Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[GeordieGirl]

My 14 year old daughter has suffered from extremely bad eczema since she was a baby - her joints, her face, her arms have often been covered in sores. Our surgery has prescribed all manner of lotions and potions, lanolin, lanolin-free,; Oilatum type for her baths; steroid creams for the real sore parts. There isn't much we hadn't tried and apart from the hydro cortisone few things worked. Unfortunately the steroid can't be used on her face and shouldn't be over used as it thins skin.

As part of a fairly recent health kick over the last year we cut out dairy. K used to consume a lot of milk and yoghurts and we've switched to nut milks, alternative desserts and we've cut right back on chocolate. The change has been remarkable - currently she has no dry spots at all and her skin is glowing. She did have a relapse a few months ago, we traced it back to a holiday with dad (and dairy and chocolate).

While I'm delighted at the results, I'm so cross and upset with myself that I didn't research  this better sooner. A search online shows that dairy is often linked to asthma and eczema. Instead my baby has suffered badly for so many years.    I'm also cross that our surgery didn't suggest this route either - surely it's obvious to anyone who knows anything about these things?

It does make me wonder how many food intolerances are affecting us without us even realising.

GG X

[honeybun]

I bet your daughter is delighted too. 14 is just when they start to become very aware of appearance so its great to hear she is much improved.
GPs are woefully unaware of food intolerances and reluctant to test for them.

I have had contact dermatitis most of my life. My mother was told I had a fungal infection and was given gentian violet to paint on me and lorry loads of cortisone creams to slap on every night for years. Consequently I have horribly thin skin on my hands that tears so easily. I eventually went privately to a dermatologist and discovered what I was allergic to and the list was enormous. That was when I was an adult and by that time the damage to my hands had been done.

There needs to be so much more awareness by the medical profession with regard to all aspects of how foods can impact on our health and wellbeing.
As they say....you are what you eat.

Honeybun
X

[Ju Ju]

Don't beat yourself up.

 I would like to know why many medications, both prescription and over the counter, contain lactose, even some asthma medications, when it is now a well known allergen.

My daughter is allergic to all dairy products and has to be check anything that is prescribed. The problems she had were subtle, as she reasonably healthy, but she was breathless and really struggled to climb hills. She was told she wasn't asthmatic as she didn't respond to asthmatic medication and was sent away, despite a very strong family of asthma. A nutritionist suggested avoiding dairy products and it was like magic! She had other symptoms, less obvious, which disappeared.When she introduced dairy products, very gingerly, into her sons diet, he had the same reaction she had as a baby, loose stools and very bad nappy rash all the time, so I suspect she has always had a problem.  I could feel guilty, but I did the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time, as had GG.

[CLKD]

Goat products don't cause the same allergies because the proteins etc. are different to that in cow's milk 

I find my hands react to 'fairy liquid' even when I wear gloves.  So I use supermarket own brands. 

I really need to begin locally made honey to counteract any pollens around here  ……..

I am vaguely allergic to cat dander, although I owned cats for years it was only after I had a break then started caring for felines locally that I realised 

[Ju Ju]

As a child I was very allergic to furry animals, all dogs including those I was told I wouldn't have a problem with. However, in the last few years, I seem to be able to tolerant animals more. I can go into friends houses with animals and I can make a fuss of my friends horse. One of the better parts of growing older or better medication? The children had rabbits when they were younger, but on the condition they looked after them. I just paid the bills! I wouldn't risk having a furry pet in the house, but as I have never been able to, it doesn't bother me.

[CLKD]

It is rare to be allergic to animals other than dogs or cats due to them being around us a lot more, plus it's either the dander [dandruff] or flea allergy that causes the problem.  Sometimes owner became allergic to their ponies  ….. or the straw dust ……..

It makes me wonder how any of us survive ………

Onions make me really really ill: unless cooked for hours and hours and ……… and I LOVE onions  . 

[BrightLight]

Hi GeordieGirl - so glad you found an adjustment that helped, it's sometimes a long journey to figure all these things out.  I hope it's OK to recommend a product if you need something for any eczema patches - Hemp.  It's a miracle for skin conditions and a product called Hand Protector from a well known high street chain comes with high accolades from me (many moons ago, I was involved in it's development)

[Joyce]

I developed an intolerance to dairy produce about 15 years ago. Various tests, spells in hospital couldn't find the cause. Only after a process of elimination did I work it out for myself.  Before that I couldn't eat peppers, corgettes & aubergines. I have since outgrown that one. Again I worked out the cause of my migraines.

My brother has suffered with eczema since a few weeks old. He had skin tests done, given lotions & potions, but still to this day he suffers. We're both asthmatic. My brother also has severe reaction to fish, he gets anaphylactic shock, but they refuse to issue him with an epipen! Main problem is meals out. Last time it happened his food had been handled with same utensils as they'd used for fish. He ended up at hospital!

[CLKD]

My Mum gets breast lumps if she eats shellfish. 

You may find that an Epipen is available from other sources than the GP? ask at your local Chemist or go to an allergy 'web site' and ask.  Has your brother tried goat products, I can't stand the taste as it is like goats smell  …….

There's nothing in fish …….. yet many people are allergic.  My cat allergy never showed on spot testing either  .  There's nothing of particular note in cucumber, peppers etc. but people can react to them.  Some foods are to be avoided anyway  ……….

[Joyce]

I can't stand goat either, not sure about my brother. Reason for refusing Epipen was that he avoids fish. But when he explained that it was cross contamination, they didn't seem fussed. Meanwhile my SIL thought she was about to lose her husband! Scary stuff!

[Annie0710]

I developed an intolerance to dairy produce about 15 years ago. Various tests, spells in hospital couldn't find the cause. Only after a process of elimination did I work it out for myself.  Before that I couldn't eat peppers, corgettes & aubergines. I have since outgrown that one. Again I worked out the cause of my migraines.

My brother has suffered with eczema since a few weeks old. He had skin tests done, given lotions & potions, but still to this day he suffers. We're both asthmatic. My brother also has severe reaction to fish, he gets anaphylactic shock, but they refuse to issue him with an epipen! Main problem is meals out. Last time it happened his food had been handled with same utensils as they'd used for fish. He ended up at hospital!

That's terrible he's been refused an epipen.  I suffer many allergies, the worst is latex, I had an anaphylactic shock whilst away and they told me to see my gp for one when I got home.  Because of the latex i am also very allergic to exotic fruits.  The times I've had to go to a&e because someone has pecked me on the cheek after eating the fruit or I've used a door handle after someone who has eaten a banana

I was told to wear an id bracelet too, but for the life of me I can't remember where I put it.  Xx