Dairy Sensitivity?

It does sound like some type of allergy. I think sometimes Drs just don't want to mess with allergies since so many people have them these days! Anyway...I would cut back on the dairy and see what happens. If that doesn't improve it, then see if it is something else in her diet. My husband has the same reaction with peanutbutter. I never would of thought of it because he doesn't break out with hives or anything. But, in case you worry about removing dairy from her diet, my teenage daughter and I have been dairy free for almost a year now. There are tons of alternatives out there!

I hope this helps. good luck!!!

While you see a Doctor, you could remove dairy. I gave my daughter goat milk. They can also develop an allergy to the protein in soy - and I am not a soy fan. The allergy to milk is usually in the protein.

I took away eggs for a while and cheese, except vegan or goat. She did quite well and was very healthy. I did supplement as adviced by my ped - with half a vitamin a day.
Her tummy was bloated and it went down.
I also give her probiotics now and both of my kids love it and fight off infections quick - my son is also one to get a runny nose evertyime we go somewhere ;)

My daughter was very sick for two years with the runny nose, wheezing, etc, etc. I can say your daughter is definitely NOT too young for allergies. That's just silly. My advice: once I took my duaghter for allergy testing (through one quick needle prick because I had an allergy test where they drew blood for analysis and not eight million pricks down her back) I found out she is allergic to milk. If I were you, I'd switch her to soy (fortified for kids and maybe a multivitamin supplement) and remove the milk from her diet. It certainly won't hurt her. If she is sick less often, you'll be amazed how much relief that will bring you. Test or no test. You can always try.

A. -
OUr daughter was adopted at 11 months and for the next year of her life she had cold/sinus type problems just like you describe literally every other week it seemed. I talked to Dr.'s until I was blue in the face and got no help. Finally, a friend suggested I have her seen by an ENT - she had enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which were removed. But inaddition to that we found out that she was allergic to dairy and eggs. And let me tell you, she is a whole new child without the dairy and eggs. It is truly amazing. She is rarely sick and sleeps so much better. So I would highly recommend that you have her tested for the allergies, it is well worth it.
J.

Hi,
My kids both had a milk allergy and neither one had symptoms like you are describing. I have heard that it can manifest that way. If you are trying to find options for dairy products go to godairyfree.com. This is the website that I used and it had very useful information. If you are going to remove dairy from the diet, make sure you are looking for the hidden dairy in foods. This website has an area where you can look at fast food restraunts and what is dairy free. The hidden milk is where I had trouble. I thought I had cut out all of the dairy and was wrong when I found this website. Meijer has an area in each isle that is allergen free products, but I found that cooking from scratch was the best and easiest way to remove all dairy.
My kids doctor also told me that they were too young to find out about allergies and I switched doctors and they sent us to an allergist. Just a warning. It is very hard to watch the allergy testing if they do skin tests. My daughter was a little over 1 when we went and they did skin pricks down her back. She cried, but it was worth it because after I found out that it was a milk allergy and removed it all she was a completely different little girl, and her face unswelled. I didn't realize that she was swollen until after this.
Good luck!

HI,
I would take your child off dairy right away. I did this for one of my sons as well - now the whole family drinks and enjoys almond milk. He is MUCH less sick than ever. I occasionly give in to Ice Cream and we pay for it later.

Here is a good site to learn more about the Harm in dairy. Our media makes us believe milk does the body good - but in truth it seems to do the opposite.

http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html

www.notmilk.com

Good luck!
T.

What a smart mom you are! I can tell you from personal experience that dairy allergies are extremely common, and they can begin at any point in life. Wheat can also cause allergic symptoms to be more dramatic.

We are the only species that consumes the milk of a different species on a regular basis. Cow's milk is not natural to our bodies.

I was diagnosed with a sensitivity/allergy to dairy last February, and as soon as I stopped consuming dairy, wheat, and sugar, all of my symptoms disappeared, and they haven't resurfaced (except on the occasions when I "cheated" a little with dairy or wheat). My previous symptoms had been chronic pain (joints, migraines, fibromyalgia); lack of energy; irritability; a general feeling of stuffiness and discomfort in my sinuses and chest; and sudden, uncontrollable weight gain. I lived that way for years.

When my doctor suggested this diet, I was afraid I would die without my cheese and crackers. But, she told me to try it for two weeks and see if I didn't improve. I felt dramatically better within three days, and I've never looked back. Now I can't even stand the slightest taste of dairy or wheat in anything I eat. The only grain I eat is oats, which are approved by my interactive M.D.

Why not try whitholding dairy for two weeks? If your daughter's symptoms improve, you'll know you've hit on something.

Be sure to read labels and avoid anything that contains whey or casein, both dairy derivatives. And remember that this is good for the whole family, not just one family member!

Good luck!

I know exactly how You feel and my daughter is now 4 1/2. She is my third child. I am considering an allergist. I just read yesterday in the tribune about a new spray from Clorox that actually helps fight allergens. Do You have any pets? We have always had pets, one dog and one cat. I am not happy placing my child on another antibiotic. My Pediatrician has also given me allergy tabs that might work (?) and Cortisone inhalers. My Mom had mentioned something to me about an article she read that mentioned Candida or yeast infections in a child that exhibits a lot of "mysterious" chronic symptoms. I am considering the dairy free diet too except my Pediatrician doesn't support me on that choice. We are giving Lily vitamins and logging her food intake and using intense monitoring of everything. She has been sick for years...colds, and sniffles and sinus infections and UTI's and excema and rashes, fevers. I might try a new doctor. Not that I want to find anything seriously wrong, God forbid, but this is getting old. She does eat a lot of dairy too and not a lot of protein. I nursed her for a long time too. My oldest son is 18 and has severe Autism. I have always felt there was a connection to dairy products or some type of "gut" chemical balance or inbalance. I probably haven't helped You a lot but I will keep You posted if the diet works. Bye. L.

18 months is not too young for allergies!!! Both of my boys have been diagnosed since 3 months old. It sounds like your child my have a sensitivity to something. I would schedule an appointment with an allergy doctor.

A.-
I have three children 3,5 & 7. They all have food allergies which started out with the same kind of systems. I would look at a second opinion. All of my children were tested for allergies before 10 months. Children's Hospital can do a simple blood draw and test for a multiple allergens. My children developed severe food allergies but with a clean, allergen free, organic diet free of dyes and preservatives they are very healthy. I wish you lots of luck and highly recommend the FAAN website.

It very well could be dairy.. my younger brother has an allergy to dairy would manifest in sinus/lung symptoms. He pretty much outgrew it, with the exception of yogurt. I'd try taking her off the dairy - but be sure to supplement with a vitamin supplement. Talk to a pharmacist to ensure you're giving the correct dosage. The biggest problem with soy products - is the concentration of and absorption of calcium. There is an ongoing debate and studies of the effectiveness.... As for the ped. saying she's to young to know if she has allergies? I'd be finding another ped. I had allergies that young, and also, my son has allergies - he developed them about 3 months after he turned 2. I'm not sure where you live, but I'd look into a second opinion and perhaps taking her to see an ped. allergist. Good luck - I hope this helps a little!

Well, I've never tried it, but I can say that just because the Doctor can't find out for sure or not doesn't mean it's not allergies. Do you have any pets? Does it seem like she gets more sneezy after laying outside? Just because you can't get a 100% yes or no you might be able to get a "maybe most likely" with that you can start treating her. I would take her to an allergist anyway, but then again I rather have some sort of an answer then none at all.

Good luck.

Hello A. i have astma and milk is one of the triggers for it i cannot drink milk without problems breathing. so milk could be a trigger for your little one if she infact has astma.

good luck with your LO.

L.

My daughter had both milk sensitivity and regular allergies. She is two now and has outgrown the milk issues, but we still give her rice milk most of the time. She switched to rice milk after formula (we had to give her Nutrimagen with the predigested proteins).

She was constantly sick from about 16 months - 2 years. The drainage from the allergies was backing up into her eyes and ears causing ear infections. She was on antibiotics once a month. She is on both Zyrtec (now over the counter) and Cingular. She was fine all summer. She is getting more symptoms in the fall, but so far no infections. I would ask your pediatrician if you can give her Zyrtec daily. That should help with the runny nose etc. I would also try rice milk just in case.

Good luck!

18 months is not too young for an allergist. I would insist with your pediatrician for a referral. Dairy could or could not be it. Could be soy, wheat, nuts, corn, fish....

You could try eliminating the major allergies for 2 weeks or so each and see if any of it does it. 2 weeks dairy free, 2 weeks soy free, ....... I could be two or more allergies so you need to be careful.

Could be in the air. Ragweed.......

She's not too young for allergies, and with it being hayfever allergy season, that's probably your most likely culprit. I'd schedule an appointment with an ENT, since that's their speciality, if your ped. isn't concerned enough to look into her illnesses.

Hi A., when my son was little he cried all the time and had a rash here and there and his temperature would go up too. I took him to many many doctors from the time he was 4 months old and none of them knew what to do. Finally, When he was about 6 or 7 months I took him to Dr. Mulligan in Lakewood, a woman doctor, of course. lol I told her what was happening and she took one look at him and said this kid is allergic to milk and put him on soy milk right away. She was right, he was allergic to milk and was so much better after I changed formulas. She did some allergy tests on him so I don't understand why your doctor can't. I also found out later that my son had a low immune system and needed shots and IV's to build it back up. I think checking a childs or even an adults immune system should be a must for all doctors when a patient is sick alot. I don't know why they don't, unless it's because the tests are so expensive, but it would have saved him and us alot of problems if we knew earlier because we could have started treating him earlier and he wouldn't have been sick so much. I hope this helps and maybe you could get a second opinion. Good luck to you and your baby.

L.

I don't know about allergies, but is she in daycare? if she is, I would say that its pretty normal. My son was always sick in daycare, mainly with cold related stuf, and when he got closer to two yr. and after that he almost never gets sick anymore.
I've heard the same from many mothers whos children go to daycare; but for your own peace of mind you should alway consult your doctor and maybe do the thing where you take away most of the stuff that may cause allergies (dairy, eggs, wheat, etc) and then reintroduce them one by one to see if your dd has a reaction to it.

Good luck!

Hi A.! I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. There's nothing like seeing your baby not feeling well. My friend has twins who were allergic to milk, and she put Lactaid in the entire gallon of milk and let it set over night to dissolve so they wouldn't throw up, and it worked like a charm! Maybe that will at least help you with the milk part of your problem. I've definitely heard of kids getting those types of reactions to dairy. Best of luck to you!

She is not too young for allergies. I didn't find out until my daughter was 10 months old that she was allergic to dairy. I was nursing at the time and had to eliminate all dairy from my diet before she got better. She was sick ALL the time and I feel I missed out on her infancy because of her illness. She's now 3 and still suffers some from the allergies but not as much since we are more aware. But please know that your child is NOT TOO YOUNG TO HAVE ALLERGIES. If necessary go to another Pediatrician.

Hi A., I am fairly new to mammasource and I saw your question and I figured I would drop you a line and see if I could help. I recently converted my home with safer products from a wellness company and it has done wonders for my children. My kids were sick all the time last year and now that i got these products they are rarely sick and my youngest which is 8 months old has not been sick since she's been born. If you would like to know more about these products I would love to share them with you and get your daughter healthy again. I hope this helps you. Please feel free to message me anytime if you have a questions. Have a great day.
J. Stetler

Hi A.,
Absolutely. She could be allergic to dairy or have a dairy sensitivity. When my son was very little he had the same problems. My parents came to watch the kids for 3 days while I went away. My mom took my son off all dairy and replaced it with almond milk. In just those three days his symptoms completely disappeared. Aren't moms awesome! Hope this helps and if you'd like to discuss it any more my e-mail is ____@____.com. L.

I'd get a second opinion on this one. You might want to call your health insurance provider to see if there is a pediatric allergy specialist in network. In the meantime I'd do an elimination diet with her, to see if you can pinpoint the problem. Since you suspect dairy, eliminate it for at least two tweeks and then give her some and see what happens. The most common allergens are wheat, chocolate, dairy, eggs, peanuts, citrus and shellfish. So, you could do elimination diets for each of them separately and see what's up. Good Luck!

I feel ya on this. First, find a new doc. Second, she is not too young to have allergies. Third, get her tested. Fourth, don't freak out... take it all in stride and see what happens. Fifth, be patient with yourself if she does have allergies because it is something new to deal with. Sixth, email me if you need any good suggestions if she does have food allergies. My son (2yr old, discovered at 8m old) and daughter (4m old, but we discovered hers at 2 wks old) both are allergic to peanut, dairy, and eggs. My son started out with wheat but it has since gone away. Good luck!

Yes your child could have allergies. It would not cost you much to try to eliminate dairy from her diet for a week and see if the problem clears itself. However, children under 2 average 21 colds/viruses per year (especially if around other children even if only part-time.) So its also likely that she does not have allergies. If the elimination thing works talk to your doctor. Good Luck.

is there anyone in the family who smokes? she sounds like me when we lived in a house that was full of cigarette smoke...