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Allergies and intolerances

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Can I have some advice from the allergy experts!

13 replies

Limelight · 10/04/2012 20:39

My DS (4) seems to be getting recurring bouts of hives with no really obvious triggers. This started about in the Autumn and I probably haven't acted very quickly, largely because I thought it would just go away by itself. Needless to say, it's not.

There are no other symptoms. He's not snuffly, there's no temperature, he doesn't swell up or anything like that. But he will suddenly get twenty to thirty spots all over his torso and limbs (never his face) which he scratches and scratches, sometimes until they bleed. They'll hang around for a week or so and then disappear.

When it's at it's worst I give him piriton and use oilatum bath stuff or cream - the rash is usually accompanied by very dry skin.

I should say he's totally unphased by it and completely resistant to any of my attempts to intervene (which obviously I ignore). Also I don't know if this had any bearing but my DB was diagnosed with asthma in his early 30s (he was always a snuffly kid!) and my DM has incredibly sensitive skin.

Any thoughts about what I should do? I've spoken to his GP about it in the past who seemed a but disinterested and suggested piriton. I think I should take him back.

OP posts:
Limelight · 10/04/2012 20:41

Apologies for the shocking grammar and many typos in this post. Clearly it's been a long day! Blush

OP posts:
Jammygal · 10/04/2012 21:12

I think it's a process of elimination ....think food, soap, washing powder, fabric conditioner???!!

Try keeping a food diary and see if you can make a link....both mine are funny with skin products and washing powder etc

Good luck ;)

babybarrister · 11/04/2012 07:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maamalady · 11/04/2012 09:44

I have been suffering in a very similar manner for the last couple of months - went to the GP after a couple of weeks, got prescribed antihistamines and it all went away for a while. Last Thursday I went running, came home, and went into anaphylaxis. I still have no idea what the cause is, and the GP hasn't referred me. Having thought about it some more, though, I'm going to call the doctor and demand to be referred to the allergy clinic. I don't mean to worry you, just relay what has been happening to me given that my initial symptoms sound rather similar to what your DS is experiencing.

If I were you I'd cause a fuss at the doctors - hives that just aren't going away must be caused by something, and you need a specialist to help you find out what the trigger is.

Pancakeflipper · 11/04/2012 09:46

I would keep a diary as already said - about food, laundry products, skin /shampoo products and what clothing ( fibres/materials).

And I would be back to the DR with a list of the dates this has occurred.

Limelight · 11/04/2012 10:35

Thanks everyone! That's really helpful.

I'm taking DD to the nurse to have her MMR this afternoon so I think I'll get her to have a look at DS too. One of the problems is that when I saw the GP the rash had gone so I suspect he didn't take me very seriously. There's no way I'll get an appointment with the GP today but at least the nurse can see the rash while it's actually there!

Re food diary, detergent use etc, I guess it's just a case of waiting for this bout to clear up and then being on the lookout for the next one at which point I start writing down what he's used/eaten. Is that about right?

Poor itchy DS! Clearly there's something about him and hives. I had terrible terrible hives for the last three months of my pregnancy with him.

OP posts:
maamalady · 11/04/2012 11:07

Limelight, I took photos of the hives at their worst to take to my GP - I was dosed up on antihistamine and there was nothing actually there at the time, but the pictures swayed him pretty easily!

Limelight · 11/04/2012 12:39

Good idea!

OP posts:
Limelight · 11/04/2012 15:00

Hi everyone! Quick update.

DS saw the nurse who immediately said it wasn't hives and that we should see the doctor. So we were marched straight through to the GP (v good way of getting an appointment!) who said that he thought that the look of some of the spots, DS's very dry skin, and the fact that there's asthma in my family, would lead him to think it's eczema. Or Dermatitis. He said both. Are they the same thing?!

So DS now has a steroid cream and we're going to start a food diary. He's also referred DS to the children's allergy team at the hospital and I've just had an answer machine message to say we have an appointment on 15 May. Very good news!

Thanks for your help!

OP posts:
NoSleepPleaseWeAreParents · 11/04/2012 21:17

Could have written your post myself, OP! DS, 2.1 has exactly your DS's symptoms. The spots come up so quickly and vanish within 4 days. We've removed all egg (he has previously tested positive for allergy to egg) but we'd hoped he was growing out of it and had been giving him well cooked egg products for the last few months. Got a GP appt coming up in 2weeks (soonest we could get!) and hoping for some answers. We'll be going with photos of flare ups after reading advice on this thread!

Pancakeflipper · 11/04/2012 21:48

Limelight - that's brilliant, getting an appointment for May is pretty amazing!

Limelight · 13/04/2012 08:57

Hi everyone. I know - amazing to get something so quickly! Hopefully we'll be able to get on top of it quickly. In the mean time, it's just a case of trying to stop him from scratching....

Thanks so much for your help everyone. I'm really grateful Grin

OP posts:
bruffin · 13/04/2012 09:06

Evilgiraffe - have you heard of excercise induced anaphylaxis

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