Allergies and Aggravations

allrgymama

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 8:06 am

Who needs to be asked in order to make this private?

Personally, I think that it would be excellent for other mothers on the site to stumble across this thread/forum and see what it is that we're going through. I think it's a great opportunity to educate and that we, as mothers of children with allergies, need to be educated if we our struggles understood and our children treated like normal children.

But that's just me. If there are mothers who feel more comfortable with it being private, we should certainly make them feel comfortable.

allrgymama

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 10:42 pm

I know I labeled this thread for aggravations, but its really meant for all around support.

So: I'm so excited to share with all of your that my DD passed her oral peanut challenge this past Tuesday and we have an appointment for an oral egg challenge (unexpected but I asked the doctor while we were there if we could scratch test and it was as completely negative as a reaction could be) this upcoming Tuesday.

I'm so excited!

It's also so hard to believe that in less than a year of avoiding all nuts, my daughter has grown out of her nut allergy! I can't even believe that we're thinking about eggs, too!

(I! CAN'T! STOP! USING! EXCLAMATION! POINTS!)

I do know that other people have different experiences in having their grow out of allergies (or not grow out of them at all). If it makes anyone feel better (not sure if that's the right word), I don't know that DD ever really had a peanut allergy. She'd never eaten them and it was only the scratch test that came back with a positive '1' allergy. From what I understand, results on a food that's never been eaten aren't so accurate. She could have never had an allergy altogether.

allrgymama

Fri, Jan 28 2011, 10:18 am

Thank you!

When she tested last April, at a different allergist, she was a '4' (I dont' remember if he actually had tested both or not). When we did the scratch test earlier in the week, they tested both and it was completely negative. Like -- nothing. At all. Not a bump. Not a sign of redness. Not itching. No scratching. Nothing.

(And maybe you can imagine, but when she first had eggs a year ago? The vomiting was of epic proportions. And when she got tested, her whole back exploded. So this is like, mind-boggling.)

What are other people's experiences with their children out-growing their allergies or having the severity of the allergy calm down?

allrgymama

Fri, Jan 28 2011, 1:59 pm

@small bean: we did her initial testing here in Lakewood with Dr Pasternak and that was like a blitz. We came in. He took us into his office where he took a history (I'm not sure how -- he didn't really talk) and then brought me into an exam room where he told me to take off DD's shirt and then stabbed her with a bunch of a needles without warning. We were both slightly traumatized. Then he sent me home. No explanations or suggested plan beyond 'avoid these foods' and a prescription for an EpiPen.

We were due to go back a week later to finish testing. It ended up being the day of my sister's l'chaim and I called about 30 times to reschedule or find out if we could come in earlier. I decided that I absolutely could not have an allergist that I could not get in touch with immediately.

So we switched to Dr Decotis's practice in Brick and while it is further away, I find all the doctors there to be wonderful and understanding and concerned. Our first appointment was with Anne Marie (the nurse practioner) and she was wonderful; sat down as far away from DD as she could while taking the history so that DD could get used to her. She explained everything that was going on and gave me papers to take home with me.

At our second appointment, we met Dr Georgi who was also wonderful (uneventful appointment).

Our third appointment (this past week) was with Anne Marie again and, again, she was amazing. She explained everything and was clear with what to expect and so on. Other than the terror of wondering if DD would have a reaction, the appointment was a pleasure. We're seeing Anne Marie again this upcoming week for the oral egg challenge.

Also: I had been warned that a delayed reaction of hives or a rash could happen within 24 hours of the oral challenge. A few hours after we got home I noticed that she had had an eczema flare-up and called in to leave a message and check if that was something I should be concerned about or not, just in case. Dr Decotiss called me back, reassured me that it was just a coincidence, gave me some details about eczema (that no one had bothered to explain to be before). He was easy to talk to. The next afternoon, he called me back again just to make sure that she was still okay. I was quite impressed by it.

Why? Who do you use?

@cutiesmom: I'Y'H, yds should grow out of his allergies, b'karov!

small bean

Fri, Feb 04 2011, 9:32 am

how was the egg challenge?

I use dr. spergel in chop for older dd for her peanut allergies. dr. gittleman was very adamant that I go to someone good because it's airborn and she gets asthma etc...

for my ds. I used dr. pasternak and I was also traumatized. I'm thinking of going back to spergel for him, but I take him to a GI every 6 weeks in new brunswick so I felt like I didnt need the best allergist... I also felt like he didnt really look or care aobut the results... I dont think I will go back now that we finished all the testing - I think I will switch. Dr. Decotess sounds good, maybe I'll check them out.

allrgymama

Sat, Feb 05 2011, 7:57 pm

@small bean: Thank you for asking!

She did okay with the scratch tests to the natural egg but refused to eat the scrambled egg that we had brought. I was told that, based on the complete lack of a reaction to the scratch, I could feed her baked egg that day and, so long as that was fine, give her scrambled egg the next day.

So she had the baked egg (5 chocolate chip cookies over the course of 2 hours I think, before I made her stop) and was totally fine. No vomiting.

When she woke up in the morning, though, she had very, very, very mild eczema. It looked like her eczema normally looks when she's getting over it, not starting out. So I gave her scrambled egg and though she didn't vomit (a HUGE improvement upon the last time she had egg), her eczema was noticeably worse and required moisturizer.

The doctor said that we should take her back off egg again for a week so that the eczema could clear up. In order to determine whether the breakout was coincidental, because of the scrambled egg or the scrambled and bake egg together we're supposed to give her baked egg for two days (starting Monday) and if she hasn't woken up by Wednesday morning with eczema, we can put it into her diet regularly and then start her on scrambled egg whenever we want to (and see if she reacts).

I would sincerely recommend Dr Decotiss's practice. Besides for how wonderful the staff is, they have very extended hours; there's someone there until 9 PM every night (to the best of my knowledge; though they do close for an hour for dinner). A large part of my issue with Decotiss is that when I needed to get through to someone, I couldn't.

Last edited by allrgymama on Sun, Feb 06 2011, 10:11 am; edited 1 time in total

bigprincess

Sat, Feb 05 2011, 10:09 pm

bnm wrote:

I"m allergic to milk, my siblings are, my mother is, my cousins from both sides are. when the drs told me I should try giving her milk products anyway I went full out, she had string cheese, yogurt, milchig puddings, sliced cheese... I used to get itchy feeding her but was all excited that she was able to eat it. she hadn't gain a single pound that month which was what our intentions where. once we put her on milk formula she got a reaction. I started out with those reactions and then it turned into asthma attacks. I don't want it to happen to her. the dr had said to wait 6 months after the last reaction before trying again, its not yet 6 months.. she also said she has seen kids 'outgrow' their allergies so there is still hope even with the strong family history, however since she has reflux and is failure to thrive we should not feed her questionable food, we can't afford any setbacks in the little eating she does do.

I was told (and have experienced that myself) that the more of the allergen you eat, the worse the reaction is. B"H benadryl was invented, I couldn't use it as a kid because I was allergic to one of the ingredients....

That happened to me, I know many people don't understand.

allrgymama

Tue, Feb 08 2011, 3:10 pm

@small bean: actually, we're still trying to determine the cause of the eczema.

I had thought that, just like they want you to stop anti-histamines before an oral challenge that I should also stop her eczema therapy moisturizer, since it might mess with the results.

Well, she had baked egg yesterday and broke out again.

So the allergist has told me to take her off (again) for another week and try it while continuing the moisturizer as its possible that the break-out was just what normal would be for her (if she wasn't getting moisturized daily).

I guess we'll see. I hope this works.

But yes -- even just the lack of vomiting is a humongous improvement!

allrgymama

Thu, May 12 2011, 9:26 pm

I kept meaning to come here and post this and life got away from me a bit.

How did Pesach go for everyone in regards to their kid's allergies?

DD actually made it through Yom Tov unscathed for the most part (barring some minor eczema first day's which was minor, but bad enough that we moisturized her on Yom Tov itself). I came home to Lakewood Wednesday morning to work and scheduled an appointment for DD on May 19th to be tested for milk (we hadn't done a re-scratch test yet since her initial testing and her last reaction to milk was a slice of cheese my sister fed her by accident in November). I had high hopes for this.

On Friday, we went back to my parents for Shabbos.

Shabbos morning, my niece came running over to me screaming that DD was eating ice cubes.

Ice cubes?!?

It seems she reached my father's cup of chocolate milk from the counter (into which he always puts ice) and had sat herself down at the other end of the house to have a drink.

Instant eczema. Which got steadily worse as the day went on.

As I told my father, I wasn't as upset about the reaction (which, still, way better than the last time she had actual milk) but that my whole hope bubble that I was planning on carrying from that Thursday until her appointment had just exploded all over my head.

So. Sadness. Unfortunately.

The rest of you?

ray family

Mon, May 07 2012, 4:09 am

Hi,
I'm not the mother of a child w/ allergies (well I am but my daughter's allergies are BH much better)
I'm posting bec. my neighbor came over the other night and I felt so bad for her. I'm wondering if a/o has any suggestions.
she's going out of her mind. both of her children have SEVERE allergies.
she feels as though she's locked in her house- and even then they're still reacting to airborne allergens.
theyre allergic to animals, mold, most foods etc.
she can't go to the park bec. her son w/ break out in hives- bec. cats have been there.
she cannot find a gan for her daughter for the coming year bec. she has yet to find a place that will respect the severity of her daughter's allergies.
she said if she puts her son on the floor after she cleans it he breaks out in hives.
her kids have hives, p**** blisters, watery eyes the works
is there a/t for this poor woman to do?
any methods of treatment that my limit the severity of the situation
can one do acupuncture on children? does it help? any dr's in Israel that are known for working w/ children w/ allergies?

any advice or suggestions that I can pass on would be much appreciated. she really seems to be struggling!

thanks and kol hakavod to all of you

anonymrs

Mon, May 07 2012, 6:12 am

bnm wrote:

I'm having a hard time getting my husband to understand. He wants medical proof of allergies, the dr said milk allergies don't always show up in blood-work, I'm not subjecting a 2 year old to the prick tests. for me t was enough that when she licked the milk bottle cover she broke out (second episode) The first was after being put on milk formula, she woke up covered in hives and exema. what more proof does he want?!?!?

I grew up with allergies in the family, he didn't. he thinks the more the kid eats, the less she will be allergic. I try explaining to him that reactions get worse each time... its like going in one ear and out the other....

My dh was the same way until my dd picked up a piece of scrambled egg w cheese from the floor in my mother's house. She put it in her mouth and I took it out immediately but it was too late. She had a full-blown anaphylactic reaction. Took her to the pediatrician who gave her a shot of decadron and put her on prelone for 5 days. It took her more than a week to fully recover from it. Now, my dh is even more paranoid about dd's allergies than I am.

mommee

Mon, May 07 2012, 10:00 am

I have a child with severe food allergies as well. It's making me crazy. There is so little food that dc can tolerate and it's hard for dc to watch everyone else eat food and be told that it's not ok for dc to consume. dc is 2 and can not fully understand. I also don't know what to do about playgroup for dc. I don't feel safe sending anywhere Sad

I've heard that a 'shadow for allergic children' in playgroup or school-I don't know the proper technical term-can be obtained as a service through nyc or NYS. Does anyone know anything about that?
Also, what moisturizers do you use? What I use does not come off of dc's clothing...

ra_mom

Mon, May 07 2012, 10:34 am

John's Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore does some interesting food challenges.
Their program can work on milk and egg allergies.
Does not work for peanut allergies.
It's hard work, but can make the child able to handle the allergen enough that it's not life threatening in case exposed.
For more information listen to Chazak personal story #122.
Call 718-258-2008, choose option 3, then option 2, then dial 122#.

Just wanted to put this out there. You can ignore this post if you want. I know what it's like to have people tell you about miracle cures, and all you want to do is roll your eyes Smile