Allergy test - what to expect?

[SleepIsForTheWeak]

My 15 month DS is having allergy tests at the NHS hospital tomorrow, and I am nervous, not sure what to expect.
Will it hurt him?
What happens if he has a reaction to what they are testing - can it be dangerous?
ANy info appreciated!
thnx

[christywhisty]

There are different types of tests. DS has had blood tests. They take blood and then send it off for testing.
If they are doing blood test you will have to hang around. They use anaesthetic cream to numb the area, which takes a while for it to work.
As the blood is tested seperately there is no chance of a reaction.

There are other type of tests such as pin prick tests and challenge tests but I have no experience of them.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Like Christy's ds, my ds also had a blood test (RAST) at 15 months to confirm the allergies we already suspected and tell us of another 2. I know that there is also a skin prick test where a drop of the suspected alergen is put on the skin and then pricked to allow some under the skin. I really don't have any experince of this and as for challenge testing, ds is not due for his until March next year.

IGod luck tomorrow.

[tatt]

did they warn you not to give antihistamine? They sometimes forget and if he's had any skin prick tests won't work.

Skin prick tests are usually done before blood tests with older children, they don't always test a child as young as yours. If they do the arm or back is marked out with little lines and drops of allergen are pricked into the skin. If a bump comes up (sign of allergy) then they itch and the pricks may bother your child a bit although they don't hurt for long. Ask for antihistamine cream afterwards if they don't offer it - I'd look for a bite cream in the chemist if you had time.

They will use either magic spray (quick but not as good) or magic cream (stronger, takes a while to work) before blood tests and may have toys/video as a distraction.

Blood tests are safe. In theory the skin tests could be dangerous which is why they are done in hospital. In practise even the severely allergic are normally Ok with skin tests. Food challenges are more likely to be a problem but they only do those rarely and when they believe it will be safe.

[SleepIsForTheWeak]

thanks for the messages,
the main concern is suspected peanut allergy, which worries me if used iun the skin prick test...

[tatt]

hope it went well. I have a child with severe nut allergy (off the scale) and they have always been Ok (just itchy) with skin prick tests. However it does the IgE through the roof for the blood test so I won't let her be skin prick tested again - no point as she won't outgrow it now.

Hope they told you 20% of outgrowing it even if the testing confirms it.

[christywhisty]

My Ds's results came back yesterday.

His allergy tests for peanut is now clear, last tested 6 years ago when he was 6.

He is still allergic to all the treenuts he was tested for,seseme seeds, tree pollen, grass and cats

Thankfully he is not allergic to his guinea pig
The advice was carry on avoiding all nuts but the odd exposure to a peanut would be okay.

[aDadGoneMad]

good result about the peanuts. Must be a weight off your mind!

[aDadGoneMad]

Sleepisfortheweak - hope it went well. At least this way you get some definite answers, and tests done in a safe environment.

[tatt]

christwhisty don't want to worry you but that advice may not be 100% reliable.

I have met, through the anaphylaxis campaign, people whose kids test negative and have an anaphylactic reaction when they try to eat the food. If he has ever had a clinical reaction to peanut, not just a positive test, your son should have a food challenge in hospital. If your son is truly OK - and it will be great if he is - the advice is normally to eat nuts regularly. If he only tested positive but has never had a reaction then it may have been a false positive.

And don't buy him a hamster www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=482224&in_page_i d=1774

[tatt]

British expert advice for those who outgrow peanut allergy

www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2004/11/10/hpeanut10.xml

[christywhisty]

He has had reactions to peanuts in the past as well as a positive test, but it is the tree nuts and seseme seeds that he had his worst reactions to. I am not planning to let him have peanuts in the near future.

Sorry the link to the hamsters, but we did have some for a couple of years. but he didn't seem to suffer with them.

[tatt]

it would be good if he was OK with peanuts, though. An allergy consultant would arrange a food challenge - and from what other people here have said seeing a dietician may help you get one. Then he could eat them regularly.