has anyones little one had to have allergy testing???

zoesmummy_2006

My son is 3, 4 in august, and last november had an allergic reaction for the first time. The only thing I could put it down to at the time was a whistle lollipop that I had just bought him and his sister after picking her up from swimming. I noticed blotches/blister type things all over his face within 10 minutes of him having the lolly, he didnt even have it all.

Naturally I panicked and rushed him to the doctors, in the time it took to see a doctor, i think roughly half an hour, the blisters had spread all over his body, everywhere BAR his tummy and back oddly. The doctor agreed it was an allergic reaction, most likely to something in the lolly and gave me a prescription for citirizine antihistime, and said the blisters were atctually hives. After a couple doses of the citirizine the reaction subsided and he was fine, and I thought no more of it.

Then yesterday while in my daughters class at school my son started crying and saying his hands hurt, and upon looking at them they were swollen to double and again with the hives. This time I have no idea what the cause was at all, I took him straight to the chemist and she said yep def another allergic reaction, and to give the antihistimine, so I took him straight home and gave him a dose. After a few hours it didnt seem to have had much effect so I called the doctors to check see if he could have another dose of antihistimine and the doctor called me back and asked me to take my son in so he could look at him.

The reaction was literally just in his hands, nowhere else, and his fingers were very swollen and the skin extremely tight and it was obviously uncomfortable for him. The doctor said the only explanation he could think of is that my son must have touched something on the walk to school. He then said given it was his 2nd reaction in 6 months if it was to happen again they may refer him for allergy testing, but then in the next breath said its not totally reliable.

Has anyones little ones on here had to go for allergy testing, I was just wondering what it involved as I really dont want to google and terrify myself lol. I have made a note of what happened and when and took pictures of the reactions both times so I have a visible record should it be required.

God that was a ramble, Im sorry for that, I just worry about him cos he seems much more delicate than my tough as boots daughter lol, I've had none of this with her!!!!!!

faerie~spangles

My son had various odd things happen when he was very young as I'm not a fan of giving children medication I used old fashioned remedies.

However when he was about ten the constant cough and drippy nose deserved some investigation. Took him to the Doc' and he was allergy tested. Simple skin pin pr ! ck tests. Poor wee lamb was allergic to everything from tree pollen to horses.

meritaten

dont worry about the ramble - you are upset and its understandable.
Allergy testing is valuable in that it can detect triggers which can cause reactions. The testing is of those 'known' triggers - which means that if the items they are testing are not the triggers then they are stumped. or that there may be triggers among the allergens they test - but other sources may be there they cannot test for.

BUT - dont discount the tests! my DS was adamant that cats didnt trigger his asthma and his consultant was adamant that they did! tests showed that DS was allergic to dogs but not cats! so the test got repeated and the result was the same - however, he did find that he was no longer allergic to cows milk but needed to avoid pollen!
I would want to know what triggered that reaction. and keeping a diary of activities may help. perhaps it was 'painting' day as the reaction was on the hands.
I would keep some antihistamine at home - but be vigilant about other symptoms.
and I would take up the offer of allergy testing - it may not be perfect but should give an indication of what your child should avoid.

barbiedoll

Poor little boy, allergies are horrible and I'm sure that it's very alarming for you too!

My son had allergy testing at around the same age. I'm allergic to loads of things and my son had a reaction to nuts at a very early age, being a sufferer myself, I knew what was happening.

Our GP referred us to the hospital for the testing and it wasn't traumatic at all. The nurses are very good and although you may have heard of "skin pricks" and so on, the needles aren't like the ones used in injections, they just literally "scratch" the skin to see if it provokes a reaction. If your son is allergic to any of the substances, a small bump will appear on his skin, they usually test on the inside of the arm, below the elbow.

It's worth getting him tested, it sounds as though he only gets skin reactions (hives and so on) but it's good to know what to avoid and how to treat any reaction.

I worked in a hospital pharmacy and we used to order the tests for the allergy clinic. You'd be surprised at what provokes an allergic reaction in people, I wonder who is allergic to celery, leather or (horror of horrors!) chocolate?

Perfect10_2

My daughter reacted on her hands and feet from a very young age, tiny blisters then all her skin would gradually peel off over a few days. After a few trips to the doctors when hydro cortisone cream and anti histamines had no effect or the peeling made her skin bleed we were referred for tests. Hospital applied several materials to her skin then attached plasters over the top. Had to keep on for 5 days returning to hospital on day 3 and 5. They checked for reactions and this led to us being told she was allergic to a derivative of rubber. We were given a long list of items this could be found in, some we would never have thought of such as liquid soap. Gives us an idea of what to avoid. Still has occasional reactions.

Agree with keeping a diary of things touched that day as we knew she reacted to wellies, elastic in nappies when a baby, and hand wash so this gave the hospital a starting point.

Good luck, is horrible to see them in pain x

zoesmummy_2006

The doctor gave me a prescription for a huge bottle of citirizine and said to disregard the dosage insructions on it for under 6's and that should he have another and need it he can have 2 5ml spoons during the day if required rather than the one it states on the label. The 2nd dose did seem to help more.

Thats the thing, Ive gone over and over the walk to school, he's very much a mummys boy and wont walk without holding my hand tight and I really cant think of anything he could have touched, the only thing I know he touched for sure just before the reaction was the cash machine in town, both he and my daughter were fighting over who would get the momey/card as i withdrew some money lol. But then my daughter didnt react.

Its all noted in my diary, dates and times and doses etc. Fingers crossed it doesnt happen again and the allergy testing isnt required, but thanks for replying, youve put my mind at ease!!!!

zoesmummy_2006

I think hes just a delicate wee soul lol, always had nappy rash quite severely, suffered with myebomian cycts from a few months old (the doctor had never seen them in a baby when I took him) and has just taken the best part of a week to get over a stomach bug. Hes the exact opposite of his big sister lol x

mum2one

When i was younger I had the skin tests done, - they drew like a little grid on my arm, then put drops on and scratched the skins, my main allergies then were cats and grass. (I was about 10 then) and pencillian.

I would def recommend taking the offer up of allergy testing, def makes things easier, your doing the right thing with the diary. Could your son have touched another child at school that had handled something? x

meritaten

you say about the walk to school - but you dont say what he may have touched IN school! its NOT a sterile environment hun!
he may have touched anything! anything he touched in school is now suspect.
I would definately have the allergy tests done.

marisco_2

My youngest son used to be allergic to everything. It got so bad that he was put onto a special formula milk that met all his nutritional needs. Foods had to be introduced one at a time and given for a few days so as to discount ones that gave him problems.

The most frightening time was when he ate fish for the first time, his lips and under his eyes swelled up and his face quickly had blisters all over it. At one point he didn't even have to eat fish, if he touched the hand of someone who had eaten it he would have the same reaction.

Because of all this when he started school they insisted he had a bottle of piriton in case of mild allergic reactions and 2 epi-pens for severe reactions.

The good news is that at nearly 7 he has outgrown all the allergies he once had, he can even eat fish now.

I hope your little boy will be okay. I would definately have the allergy tests done.

zoesmummy_2006

Its very possible that he touched something in the classroom at school as it was there that he told me his hands hurt, he hadt said anything about them hurting on the way to school. I have no idea what it could have been though, he generally goes off to a table where his 3 friends are (the younger brothers of my daughters friends) and they all play together with whatever toys they have while we do the morning book work.

The only thing I can think of is that one of the girls in class had just come back off holiday and bought cuttlefish bones back with her to show the class-maybe he'd found that on the teachers table and touched it. I guess like the doctor said, its something we'll probably not ever know.

Thanks again for all your replies, my minds a bit more at ease now I know a little more about the testing process, fingers crossed it doesnt happen again but if it does I shall definately be ensuring he gets the tests!!!