Calling my FA moms! New allergy!

[megs4413]

Spent yesterday in the ER with my oldest. She woke up with swollen lips. Gave Benadryl, went to pediatrician. They observed swelling in her lips/gums. Prescribed oral prednisone and ordered blood allergy tests. Went and got the tests done, grabbed some food from a drive thru and then her tongue and throat started to swell. Drove to ER. her blood pressure was really low (especially her diastolic). They diagnosed anaphylaxis and gave her IV meds and monitored for hours.

She has celiac's disease, but no other known allergies. ER doc told us to avoid dairy and nuts until we get allergy testing back.

My questions for experienced FA moms:
-is it weird that she woke up that way? seems like if it was an FA, she'd have gotten symptoms right after eating?

-Her lip is still swollen, though it's significantly better. We are on round the clock Benadryl and prednisone. Should it go away?

-How long does it take to get blood tests back typically? I don't want to harass her doctor's office, but I'm pretty freaked out.

-is it weird that they didn't give us an epi pen prescription? I hated sending her to school this morning with her lip still swollen and no epi.

Any other advice is appreciated. Obviously, I'm going to call my pediatrician again tomorrow, but it's gonna be a long night for me. TIA!

[nfceagles]

I would beg your pediatrician for an epi rx, especially since you don’t know what to avoid and have to feed her something. What did she eat at the drive thru? What did she have the night before she woke up swollen?


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[nfceagles]

If I were local to you, I’d give you one of our expired epi-pens. Do you know anyone who might have one to lend? Doesn’t help with school though as you’ll need unexpired and paperwork from dr.


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[sariana]

I’m so sorry! That must have been scary.

FWIW, I have a dermal wheat allergy. I eat it (probably shouldn’t!) but can’t use skin or hair products with wheat in them (wheat germ oil is the most common). So it’s possible she reacted to a non-food item too. Are you able to trace any common ingredients between last night and the drive-thru today?

I don’t know if any reason a reaction COULD’T be delayed. I don’t know what a typical reaction time is.

[megs4413]

If I were local to you, I’d give you one of our expired epi-pens. Do you know anyone who might have one to lend? Doesn’t help with school though as you’ll need unexpired and paperwork from dr.


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I have my DH's expired ones (he has an allergy to pistachios.) I guess that's better than nothing?

Before bed she had Doritos. At the drive thru she got a milkshake.

[megs4413]

I’m so sorry! That must have been scary.

FWIW, I have a dermal wheat allergy. I eat it (probably shouldn’t!) but can’t use skin or hair products with wheat in them (wheat germ oil is the most common). So it’s possible she reacted to a non-food item too. Are you able to trace any common ingredients between last night and the drive-thru today?

I don’t know if any reason a reaction COULD’T be delayed. I don’t know what a typical reaction time is.

I screen all of her skin care/body care/makeup for wheat because her reaction is SO bad. we have to watch cross contamination and everything. Her gluten reaction is almost always vomiting.

[KpbS]

It could be food allergy related and your ped should call out a script for an epi pen no questions asked asap. But it also could be a fluke reaction unrelated to any allergy. Angioedema. Is there a chance there was some wheat ingredient or cross contamination in the milkshake? Perhaps they used the equipment to make a cookies and cream shake just before? Regardless, I think you have to avoid all dairy for the time being. Blood tests can take days to get the results back, sometimes a week, depending on how far the lab is that is reading the test. I would follow up with a pediatric allergist if you can get worked in, the sooner the better. Reactions are scary! I’m sorry she is dealing with this.

[Kindra178]

Although it’s hard to understand, and I’m still learning, yes to delayed reactions. Some people even have them the next day. It’s probably more uncommon, but happens. I think everyone envisions one bite+throat clutching+gasping for air. In my kid, his stomach hurts first. Then he throw ups 45 minutes later and gets like 4 hives.

Give it another 24 hours for lip swelling to go down. I have a friend with a kid who has a sesame allergy. His rashes and swollen lips last forever. Did they test her for that? I’m thinking this isn’t nuts but shellfish, sesame, legumes, salmon, strawberries.

Blood tests could take anywhere from 48 hours to two weeks. We recently switched hospitals and had the bloodwork Saturday am. The bloodwork was ready Monday afternoon but they wouldn’t release it to me cause of my kid’s age (!!) (and thankful for that other post here on that exact same issue). The other hospital we used took 2 weeks.

I don’t know why they didn’t give you an epi script. I am wondering if the swollen lip wasn’t really ana but an allergic reaction nonetheless.

ETA: ask away. There are lots of resources online, but some of questionable accuracy. In the meantime, book an appt with an allergist now. It may take awhile to get in and then you can cancel if you don’t need it (blood work fine, etc).

Eta2: my friend’s kid with the sesame allergy at tahini containing hummus and sesame bagels regularly for years. He had other food allergies already. He was getting hives and swollen lips every now and again, but it didn’t seem like a direct correlation. Like eat out At Mediterranean place, get hives two days later.


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[mom2binsd]

My son's allergy blood work was back in a day last time, we live in a small city. I would keep the epi pens you have close at hand. My nephew developed a celery allergy at age 16, they were at the cottage 40 min from a town and he reacted, luckily my brother has benedryl and an epi pen due toba bee allergy, they dosed with benedryl and sped to the hospital with my brother sitting in the back seat with the epi waiting to stick if needed.

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[Gracemom]

Had she taken any medication? My son reacted like that to ibuprofen. We were given an epipen prescription.