help...think he may have a dairy allergy, need advice desperately

[Heathcliffscathy]

a couple of weeks ago, my homeopath suggested that ds might have a dairy allergy...i so didn't want this to be the case, that i've kind of been ignoring it in the hope that it will go away (always a good strategy this i find...not), but i can't any longer. symptoms: he is wheezing (not badly, but when he takes a deep breath in) and coughing and snivelly, but it's been too long to be a cold. he's had mild eczema since he was being exclusively breastfed. he's been on one bottle of formula a day (rest breastfeeding) since he was about 3 1/2 months old. I weaned him at 4 months, v slowly (baby rice, then some fruit purees. he is now 6 1/2 months old and has 3 meals a day (all of which are mixed with whole milk). since i introduced wholemilk in cooking around 2 1/2 weeks ago, his symptoms haven't got any worse. however they aren't getting any better either. i'm in a bit of a panic: if i take dairy out, how am i going to give him enough milk for his last (bottle feed)? also, in the morning/evening he has cereal/babyrice mixed with milk and fruit? also at lunchtime he has veg or protein and cheese also mixed with milk (he seems to prefer milky cold foods to anything hot). i know it's all my fault probably for not exclusively b/fding until six months...but we were having terrible sleep problems that were immediately improved with the introduction of solids (i know this doesn't work for everyone etc etc). anyway, he is still on 3 breastfeeds a day and i plan to continue this as long as poss. sorry to ramble on, but i'm panicking a bit about this and dont really know where to start in terms of cutting dairy out. should i go to goats milk formula for everything initially? or soya? should i try somehow to make my milk come in for the evening feed so that all his feeds are breastmilk (i'm completely crap at expressing so don't know how i'd do this)? please please help anyone who has any experience or advice, i'd be so grateful...

Hi Sophable, I think you are doing the right thing. And if your photos are accurate your little lad looks a wonderfully, healthy, happy little soul.
BTW on the life coach thing, got a message when I was taking ds for a long overdue haircut - will speak to her tomorrow. Haven't forgotten you!

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thanks robinw and aloha...

sorry but I ahvent waded through all the mesages but,to test for a milk allergy is very simple. Im a studrnt nurse and choose to have DD allergy tested for all the biggies for a multiple of reasons. This can be done with a simple blood test. Traumatic for DD but has laid my mind at rest. Rebember that breast milk can cotain al the stuff you eat so the reaction may be to something completely different. Soy milk is not to be used lightly! it has been linked to high choesterol in later life, and has other draw backs. or now as has been said below, visit your G.P. If the excema and wheezing is sever than they wil recomend treatmnet. Going against the medical model of healthcare is aceptable but not at the expense of sidelining it!? Ok only my opinion but both alternative medicine and the medical modle should be used in conjunction? I have used homeopaths and cranial osteopaths and had great results with both, but i have also listen to the black and white from the GP. Allergy tests are scientifically based and will detect any 'significant allergy' if milk was causing wheezing then it would show up as any respitary distress is significant! Have you had his chest listened to by the G.P? just to check. Also I know from personal experience that childrens snuffles, wheees and coughs can easily run on for months! or seem to, in reality they are just contacting one new virus after another and this will assist with their immune responses. Hope all goes well and in your shoes id try not to panic! Haing checke dup in one of my books, the individual would have to be removed from the allergin for a minimum of 4 weeks to asses and change, Longer is recomended. So a week would make no difference? change would be co-incidental.

ok, aloha you're gonna kill me (actually i know you're not, but you know what i mean), but i've seen gp and she said no harm in trying no cows milk for a week. not doing soya milk (thanks to advice on this thread) trying with nanny goats milk formula. started today, was dreading it...but it's going really well, ds has no problem with new formula, breast fed really well for other feeds and ate solids really well. i know it probably won't make the slightest difference, but his eczema has been particularly bad this weekend and his wheeze has turned into a cold and i just want to give this a go, so that i've tried...

just thought i'd update for all the lovely people that bothered to give me advice, and i know i'm ignoring some of it, but I did go to gp which was the main thing people were saying and also not doing soya formula...

Have you cut all dairy out of your diet too sophable, as you're mostly breastfeeding aren't you?

yes sir!

provactive is a good word...enjoying the weather hoxton?

Remember to read all those packets sophable. Whey, Casein etc. are all milk in disguise.

Well....as long as he is getting breastmilk, the lack of cows milk won't make a difference of course. I'm pretty sceptical about it being a lactose/cow's protein intolerance or allergy, but can easily imagine if your ds is having a hard time you'd want to do something. I hope he's better soon - now, did you see my life coach recommendation!

Sophable, glad you went to your GP if you were worried. Could you give it a couple of weeks with no dairy? The real test is the re-introduction. Use that day to indulge in everything you've been denied the past couple weeks! Hope it goes well.

oh, i was trying to be so tactful too.... yes, lovely weather thanks soph but i was at work (my think tank, remember)so no hanging out in the garden with ds. that's tomorrow's task. hope your ds gets better soon & it isn't an allergy.

grrrrrrr the thinktank, i need an envy icon again... aloha, yes, is on shortlist, the person i posted for is now in charge

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Sophable FWIW my DS1 was diagnosed with a lactose intollerance at 5 months (he had really bad nappies constantly), the Dr prescribed a milk free diet for him for two weeks, inc soya milk (this was a few years ago so didn't know at the time that it was bad), he had a small patch of eczema and by the end of the two weeks the eczema had gone and his nappies were back to normal so we reintroduced milk gradually and so far it hasn't come back (although I had eczema as a teenager so perhaps it will come back when he is older). I also have a friend whose daughter had really bad eczema and a homeopath recommended that they went dairy free and it made a big difference to her skin, her second daughter has been dairy free almost since birth with the same success. All the best.

thanks you two, i hate to say it, but his eczema seems better..........watch this space (i can hear aloha muttering about placebo effects!)

xx

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ok, so little update and big cock up . we are on second week of no cows milk (nanny goats milk formula, which ds loves and seems to find easier to drink/digest than aptimil was before). eczema seems to be a lot better. can't tell re the wheeze as we've both had a stinky stinky cold. so ds is is going through what seems to be leading to extreme fussy eating ie developing sweet tooth (fruit and baby rice is favourite food) and if not then will only eat stuff with avocado in it (?!)...so i got possessed at lunchtime and gave him...wait for it...a piece of organic wholemeal bread !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! possessed by the devil or what??? what was i thinking???? haven't even ruled out dairy allergy and i'm giving seven month old bread now...it'll be honey and raw egg on a whim next! i've really cocked up haven't i? he was just fussing and i'd run out of avocado and i just grabbed it and gave it to him and he wolfed it...love it...

i'm an arse and don't deserve space on the allergies topics board

i should have waited shouldn't i? aloha? robinw?

that should have said he loved it not love it btw

Sorry, what's wrong with bread at 7 months? Wheat is ok from 6 months - used to give ds1 wholemeal toast all the time from about then.

just feel like a plonk for not established dairy intolerance first...

whats the ingrediants on the bread packet?

no dairy in it. organic wheat. organic wheat gluten. organic soya flour. yeast organic sunflower oil. organic cider vinegar. ascorbic acid.

probably be ok. has he had products containing gluten b4 now? (a lot of pre-made jars contain gluten)

nothing...he's never had a jar. before i started the cows milk free he had gluten free rusks...otherwise just veg meat and milk all homemade stuff...