To think my child should be allergy tested ? Pics

[Millymollymaisy]

For about 6 months now my son has been breaking on the same areas , front and back and occasionally arms. I’ve been to the gp multiple times and tried creams , steroid creams, oral antihistamines and nothing . The latest feedback was its allergy excema but no mention of finding the root of the allergy. I feel so bad for him . His skin is red raw . He currently is on the antihistamines daily plus clobetasone cream and zero derma .

I’ve dropped any chemicals in laundry and his shower gels .

Hi OP, doctors weren't willing to help me child much either. My child had dairy / milk related eczema and it wouldn't go away even though I wasn't giving him milk. I bought a cream from a website called aw1. I used the the pink cream / stronger one which helped cleared up the eczema by treating the itchiness right away, and eczema disappeared withing 1-3 days. Then it reduced the time between flare ups until it completely cleared up. I think it works for psoriasis as well.

OP non bio washing liquid or powder can still contain methylisothiazolinone
I would double check.

Don’t just remove gluten, he could end up deficient in vitamins B,A,E iron and calcium (amongst other things)

If you Google eczema diet there are loads of links with medical advice on what to avoid.

My own DC’s eczema cleared up when we went pretty much back to basics. There was an additive in Pizza for example that made it flare up, but making our own from flour was fine. We basically removed any processed foods at all and he was eczema free in a week, which was amazing as steroid creams had done nothing.

Allergy testing (both skin prick and bloods) IS helpful for eczema

My dd had allergy testing without prior knowledge of what it was she was allergic too!

My dd was sensitive to anything red: tomatoes/ strawberries etc. Keeping a food diary would be helpful but l would definitely be insisting on a coeliac test as gluten could be doing a lot of damage.

Hang on a minute....
Is the rash only in the SHIRT area?

If so you have the culprit.

If it is a food allergy it will be all over the body.
If his buttocks/hands/face are clear it's more likely to be a reaction to man-made polyester shirts (pants are always cotton).

If I wear polyester/nylon this happens to me.bdoes he wear football shirts etc?

As a life-long eczema person that seems the first logical step.

Could you afford private testing? My Dd had to go private for her 2 year old for a different reason, but the initial consultation was around £250 and was at Great Ormond Street with a world specialist in the area. They were able to help her immediately.

It looks more like urticaria than eczema, allergy testing could identify a cause.

DS has an allergy to the strawberry family (Apples, pears, blackberries raspberries, apricots etc). He's come out in hives after having a lot but it seemed to persist with a rash similar to the photo most of the time.

What we found is it more difficult than you realise to eliminate as strawberry flavouring is in a lot of things simply under 'natural flavourings'. Anything fruit related which is red is now off limits and he seems to be doing a lot better. This includes stuff like yoghurts, sweets and squash.

Its a relatively easy one to try and do an elimination for though compared to milk/soya/eggs/wheat.

Definitely look at getting a food diary and cooking things from scratch. Processed food has way more things in, so its harder to spot the problem / eliminate it even if you identify it.

Millymolly, if you are trying to decrease allergen exposure through the bedroom, vacuuming and washing bedding isn't enough as the allergens can reside in the mattress. You'd have to get a mattress encasing that is designed for managing allergies: the zippers are even constructed in a special way to prevent allergens getting in and out. However, as I said before, you have to manage your own resources to be efficient, so if getting encasings for the mattress and box spring is too much for you right now, then don't do it until you have done allergy testing so you know whether or not it's truly necessary. Start with whatever makes sense to you. I also agree with the person who said elimination diets can be a bit tricky because the more foods you eliminate, the more difficult it is to be sure he is getting all the necessary nutrients.

OP I haven't fully read all your updates but read the post and saw photos.
As a mum of 2 kids with allergies I would request your GP for referral to allergy clinic.
Also and I know it is tricky I did do allergy tests (not patch tests but bloods) for them. I them went with results to the GP (they confirmed allergies).
There could be a number of reasons for his skin issues. When they say it is egzma it means nothing as you don't know the reason for it.

Its in so much , even food you wouldn’t think !