Congestion/runny nose = reaction to cashews?

[~inbalance~]

Last night/this morning DS developed some congestion and a runny nose.  Of course my first thoughts were he had caught a cold, although there had been no indication leading up to last night that something was off with him.  Today no other symptoms progressed, no fever, he was happy and energetic as usual, just majorly stuffy with Niagra Falls pouring from his nose (clear mucous).  Nothing about his behaviour made me think he was otherwise feeling ill.

So I thought about it and wondered if it might be a reaction to something.  Then I remembered that I had given him some bites of peppers and chicken that had been cooked with cashews yesterday at lunch.  No actual cashews though, but still.  Could that be what is causing the runny nose?

DS has had no reactions or sensitivities to anything thus far and I am generally really relaxed about introducing new foods.  But I have been weary with nuts and wanted to take it slow since there are 2 people with nut allergies in my family - 1 severe (my cousin for all his life) and 1 non-severe (my brother only developed it this year).  I recently tried putting some PB on his hand to see if it caused a problem and didn't see anything.  Also I have been using the same knife to put PB on my toast and jam on his for a little while now.  He has had foods cooked with pesto/pine nuts for awhile now too.

Does this sound like a reaction/allergy?  What should my next step be, refrain from exposing him to any nuts for awhile and wait until I can talk to a doctor about it?  Just wondering...

Thanks! 

[Spectra]

It's possible, but really hard to tell if it was only a runny nose.  Did he come down with a cold at all?  Did he have any other problems, like tummy ache, or diarrhea?  Was that the first time he had nuts?

[~inbalance~]

Hi Spectra, thanks for you response.  No, it doesn't seem like he had a cold, he was not acting ill or uncomfortable.  Just a runny nose and some congestion.  Otherwise he was his happy self.  No tummy ache or diarrhea so I guess that means no reaction?  I'm still confused as to where the runny nose came from, but I don't *think* it was the nuts.  He's never actually had any nuts, but has been exposed to them (pine nuts in sauces/pesto, use the same knife to butter his toast and put PB on mine, plus DH loves almonds and cashews so there are tubs of them all over the house that DS often finds and plays with)

The runny nose came on so fast and the cashews were the only new thing he had eaten that day.  I remembered out ND saying that the immune system and digestive system were connected so it was common to have a runny nose in reaction to new foods as their systems are maturing.

I don't think I'll really know!  Maybe it was a cold but he managed to deal with it no problem!  I thought I was getting one too, but then nothing.   

Meh, thanks for replying anyway!  However, would it be safe to try nuts again at this point, or better to wait?  Like I mentioned, there are nut allergies present in my family.  But it would be so great to be able to have something else to give him.  I would like for him to have a little PB on toast, but not if he's not ready kwim?

[Spectra]

Hmm, were the peppers spicy even in the tiniest bit?  Perhaps that's where the runny nose came from?  lol So hard to figured those things out sometimes.

When it comes to nuts it's totally up to you if you want to try again, since he's already had some in food form you could perhaps try a small amount again and see what happens, this time try it early in the day in case he feels not good later.  I gave my daughter peanut butter at 12 months with no problems, whereas my son is extremely allergic, and it doesn't run in our families at all. 

Let us know how it goes, very curious! 

[~inbalance~]

Thanks, I don't think the peppers were spicy, just red & green ones but even the sauce wasn't spicy.  However there was something a little spicy on my plate at the same time so maybe that was it.  It is so hard to tell.  But DS has had a bit of spicy things before and he actually likes them.  You just never know what could set them off.

I may try just the tiniest bit of PB this week to see how it goes.  TBH, even with 2 allergies in my family I still don't feel too much like it could happen more easily.  It's my cousin and my brother, and on that side of the family there are over 50 cousins alone let alone aunts, uncles, 2nd & 3rd cousins, probably closing in on 150 on that side, so when you think of it that way 2 ppl with nut allergies doesn't seem quite so weird....

[Mashi]

Teething possibly?  DS gets a very runny nose - like Niagara Falls as you put it! - when his teeth move closer to the surface. He didn't for his first two bottom teeth or his first two top teeth but all of the other ones, the runny nose was the first sign I had that he was teething. No cold symptoms, no fever, nothing - just his nose running like a tap down his face!   It does make sense, too, as the teeth are sooooo close to the sinuses and with the moving a shifting of teeth around the jawline, the sinuses can have pressure on them and then as the teeth move closer to the gums, that pressure is relieved and the sinuses start to drain.

Just a thought!!

[~inbalance~]

Mashi, that was my other thought!  He is due for molars, I know one is through or almost through (he WILL NOT let me look!) so maybe this means the time has finally come!

*sigh*, as with everything it appears I will never really know!   

So I guess my post isn't really about allergies anymore.     But I am still interested in trying the nuts soon too!