Where can i go for private allergy testing?

[misdee]

well, for dd1 really. preferably skin prick tests. the nhs allergy clinic here is reluctant to test.

why don't they want to test?

I would ask your GP. They should know where it can be done privately near to you.

I paid £25 for a lock of my hair to be analysed, about 4 years ago. I'll get the details if you want.

dd1 has been seen on and off there for a couple of years. we know she is allergic to tartrazine and cats, but there are many other question marks over her other allergies. she has hayfever and eczema. I am now fed up with not knowing what her triggers are. she had a reaction on holiday where her lips swelled up. am reluctant to take her back to the GP as they have me down as a paranoid mother.

would prefer skin prick tests. or full blood test tho getting dd1 to agree to that may be hard.

where are you

gawd, I hate that 'you are a paranoid mother' thing - I'm beginning to think GPs actually take a course in it

i am in herts. will go into london if nesscessary.

basically my parenting skills have taken a huge bashing with dd1+2 over the last few months. the docs seem keen to label me as over anxious and paranoid because i worry too much about them and peter. honestly i dont. dd1 asthma is awful atm, dd2 is shwing more auti traits than ever, but i cant get any
one to listen as they just think i am paranoid. ideally i'd take dd2 for a private assessment as well about her behaviour,but i think dd1 allergy problem is more serious and i cant afford both.

Try this site Misdee.

\link{http://www.specialistinfo.com/index.php\here}

You can look up consultants by speciality, just check under AL for allergies. If you want to get sontact info for these consultants, you have to pay, I think it is done by BT click and buy, £2.99 for 2 hours search time. I found it well worth it, especially as I spent more than that on telephone calls backwards and forwards between the gp and the paed.

Unfortunately, I know the feeling of being labelled an over anxious mother only too well, but we know our kids best. Good luck!

you will still need a GP's letter I think unfortunately

\link{http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/\Surrey Allergy Clinic}

I do sympathise. I find doctors are only too keen to pigeonhole people based on their circumstances.

health food shops sometimes do them misdee X

If you suspect a particular allergen, the GP can order rast tests directly without the need to refer you to an allergist, you will have to pay anyway but I believe is about £8 per allergen tested. Unfortunately, some GPs stuck you with the paranoid mum label and they would not believe you (I have had that, puffy eyes, skin in the face so swollen that it creased and the GP said... "it was a mosquito" I wonder if that stupid man knows what a mosquito is ), in our case, we got so tired of being fobbed off that we took DS to an allergician abroad. It was not cheaper, I can tell you, but at least we now have the truth and a child in a much better health.

I read the document published by the Parliament where I found about what I mentioned above, but I can't find it anymore in the Parliament web site. Hope you have better luck (and time) to find it, its name is "Memorandum by Dr Adrian Morris (AL 50)" I believe it was published in April 2003. If you find it, print it and take it to the GP. Good luck!

thanks. dd1 has had lips swelling, her eyes swelling so badly that her eyeballs bubbled undre the pressure, yet still i am a paranoid mother.

I had to fight to get my ds1 to be seen by a paediatric allergist. My gp did do RAST test and just said he has a very serious nut allergy, keep him off of nuts and here is an epi-pen. His reaction was itchy lips and one very swollen eye. The swollen eye happened a couple of times at school and at first he was treated for an eye infection. I asked to be referred to a paed. allergist in London (i'm in essex) and my gp just refused to refer out of the area. I looked at the Dr. foster website to see which hosp. has paed allergists and went back to see another gp at the surgery. She referred me to Harlow where we go now. I've only been there once(a year ago where he had skin prick tests) and we have an appt. next week. I just wanted my ds to be seen by a specialist and if he is going to have a lifelong serious allergy i would rather be under a specialist than my gp. I really hope you get the tests that you need - good luck