how do you go about getting an allergy test?

[nappyaddict]

i want to get ds tested for a nut allergy. his dad has a nut allergy so i have never given him nuts but i feel it is a shame to ban him from nuts for the rest of his life if he might not actually be allergic. can you get tested without actually having had a rection yet? if so how do i go about it?

Hi Nappyaddict

It is a tricky one. What I have been told is you cannot have an allergic reaction to something you have never had experience of. How old is your DS?

I have been told that I cannot have my DD tested until she is 3 years old. Her half-sister is anaphylactic so we really want to get her tested. The paed allergist told me that we have to start with skin prick tests to see the first results. If we test her now (18 months) she may show a different reaction at 3. So, we wait and don't let her have an nuts in the meantime.

I must admit I have not been totally strict, I do let her have bakery products and the cereal bars she has is made in a factory which handles nuts so I am quite confident she has had some exposure but I would never ever let her have a nut until I have her tested.

I would go see your GP, explain your situation and ask to have your DS skin-prick tested, they always start with the SPT. AFter that if there is any reaction or it is inconclusive they will move ahead to blood tests.

Does that help?

we went to the gp told him that dd had a few reactions to what we thought was cats and he refered her to be tested at the hospital - appointment was 2 weeks later and it confirmed it all for us .

i have never knowingly given him peanut or peanut butter (ds' dad is only allergic to peanuts - no other nuts) but he has had other nuts in things like chocolate and cakes.