Your Stories - Allergy and Patch Testing

Patch Tests have proved positive - Carla, Milton Keynes, UK

I am a 19 yr old trainee hairdresser who has recently had an allergy patch test done. I've had eczema/dermatitis for 3 years on and off till recently it got worse that my fingers started to swell and are sore and itchy 24/7. I had 75 patches done on my back and had a reaction to:

melamine formaldehyde which is in fabrics

bromo nitropropayne which is in antiseptics, cosmetics, creams, shampoos, cleansing products washing detergents

methychloro isothiazolineone which is in shampoos hair products, soaps, polishes, household products

nickel from clothing, handbags, hair clips/pins, coined money - lol how can you be allergic to money, scissors etc.

cobalt chloride which is in jewellery, furniture, paint, hair dye, and things listed above all these is an everyday use and I got to wear gloves to try and prevent the eczema getting worse. It's going to be very hard but I can't afford to change jobs. At least I got an excuse to by new cosmetics lol!

I hope the information I've provided will help you all out there suffering but worth looking at as you never know I didn't and I'm glad I had the patch test as it's helped me an awful lot. Please fill free to contact me and good luck to everyone out there.
(May 2007) Contact Carla

Anyone have a problem like our baby? - Saliem, BC, Canada

We are from BC, Canada. We have three sons and a daughter. The youngest is 27 months. I nursed him till eight months and was doing fine till then. Is there any one with a problem like our baby?

His body was left skin and bone but his face hands and feet were swollen like a balloon, since he started to drink goat's milk. His problems were gone His feet flares up red and swollen, the doctor says is allergy. But it started again. Now his diet is mostly goat's milk also some banana, apple, orange, cucumber, celery and sometimes cauliflower. He has started to eat a little bit of corn bread and barley bread as well. We used to give him carrot juice but stopped. We will get his blood work done and will report back then.
(April 2007)

Allergy Test Experiences? - Marianne, UK

My 3 year old daughter, Anna, has suffered from eczema since birth. We have tried all the obvious skin emollients and creams, and she has been on steroid creams more times than I can remember. She has also had 2 lots of oral steroids (too much for such a little girl to take). I always suspected her itching was due to a cows milk allergy, so I put her on Soya which helped. However after INSISTING on food allergy testing the results have come back negative.

I just can't understand why this is so. We have tried to put her back on cows milk but every time we give it to her she scratches herself until she bleeds. I have been approached by her pre school teacher who absolutely refuses to give her cows milk because she is also convinced the problem is worsened by cows milk.

Does anyone have any other stories on allergy testing. I don't want to sound like I know more than the professionals, but I do know my own little girl. Should I go with my own instincts? Should I trust the EXPERTS?

Also, does anyone know of a good sun protection that would be suitable to use on her? it must be Lanolin free. Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories. It's such a relief to know that there are others out there who know what your going through. xxx
(April 2007) Contact Marianne

Allergy Elimination Technique - Carla, USA

NAET (n allergy elimination technic) has been a godsend!!! My daughter has suffered with severe full body eczema for 6 years and we have been using n.a.e.t treatments for 3 months. I have never seen her skin look like this good. There are 8 thousand doctors in the US practicing this new treatment for allergy related conditions. Many people can really be helped!!!!
Contact Carla (July 2006)

My son will be 6 years old in Feb and he had mild eczema at the age of two months which then developed into severe atopic eczema just after he was 1 year old. We tried all sorts of treatments and spent alot of time at the hospital trying to get it under control. When he was 3 years he had the prick tests done to determine what he could be allergic too foods etc. His diet had to change and thing's started to look better. Liam became a different child - we could actually see the proper colour of his skin because for ages he's had eczema all over but lucky he was too young to understand. When it was time for him to start school his skin was briliant. He only had a few patches on his legs. We thought he was over the worst but at the beginning of this year it came back just as bad. We have used all the different steroid creams,different moisturisers and he's had different bath treatments and we can't seem to get on top of it. Since Liam has had eczema he has never had a sleep pattern; he always wakes up scratching. He's been on Alimemazine Elixir for the last 3 1/2yrs but it doesn't stop him from waking up. I'm always worrying about the long term effects all these creams and medicines will have on him because he's still young. I have two other children younger and they both have small patches of eczema behind their knees only.
(Jan 2006) Contact Liam's Mum

Click here to tell a friend about talkeczema

Page updated: 25 April 2008