food challenge appointment

[monkeynuts123]

DS has an appointment soon where they want to challenge his milk allergy in hospital. I would like to hear anyones experience of this? He was anaphylactic but has improved a lot over the past year but is still allergic. I can't see the point in it personally because we know he is allergic and I don't want to deliberately make him break out in hives and throw up and then shove piriton down his throat while he sobs and then have him sleep all day. What for?! So, how did it work out for you?

Hi monkeynuts my ds had a milk allergy and he successfully completed a dairy challenge in hospital last February. He was never anaphylactic but came out in hives. The skin prick test showed no reaction and then blood test done and it came back clear before hospital even suggested food challenge. They went straight to testing with milk (mixed with strawberry nesquik!). They started with small amounts & gave more & more up to 100 mls or so. Good luck & hope it works out well for your ds!

I'm
Assuming you don't have to do it of you don't want to? If you know he's still allergic then does seem
Kind of pointless. If he is over a year then a suitable milk drink alternative is available in shops and you can feed him whatever you like.

Don't feel u have to do something you know is going to make your son
Miserable x

Quite surprised that the doctor would suggest a food challenge for something you know your child is definitely still allergic to! The normal process is to only attempt a food challenge when blood and/or skin prick tests have improved significantly over time and there have been no known allergic reactions to accidental exposure in recent months. We had a wheat challenge for DS about 2 yrs ago as the skin prick tests were 'inconclusive' and we knew that he could touch foods containing wheat without reacting (unlike milk & egg). However, it didn't go well unfortunately but at least we know that he's definitely allergic to wheat, even if he can touch it he definitely can't eat it! I would suggest speaking to the consultant again and expressing your concerns. Food challenges are a necessary evil that you put your child through in the hope that they will have outgrown their allergy. They are not something you want to put them through knowing that they will be ill without any hope of them having outgrown it.

What age do they do the testing for allergy too milk!