a food allergy/intolerance. At 28 I cut out gluten (for other reasons), but found that my eczema improved unbelieveably. Everyone was so shocked and kept asking what I'd done to improve it.

I couldn't believe the difference. I had terrible eczema all over, but it was really bad on my face and neck. I'd had it for so long the skin on my face and neck were a different colour to the rest of my body, I had a really obvious line at the bottom on my neck which I hated so much and really affected what I would wear. This has all gone now. Also the skin on the back of my right hand had thickened so much I had reduced movement in my wrist. That has taken years to improve, but last week I realised I now how completly normal movement in it.

I just think you have nothing to lose by cutting it out for a while. I just wish I had pushed for more tests years ago. I had years of steriod creams, anti-biotics for infections I kept getting because I had open sores that wouldn't heal. Nothing helped, until I cut out gluten.

i think the clue is in the seasonal nature of your childs ezcema, also linking to the fruit allergies.

so , i can guess that she has allergies to tree pollen and hay fever.

i take it her allergies to egg/lentils are IgE?
has she been tested for peanut allergies due to lentil allergy?
or tree nuts if she has tree pollen allergy?

if you are reducing/removing cows milk, does her diet include lots of over calcium rich veg?

perhaps a visit/ refferal to a dietiain should be considered as you are adding to the list of foods to be avoided.

Thanks for the replies. I have always felt her eczema is temperature related.

She doesn't have hay fever. She isn't allergic to peanuts or tree nuts. She has grown out of the lentils, strawberries and pineapple allergies,

I am nervous about removing cows milk because of the implications for her calcium intake. DD2 is allergic to CMP and she has lots of soya, sardines, spinach and Neocate. Dd1 doesn't like any of these foods despite being a good eater.

Wierdly and thankfully although her eczema is widespread she doesn't scrath it that much.

if its tempeature related, and am sure thats a trigger for many.

ezcema does mean that the skin cant hold water very well, so frequent all over moisterising, 5 plus times a day, would help.
also drinking more water/fluids.

does still seem strange that in winter, it improves, normally the skin gets dryer in winter, due to centrol heating.

we are much more flakey people in the winter......

Whelk I have always surprised various consultants by not appearing to have any allergies to the normal things they expect people with eczema to have. I am not allergic to pollens, dustmites etc, but I am allergic to nickel, mordants in hairdyes and a certain type of brick dust (luckily I'm not a big DIYer!).

As bridewolf said the fact your dd's eczema is worse seasonally does suggest it's something specific to the summer - could it be sun cream? I have yet to find one which doesn't irritate my skin.

Sorry meant to add though that if your other DD is CMP intolerant then it might still be worth cutting dairy out for a few weeks as I thought these intolerances sometimes have a genetic link.