Two Weeks in, Rashes are MUCH WORSE!

[ladybugger14]

I am a little over 2 weeks in to my Whole30, which I started in the hopes of finally clearing up a rash on my ankle. A few days into it, the rash appeared on my elbows (where I had it about 5 years ago, but went away with an Rx cream). By a week into, the rash appeared on my other leg as well, and now two weeks in, I have growing patches on both legs and arms and my scalp itches like crazy.

Any ideas why this is happening?

I called my doctor to get a referral to a dermatologist, but I'm waiting for a call back. Meanwhile, it is all I can do not to scratch my skin off. I was recently tested for all allergies and it came back negative.

[Alison Webster]

You could still be detoxing...

[Tom Denham]

Because the rashes are worse, I wonder about two things. 1. Stress. Changing your diet can be stressful and if stress is part of your rash, you could be worse because you haven't adjusted to these new ways yet. 2. Food allergy. If you are sensitive to something that you are eating a lot more of now than you were before, that might explain the worsening rashes. For example, some people are allergic to eggs. Many of us eat more eggs when we begin a Whole30. If you are allergic to eggs, that might explain more rashes.

So the action plan would be: 1) practice stress management and relax as much as you can. 2) Think about changes in your diet and identify any foods that you are eating more of since beginning your Whole30. 3) Discuss all this with your doctor.

[fitgirlH]

I would think food allergies as well as your body detoxifying, things do get worse before they get better.

[ladybugger14]

Thanks for the advice, I finally heard back from my PCP who is sending me to a dermatologist. I hope I can get seen today! This morning I have another new patch on my abdomen :/ I have NEVER had it there before!

I was recently tested for all allergens and it showed i am alleric to nothing, but that doesn't mean I'm not sensitive or irritated.

How long is this detox issue supposed to take?? And without eggs, what will I eat for BFast?

[ladybugger14]

Thanks for the advice, I finally heard back from my PCP who is sending me to a dermatologist. I hope I can get seen today! This morning I have another new patch on my abdomen :/ I have NEVER had it there before!

I was recently tested for all allergens and it showed i am alleric to nothing, but that doesn't mean I'm not sensitive or irritated.

How long is this detox issue supposed to take?? And without eggs, what will I eat for BFast?

[mlbeukema]

I am starting day 5 and I have rashes spreading over most of my body (feet, ankles, thighs, arms and abdomen) and getting more red and irritated. I started to feel some itching during the second day but didn't think much of it. I don't want to give this up since I'm already feeling stronger and more in control of my food choices. But this itching and how it looks are starting to drive me a little crazy.

I guess I could cut down on eggs like someone suggested and see if it improves. I'm a vegetarian so that was my main protein source unfortunately. I don't have health insurance right now so I can't really go to the doctor to have it checked out.

What did the dermatologist recommend for you ladybugger14? Any info/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Robin Strathdee]

Mlb,

That sounds like a food allergy, and I would really recommend you take a close look at any foods you added into your diet with your W30. Pull out any suspects until the rashes calm down and then reintroduce. Allergies are nothing to trifle with.

[mlbeukema]

Hi Robin,

Thanks for your post. I think you are probably right. It got significantly worse over the last 24 hours so I think I have some ideas of possible culprits. Thanks,

Megan

[Petra]

Hi!

May I just in a few months later into this discussion

One of the reasons I started Whole30 was that I hoped my allergy and eczema would get better.

I'm on day 12 and it's getting worse. The allergy is worse and my eczema has gone from just the hands to the face now aswell.

I have tried to decrease my stress so I don't think that's the problem.

And instead of 2 eggs for breakfast (banana pancake) previously, now I have approx. 3 eggs per day. That's not a big increase.

Otherwise, I have increased more fat (but the same kind of fat that I have previously used) and more veggies in general. Could it be fat and veggies that make my allergies go worse?

I know it can get worse before it gets better, but now that it's reached my face, I am not so comfortable with it anymore

Hope that someone of you guys can have an input here!

[Robin Strathdee]

Petra_Sandra -

Have you added any new foods to your diet with the Whole30? Are you consuming many nuts and nut products? It sounds like something is triggering the inflammation, but unless you have a specific allergy it's highly unlikely that it's fat and veg. If you're keeping a food log, make note of how your symptoms are at each meal or each day. That might help you figure out which foods may be suspect.

[Petra]

Petra_Sandra -

Have you added any new foods to your diet with the Whole30? Are you consuming many nuts and nut products? It sounds like something is triggering the inflammation, but unless you have a specific allergy it's highly unlikely that it's fat and veg. If you're keeping a food log, make note of how your symptoms are at each meal or each day. That might help you figure out which foods may be suspect.

Thanks for your reply Robin,

I have hardly had any nuts at all, and the veggies are not new to me. Maybe it will just get a bit worse and then calm down at the end of the W30, hope so

[Daphne Church]

So I have developed some of these skin rashes too and did some research online today. I suspect, in my case, that it may be some sort of form of psoriasis, but not sure (yes, have made apt with dermo to see). From what I could find online, some trigger foods that are on the Whole30 list are eggs, citrus fruits, red meat, pickles, fermented foods, olive oil and red meat. I'm not going to give up on eggs and red meat quite yet, but going to try removing the rest of these and see what happens (I use lemons and limes EVERY day for example). I also found things to ADD to my diet that can help decrease these symptoms that are on the Whole30 that you may want to try since they decrease inflammation and those are: brazil nuts, probiotics, Vit D, flaxseed, broccoli and fiber.

[NatPatBen]

I'm not alone!

I got a bunch of dry patches on my legs, arms, and abdomen a few days into this. They don't itch, but aren't pretty. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow about that and about the tingling/numbness in my fingers that started 4 days into this.

[DVeep]

Hey y'all (no I don't really have a twang )

I have had rashes on my face since going paleo last January. They got to be constant after about a month and were really annoying for a good 9 months! This was all before the Whole30 in September. I felt fine, but my face which normally is totally clear, started being blotchy all the time. The foods I suspect are the ones I started eating a lot more of, like eggs, nuts, coconut, and bacon. I tried eliminating one thing then another from my diet. I still don't know what it was. But around last summer we decided to start buying only pastured meats and NO bacon, because of the additives, and I stopped eating almonds. Oh, yes, I forgot one crutch I used regularly. To avoid eating sweets, I made those coconut chocolate truffles - like daily! And now that I think about that, I remember that I often made them with carob powder, so that could have been the problem.

In September I did a whole30 and found it really hard to have my ACV (apple-cider-vinegar) water without stevia, but I did it. Since I stopped eating almonds and don't eat near as many truffles, nor eggs (I was having eggs every morning), nor bacon, my face is doing a LOT better. I still have a small patch on the bridge of my nose, but that's it.

I have two suggestions. Rotating foods - getting a variety may be part of the answer. And as I mentioned in another post, we now make our own sausages from a recipe I got from Paleo Comfort Foods. We buy pastured ground pork, add our own seasonings, then cook on the stovetop, or even easier, on a stoneware baking sheet. My husband loves making omelets with broccoli, sausage and Trader Joe's salsa. Me? For Meal#1 (breakfast) I really like having a piece of meat heated with veggies like squash and the ready-to-go spinach you can get from Costco. Also pickup a huge jar of the sun-dried tomatoes, throw a few of those in the mix with a splash of white balsamic vinegar and YUM.

I grew up with 8 almond trees on our property and loved to eat them straight from the tree. Fast forward to today, and my Norwegian roots tell me that my digestive tract does not like so many nuts (think mortar in your plumbing). Incompatible foods can give us strange symptoms, that's for sure. When I was a kid I was always so embarrassed by the bumps on the back of my arms and cracked skin on my elbows. I'm pretty sure it's the eggs, but I just can't seem to keep away from them, especially fried eggs.

Good luck everyone with the rashes. Hopefully you will figure out which foods cause those symptoms for you. After corn, wheat, soy and peanuts, that I'm not eating, the next common allergens are eggs and nuts. Go figure huh? Have a good Thursday! -d

UPDATE 13-JAN-2013

I was poking around the internet yesterday and found some helpful information regarding coconut oil, triglycerides, and rashes, which leads me to suspect, in my case, that my rashes were a result of too much coconut oil. That is definitely one food item I started using heavily when I went paleo last January 2012. Where before, I was using olive oil to cook with, January 2012 I began cooking primarily with coconut oil.

Since doing a W30 last September, and learning how to make bone broth and saving the beef fat to cook with, I have been using much less coconut oil in my cooking. I also have been making those beloved coconut truffles much less often. And guess what? I have all but eliminated the rashes on my face! (My next challenge is figuring out what food makes my elbows rough, and I'm sadly suspecting eggs. We'll see ...)

[Carolina Girl]

I have read through all of the posts and like many of you I also have a rash history with Atkins. Last year I did the P 90X thing and got an extremely bad rash....this time it was on my abdomen, lower back, both forearms and both thighs and shins. It started on my forearms and spread like wildfire. Because it itched so much, I originally thought it was a contact dermatitis , maybe from something new I was using or even poison oak/ivy. It was January and I couldn't imagine where I may have encountered it though. Anyway, it got so bad that I saw my doctor who put me on prednisone to clear it up. It reoccured several times over a 7 wk period but when I finally broke down and saw a dermatologists I got some enlightening news. Most likely it was a ketosis rash. I was eating so well....so well by eliminating bread, pasta, rice, all grains, legumes, starchy vegetables that I had gone into ketosis. My body reacted and I got the rash. He also felt that my exericse routine complicated my situation....extra body heat and sweat which triggered the itch. So now I am on day 11 of strict Whole 30 and have the same dang rash starting between my breasts. My solution is to eat more sweet potatoes! I recently started Crossfit and I can see that entire scenario starting over. This time, however, I plan eat sweet potatoes and allowable starchy carbs in small but regularly each day to offset the ketosis. My body just can't handle the ketosis. It may be my body's way of detoxing but i refuse to spend 6 weeks in a rash that I claw to death. This may not be your problem but I wanted to throw it out there! Best of luck to you!!

[brizi]

I second that it's a 'ketosis rash'!

Was coming on the forums today to see if anyone else experienced this. Any time I am on a 'low carb' diet about 4-7 days in I start getting a rash/hive thing and it just gets worse. This time my rash literally exploded/got the worst it's been on only day 5 and 6 (and I confirmed with my ketostix that I'm burning like mad).

Back in the day when this happend, I eliminated foods (no luck/no allergies), I went to a doctor with no luck, went to a dermatologist who gave me steroid cream which didn't help. Nobody could help me.

Now because this happened so quickly and I said to myself "I wonder if I'm in ketosis" and found out I was, I'm even more convinced it has to do with being in ketosis. So, I take it I'm supposed to start adding in yams and squashes into my diet daily (or in whatever combo makes me not in ketosis) - would that make sense?

It sucks though because I've found the only time I lose weight (which I really need to do, a good 60lbs - along with making this a lifetime lifestyle eating habit long term) is when I'm in ketosis. So I feel like my choices are 1) be in ketosis, lose weight, but deal with a crazy rash/hives, burning, itching..sigh; or 2) don't lose weight, don't be in ketosis, but also don't have a rash driving me bonkers. What to do, what to do?

FYI I'm posting a pic of just a small area of the rash so you can see if it's anything like yours.

PS Edited to share what I typically eat:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 slices clean bacon, carrots, cucumbers, berries

Lunch: 3-4 turkey muffins (not quite a meatball, not quite a burger, made with lots of veggies), either stirfried with veggies (spinach, mushrooms, onions for example) or with raw veggies on side...and eaten with a whole avocado (usually made into guacamole with lime, onions, cilantro). If I have a salad, I'll typically include some crushed hazelnuts and almonds on top.

Dinner: Either fish or meat (pork, chicken, turkey) plus veggies like brussel sprouts and mushrooms, sometimes squash with those, and an orange.

FYI all meals either cooked in coconut oil or ghee.

[jeepifer]

Could be a Candida/yeast growth, in that spot too. Topical coconut oil usually helps. If you can stand it, it should go away as the lack of sugar and refined foods is eliminated out of your system.

[melbournegirl]

My 4 year scalp rash and face acne improved eating paleo and during whole30 eating, I have had days with no inflammation at all and I haven't taken meds for months now either.. But it does flare up a little bit. The suspects I am investigating are

Pineapple, salmon, coffee, cocoa, high heart rate exercise, too much fruit...

Just thought I'd share my experience... These are sensitivities, not allergies.. I agree you need to be really careful with allergies.

[Tom Denham]

During a Whole30, your first responsibility is nurturing good health. Having a painful rash is not healthy, so if you need carbs to make a rash go away, eat carbs. I ate a sweet potato almost every day when I started eating the Whole30 way and lost 2 pounds per month for 15 months in a row until I reached my goal weight. You don't have to be in ketosis to lose weight.

[brizi]

Thanks Tom - yah I need to tell myself that. Because it really is all about good health. And it's so easy to get my head into "I want to see weight loss" for continued motivation mode. I'll try to add yams/sweet potatoes/squashes (bananas?) at least once per day to see if that helps.

FYI to Jeepifer - back when I had this rash before....it continued for 4-6 months while I was in ketosis - crazy! I'm pretty sure that means it's not a yeast growth because of that (but I could be wrong?).

I've been putting slightly diluted tea tree oil on the rash and it helps cool it down for a few hours. Of course it's also along my bra line so the constant rubbing because of it doesn't help, ha.

Are you saying if I just put some coconut oil on it, that might help/soothe things too?

[jeepifer]

Coconut oil is anti fungal, so it might help calm it down. I always rub some there -- fought a rash there for months too, but mine wasn't ketosis-related. Worth a try if you have some on hand.

[brizi]

Hiya I just wanted to post a follow-up (as I'm now finishing day 24, woot!).

About a day or two after these posts, I started eating a banana with breakfast and then a yam or squash for supper for a full week. This DRAMATICALLY reduced my rash and itchiness although it didn't fully go away but it did become just a minor irritation My ketostix still showed me as in ketosis but just not as "high".

However, after that week I was feeling very bloated - like pant stretching bloated. So odd.

So since then, I stick to having a banana with breakfast...and now only do the yams/squash thing at night a few times a week (enough to keep my rash semi-in-check) but also to not feel so bloated. I occasionally add some sweet potato to my banana mixture in the morning now too.

It seems that having my starch in the morning helps ease the rash demons and just helps me feel better overall. Eating too much of them or later in the day doesn't seem to help my body - slightly the opposite.

Oh and FYI thanks to jeepifer - a few days after eating bananas and seeing my rash subside, I also started to apply coconut oil to my itchy spots and it helps soothe things. I can't say it's helping it go away, but it definitely makes the rash feel better. So thanks!

[jeepifer]

Glad to hear you've found something that's working!

And you're welcome -- happy to help!

[livluvlife]

For those who experienced the rash, did you try Benedryl? If so, did it help?