Red Dye #40

[camdensmommy]

That is funny because I read your thread and I thought about replying about the food dye but I am afraid to become a little overzealous with my new find on food dye.

I feel like I need to know more about it before I go pushing it on others but in my opinion eliminating food is the best and first step into evaluating behavior (as long as the parents are also reasonably good at creating a structured environement/etc). I think that doctors should not be allowed to offer ritalin before at least attempting a food elimination diet. I mean there will defnitely still be people out there that need medication but I bet some could manage issues without medical intervention.

[janendragon]

Originally Posted by rpg_mommy to you mama! That sounds terrible! My sister is allergic to a weird thing like that - the grape flavoring in popsicles, grape medicine, grape vitamins, etc. Took forever for my mom to figgure out what that was. Good luck to you and your dd! More for good measure!

I's allergic to grape flavouring, along with red coloring. I don't know if I showed it as a kids, or if my parents just assumed I was misbehaving. I do remember one time around 6yrs old when I was staying with my uncle, they gave me raspberry soda and fanta all day long (they arn't the greatest parents) and that night, I had one of the worst vomiting episodes in my life. Ever since then, I have tryed by myself to stay away from red/pink/orange coloured things, and check labels as I got old enough to understand the dyes.

Ds when he first got sick at 2 1/2mths, at the hospital to bring his fever down, they used regular tylenol, and we had been using the little remedies brand which is sugar, sacharin and dye free. We had our worst night EVER with him, he was panicky, screamed like he was being hurt, everything we tryed couldn't comfort him.The next day he had runny poops and a bad rash. We only use dye free medicine on him now, we even ask the dr to only write prescriptions for dye free meds, and even though medicaid wont cover some of the dye free stuff, we pay out of pocket, because its no fun dealing with that.

I hope you guys get through this

[MommaRhi]

I would think that its a night terror as well. We went through this w/ my son and my daughter and I swear it was hours before I could calm her down at night.

You do know that red dye 40 is made from a bug right? Its also disguised in ingredients under the name "carmine", not always listed as red dye 40. Its made from the cochineal bug *bleck*

Anyhow, I would think that its a night terror, since she's waking up irate, and having not just ate in the middle of the night.

[EmnJJsMom]

Originally Posted by MommaRhi you do know that red dye 40 is made from a bug right? Its also disguised in ingredients under the name "carmine", not always listed as red dye 40. Its made from the cochineal bug *bleck*.

I just heard that recently! That's pretty nasty.

Generally we stick to a preservative/additive free diet around here, but it's not so easy when we're out and about at a family function or other things. Last few months I've been having to pack her bag lunches wherever we go!

I talked to my mom about it earlier and she said my cousin had a red dye intolerance and he was on ADD medications... Oh well...

[Severine]

Originally Posted by camdensmommy I am curious, did you try a program like Feingold or anything else? They seem to have some really good lists to help and some good support groups. My next step is to join that program.

I just started reading labels. It takes me FOREVER to grocery shop now. But I mostly stick to the natural foods section of the store and try to avoid prepackaged foods. I'll admit that it's gotten harder now that DD is eating a regular diet, as we don't usually eat together. But since my brother has ADHD and I had read at some point several years ago that red dye #40 can contribute to that, I wanted it eliminated from our diets. It seems every time I skip reading a label, it ends up being in that product, too.

As I said, though, my biggest bit of grief in food right now is sucralose. I get MAJOR migraines from it and it's in EVERYTHING, including Tylenol cold!

In a perfect world, we would eat a natural/organic diet. But our budget can't afford that so for now, I just read labels. I'll have to check out that site you recommended! Thanks!

[EmnJJsMom]

We do a pretty all natural diet here, but organic is hard come wintertime *sigh* living in wisconsin, organic fruits and veggies shoot way up in price in any season other than summer.

[morganandevansmom]

We have learned that my dd can not tolerate red dye #40 either. She will act crazy almost like she is drunk. I honestly think it makes her hallucinate because one night I gave her triametic and she was grabbing "imaginary" things in front of my face and then started laughing. Then she had a huge meltdown. It took us awhile to figure out that it was the dye and now we avoid it at all costs.

[sandrc]

wow... just wow.

[jls~Kain~Drake]

I've been wondering if my son has a problem like this....sometimes he just acts crazy...like he's on speed or large does of caffeine...and we've found twice now...when mil gives him gummy bears...he gets crazy...then he gets tired, fall asleep, and wakes up throwing up and with major diarrhea. And the vomit is just red..sticky red. The second incident was yesterday and I asked MIL to keep the package (as I was in the hospital with kidney stone) but the package had already been thrown away and the gummy bears were just in a baggy..so I have no way to know.

[camdensmommy]

I can almost bet you with 99% certainty that it had red food dye in it. Whether or not your son was reacting to that is obviously up to you but I bet he was.

I have been reading "The Crazy Makers - How the food industry is destroying our minds and harming our children" it is really good and really, really eye-opening. I always knew the stuff we ate wasn't "good" for us per say but I never knew the extent to how much harm this stuff does and that as each successive generation is exposed the symptoms/reactions get worse. Can you tell this subject has been the only thing on my mind lately?

Originally Posted by jls~Kain~Drake I've been wondering if my son has a problem like this....sometimes he just acts crazy...like he's on speed or large does of caffeine...and we've found twice now...when mil gives him gummy bears...he gets crazy...then he gets tired, fall asleep, and wakes up throwing up and with major diarrhea. And the vomit is just red..sticky red. The second incident was yesterday and I asked MIL to keep the package (as I was in the hospital with kidney stone) but the package had already been thrown away and the gummy bears were just in a baggy..so I have no way to know.