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Allergies and intolerances

Need help/advice/stern talking to

12 replies

BalloonSlayer · 21/03/2008 19:33

I'll try to keep this as short as I can as I'm feeling overwrought.

DS1 (now 7) was allergic to egg, milk, nuts and soya as a baby. Soya and nut allergies seem to have gone - yippee! - but he is still allergic to milk and eggs. Although I feel the allergies have decreased a little as he no longer gets random spots round his mouth, he still carries epipens and is considered severely allergic.

DD (now 6) was breastfed and kept away from milk, egg and nuts. I avoided nuts too but kept milk and egg in my diet. She isn't allergic to anything.

DS2 (6 months) is also breastfed, using the same rules as DD BUT I was told by the allergy nurse that if he shows any signs of eczema I am to cut out milk and egg from my diet immediately. So far his skin is wonderful.

Problem . . . today we had fish and chips from a nice shop which assures us they are fine for DS1 - and so they were. Hubby had a vegeburger which had been wrapped up with his chips. As he is the only one who doesn't have salt on his chips I suggested he give one to DS2, who gummed it a couple of times before dropping it. Then, to my utter horror, a red wheal appeared on his cheek! It was just like the ones DS1 used to get when he ate something (usually chips or similar) that had a mild cross-contamination with something he is severly allergic to. It went quickly, just as DS1's used to.

I can't help but think DS2 is severely allergic also, although DH thinks I am probably over-reacting. It's so bloody unfair!! I want to scream.

I don't know whether to contact the allergy nurse for advice (she was only planning to test him at 1 year old) or the GP, or whether to give up egg and milk immediately, or what?

What would you do?

(PS I don't want to wait till he's a year old before finding out as I am trying to decide whether or not to go back to work ... luckily for me I don't need to go back for the money, and as this is the case I am not going to leave him with anyone else if he is severely allergic)

Thanks for reading, would welcome any advice.

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windygalestoday · 21/03/2008 19:40

im sorry im not being delibertely stupid but are you saying the potato chip caused a weal???

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BalloonSlayer · 21/03/2008 20:00

Sorry, told you I was overwrought!

I meant that he had a hot cooked chip which had been previously wrapped up with a vegeburger (containing ??). Then he got a wheal.

He has had babyfood with potato in it so I am not worrying about potato allergy, but rather that something in the vegeburger may have been transferred to the chip and causing this. Given the family history, milk and eggs are my prime suspects.

Yes it sounds pretty unlikely, but that's what's worrying me - if he has reacted from such a slight contact, what's going on?

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windygalestoday · 21/03/2008 21:02

its very worrying isnt it (my ds3 is allergic to dairy and wheat but fingers crossed hes not as bd as he was)i think youre going to have to go to the doctors -its far to risky to try and discover this yourself given if he is allergic then its not looking like a minor allergy -although part of me thinks he must have come into contact with some of the allergens before or have u been supa supa careful?

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BalloonSlayer · 22/03/2008 19:38

Thanks for replying.

Well apart from not eliminating egg and milk from MY diet, yes I have been super careful. I have had 7 years of practice and am very good at it!

I am wondering whether it could have been vinegar . . . it must be something and as you say I need to try to find out. Oh bollocks! Poor little chap.

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stirlingmum · 22/03/2008 19:57

It could also have something to do with the oil the chips were cooked. He could either be allergic to the oil or to something else that was previously cooked in the oil.

I know that if I have cooked eggs in oil, I can't use that oil for any food for my dd who is allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts to name a few.

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BalloonSlayer · 23/03/2008 10:37

Thank you, yes that's what I was worrying about. DS1 used to be like that too . . . it's a sign (I feel) of being VERY allergic, as it hardly ever happens to him any more.

But he has no eczema?

I think I will ring the allergy nurse on Tuesday, although I am worrying she will think I am extremely needy at best, pain in the arse at worst - DS2 isn't even her patient.

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wb · 24/03/2008 13:16

I think you should call the allergy nurse and don't worry what she thinks.

It does sound like a possible allergic reaction but could just be irritation caused by vineagar/mustard - something like that (I once got into a right panic when my son (dairy/nut allergic) had a 'reaction' to a ham sandwich - only realised later that putting english mustard on the skin round your lips is enough to make it turn red in anyone-let alone a baby).

So sorry you are going through this - I'm dreading weaning ds2 already and he's only a month old. But if he is allergic, then I guess the sooner you know, the better

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hellish · 24/03/2008 13:22

could there have been nuts in the vegieburger?

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tatt · 25/03/2008 09:54

First are you quite sure the redness wasn't just that the food was hot? If you are then I'd be concerned about nuts, soy, lentils, wheat or egg being used to bind it together - but you need to go back to the shop and if possible find out what is in the vegeburger. It doesn't sound like you need to remove food from your diet immediately.

Do you take probiotics/ give them to your child? They help prevent allergies developing.

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BalloonSlayer · 25/03/2008 10:05

Thanks everyone.

I don't think there were nuts in the vegeburger but you are right, Tatt, I should go back and ask. It's a long way from home and a pain to go and check though, but I can do it. I know the shop owner with be helpful because we went through the allergy thing with him because of DS1 and he was very sympathetic as his wife is allergic to gluten.

It definitely wasn't because the food was hot - fish and chip shop chips never are in my experience. It was a definite wheal/hive with the red area and a paler, raised, centre, gone in minutes. I have seen enough of them with DS1 to know what I was looking at, unfortunately.

Thank you for reminding me that there are other things it could be than milk and egg... I have fallen into the trap of seeing milk as the "bad guy" in every scenario, and I mean EVERY.

I don't take probiotics, Tatt, and I never knew that about them. Are there any suitable for a 6 month old?

How interesting! This site is a real find.

Thank you all so much for your help and advice xxx

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tatt · 25/03/2008 15:18

yes you can get probiotics for babies. Probably easiest online unless you have a good health food store nearby. Search (mumsnet or elsewhere) for milk free probiotic as most (but not all) are not suitable for dairy free babies. Ideally taken during last weeks of pregnancy as well, so tell your pregnant friends .

Wish we had an allergy nurse.

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BalloonSlayer · 26/03/2008 13:54

Just to update - I rang the allergy nurse and she said to carry on as I was (ie eating the same things).

She said to take no action unless it happens again, and if it does then she will test him. The reasoning being that if it's significant then it will happen again.

Then she said - not prompted by me - that given the family history it's very likely that it's milk or egg.

I know it's not the end of the world - DS1 is proof of that. But there isn't a face on the options sad enough for the way I am feeling.