Dairy challenge at home and high fever?

[EmilyBrown]

We are 1,5 days into dairy challenge with our cow's milk protein allergic little one and she has had very high fever all day (untypical for her). There are no symptoms of a cold.

What do we do? I now can't know which symptoms are from the dairy challenge and which from the fever? Or can the fever even be from the dairy challenge..?

I really don't want to go through this again. :(

Would be really grateful for anyone's experiences of dairy challenges at home, symptoms that count, how to proceed... Our GP/Dietitian had very little advice(!).

Didn't want you to go unanswered EmilyBrown, how is she now. Who has advised you to do a challenge at home? If it's your GP/dietician then I'd be very cautious about doing it without proper advice from someone with experience.

I'd be tempted to stop the challenge until she's better and you can get some decent advice.

I have heard from other posts that the first few days there can be withdrawal symptoms but that they settle down. Imagine it from your point of view - if you are used to something, say caffeine - and you don't have any for a day or two, you feel atrocious. Probably headachy, light headed, nausea etc. All completely understandable - so it could be the same if your little one was used to plenty of dairy during the day.
It could also be something completely unrelated - there are always a lot of viral things doing the rounds.
Like bilbo - you say you have spoken to the GP - and they are happy for you to do this dairy challenge?

hi, we have had to do dietary challenges at home. We have dieticians office number if any problems arise.

I'd suggest if at all possible you get help from them or a very supportive GP.

very tricky, litle aunty evil says, so much going about at the moment, she might have just picked up a little bug.

The general advice we got was to repeat the day if any reaction we got
1 wasn't too severe - as in a little rash for example would be ok
2 - the same thing happened on the 2nd day

If a different thing happens, or isn't repeated, it is less likely to be a reaction to the food.

BUT this is a different situation - my son had severe skin rashes/ eczema. So his skin would come up badly, and we would repeat a day with the same amount of test food to see what happened.

I'm not if that helps or not really?! clear as mud.

Sorry you're going through it.

Quick response, we are doing the dairy challenge at the specific request of our GP (who doesn't want to continue funding the expensive special formula), and the blessing of our hospital paed. dietitian.

The dietitian (at a big university teaching hospital) had no advice to give about how to concretely proceed with the dairy challenge at home... Other than that we should do it.

Can you push to do the challenge in hospital? Any challenges we have been offered and had have been in hospital.

Ds has just failed his first reintroduction.

Fever was not a side affect of the milk reintroduction that we were given. he has had to be milk free for over two weeks and we are to start again slower.

TBH i would contact your hospital diatician and get some proper advice. i just rang up the office and said

1. who the child was and who he is under
2. That I needed advice re the re-introduction because X had happened.

They were very good and as the woman who could give me advice was available I was put through. otherwise they were going to get her to call me back.

Thanks for all the responses! Our child has intolerances rather than (igE-mediated) allergies and doesn't get any dangerous reactions (instead: tummy ache, diahrroea/constipation and reflux) and her reactions are slow so there doesn't seem to be a need/sense for an in-patient challenge (I agree). But I was rather puzzled and disappointed that there isn't a procedure for us to follow and report on at home (I asked for it). It's really hard to get proper advice re: the intolerances anywhere.

So I picked up the John Radcliffe procedure from the web (it was the only one I could find) and we are following that.

The temperature and the child are much closer to normal today so we are continuing. Last night was poor but could be due to the temperature as well... I wish it was clear either way.

I'm glad to hear your dd is better.
Yes I was referring to allergies rather than intolerances in terms of in-patient challenges as there can be some dramatic reactions.

It still sounds confusing for you but fingers crossed for you!

Thanks!

Yes I realised that was your point with the hospital admission.

Last time we (accidentally) tried milk, there was a soonish (~1hr) reaction of vomiting, abdominal cramps (screaming), weird nappy etc (normally we only get vomiting from any "baddie" food if it's really bad, usually we have a delayed reaction with reflux).

So definitely there is an improvement from last spring at least. But too soon to say anything as the picture is so messy. So I guess we will probably have to repeat...