milliesmum

My dd2 is allergic to wheat and egg and I am concerned about the availability of wheat and egg free foods. In the uk you can buy wheat free flour and bread/biscuits and am wondering if anyones knows if there is an ozzie alternative.

Also ds has quite bad excema, I am hoping that it will improve when we get to Brisbane as the sun does clear it up. Could anyone recommend some natural alternatives to the steroid creams and Aveeno that we currently use to keep it under control.

Thanks

ridds

You don;t mention where in Oz you are going, but you can definitely get wheat / gluten / egg free products in the major cities. If you are in a more rural area you might have to hunt around a bit, but rest assured they are definitely available.

I suffer with excema and allergies in the UK but never suffer when I am in Oz - go figure. If you are after a homeopathic alternative to steriod creams, I have had a lot of success with grahite cream as well as taking Natrum Muriaticum (or nat mur) pillules which you can get in Boots. Try ABC Homeopathy which has a good symptom / treatment finder. Some people are very critical of homeopathy, and the logical part of my brain probably agrees with them a bit, but the results I've had have been excellent.

thribble

Hi,

I'm not allergic to such things myself, but my colleague is very allergic to gluten, and I've discovered a lot of products she can eat - you can even get gluten free pies here! I don't think you'll have a problem. I'm not sure how the ranges compare to the UK, and whether they have your kid's fave foods, but that's always going to be a problem, wheat or no wheat!

I had excema badly for the 3 or 4 years before we came out here. It cleared up within about 3 weeks of being in the sun (and away from work - stress brings my excema on!). It's come back a little during the Melbourne winter (not a problem in Brisbane, I think!!), but nowhere near as bad as it was - I don't need my steroid cream to keep it under control, and it doesn't hurt. I don't have any natural alternatives, sadly, but if you find some I'd be really interested!! Mostly I use moisturiser until it needs the steroids...

Good luck with it all.

--k

thribble

Were you typing at the same time as me!?!?!

I'll try the link, thanks.

ridds

Hmm, you got me thinking about wheat free food in Oz - here are some websites that stock them...

Gluten Free Australia
CasaLare
Wheatfree
Good Health Direct
Leda Nutrition

Good luck!

milliesmum

Thanks thats a load off my mind! dd2 is 16 months and we have it under control here as we get some on prescription because wheat is a major food group and a loaf of (disgusting but she likes it) bread is £2.49!

We are heading to Brisbane, possibly Bayside.

I am hoping ds's excema will clear up as he has suffered quite badly since he was 2 weeks old and allergy testing has proved inconclusive. I think its hayfever related as it does flare up badly in late spring then almost goes once he has been in the sun for a while. Also the central heating makes it worse in the winter so really he only has a very short lived reprieve in the summer.

Will go and check out that link. Thanks

ridds

LOL, I guess so!

Have you tried Welleda's calendula cream / body oil? Fab for mositurising excema prone dry skin but without all the added cr*p you get in your usual high street products. Only discovered it when I was looking for a "natural" alternative to excema for my 9 month old - I've had to buy a whole bottle for myself in case I use all of his!

milliesmum

Those links are fab ridds, even more choice than the UK!!!

milliesmum

Havent tried Callendula, although I have seen it, we currently use Aveeno but I think he is getting resistant to it as it does not work so well on him now.

ridds

Glad the links are useful!

If you do go to Brisbane, there are loads of places you can eat out gluten free as well. I haven't been to some of these places for a few years, so they may no longer be there but it is worth a try. (I've just included ones which are over Bayside way-ish but there are more across Brisbane)

Bombay Bliss, Gympie Rd, Chermside - used to do gluten free curries!!!
Cinco Bistro, Old Cleveland Rd, Camp Hill, Brisbane has a pretty extensive GF menu (if memory serves correct most of the menu including desserts is GF)
Cream Patisserrie, Cavendish Central, Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo - GF birthday cakes and all sorts of lovely stuff

Chains such as Earth n Sea Pizza and Coffee Club offer GF options - handy when you are out with the kids! Unlike the UK, I have generally found that many Aussie restaurants are accomodating when it comes to food allergies, so always be sure to ask if there isn't a GF option on the menu.

Vitality Store at James St, Newmarket stocks loads of GF stuff

The non-GF choclate bar I had at lunch must be kicking in now as I have just remembered this place - Simply Good - which does bulk-buying of loads of healthy stuff inc GF flours etc.

There are lots of good naturopaths / homeopaths in Brissie so it might be worth making time to meet with someone when you are out there to get some advice.

Cheers

milliesmum

That is wonderful, she is not gluten intolerant, just wheat, she can eat oast, rye etc and it looks like she will be better catered for in Oz than the UK. We also have trouble here with egg, its in alot of things you would not even think of!

You have really put my mind at rest, thanks so much!

Faye xx

moneypenny20

Just to warn you, quite a few people who suffer with Excema in the UK, can have it worse here especially in winter when the humidity levels can drop down to single figures. So although your son may be stacks better in summer, he may (or may not) be bad in winter. On the other hand if he's little, it may be something he grows out of anyway. My nephew was dreadful until he was about 6 and suddenly both the asthma and excema went completely.

conat

Hi

My son has had eczema since birth and like you was using prescribed steroids and then a work mate suggest "grandma Vine's natural remedies, which comes in a gel formula.

I find the gel excellent for clearing flare ups (although it does tend to dry his skin) and then I use lashings of "Palmer's Cocoa Butter formula" morning and night and his skin is practically clear now with very few flare ups,

I have not needed any steroids for months now.

here is their website: http://www.alexander-essentials.com/grandma-vines.php3

Cocoa butter you can get from any supermarket or chemist.

I have tried loads of other alternatives and this had worked for us so far, and the wee one is dead pleased.

milliesmum

I am hoping he will grow out of it, he does suffer in the winter too, It flares up when the central heating goes on dd1 used to have bad excema and then she grew out of it when she turned 2, however ds is 4 now and its quite bad although most of the time we can keep it under control by lots of moisturising.

They inheritied it from me, luckily I grew out of the excema and asthma