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Eczema flare up?


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I checked the W30 w/ medical conditions and thought some others might have started W30 in the hope that their eczema would ease up. I'm on day 12 (had a redo at day 17 because of some wheat in a restaurant meal :(....sigh but the good news is my energy levels are good and stable and I'm generally feeling pretty well but my eczema is getting worse ( I'd say athe worst as it's ever been) . It seemed to be clearing at about day 13 (of my last run) but it's back with a vengence. I'm also noticing that almonds are causing bloating, gas, etc. :). Could they be related?

I guess I assumed/hoped that the W30 would alleviate the eczema.Any idea of what's up, anyone suffering similarly, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

LLL

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I see that PubMed is not encouraging of the idea that diet matters a lot when it comes to eczema: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001856/ Conventional medicine is often blind to powerful relationships between food and illness, but I don't see reports of the Whole30 resolving eczema on the forum either.

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For what it's worth, I'm in the middle of my second Whole30 (have been eating 90-95% compliant for close to 9 months now) and had a massive eczema outbreak around Day 5. It's only just starting to heal now. I have a history of weird skin sensitivities that I don't think are related to diet. The outbreak coincided with a pretty bad snowstorm and I think that the cold weather and wind was probably the trigger.

Whole30 did cure my horrendous cankersores, though!

Also, about the nuts - my second W30 has been nut- and caffeine-free. I didn't have enough willpower to try eliminating them in Round 1, but I can now say with certainty that nuts are not a good thing for me to eat. I'd try cutting them out for a week and see how you feel. There are many more nutritious sources of fat than almonds or cashews, especially if you think they're upsetting your stomach. Feel better!

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I've had eczema most of my life and several whole 30s haven't really made a dent. I know dairy makes it worse, but eliminating dairy didn't make it better. Interestingly enough, I tried probiotics recently and they made it the worst it's been in years.

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Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have several friends who suffer more than me with eczema and they all seem to think dairy, soy and wheat make it worse but but as Karen said I don't know that elimination has made it better they all continue to suffer. I will continue to try to go nut free for a while and eliminate things (environmental) that may help and over which I have some control - weather patterns not so much.

I do appreciate your post Tom and have gone the traditional route but wonder if the cure is worse than the illness - cortisone cream - bllechh and of course I'd like to think I can do something simple (easier than destressing my life say!).

Most helpful feedback.

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I suffered from eczema from childhood through my 20's. When I was about 22 I got a job working at a tanning salon and my boss wanted me very tan to show how good the beds worked. So..... I was tanning everyday of the week for months. It cleared up my eczema and I'm 49 now and it hasn't returned. I did some research and found out that tanning beds were originally designed for people with skin conditions and tanning was just a side benefit. Of course, now they speak of the increased risk of skin cancer with the beds/booths.....

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry if it's against protocol to bring an old thread back up - I just joined and have severe, chronic eczema and wanted to see if anyone else was in the same boat.

I would love to see improvement on the Whole 30 and beyond, but I have learnt to not be too hopeful as I've tried other diets to help my eczema without much improvement. I am sure food plays a big role in many cases, and possibly even severe ones but - from everything I've learned along the way - I think some of us have major immune issues which even a good diet can't necessarily cancel out. Would love to be proved wrong!

I've recently been through a series of terrible flares and finally made it to a dermatologist two weeks ago (referral obtained over three months ago - was that long before he could see me!). He put me on ciclosporin - an immunosuppressant - which initially worked beautifully, though I am getting rashes again (less severe than before). Seeing him again Monday morning.

Anyway, I don't have much to add as I've only just started the Whole 30. I was just keen to find the other eczema sufferers around here. Hopefully we'll have a bit more to suggest/share with each other before too long!

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As a lifelong eczema sufferer, I have to ask: Have you changed to all natural laundry detergents? I find that if my husband uses commercial detergent like Tide or Costco my eczema will come back. As long as I use Trader Joes laundry detergent and a bit of borax I am good. Also, most soap will irritate the skin. Whole30 does help, and make sure to eat lots of fats like avocado.

My eczema was the worst when I smoked occasionally in my 20s. I found the better shape my lungs where in, the better my skin was.

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Have you read Paleo Mom at all? I really love her blog. She is a scientist and a good writer and jut seems like a really nice, well-balanced person. She battled a form of psoriasis with an auto-immune version of Paleo.

This post, on eczema, is written by a guest but seems very well thought out.

http://www.thepaleom...and-eczema.html

Hippocrates said all illness started in the gut! That is blowing my mind.

I developed really stubborn psoriasis after my daughter was born. Have had it mildly since college, and am generally prone to rashes, dandruff and skin irritation, but never like this. W30 helped but it's not gone yet. I think I need major gut repair time and some time on AIP.

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I saw my dermatologist this morning and we've just upped my dose of ciclosporin to 150mg twice a day. I'm happy to take it as I need the relief but wowsers. From the way he mused about it before making the final call, I gather I'm at the limit of what he's prepared to give me.

What struck me is that both dermatologists I've seen as an adult have made no enquiries or suggestions whatsoever regarding food. Neither of them have been interested in what I eat or don't eat, neither of them have brought up the issue of food allergies. I guess it just shows how low this is on the radar for severe atopic dermatitis.

Having said that, my guy has said his priority at the moment is to give me relief and get my symptoms under control. He has talked about UV treatment as something to try further down the track (I can't have it in conjunction with my medication), so perhaps we will start looking at management and the bigger picture later.

In the meantime, I'll just try and keep putting good things into my body :)

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What struck me is that both dermatologists I've seen as an adult have made no enquiries or suggestions whatsoever regarding food. Neither of them have been interested in what I eat or don't eat, neither of them have brought up the issue of food allergies. I guess it just shows how low this is on the radar for severe atopic dermatitis.

That's interesting - I saw a dermo about it 12 years ago and he gave me print outs saying that diet has a clear impact on it. But of course, I was 20 at the time and decided that it wasn't bad enough for me to give up foods that I loved (or, heaven forbid, booze!) - oh, the beat down I would give my younger self!

And then the dermo I saw a few years ago didn't say anything about diet and just handed over a script for hydrocortisone.

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I guess there are dermatologists and there are dermatologists! I have a lot of trust in medical professionals - my dad is a GP which has no doubt contributed to that - and I don't have any problems with taking/using what they prescribe me as I know they are ultimately doing their best to help (and that their knowledge is far superior to mine). But I have taken more interest recently in the holistic side of things and feel that I ought to be doing what I can from my end to complement my treatments, ie eating things which will hopefully help my body rather than harm it. It would be really nice to find a dermatologist who uses both approaches.

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And then the dermo I saw a few years ago didn't say anything about diet and just handed over a script for hydrocortisone.

You know what though, that would kill me. Hydrocortisone? I can get that from my GP! If you're just going to throw a prescription at me, at least make it a decent one!

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I've found some relief from doing a slightly modified AIP protocol. Since I cut out eggs, peppers, and tomatoes, the patch of eczema on my leg has cleared.

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I've found some relief from doing a slightly modified AIP protocol. Since I cut out eggs, peppers, and tomatoes, the patch of eczema on my leg has cleared.

That's encouraging LadyM. I still eat eggs and peppers - have tried cutting them out before but didn't notice any improvement. Though I don't know if I went about eliminating them in the right way. Tomatoes I don't eat, I'm about 90% confident that I get noticeable flares after eating them.

Maybe when I'm off immuno suppressants I'll look at doing the AIP protocol.

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  • 1 month later...

I have had eczema since my early 20's. Sometimes it completely disappears, and sometimes it gets worse. Dermatologists have tried to treat it with topical creams unsuccessfully (Diet was never mentioned - no surprise there!). I find it very interesting that the eczema is only on the right foot and hand; there must be some kind of imbalance.

 

Right before I started W30, it was pretty bad. Since I started W30 41 days ago, the patch of eczema on my hand has disappeared, and the patch on my foot has improved. I think this is partially due to eating better but also due to taking better care of my skin with daily gentle exfoliation and a high-quality cleanser, toner and moisturizer (Paula's Choice). Heat and moisture makes the itching worse, so I wear sandals as much as possible and take my shoes and socks off right after I work out. I also use fragrance-free laundry detergent.

 

I have been avoiding the AIP because I really like eggs and tomatoes, but after I finish my reintroduction phase, I will probably give it a try. I am also going to add the fish oil and magnesium recommended in ISWF and sitting in the sunshine 3x weekly for 10 minutes (for both the vitamin D3 and UV rays) to see if that helps.

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