Hopefully my final update!

[hjdong]

O.K. After calling the ped. allergist for a week (and one more visit to my regular ped. for more stopgap measures) I finally got a cancelled appt today! Yeah! and the outlook was neither as bad or as good as it could have been.

It seems he has chronic hives (there's a really long name for this (in the b*tch board there's a post about this and a mom who actuall has it; she knows how to spell it, I don't it's approximately chronic uticaria). Basically, they don't know why he has hives, he's not really allergic to something specific (as in, he can't eat peanuts), which is good, because it's not life threatening. However, there's not telling when they will go away (as in, this may be a lifetime problem), which is bad.

But, at least now we know and can take steps to find medications, creams, information, etc. to help him so I already feel better, instead of having this great mystery, feeling like if I expose him to the wrong thing, he's going to have a really bad attack.

Thanks again to everyone and now I'm going to post on something fun!

[mom2kandj]

DD was tested at four months(which doesn't help you), but DS had a skin test done in May. He had just turned three and they did the test on his back where he couldn't scratch. He was pretty unhappy, but we did figure out his trigger.

When it comes to chronic conditions like allergies, asthma, and eczema(all of which apply to DD), I prefer to take the tests and get the child used to the testing procedures as often they will have to deal with those same procedures or at least the poking and prodding in a lot of cases until they are adults. By seeing an allergist, you are also looking at being more proactive in your child's maintenance level for their allergies. IMHO, I would rather DD be on her maintenance level meds with few flare ups than for her to not be on meds and trigger an allergy attack that could trigger an asthma attack and then cause her eczema to flare! FWIW, we are down to one visit a year with her ped allergist as most of her meds and care are under control with her ped.

If you don't mind the drive, DD sees the Allergy and Asthma Associates(Dr Sugar or Dr Berger) in Mission Viejo, CA. They are right next to Mission Hospital/CHOC. HTH!


Rose
mom 2 Katie 12/02/00
& Jack 04/16/02

[hjdong]

Thanks for the info. Does your DD get allergy shots from the allergist, or is it just basically antihistamines (if you don't mind me asking)?

Also, I don't think DS will be able to have th scratch test because you have to be off of the antihistamine for 48 hours and by 48 hours I'm questioning the need to rush him to the ER because he looks so swollen. I know blood tests are less accurate. I just have this fear will go through all this and be told to take claritin, which we're already doing. O.k. I'll admit my really bad mommy fear. It seems to be maybe just the tiniest bit worse when he finishes swmimming and he lives to swim. I really don't want to be told he can't go in a pool anymore. Ignorance sometimes really is bliss.

But you're right. And DH is right. I'll wait the week. Take him off Claitin for a day to see what happens and make the appointment.

How did you know where I live, again if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks again,

[mom2kandj]

DD is on Zyrtec and if needed she can get a boost of Claritin.

BBB Socal :)

I don't post nearly as much as I used to..


Rose
mom 2 Katie 12/02/00
& Jack 04/16/02

[Hallie_D]

Ugh, Holly, I'm so sorry that this is still going on! I haven't checked in here in a while and popped in today hoping to hear good news from you.

I don't know how you feel about homeopathic stuff...as a teen I had asthma which was controlled by several different inhalers, including an inhaled steroid. A friend's mother convinced me to go to a naturopath for allergy testing, which is done by testing muscle strength in the presence of various potential allergens (literally a vial of the allergen placed on your abdomen). It sounded weird to me then and still does, but I eliminated my "allergens" (dairy and chocolate among them--I cried!) completely and after a few weeks noticed a marked improvement. After a few years inhaler-free I slowly reintegrated dairy and chocolate back into my diet (although I eat very little dairy right now because DS is sensitive and I'm nursing) and have needed an inhaler only a handful of times in the last 10 years--and only when there is another trigger, like extremely high pollution days when I already have a cold or a fireplace with a moldy log.

I have no idea if it would work for you or if it is even possible for a toddler to undergo this kind of testing, but it is completely noninvasive, so it would be an interesting first step if you weren't quite ready to do skin testing.

HTH even a little bit!

[Judegirl]

Hi...I'll admit I do the alternative-medicine thing, so feel free to completely disregard my advice. But I think that of all conditions, allergies are the easiest to control without turning to western medicine. I would recommend talking to a naturopath or a homeopathic physician.

BUT - beyond that, I have to suggest getting him on probiotics, without further ado. There is a product by Jarro called "babydophilus" that you can give him. It might help tremendously, and it's nothing freaky like herbs or medicine - just the live cultures found in yogurt. Balancing the flora in the digestive tract often goes a long way toward helping the body handle allergies.

I would also give him Coromega, a natural (and yummy) fish-oil supplement. The EFAs will help his skin heal faster (and help brain development, immune function, etc!) and reduce inflammation and itching. Also make sure he's getting enough fat in his diet - they need a lot at this age - 30% of his calories should be from healthy fats.

Is he on a vitamin supplement? If not, I'd urge you to try one. The body's inability to handle allergens is often linked to vitamin deficiencies. If he is on one, check to see whether it contains synthetics that may be triggering the reaction.

If it were me, I would go nuts figuring out what it is - stop all soaps, shampoos and fragrances, change laundry detergents, and revamp his diet until you figure it out. I wouldn't want him on the meds any longer than absolutely necessary.

Really, honestly, nutrition is the key to so many allergic situations - just helping the body to handle the allergen. If you don't think it's all quackery, it's worth looking into, at least.

Good luck,
Jude

[crl]

Holly,

So sorry you all are going through this. DS has allergies and we had him tested earlier this summer. We did the skin tests, which was pretty dreadful while it lasted, but DS was just fine within minutes of leaving the doctor's office.

I think it is worth having tests done. DS is allergic to dust mites. So, in addition to Zyrtec, there are all sorts of preventive things we do--wash and dry bed linens on hot every week, minimize fabric (rugs, drapes, etc) in his bedroom especially and so on. If we had not had him tested, we wouldn't have known to do these things. And for someone with dustmite allergies open windows are best, but for someone with pollen allergies closed windows are best. So, you can't necessarily just take all precautions possible and skip the testing.

For what it is worth, I have horrid allergies (when I had skin tests done a couple of years ago, my allergist was actually worried that the testing might have caused breathing difficulties because my test spots were soooo swollen and red). I thought it was worth pursuing medical care for myself and figured that I could do no less for DS, unpleasant as it might be for both of us.

Good luck getting this all sorted out! (And here's hoping it's nothing to do with the pool--I know what you mean about a kid who loves to go to the pool!)

[wendmatt]

Poor Little thing. I never posted before as I don't have any advice, but those hives look so bad. I hope you find out a cause soon and can stop them.

[Melanie]

poor little guy!

My friend's Ds seemed allergic to the world and has had fanstastic results with NAET treatments. We have them, too, but didn't have the drastic starting place for comparison. They are non-invasive and Ds loves them. RIght now I've actually stopped b/c the brief elimination diet after the treatment is just not compatible with me being pregnant and Ds keep asking to go back!

http://www.naet.com/

[mom2kandj]

WOW! Holly, I didn't realize the hives were that crazy. Now, I know what you meant about not wanting him to go off meds just for testing!

FWIW, it does get better. Some kids grow out of it(fingers crossed) and most kids learn to better deal with it. James is still on the young side, but you'd be surprised at how good allergic kids can be at managing their food intake and letting adults know what their allergens are. <HUGS> and good luck in finding the triggers!

PLMK if you just need another mama to vent to.


Rose
mom 2 Katie 12/02/00
& Jack 04/16/02