In the past five and half years, I think I 've done enough research on eczema and skin to write a thesis. I've gone the standard medical route. I've used Eucerin and Aquaphor. I've applied steroid cream. I've given her Zyrtec religiously from 15 months old. Nothing changed.
So, I looked into other options. We saw the chief of pediatric allergy at a local children's hospital. I kept food diaries. She was allergy tested three times. Nothing ever came back positive except for one slight allergy to dog. The allergist told me that the Zyrtec and cortisone would be a long-term treatment. In the meantime, I could take comfort in the fact that she might grow out of it and her case was really not as severe as I thought it was.
I went back home. Did more research. I joined discussion boards. I prayed. I looked into nutritional supplementation. I dumped the petroleum based creams and switched to olive oil based creams. I began using evening primrose oil to treat the itching. I gave her cod liver oil and flax seed oil daily in effort to provide her body with the "essential fatty acids" her skin needs.
I would see improvement, and then for no reason at all, the eczema would flare up again. That's where we are now. Five and a half years later and I have no more answers than when I first started.
One of the things that surprised me most about motherhood is how horrible it feels to not be able to help your hurting child. I am desperate for an answer. Which brings me to the latest and greatest that I've been looking into: NAET treatments.
NAET stands for Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques. Here's what the website says:
"a non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to eliminate allergies of all types and intensities using a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, chiropractic, nutritional, and kinesiological disciplines of medicine."
That's about as clear as mud, right?
The technique claims that through muscle testing and acupressure, you can identify allergies and then desensitize the body to the identified allergens so that they no longer cause problems. Ever.
I know, it sounds too good to be true.
NAET can be used to treat everything from depression to autism. The practitioner that I found claims she has almost "cleared" her daughter of autism. That's a pretty bold assertion. She says that it's taken a year and a half of treatments, but her daughter is now in a class with children her own age and reading above grade level. According to her, NAET is just beginning to get some "mainstream" press. Oprah is supposedly working on an episode that will feature NAET and Dr. Oz sometime in the coming year.
My husband (ever the practical, scientific type) thinks it sounds nuts. And I'll agree that I do tend to be somewhat of an "easy sell" when it comes to these things. But, on the other hand, when I step back and look at the "solutions" provided by modern medicine -- giving your child an antihistamine and steroid cream every day of her life from 15 months old -- that sounds pretty darn crazy, too.
Taking Jillian to these treatments will not be easy. The nearest practitioner is nearly two hours away and I have to take her twice a week to start. But, based on the research I've done, coupled with the first-hand experience of friends, I'm going to give it a shot. And, while I have no intention of turning this blog into a blog about allergy and eczema, I will post occasionally about our experience with the treatment in the hopes that it might help someone else out there looking for answers. Friday will be our first official treatment, during which Jillian will be cleared for egg. She will have to avoid egg, chicken, feathers and all egg derivatives for 25 hours following the treatment to ensure that the treatment "takes."
So, interpeeps -- what say you? Has anyone out there had any experience with NAET -- positive or negative? Do you think it sounds crazy? I 'd love to hear from you if you'd be so kind as to leave a comment.
16 comments:
i have never heard of NAET. but i can understand why you want to give it a try. 5 and half years of constant search for eczema treatment and nothing worked is a really long time. your poor daugher has to suffer through the dry patches and the itch. i would do the same thing too.
as you probably remember court, my baby has terrible eczema as well. so far, aquaphore three to four times a day seems to keep it under control. but like you mentioned, some days are worse than others - with no rhyme or reason.
your daughter will be in our thoughts and prayers. i hope she finds something that works soon.
hang in there and keep us updated!
I haven't heard of it either but hon, anything that might work is worth it. I hope it helps, please keep us updated!
BTW - We were TOTALLY ROLLER! :)
I've heard of NAET. A friend of mine used it with great success, but I remember it was very time consuming and expensive.
I have had success with other alternative treatments. We used homeopathy to successfully treat our children's asthma and our daughter's constipation. We used craiosacral therapy to stop my son sucking his fingers. When therapies have been around for hundreds of years, I think there must be something to them. Maybe not a cure-all, but it can't hurt.
When your kid is hurting and conventional medicine isn't working, I think looking elsewhere is just what a good mom does!
I have no experience with NAET, but have had experience with just accupuncture treatment (non-allergy realted). I agree with the previous comment - if the practice has been around for hundreds of years, there must be something about it that works, even if not 100% of the time. (It is the same with conventional medicine.) So if you've given conventional medicine a shot, why not now try this?
Wondering if you tried olive oil in all that? We've found it the cure-all for nearly all of our skin ailments (we haven't had experience with eczema). My kids have sensitive skin and had bad cradle cap, so it's been a wonder for us.
EVOO (extra virgin) is what we always use, just from the grocery. It's an inexpensive try anyway! And if nothing else, you can cook with the oil you bought. :)
My 9 month-old daughter just had her 3rd NAET treatment this week by a practitioner in the Houston area. She has had an allergy to milk since 6 weeks old. Since her first NAET treatment (actually clearing for calcium)3 weeks ago, she has been completely symptom-free with no blood on her diaper. I was amazed. Through testing, she is allergic to every food group, with the exception of avocado and banana. Everything else, I discovered through experience, would cause flaming diaper rashes, eczema, and/or hives. She has now successfully cleared for milk, eggs, and starches. Vit A group (including green/yellow fruits and vegetables) she spontaneously cleared on her own. Severe eczema usually has a food allergy component to it. I am amazed by the NAET treatments, and my family thinks it is a little hocus-pocus, but all I know is that it is working. I think it is definitely worth a try. Good luck.
Fascinating! A friend was asking me about this and what the spiritual implications might be. I told her I'd look into it, but hadn't had the chance. I'll direct her here, her son has severe eczema too!
My friend just started her daughter (18mos old) on Naet treatment and can now eat strawberries w/out having sever allergic reactions. So... my 15mos old son has eczema pretty bad; he's allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy... etc. I just started the treatments this week, but would love to hear mroe about your experience. he came out allergic to all the first 15 allergnes (go figure) but the practitioner goes to my church, so I feel I can trust her.
Hi,
My 3yr old now has excema since 3 months.We did Naet for almost 7-8 months. Did not help....she sleared her for egg 3 times but she is still allergic and throws up.
She cleared her for more then 15 -20 things and tried combunations too...but did not help much and do any big difference.
We felt it was a waste of time and money
Sim
Your story sounds exactly like mine. My daughter also has horrible eczema. She has had it on her eyelids for over a year, now it has also moved up to her forehead. The nape of her head is almost always oozing and infected. I have been to every type of Dr. and they have given me every type of cream out there. Nothing works. It's terrible, as you know. We have just begun NAET, and I was wondering how your treatment was going. I haven't noticed any changes yet. Thanks and Good Luck!
My girlfriend (now wife) introduced my to NAET in 2002. Within a few treatments the eczema I'd had on my hands for years disappeared - completely. Prior to the treatments I had very dry and oozing hands. Not pretty and plenty painful. I was totally free of eczema for 6+ years (and singing the praises of it to anyone that would listen). Last year I started noticing some eczema returning and it's become more regular now to the point I need to return to have the treatments again. But, if this is what I need to do to be clear - get treatments every 5+ years - I'll do it for as long as I have to.
I have committed myself to screaming from the mountaintops, "TRY NAET!!"
My daughter, age 2 1/2, had SEVERE eczema since 18 months. The rash covered 100% of her body, and she scratched herself literally constantly. I couldn't go anywhere with her, as she would scratch herself to a bloody pulp while we drove. I was trapped in my home, and I spent my days keeping her from scratching.
We also tried everything, and I hear you about being able to write a thesis! We tried creams, diet eliminations, cleanses, eventually steroids, and nothing worked. Nothing. We were at the end of our rope. Our lives were at the breaking point. And then...
A relative made an appointment for us with a ND who practiced NAET. I was totally skeptical. We had already been down that road, and spent so much money on all avenues. We reluctantly went, and saw enough improvement within one treatment that we went again, and again.
Our daughter is not at 100%, but at least we can live our lives like a "normal" family. She no longer scratches herself bloody. Her skin looks a million times better. We have seen about a 90% improvement.
It is a little tricky to follow the 25 hours of avoiding certain substances, but if your child is suffering with constant scratching, the diet stuff seems like no big deal.
I give thanks for NAET. We have a happy little girl, and I am eternally grateful.
I found your blog by googling eczema and naet. I am a 38 year old mother of 7 who has suffered for all my life with eczema. I was supposed to grow out of it by 21, but mine got worse and worse as I entered adulthood. I think stress, and multiple pregnancies have contributed. I gothrough peaks and valleys but I always have an outbreak somewhere. Recently, I had it so badly that I had to go to my mother's to rest and heal.
I also have tried many, many alternative treatments for the past 15 years. Our diet is very wholistic. Thankfully, our seven children have benefitted greatly from our dietary changes, however, I have 2 that suffer with eczema as well. I do believe it is an allergic response, but eliminating foods has not solved the problem as I now believe we are allergic to so many foods and components of foods.
I began NAET treatments a couple of months ago after doing a 2 week fresh juice fast with no symptom relief. I found a blog about NAET and found (unbelievably) a practitioner who was a friend of mine. I knew she was an ND, but did not know about the NAET, and she didn't know of my struggles with allergies!! I felt I could try the treatments with the assurance that AT LEAST she was sincere. (I have had so many disappointments over the years with products and practitioners that seem to just take your money and run!!)
I too was allergic to all 15 basic components and have to clear them all. I have completed salt which is about number 10. I have not experienced symptom relief yet, but I am hopeful. If this works for me, I will have my children treated, and pursue an ND and subsequent NAET training!
I look forward to hearing about your treatment, and will pray that you have success. It is a very humbling thing to have a condition or children with a condition which you cannot do anything about. I will personally continue to pursue a remedy for my family!! Thank you for addressing this issue on your blog.
Maris
I have used NAET for general wellbeing. With a history of breast cancer I had struggled with lymphedema. After my first treatment, I had notable results.
More recently, my son had 2 anaphylactic reactions to tomatos. He loves tomatos and this came out of the clear blue. In two days and 6 treatments, my son is enjoying spaghetti, tomatos and ketchup in his fries. He's only 8 years old!!!
After reading all these comments I felt a little relief thinking I am not the only mother who expereinces similar pain. Motherhood pain that you are just helpess with your hurting baby. I have a 11 month old baby who had been suffereing from severe eczema from 3 months..She is allergic to Peanuts and egg whites. I don't remember when was the last time I slept peacefully for a continuous 3 hrs. I know of a friend who goes through the same expereince and she startd NAET treatment just recently. She is done with 8 sittings and she has started seeing some positive changes..His baby is not itchy as he was before from his eczema. She said she can peacefully sleep in the night now after a long time . I am conivinced enough and I am starting NAET for my baby. I am willing to take any pains just to save my baby from these painful itchiness. I blame it on this country for infesting our kids with Eczema and allergies..We are drinking posinous water..we are eating food that is injected with hormones and antibiotics...This industrialized markets is killing our families and children..I wish we all mothers could come forward to stop these greedy food markets or whatever that causing these sufferings to our kids
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