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Allergies and intolerances

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I think dd2 ezcema may be caused by dairy. Can anyone advise on what I should be doing about it?

18 replies

bytheMoonlight · 08/04/2012 14:21

I am going to try cutting it out. I considered visiting the doctor but I think GP will just say to cut it out and see what happens so don't want to waste an appointment.

I know I need to cut anything with lactose in it. If it contains lactose, will it say?

So milk, cake, chocolate, cream, cheese .. what else should I be looking at?

Does anyone know how long I should cut it out for before I can expect to see results?

OP posts:
michglas · 08/04/2012 14:24

depends if you want to go lactose free or completely dairy free. you should look out for

?Whey
?Casein / caseinate
?Lactose / lactate
?Lactalbumin

bytheMoonlight · 08/04/2012 14:26

I don't know anything about this. How do I know if I should go lactose free or completely dairy free?

OP posts:
hattifattner · 08/04/2012 14:38

Hmmm....I would first switch to lactose free - simply because its more common to be lactose intolerant than have a full dairy allergy. Also because its easier to get lactose free products. (milk, cheese, yogurt).

If it doesnt help after 2 weeks, try dairy free.

From our experience with DS, we found goats milk a good alternative, but this was before the days of lactose free milk on the supermarket shelves.

cece · 08/04/2012 14:46

My DS2 had terrible excema when he was a baby. He has been dairy free since I weaned him onto solids.

It is fairly easy to do. Just don't give him anything with milk in it. Look at the allergy advise on the packet label. It will tell you if it contains milk.

bytheMoonlight · 08/04/2012 18:37

Thanks for the advice, so if I'm going lactose free, do I have to be aware of all those ingredients listed in the first reply?

OP posts:
dentro · 09/04/2012 14:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

bytheMoonlight · 09/04/2012 18:40

bumping and ignoring the deleted message

OP posts:
hattifattner · 09/04/2012 21:41

id just start going lacto free - I saw yogurts, icecream, cheese in sainsbos today, plus get some dairy free margerine - pure is nice. opt for hovis bread, which I think is dairy free. That way you will have illiminated 90% of lactose already. Look at what you eat and avoid dairy-containing products if you can - for example, crumbed fish fingers are dairy free, battered are not.

If lactose if the problem, you will see an improvement within two or three weeks. If no improvement, you will already be halfway there, so you could switch to soy milk.

good luck!

babybarrister · 11/04/2012 07:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DonInKillerHeels · 11/04/2012 07:40

Why don't you go and get a referral from the GP for the allergy clinic at the hospital? Then you will know for sure if it's dairy. (Lactose intolerance does not cause ezcema.)

morecoffeewantsmorechoccie · 11/04/2012 07:46

I would suggest you see gp for an allergy test also. My Ds was referred to hospital for allergy testing. It all came up clear, but we switched from cow dairy to goat dairy for a year anyway and his exzema disappeared. He is back on cow dairy now and is fine.

hattifattner · 11/04/2012 09:15

ok, ignore what I said!!

Trouble with seeing an allergist at hospital is the waiting time. We had to wait months. And then with little ones with non urgent issues, they will play the "wait and see" game. :(

If you have any family history of dairy allergy, then go ahead and try dairy free - our son coped with goats milk and the effect on his eczema was marked within 2 weeks. (we actually went dairy free on advice of an ENT specialist, after repeated severe glue ear issues. The cure of his eczema was a welcome side effect!). Plus Goats milk also freely available.

mumat39 · 11/04/2012 11:03

Hello Bythemoonlight

How bad is your daughter's eczema? The reason I ask is that my DD had eczema when she was a baby and after discovering she had food allergies she was taken off dairy and put onto a hypoallergenic formula which she still has now. Her eczema never appeared to be that bad but she was a very itchy baby and needed antibiotics on 2 occasions as she had scratched so much that her skin had become infected. We noticed a reduction in her itching almost immediately, but her eczema has never really gone away. This was all organised by our local hospital. Once we were referred to an allergy specialist clinic, we were told that maybe she should be on dairy and that we need to weigh up the pros and cons of a little eczema vs the nutritional benefits of dairy, as well as the huge variety of foods.

I have tried DD on dairy a couple of times since then, but as it makes her poop mucousy we were told to try again at a later date.

My understanding of allergy testing is that it tests for the immediate allergic reactions and not the delayed ones that result in things like eczema.

If your DD is otherwise ok, and showsno signs of having allergies, then I'm not sure an allergy clinic will help. Also, GP's still seem reluctant to accept that there is a link between dairy and eczema.

Having a DD who is on such a restricted diet due to multiple food allergies, I wouldn't cut foods out of her diet unless you know she is allergic to them. Like I said DD was taken off dairy but that didn't clear her eczema.

The other thing my GP says is that eczema is a form of very dry skin and that the skin needs to be kept well hydrated, so we've been told to apply emolient twice a day and more if necessary. So, if your DD's eczema isn't too bad, then I wouldn't remove a food without medical supervision. I truly wish my DD had been left well alone in that respect. Had she continued to have dairy, she'd be on a much better diet than she is now. I'm actually planning on starting her on dairy again soon and am hoping that she doesn't respond to it. Obviously if your DD's eczema is bad and she is on steroid creams and that doesn't seem to be heping, then please speak to your GP before you do anything. If you're concerned, which you are, you're not wasting an appointment.

Sorry if I sound naggy, I don't mean to. My DD is 4.5 years old now and I can see now that her eczema was never that bad, or at least not bad enough that some well meaning dietician decided to take her off dairy.

Take care and I hope you get some help from your GP.

bytheMoonlight · 11/04/2012 12:32

I really appreciate all your replies. Her excema is all over her back and arms and feet.

It seems to respond to cream though so after reading mumscat post, I think I might not go down the dairy free route.

I will book an appointment with the GP though and speak to them

OP posts:
mumat39 · 11/04/2012 12:41

If you can, definiotely give the allergy uk helpline a call and see what they think. That way when you see your GP, you'll be more 'armed' with information. Also, it might be that you need to be referred to a dermatologist rather than an allergist.

I have in recent years started to get eczema patches and they are SO uncomfortable and the itch is enough to drive me insane, so I do really feel for children who have to suffer with this. It can't be easy. It may well be that going lactose/dairy free is the answer, but it might not be. Is you DD well otherwise? Does she sleep well? Eat well? etc. Does her eczema bother her or does she just get one with it? My DD deals with it by just getting on but seems to be such a fidget that it bugs me more, if you see what I mean?

Good Luck and remember that under the NHS choices your GP has to refer you if you ask so he/she has to take you seriously.

Take care and Good Luck

dairyfreebabyandme · 12/04/2012 13:22

Hmm! Speaking as someone who's HAD to cut out dairy, I wouldn't be keen on eliminating dairy too soon and certainly not without some proper back-up somewhere - calcium is so important at such a young age and soya is not so healthy as it's cracked up to be. Have you first considered other causes for eczema? My daughter's eczema was completely eliminated when I switched from Fairy non-bio to liquid soap flakes. It can take several washes to take full effect, as traces of detergent can remain in your washing machine for up to 10 washes later!

KateShmate · 12/04/2012 13:31

Definitely look into other causes before you go 'dairy free' - I had horrendous eczema as a child (still do now) and was hospitalised numerous times because of severe infection and impetigo; I was tested for dairy allergy and was positive so had to cut it all out which was hard work for my mum and me! I was also allergic to soya, so had to go down the 'Rice milk' road... not nice!!
Definitely try all other things before you cut out main food groups so quickly; hopefully, like DFBAM said, it will be something as simple as washing powder!

mumat39 · 20/04/2012 00:13

Hello bythemoonlight

Hope all's well with you and your DD. Just wondering how it went with the GP?

xx

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