Reintroduction troubleshooting: dairy vs grain skin reaction

[g_nickson]

Hi, I just finished up Day 30 of my second Whole30 on November 3rd and started the recommended reintro schedule right after. Main goals this time around have been a general reset but also to help identify any triggers for skin breakouts and general inflammation. The initial 30 days went great, super smooth. Tested legumes Day 1 with no issues. Tested non-gluten grains on Day 4 with no issues. Tested dairy and had some mild skin irritation on Day 9 into Day 10. Tested grains on Day 10 and had really bad breakout and sensitivity by the end of Day 11. Is the typical 3 days of separation enough time to attribute this to grains, or would this be more related to a dairy issue? The sensitivity was not immediate after eating either dairy products or grains; it was more delayed. Should I retest both?

[J9er]

I have eczema and know for my reactions they have appeared as early as 3 days after food exposure but generally are more delayed and happen around 6 days after exposure. I would say it would be worth giving it a longer period of time in between if you can. 

[g_nickson]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, that's what I'm thinking. 3 days seems to be plenty of time if there are no issues. Otherwise, it seems like longer between is needed to "reset" and really narrow down the cause.

[J9er]

It can feel rather discouraging at times. It took me the better part of a year and 2 whole30s to figure out and then come to terms with what was causing my eczema. I STILL am not 100% of all the triggers but have it narrowed down pretty well. It's an ongoing process so don't worry if you don't exactly figure out out this time. But good for you for doing a proper reintro.