Please help...rash!

[Emily Demeter]

I am on Day 17 and am beginning to feel a little more energetic and that strange "happiness" that is mentioned in the Whole30 Daily emails. The only thing holding me back is this rash that hit me around Day 13 and keeps getting worse. It is on my neck, chin, and the tops of my hands, and is SO ITCHY. It's red and splotchy on my neck, with dry patches that if you look closely have dry white flaking. On my hands, it's more like red bumps. I have tried hydrocortizone and also a prescription anti-fungal that I used to have for seborrheic dermatitis on my face. Neither have helped and the rash just keeps spreading. I also tried coconut oil last night, and that seemed to really aggravate it.

The rash, plus some headaches I've had, plus some sinus issues, have led me to think it might be candida die off? But the catch to that is I think I am not eating low-carb enough for that to even happen. I am enjoying sweet potatoes, winter squashes, bananas, grapes, and strawberries. Even the occasional Larabar. I would say on the average day I am consuming about 75-125 carbs. Isn't that too much for candida die off? Is there something else that could be causing this rash?

Any thoughts and suggestions welcome. The appearance and discomfort of this rash is really getting to me and is a major dark spot in my otherwise happy Whole30.

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

Have you added any new foods you could be allergic to?

[30Canandaigua]

Are you eating more coconut? Is it possible you might be sensitive to large amounts of coconut? If you used coconut on it and the rash got worse, I would try limiting coconut- or cut it out for a few days. Do you have a log? The MODs usually have some great input if they see what you've eaten Good Luck!

[Emily Demeter]

Thanks for your responses. I guess it is possible that coconut could be the culprit, because I when I recapped what I ate over the last 3 days, pretty much every meal had it in some form...I always cook with coconut oil. I first went 70/30 Paleo in August, and my first encounter with this neck rash was in October. It would sometimes reappear (I think I had it 2-3 times between October and now) but went away quickly with a little cortizone. It disappeared completely during the month of January, but I really fell off the wagon with my eating that month (vacation) and indulged in a lot of gluten free junk food, ate out more, and didn't cook Paleo as often. I started the Whole30 on February 2nd, and the 13th is when the rash came back, worst it's ever been.

I started out logging my food, but lost track around Day 6 and just got too busy. I recall the last 3 days worth of food if it helps:

Friday

Breakfast: Whole30 bacon, 2 egg & veggie (squash, zucchini, pep, onion, mushroom) cups, 1 banana

Lunch: 2 Pure Wraps with Applegate Roast Beef, homemade horseradish dijon, arugula, red pepper strips, cucumber, carrot slices, grapes

Dinner: 2 Aidelis Chicken Apple Sausages, Well-Fed Cocoa Toasted Cauliflower, Field Greens salad with ISWF pantry vinaigrette

Saturday

Breakfast: Homemade blueberry breakfast sausage, Coconut Carrot Souffle (pureed carrots, spices, egg, coconut oil, toasted coconut)

Lunch: Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup (made with coconut milk, tomatoes, chicken, spices), Well-Fed Cocoa Toasted Cauliflower, Arugula Salad

Snack: Cashew Cookie Larabar (don't judge...out shopping, low blood sugar )

Dinner: Mexican Hash Egg Bake (Chorizo, eggs, spices, sweet potato, onion), Grapes

Sunday

Breakfast: Homemade blueberry breakfast sausage, roasted spiced sweet potatoes

Lunch: Mixed green salad with pulled pork, unsweetened dried blueberries, ISWF pantry vinaigrette

Dinner: Well-Fed's Morrocan Meatballs, WF Mashed Cauliflower, Steamed Brussels Sprouts w/ coconut oil

Today

Breakfast: Homemade sausage & sweet potatoes again

Snack: Banana

Lunch: Everyday Paleo Sun-dried tomato Chicken Slaw, carrots, cucumbers, olives

Drinks are always morning coffee w/coconut milk, mineral water, kombucha, unsweet tea, or plain water.