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Another episode of "I'm not crazy after all" - confirmed severe dairy allergy
DH took DS to the allergist today to be poked and prodded for three hours (!!) and there are many things he's allergic to - but the main one is dairy. So severe, in fact, that they prescribed an epi-pen to keep on hand in case he grabs his sisters' sippy cups instead of his by accident.
Also allergic to cats and dogs, a slight egg allergy - and other stuff - but like having a niggling feeling about his eating delay (which we found out we were not crazy - now he's seeing an OT weekly about that...) we now know that all the colic and craziness we went through the first four months of his life - when even when I stopped dairy he couldn't take my BM - had to do with this.
Eczema, asthma, now allergies... He is such a lemon. Poor baby.
Anyway this info will really help with the eating plan we're developing with the OT. Information is empowering!
Wife, Musician, Fed, WW-er, and Mom of three little kids - not necessarily in that order.
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Re: Another episode of "I'm not crazy after all" - confirmed severe dairy allergy
Any substitue advice is MORE than welcome! He is 13 months old but he eats more like a 6-7 month old (thus the OT), if that helps.
Gee I don't know - I'll have to ask DH for a lot more details from the appointment when I get home tonight about the protein vs. the lactose. So much I have to learn now!!
The epi pen is scary, but I think it might just be protocol. C has an egg allergy (I think it's a 3 on their 1-5 scale? I can't quite remember - he needs to be retested) and they gave us an RX for three epi pens, plus a practice pen.
There are so many dairy alternatives out there that I'm sure you guys will do great. It must be so relieving to know what's wrong!
I hear exzema, asthma and allergies together a lot - I think they're more interrelated than we think. (T's exzema was certainly worst when she was a baby and had her worst dairy and reflux issues, and she wasn't truly allergic.)
It's a bummer to hear all the bad news, but it's probably the start of good progress for your DS now that you can be more aware of keeping him away things that are helping to hold him back. GL with the new eating plan.
DD1 was MSPI and typically kids have a sensitivity to the cow milk protein (and usually outgrow it - she did by age two). I think it's pretty rare to be severely allergic to milk. Often kids with the milk protein allergy are also allergic to the soy protein so if it is the milk protein he may not be able to have soy too. Okay, on to products:
Milk substitute: With DD1 I gave her hemp milk because it was the best available at the time. Now coconut milk is much more readily available. Just do a comparison against hemp milk and coconut milk to check fat, calorie and protein contents. They both have calcium added. I drink coconut milk - use in cereal, oatmeal, etc. Sometimes I even drink a glass of it straight. You can also do soy, rice or almond milk, but I think coconut tastes the best.
Cheese sub: there are lots out there, just like milk substitutes, but I like the Daiya brand for melt-y type items (pizza, grilled cheese, etc.). It's based on arrowroot. There are also soy and rice cheese substitutes.
Yogurt: There is coconut milk yogurt, but it's expensive. There is also soy and rice milk yogurt. I, personally, like almond milk yogurt the best. It's a bit cheaper than coconut milk yogurt.
Butter: The Earth's Best brand makes a dairy-free/soy-free butter sustitute.
Ice cream: There are soy and hemp milk ice creams, but I think the coconut milk ice cream is the best.
Coconut milk products are made by So Delicious. I shop at Wegmans, but I think the Giant near me has most of these items. Plus, you can get a lot of stuff (shelf stable coconut milk) via Amazon.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but when I get home I'll look through the fridge and pantry to see what else I can find.
Back in the day, I experimented with veganism. One of the more helpful aides at first was the little sheets TJs and Whole Foods have that tell you which products are dairy free. It gives you a nice jumping point and serves as a good reference.
This blog $5 dinners does a lot with food allergies on a budget - here's the link: https://www.5dollardinners.com/category/food-allergies-on-a-budget
Good luck and good instincts momma.
Glad you got him tested and have more info. Lactose intolerance is different than an allergy -- your son is probably allergic to the milk proteins. Keep in mind, though, that skin tests are not 100% reliable -- our allergist really diagnoses based on the combo of skin testing, blood testing, and actual reactions to the foods.
My DD (2 yo) is severely allergic to dairy, egg, PN and TN. She had terrible eczema, too, and it is one of the biggest indicators of food allergy. The PP had some good info about alternatives. Please feel free to ask me for specifics we use for our daughter, too, if you need more info.
Which allergist did you see? We started with someone here, who I didn't love, and we now see Dr. Wood at Johns Hopkins. He is known as one of the top pediatric food allergy physicians. He's worth making an appt with -- he books about 6 months out.
I am on a NOVA food allergy list-serv, too, which is really helpful. I could send you the info if you'd like.
Please let me know what questions you have. While food allergy is scary and can be difficult at times, dealing with it becomes second nature after a while. To me, though, dairy is a really scary one, because it's in EVERYTHING, and all little kids eat all kinds of dairy, all the time. My daughter used to break out in hives from sitting in a shopping cart, presumably because another kid drank milk or ate cheese while sitting there before her! Good luck!
Couple other thoughts....most lactose intolerant people can handle dairy in things (like baked goods), but those with a reaction to the milk protein sometimes can't tolerate any dairy, i.e. hidden. DD1 couldn't until she was older than one. While we were BFing, if I ate something with dairy in it (like in bread), I would see a small reaction. So if it is an alllergy to the milk protein, then when you are reading labels look for things that contain whey, casein, milk protein, etc. Kosher foods (bread, etc.) are good because they will clearly state whether there is dairy (of any kind) in them. If he is allergic to the milk protein, then kosher breads might be good because they won't have any hidden dairy in them.
You've already gotten a ton of great advice so I won't repeat it but know that it is possible your DS will outgrow it!