Sleep, Soap and Allergy Testing
- Baby E and I stayed home from church this morning because neither of us was feeling well, though for different reasons.
It was nice to sleep in. We didn't get much sleep last night, and we both fell asleep again this morning while she was nursing. We slept until after 11. - Baby E hasn't slept well at all the last couple of nights and has been lethargic & fussy more during the day. The runny nose and congestion that she's had since Oct. 16th (incidentally, the day we reintroduced gluten) is worse. Mostly she's just hoarse and uncomfortable.
It's impossible to tell whether it's an illness or allergy-related at this point. Really, she's had some degree of stuffy nose much of the time since her birth. - DH stopped on the way home and bought washing soda and borax for me. I'm going to cut up a bar of the olive oil soap and mix up some homemade laundry detergent to try, using one of these recipes.
- I think I'm going to take the leap and try making my own soap with lard and a safe oil (apricot oil sounds nice) if I can find some lye . . . I'm thinking the craft store might be a good place to look.
- It looks like allergies might have been the source of a lot of the strange dizzy spells, nausea and other intestinal symptoms, odd heartbeat sensations, extreme fatigue, itchiness, lump-in-the-throat sensations, etc. I've been having lately.
Last night I unpacked a few boxes of china and then loaded the dishwasher, which involved exposing myself to dust mites/mildew and touching a container that had held coconut milk. I had felt great before that, but within minutes I felt really awful.
I'm thinking if I can just figure out and avoid all my allergens, my overall wellness might greatly improve. - I made pumpkin muffins with no oil (and no oats!) this week. It's the first thing in a long time I've baked that Baby E ate willingly and that didn't give me a stomachache.
- Just taking coconut and palm oil out of our life is already making a difference. I'm seriously considering getting blood tests to check for IgE and IgG allergies, testing for over 100 foods at once. I'm pretty sure Baby E may have other allergies we haven't yet identified.
Maybe we'll get the IgE testing done for the whole family. My recent experiences with coconut have convinced me that I initially had a low-grade allergy that gradually increased in severity with continued exposure until it became anaphylactic.
Because it's such a prevalent substance, like corn, it was hard to pinpoint the cause of the reactions. I think if I'd realized and started avoiding it sooner, I might have felt a lot better and avoided developing anaphylaxis.
Everyone in the family has chronic low-grade symptoms that could possibly be allergy-induced (M&M's frequent stomachaches and complaints of itching, for example, and AJ's sporadic diarrhea and bouts of sudden, extreme tiredness). Since allergies are so prevalent in both the immediate and extended families, some basic screening for all of us might be a good idea.
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Purple_Kangaroo, allergic to coconut, avocado, milk, blackberry leaves, latex, many environmentals (mold, dust mites, pollen, etc.) and most antibiotics
. . . Mom to 3 girls, including Baby E who is allergic to corn, soy, oats, kidney beans, apples, banana, mushrooms, mold and ???
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Posted by purple_kangaroo at 2:33 PM[Permanent link]
13 Comments:
I hope you find an allergist who can look at the context of your whole family and see what you're seeing.
I certainly think that your families problems sound allergy-related.
Have fun with the soaps!!!!
The stuff I was reading about making soaps suggested using pure lye drain cleaners.
Did I send you this link?
Amy
The dry laundry detergent is exactly the one I make. A bar of Fels Naptha grates up to be 2 cups. So simply grate up two cups of o.o. soap and away you go! It should work with any soap. I only use 1-2 Tablespoons in my laundry, and I have a extra large capacity machine. I've never tried the liquids, to much work for me. If all else fails, you could just try washing soda.
The blood tests sounds like a great idea!
The "foggy hue" of allergy symptoms are starting to make a complete picture! Keep up the "good work"
A in PA
oy, how do you keep up with the allergies!
Here's a shampoo and cleanser (Blue House Crunchy Mama) that says it's made from sunflower oil and olive oil, and specifically says it's coconut free for those with allergies: http://www.bluehousesoaps.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=202
Castile soap is also made from olive oil.
Does shampoo that is coconut-free but not palm oil-free help any?
http://www.sungoldsoap.com/product_descriptions/liquidsoap_level_H_128oz_refill.html
Here's another suggestion from the mom of a coconut-allergic kid: "For soap, we rely on Kiss My Face - it is a line of oil based soaps we buy at Shaws or Whole Foods - Stop and Shop might carry it now. They have a good website and they also make hair care products that included a kid's detangler. I am not familiar with the ingredients in their hair care line - it might be worth looking into.
My dd uses any of the kids suave line and she uses Paul Mitchell Baby Don't Cry Shampoo, the Moisturizing Daily Conditioner and the Detangler. No problems or eczema with any of these products."
Hmm, the mom in the last comment also said her daughter isn't sensitive to coconut in shampoos - I didn't notice that before I cut and pasted -- so those items might have coconut. But it was in response to a request for coconut-free shampoo.
Thanks so much for the comments and helpful information, everyone.
Genevieve and Amy, thank you so much for helping me research these things.
Genevieve, I am e-mailing with the owner of Blue House Soaps. She is checking on the source of the glycerine she uses to see what it's made from.
She seems very nice and is willing to make a special batch of shampoo or other soap just for me.
Maybe I'll be able to say goodbye to the frizzy baking-soda hair soon! :)
Oh, terrific!! I'm really glad.
Kanga,
Thank you so much for blogging your allergies. I may be the only Hawaiian on God's green Earth that is allergic to both coconut and UV exposure. I have been searching for coconut free products for years and haven't had that much luck. I use Udder Cream as a moisturizer, but I find it hard to find hair care and acne products that are completely coconut free. I will try the Castile Oil shampoo out and see how it works out for me.
There is another reason to avoid palm oil in the products you use: the destruction of the rainforest and the imminent extinction of the orangutan as a result of the production of palm oil.
Please have a look at our website to find out what is happening to the orangutans and what we are trying to do to help.
www.savetheorangutan.co.uk
Michelle Desilets
Director
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK
PS. Please send to me any products you find that do not contain palm oil...we are compiling a list to advise concerned supporters worldwide. Send to us at the email address at the website.
In your travels, have you found evidence that palm oil or/and cottonseed oil can cause stomach upset, cramps and diareihha? I tseems I get these symtoms after earing processed foods with these ingredients.
Thanks!
Jane J.
Yes, definitely food intolerances can cause such symptoms. Cottonseed oil, in particular, is very high in pesticide residue. I'm not sure about palm oil. That might be another aspect to look into.
Any help you can give on palm oil allergies would be appreciated. What symptoms do you see? Mostly we see foggy brain. Help please :)
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