Hi & update

[yorkie2703]

Hi
It has been awhile since I have been on here.
Coming to understand what it is like to have a child with Eczema and multiple food allergies can be quite hard. Always trying to be one step ahead of eating out, going out, school etc etc


After years of battling with my daughter distressing eczema.
At 2 she was reluctantly referred to a dermatologist who did some blood tests. The blood test came back inconclusive the dermatologist didn’t really explain very much apart from keep her away from pets.

So left too it and with no more help from my GP apart from using different steroids, creams and emollients. I started to research into Eczema what a mind field that was becoming. But as my daughter started to get old I felt she was getting worse. Also it was becoming a norm to walk into her home and catch her stretching until she bleeds. Once I walked in there and she was stretching her back with her wall leaving blood marks. It became increasing distressing watching my child suffer. She always seemed worse at night. We were giving her Pirton, which is meant to help her sleep, but acted like us giving her red bull energy drink she would be awake all night.

Then April last year I had enough and printed loads of information then took it to my GP about skin and reactions. I felt my daughter was reacting to something that was causing a skin reaction. I have no medical knowledge but I know my own child. I took pictures of her reactions and did a diary hoping something would come up. Finally my GP referred her to the hospital allergy specialist.

As I hadn’t been given much help I wasn’t holding out for much help from the hospital. So I had my appointment and the doctor did a load of blood tests. I informed him I had read lots into allergies and if these test come back inconclusive I will be looking to changing her diet with or without there help to exclude eggs and dairy to start with.

-I read claims that there was links with the childhood immunisation injections, egg protein , dairy , pollen , dust mites etc etc the list is endless

Finally the test results day – Shock my daughter has allergies to grass, pollen, SOYA, Wheat, Peanut
OMG but I have never given her Soya (I now know it is in bloody everything). This was very hard to understand, as I have never directly given her soya apart from a few days before the test I gave her Soya yoghurts and told her, these will be what I will be given her from now on… Oppps

Now getting really panicky as she will be starting school in the September and we are now in the May and she looks awful. The only way I can describe her skin was like a child who had been put in boiling water. Everything seemed to set off a reaction water (Baths, Washing hands), sand, outdoors, eating. Hot, cold, sun

the Doctor advised she would need to have skin prick test so if we wanted to wait until we have them before we start looking at her diet then that was fine.

From leaving the Hospital I had already decided I was changing her diet on the information I had. So no Soya, Wheat or Peanuts. When I got home I checked every label and everything pretty much had Soya or Wheat. So I went shopping just for her it took over 3 hours. I have never really looked at labels before apart from how much fat or kcal in a product.

All the creams so far we have tried have caused a reaction. So I stopped the pure potions and put her on Alveeno and so far she is ok.

Lucky I went to a Allergy Show at Olympia which is on again this year in May. It was really good to talk to people who have allergies and Eczema.
I also came across a company called foodwhiz. Basically you sign up and put in all your allergies etc then when you go shopping you just scan the barcode and it tells you if it contains any of the stuff you can’t eat. (Only down side is if you can’t get a phone signal)

So from May – September in starting school I had restricted her diet to exclude above. We had more tests, which confirmed Melon, Kiwi, Pomegranate, Beans and pulses in that time.
But thankfully by now her skin was 80% better the only real sign was on her legs and hands.
Also to be safe we have been given Epipens just in case.

Due to her multi allergies we was advised by the hospital not to allow her school dinners due to cross contamination. So packed lunch it is and still is.

I can pretty much control most of what she is eating. Children’s Parties I bring her own food, which she doesn’t mind about. As I work full time it’s hard when a party is after school and I cant get to it as I can’t really rely on anyone as people don’t release the impact of allergies and why should they as it doesn’t directly effect them.

We have to be so careful what we give her – Fish oils many contain Soya
Multivitamins many contain gluten, wheat

We did look at putting an air purifier into our home but was advised against this as it would be her only safe place and her body would find it harder to deal with her air bourn allergies.

So things are going well we have a few flare-ups but nothing like before. The hospital is very keen in re introducing some foods this year but I am not. I feel she hasn’t been restricted long enough. Also she is at her worse when the grass and pollen is at its highest. I would like to see how she is this year with her restricted diet.

One day she ate a cake from her friends packed lunch and she reacted within a few hours, Most of her allergies are skin reactions so I have to be on guard all the time. The hardest thing is when she has reacted and we don’t know why………….

If anything I have learned is what is good for one isn’t good for another. Also not all foods etc our what they seem regardless of it being a fruit or vegetable…

My daughter is 4 now and in April will be 5. she really wants a party like all her friends have had so thats what she will have with restrictions…

My hope is one day she will grow out of theses, I can only hope…

Keep Strong all and remember you know your child better than anyone else, you are your child voice.

Fiona x x

[bexter]

your story is so similiar to ours

our little girl has suffered so much since she was very young..shes 3 now and is starting nursery this coming monday..something we never thought would be possible!. the pain and frustration weve watched her suffer have been horrendous...shes not been able to mix with other children, attend play groups or go to parties..she now has a development delay.

she was admitted to hospital for 2 weeks back in october/november..terrible infection in her eczema..and this was when we finaly saw a dermotologist..and one who took bloods and did her allergy testing. it found our girl was allergic to egg, peanuts, soya, kiwi, most pets, dust mites, pollen, any fruit with a pip. within a month of cutting all these things out shes now only got small patches of eczema on her wrists and behind her knees..she sleeps (first time in her life!) through the night..shes happy...shes comfortable...i cried with relief!

we knew she had a serious allergy to egg and we carry an epi pen for her..shes nearly died twice from anaphalactic shock. but we were shocked to find that E322 and certain lecithins found in some foods contain egg..yet the food companys dont have to warn that they do...we found soya in everything..im now a fabulous bread baker..they use soya flour in most super market breads!

any so she starts nursery next week...and im terrified...they have done a risk assesment for her and drawn uo a car plan to deal with her allergies and asthma and eczema...but its still left me with my heart in my mouth

im so glad you too found that diet eased your childs eczema

[yorkie2703]

Hi Bexter
How is your little girl getting on?
fiona x

[Marcie Mom]

Hi!

So good to hear of moms being so proactive and taking so much care into watching out for trigger. My baby has eczema from 2 weeks old but thankfully no allergies. Still on and off, but nothing boiling or hot red type.. Moisturizing is key, and treating with steroid cream under prescription is ok too. Skin prick test should be done, so that we don't go bonkers thinking everything is an allergen.

I'm having a Q&A with a pediatrician who specialize in Allergy on eczemablues.com; today's Q is fairly basic but wait a few weeks, it will be a Q&A on measures to take if child is in childcare.

Hope everyone's happy this weekend! no itchy scratchy!

MarcieMom
http://eczemablues.com
http://twitter.com/marciemom