specialist diagnost but pediatrician not true!!! who to believe

[justamom]

about 1 month ago i have my son tested for allergies due to the fact that he has had asthma since like he was 6 months old and has been hospitalized several times due to asthma related probs. and respiratory problems and viruses..also regular doses of inhailants every 3-4 hours practically everyday....now the allergy test tested positive for 29/32 possibilities....and has been taking allergy shots and on allergy meds...The problem lies in the fact that i brought him to the doctor today because he has been acting different and i thought he was sick....o.k. when i told the pediatrician ( not his normal ped ) that he has allergies and gets shots he told me that he wasn't convinced that he had allergies and that there was no reason for him to get shots!!!! i could have choked him!!! my ds is 21 months old and has been through hell and back...!!! since we started the allergy reg..he can play outside!!!!! without wheezing and no rashes!!! before 15-20 minutes tops!!Then the wheeze then the shortness and well you know next you blowing 2-4 treatments to get some progress and this man tell me that my ds doesn't need shots and has no allergies!!!! o.k. i feel better. has anyone ever heard this?

If it works for you then go with it. Ds has 4 doctors who I play off against each other and decide who to believe.

think it depends on who did the allergy tests and what the shots are for. Doctros without training in allergies don't always know a lot about them so if the person doing the allergy testing was a qualified doctor specialising in allergies I'd believe them. If the allergy tests were done by anyone other than a qualified doctor and you're paying a lot of money for the shots I'd be a bit sceptical. Asthma is an allergic condition and my family's experience is that avoiding allergens helps but desensitising injections dont. Bottom line is something is working for your son and if it works you go with it.

Agree with tatt. Was this allergy testing done through the health service or through a health food shop? The latter can be very dodgy.

it was a pediatric asthma and allergy specialist..which was why i found it so hard to believe that a pediatrician would second guess his opinion..

Where is the specialist based? In a hospital or is it a private business?

i had ds tested by a "specialist" in a private business for allergies and came up with a whole list of allergens.
It would have been impossible to exclude everything and the tests didnt tell us what may have actually caused the allergy. You can be allergic to something but have no symptoms.

My GP said it wasnt possible to test for asthma properly until he was much older. As it happens I doubt he ever had asthma. HE does suffer from allergic rhinitis though.

I have heard many dubious things about such places since and wish I hadnt parted with any money.

today we went to the park and he did well, no wheezes but if he runs a lil to much are get to excited sometimes you'll hear him exhale really hard, and you have to stop him and put him on a swing or the turn-a-bout until he can relax....asthma runs heavily in my family..but before now it was uncontroled. the respiratory specialist at the hospital he was getting admitted to even advised me to see this doctor..( private practice) because her son was like mine...Now Ds may outgrow the asthma ( he was a 29 week premie at 3lbs 3oz.) ( almost 29 lbs now ) and he may outgrow his allergies, but why would any doctor let a child go through so much? AT first i was agry, now i am sad his asthma may not be completely due to allergies but i promise about 95% of it is...( of course i am no pro ) because he will have exasberations sometimes with mild activity...but most of the time he is o.k....geez i am going on and on and on...sorry

oh!!! i didn't ask what type of test were done...blood test were done for ds for food ( early) and skin test for indiviual allergens were done recently... ..

a friend of my children has exercise induced asthma. Activity in short bursts is Ok but they wheeze if they run about too much. Its worse in cold places. Swimming in a warm pool is good for them. Sounds like your allergist knew his business but 29/32 is a lot of things to test positive for so your child may not be sensitive to all of them. We've found blood tests pretty reliable, skin tests less useful. Wouldn't listen too much to the paediatrician but I'm still not totally convinced about the shots - what are they for?

pollens and trees and weeds. enviromental allergens.. they are supposed to contain a lil of each to help your body be ready for the real thing, altleast that's what i got out of it. LOL

one of my family went through a long course of desensitisation treatment for asthma and it didn't work. It was a long time ago - they've mostly stopped doing it in Britain, I think because of concern about possible side effects (like bumps at the injection sites). I'd guess you're American

you would be correct..american.. i read alot about immutherepy (spelling) and it works for most people and some it doesn't..also there could be side effects..bumps at side (typical) and also respiratory distress (easily fixed with meds..long term can't be any worse than what ds was going through...

always useful to compare things across the pond Our doctors sometimes refuse to do good treatments because of the cost and yours sometimes do unnecessary things because they get paid for them. Glad its working for you.

you couldn't be more right!!! docs here do ( i believe ) sometimes do things for the money...