first time food allergy - unsure of culprit

[nona]

hi,

we had a weird experience w/ my 26.5 month old today. FWIW, he's had all nuts on multiple occasions w/ no problems. i gave him peanut butter shortly after his 2 yr bday and he's had several things w/ peanut butter since.  today around 5pm , we got in the car to leave for a xmas party. he threw up before i even got in the car. he has never thrown up before. we thought it was a fluke b/c he was acting totally normal, not feverish etc, not crying, wanting to go. i also gave him a very rich piece of choc candy earlier so thought maybe it was too much for him.  agst better judgement, we went anyway. after an hour at the party, he started getting a runny nose, sneezing, and then hives. we did eat at the party. we immediately went home gave him benadryl and the hives started turning into large whelps but he seemed to be doing better and we put him to bed. long story short, he threw up again later.  most of hte hives/whelps are gone but there is still a few rashes around his upper legs.  we gave him a 2nd dose of benadryl. FWIW, my husband and i are medical professionals so we are not completely clueless but we are baffled!

from what i remember this is what he ate today (i apologize, this is a HORRIBLE, embarrassing menu):
breakfast 8am : oatmeal crisp w/ almonds w/ milk (has had almonds more times than i can count)
snack 10am: apple cinnamon cliff Z-bar for kids, raisins, water (bar has soy butter??)
lunch 12pm: bites of mandarin orange, cheese, and salami
snack 4pm: dried banana, milk, and rocky road candy (we have lots of xmas goodies at the house at the moment) - contains peanuts, i think (has had peanut butter several times now)
dinner 6pm: he ate something w/ pesto (which he has had several times before but not sure how this was made), and possibly had some spinach-shrimp dip (has had shrimp before)

we're at a total loss?? food allergies are so weird. 

thoughts anyone?

thanks for reading...it has been a rough evening so far

 

[nona]

i know we are really confused.

well, i thought it might something he had contact w/ but that doesn't explain the vomiting. it could be a coincidence though. he threw up about 1.5 hrs before the hives/itching/runny nose started. then he threw up again later that night.  he's had pesto several times sometimes w/ walnuts or pine nuts. 

i am not sure if he's ever ate marshmellows beore. i put them in hot cocoa once but not sure if he ate them.  he's had the salami before (new brand but a few times already this week).

[Katet]

Ok shrimps - he's had them before BUT Aussie shrimps are antibiotic free, but those imported from Asia do tend to be from farms that use antibiotics... I have a friend who is allergic to an antibiotic & will only eat Aussie seafood that she knows is safe as she had a reaction to Asian seafood... just a thought, has he had any antibiotics that he is allergic to?

[MLK]

I've also heard that farmed seafood from some countries even have dye in them to make them pink!

[Mydreamcametrue]

Oh Yikes, I am sure that was so scary.

Here are my thoughts.  The snack bar, you said it has Soy butter in it and ?  Has he ever had Soy anything before.  That is one of the highest allergic foods. 

Also you said that he has had salami before, but this was a new brand, but he had it a few times already that week.  I would check those ingredients out. 

I know with an antibiotic allergy, you have to be exposed to the allergen before showing signs of being allergic.  Ex:  My son is very allergic to amoxillion, the first time no problems,  On the 7th day of his 2nd time ever taking it, that is when his allergic reaction happened.

So good be one of those foods that he has had just once or twice before. 

Have you had him allergy tested?  I know here in the US, if you kid has an allergic reaction to something, they want them to see an allergist. 

Me though, I would suspect the Soy...

[nona]

thx for the response!

 he has never been on antibiotics before.  i'm sure they put dye in our shrimp! he ate something that was next to a dip containing shrimp on my plate...so i'm not really sure even if he had the shrimp at all.

the puke could be unrelated but common w/ food allergy.

he has had tofu before - i thought that was soy? he ate the tofu along time ago but i know he has had chinese food w/ tofu and miso soup w/ tofu...but still, who knows?

i mentioned some rocky road candy we gave him...i think it may have had cashews and not peanuts. i am trying to get the recipe from the girl who made it.

my husband works w/ a pediatric allergist (how convenient huh?) but didn't have time to ask him today b/c my husband was too busy  so hopefully he will talk to him tomorrow about it. i really don't want to go thru testing though!

[Mydreamcametrue]

Hey Heather.  Doesn't sound like the soy then because he has had tofu and miso. 

Honestly though the testing is not bad at all.  Both of my kids have had it done.  With the skin prick test, all they do is mark some letters on your back with a pen, then prick the skin with the allergens. 

Both of my kids were 9 months when tested and neither of them cried at all.  I had it done on myself about 5 months ago and it really did not hurt.  It was a little uncomfortable, but not bad. 

They could also try doing the RAST blood test, but in my opinion, taking a whole test tube of blood is way more painful and scary then pricks on the back.

It feels like a little tiny pinch, that is it.

[nona]

it is so ironic he'd be allergic to cashews and not peanuts, but i'll take it. cashews are easier to avoid that's for sure. i can't remember the last time we even had them in the house.   if only i could get the recipe for the candy!! hopefully the girl who made them is just out of town and not avoiding me!

neither test sounds great but maybe we won't have to do either.

[Mydreamcametrue]

Has he had walnuts by chance?  Cashew's, walnuts are in a different family than a peanut.  Peanuts are in the legume family and cashew's are in the treenut family.  So sounds very possible it could be the cashew's. 

The recipes I found online call for either walnuts or peanuts. 

Let us know what you found out. 

[nona]

he has had all tree nuts, except cashews. he has had walnuts/pecans/almonds on multiple occasions. he has had peanut butter several times since his 2yr bday.  only other nut not sure about - hazlenuts. i looked up the recipe online and most have peanuts. he has never had raw peanuts. i've rarely given him whole nuts to eat except finely chopped up pecans/walnuts/almonds in other foods like cereal, breads, cookies, etc. Oh, I do give him finely chopped almonds in his oatmeal.  i examined the candy and the nuts did not really smell/look like peanuts. they looked more like cashews...I really won't know until I get the recipe she made.it is making me very anxious! i've emailed but tomorrow i will call her.  it is really strange he would be allergic to one nut out of the tree nut family but i guess anything is possible. honestly, i'd rather a cashew allergy than peanut (easier to avoid).  i just can't think of anything else it would be unless the first vomit incident was completely coincidental and unrelated to the 2nd vomit. 

[Mydreamcametrue]

But, the hives deft. came from an allergy to something.

Is this is a friend of yours?  I would go to her house or keep calling.  It is important for you to get that recipe.

Wendy

[nona]

sort of, we are in a moms club together...i'm calling her now....

[nona]

yep...she used cashews instead of peanuts. mystery solved...i should've called a long time ago but i thought for sure she'd check her email or be out of town. well, learned my lesson w/ that one.

thx for all the help!

[MLK]

I'm allergic to almonds but not any other nuts, so it is possible. Good you've finally solved it!

According to my doc cashews used to be the least allergenic nut but they are seeing more and more cases of allergies to it. Strange huh?

[nona]

i didn't know anyone as a kid allergic to nuts!