While working on John's diet, we began the process of "sanitizing" his environment, starting with his bedroom, where he spends 10 hours out of every 24. Once again the books are unanimous - remove the carpeting. Unfortunately the wood beneath was old and rough, so we had to lay down a new floor. Some $1,500 later, John has a beautiful new hypo-allergenic floor. We also purchased hypo-allergenic 100% cotton bedding from the < Happy Planet company>. I don't know if these changes will render additional improvements, but a cleaner environment certainly won't do any harm. I've lost more money than this on sillier speculations.
The bathroom is another troublesome location, and over a period of several months I found that John's baths consistently aggravated his symptoms. Once again we consulted with the Feingold Association, which provides lists of safe hygiene products and cosmetics. We purchased hypo-allergenic soap and shampoo, but still the bath remained a problem. Finally I decided that environmental mold might be a factor. I removed the rugs, which act as ideal repositories for molds, dust mites, and volatile chemicals. I also kept the bathroom well ventilated and cut back on his play time - get washed and get out. These steps helped a great deal.
Many food-sensitive patients, and almost all candida patients, are sensitive to mold. John is no exception. Although the changes we made to his environment didn't produce an immediate or dramatic improvement, I believe they will prove their worth in the long run.
NFF: Soaps and shampoos were never to blame, and even mold was not the primary culprit. John reacted to the chlorine that escapes into the air when a tub of hot water is drawn. Yet even this was a secondary reaction. If we keep him "on diet", he can play with his boats in a closed bathroom for an hour without incident. If he has eaten the wrong foods, he develops asthma and has to leave the bath immediately. Secondary reactions can certainly lead you down the wrong path for months!