It has been a very long time since I have posted! I hope that there is still interest in following our quest to get some answers to why Ava suffers so with eczema.
I believe the last I wrote was about our first week on the GAPS diet. We continued the diet for about 8 weeks without any improvement. In fact there were periods when things were worse. HOWEVER, we have learned a lot since then, which explains why Ava may have been doing so poorly on GAPS.
1.) We have discovered that she is sensitive to onions, garlic and cabbage – all of which she was eating in abundance on GAPS. It could be an issue with FODMAPS.
2.) Her symptoms/reactions are consistent with histamine intolerance and GAPS is very high in histamine.
3.) Testing we have completed since doing GAPS has shown that Ava does have chronic colonic inflammation and digestion issues. Additionally, her liver function is not optimal.
I really needed a break and was just generally frustrated with thinking about food so much. I simply limited her diet to what she could eat, but didn’t stress about making special foods.
I was taking Ava to a TBM (total body modification) practitioner towards the end of last year. We did see some improvement. She had periods of clear skin (75% of her body) and she recovered from flare-ups much more quickly. Then it was Thanksgiving, Christmas and all of that…along with sickness, it was tough to get the schedule worked out. I was able to finally take Ava to an appointment this past week and hopefully we will be able to continue without a big break like that again.
The TBM has also shown that digestion, liver function and histamine are a problem for Ava. So, along with continuing with the TBM, I know that I also have to heal her gut and that means we go back to GAPS or some form of it. I will have to start with a low histamine, low FODMAPS version of GAPS, which will be challenging. Not to mention the other foods Ava needs to avoid that are GAPS foods (such as eggs and dairy). It will be limited at first, but I am really hoping with this new information and the right supplements, we will be able to see improvement.
Additionally, there is a doctor that has been recommended to us that does something called Low Dose Allergen Therapy. He is very expensive and a couple hours away, but the possibility is on my mind. I have heard that some very tough cases of eczema, like Ava’s, have been helped by this therapy when nothing else was working.
Finally, I am considering gene testing to determine if Ava has any gene mutations which might cause certain functions of the body to be impaired (for example, how quickly her cells are able to repair – this clearly seems to be a problem to my untrained eye).
I have always hoped that this blog could be helpful to others going through the same difficulties, even if it was just a new idea that might lead to some answers. I appreciate you reading and any feedback!
Answers for Ava 
This has got to be so frustrating and draining! I do know of a family in Texas where her son had a severe peanut allergy and they were able to go to a clinic in Dallas that reversed his allergy. It’s amazing how they can do that now! I pray for little Ava and u guys to continue to find answers and healing.
Peanut oral immunotherapy sadly will not do much to help eczema. It’s not FDA approved and therefore is not covered by insurance and is costly. It can take at least a year or many years to complete, and success and side effects are not guaranteed. And then there are the other allergens. This complex disease has no answer yet, and will likely need an equally complex approach to a cure.
I don’t think we are talking about the same therapy…LDA is not oral and it is not strictly for peanuts. Unfortunately, not much of anything I want to do is covered by insurance, but I have accepted that. There is certainly no cure for eczema, but I do think there are factors that contribute to it that can be remedied.