To ask if you have had a toddler who was allergic to nuts but outgrew it later in life

[5lilducks]

Sorry, posting here for traffic.

I gave DD 2yrs and 8 mnths the tiniest bit of a cashew nut and she had an allergic reaction. She vomited and had a rash all around her eyes and was quite limp in my arms. The paramedics arrived and with piriton , calpol and monitoring she was sorted out. I am now worried she will have a lifelong allergy to nuts. Neither myself or DH or any of our close relatives have nut allergies. I can now see on NHS website they say to introduce nuts when child is between 6 -12 months. Given that she has eczema I was worried about introducing nuts to her but now having read the NHS guidance I am worried that I have failed as a mum in this respect and my DD will have a lifelong allergy to nuts. So, lovely mumsnetters, I would like to know if any of you have had a toddler who had nut allergies which they eventually grew out of, or any experiences of nut allergies in toddlers.

@5lilducks my nut allergy sons almond reaction was really small, his face went red, hives and swollen eyes but because I was already known to the allergy team I got a referral very easily. He had a bigger reaction to Brazil nuts but it was the almond they where worried about because it was triggered by such a tiny tiny amount (dose is important)

For my 1st son he had facial swelling and all body hives when we where referred

Going floppy is a really serious reaction on both my boys action plan it calls for use of their epipens. Don't be fobbed off, allergy treatment is such a postcode lottery sadly

My DD was prescribed epipens immediately. She was tested at 18 months or so after we realised she was allergic to egg - lots of projectile vomiting at first birthday parties (we were so naive!) after she ate cake.... that is when her multiple nut allergies were revealed. At the time I had private health insurance so we went to see the god of allergy doctors Professor Gideon Lack. When I gave up work we reverted to the NHS. My GP has always been super supportive as he has a child with allergies too. I have been the helicopter mother from hell - I went and sat in the same room at every single birthday party, I sat outside in the car on playdates, we went on cinema trips and sat at the back, you name it, we did it. I created merry hell at school. I went on school trips. I hassled all the teachers for full details of how the epipens would be managed and stored on trips and visits, I insisted on sending my own packed lunch for school trips. I marched in to see the headmaster and lodged an official complaint. I don't think I was particularly popular but I kept my DD safe, which was my first priority. She never actually reacted to nuts that we know of , but quite a few egg reactions. Your DD's reaction sounds to me like being close to anaphylaxis. You need to put on your big girl pants and get down to your GP and insist on epipens (getting hold of them is another whole story). Allergic reactions tend to get worse each time, the next time might be worse. Being an allergy parent is a lonely, rubbish job, but your child can't keep herself safe, you have to do it for her. You will have to develop a very thick skin and unwavering determination in the face of ignorance and stupidity and carelessness. This is the first test of many to come, and you have to pass each time, because your DD's life is at stake here. The Anaphylaxis Campaign may be able to help with some more positive advice about what to say to your GP.

were you referred to an allergy specialists without a anaphylactic reaction ?

We were. Dd had what they described as a ‘severe but not anaphylactic’ reaction. Her Lips swelled, skin puckered all over her body, she was wheezing (but appeared that she could breathe Ok). She then went a bit grey and floppy, did a massive vomit after a few hours and then appeared to be fine. You said your dc went limp, this seems to be a recurring thing when mine have had a reaction and it’s quite worrying. I basically demanded we see a specialist as we have severe allergy within the family (Although not me or DH) and I demanded epipens, which specialist agreed we should have. We’ve never had any trouble getting them from gp either, apart from once there was an international shortage. What hit home for me is that we were on holiday in a fairly remote area when dd had her reaction, although luckily we did manage to get to a small hospital quickly. If we’d been further out on the headlands walking we wouldn’t have been able to access help particularly quickly.

Totally agree with Epwell. Being the parent of an allergic child is a very lonely place and I too have done all those things that are mentioned to enable my son to join in with ordinary activities that we normally take for granted.

Porcupine. No not talking about known allergies.
Don’t know about that,
This was when I spoke to him about my next child. I asked what could I do to prevent allergies occurring in the first place. He suggested I wean from 4 months ( and give them everything). I did that with both of my next children, well 5 for one of them as they just weren’t physically ready. Botha had eczema but but nothing on the level of my first born. Neither developed allergies. They would prob have been fine anyway as they were no where near as severe as my first.
I understand it is a different matter if they already have allergies. I don’t really know about that. Still haven’t given my first born nuts apart from one type he is ok with.

The reaction does not have to be severe for a referral. Our GP referred us for IgE blood testing which confirmed peanut allergy, and we asked for a referral to the allergy clinic where an allergy nurse did skin prick testing. This was after two mild to moderate reactions to peanut butter around 8 months old. We will have a further appt when DS is about 3 and if he does not react to further skin prick testing then we will have to do a ‘peanut challenge’, where he ingests some peanut under medical supervision.

Thank you all for your replies. They've been a great help. I will be contacting my GP next week and asking for a referral. I will change GP surgery if they refuse. I've been on to the Anaphylaxis Campaign website and I will contact them soon. Do gp's prescribe epipens or is this something the specialist clinic does? I am asking as I need to know if I need to ask the GP for it when I call them or if it's something I will get when referred to a clinic. My DD loves her Kidilicious Apple biscotti and hasn't had a reaction to it as of yet. No nuts listed in the ingredients but they do say "may contain nuts". Is it okay for me to still give her these as she has not had a reaction to them?or is it likely that as she has now had a reaction to cashews she will start having reactions to things she never reacted to before? This biscotti was actually the only treat she liked, poor thing. Also are any of your DC's who are allergic to tree nuts also allergic to coconuts? I am sure I have given her something cooked in coconut milk but she didn't have a reaction at that time (just didn't like the dish so didn't have much) Now I am not sure if it's okay for me to give her coconut based food?

@Epwell @Cantdecidewhatnext until what age did you have to do all these things? At what age were you able to relax a little knowing they can be trusted to act responsibly and be careful not to eat any food they are allergic to? I ask this because my mum (for some unknown reason)was very attached to me. She did have a lot of issues as a child when she lost her mother at a very young age. She would be everywhere I was. I haven't been anywhere out at all without her until I was an adult and left home and I resented her for this. Wherever I was she was there ,lurking somewehere nearby. I couldn't wait until I was an adult to get out as I found it very stifling and annoying. I didn't have any allergies or any life threatening conditions, so she didn't really have a reason to be omnipresent so to speak. I vowed never to be like this with my DD and now it seems like I will have to in order to keep her safe but I fear she may resent this like I did my mum.

My sons haven't outgrew their allergies. Both have egg and one has peanut the other hazelnut. Both severe and we have almost lost the 13yr old several times. The last time was easter ate something with a tiny trace and his tongue started swelling and throat closing up immediately. He also has severe brittle asthma so it brings on a huge asthma attack.

I’ve always tried to encourage my son to take responsibility for managing his allergy but in an age appropriate way. From when we first found out, I would pack him his own food to take to other children’s parties for example, this would stop the party mum worrying about what to feed him and also stop me worrying because as he got older I wanted to leave him without me being there. The schools my son attended were excellent in helping to manage his allergies whilst allowing independence but you do have to have a dialogue with them and formulate a plan for how things are managed (both in a normal school day and also on trips etc). I suppose the approach I’ve taken is that I didn’t want his allergy to stop him doing things although at times I’ve had massive anxiety about it (behind the scenes!)...eating out, going on holiday-flights etc, different languages for ingredients lists, cross contamination, going away to university. He’s 24 now and just seems to get on with it as I guess he’s known no different. My advice is to just think of things bit by bit as your child grows and not think of everything in one go as it is a bit overwhelming. Obviously when my son was diagnosed in the late 1990s allergy awareness, labelling of food etc was much poorer so things are easier now. For us Epipens on repeat prescription from GP after allergy testing by specialist who said we must have them and training on how to use them properly from allergy specialist paediatric nurse.

My DD grew out of most of the allergies when she was 10, so as brazil nuts are quite an unusual nut to encounter, I relaxed at that point. The first time she ate a snickers bar though I thought I was going to hyperventilate, I actually felt quite ill. The change was tricky at first - from hyper vigilance to relaxing. I cannot stress enough though that this type of allergy is a life threatening medical condition which can put your DD's life at risk in a matter of moments, so so what if she grows up resenting you, at least she will grow up. See what I mean about thick skin - you have to put those sorts of considerations aside. The whole may contain thing is a personal choice, and different specialists recommend different things. We ate may contain all the way through and never had an issue. Having said that, I made all our own bread at home - get a breadmaker - (to avoid cross contamination issues in a bakery) and never bought pastries etc from a baker or the bakery counter in the supermarket, only pre packed, I also avoided "artisan" type products. Big brands only. We felt that our lives would become too difficult and we carried on giving her what she had happily eaten before. Some people though do avoid may contain. If your dd has eaten coconut happily, then I'd carry on and ditto the snacks she likes. Read up on the differences between tree nuts and ground nuts (peanuts are actually a legume related to peas). Cashews are a tree nut, and it doesn't necessarily follow that she will be allergic to all other nuts (pistachios excepted). There is a new theory that eating one type of tree nut will help to develop tolerance to others. You can be allergic to just one type of tree nut. Gosh, it's a huge amount of information to take on board, this is not the right place for the detail - get onto the internet and the Anaphylaxis UK and Allergy UK websites for sensible and detailed advice and information. Your GP prescribes the epipens - take a look at the guidance about the number of epipens you need on the Anaphylaxis website as some GPs will try to give you fewer than you need.

My son has an elope. Originally prescribed by the allergist no on repeat via the gp.
I ignore may contain nuts mostly or he wouldn’t eat much. He has never had an anaphylactis. Just sever hives and some facial swelling. If it had been a more severe reaction I might think differently.

Epi pen!!!

Yes the same with bakery items, never eat them as too much chance of cross contamination. The same with Chinese/ Indian takeaways, Ice cream stalls (always had prepackaged things like magnums where you can read ingredients). Ditto getting breakmaker, used that loads for pastries, pizza bases as well as loaves of bread. Always bake my own cakes and just read the ingredients on everything! Eating out very stressful but manage it. The big chains are the easiest where they have a big directory of ingredients to check through.

Coconut allergy is pretty rare. My son is allergic to all tree nuts, peanuts and a couple of other legumes and some seeds but is fine with coconut. Unfortunately he doesn't like it though. The immunologist he sees told us that she has seen coconut allergy a few times in her career but that it is rare, and not necessarily associated with nut allergy.The palm family is only very distantly related to tree nuts so cross reactivity is unusual. There's a lot of debate on what the coconut is - a seed, a nut or a fruit. My botanist cousin tells me that its a drupe, whatever that is, but its not a tree nut anyway!
Tree nut allergy sufferers aren't usually advised to avoid coconut and if she's had no reaction to it previously she will probably be fine. But really you need testing and professional advice as to what is appropriate for her specific circumstances. The same goes for "may contain". My DS doesn't need to avoid those, but some people will - it depends on precisely how sensitive the person is.
I haven't read the whole thread and someone has probably already said this, but I will mention it again just to be sure - there are a lot of charlatans in the allergy "business" so only take advice from properly qualified medical professionals and recognised charities like Allergy UK and the Anaphylaxis Campaign. NHS wait times can be long unfortunately and lots of worried parents are naturally tempted to opt for private testing. Some private clinics are absolutely fine of course and do just the same as an NHS allergy clinic but others are quacks using "tests" that are meaningless so be careful. Here's the link to the NHS website section on allergy testing which lists the type of tests that actually work.www.nhs.uk/conditions/allergies/diagnosis/
Don't be tempted by home tests or things where you send a few hairs off to a lab as you need proper testing with the results interpreted by a professional with sufficient expertise and access to your DD's full medical records.
Awareness of allergies has improved a lot in the 15 or so years that I've been dealing with my allergic children. Labelling is very good now and "free from" products are now much more widely available, which is great. Its not easy, but its certainly easier than it used to be, and you will get used to it. It does seem daunting at first but it just becomes a part of daily life after a bit. Another thing I found useful is that you can print off information cards in different languages free from the Anaphylaxis Campaign website which is very handy for when you go on holiday. But testing is key, so bet to your GP asap, and if they try to fob you off, wave the relevant NICE guidance under their nose!
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg116

My daughter was also allergic to cashews & pistachios as a toddler - we found out when her mouth swelled up after putting a cashew in her mouth. She didn’t get as far as swallowing it. She was also allergic to eggs (on thee e ir own) - vomited, hives, lips & eyes swelled up. Eggs cooked in something like a sponge cake she didn’t react to.
We took her to be tested & she had epipens for several years. Returned to be tested & she’d grown out of it.
Peanuts have always been fine.
Good luck.

Per Epwell above - my daughter was also referred to Prof Gideon Lack.

My son is fine with coconut!

MitziK

Well, I know of several teenagers who are apparently allergic to nuts that were happily sharing around assorted nut, seed and peanut based snacks in their breaktimes last year.

It’s tricky though because many people are allergic to some nuts but not others, and it’s easier to say “X is allergic to nuts” so that there’s no risk of them being fed their allergen than “X is allergic to cashews and walnuts but can eat other nuts”. DD has peanut, macadamia and cashew allergy so we just say she’s allergic to nuts. If she eats other nuts when out and about it’s because she knows which ones she can eat and isn’t relying on someone else to check ingredients or make food for her.

@Porcupineinwaiting

Ds1 had an allergic reaction to peanuts aged 10 months - so you see introducing them early doesnt always help. As a result, ds2 wasnt given nuts at all til he was 5. He is fine with all of them.

Ds1 outgrew his allergy to peanuts at age 7.

It is possible she may outgrow it, or it may be lifelong. For now you need a referral to a paediatric allergy consultant. Dont try to deal with this just with your gp.

Interestingly some of the latest research says they should be introduced at 4 months because the earlier you introduce them the more likely the body is able to cope with them. There is also growing research to support weaning at 4 months because of this (and in fact they think later weaning may be contributing to allergies).

The other thing I learned (which I didn't do with my own DC) is that the stomach is able to handle allergens better than the skin - I tested peanut butter on DS's wrist before giving it to him to try and that was actually a mistake. The stomach should be the first part of the body to deal with the allergen.

Some really fascinating research going on about this in the UK and Israel.

It's Gideon Lack, mentioned up thread, who has been pioneering this research btw:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/23/388450621/feeding-babies-foods-with-peanuts-appears-to-prevent-allergies?t=1600523160745

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-immunotherapy-could-end-the-nut-allergy-crisis-skt3t8x6l

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to my thread . It's been extremely helpful. I will be reading and re-reading your posts again! I had no clue as to what I should do next when I found out DD was allergic to nuts. I felt like my head was spinning. But now thanks to you I know what I need to do next and what to expect as a parent of a DC with an allergy. Reading all your advice , experiences and encouragement has helped me immensley. I will keep you posted on how it goes with my GP. I will also contact the Anaphylaxis Campaign coz I am going to need all the help I can get. I will hold onto the hope that my DD will grow out of this allergy oneday - but only time will tell.

Hi all, just an update - spoke to gp and they said they will refer DD to an paedriatic allergy specialist. Was also told that she needs testing before she can be given an EpiPen, and to keep her away from nuts until she is tested. Thank you so much for all your guidance and advice. It just wouldn't have occured to me to contact my GP and get a referral if it weren't for you lovely mnetters

You should carry a bottle of antihistamine until you've had the testing

Ps great news!