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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 13:01:34 GMT
I posted awhile back that my 10 year old has a bad rash on his arm, legs and sometimes torso. I originally thought it was eczema, then thought maybe psoriasis. I took him to the pediatrician and he said it was eczema. He prescribed a stronger steroid cream, which helped but DS is not supposed to use it for more than a week at a time. The rash is back and DS is upset by it. I talked to him about doing an elimination diet and he said he wanted to try that, but I am not sure if he understands what exactly that means in regards to what he can/can't eat (the emotional aspect of "I can't eat that" is what I am worried about the most. I think if he finds that he feels better he will be on board with eliminating some foods long term, but getting to that point is difficult.
I am wondering if anyone else has done an elimination diet with children (or yourself). If so, how did it go? Do you have any suggestions based on your experiences? I typically wouldn't want to buy all kinds of gluten free substitutes but that may be something to try on occasion to make it less painful for him. Any favorite products? Thanks in advance!
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Post by monklady123 on Apr 29, 2016 13:19:58 GMT
My recommendation would be to go to a pediatric allergist first. They can give you suggestions, diets to follow, etc., plus they know how to talk to kids about the importance of staying on the diet during the elimination testing phase.
The doctor might suggest you start with something besides gluten, since there are many other things we can be allergic and/or sensitive to. For my ds it was strawberries, although he eventually outgrew it.
Good luck.
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scrappinghappy
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Post by scrappinghappy on Apr 29, 2016 13:22:28 GMT
I did it! I was also concerned if I would have the willpower! I started off telling myself I could do anything for three weeks so that was my goal. I eliminated ALL gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, peanuts and sugar. I won't lie it was hard! My biggest craving was not chocolate but dairy! Lol. I had to read labels on everything and you have to know other names for ingredients that can contain these things. It was easiest to just eat prepared from scratch foods made at home.
My arthritis is gone, so is my heartburn, headaches, excema, and hip pain. I didn't notice so much when they disappeared, but that I hadn't noticed them for a while and then realized they had gone. I also lost a ton of weight but I had it to lose. It's been since August 1st last year, yeah, three weeks turned into a lifetime but indeed so much better. I learned eggs and gluten trigger joint pain and corn gives me migraines. I occasionally eat organic soy with no discernible side effects as well as the occasional piece of chocolate. Dairy makes me bloated so I still avoid it but If it sneaks in its not so bad and at least i know what must have caused the problem.
If you and he are willing to do read the labels, cook from scratch and do then work, I would highly recommend giving it a try.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 13:24:23 GMT
He has had allergy testing a few years ago but all tests were negative. I am guessing he is either allergic to something they didn't test for, or it is more of a sensitivity than a true allergy.
I have been trying to decide if it is best to eliminate all of the top allergens (corn, wheat, dairy, soy, etc) or just one at a time (probably dairy first since that has been linked to eczema most frequently, from what the dr said and what I have read).
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 13:30:00 GMT
I did it! I was also concerned if I would have the willpower! I started off telling myself I could do anything for three weeks so that was my goal. I eliminated ALL gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, peanuts and sugar. I won't lie it was hard! My biggest craving was not chocolate but dairy! Lol. I had to read labels on everything and you have to know other names for ingredients that can contain these things. It was easiest to just eat prepared from scratch foods made at home. My arthritis is gone, so is my heartburn, headaches, excema, and hip pain. I didn't notice so much when they disappeared, but that I hadn't noticed them for a while and then realized they had gone. I also lost a ton of weight but I had it to lose. It's been since August 1st last year, yeah, three weeks turned into a lifetime but indeed so much better. I learned eggs and gluten trigger joint pain and corn gives me migraines. I occasionally eat organic soy with no discernible side effects as well as the occasional piece of chocolate. Dairy makes me bloated so I still avoid it but If it sneaks in its not so bad and at least i know what must have caused the problem. If you and he are willing to do read the labels, cook from scratch and do then work, I would highly recommend giving it a try. When we have meals at home I do primarily cook from scratch, but would need to either contact the school to see what they can do about lunches or pack them for him. I'm sure it will be especially hard now because baseball is starting and he would be very limited on snacks, eating out, etc but that would probably be good for all of us.  . The eczema has left his arms scarred and the coloring is different because of it. When we talked about it last night he was upset, although I asked if kids said anything about it and he said no. So at least that is good. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 13:31:18 GMT
I also keep hearing that if there is inflammation on the outside (various skin problems) there is also inflammation on the inside. So, it isn't just about the skin. I don't want him to have increasing problems as he grows older due to eating things that seem benign but for him cause big problems.
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Post by Lindarina on Apr 29, 2016 14:49:42 GMT
We did an elimination diet with our then 9 year old to help with his tics.
We cut out gluten, dairy, additives and coloring. The point of an elimination diet is to remove as many triggers from the diet as posible and see if there is a positive change. Then you add them back into the diet one at a time and observe which one is the cause of your problems.
It went very well. The workload was really on me, not the child. He ate what he was served and it was up to me to find and make food he would like. The elimination diet made him feel so much better that he qickly began to brefuse to eat anything that wasn't allowed.
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madgie
Junior Member
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Post by madgie on Apr 29, 2016 15:13:00 GMT
Is he on a probiotic at all? It has helped me and my daughter with our eczema.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 15:19:20 GMT
DD1 suffers from eczema although it is getting better and it's now fairly rare that she gets a flare up. Generally they do grow out of it as they get older especially when they start getting it in childhood.
Eczema isn't an " allergy" as such it's the inability of the skin to retain moisture so it becomes very dry and starts to itch which in turn makes the rash worse and cracks the skin. Over the years I haven't found anything that she eats has an affect on how often DD used to have flare ups. But it is a vicious circle because it will flare up at the least bit of stress. So you have a flare up, you get stressed because of the flare up then it gets worse because you're stressed about the flare up.......so you never win really.
The best thing I've found that helps is when he has a bath/long shower, pat, not rub himself dry and immediately apply an emollient lotion to the skin which hydrates the skin but also acts as a barrier to contain the moisture in the skin following the bath/shower. He could also use a cream emollient during the day for as long as he needs to. Don't use soap when washing you can buy a lotion especially made for eczema sufferers to add to the bath water or to use in the shower. Also check what you use for your laundry as some powders can irritate the skin even more. And try and get him to wear all cotton clothes next to his skin.
If his eczema is really bad make an appointment to see a specialist dermatologist who should be able to recommend an effective emollient for him.Eczema is really uncomfortable to suffer with. I hope you find something suitable for him soon,poor boy
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 18:47:10 GMT
DD1 suffers from eczema although it is getting better and it's now fairly rare that she gets a flare up. Generally they do grow out of it as they get older especially when they start getting it in childhood. Eczema isn't an " allergy" as such it's the inability of the skin to retain moisture so it becomes very dry and starts to itch which in turn makes the rash worse and cracks the skin. Over the years I haven't found anything that she eats has an affect on how often DD used to have flare ups. But it is a vicious circle because it will flare up at the least bit of stress. So you have a flare up, you get stressed because of the flare up then it gets worse because you're stressed about the flare up.......so you never win really. The best thing I've found that helps is when he has a bath/long shower, pat, not rub himself dry and immediately apply an emollient lotion to the skin which hydrates the skin but also acts as a barrier to contain the moisture in the skin following the bath/shower. He could also use a cream emollient during the day for as long as he needs to. Don't use soap when washing you can buy a lotion especially made for eczema sufferers to add to the bath water or to use in the shower. Also check what you use for your laundry as some powders can irritate the skin even more. And try and get him to wear all cotton clothes next to his skin. If his eczema is really bad make an appointment to see a specialist dermatologist who should be able to recommend an effective emollient for him.Eczema is really uncomfortable to suffer with. I hope you find something suitable for him soon,poor boy There are many people, doctors included, who believe that eczema is definitely a result of what you eat or what is in your environment. Some call it an autoimmune response. I have known several people who have had their eczema (and other skin and health problems) go away when they changed their diet. To truly know what the cause is, you would need to eliminate that food for a significant period of time. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 19:28:47 GMT
DD1 suffers from eczema although it is getting better and it's now fairly rare that she gets a flare up. Generally they do grow out of it as they get older especially when they start getting it in childhood. Eczema isn't an " allergy" as such it's the inability of the skin to retain moisture so it becomes very dry and starts to itch which in turn makes the rash worse and cracks the skin. Over the years I haven't found anything that she eats has an affect on how often DD used to have flare ups. But it is a vicious circle because it will flare up at the least bit of stress. So you have a flare up, you get stressed because of the flare up then it gets worse because you're stressed about the flare up.......so you never win really. The best thing I've found that helps is when he has a bath/long shower, pat, not rub himself dry and immediately apply an emollient lotion to the skin which hydrates the skin but also acts as a barrier to contain the moisture in the skin following the bath/shower. He could also use a cream emollient during the day for as long as he needs to. Don't use soap when washing you can buy a lotion especially made for eczema sufferers to add to the bath water or to use in the shower. Also check what you use for your laundry as some powders can irritate the skin even more. And try and get him to wear all cotton clothes next to his skin. If his eczema is really bad make an appointment to see a specialist dermatologist who should be able to recommend an effective emollient for him.Eczema is really uncomfortable to suffer with. I hope you find something suitable for him soon,poor boy There are many people, doctors included, who believe that eczema is definitely a result of what you eat or what is in your environment. Some call it an autoimmune response. I have known several people who have had their eczema (and other skin and health problems) go away when they changed their diet. To truly know what the cause is, you would need to eliminate that food for a significant period of time. I didn't say you shouldn't try it but I stand by the statement that eczema is not an " allergy". It's been around for 100's of years even when our food and environment was much "cleaner" than it is today. There is plenty of research out there that points to the fact that it is a failure of the skin to retain moisture. I was only trying to help by passing on info from personal experience in dealing with a child with eczema over a 14 year period. |
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msliz
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Post by msliz on Apr 29, 2016 19:29:31 GMT
Two of my kids had recurrent problems with eczema. It never seemed to be a problem in the summer though. The pediatrician had the idea that it might be caused by a bacterial infection of a sort, and suggested a wash of bleach and water (it was only on their forearms.) It helped. The chlorine in the pools probably kept it away in the summer months.
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Post by gar on Apr 29, 2016 19:37:48 GMT
The chances of an elimination diet working is quite low I would say. I would guess that it's far more likely to be environmental elements affecting the skin. I speak from 20+ years of experience with both DDs.
I wouldn't do it without specific medical support.
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Post by KiwiJo on Apr 29, 2016 19:53:27 GMT
I have zero experience with eczema.
And I have zero knowledge of what might cause it.
But it seems to me that it would be a heck of a lot easier to try the environmental elimination first, then the food elimination if that doesn't work. Especially for a child.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 20:21:43 GMT
I have zero experience with eczema. And I have zero knowledge of what might cause it. But it seems to me that it would be a heck of a lot easier to try the environmental elimination first, then the food elimination if that doesn't work. Especially for a child. [/ I agree. We have already tried various topical products for eczema and it isn't helping. It does typically get better in the summer which is part of the reason I originally though dairy may be the cause (we don't eat much dairy at home but his eczema starts up again as soon as school starts and he is eating more dairy/drinking milk). The pediatrician did say that an elimination diet would be the next step and that dairy is the product most linked to eczema and other skin problems like acne. |
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Apr 29, 2016 20:22:02 GMT
I would take him to a dermatologist and get him tested for allergies. They can do skin tests and it would be more complete and true results more than an elimination diet.
edited to add....
What laundry soap do you use? change to either all free or tide free and clear (what ever it is callled)
The next thing you can try is changing hand soaps to an all natural like neutrogena.
We also changed to Clear shampoo and conditioner. neither Amanda or I have had problems with our scalps since we changed.
Good luck and God bless
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msliz
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Post by msliz on Apr 29, 2016 20:26:46 GMT
He has had allergy testing a few years ago but all tests were negative. I am guessing he is either allergic to something they didn't test for, or it is more of a sensitivity than a true allergy. Has he had an IgG Test? 5 years ago, DD's cost about $150 out of pocket because insurance wouldn't cover it. The allergist hooked me up. It's not an allergy test exactly, but looks at proteins. It can indicate whether he has historically (at any time in the past) had an issue with a food, and identifies which foods might be a problem. DD was within limits for wheat, gluten, and soy on the standard allergy tests, but off the charts for those proteins on the IgG test. We eliminated them from her diet, and it helped her tremendously (eczema was no longer an issue for her at that point, but it helped with inflammation related problems.) If you have to pay for it out of pocket, make sure you get the full report that details findings for every food listed. Swiss cheese of all things came up on DD's, but no problem with other cheeses. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 20:32:06 GMT
He has had allergy testing a few years ago but all tests were negative. I am guessing he is either allergic to something they didn't test for, or it is more of a sensitivity than a true allergy. Has he had an IgG Test? 5 years ago, DD's cost about $150 out of pocket because insurance wouldn't cover it. The allergist hooked me up. It's not an allergy test exactly, but looks at proteins. It can indicate whether he has historically (at any time in the past) had an issue with a food, and identifies which foods might be a problem. DD was within limits for wheat, gluten, and soy on the standard allergy tests, but off the charts for those proteins on the IgG test. We eliminated them from her diet, and it helped her tremendously (eczema was no longer an issue for her at that point, but it helped with inflammation related problems.) If you have to pay for it out of pocket, make sure you get the full report that details findings for every food listed. Swiss cheese of all things came up on DD's, but no problem with other cheeses. No, he hasn't. I will check with The allergist to see if they do them. I had asked about other tests for food sensitivities before but they said no, but that was a few years ago. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 29, 2016 20:35:49 GMT
I would take him to a dermatologist and get him tested for allergies. They can do skin tests and it would be more complete and true results more than an elimination diet. edited to add.... What laundry soap do you use? change to either all free or tide free and clear (what ever it is callled) The next thing you can try is changing hand soaps to an all natural like neutrogena. We also changed to Clear shampoo and conditioner. neither Amanda or I have had problems with our scalps since we changed. Good luck and God bless He has allergy testing a few years ago. We use free and clear laundry soap, fragrance free dove or olay soap. We use fragranced hand soap. I am not sure if that would be the cause since it doesn't touch all of the problem areas, but I suppose it does get absorbed and could cause problems. I will look at changing that. Youngest DS also has eczema, but his looks different than the 10year olds. His is more red, inflamed and not very itchy. It is in patches and covers his whole forearm, upper thighs, and sometimes his stomach. Other sons is very dry in spots and he scratches like crazy. |
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Post by anniefb on Apr 30, 2016 0:24:51 GMT
I would take him to a dermatologist and get him tested for allergies. They can do skin tests and it would be more complete and true results more than an elimination diet. edited to add.... What laundry soap do you use? change to either all free or tide free and clear (what ever it is callled) The next thing you can try is changing hand soaps to an all natural like neutrogena. We also changed to Clear shampoo and conditioner. neither Amanda or I have had problems with our scalps since we changed. Good luck and God bless He has allergy testing a few years ago. We use free and clear laundry soap, fragrance free dove or olay soap. We use fragranced hand soap. I am not sure if that would be the cause since it doesn't touch all of the problem areas, but I suppose it does get absorbed and could cause problems. I will look at changing that. Youngest DS also has eczema, but his looks different than the 10year olds. His is more red, inflamed and not very itchy. It is in patches and covers his whole forearm, upper thighs, and sometimes his stomach. Other sons is very dry in spots and he scratches like crazy. I'd look at replacing the laundry detergent and the soaps with something more natural that's all plant-based. I think the free and clear still contains sodium laurel sulphate which some people certainly have a reaction to, and even the fragrance free Dove still has the usual soap constituents such as sodium laurel isethionate that can be drying for skin. I would go to something that's SLS and paraben free for both body wash and shampoo. |
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vanessa
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Sept 15, 2015 4:25:10 GMT
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Post by vanessa on Apr 30, 2016 7:10:24 GMT
Did he have a skin rest or a blood test? Mom of a child with anaphylaxis to six of the top eight food allergens. It is so much easier to do blood testing and knock that crap out than to do elimination testing. Elimination testing works with our daughter with lactose intolerance and the one with gluten intolerance but it would have been a nightmare with out allergenic child. Just saying
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vanessa
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Post by vanessa on Apr 30, 2016 7:12:44 GMT
And even with our daughter being vegan due to her food allergies, the excema remains. There is cross contamination everywhere. It just is what it is. I'm 42 and currently on steroids for an unexplained flare. I can accept now that I just won't always know the cause but i will always have to treat it.
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Post by katiejane on Apr 30, 2016 10:06:00 GMT
I suffer with it, our whole family suffers from either it or asthma. I have to be very careful with lotions, soaps, cleaning products, laundry soap, sun lotion. I have to rotate to different premises for work and in one place the cleaner they use causes a flare up. I now wear long sleeves there as I am not sure what product is causing the problem. I always get better in the summer too, i always put it down to less layers irritating my skin. Mine has also got better as I have got older, or am I better at managing it |
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Post by gar on Apr 30, 2016 10:11:49 GMT
I suffer with it, our whole family suffers from either it or asthma. I have to be very careful with lotions, soaps, cleaning products, laundry soap, sun lotion. I have to rotate to different premises for work and in one place the cleaner they use causes a flare up. I now wear long sleeves there as I am not sure what product is causing the problem. I always get better in the summer too, i always put it down to less layers irritating my skin. Mine has also got better as I have got older, or am I better at managing it My DDs dermatologist told her that eczema generally improves in the summer because the humidity increases the hydration/ 'plumpness' of the skin cells which means less irritants can penetrate, and also that perspiration also helps to give a layer of protection to the outer layer of the skin. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 30, 2016 14:03:20 GMT
Did he have a skin rest or a blood test? Mom of a child with anaphylaxis to six of the top eight food allergens. It is so much easier to do blood testing and knock that crap out than to do elimination testing. Elimination testing works with our daughter with lactose intolerance and the one with gluten intolerance but it would have been a nightmare with out allergenic child. Just saying I know he had a skin test but I don't know if they did any blood testing as well. It would definitely be easier to find out through a blood test than elimination but I am just not sure if that is possible with sensitivities vs allergies. I don't know if it is significant but DH and youngest DS are allergic to peanuts. |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Apr 30, 2016 14:24:45 GMT
From my years of experience with DD, I would recommend starting with a visit to a pediatric allergist, followed by an appointment with a pediatric dermatologist, before I started with an elimination diet.
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Post by lorieann13 on Apr 30, 2016 14:28:46 GMT
The kids and I do not get eczema from foods. Even when we would eat a food we found out we were allergic to, no eczema. Hives? Gwad yes!
For us these play a major role in our eczema:
Cold dry air
Dry wind
Certain fabrics
Dryer sheets
Certain soaps
Certain lotions
Certain detergents
Heat/sweating
Clothes rubbin on skin
Environmental allergies (grass, trees, pollens, etc)
For us, keeping our skin moisturized is key.
I can use Origional Gain. No dryer sheets. Dove bar soap for dd, zest for ds and I. Paul Mitchelle origional s/c for dd and I, Suave sensative for ds. Eczema friendly lotion.
Even with all that we still can get break outs. Especially winter in elbow creases and behind knees as well as cheecks from clothes rubbing and cold air.
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