Author Topic: Just needing support from other allergy mommas  (Read 2104 times)

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Offline nursekat

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Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« on: January 25, 2010, 04:53:15 am »
Hiya, long time no me on these threads...   :-[  But really that means life is good here.

Just needing some hugs and support from other moms that have had allergy sufferers with behavior problems.  My dd1 has hit the terrible 3s HARD - and until recently I was pulling my hair out wondering what was going on.  She had always been super sweet and relatively angelic up until ~6months ago.  We were thinking it was typical 3-year-old issues, or a new sibling, but lately I'm wondering if it's more...

She has a severe anaphylactic reaction to eggs.  In this same past ~6 months, she has broken out in hives 3 times to foods that have no eggs or egg products listed.  A few days ago it was to bread that she has always had with no problems before. 

She has lost weight in 6 months.  She is on the low end of the curve and the doctor wanted to recheck her, and she actually lost 1 lb (2.2kg).  However, they weren't worried about it.  She is the pickiest eater I've encountered, hands down...which is naturally getting worse as she is asserting her independence.

I have multiple environmental sensitivities, and a milk intolerance.  My brother has a gluten allergy.  My other brother has asthma due to several environmental allergies, so it is def in our family.

We have days where I consider her behavior to be "normal" - sure there is whining and the usual stuff, but she is what I consider to be her true self where she is interacting and able to converse normally, etc.  Then there are days where she cries nonstop and throws fits over the tiniest things and can't speak in any voice other than a whine (that goes on and on and on and on and god get me a drink!).  No amount of love or discipline or anything in between has helped curb it on her "bad" days.  In fact she has also asked me several times to give her "something to help me stop crying!"  In other words, she wants to stop but can't.  Our neighbors are good friends and have gone from telling us all the time how they can't believe how happy and sweet she is to not wanting to stick around when she gets in one of her moods.   :'( 

So...I'm starting to think it's possibly related to other allergies?  I am reading other stickies and links on this topic - thanks to those that posted them!  I am going to start a food diary so I have it in hand when I go to the allergist on the 1st (that seems SO far away but I know I am lucky with how soon they could see me!). 

They want to do skin testing - so any advice is appreciated in case they don't find anything specific.  I am not CONVINCED it is allergy-related - and I am in fact scared I am just searching for something because I want my angelic baby back and this is just a "phase," but I also feel like there are times where she is emotionally out of control and it isn't "her."  Luckily DH is very supportive of having me get this checked out.  I don't know if he thinks we will find anything, but he doesn't want to discover 10 years from now that she's been suffering and we've just been writing it off as bad behavior.

Ok, off to research some more after reading some of the stickies here.  TIA.   :-*


Offline ~ Vik ~

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2010, 11:49:04 am »
(((hugs))) My ds is much younger, so none of the behaviour problems here as yet. IKWYM about the hives though: ds has a dairy allergy, and in the past 4mo has gotten hives 4 times to meals which should have been safe. We don't know if it's mustard, eggs, citrus, some combinaltion of the three, or dairy contamination. We have an appointment with an allergist on the 29th.

Happy to hold your hand through this - I could probably use the support myself too! I hope the appointment gives you some answers :)
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!


scarlettsmom

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2010, 14:35:51 pm »
Hi there,

Big (((hugs))).  Just have a minute, but wanted to write quickly.

Yes - behavioral symptoms can absolutely be attributed to food intolerances/allergies.  For example red dye, and high fructose corn syrup are pretty common offenders.  My own DD1 who has no food allergies, has behavioral issues when she has HFCS.  It is very real and more common than you'd think.

The hives seem concerning though.  That's a clear indication of an allergy - so something is truly affecting her, poor thing.  

I have to run, but glad you have an allergist appointment and will support you however I can.  

Hi Vikki - glad to hear you have an appointment too!!  :-*
« Last Edit: January 25, 2010, 14:37:22 pm by scarlett'smom »

Offline nursekat

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2010, 17:38:42 pm »
Thanks, ladies.  Vikki, I will be happy to hold your hand!  Let me know how it goes, are you getting any testing done?  DD has only gotten the blood test and I'm nervous about the skin testing.

Tari, my other thought on the hives is that while the packaging here has to list eggs, it doesn't have to list if it is produced in a facility that uses eggs...so it's possible the bread or snack mix was contaminated.  I think.  :)  At least I'm hoping that's all it is...allergies are so stressful.

Of course, she has been her "normal" self the past couple of days so I start to doubt myself...   :-\


scarlettsmom

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2010, 18:05:24 pm »

Tari, my other thought on the hives is that while the packaging here has to list eggs, it doesn't have to list if it is produced in a facility that uses eggs...so it's possible the bread or snack mix was contaminated.  I think.  :)  At least I'm hoping that's all it is...allergies are so stressful.


yes, they really are stressful.  Ahhhh -interesting that packaging doesn't have to indicate if it uses same equipment/facility as allergens.  That makes it doubly tricky!! 

What are you nervous about regarding the skin testing?  Are they doing the skin prick test, or patch testing?  DD2 had patch testing, first time she had about 35 or so done (and reacted to almost ALL of them).  Never had skin prick, but while it probably isn't fun, I think getting blood drawn is waaaay harder.

xo

Offline ~ Vik ~

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2010, 18:53:59 pm »
This appointment is just for a consultation, so as far as I know no testing as yet!  Though they may still surprise me - I was cautioned by one of the carers at the daycare that they may order testing right away.

Tari, what is a patch test?  Is it any gentler than a prick test?

the packaging here has to list eggs, it doesn't have to list if it is produced in a facility that uses eggs...
So funny how this works in different places - here, the majority of packaged foods have some sort of "produced on machinery that also processes *allergen*"  Although it's nice to have the warning, I often wonder if the products really may contain traces, or is the company just covering their butts, kwim?
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!


scarlettsmom

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2010, 13:11:07 pm »
Vikki - they really can contain traces.  Especially the batches that are first on AFTER the ones that contained the allergen.  Not too common, but definitely can happen.

Patch test is much gentler.  It's where they take tiny samples of the possible allergen, put it in a tiny saucer (like the size of a watch battery) and tape it to your back.  You have to keep it on for 2 days and then monitor the reactions.  It's used more for those who have GI issues and when the reactions happen a couple days later.  For example, if Gwynnie was exposed to milk when she was younger, in 2-ish days she end up with blood/mucous in her stool.  When we first tested her WHOLE back was covered with welts, I couldn't believe it.  We retested several weeks ago and she had barely any reactions and she can now tolerate some dairy products and everything else she had issues with.  It's not an exact science though - there are lots of false neg/false positives.  For us though it was almost completely right on.  Ask your dr about it - I know it's relatively new here....the worst part is taking the tape off.  I had testing done too and I couldn't believe how painful it was taking off the tape!  (just use water - they forgot to tell us that.... ::))

Offline nursekat

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2010, 19:09:41 pm »
No, our allergist does the scratch testing.  I just feel like one big poke is better than a bunch of pricks.   :(

I had a lot of testing done, and it was all the subdermal injections, with the little wheal of fluid under your skin.  Not fun.  Give me a blood draw any day, LOL!

Good luck tomorrow, Vikki!

Of course, now that I started a food diary and am keeping track of her behavior, she has been an ANGEL.  So much for that theory.  <sigh>   ::)


Offline nursekat

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2010, 17:40:37 pm »
Vikki, how did your appointment go?  We're headed off to ours now...wish us luck. 

I think we figured out what the new allergy is - honey.  Who heard of that??  But she reacted to toast and honey a while ago, and I was so focused on the bread part with her egg allergy that it never occurred to me that it could be honey.  She had it again and broke out all over.  Then the lightbulb went off - one of her favorite snacks has honey - hence the behavior issues.  She just has been "off" eating it lately (as toddlers like to do), hence her improved behavior as of late.  Man, you should've seen her behavior the night she had honey.  I needed a drink afterwards!  LOL!


Offline ~ Vik ~

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2010, 03:34:03 am »
Thanks for thinking of us! :)  The appointment went ok...  Didn't end up being just a consultation, the dr wanted to do a scratch test too.  Not great news, got positive results for dairy, egg white, and peanuts.  I started a thread http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164507.0 since I didn't want to completely hijack yours ;)  The dr wants us to do blood tests too to confirm the severity of the allergies, so we're off to do that tomorrow.  I know your DD had the blood tests, how old was she?  Dylan is 16mo, any tips at all?  I'm so nervous...

You're right about the honey being strange - I don't think I've ever heard of a honey allergy!  Though I suppose that anyone can be allergic to anything, really.  That's great that you were able to work that out!  How did your appointment go today?
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!


Offline nursekat

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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2010, 22:19:21 pm »
Awww...bummer on the allergies!  I'll go check out your other thread.  You can hijack mine!  I'm just here for support!  Allergies suck!  :)

I think Bethany was close to the same age when she got her blood test.  It is pretty quick - that is the best part of it. 

Our appointment went ok - I didn't see my normal allergist (she is on maternity leave), and the nurse practitioner was a little on the condescending side for me.   :P  She was skeptical about her being allergic to honey, and wasn't very convinced it was why her behavior has been off.  But dd reacted both to our honey (I took it with us) and some honey they had there, so I felt a bit vindicated.  Next we have to do some testing to see if it's the pollen she's allergic to (both honeys were local, but she reacts to processed foods with honey) or something bee-related.  I'm betting on the latter.  Just discovered her vitamins have beeswax in them - I suppose I'll have to avoid those as well!

Good luck in your journey with allergies.  You adjust, but it is a pain.  Sorry, not meaning to be a bummer...just honest.   :-* 


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Re: Just needing support from other allergy mommas
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2010, 19:43:25 pm »
How's everything going? Have you had the extra testing done yet? I'm so happy that you you were vindicated when the nurse practitioner was rude (not happy that she reacted, but ykwim :)) We have to wait until March 3 to get our blood test results because our allergist is on holidays ::)

hope things are going well!
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!