Your Stories - Food Intolerance

Cutting milk, nuts & eggs out of my son's diet cured his Eczema - F Stevens, Carmarthen, UK

After 5 years suffering extremely bad eczema since a baby, my little boy recently became so ill he was hospitalised. At hospital he was given a Specific IGE blood test, which tested his immune response to a range of foods. He was diagnosed as allergic to milk, nuts and eggs and 8 weeks after removing these from his diet his skin is almost totally clear, we have not had to put cream on 4/5 times a day, he is able to sleep all night and our lives have been completely transformed. Although I am delighted that a root cause has finally been found I am furious that we had to go through 5 years of hell to get there. I would strongly advise anyone struggling with eczema to
demand this relatively simple test from their doctor, it would have saved a lot of grief, stress and money if it had been done sooner. (April 2009) Contact F Stevens

I cut out anything with chilli, garlic, anything with cream/dairy, pickles, chocolate, crisps - Helen, Bournemouth, UK

I have suffered from atopic eczema all my life really and each time I experience a flare up my eczema will come back in a different form.

My trigger is stress and my recent acute flare up started in February this year, this was due to being bullied by a female manager and eventually being put in a position where I had to leave my job. Even when I left I thought the eczema would go but actually it didn't.

I used read some of these stories that are put on here and it saddens me that there is no one trend for a cure and to be honest for every single person who suffers from eczema its a case of trial and error, its a case of getting to know your body and having extreme patience.

My eczema has now practically disappeared which is more than I could ask for as I am getting married in November in Cuba and that was on my mind whether or not it would clear - however either way I knew being in the hot sun it would certainly get better.

So what worked for me? Well even though I had my best friend making me potions (she is training to be a herbalist) I always knew I had to find the answer myself as to sorting this flare up out.

At the end August I realised that after eating chilli or garlic my skin on face would flare, swell and at its worse weep on its own. So the first thing I had to accept was that actually what I put into my body maybe making me worse. I know they say we should stay away from dairy products, processed foods etc and I for one used to think "yeah whatever..so cliché I know I don't have an intolerance to that.." But actually you need to give your body a kind of detox once in a while. I don't mean like a proper detox like Carol Vorderman but actually cutting out all the foods you love and that you eat often - cut these out for a month, give your body a break.

So for me I cut out anything with chilli, garlic, anything with cream/dairy, pickles, chocolate, crisps - everything I ate was bland and freshly prepared. This in itself was a nightmare for me because I love sauces and spice and sometimes when you come home from work you really want something quick and easy.

Me and my friend also found out that turmeric has natural properties that boost the immune system to protect your body from allergies/hayfever - I can't remember how it really works but check the healing properties out on Google I decided to take this as I needed to boost my immune system and addition to the turmeric I also took apple cyder vinegar - this was also for my skin and help balance my stomach out after the influx of some heavy duty chilli and garlic!!! I take 2 tablespoons mixed with pressed apple juice (not from concentrate) morning and night. The turmeric you can buy the tablets which are pure spice in a clear capsule from Holland and Barrat.

Anyway the first week I came out in a rash - I felt so down because yet again I thought yet another attempt that has failed but my friend assured me that this was a good sign as my body was expelling the toxins.

The next thing I did was read about the biology of the skin - compliments of the BMA. It was really interesting really because I think we all forget that our skin is the largest organ of the body and yet I know for me, I don't take particular great care of it, internally or externally! Also I learnt that apparently everytime we scratch that itch, the itch will come back worse, which means you scratch more - hence the never-ending cycle of your skin not getting better. The book also talked about putting antiseptics in the bath to kill off the bacteria.

Now having experienced every single steroid cream and man made medicine for the best part of my life for eczema I was more interested in which aromatherapy oil I could use instead of the usual stuff GP's recommend.
My best friend recommended tea tree oil. Now this really worked - because I have been using this for a week and I noticed a remarkable difference within a few days. Make sure that the water is luke warm to warm, 5 drops of the essential tea tree oil, soak in the bath for no more than 10 mins. This stuff is truly amazing!!

Now in addition to the turmeric, apple cyder vinegar, tree tea oil baths, bland food, for my arms I used Palmers olive oil organic cream. I would just like to say at this point that I too used to use Vaseline, however I felt this made my skin worse, any cream of this kind of substance always made me come out in tiny white heat spots. When using any kind of cream, regardless of thickness all creams should be applied sparingly - I even noticed this on light creams as well, so even when your skin is really dry put cream on sparingly. Also you should put the cream on in the direction of the hair growth as its easy to block the skin pores and skin will be unable to breathe/sweat.

Ultimately everyone is different - but maybe what has helped me will help someone else - like I say its all trial and error, but since doing this I my skin has looked better - it was hard to believe that 2 weeks ago it still looked awful. (I have been taking the turmeric, cyder vinegar, bland food for a month).

One or rather 2 final recommendations, for those with eczema on the face I found the Simple range really helped, I know they say you should not use these kind of products but when you put Vaseline on your skin it makes you feel worse because its so greasy. I would rather apply Simple moisturiser 10 times a day rather than Vaseline. Psychologically it makes you feel a bit normal too.

A cream that also worked but is expensive is the New Zealand Manuka Honey cream.

I think the key is for anything you put into your body and anything you put on your skin - the less ingredients the better. The more natural the better. I hope that my experience will help some of you. (October 2007) Contact Helen

Yeast, Wheat and Cheese causes my Eczema - Alicia, Boston, USA

I suffered from eczema for 13 years. I went to several dermatologists and even an allergist and none of them could help me. Finally my mum heard about a homeopathic PhD and on the very first visit he told me that I was allergic to yeast, wheat and cheese. He said stop eating these foods and my eczema will go away. Sure enough IT WENT AWAY!, unless of course I eat those foods but I find in small portions I can eat them and be okay EVERY OTHER WEEK. Although my doctor would not be happy if he heard that. He would say I cannot and should not have any at all (except for a special occasion). Oh I am also allergic to eggs and one egg allergy is eczema! So stop eating yeast products, wheat and cheese. Good luck to you all! (September 2005) Contact Alicia

Holland & Barratt now doing Food Intolerance Testing - Neil, Walsall, UK

Holland and Barratt are offering Homeopathic Food Intolerance testing throughout the UK starting at £30 up to £56. Not as conclusive as Blood testing, but then, it doesn't cost over £250. I went, and found I had an intolerance to dairy, beef, tomatoes, coffee and chocolate. So I cut them out, and my eczema disappeared. Result! (April 2005) Contact Neil

My Eczema is due to Food Intolerance! - Lori, Nelson, New Zealand

I have had very mild eczema since I was a child, usually only in summer. Since the age of about 18 it has got progressively worse. Not just the horrid itchy rash that we all know so well, but extreme sensitivity - no make-up or perfume, no nice lacy underwear, non-scented deodorant etc. etc. I am sure everyone here can sympathize, and many of you will be worse than me. This summer my eczema reached the worst ever, with a solid rash from the back of my thighs to my bra line, and my entire stomach, places that while not visible, are extremely bad to itch in public. I finally bit the bullet and went for allergy testing! I found I am allergic to wheat, dairy, corn, vinegar, lima beans, green beans, and cucumber. Changing my diet drastically had an immediate effect, and within a few days, my eczema was bearable, and in a couple of weeks it was almost totally gone. One thing that my doctor described to me was to think of my allergies as a 'box of irritants'. My body can only handle so much, before the familiar rash arrives. I have now started to gradually reintroduce my 'bad' foods, so I can find the level that allows me a kind of normal diet/life, alongside an itch free back. I recommend everyone with this problem to check out allergies, from what I can figure out, dairy and wheat intolerance is EXTREMELY common in eczema sufferers. My grandmother has put up with it all her life, but after seeing my recovery, she tried cutting out wheat only, and noticed an immediate improvement. It's a matter of finding the balance. I also found a great cream called renew from Mallalluca which seemed to help at the worst times. (April 2005) Contact Lori

Get tested for Food Intolerance! - Lynn, Akron, USA

After ten years of struggling with eczema on my hands, of being told by a dermatologist it could only be caused by something I was touching, of wearing gloves to do dishes and shower, carrying my own soap with me so I could wash my hands without fear of touching an unfamiliar, untested brand of soap, of being afraid to pet my dog and cat, I have thrown away my extensive collection of ointments, creams and salves. I can touch anything I want to. Nothing that I’ve touched has had any affect whatsoever on the condition of my hands.

Had I not gone against my dermatologist’s advice that it “absolutely had nothing to do with anything I was eating” and sought out an allergist who tested me for food allergies, I would still be on that horrible path filled with pain, frustration, fear and embarrassment.

I’ve also noticed that I feel better over all. I’ve eaten chocolate and beef all my life and have drunk at least a pot of coffee daily from sixteen years old. My face has cleared up; it’s been blemished since my teens. I’m less lethargic and crabby and although giving up coffee was very rough, my life is no longer riddled with physical cravings for beef, chocolate and coffee. I never craved mushrooms but did enjoy them in salad and with steak.

Please if you have eczema consider getting tested for food allergies! Please feel free to email me for before and after photos. (January 2005) Contact Lynn

Food Intolerance and Eczema - Lindsay, Totnes, UK

I just wanted to encourage people trying to get to the bottom of their or their childs food intolerances. It is so worth it! My son had very bad eczema all over and within 10 days of finding out he had problems with dairy/corn and gluten (it took us some time to work this out of course) it had nearly vanished. Within 6 weeks it had all gone. He has been on this diet for 1 1/2 years now and is healthy and happy, very different to how he would have been. It's been hard and I can only laugh when people say he has just grown out of it or it is coincidence. He would eat one of those things and start itching within 24hrs. At times he seemed even more sensitive than he was before but now he can have small amounts of these things without any noticable effects (I limit this to when we go to a party or a friends as I still feel he's obviously the atopic type and maybe always will be). People have sometimes looked at me as if I am depriving him but they wouldn't have seen him as he was before. I am depriving him of sleepless nights and ... well you know the rest. I would love food not to be the enemy I sometimes see it as now but I'd rather have that as my problem than eczema as his. Best of luck. (January 2005) Contact Lindsay

DHA & ARA - A Mom from New York, USA

My son has eczema since he was 1 month old, he now is 3 months old. The key to helping an infant with infant eczema is to find out what your child is allergic to. Every child is different and could be allergic to something else. My son is allergic to Fabric sheet softeners and the DHA & ARA they add to infant formula. The DHA & ARA is an ingredient that is added to infant formula and baby food. They say the DHA & ARA is found in breast milk. I am not sure what they use to produce this ingredient I do know they do not get if from breast milk. 3 times I switched my son from formula that DID NOT have DHA & ARA to formula that DID have DHA & ARA all 3 times within a couple of days my son broke out in a rash. The rash started on his face then it moved to his scalp, chest, arms and legs. My son would scratch at his face and be very uncomfortable. 3 times I switched my son from formula that DID have DHA & ARA to formula that DID NOT have DHA & ARA within a few days his rash went away and he seemed much more comfortable and happy. Now that my son has been off formula without the DHA & ARA for 2 weeks he has been rash free. His skin is now baby soft. 1st time switched from Enfamil with Iron Lipil to Enfamil with Iron. 2nd time switched from Enfamil with Iron Lipil to Enfamil with Iron. 3rd time switched from Similiac with Iron Isomil to Similiac with Iron. It did not matter if my son had milk based or soy based formula both formulas that contained DHA & ARA made him break out in a rash. It did not matter if it was Enfamil or Similiac. Nothing else changed in his environment.

What did I do when I found out my son had eczema:

Prayed I would find out what he was allergic to. (I am not kidding) Now that I know what he is allergic to he is rash free.

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE YOU TRY ANYTHING. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NATURAL DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR INFANT. THERE ARE MEDICATIONS THAT ARE MADE FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS. NOT ALL HERBS OR OILS ARE SAFE FOR INFANTS EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE SAFE ON OLDER CHILDREN OR ADULTS.

Things that helped my son when he had a rash:

I would wet down his face with water, moisturize it with Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, then with Vaseline to lock in the moisture every couple of hours. This helped take the redness out of his face and helped with the itchiness for a little while. I would do this in the night when he woke up. I never woke him up to do this.

I used very soft mittens on his hands to prevent him from putting scratches on his face.

Good luck to all of you MOMs I know how hard this is for you! (August 2004)

Food Intolerance Testing - Carole, Telford, UK

Highly recommend that sufferers of eczema check out Healthscan.co.uk. Food intolerance testing, vastly more advanced than VEGA testing. Developed in the States and carried out by Mr Gerard Kielty. Will give advice by E Mail which may help but sufferers should have a scan as this reveals own body's reaction to foods. Very specific advice given. I had range of complaints. 100% improvement. Symptoms reappear if I don't avoid the identified problem foods. Non invasive. No blood tests. All completely computerised and pain free. United States are well ahead of us on this one! Mr Kielty will travel to Uk if small numbers of clients can be booked in. (August 2004)

Food Intolerance and Eczema - Valerie, Albuquerque, NM, USA

I've had eczema on my feet (pompholyx) for about 15 years. I recently went on an elimination diet and discovered that I have an intolerance to corn. Consequently, my eczema is virtually gone. This is after trying every treatment known by several dermatologists in the course of 15 years! None of my dermatologists ever suggested food intolerance as a possible link. It was an allergist that suggested the diet for a sinus problem and consequently my eczema cleared up in about 4 weeks.

The important thing to remember is that every person is different. I've read many of the stories in the food category where somebody will say to stop eating dairy or wheat or whatever but there is no way to know what YOUR particular intolerance is unless the elimination diet is tried.

Having a food intolerance is different from a food allergy and the only way to determine an intolerance is to do the ELIMINATION DIET. Please ask an Allergist about this. In my experience dermatologists didn't think there was any link between eczema and diet. The elimination diet is not easy but is well worth the effort. I would like to see more information about this on this website and other websites about eczema.

If you have chronic eczema and nothing has worked, please ask an allergist about food intolerance and elimination diets. I hope this will help someone!

Valerie, Former eczema sufferer in New Mexico (June 2004)

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