Really think dd is sensitive to food colourings

[blossomhill]

Dd has an inset day and we have been food shopping this morning. She has been so calm all day although she does have a slight cough.
Whilst shopping I bought some simple cough mixture and gave some to dd about an hour ago. I have never seen her so hyper and acting as weird as she is now. Then I thought to myself that she was fine until she had the cough mixture.
It has E123 - Red colouring and glycerol E422. Could this be linked as I am sure it must be. Any advice gratefully received.

Hi, my DS (6) goes loopy on colouring and we have had dreadful reactions from Calpol (the flavouring could also be a problem). If you think your child might be food intolerant you might find the following link interesting: \link{http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info}. I was introduced to this diet by an Australian friend when I was living in Singapore last year and it has made a significant difference to my son (not dx with anything, but mildish ADHD and dyspraxic like symptoms, with a dash of ticcing, general bad temper and bedwetting thrown in). If you want to know more I'd be happy to provide info....
BTW, my son also has an Inset day today and is busy biffing his brother downstairs - must go and make peace.
HTH.

Mmmm, sorry, don't think that link worked. Must read the instructions again.....

Singersgirl - Would you mind if I contacted you. I really have to do something but need advice on the best way to do it. Thank you
I don't mind them having Inset days but they only went back last monday FGS!

Hi,Blossomhill,of course. I'm new to Mumsnet and didn't really introduce myself properly - your message caught my eye, being so close to my heart and my current preoccupations. I've got two boys age 6 and 3 - the elder is the one who seems just a bit too much of everything behaviourally and who I now know has food intolerances. The younger one seems a bit more mellow right now.
I started off back in April suspecting sensitivity to colours (yellow, in our case!) after a friend with a severely food-intolerant son suggested that might be part of my boy's trouble. First I took out colours, flavours and about 50 or so additives/preservatives, then about 2 months later I began this low food-chemical diet, which reduces natural food chemicals as well as the artificial ones. And that's when I really saw the difference.
Can you contact me via my details here? If so, I'd be happy to chat to you offline - I can of course bore for Britain on this subject! Hope your daughter has calmed down a bit by now. Believe it or not, a bath with a good slug of bicarb of soda can help reduce reactions - it's even better if she will drink a teaspoon of bicarb in water, but my son refuses (can see why - it tastes absolutely foul!)[grin}
Cheers!

Hi Singersgirl again
I tried to CAT you but my message couldn't be passed on as you have requested not to recieve any from mumsnet!!!!
The only thing is I am not happy to give out my e-mial address on here. Not sure what to do for the best really. Just really interested to find out about the diet.
Blossomhill

Hi blossomhill!
I think I've changed my settings so that you can e-mail me - when I click on your name nothing happens, coz I tried.
Do let me know if you don't have any luck and I'll try again! Would be glad to give you info. Did you manage to look at the 'fed up' site, even though I got the link stuff wrong? It's a bit daunting (and limiting ) but has made a big difference to us.
Cheers and let me know if you can't get through.

Blossomhill, I've got the same problem with coulourings, probably blue. Are you thinking of a food tolerance test? I've always thought about those and wondered if it was for over anxious mums? Are we. I really notice the difference.

Only just caught up with this thread. My DD reacts really badly to food colourings and goes completely manic on Calpol and utterly crazy on Nurofen! Definitely something in it. My DD's diet is so stripped back now (gluten, dairy, citrus fruit and concentrated fruit fee) that the minute she has anything out of the ordinary the effects are really noticeable. If she goes particularly 'manic', we can nearly always trace it back to a foody thing. Be really interest to know about testing officially for this.

BH- does it have aspartame in- or saccharine or sorbitol. DS1 can't have any of those- all send him crazy.

jakbrown ds1 is the same on calpol- he's better on the non sugar free stuff- although sorbitol sends him up the wall (have to watch it as it ends up in some gf foods as well) - but the sugar free medicines with aspartame (including nurofen) are even worse. I basically don't use it unless i have to. Some autistic children (with sulphation problems) can't break down paracetamol. I don't think ds1 particularly falls into this group (apparently they don't wee after having paracetamol or something- could have remembered that wrong- but google Rosemary Waring).

Just bumping this up so Jimjams sees it

Jimjams - freaky!!!! I just bumped it up and there you were
Great minds think a like obviously

It contained citric acid, glycerol, aniseed oil, cholorform, ethanol, sugar and sucrose.

chloroform??? really?? The ethanol maybe? alcohol allways sends me a bit wild

ds had to have some mega-antibiotics recently and they gave us a sugar free suspension - main ingredient = sorbitol. I asked for a sugar version and they don't make it, apparently most parents don't want to give their little ones sugar. He wasn't a happy bunny while taking it, I couldn't wait for the week to end.

blossomhill, I think you can buy homeopathic cough mixture, this might have less nasties in it?