> HELLO!
>  I am new to this board and have a few questions:

Hi Kelly :)  Welcome to the list.  I will try to answer what questions I
can.

> 2) Would it be possible that eczema is the only outward sign of an
> allergy (no vomiting, crying, diarrea, etc)?

I really don't know, but my son Justin had eczema for the 13 months I
breastfed him, and he had other symptoms as well--but they were very minor.
 His stools were a little mucusy, and he would occasionally break out in
what looked like a heat rash.  It wasn't until he weaned himself that we
tried milk.  When we did, he had all the classic symptoms.  I don't know if
my limited dairy (I don't eat that much) and the added benefits of
breastmilk immunities helped him while I was nursing, but I do know that
now even the slightest bit of dairy (in any form) causes a severe reaction
(rash, screaming, tummy ache, runny nose, lethargy, diareaha, and almost
instant eczema patches).

> He has chronic kidney failure and is on a special formula (Similac PM
> 60/40); however, it is a milk based formula. We took him off all dairy
> except for the formula under the counsel of our nephrologist. His eczema
> seemed to get better but then it just came back and has stayed the same.

I hate to say this, but since formula is his main source of food right now,
taking him off other dairy is not going to make that much of a difference
(except that you are getting ready for a milk free diet).

> Our next step is to change formulas. I know this seems simple but he
> needs this special formula because it is all his body can handle.
> Regular formulas have too much potassium and phosphorous, which his
> kidneys can't excrete. He will most likely need to take ANOTHER
> medication to bind the phosphorous and we'll have to restrict his
> potassium in the rest of his diet even further. It's really a no win
> situation if it is a milk allergy causing this eczema.

I am glad you are going to be switching formulas, but I am curious as to
why your doc hasn't done this already.  And if eczema is the only symptom
(as troubling as it is), you seem to be in a catch 22 situation.  Switch to
a new formula to get rid of the eczema but have to put him on a new med, or
keep him on the formula and risk him developing other symptoms.  I
certainly don't envy your choice!  This should be something your doctor
should be thinking about very carefully as well.

> I am looking for any and all advice from you experienced parents:) I
> don't suppose there is anyone out there in my same situation but that's
> okay.

I may not be in your exact situation, but I have been very close.  Justin
had some very serious health problems when he was 4 months old.  He was
thriving wonderfully on my breastmilk for the first four months (he doubled
his birth weight by then PLUS two pounds!) but then he suddenly stopped
gaining weight.  The pedi I had at the time assumed it was the nursing
relationship and was anxious for me to wean him to formula.  He was not
very informed about breastfeeding.  Fortunately, I was.  I had weaned my
first son prematurely and during my pregnancy with Justin, I was determined
to learn all I could.

With the constant advice of an IBCLC and two LLL leaders, I was able to
determine that my milk production was overabundant.  Justin did not have a
problem with let-down, but he did have a problem with filling up too fast
on the foremilk, and not getting enough hind milk.  I put him to bed with
me every night so he could nurse at leasure, and I pumped the foremilk so
he could take the hindmilk during the day.  All of my efforts were not
enough though, and he continued his lack of gain.  At seven months, we
sought a second opinion.

This second pedi was much more knowledgeable  about breastfeeding,  and
studied the way we nursed.  She could see that everything was right, and
that my milk supply was huge. She did a simple blood test that showed his
nutritional levels were higher than most children his age.  I finally had
the encouragement I needed.  We agreed that he should still benefit from my
milk, but also be supplemented with table food (we skipped baby food all
together in hopes to boost his weight).  For three more months he didn't
gain an ounce.

Suddenly, at 10 months (weighing only 13 lbs--the same weight he was at 4
months) he started gaining again.  a closer look revealed a new problem.
He had a heart murmur.  The more the doctors listened, the more they became
aware of the problem.  Justin had a VSD (a hole in the ventricular septal
wall of the heart) that was causing massive blood flow problems.  When he
started to become mobile at four months (simple rolling) he was losing all
of his energy.  The food he was taking in was only enough to maintain his
weight (even though he nursed every hour around the clock and literally ate
adult sized meals 5 times a day betweentheages of 8 months and 1 yr).

Once we had that diagnosis, he had already picked up about a pound.  The
VSD closed on its own, even though they speculated it was quite large from
birth.  Here is the clencher:  If I would have  switched him to formula, he
could have LOST weight.  One of the biggest reasons for a child to not gain
properly or lose weight before age one is due to a milk allergy.

So here is my point:  it is vitally important to evaluate EVERY reason for
every symptom your child has when he is also facing other medical issues.
When the body is weak, it can be more difficult to reconize other smaller
problems.  Put all those problems together and you can have one giant mess.
 Talk to your doctor.  Explain your concerns and what you see of your
child.  You are around him more than your doctor; you know what is normal
for him and what is not.  Trust your intincts and follow your heart.  If I
would have gone against my instinct to continue to breastfeed because I
knew it was the only thing I could give him if he was suffering from a
bigger problem, he might have gotten worse.


>
> I will also mention that he had no outward signs of allergy for his
> first seven months of life. The eczema only appeared in October. It was
> thîs month that I:  a) stopped breast milk b) got two more cats for a
> total of three  c) added margarine to his cereals for weight gain (under
> a nutritionist's orders) and d) turned up the forced hot air heat. It's
> hard to pinpoint what the allergy actually might be or if it was there
> all the time and only came out because of the heat. His eosinophil
> counts have been very high since almost right after birth.Any thoughts
> would be appreciated:)

Again, examine everything you can.  The wonderful people on this list can
probably give you better ideas on elimination processes than I can (I am
just learning the elimination diet right now), but I do know how you feel
when your son has a medical problem and other things are coming into play.

I hope some of this helps!  Feel fre to e-mail me any time.
Jessica
Mommy to Justin (16 months) known dairy allergy
and Chris (4 1/2 yrs) possible dairy allergy
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