Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Allergies and intolerances

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Allergy testing

27 replies

calvemjoe · 01/09/2005 22:35

Ds (17 mnths) is allergic to eggs and had a skin prick test 6 mnths ago to confirm it.

He now often breaks out in hives and gets a rash aroud his mouth after eating and behaves as though his bum burns after doing a poo. I know his diet is egg free so I guess he has developed more allergies but after doing a food diary for 2 mnths have found lots of maybees but no definates.
He's due back at the hospital on the 13th and wondered if there was a test that cld be done that was able to test lots of different things and that didn't involve grids all over him.

Also wondered if the York Test that is on sale in my local lloyds pharmacy is any good or is just a scam.

I really just want to have some idea of what I need to ask his consultant for and what is possible before we get to the hospital so any info or experiences wld be great!

OP posts:
misdee · 01/09/2005 22:37

they can do wide range blood tests, but it may be enviromental as well as food related allergies.

any food colurins in his food?

Original poster
calvemjoe · 01/09/2005 22:38

Not really, most of his food is home made and i avoid the dirty dozen.

OP posts:
misdee · 01/09/2005 22:42

tomoatoes? citrus fruit, milk? anyone of thise a possible on your list?

Original poster
calvemjoe · 01/09/2005 22:47

I was advised by doctor to make sure the only dairy product he had was milk and to give vegan alternatives to every thing else as milk is definatly one, but only if he has lots. I think tomatoes are too cause it happens if he has beans and strawberries aswell. But his reactions differ from day to day so i want a difinitive test so I can be sure. There really are a lot of maybes.

OP posts:
cocococo · 01/09/2005 23:21

What about RAST blood tests? I'm not sure they would do them on a baby though...

tatt · 02/09/2005 04:14

Think the york tests needs you to have blood taken and if you're doing that you'd be better with an NHS test. We tried a home test where you prick the finger and it was very hard to get the right amount of blood into the test device. In our experience home tests are a waste of money. Getting blood out of a baby is hard because they have such small veins. If you want a blood test best to have it done by people who know how to find veins (I mean nurses not junkies ). Can't imagine why they said only milk and no other dairy. Cheese and yoghurt are less allergenic than milk. Live yoghurt would give you probiotics which are pretty good at dealing with poo problems. If they'd said no milk just cheese and yoghurt or suggested goats milk only it would have made more sense.

jabberwocky · 02/09/2005 04:17

I agree tatt, very strange on the dairy advice. I would be interested to know their reasoning behind that one.

lyra41 · 02/09/2005 04:57

What are RAST blood tests?

bobbybob · 02/09/2005 07:13

It could be a combination of things, which is why the food diary isn't working. I think an exclusion diet at this age may be a good idea as you still completely control what she eats. Sue Dengate's books are good at explaining how to do this, and provides lists of all foods with say amines or salicylates - which when compared with your food diary may give you some answers.

Original poster
calvemjoe · 04/09/2005 21:44

tatt, he only gets a reaction to dairy products if he has lots and he refused soya milk so the dr said to continue giving him his normal formula (normal cows milk makes him sick) and to reduce his other dairy products to stop his reaction.

cocococo what does a rast test involve?

thanks everyone for your help.

OP posts:
tatt · 05/09/2005 06:11

makes more sense then but I'd still be tempted to put some live yoghurt in his diet as non dairy probiotics suitable for young children are expensive. A RAST test is a blood test for allergies, separate live thread about it.

Beabea · 06/09/2005 19:25

RAST testing and other food testing is inconclusive until about the age of 4 or 5 years. My DD who had a RAST test done at about 6months, showed she had no allergy problems. The proof is most definately in the eating!

Just dont get your hopes up. Its all very frustrating. We still dont know if she is allergic to eggs, wheat/gluten, certain fish but we are sure about dairy.

Good luck

Beabea · 06/09/2005 19:28

RAST test is a blood test. It will also only show if the food group has been tried. So if egg was tested and not eaten ever then it would show as no problem even if there was a problem. Its all very complicated and as I said in the messege below it cant be trusted but can confirm what you may already know.

Sorry not particularly helpful. Others may know much more than I.

Eaney · 06/09/2005 19:41

Our consultant always say that the 'gold standard' is the 'challenge'. You are brought into hospital and given what they suspect your allergy may be. The suspicion is based on obsevations, blood tests and history of reactions.

It lasts a whole day while the child is gradually given the suspected allergen and closely monitored. There would have to a period of avoidance leading up to the 'challenge'.

Original poster
calvemjoe · 06/09/2005 20:56

Thanks for all your advice, I'll go to the consultant next week armed with some idea of what i'm talking about!

OP posts:
7777777 · 05/12/2005 21:16

beabea, my 13month old had rast test last week, he been living on chicken and veg and milkfree, eggfree, glutenfree baby jars for 9 months, does that mean that as he hasnt eaten dairy, wheat etc the test will be negative?hwy did the paeditrician do it, seems a bit daft. also he had antibody testing, whatever that is!

Chandra · 06/12/2005 00:36

DS had the York test for intolerances (they refuse to do the allergy test until the child is at least 3 yrs old). It's not a scam but it is not totally reliable either. We decided to have the York test because DS had a reaction after eating a peanut and we thought that if the intolerance showed high for peanuts then we will have more grounds to believe that staying in a nut trace free diet was really needed.

The results were inconclusive (test done twice as DS was intolerant to almost one hundred of the 113 elements tested). We decided to have a RAST test for all those ingredients that had a 4+ score on the York test and the results of the RAST showed that DS was indeed allergic to them. However, it also showed a 3+ sensitivity to glutten that has been discarded (has also been tested for coeliac disease and he is clear).

I think if your son is being seen in hospital I will let them do their work and wouldn't waste moeny in private tests. We were "forced" to buy the York test because DS has been in the waiting list to be tested for 10 months and according to the paediatrician, it will take several more months for DS to have his turn. I don't regret having it done, as it has ended years of misery for DS, we wouldn't have thought DS was so allergic to milk if it had not been pointed out by that test. He is a complete different boy since we removed dairy form his diet.

BernieBear · 07/12/2005 14:43

Hi there, my ds had a RAST test at about 9 months due to bad ezcema, and it came out he was allergic to dairy and eggs. I cut these out of his diet (and mine as I had to continue to breastfeed) and within about six weeks his skin cleared up. The rast test also included Fish and House Dust and House Dust mites.

Sadly at the weekend he managed to get hold of some peanut (he is now 20 months) and had a bad reaction with swelling around the mouth, rash around ears to back of neck and on hands and wrists (stopped him before he ate any!!) We are off to doctors today to get more allergy tests now.

7777777 · 07/12/2005 17:29

hi berniebear, sorry to hear about your little ones nut allergy.hope the tests went ok today and it wasnt too painful for him.

fimac1 · 07/12/2005 21:20

Whilst we were living in New York my daughter became very ill and saw a series of very good Pediatric Consultants who could not diagnose her (known) food allergies - we eventually saw through 6 months of sheer frustration a Knesiologist who calmly and painlessly told us what her allergies were - the third lot of bloods came through afterwards from the hospital and confirmed the findings

We found conventional testing to be painful, inaccurate and slow - dd was diagnosed with a bovine allergy and withdrawing the offenders meant she could come off the cocktail of meds they had her on while they were trying to diagnose

I really really recommend Kneisology - loads on MNet already if you do a search

tatt · 08/12/2005 07:17

sorry about that berniebear but there is hope that he will outgrow it, about 20% do so.

anniemac · 08/12/2005 09:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BernieBear · 08/12/2005 14:26

The Rast test is where they draw blood, so yes that would be painful for a baby. I am not sure about the other tests, but am soon to find out! Saw doctor yesterday who has referred my ds to an Allergy Clinic. Not sure what they will do there yet, but am interested in the tests that happen?

7777777 · 08/12/2005 16:58

my son had the rast test at hospital last week,and blood taken to test his antibodys, 13mths old. he had 8 capsules of blood taken, once the needle was in he was ok. its keeping them amused and sat still is the nightmare.he screamed coz he had a strange lady near him. i would recommendthe magic gel 1st if youre worried, mine didnt have it as it takes an hour to work. i was stuck at the hospital for 5hours so should have done it really! good luck to anniemac and berniebear.x

anniemac · 08/12/2005 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn