Hi Moms,
My son has been dairy free for 2 weeks and 2 days now b/c I want to see if his eczema gets any better (I heard dairy can contribute to eczema). So far it has not gotten any better. Do you think he has been dairy free long enough, or should I keep him dairy free for another week or 2? My friend told me sometimes it takes a month to notice any improvements (which I find hard to believe - a month seems too long). What do you all think? Thanks!
My daughter used to have bad migraines everyday. She went to college and found out that if she does not eat dairy at all then her headaches do not even get started. She could tell almost immediately but it may be different for eczema. I have not asked her about eczema because she had that also. You might want to start you son on a good probiotic from the health food store which cleans the intestinal tract and help to control eczema.
It takes 30 days to remove the casein protein from your system. Casein is the protein found in dairy products and it is the protein that usually causes the allergic reactions and skin rashes. I'd go completely dairy free for 30-60 days before giving up.
When I first started breastfeeding my daughter she was colicky and I read that for milk to leave your system it can take about 6 weeks. See if he likes almond milk. The vanilla sweetened kind is YUM, but has lots of sugar. I mix the sweetened with the unsweetened and it is still very good!
I would think at least a month. You've gotten this far, just stick it out...
For eczema, it does take a while to have it clear up if dairy is the cause. My son gets eczema on his face from dairy and it takes a long time to clear up when he has a bout of it. Probably a month or two. You may be able to speed up the healing process with Vaseline. I know that may not be recommended but it works wonders with my kids. I get their skin wet and dry it off first and then put it on at night before bed. Also, Renew lotion works too. I wish you the best.
He should be completely 100% dairy free for at least a full month aka 4 entire weeks. It takes dairy two weeks to leave your system and then it takes two weeks for your body to adjust itself and figure out how to work without dairy. Your friend is right, so listen to her.
I have a child and a mother with lactose intolerance and we had to endure an elimination test which lasts four solid weeks. You DO NOT reintroduce ANY dairy, not even lactose-free dairy such as Lactaid brand milk or cheese, until those four weeks are over. Lactose might not even be the issue, but a milk protein allergy or sensitivity which are both different things than lactose intolerance. If eczema is involved it's possible your child has an allergy to dairy ie. the proteins in dairy (casein, whey, etc).
It may take awhile for the eczema he had at the time you started him being dairy free to clear up. What I'd pay attention to is if he gets any new eczema.
With what are you treating his eczema? I suggest using a corticosteroid cream on it to see if that will help it heal.
