New food allergy - any thoughts?

[Strawberrycornetto]

Hello. DS is on the leap study. He's now 2 and a half. At the check up, they did blood tests and they have just told me that he remains allergic to cats (we knew this), is ever so slightly positive for mould (another airborne and not that surprising) but he has also showed up as moderately allergic to sesame.

He does have a little bit of sesame in his diet because he eats houmous. I was advised to continue to give it to him, and I know that is sensible. He hasn't had any serious reactions to it although he does have eczema and possibly asthma and its so difficult to work out what the triggers might be.

However, I can't help feeling anxious that he has developed a new food allergy, having outgrown the allergy to CMP and egg. Should I be worried? Is there anything I should do? Not really a question, just worrying as always!

Strawberry - we were always told new sensitivities are inevitable with some children who are/have been 'allergic'. I think keeping sesame in the diet is sensible if that's what the Leap team have said although I know you would be ever vigilant.

I don't think there is anything to do offer than bring aware of allergy inducing foods/airborne and watching carefully when new introductions are made i guess. Sometimes sdd has a reaction at a new place (not anaphylactic, more sneezing, arm rash, puffy eyes) and we don't know what set it off, especially after a trip to the woods or similar.

Keep piraton on hand and keep thinking positive, he has done so well so far. We are testing dd3 for raw egg next week - cannot believe we are starting all over again.

Its kind of depressing isn't it BBF. I was reading Kerry's post about her older DSs and thought how hard it will be for DS if he has to contend with these issues as he gets older. I was really happy that he seemed to have outgrown food allergies so I am sad that he's developed a new one. He's in the avoidance group on the leap study, so I really hope he doesn't prove their theory and go on to develop a peanut allergy too. I guess that the fear that's underlying my concern about this new development.

It's hard isn't it? I am trying to accept that ds1 will be allergic to something or other all his life (just as I am).

Try and be philosophical about it (I am trying to be). The picture round allergies is so complex that, although studies like LEAP are important, I don't think that there will be just one answer - do x,y and z and have no allergies - iyswim. In ds1's case, his new allergy is to celery - something he has been exposed to almost every day of his life, so exposure is no guarentee.

I know I always harp on about it and was duly flamed yet again recently as apparently, however, sdd2 has been so successfully desensitized to peanuts (and is now not allergic to any other nuts following therapy) that I hold such a light up for the future of allergy therapy.

We still have a long way to go, granted, however, she could not tolerate a 16th of a peanut and now she can tolerate 30 under test conditions. We have no label watching, we eat out anywhere, it is truly life changing and things will only get better as the study progresses and the therapy is made available on a wider scale. I am still fuming with the insinuation that we are practically selling our kids to medical science and do my very best not to revisit that one. If it proves DD3 is allergic to raw eggs and we get the chance to desensitize her i'll be there in the blink of an eye. Its not animal testing for goodness sakes its improving your child's life. Sorry, ranting now.

Having said that, as wb states, new allergies can crop up at any time, its one step at a time, one hurdle at a time. The future of allergy therapy is brighter than even a year ago, we all need to make sure we are lobbying the right people for better understandings and therapies.

We can only hope, it saves the madness setting in I feel

I saw the comment BBF and didn't want to inflame things further by adding my thoughts on that thread. Was [shocked] on your behalf at the insinuation. It's not an ideal world for any of us but if no one took part in the research then no possible cure/treatments could ever be found, could they? Obviously it's totally up to the individuals concerned but even if we wouldn't do it ourselves we should surely be grateful that someone is prepared to take the risk (however small it is)?

I certainly have taken heart from your experience and hope DS gets the chance to benefit from it in the future.

Anyway to go back to the original question Strawberry - there's nothing you can do except worry about it like the rest of us! If it's any help DS (4) hasn't gone on to develop any more food allergies since his original diagnosis as a baby (dairy/egg/nuts/sesame) and he too can tolerate things that he has small positive tests.

Thanks Bilbomum, nice to hear some positive thoughts. I was driven away from MN before but thought some people wanted updates so came back. However, I will consider sticking to the more progressive forums in future I think. I am no layman when it comes to clinical trial protocols, neither am I stupid.

Strawberry - I hope your DS continues to be tolerant of sesame and also does not develop an allergy to nuts.

Thanks everyone - all sound advice.

BBF, you always give such good advice and are so knowledgeable. I have really appreciated all your advice and think it would be a real loss if you didn't write here any more.

Ladies, you are very lovely people. Please feel free to contact me off-post for more info and updates that I have, its all very very exciting, just daren't post anymore to be honest. Fed up with it all.

I am mellie and min at aol dot com

Please email me anytime, I will respond and share what I know.

Ah don't go BBF- its so wonderful to hear positive stories!
So pleased for you and your dsd

Whelk, you have helped me so much in the past with encouragement ans help, i will update again in Feb when we have our next round of testing. I out the light at the end of the tunnel of others ahead of my personal rage about some quarters. I'll be back when I have news.

Put not out, put! I hate iPhone mini keypad !!

Babybarrister, I think at the moment the food allergy desensitisation is being done only in a research context, under very controlled circumstances and with great care - this editorial in JACI concludes that it's not yet ready for clinical use. BBF was fortunate to get onto one of the trials.

There is some controversy in US about a few physicians jumping the gun and offering this treatment before it is judged ready to be used in allergists' offices as opposed to under carefully controlled research conditions - e.g. here

Nottirednow, I think cost will be one issue here. There's also the fact that in the UK, medical allergists, esp paediatric, are rather thin on the ground. The Addenbrookes study, which as you rightly say is being done extremely carefully, will take three years to complete. If this treatment does get to the stage where it is 'ready for prime time', demand could be very high, which could create huge waiting lists for the few NHS specialist paediatric allergy clinics suitable to carry out the treatment. Mind you, that would highlight what many of us have being saying for years, i.e. that there is not enough specialist provision in the NHS for allergic conditions. For the time being, as stated in the link above, BSACI's position is that the treatment is not to be attempted outside of the research setting.

Nottiresnow - not come through, it's mellieandmin @ aol dot com