- Welcome to Food Allergy Support.
Posted by YouKnowWho
- October 09, 2014, 05:31:38 PMI wanted to mention that DS1 had positive SPT and RAST test prior to the challenge. Having said that - my child reacts to everything on SPT and RAST (wheat, rye, barley, rice, corn, oats, egg, soy, dairy, peanuts and tree nuts). He is the king of false positives.
He has had anaphylactic reactions to wheat, barley and egg. He has never had a known rye reaction but it's his largest whelt and off the charts on the RAST test. (Not that I can find rye that is not wheat contaminated). He can eat oats but they have to be certified GF oats.
He has had anaphylactic reactions to wheat, barley and egg. He has never had a known rye reaction but it's his largest whelt and off the charts on the RAST test. (Not that I can find rye that is not wheat contaminated). He can eat oats but they have to be certified GF oats.
Posted by Andiamo
- October 08, 2014, 08:46:13 PMI would not worry about the bump where the skin test was. Even if she had a delayed positive skin test, there is a high false positive rate, as you already said. Even if her skin test had been positive right away, if she had been free of symptoms while eating the hazelnuts, that would have been a passed food challenge, despite a positive skin test.
My daughter was anaphylactic to egg (had to use the epipen), and when she passed her egg challenge years later, I said I would only let her eat egg at home (not at school) so that if she reacted I would be there. I planned to do that for six months, but finally after three or four months of eating egg at home very often and being completely fine, I decided to let her eat it away from me. That was ten years ago. She eats omelettes all the time now in college. In fact, she eats egg white omelettes which is where the protein is. It is hard to get past the mindset of the food can kill them and then suddenly the food is safe for them.
Congratulations on the pass!
My daughter was anaphylactic to egg (had to use the epipen), and when she passed her egg challenge years later, I said I would only let her eat egg at home (not at school) so that if she reacted I would be there. I planned to do that for six months, but finally after three or four months of eating egg at home very often and being completely fine, I decided to let her eat it away from me. That was ten years ago. She eats omelettes all the time now in college. In fact, she eats egg white omelettes which is where the protein is. It is hard to get past the mindset of the food can kill them and then suddenly the food is safe for them.
Congratulations on the pass!
Posted by Mookie86
- October 08, 2014, 01:27:18 PMCongrats on the pass! If she ate that much without a problem, I wouldn't worry about a bump where the test was.
It takes a looooooong time to get comfortable being around and eating a former allergen. Don't be hard on yourself! After my ds passed his peanut challenge, I went to the supermarket to buy peanut butter. Thankfully I was the only person in the aisle because it probably took me 10 minutes to get that jar in my wagon and I was crying. It was ridiculous, but it was hard handling and purchasing that food I previously viewed as poison.
It takes a looooooong time to get comfortable being around and eating a former allergen. Don't be hard on yourself! After my ds passed his peanut challenge, I went to the supermarket to buy peanut butter. Thankfully I was the only person in the aisle because it probably took me 10 minutes to get that jar in my wagon and I was crying. It was ridiculous, but it was hard handling and purchasing that food I previously viewed as poison.
Posted by CMdeux
- October 08, 2014, 01:21:08 PMYeah-- but remember that a skin test can still show up as positive for years, even after an allergy has been truly outgrown. It's also possible for a skin test to just be a false positive (though I understand that with reaction history, that's not so-- but it's a possibility even with things that one USED TO BE allergic to).
I know how hard it is to add things back in-- there is a SERIOUS psychological barrier to overcome. Congratulations on the day, though-- and fortitude, for the weeks to come!
I know how hard it is to add things back in-- there is a SERIOUS psychological barrier to overcome. Congratulations on the day, though-- and fortitude, for the weeks to come!
Posted by QCmama
- October 08, 2014, 11:42:03 AMThank you!
It's hard (ok, impossible at this early stage) not to obsess. Ugh! On the one hand, we're thrilled, but totally not "there" yet, you know? I just find it odd that this bump is showing up the next day on the same spot.
It's hard (ok, impossible at this early stage) not to obsess. Ugh! On the one hand, we're thrilled, but totally not "there" yet, you know? I just find it odd that this bump is showing up the next day on the same spot.
Posted by YouKnowWho
- October 08, 2014, 11:01:36 AMI understand where you are coming from. We did umpteenth food challenges for tree nuts - all clear (though DS1 hated every single one of them). Allergist was confident he would pass a peanut challenge but I was concerned as numbers were high but he was convinced it was a false positive. Day of the challenge, I woke up with the flu and had to send DH. DH is umm, not the most sympathetic person and was not amused by DS1 hiding under the chair LOL Challenge was completed and voted a pass. Awesome right?
He came home that night and threw up several times. Now throwing up for DS1 is not exactly an anomaly but it was not what I wanted to see either, kwim? We called the allergist, who called us right back. He didn't think the two were related. And half of me wondered did it have more to do with no breakfast, slowly eating bites of a new yogurt and then not really eating lunch. DS1 was not a big eater but he did need to eat something. We skipped breakfast in hopes of enticing him into wanting to eat at the challenge. I did have my suspicions about the yogurt (they produce another kind with fiber which given his allergy to wheat, rye and barley).
We still had the epi pen (in addition to wheat, rye and barley, he also had an egg allergy) and just kept trying to entice him into eating peanuts. No go, texture issue. But he slowly warmed to peanut butter cups and years later came to love PB sandwiches but it was a slow and cautious journey - typical of how he handles all foods. Here it is almost 6 years later and he is just now interested in eating nuts in their whole form.
My advice - proceed cautiously, keep giving her small amounts and do so when it is a good time for her to eat but not obsess over every sign, kwim?
He came home that night and threw up several times. Now throwing up for DS1 is not exactly an anomaly but it was not what I wanted to see either, kwim? We called the allergist, who called us right back. He didn't think the two were related. And half of me wondered did it have more to do with no breakfast, slowly eating bites of a new yogurt and then not really eating lunch. DS1 was not a big eater but he did need to eat something. We skipped breakfast in hopes of enticing him into wanting to eat at the challenge. I did have my suspicions about the yogurt (they produce another kind with fiber which given his allergy to wheat, rye and barley).
We still had the epi pen (in addition to wheat, rye and barley, he also had an egg allergy) and just kept trying to entice him into eating peanuts. No go, texture issue. But he slowly warmed to peanut butter cups and years later came to love PB sandwiches but it was a slow and cautious journey - typical of how he handles all foods. Here it is almost 6 years later and he is just now interested in eating nuts in their whole form.
My advice - proceed cautiously, keep giving her small amounts and do so when it is a good time for her to eat but not obsess over every sign, kwim?
Posted by TT
- October 08, 2014, 10:37:26 AMFood challenge trumps the residual skin bump. The only footnote I would add is hazelnut can be affected by birch sensitivity. I have it as a food-pollen allergen. If I remember correctly the proteins in hazelnut are a bit scattered on partially denaturing with heat or other type of processing. In terms of risk, nothing is risk free but were it me I would put it at the lowest end of the continuum on hazelnuts perhaps with a tightened observation during pollen season for direct ingestion if you feel necessary.
Posted by QCmama
- October 08, 2014, 10:08:12 AMThank you! Do you know anything about the 2nd part of my post? I'm freaking out 
Posted by Mfamom
- October 08, 2014, 10:07:09 AMgreat news!! 
Posted by QCmama
- October 08, 2014, 09:44:29 AMThanks for your reply!
It looks like the "stress" part of my original post was cut off above. Here it is:
Now fast forward to this morning... everything is still fine. However, I found a mosquito bite looking thing right where the hazelnut prick was done. I called the nurse this morning and she says they aren't worried because it was negative within the timeframe yesterday AND the food challenge went well. Now one side of me is super, super stressed... like can she really eat hazelnuts? The logical side of me says that, well, normally, if I hadn't asked, we wouldn't have repeated the skin test yesterday. In that case, the food challenge would still have gone well and I would not have seen this mosquito looking thing. Of course, it could be a bug bite, but really what are the odds that it would be right where the hazelnut was? I was trying to post pictures to show you all, but can't seem to figure it out.
Do any of you know anything about this type of scenario?
Thank you so much for your help! I'm so glad I found this board!
It looks like the "stress" part of my original post was cut off above. Here it is:
Now fast forward to this morning... everything is still fine. However, I found a mosquito bite looking thing right where the hazelnut prick was done. I called the nurse this morning and she says they aren't worried because it was negative within the timeframe yesterday AND the food challenge went well. Now one side of me is super, super stressed... like can she really eat hazelnuts? The logical side of me says that, well, normally, if I hadn't asked, we wouldn't have repeated the skin test yesterday. In that case, the food challenge would still have gone well and I would not have seen this mosquito looking thing. Of course, it could be a bug bite, but really what are the odds that it would be right where the hazelnut was? I was trying to post pictures to show you all, but can't seem to figure it out.
Do any of you know anything about this type of scenario?
Thank you so much for your help! I'm so glad I found this board!
Posted by Macabre
- October 08, 2014, 09:37:56 AMYea!!
I would proceed with eating hazelnuts. You'll probably be very cautious at first naturally. It will get better over time.
So that was all she was allergic to? Then yeah, after a couple of weeks of being fine with Nutella, I'd think you would be fine eating normally. So cool!
Nutella is amazing in the middle of Pillsbury crescent rolls. And also inside of crepes with a banana. And rolled up with a banana in a tortilla.
Congratulations!
I would proceed with eating hazelnuts. You'll probably be very cautious at first naturally. It will get better over time.
So that was all she was allergic to? Then yeah, after a couple of weeks of being fine with Nutella, I'd think you would be fine eating normally. So cool!
Nutella is amazing in the middle of Pillsbury crescent rolls. And also inside of crepes with a banana. And rolled up with a banana in a tortilla.
Congratulations!
Posted by QCmama
- October 08, 2014, 09:20:00 AMHi everyone,
I apologize in advance for how long this is! First, thank you so much for all of your advice to prepare for my daughter's hazelnut food challenge!
The challenge was yesterday and I'm happy to say that she passed! I can't even believe that I'm saying that, which I'm sure those of you who have been through this can relate to. Even the allergist said that it will take us a while to really believe it and go back to "normal". I told him that at this very moment, I think I'll always have an epi pen on hand, but who knows. Maybe we will eventually move on from the allergy. I hope so, at least! It's only been a day, so I'm still reading labels and don't see that changing for a while. Am I crazy? Should I just go ahead and let her eat whatever she wants now? What have you all done?
I asked the doctor about her past reactions to Nutella and to a hazelnut gelato she tried when she was maybe 18 months old. They were just skin reactions around her mouth and maybe a little on her chest, if I remember correctly. When she was almost 3, we took her for her first skin test and it was definitely positive. He thinks it was a sensitivity, though, and not a true allergy.
Anyway, yesterday, I asked him to humor me and do another skin test just for hazelnut. I knew full well that 50% of positives are false positives, but I needed to see it again for myself. The last skin test we did was in July after her blood test came back totally negative (level 0) and that was negative, too. Thankfully, yesterday's test was negative, and we went ahead with the food challenge.
I think by that point, the doctor knew that there was a 99% chance she would pass, so it went relatively quickly. My husband found roasted hazelnuts at a local market, so I brought that along with nutella. They gave her half a hazelnut and waited about 10-15 minutes and then gave her a whole one, etc. Each time, they checked her BP, oxygen, checked her skin, her mouth, etc and all was good. In all, I think she ate a total of 3 hazelnuts. The package, which was packaged by the market, said hazelnuts/filberts, so I asked him if that was ok and he said yes. I know that sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, but that they're from different trees (?) Anyway, he also agreed to try the Nutella, since that is what she had the reactions to in the past. He started with the tip of a spoon and ended with a full heaping spoon and all was fine.
Now fast forward to this morning... everything is still fine. However, I now see a mosquito bite looking thing right where the hazelnut skin test was! I called the nurse this morning and she said she thinks it could be from the control, but I told her no, that it's exactly where the hazelnut spot was (I know, because I took a picture So she said it could be a delayed reaction, but that they're not worried about it because it was definitely negative yesterday within the appropriate time frame and she passed the food challenge.
Of course, now I'm super worried. Can I feel safe letting her eat what she wants? That's the emotional side of me. The logical side says what if we hadn't repeated the skin test yesterday? We would have just gone by the fact that the food challenge was good, so why am I stressingWhat do you all know/think about this?
Thank you so much for your help! I'm so happy that I found this board!
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I apologize in advance for how long this is! First, thank you so much for all of your advice to prepare for my daughter's hazelnut food challenge!
The challenge was yesterday and I'm happy to say that she passed! I can't even believe that I'm saying that, which I'm sure those of you who have been through this can relate to. Even the allergist said that it will take us a while to really believe it and go back to "normal". I told him that at this very moment, I think I'll always have an epi pen on hand, but who knows. Maybe we will eventually move on from the allergy. I hope so, at least! It's only been a day, so I'm still reading labels and don't see that changing for a while. Am I crazy? Should I just go ahead and let her eat whatever she wants now? What have you all done?
I asked the doctor about her past reactions to Nutella and to a hazelnut gelato she tried when she was maybe 18 months old. They were just skin reactions around her mouth and maybe a little on her chest, if I remember correctly. When she was almost 3, we took her for her first skin test and it was definitely positive. He thinks it was a sensitivity, though, and not a true allergy.
Anyway, yesterday, I asked him to humor me and do another skin test just for hazelnut. I knew full well that 50% of positives are false positives, but I needed to see it again for myself. The last skin test we did was in July after her blood test came back totally negative (level 0) and that was negative, too. Thankfully, yesterday's test was negative, and we went ahead with the food challenge.
I think by that point, the doctor knew that there was a 99% chance she would pass, so it went relatively quickly. My husband found roasted hazelnuts at a local market, so I brought that along with nutella. They gave her half a hazelnut and waited about 10-15 minutes and then gave her a whole one, etc. Each time, they checked her BP, oxygen, checked her skin, her mouth, etc and all was good. In all, I think she ate a total of 3 hazelnuts. The package, which was packaged by the market, said hazelnuts/filberts, so I asked him if that was ok and he said yes. I know that sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, but that they're from different trees (?) Anyway, he also agreed to try the Nutella, since that is what she had the reactions to in the past. He started with the tip of a spoon and ended with a full heaping spoon and all was fine.
Now fast forward to this morning... everything is still fine. However, I now see a mosquito bite looking thing right where the hazelnut skin test was! I called the nurse this morning and she said she thinks it could be from the control, but I told her no, that it's exactly where the hazelnut spot was (I know, because I took a picture So she said it could be a delayed reaction, but that they're not worried about it because it was definitely negative yesterday within the appropriate time frame and she passed the food challenge.
Of course, now I'm super worried. Can I feel safe letting her eat what she wants? That's the emotional side of me. The logical side says what if we hadn't repeated the skin test yesterday? We would have just gone by the fact that the food challenge was good, so why am I stressingWhat do you all know/think about this?
Thank you so much for your help! I'm so happy that I found this board!