Does my child have a nut allergy or not??

[TamTam29]

Just wondering how you managed to get yourselves/DC diagnosed as I have hit a blank wall.

my DS now 19 months has reacted to different foodstuffs since I started weaning him. He has had various rashes/hives some instant, some delayed, puffy eyes/swollen lips and face, and diarroah. sometimes we have been able to work out what he had eaten and sometimes not.

The worst reactions were when his dad gave him the crust of his sandwich - peanut butter made with tiger bread. instantly he cmae out in a rash all over his hands and face, had puffy steaming eyes and slightly swollen, red lips. He also reacted a few days later to just the tiger bread so I cant be certain it was the peanut butter. I asked in Asda what they use for tiger bread and they said seaseme oil, so we have been avoiding sesame and nut produts.

However, a few months later, my DH was again eating a peanut butter sandwich (normal bread) when he put it down to answer the phone and DS helped himself to some of the crust. He had all the symptoms as before and was distressed as I picked him up he was violently sick over me and then started coughing.

We finally got a referel to the local hospital who did a blood test, said it didnt show any allergies but that didnt mean he didnt have any????? and that unless he had a serieos reaction there wasnt really anything that they could do except maybe admit him and feed him nut products but they (nor me) were keen to do that. my DS was then discharged with an epipen "for my piece of mind" as the DR put it!! and instructions to avoid nut products and that he may or may not "grow out of it".

By the way we live in surrey/London borders so would welcome any reccomendations if you have had better expereinces.

Apologies for my spelling & typos! I am expecting no2 in 4 weeks!

personally I get very distressed when I read about deaths and its obvious that they haven't had good medical advice because they haven't been told how serious their allergy can be. Often there is no mention of an epipen being available or there is a comment about how they hadn't realised it could be serious. Read some and weep

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1441832.schoolboy_dies_after_allergic_reaction_to_swee t/

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-evening-chronicle/2008/11/20/devoted-d urham-dad-died-after-eating-curry-72703-22301817/

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Grief-ove r-sudden-death-of.4282483.jp

Tamtam2, I'd just like to underline again that the allergy board is not usually like this and I'm really sorry your thread has turned into a slanging match. All I can suggest is that you start a new thread if you have any more questions, or read some of the old threads for advice - I've had sooo much useful information from people on here. Good luck once again!

I am sad it has become a little hostile. The thread was started for help and advice, not a debate on why allergies have increased. If you want a debate on this go start a new thread in AIBU!

Soooooo, lots of people here with good sound advice and yonks of experience.

I will leave it with my final thoughts. ALWAYS be careful, never 'try' something out at home that you are not sure about and push for the very best medical care for your children.

WE ARE NOT MAD MOTHERS, we are lovely, caring mothers. We want what is best and why not eh?

I for one reserve the right to take my DD to the doctor when I deem it is needed. I can because I am her mother and I care, and I know the difference between a child choking on a bit of dry bread and an allergic reaction!

I don't think this thread has been hostile.

I think it perhaps emphasises that people with allergies are a little sensitive, in more ways than one, perhaps emotionally as well as physically.

I don't think anyone on this thread has disputed that allergies exist. Some of us are merely mulling over why that might be.

Rather than calling us on it, it might be wise to think about some of the things we've suggested.

I didn't realize that allergy threads should be approached with kid gloves.

Again, that might be part of the problem ..

And why would it be wise to think about something some punter with an opinion is mulling over in a vague way, with no training in any related field whatsoever?

Before I had kids, I used to feel a bit at the stories of all these children with eczema. Oh A little dry skin, I thought. Get over it. Then I had an atopic child. Brought up on bland British food.

And I have become sick to the back teeth of people in the street acting like smug, sceptical arses and giving me advice about just what I should I be trying and where I moight be going wrong.

And I'm no emotionally sensitive little flower, so kid gloves not needed

Evidently.

well I was trying to make it evident, yes

the thought police have got to you des...i know you were just musing-i am totally with you-i have found since discovering mumsnet that it takes all sorts-one mans 'vile foul act' is another mans 'hey-it's only a bit of shit...'

no idea what you;re on about

Desi, you said that most allergies these days were people being precious or people giving children age inappropriate food or mistaking choking on a crust of bread for an allergy. Whilst you didn't say that allergies didn't exist at all you have implied that most don't exist and the parents who think that their children have allergies are all misinterpreting the evidence either due to stupidity or some sort of perverse pleasue in having a 'sensitive' child.

Part of the reason why the parents of allergic children appear sensitive/precious is because you take your child somewhere and explain that he has an allergy. You will then be greated with much eye rolling and which makes you lose confidence about leaving them in someone elses care. I know a women who loves to offer my ds inappropriate food such as peanut m&ms because 'a little bit won't hurt'. This attitude means I have to talk about ds's allergy much more than I would like too and I am aware that it makes me look like a twat.

There are some parents who do seem to relish their dcs allergy. I know someone who follows their child round soft play with her epipen in her hand explaining to everyone that she 'might drop dead at any minute' but most parents aren't like this at all.

Lady - love the story on the soft play!!! Hope she never gets her kid desensitized, she would not know what to dobeith herself!! Lots of irony here before I get flamed!

Des - although I felt your approach clumsy I am very interested as to why so many allergies are around and how to try to avoid your dc falling poorly. My sdd is nut allergic and dh suffers from plaque psoriasis so I have always wonderd if there is a link here between the auto immune response of both indications. What's your thoughts on that? Would I look a total twat putting that to a doctor? (not being ironic now, would really appreciate honest input).

We have 3 girls. First 2 are from dh's first marriage. Oldest dd used to get diarroea with cheese but we kept on giving it in moderation and she grew out if it and dd2 is nut allergic so what of little dd3? She has had all the predisposing markers for a nut allergy but that does not mean she has one. I did not eat peanuts in my pregnancy due to dd2 on the advice of the allergist doc. Dd3 is not great on egg or pasta. Lots of eczema, you can see it errupt almost immediately so I keep her off it. Obvioulsy no nuts until 4 because I am told this is the golden age but what to do? I never avoid products with nut warnings for her and she eats foods that could have been cross contaminated.

So, do we think there is a genetic link or is dd2 just plain unlucky ?

There is a huge amount of scientific proof of a genetic link with regard to atopic conditions such as eczema, asthma, hayfever, rhinitis. I suggest you do a google search, fly, rather than ask someone on a message board who quite clearly knows bugger all and doesn't give much of a rat's arse either way.

yes how bloody sensible to say that if a child doesn't have an anaphylactic reation, you should just keep giving them the food they are allergic to. Do you think, dillydaydreamer, that it might be time to stop just on the point of them having that anaphylactic reaction and then it might be time to stop?

have never, in all my years on mumsnet, read more idiotic advice than on this thread

thank god for the disclaimers

Pointy - LOL! I love your way with words. I will do just that, I am aware of the links wuth asthma etc just wondered if there could be a greater link to plaque psoriosis as it has the same auto immune response. I am going to try out more,.... perhaps I will start a post!

Fox - I really value the allergies board and hopefully strive to only offer good advice.

There can be various reasons why allergies are more common now than in the 70's. A popular theory is that its a side effect of vaccinations. There are various studies claiming this and I personally think that this is very likely the reason that so many children (40% currently, I think)have food allergies.

I have 2 children, ds1 is absolutley fine and has no allergies at all whilst ds2 has multiple allergies. I weaned them the same, but had to make adjustments for ds2 as he was just reacting to various foods.

There is no way I was being more 'precious' with ds2 than with ds1.
I think it's an extremely ignorant and dangerous comment to make.

When you say nut allergic, blue, do you mean all nuts, or just peanuts?

As far as I'm aware (and it was a parent whose child has a peanut allergy who told me this), the peanut is not a member of the family, but the legume family.

He can eat walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, etc. It's just the peanut that gives him problems.

Bluebumedfly - I don't think it was your advice foxinsocks was criticising - don't worry! I think fox was referring to an early post by dillydaydreamer; personally I've never read anything but sound advice from you.

Anyway, I am not going to add any more posts to this bizarre bizarre bizarre thread... Bye all!

Des- SDD was allergic to all nuts previous to her desinsitiztion. She is one of the lucky 14 kids who have been successfully desinsitized at Addenbrookes. After her peanut allergy was treated her tree and ground nut allergy was completely eradicated. Peanuts are legumes hence we have to be careful with all other legumes and soya, it all loads the allergen levels.

Cuppachar - thank you, I am pretty sure Fox did not mean me either. I think your advice is always sound so please don't stop posting on the allergy board, it is so important that we as experienced parents give support to new parents. It can be so hard.

I am sooooo tired so off to bed now. Life is pretty darn shitty (please excuse me swearing, it is not something I do lightly) at the moment so I think I am going to take my glass of wine and go to bed.

oh I didn't mean you at ALL!

It touches a nerve with me when I read that people don't think allergies are serious.

It was exactly that attitude that led to dd being hospitalised when she was a baby as the nursery nurse didn't read the label on her food (this largely because they had a manager who thought a baby having a food allergy meant the child didn't like the food rather than couldn't have it).

I do think this is fuelled by certain people claiming they have intolerances (esp adults I think) when they don't and I can see how that must seem wanky etc. but I still think children's allergies should always be taken seriously until they are no longer an issue!

And also, allergies have always been around in my family and in dh's. He is allergic to chicken and egg, I have v bad hayfever and was milk allergic.

I don't think there was the proliferation of nut allergies when we were younger but the other ones have always been around I think.

Desi, I'm kind of surprised at your posts, I skipped a few pages, but I'm assuming you dont have a child with an actual allergy as opposed to a food intolerance.

Firstly 30 years ago we didnt eat as wide a variety of foods as we did now so maybe there weren't as many allergies due to this fact alone. Doctors also were'nt as well informed so allergies went undetected.

An allergy is where a tiny amount of a substance causes a massive immune reaction like the op describes. Swelling, hives, vomiting etc. An intolerance is where a large amount of a food causes discomfort eg bloating.

My dd (17 mths) had some hummos when she was about 10 mths. I completely forgot there was sesame seeds in it and dabbed a little on her lips. Cue swollen face, swollen lips, her breathing wasnt affected. We still dashed to the doctors who called an ambulance and sent us to a&e to have her checked out. She had adrenaline in the ambulance and they sent her home with piriton.

I was referred for an allergy test and she is allergic to sesame and eggs according to the docs and since then we have had the same reaction to chilli, certain spices, other nuts.

Having hives develop immediately or 5-10 mins after exposure to an allergen is called a type 1 allergic reaction - anaphylaxis. It can be a mild reaction like one has to hayfever or cause death as in bee stings, severe peanut allergies

Just the other day I cooked her (homemade so safe) meatballs in a pan my husband had cooked chilli in and washed the night before and the hives were immediate. It is worrying but not as frightening as it used to be. I give her piriton and rub antihistamine ointment on her hands and we play with cold water for a while. It doesnt bother her at all.

I dont think I am being at all PFB, it is very tedious have to read the packaging on everything I buy, enquire as to how food is cooked and not be able to give her scrambled egg on toast for example for tea. We have to test anything new to see if there is will be a reaction before she can tuck in.

OP, get your doctor to refer you for testing. DD does not need an epipen thankfully, we manage with antihistamine. Giving you an epipen for piece of mind is off the wall.

Fox - we know don't worry, my post was badly worded.

I am still annoyed at nursery for giving my DD spaggetti carbonara on Thursday. She is just two this week and even she knew if she ate it she would vomit and have bad skin, apparently she almost threw the bowl back at them. Now, she is not allergic, it just makes her poorly, well not the whole meal, just the pasta and egg (!) and I am certain she will grow out of it. However, SDD is a whole other world of pain bless her.

I was going to bed and now I have been drawn back in. Darn.

BBF - sorry you're having a bad time at the moment.

Sallerro my child had what the medics call non serious reactions at first - we treated them promptly with antihistamine and managed without adrenalin, despite some worrying times. I insisted on seeing a paediatric allergist and we got epipens.

In my experience you can be OK with piriton for years, especially if you are careful - but then be hit by something so bad and so fast that an ambulance doesn't have time to reach you. My child isn't even asthmatic, so some consultants would not have prescribed the epipen. The manufacturer of the food insisted there couldn't possibly be nut in it, my child hadn't eaten much of it before their throat stared to close and there wasn't time for antihistamine to work.

We could have been one of those newspaper reports. Epipens are not just "for peace of mind", they are life savers.

Thanks tatt, I am fine really just fed up with being set on 'cope' the whole time with no foray into 'enjoy' xx

BBF Asked someone how they were once and they said "it was OK for 5 minutes on Friday". Hope the glass of wine gave you your 5 minutes.

Kind of forgot to respond to another ill informed comment.

Quite a few of those with peanut allergy will have, or go on to develop, tree nut allergy. Although food "families" can be useful in suggesting what someone might react to what actually matters is the proteins the food contains. Peanuts contain a lot of different proteins and some of those are also found in tree nuts, soy, lupine, pine nuts (and probably others I don't remember early in the morning).

The advice from our consultant was that nuts are frequently stored together. Therefore the contamination risk was high unless you had personally shelled the tree nut.

So if your child has peanut allergy and you feed them other nuts you need to be watchful when you do so.