Monday, April 16, 2018
My Food Has a Case of the Mondays
Okay. I had three whole days of eating like a normal person after I decided to start consuming dairy/gluten/caffeine again. Poppy's eczema had by no means cleared up after a week of avoiding those things, and she had even had a couple of bad days. So I thought, "Didn't work. Back to coffee!"
Wednesday night I went to bed feeling like a little kid on Christmas Eve, because it was Coffee Eve. The very next day I was going to drink coffee. I could get up in the morning and have my beloved coffee with chicory! And milk! And a tiny bit of sugar! (I use literally about an eighth of a teaspoon per cup.)
So I did. And it was glorious. I was using milk, eating cheese, even having the occasional piece of bread.
And then Poppy's eczema straight-up blew up. She's in the middle of the worst flare-up yet, red and itchy and not sleeping. Bad news.
Thus, I determined yesterday that I really need to do a real elimination diet, because man, it's the saddest. I don't know if what I'm eating is affecting her, but since she's still exclusively nursing, it seems like a reasonable assumption. And at least I feel like I'm doing something. Other than holding her hands so she can't claw at her skin, that is.
As of yesterday, I'm not eating dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, nuts, legumes, the nightshade vegetables (that includes white potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes), or citrus.
I sort of just decided on all these on my own, figuring that way I would hit the most common allergens all at once.
I am, however, still drinking a cup of coffee, albeit a very weak brew of it with about four drops of maple syrup in it.
Definitely not cafe au lait, but better than tea. I had even stopped drinking the tea after a few days, because I really didn't like it too much and there didn't seem much point. After a week of no caffeine at all, however, I can confidently state that I just do not function at this point in time without caffeine. If I were sleeping, that would be one thing, but I'm not. In order to care for the rest of my family and not feel like I have the flu all the time, I need some caffeine.
So. One cup of coffee and a LOT of meat and vegetables. That's it for the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck. And cross your fingers for Poppy's poor skin.
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11 comments:
Oh, I certainly hope that this works! Mary in MN
Since A. has food allergies, I am kind of thinking it might just be something that he or one of the other boys has as an allergy. Good luck , hope you figure it out so you all can sleep and not itchy all the time.
Guess there just isn't time, not to mention the pain in suffering of you both, to try to eliminate one food product at a time. As you figured out, smart girl, better to get results and then add one at a time on the backside! Feel so terribly bad for you both. Especially Lillian if it's food allergies. You can get on with your life after nursing. She, on the other hand, will deal with the allergies forever, or at least until medical science catches up. Bon appetite!
Here's an alternative thought: as we know L.M. has LOTS of allergies. Extra Vit C does help hers. Since there is no down side to too much Vit C, why not pick up a bottle and take a couple thousand mg a day for a couple of weeks and see if it helps. Vit C is also good for skin and all connective tissue, so it might help.
^^^too much vit c will cause gastric upset, unless it is the lipospheric version. But when my eldest was a baby, I was given vit c to reduce her food sensitivities/reactiveness. You could also try adding in some baby probiotics- either in drop form or mix the powder with some breastmilk and feed it by dropper.
Goodl luck. Elimination diets are tough, extra especially with little sleep. My eldest showed sensitivity to 67 different foods and it felt like there was nothing I could eat, but with a bit of time, just a couple of months, her gut matured, we reintroduced everything one by one and she doesn't react to anything anymore. (her reaction was bowel based not skin based)
My youngest struggled with bad eczema especially in the diaper area. It was brutal and I feel for you all. The elimination diet makes sense. If you can’t get anywhere with that take her to see a dermatologist. We finally took that route and it helped a lot.
I know you're in the middle of nowhere, and it will probably be crazy expensive... but I like a bit of vanilla almond milk in my coffee. I wish you the best in the elimination diet - both my girls had eczema while I was breastfeeding and they regularly got lathered in thick Lubriderm lotion. Cortisone ointment seemed to help for "spot treatment".
If it's that bad that it's causing her and you distress, I would ask for a referral to a dermatologist. Hope you both find relief soon.
I think that going to a dermatologist is a good idea. Not that you want Poppy to take medicine, but the doctor might have some background on what causes this in babies. Mary in MN
Could also be clothing related . Soap even what YOU use to bathe you. Wish you luck and quick relief.
It is BRILLIANT what you are doing (hard though!). I am sure you will get to the bottom of it. It is so difficult without caffeine I know but in the end, without it for long enough and you will adjust (and feel better. Best, best of luck - keep us updated on your progress! I've heard about pro-biotics too (with 80% immunity being linked to gut health it is worth a try?). Big hugs - you can do it! :)
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