skin prick tests were negative, but ds still seems to react...

[ratbunny]

ds was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy at 6 months - no tests, just swapped to a dairy-free formula and his eczema cleared up.
We had skin prick tests at 7 months, which confirmed soya and egg allergy. so we removed dairy, egg, soya from his diet (quite a feat too!)
When he turned 1 and his eczema was totally clear, we started doing a dairy challenge, and he tolerated milk in biscuits. We started going onto butter but he had his boosters and his eczema totally flared and tbh hasnt totally gone down (now nearly 3 weeks later).
He had skin prick tests again last week, and came back negative to dairy and soy (but positive to egg still). So on a clear day, yesterday, we introduced soya in bread. And today he has flared again.

So can the foods still make his eczema worse even though his tests came back negative?
I know I need to retry the trial, but has anyone any experience of this already?

My ds paed said the tests are not acurate. My ds got negative test results even tho paed siad he cleasrly has a dairy allergy. He said some scientists somewhere are researching why some people get a negative test result when they clearly have an allergy.

bugger! that's not good.
so I guess I should assume that he is still allergic, and avoid soya etc until we have been through a diet-challenge.

If it's 'just' eczema that he gets from it, then it's prob classed as an intolerance rather than an allergy. Tests are worse than useless at picking up intolerances.

My ds has this w. his dairy allergy - negative skin prick test, v, low RAST results (0.6) but failed a milk challenge after a teaspoon of milk. Luckily (!) the way his allergy presents (hives) makes it v. obvious when he's having a reaction and it happens within a couple of minutes of exposure so v. easy to pick up,

His allergy is a mild one thankfully, or I guess RAST etc would be higher.

I don't think eczema is a sign of an intolerance, which I believe usually presents as a problem with digestion/absorbtion of a food but rather an allergy, as the immune system is involved.

My friend's son reacted to soya (eczema) when he was reacting/had recently reacted to dairy (which he is really allergic to) but after a few months of no dairy/no soya, was then fine with soya (he is allergic to eggs too, incidently). It seems that other reactions make his skin more sensitive and likely to react to other things. So maybe try soya again in a few months when your ds' ezcema has cleared again?

no, its not a true allergy - his only reaction is flaring eczema. but if he eats soya/dairy regularly his skin looks like it has been sandpapered
so, chances are the tests picked nothing useful up. So why did the paed just give me the all clear, and not offer any information about how it could still make him flare!! Now it will go on his record as not being allergic to dairy, and he uses prescription milk! Will they stop issuing it?

My DS tests clear for wheat and milk allergy on skin prick tests but positive on Rast tests. The Allergy consultant says that it's probably because wheat and milk make his eczema flare and it's not an immediate reaction that it doesn't show up on the skin prick tests. It is still an allergy to wheat and milk though because it involves the immune system, intolerances don't involve the immune system. Maybe you could ask for Rast tests instead and see what results he gets then.

My DD reacts to dairy, even the slightest amount in any foods and she violently vomits and her eczema flares up, her pin prick test was negative, I was told it was an intolerance as these were secondary reactions, hives, swelling and anaphalixis were primary ones therefore an allergy, but either way we still have to be really careful what she eats. But if you read an information about allergies, vomitting is classed as an allergic reaction, so who knows?

thanks everyone.
it's confusing isn't it! So an intolerance is likely to be the eczema flare. So, although he isnt allergic, he still can't eat it!
are there tests for intolerance?