Can diaper rash be the ONLY symptom of a food allergy? (long)

Pelusa214

DD had a milk protein allergy since she was a baby.  We tried to re-introduce at age 1 and age 2 and both times she had significant GI issues (constipation followed by bloody, mucusy diarrhea, stomach pain).  At age 3 we tried again & she seemed fine, so we don't keep her away from any dairy now. 

But over a month ago, she developed a cut on her perenium.  I called the pedi & spoke to the nurse, who told me maybe she was just wiping too hard & to put vaseline on it twice a day & if it doesn't heal in a week, call back.  It didn't heal, so I called again.  She said to start using wipes instead of toilet paper & to use the vaseline & me or DH wipe her instead of letting her do it herself.  So we did that, and not only did the cut not heal, but she started developing a rash (what looked like a diaper rash).

So, I called again & said I wanted to come in.  The dr. said it looked like an abrasion, that maybe she was rubbing herself, and to use bacitracin & come back if it doesn't heal in a week.  During that week, it didn't get better & a patch now showed up at the very top of her butt crack.  So we went back AGAIN.  In the meantime, we stopped using Cottonelle wipes and went back to unscented baby wipes instead.  We had noticed a change in the Cottonelle fragrance a few months ago & thought maybe she was developing an allergy to that.  So, at the 2nd dr.'s visit, she told us it looked like contact dermititis (just a skin reaction to something) and to use hydrocortisone cream twice a day and come back in a week if it didn't go away.

SIGH....so, it got a little better when we stopped using the wipes, but didn't go away.  Then the rash on her butt got a little bigger.  So I took her back for a THIRD time on Tuesday.  The dr. said it wasn't bacterial, because the bacitracin would've gotten rid of it plus it would've been oozing, and it's not.  She said whatever it is, it's benign.  I asked if it could be a fungus, and she said probably not, but we could try an antifungal cream.  So now they've got me mixing nystatin cream with hydrocortisone & putting it on her 3 times a day.  Today I noticed that the part of the rash on her vagina is starting to look less red, BUT now her whole anal area is an angry red.  Again, it looks like a diaper rash.  But she hasn't been in diapers for almost 2 years!

I asked the dr. if it could be the milk, and she said probably not because it's not happening anywhere else on her body.  I haven't changed detergents, either.

Does anyone have any experience with a diaper rash being the only visible symptom of a food allergy?  I'm thinking about cutting out dairy again for a few weeks & seeing if it clears up (but that's going to be a LOT harder with a 3-year-old who's now used to having anything she wants than it was to cut it out of her diet as a baby) :-(

Jessica-Kay

I think it is possible. My son at this at (2) his only sign for his milk allergry is nasty poop. Very foul odor and everything.

I know with my daughter for the first couple weeks she got a diaper rash, the doctor said it was due to my milk (breastfed baby) being too rich. In time it did go away.

So yes I do think it could be an allergy. Like you said, I would cut out dairy and see if that helps. It is very hard on any kid when they are at this age to get something taken away from them that they are use to eating all the time. Luckily there is a lot of alternitives out there now.

I hope you get this figured out soon!

magdusia

it could have been the fragrance.. i know my son reacts to fragrance and so do I.  I can only use fragrance free sanitary napkins (tmi) otherwise i get a rash..

But yes, diaper rash can also be the only symptom of an allergy.  My son is allergic to milk/soy/eggs/peanuts.. the soy is the lowest allergen and we were given the ok to start challenging it.  Every time he tries anything with soy in it, he gets a diaper rash (almost immediately).  It ONLY shows up in that area and nowhere else (as all the other allergens would).. so i do believe that a diaper rash can be the only symptom.

If you could, cut out dairy and soy.. and then introduce dairy for a month and then soy the next month and see if her rash went away and is back upon the introduction.   or cut out soy first for a month and then dairy the next month.  But this includes soy letchin and soybean oil. 

We can also help you find foods if you want.  You can even buy a dairy/soy free yogurt,  icecream, cheese.. there are amazing substitutes.