Our Story

Our Food Allergy Journey: From Crisis to Confidence

The Beginning...

Before becoming a mama, I ate everything and used any products without a care in the world. Now, I eat nutrient-dense whole foods, read every single ingredient and fine print, and use thoughtfully selected products because motherhood dramatically changed me.

My son came into the world naturally and healthy. A few weeks later, he developed baby acne, dry skin, and cradle cap—common newborn issues that would resolve on their own, or so I thought.

Soon, dry red areas appeared on his cheek, behind his knees, elbow creases, wrists, and ankles. Eczema diagnosis at two months old. His pediatrician recommended Aquaphor and prescribed Hydrocortisone 2.5%, twice daily. When the redness returned quickly, she prescribed a stronger topical steroid, Triamcinolone 0.1%, for his body, Hydrocortisone for his face, applied "whenever there is redness." We applied topical steroids continually—when one patch cleared, another appeared. Playing whack-a-mole with his skin.

By his first birthday, my son had collected diagnoses of eczema, asthma, and mild food allergies from a pediatrician, pulmonologist, and allergist. Five rounds of antibiotics, multiple steroid prescriptions, and countless visits later, we were still playing medical whack-a-mole with no real answers.

The Revelation...

At eight months old, a friend warned us about his 15-plus years of topical steroid use. "There are side effects," he said. Burning, itching, blistering, skin thinning, addiction. His skin no longer tolerated lower-strength steroids, requiring stronger prescriptions that helped momentarily but made everything worse. He told us about ITSAN.org.

We found ourselves answering alarming questions: Did his skin rebound worse after stopping steroids? Did we need stronger doses over time? Did eczema spread to new areas? YES to all. According to ITSAN.org, these are characteristics of Topical Steroid Addiction [7]—my infant had developed an addiction to prescription creams.

I was beyond frustrated. What were these doing to my baby? Why didn't the pediatrician warn us?

The Breaking Point...

The final straw came during an ER trip at 10 months where no doctors could determine why he had a fever and full-body rash with blisters. Before investigating, they recommended more antibiotics and steroids. We had to push for a tissue sample!

A staph infection—common with eczema—that multiple doctors missed. Maddening!

This was the moment I realized we were on our own. Multiple medical professionals had missed an obvious infection while wanting to throw more of the same medications at my baby that had already compromised his immune system. How many more doctors were going to overlook the root causes while treating symptoms with drugs that made everything worse?

We learned all his health problems were interrelated: genetic eczema, steroids suppressing his immune system triggering asthma, building tolerance requiring stronger prescriptions, compromising gut health leading to food allergies. A vicious cycle.

Going with my gut, we decided no more steroids. The only way out was Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), which meant I became a stay-at-home mama. That started our roller-coaster journey to healing my child.

The Food Allergy Wake-Up Call...

At 7 months old, blood tests showed low-level sensitization to milk and soy—nothing was alarming to the allergist. When my baby turned one, his pediatrician gave us the okay to try milk. What happened next changed everything.

At 13 months old, he took two sips of milk and within minutes he started to wheeze! We had a steroid-based inhaler prescribed by his allergist, which we gave to him right away. Scared, we rushed to the ER. As we arrived at the hospital, his wheezing subsided, but we sat in the parking lot for about an hour to make sure nothing else would happen. When we arrived home, he threw up. Not only did he throw up, but the vomit that touched his skin turned it bright red. My husband described it as "Freddy Krueger skin." We quickly bathed off all the vomit and his skin slowly calmed down.

Reflecting back, we should have injected epinephrine, as his multiple symptoms qualified as anaphylactic. However, we weren't prescribed one yet and didn't understand the severity of his reactions.

What I learned: Those five rounds of antibiotics had turned his low-level sensitization into a severe anaphylactic allergy. The more rounds of antibiotics given during infancy, the higher the risk of food allergies [1, 2, 3, 4]. At his 15-month appointment, we demanded epinephrine pens. His blood allergy test showed an IgE level of 3,075 IU/mL (normal is 100-200) [6].

The Healing Journey...

We tried everything—every cream, balm, oil, antihistamines, naturopathy, homeopathy. I even made tallow balm from sourced suet. Our house felt like a drug store. After months of red, ooze, and itchiness, we went radical: no moisturizers at all, just protective gauze and clothing. Little by little, his skin improved and healed naturally.

Simultaneously, we focused on diet. After weaning him at 13 months (thinking I was contributing to his eczema), he became Failure to Thrive. We tried The Eczema Diet, then GAPS—nutrient-dense, fermented foods to restore gut health after five rounds of antibiotics. By 18 months, he was thriving again.

It was beyond hard. So many nights crying from guilt, feeling I failed my son. Countless sleepless nights protecting him from scratching. Exhausted from cooking every meal while watching him constantly. Challenging doesn't begin to describe it.

It took about a year and a half for clear skin. After stopping steroids, he never needed asthma inhalers again. We transitioned to traditional Weston A. Price and Paleo diets, making all his food from nutrient-dense whole foods.

The Ongoing Learning Curve...

Two years into our healing journey, I thought we had it figured out. His cheeks had been smooth and clear for over a year. Then came a surprise that taught me food sensitivities are different from food allergies.

At 3 years old, allergy testing showed my child was no longer allergic to soy. Per the allergist's recommendation, we excitedly introduced soy milk and tofu. For months, no reactions! But then my baby was drinking soy milk twice daily, sometimes with tofu on top. He complained about his tummy hurting. His belly was bloated. He was gassy and moody.

One evening after a shower, parts of his skin were red and oozy. The next morning, he woke up with bright red, rough cheeks—patches of oozy redness on one calf and behind one knee. This wasn't sudden like an allergic reaction, but a gradual increase I hadn't noticed until it was glaring back at me.

The difference: He didn't have allergic reactions to soy (no hives, wheezing, or swelling). His body could digest it fine (regular bowel movements). But the delayed symptoms—bloating, gas, mood changes, and gradual skin inflammation—pointed to food sensitivity, not allergy or intolerance.

I immediately removed all soy products. Two days later, his cheeks were smooth and clear again. The eczema patches dried up and shed, revealing clear skin underneath.

Understanding the Differences...

This journey taught me the crucial distinctions between food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities:

Food allergies involve the immune system releasing IgE antibodies, causing immediate reactions that can be life-threatening. Even trace amounts can trigger symptoms. This serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition affects 1 in 13 children in the United States [5].

Food intolerances are the body's inability to digest certain foods (like lactose intolerance). Not life-threatening, but causing digestive discomfort.

Food sensitivities are delayed reactions not involving IgE antibodies or digestion issues. Symptoms can appear days later and include skin inflammation, joint pain, fatigue, or mood changes.

Where We Are Today...

My child can now safely consume what he used to be anaphylactic to, thanks to oral immunotherapy with Dr. Sanjiv Jain in Seattle. It took 2.5 years with setbacks, but watching him drink milk without fear is indescribable.

He's cleared multiple foods through challenges and went from being allergic to almost all top allergens to just 3 of the top 9. His IgE levels dropped from 3,075 to 295—encouraging progress.

We still make most of his food with whole foods that are allergen-friendly, but we also try restaurants now. He can consume soy in moderation, understanding his sensitivity threshold.

What I Share From This Journey...

Every family's path is different, but through our experience I've learned about:

Emergency allergic reactions and when to use epinephrine
The difference between allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities
How to identify trigger foods through elimination and food journaling
Kitchen safety and cross-contamination prevention
Recipe modification to keep family favorites safe
Working with schools on 504 plans and safety protocols
Finding the right medical team and advocating effectively
Meal planning that nourishes without restriction

Despite the battles, this journey changed our lives for the better. Without it, I wouldn't have the passion for natural, holistic living or the knowledge to share with other families navigating these same challenges.

Our story continues, but we've come so far from steroid dependency and constant fear. Every cleared allergen feels like victory for our entire family—and I share our experiences hoping they help other families on their own journeys.

If you're still reading...thank you for learning about us and our story.

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References

[1] Hirsch AG, et al. Association Between Use of Multiple Classes of Antibiotic in Infancy and Allergic Disease in Childhood. JAMA Pediatrics. 2020;174(2):199-200. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2757360

[2] Mitre E, et al. Association Between Use of Acid-Suppressive Medications and Antibiotics During Infancy and Allergic Diseases in Early Childhood. JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172(6):e180315.

[3] Love BL, et al. Antibiotic Exposure and the Risk of Food Allergy: Evidence in the US Medicaid Pediatric Population. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2019;7(2):492-499. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30468878/

[4] Metzler S, et al. Association between antibiotic treatment during pregnancy and infancy and the development of allergic diseases. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2019;30(4):423-433. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30734960/

[5] Gupta RS, et al. The Public Health Impact of Parent-Reported Childhood Food Allergies in the United States. Pediatrics. 2018;142(6):e20181235. https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics

[6] University of Florida Pathology Laboratories. Immunoglobulin E (IgE), Total - Reference Ranges. https://pathlabs.ufl.edu/tests/test-directory-i/immunoglobulin-e-ige-total/

[7] International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (ITSAN). What is TSW Syndrome? https://www.itsan.org/what-is-tsw-syndrome/ AND Hwang J, Lio PA. Topical corticosteroid withdrawal ("steroid addiction"): an update of a systematic review. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2022;33(3):1293-1298. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33499686/