Contact allergies on skin & Dairy Intolerance

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HelensMummy
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:45 pm
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by HelensMummy on Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:08 pm

Contact allergies on skin & Dairy Intolerance

Hi

My 14 month old has a dairy intolerance and also seems to have contact allergy to Kiwi and Peanut butter ( nettle type rash when she touches these foods).

Looking back, the dairy intolerance started with weaning. I fully Breastfed until 6 months and then gradually weaned onto solids between then and 10 months. At the time I thought the explosive nappies were due to tummy bugs, teething, change of diet etc but they never settled. I got to a point where I didn't leave the house until she had done her eblutions because she needed a full clothing change every time. Alongside this, baby eczema turned into more atopic eczema which I couldn't control and my daughter was awake for 2-3 hours per night crying and scratching, as well as being difficult to settle at night / for naps.

I was referred to a dermatologist who said not to touch her diet but to try a "hard hit" of steroids with 2 weeks of elocon, 2 weeks of eumovate and then 2 weeks of hydrocortisone 1% ointment reducing to just weekends. This didn't really work and made matters worse because she ended up with several cysts from the steroids, one of which became infected.

At Christmas, in desperation, I agreed with my GP to follow non dairy as a trial. 4 weeks of non dairy and her nappies because normal, solid nappies. Alongside this, her skin improved significantly and so did sleep.

I returned to the GP who has now referred us to see a paediatrician ( he wanted us to see a dietician, an allergy tester and a dermatologist but was concerned that this would be too many opinions as they are all based at different places)

So, now I am waiting for that appointment which is scheduled for a couple of weeks' time.

In the meantime, I would really value some advice on the following:

I have realised that oilatum actually makes the eczema worse. Is there a more natural bath additive I could try?
I moisturise my daughters legs and hands 7 times a day. Is this common?
I cannot get her hands under control. Is this common since it is winter or should I try to figure out if there are more contact allergies since she eats so much of her food with her hands?
I have replaced dairy milk with rice milk and am slowly introducing goats milk. Is this ok?
I use scratch sleeves and a Babygro at night so that she cannot scratch her hands or legs. She still rubs her legs together a lot. Are there medical trousers I can get with softer seams?
Her sleep is still impacted. Is there anything I can do or do I need to manage the eczema first?
I am expecting my second child, is there a high probability that they will have eczema? Should I Breastfed for longer? Would this help?
Is dairy intolerance /eczema common? I have been able to find out so little about it and while the GP is supportive,there seems to be a culture to treat the symptoms rather than try to find the underlying causes.
I have had many desperate moments when my daughter is upset, especially at night.
What is your view on alternative therapies? Have you seen these work?

There are probably too many questions here and if so, I apologise. However, I would really appreciate comments on any of them if all of them cannot be covered.

Thanks for the opportunity to share these concerns.

Helen's Mummy

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Dr Adam Fox
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Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:04 am
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by Dr Adam Fox on Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:16 pm

Re: Contact allergies on skin & Dairy Intolerance

Hi
these don't sound like contact allergies but instead immediate type food allergies - can I assume she has not eaten peanut or kiwi as I suspect she may have more severe reactions. She needs proper testing to clarify this.Unfortunately, kids with problems with one food allergy are more likely to have others, especially if they have troublesome eczema.
Applying moisturiser that often is not unreasonable and the more you can the better. There is no 'best' moisturiser - just try lots of different ones and see what suits eg diprobase, doublebase, cetraben, hydromol - you may one to use one of the thicker ones for bedtime. Ask your pharmacist if they have any samples you can try.
Please don't try goat's milk as it's almost completely cross reactive with cow's milk. How about calcium fortified oat milk as rice milk is not recommended for kids under 4and a half.
Dr Adam Fox
MA(Hons), MD, MSc, MB, BS, DCH, FRCPCH, FHEA, Dip Allergy

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... am_fox.php

HelensMummy
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:45 pm
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by HelensMummy on Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:20 pm

Re: Contact allergies on skin & Dairy Intolerance

Just quickly on the allergies to kiwi and peanut - The rash appears only on her hand and eating the food doesn't seem to cause any other allergic reactions...
For the rice milk, I will try oat milk instead as I don't want to give Soy. Will the fact that I have given rice milk for two months be ok?

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Dr Adam Fox
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by Dr Adam Fox on Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:29 pm

Re: Contact allergies on skin & Dairy Intolerance

Hi
the rice milk will not cause problems in such a short time. If he can eat the food in good quantity without problem, then that sounds much better!
Dr Adam Fox
MA(Hons), MD, MSc, MB, BS, DCH, FRCPCH, FHEA, Dip Allergy

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... am_fox.php

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Dr Anton Alexandroff
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Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:11 am
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by Dr Anton Alexandroff on Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:35 pm

Re: Contact allergies on skin & Dairy Intolerance

I agree with Dr Fox - there are different emollients and generally the greasier the better e.g. emulsifying ointment. And 7 times a day sounds reasonable in bad eczema. In addition it is also important to use a bath oil, again any bath oil is generally good. Regarding oilatum - generally it is a good emollient but if it does not suit you can use another emollient as already advised.

If it is eczema and steroid creams do not help there are also tacrolimus or pimecrolimus creams - these are not steroids but work in a similar way. they have to be prescribed by a doctor.

Yes I am afraid if there is a history of eczema, hay fever or asthma in family there is higher chance for your next baby to have eczema. But remember a lot of babies and children grow out of eczema!

with best wishes,
Dr Anton Alexandroff MRCP(UK) PhD FAAD FRSM
Consultant Dermatologist in Bedford and Leicester
www.alexandroff.org.uk
twitter: @bedford_skin_dr
Dr Anton Alexandroff
Consultant Dermatologist, Honorary Senior Lecturer & BSF spokesperson - FRCP, CCT (Derm), PhD, FRSM, FAAD

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... ndroff.php

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