Egg allergy and night time hell

[TeainanIV]

11.5 month old DD has confirmed non-ige CMPA and egg allergy and we are in the depths of sleep deprivation hell. This isn't really a CMPA post but more relating to egg.

About 3 weeks ago, perhaps just over (losing track 😫), we began the egg ladder. Since then, our baby girl has slept no longer than 1 hour 20 stretches every night. Most of the time she wakes every 40 minutes, usually screaming and with lots of wind. She's also now got a spotty rash on both cheeks and you can feel tiny spots all over her arms (but can't really see them if that makes sense?). She never used to have a rash so this is a new reaction for us. She's always itching and rubbing her ears too.

We are broken and so exhausted, and it's awful knowing she's in so much pain. The three of us aren't getting any sleep, often ends up that we're all in tears by the middle of the night through pure exhaustion and not knowing how to comfort her! We've tried gripe water, calpol, nurofen etc to rule out teething. None of it makes any difference. The only thing I can do is feed her to soothe her, but as soon as I stop or lie her down she's awake again and crying.

Is it normal to still be reacting so long after having egg (to add - it was baked in muffin)? We stopped giving it to her over 2 weeks ago now. Is there anything I can give or do in the meantime to help? Thank you if you've read this far - from an exhausted, emotionally drained Mum!! 💔

That sounds so tough. Have you tried giving her piriton? Might help her sleep as well as calming down the reaction. We've never tried the egg ladder as my youngest has a severe egg allergy but we've had similar problems with both the milk and soya ladders. Giving her piriton and putting hydrocortisone ointment on the rash helped a lot. We've tried both ladders a few times but never got past the first stage so they don't all grow out of them unfortunately. I hope it gets better soon.

I feel your pain & can sympathise with the extreme tiredness. She sounds as though it’s just to early to try the ladders. My DS was 4 before we could try again and it worked better then. He was very ill before that and was prescribed omprazole (not sure that’s the correct spelling) it’s very harsh on the stomach at such a young age but he has taken it from he was a baby as it was the only that that settled him until we found out what all he was allergic to.

id air very much on the side of caution and steer clear of egg-which is in so much- for a while longer.

I'm assuming like dairy it can take a few weeks to leave the system again. We abandoned the dairy ladder and it took a little while yo recover

Thanks all for your replies, they're massively appreciated. It is so tough, we are all so beyond exhausted now and we dread night times. It's strange as in the day she's her usual, happy self - it's always at night.

@LaughingLemur when she had her original reaction to egg our GP told us to get some Piriton in for future reactions - but she never gave us a prescription or an idea of what dose to give her. So when we went to get some the pharmacist refused to sell us it. We did then buy a bottle off the shelf rather than from behind the pharmacy counter - but I've been too nervous to give her it as unsure on how much to give. Waiting on a GP appointment today to see what they say.

@Strangerthings4NW thank you - I'm annoyed that we started now. I should've trust my gut and not - the dietitian was advising to start though. It's difficult because when she was at the allergy clinic her egg tests came back borderline severe so they weren't sure! It's definitely gotten worse. Definitely going to hold off a good while longer now.

@Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim definitely going to give it a good break now. I think we'll pause on the milk ladder too - just to give her gut time to heal. Horrible to hear her in so much pain 💔

When mine was that age the piriton dose was 2.5ml a maximum of twice a day. I'm sure you can get advice from gp and get it put on repeat prescription. We kept getting pushed to do milk and soya ladders even though it went badly every time. It's best to wait at least a year between attempts, probably longer with such a bad reaction. Have you been referred to a paediatrician? Make sure you are if not already. My DD is now old enough to completely refuse to do any trials as she remembers the pain they caused.

My DS is 16ms and has CMPA and Ige egg allergy. He (bf) did not sleep for more than 40 mins for the first 12ms of his life until we received a diagnosis. I have vehemently refused to start any bloody ladders. No sleep for a year nearly killed me! And he was in so much pain.
Milk takes 6 weeks to leave their system. Egg should be within days. Are you absolutely certain she hasn't had any accidental milk exposure? It's a minefield. I only realised the other day that supermarket sausages often have egg whites in them ☹️

Also meant to say, liquid piriton is maybe the foulest tasting thing in the world. I have to hide it in oatly chocolate milk ☺️

Oh I love the taste of liquid piriton! Best medicine ever. Funny how our tastes differ. I think Neocate is the most disgusting taste.

Stop the egg ladder, she doesn’t need egg to survive and will manage without it. It can take 6 weeks for an allergen to fully leave the system so it’s a case of holding out until it has I’m afraid x