Allefgy clinic? What to expect.

[Jenie]

Well next Thursday dd will be going to the allergy clinic and tbh I've only just realised that I don't even know what to expect! How silly is that?

I like to be organised about these things and to know exactly what's going to happen befor getting their so that I can explain (if necessary) to dd so she won't be so scared.

Can anyone help me? It's her 1st appointment if that makes any differenc.

Does anyone know what to expect? Please help if you can all I need is a rough outline of what they may do to dd.

Hi we are in NZ but I can't imagine that it is much different in the UK. We had to give a summary of the reactions DS had had and a run through of the symptoms. The Dr also took a family tree and asked about other allergies, hay fever, excema in DS and the family. He then used a tiny needle (hardly) seemed to pierce the skin and would probably not have bothered DS as much if the Dr hadn't started when he was asleep rather than let me wake him!). We then went to the waiting area for approx 10 mins to allow the tests to 'react' then went back for the reactions to be assessed. DS had a severe reaction to the 2 nuts tested and much of his back was now bright red and he was very unhappy/uncomfortable so I asked for some topical antihistamine to ease it. We were then given a form to go and have further blood tests which we had to wait for the results for (approx 10 days from memory).
We now have to return every year when they test for the nuts he is known to be allergic to and other substances which can be related or occur in later life e.g. apparantly alot of children with tree nut allergy develop dust mite allergies at about age 5...
HTH and good luck

Thank you so much! Yes that's a great help, dd is 4 and a drama queen about everything so won't tell her about the needle until we get there in the hope that she won't have enough time to cause too much of a scene.

I think that I'm more nervous about going now as dp can't make it and I've got to get to Cambridge on my own with dd and ds (19 months) in tow. Lol

It's comforting to know that they will check up on these things every year, she already has epipens and antihystamines galore around the house and at school so feel secure waiting the 10 weeks it may take for futher results.

Also gives me a few days to find out about allergies in dps family so that I've got all the information I need.

Thanks again

I don't know if its the same for children, but when I went to the allergy clinic at The Royal Free they "painted" various substances on my back, wrote a code next to each one with felt tip pen and told me to come back in a couple of days. THey also told me not to wash it in the meantime! I was not prepared for that. There was no piercing of the skin, just "painting".

DS was tested for food allergies. I had kept a food diary so the doctor could try to work out the common factors and then they drew a grid on DS's arm and put drops of the allergens on scratched with a needle and we had to not touch it for 15 mins then they measured the bump which is the reaction to it

try to make sure you have long sleeves on as its very difficult to not scratch them afterwards - and have something like crayons ect to keep litlle hands busy during the 15 minutes wait.

Oh we also had to make sure he hadn't had any anti-histamine for the previous 48 hours as it can interfere with the results

Gook luck

Thank you everyone who has responded, I will get her into a long sleeve top and buy her a new colouring book then

I'm almost looking forward to just getting it over and done with so that we know the extent of her reactions, but also not as sometimes I do give her cake and then give her her antihystamines am I a bad parent? Well I'll soon find out and I do only do this at birthday parties when she feels realy left out at not being allowed to eat most of the other food that's served......

Well I'm rambling now so thanks again and I'll let you know how she gets on.

I didn't feel any needle when I had it done but it could just have been because of my fat back! Hope it goes OK and you get some answers.

Wow - just found this thread and it answers some of the questons I was just going to post.

BUT - I'd also like to ask:
What questions did you ask at your appointment?
What questions do you wish you'd asked?
If you believe your child has other food allergies/intolerances to the one that triggered the anaphylaxis, will they test for them too if you ask them?
Do the results of the test tell you the severity of the allergy or only the fact that an allergy exists?
Is it common/possible in the UK to be referred to a dietician to help manage food allergies?
Any other tips for making the experience a not-too-horrific one for a 16 month old

Suzyj ds1 who is 8 and allergic to peanuts was at his 1st allergy clinic visit yesterday the blood tests gave unexpected results so we were offered skin testing too so supoose you could ask for other things to be checked then. Yes the test gives a level of allergy,in the body and to the offending food stuff.Dd has been referred to a dietican for her dairy intolerance so yes i should think you could be referred to them for food allergy.

Suzyj - to answere some of your questions, they can't test for an intolerance so they will only pick up an allergy, they can test for a wide range of nuts, eggs, dogs, cats, dust and heaps more, I understood that when I took dd that if we thought she was allergic to any fruits that I should bring that in with me but the rest of the stuff is already there.

The severity of any reaction will be shown immediatly, the arm comes up under the exposed/test area in a lump, sort of like nettle rash (only bigger) the size of the lump will determine how allergic the drs think the child is.

hth
Your dr can refer you on to a dietician.

thanks for your help! I just re-read my post and it sounds very abrupt. I'm supposed to be working and only had a short time to post. Sorry!

How about you lovely NZ mumsnetters who were so helpful to me when we first found out dd was allergic? I'll check this thread again when you've got up!

It does sound like it's going to be a nasty process for her. Long scratch-proof sleeves and a distracting toy might well help her cope a bit better - any other suggestions? How long might we expect to be there, for example will we need to feed her while we're there?

Sorry to badger you all with these questions and for hijacking your thread, Jenie!

Got a letter this morning - they've just postponed the appointment AGAIN by another month. Third time now, so the eventual appointment will be FIVE MONTHS since original allergic reaction. That's just cr@p.

So disappointed, really want to get a handle on what's happening to dd. Do you think I have any chance of getting them to reconsider??

How awful. Why dont you ring them and let them know how worried you are about things. I always find a few tears helps me get what I want. Perhpas the hospital might be able to find you a cancellation. Good luck.

Suzyj,

In the Roayl Free (London) they had a dietician on hand....(after a short wait) so you could see them after the appt. also, if by any chance you are going there..(have not read all of thread) there is also a play room (very very helpful) at the allergy clinic. Maybe..other hospitals are just as considerate??!!!

suzyj, that is really bizarre, dd1 appointment has been bought forward twice. but its stlll 5 months since she was referred initially.

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We have just got back from seeing another allergy specialist. I hope the following answers your questions.
We asked questions about when to introduce all the foods we have kept him off (he is 11 months and a lot of the advice is to wait a year for some things. I was conscious that it was getting close to that.) He has refered us to a dietician for that.
I wish that I had asked the previous guy (who did the skin prick tests) about testing for tomatoes and salicates (have spelt that wrong but can't be bothered to look up the real spelling now) as every time I have either we seem to get an eczema flare up.
We got some idea of the severity, egg was off the scale, but milk and peanut were slight as I do not have them and he has never been knowingly exposed to them. This could either mean he is not very allergic or that he would be if given them, which isn't much help really.
I hope you get a referal to a dietician because that for me is going to be the most important thing going forward. ds had a blood test today to check his iron levels and they felt his fat legs and his tongue and his teeth and said he looked nourished. However the paed is concerned that we manage a picky toddler well and thinks its best to start early.
both our peads have had massive toy boxes which ds have loved, have run to time and seem to enjoy children. Ds loves having his tummy examined and smiles and smiles at the stethoscope. We just treat it like any other trip out. He was fascinated by the blood test and we got all the staff to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" along with us as the needle went in. He only really got upset when they took the tourniquet away.
I think it helps that we see these people in their private rooms rather than the public hospital, that way for ds its just like going to someones house.
We have taken the best from each specialist, allergies are such imprecise science after all. I consider myself to be the expert in my ds's eczema as I manage it every day. They are only the experts in allergies generally. You don't have to agree with everything they say.
I hope this helps. I have only just spotted it.

BTW I am breastfeeding, so that explains my references to what I eat and my ds getting a reaction.

Suzy - I had to get the name of the consultant and the hospital that I wanted dd to be refered to (out of our area) this sped things up considerably hth