Whose LO has had allergy testing?

Re: Whose LO has had allergy testing?

• noyoucomehere

  July 2011

  Audrey had a blood test after a bad reaction to nuts. It showed that she was highly allergic to pretty much everything she's always eaten (eggs, wheat, dairy, soy, etc.) I totally freaked out not knowing what to feed her. Until we saw the allergist, she lived on rice. But when we saw him, the first thing he noticed was the eczema on her hands and said the blood test was useless when she has this type of eczema. The eczema basically made her body produce antibodies that completely distorted the blood test. Knowing that, I'd just ask your doctor about this before subjecting him to the blood test while he might end up having to do the prick test anyway.

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• mmd7999 member

  July 2011

  we had the prick test and it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  John just turned four so I felt like I could explain the process a little bit & ease his fears.   Ahead of time I told him that they were going to do a test that helped the dr figure out why he gets sick.  that it would not be a shot like he normally gets in his leg but it would feel like a itchy scratch on his back.   I told him it was ok to cry and be scared but if he kicked, screamed and/or wiped the liquid off his back, they would just have to start again and it would take longer. He also knew he'd get a present for letting them do the test.  John sat on my lap, facing me, legs wrapped around me.  They labeled his back and poked his back with four or five sets of allergens, this was the worst part but it was quick.  He cried but only for about 30 seconds. Then it just itches.  He stayed facing me and we watched videos on my iphone for the next 15 minutes while they watched his reactions. 

   All in all I thought it would be way worse.  the process was very quick and it helped to kinda set up the scenario for him

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• californiafrog7905

  July 2011

  So sorry he's so uncomfortable, poor guy! I did this with Hannah Claire last fall, and honestly I think the worst part was the wretched nurse who slammed the prick tests against her back without warning EITHER of us, so I had zero time to prepare HC to hold still and that it would be over quickly.  She SCREAMED bloody murder, of course, but after a couple of minutes she calmed down as long as I was holding her against me.  They did bring in a DVD player, so if you have one you can bring with you (in case they don't) or something else to distract him and keep him still, maybe that will help. Hope he gets some relief, whether it's through the allergy testing or something else!
  

  

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• Mrs Manners member

  July 2011

  We did allergy testing and it helped us find out he was allergic to soy. It DID NOT show him as being allergic to strawberries, peaches or grapes/raisins...all of which cause his eczema to break out. We figured out the fruits ourselves prior to the testing by keeping a food journal and eliminating things one at a time. He still had lingering eczema and when we got rid of the soy after the teasing, his eczema is completely gone. He never has it now unless he eats something with one of those things. It's been over a year since he's had them. I gave him 4 strawberries the other day as a "test" and a day and a half later he had eczema all over his face. The grandparents gave him a peach this week (because they can't freaking follow directions) and so far he has no eczema so maybe he's outgrown that one. I'm going to wait a week or so and try peaches again. Allergy doc said he will likely grow out of all of this around age 4-5. I'll probably have him retested next year.

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