Food Sensitivities-Trying to Pinpoint

[ReneeW]

I've had eczema issues for years now (maybe 9 or 10 years?) and I'm finally fed up and going to DO something about it. I scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist but as a new patient I have to wait 2 months before I can get an appointment. (Sigh.) In the meantime I want to do a "detox diet" and then an "elimination diet" to try to pinpoint any food allergies that might be causing the eczema. Has anyone tried this before?

I found a few different plans on line but was curious to get input from you all. The main food intolerances/ issues most people have are from gluten and dairy. I wanted to wait to get past the holidays and give it a go. The "detox" plan I'm hoping to go on lasts 7 days and has you eat organic fruits, veggies, a little bit of seeds and quinoa, and requires you to stay away from dairy, processed foods, sugar, salt, etc. Then you slowly start adding back food groups bit by bit to see what sets off the problem (in my case, eczema).

Anyway -- I hope I have the willpower to stick with it! I want to get my plan set and then try it in mid-January or so when we don't have any social events that would derail my attempt. If you have any input, let's hear it! TIA!

[healerarina]

Hand soap sets it off for DH, but he is allergic to all sorts of plants, even aloe.

[cissy]

My kids have eczema issues, both have it with different reasons, my 6 yr old is allergic to dairy full out hives for it, it is hard to tell now what he gets his eczema from because he is trying more stuff and all, I wonder if it has to do with if we go to a restaurant and he has the bun if their is milk in there, or I know he used to get it from eggs but he now is no longer allergic to eggs. It might even be one of the million indoor outdoor allergies that I more just ignore becuase he has everything else going on.

My 3 yr old, I am spotting more eczema on his arms right now, I noticed he gets more if he plays in the water and it soaks into his arms with it being onto his shirt, also could be food for him because it happens in odd places but I do know he has sensitive skin and he gets hives and rashes from citrus foods but he still eats them all.

I have not done an elimination diet with either of them, I just cut out the 1 item I figured out it was (the 3 yr old was allergic to peas, but he loves them). I noticed with the eczema that it would not appear right away, to me it was more of an irritation. If you do an elimination or cutting everything out, I think that your best way would to be by going cold turkey and adding in 1 additional item after a week every 3 days. Rice is less of an allergy item, chicken, make sure you check seasonings if flavor something. Go bland to begin with to clear you up, make sure while you do it you also major lotion up or steriod cream your eczema up so it can hopefully go away in the first week so you can see a difference when adding foods back in. Dairy, wheat, soy, eggs. You will need to use canola oil to cook things in, and there is dairy free butter out there.

[ReneeW]

The good news (or bad news!) is that my DD is allergic to dairy so we have lots of non-dairy alternatives in the house already. So that won't be as tricky to figure out--I just will have to have the will power to not eat ice cream, cheese, drink milk etc. ... but this is driving me so NUTSO that at least I'll be motivated to give it my best.

Thanks! Keep the input comin'!

[onlyoneboy]

I get it but mine is set off by soap's. I can only use one brand of soap and that is Vani cream soap. You can only get it at walgreens.

[jrose]

I am beginning to think DD2 has some sort of food sensitivity but do not know to what. She will randomly break out with little hives on her back and her tummy sometimes but they go away within a day or 2 with benydryl. She also has eczema under her eyes and her elbows that never seem to want to disappear because she keeps itching them at times. She definitely takes after her dads sensitive skin.

[bumblebee23]

I have no advice just good luck wishes and hoping you are able to find a solution!