Toddler seasonal allergies?

[mamicka]

Has anyone's toddler been tested for seasonal allergies? DS (just turned 2) has a constant runny nose(clear), sneezes, itchy eyes, etc for almost a year straight. He also is prone to ezcema & has had a few reactions to foods, but those don't concern me at this point. I feel badly subjecting him to the scratch test but he's just so miserable on a daily basis that I'm considering it. I also don't look forward to possible allergy medication on a daily basis. Has anyone else been through this? Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Allison
DS #1 6/03
DS #2 4/05

[drsweetie]

Hi Allison -- DD has been suffering through something similar as your son, and we have histories of allergies and asthma on both sides of the family. Our pediatrician told us that allergy testing is so traumatic for the really little kids that we should wait until DD's at least 4 years old to pursue that. We've tried the medications Nalex and Zyrtec and are currently giving OTC Claritin with cautiously optimistic results. I don't have any real advice for you, but you're certainly not alone. Good luck!

Ellen

[chlobo]

My daughter has the same symptoms, except that her eczema comes & goes and the constant runny nose started about a month ago. I'm thinking of taking her to the allergist ot see what he has to say.

[saschalicks]

Allison,
I feel you pain. DS is almost 1 and he's had a runny nose well forever it seems. I agree w/PP that 2 is young for allergy testing, but is really your peds call. DH and I suffer from terrible allergies. DH got shots until he was in his early 20's and now takes 4 different meds all year round. It was inevitable that DS would have issues. Our DS can't take any allergy meds yet, but I would check w/your ped to see if your DS can. HTH

[proggoddess]

At 11 months, we took DD to the allergist and they did a simple scratch test on her back for several substances. I think 5, plus 2 controls. She did not seem in any discomfort at all, even when when 4 out of the 7 spots flared up. She was more interested in the new toys the Dr's office had. :)

They tested her for dust mite allergy, and she was negative, but she must be allergic to tree pollen because at the same time I was suffering heavily, she was also miserable. The allergist had prescribed Claritin syrup for her and we gave it to her and she was much happier. Claritin also has low side effects and is pretty safe so I felt comfortable giving it to her.

When my allergies stopped, hers were also better, so we discontinued giving her medicine. She was only using it for maybe 3 weeks. DD has several food intolerances and mild eczema.

[crl]

Just had DS tested (he turns 2 this week). He's allergic to dust mites. I thought, and still think, it was worth pursuing.

Last fall he was waking every half hour during the night and started hitting his forehead (between the eyes)--our ped said this can be a sign of sinus pain and suggested Zyrtec for allergies. When the allergy symptoms didn't abate in the Spring, I asked and the ped ageed we should send him to an allegist for testing.
Now that we know he's allergic to dust mites, we can take some appropriate measures, like washing his bedding in hot every week, minimizing rugs, etc in his room, encasing his mattress and so on. And we know he's not allergic to anything outside so no reason to avoid the park--in fact he's better off there from an allergy point of view. He is still on Zyrtec and this definitely helps.

In considering whether a child is too young and the tests are too traumatic. . . . Well, it's just my point of view but, I don't leave things like this untreated for myself so I think it's only fair to seek treatment for him. The scratch tests were unpleasant, but I am positive he's forgotten all about it. And I wouldn't even think of avoiding other important medical care, like his vacinations, just because it is painful for a short period of time. Not meaning to offend, just give my point of view on this.

If you can take another adult to the appointment, it might be helpful. DS was hard to settle back down and it was difficult for me to talk with the allergist after the tests.

[babystuffbuff]

>Our pediatrician told us that allergy testing is so traumatic for the really little kids that we should wait until DD's at least 4 years old to pursue that.


It's really traumatic for not-really-little kids, too! My baby brother (age 5) had it done last month. Even after having his adnoids (sp?) and tonsils removed this past winter, he was still getting a lot of sinus infections, so they took him to be tested. Now, keep in mind that I heard this story second-hand from my emotional mom who had just watched her child go through a lot of pain, but the ped told her, and my brother, that the testing wouldn't be bad, and would only hurt for a second, just a little pinch. WRONG! They stuck him with over 30 needles! My mom said the look on his face when he realized that he had been lied to and that it DID hurt, and NOT like a little pinch, was horrifying. :( My bro is possibly the most well-behaved child on the face of the planet, and he took it like a trooper even when he was in a lot of pain, but I think it was really horrible for them to gloss over how bad it would be. Children are so trusting -- what is he going to think next time Mom/the ped tells him that something won't hurt badly??? Not to mention that my mom now feels horrible because she believed the doctor too, and now she feels like she helped lie to her kid. Blech. :(

Sorry to hijack, and I don't mean to scare you, I just wanted to warn you that if you do test, whether now or later, make sure the doctor is very clear about what will happen, both with you and your kid. If you KNOW it's going to hurt, TELL YOUR CHILD that it will hurt. The truth now is better than an ugly surprise later, IMO; at least they have a chance to prepare, and so do you. Our little guy ended up with positive allergy tests for everything except cats (my parents have a dog and a rabbit) and now is on medication, so the testing was probably good in the long run, but I think the way the ped and the allergist went about it was horrible.

Good luck -- I hope you can avoid testing!

Sarah

[tippy]

Not absolute about this but you might want to check if you can have his blood tested instead. I believe one of my dh's cousin's has a son with allergies and this is what they did for him.
Teva
Mom to AJ born 1-8-03

[mapg]

Yes, I have been through this, and my advice is to see an allergist. You can get a consultation without a skin test, in fact a lot of little ones won't get a good positive anyway, so the allegists are hesitant to put them through the test. My entire family, all three generations, is with the same allergy group, so getting a child in isn't hard. It make take a while depending on where you are and the time of year. Start keeping a log of symptoms and what was happening around you, pets, visitors with pets, smokers,time of day, weather change etc. This will help the allergist get a feel for the possible triggers. In my experience, and that of my sister with her kids, the allergist is your best bet to get your kid well. This is a chronic illness. I have also found them to be more cautious than peds when it comes to meds. And you want that with a child. By the way the skin test will itch like crazy. The more allergic the child, the worse the reaction. Just make sure the person making the appointment knows that you want a consultation because the appointment time is different than for a skin test. Good luck.
Marianne

[mamicka]

and it went *really* well. They tested for the 15 most common allergens in kids on his back. I was really dreading it, especially because DH is out of town so he couldn't come with to watch DS2. DS1 didn't hardly even notice that anything was happening. He just sat there watching the Nemo video - a few times he started to reach his hand back to try to scratch his back & I had to catch him. That's it. Turns out the only conclusive allergy he has is to eggs.

So for anyone else who is holding off on the scratch test because they are afraid of it being too traumatic (like I was) it may be a real piece of cake like it was for us.

Allison