Quote from: lakeswimr on July 29, 2012, 08:20:19 PM
om an allergist that lists the signs of anaphylaxis?  You should not have to wonder whether or not your child is having a reaction because you should have a written plan to refer to in case you aren't sure.  Do you have an allergist?  What symptoms has your child had in the past?

yes,  we have a list of signs on what to look for and when to use the epi.   The allergist gave us a written sheet on steps and such.   Symptoms in the past were the itchy mouth, itchy lips, tight throat. Epi pen is to be used if we even think she had a cashew, almond, or pistachio.   Other tree nuts are to use the epi if we know she had them.   Avoid all tree nuts and anything manufactured in a place that also manufactures tree nuts.

My questioning came because she is prone to nose bleeds and maybe in all of my random searching, I caught someone who said something about food allergies, etc.    I think I'll stick with this site!

thanks, ladies.

There used to be a poster at the hyperboard who kept diagnosing her child as having food allergies based on what the child ate the day the child had nosebleeds.  Other than that I haven't heard of it.  My son has only had a few nosebleeds ever and neither one had anything to do with FAs.  He does have typical FA symptoms.

Do you have an emergency action plan from an allergist that lists the signs of anaphylaxis?  You should not have to wonder whether or not your child is having a reaction because you should have a written plan to refer to in case you aren't sure.  Do you have an allergist?  What symptoms has your child had in the past?

Or maybe it's because milk comes from farms, and farms have chickens and cows?      Yeah, I've never really understood that one, either.

My DD's had problems with nosebleeds for a lot of her life.  No connection to allergies.  We've asked her allergist about that.  His explanation is that if she's having a lot of trouble with environmental allergies, then maybe that can cause enough irritation to maybe make them more probable (especially if she's blowing/picking frequently with a stuffy/runny nose), but other than that, there's no connection whatsoever.

I've heard nosebleeds listed quite frequently by AltMed practitioners as a "sign" of food allergies.  But that's probably just as much horse hooey as anything else that they're saying, honestly.  It's like "brain fog" being a sign of food allergies...  while that may occasionally be a sign of a general allergic reaction in a person with food allergies, it's not for the direct reason that naturopaths seem to think.  It's because of generalized allergy symptoms, which can elicit that kind of poor cognitive function, either because of generally making a person feel like garbage (stuffy nose, wheezing, itching, puffy eyes, etc.) or because of sedating medications taken to combat them--  but not as an isolated and specific symptom. 

KWIM?  That's what our allergist's explanation meant-- that is, yes, in a kid with known FA, some of these things can be subtle symptoms of low-level exposure, or just a sign of a quite-full allergy cup... but a person with "nosebleeds" doesn't really equal a reason to check them for food allergies.  It's really pretty nonspecific as symptoms go.

I too have not heard of a nosebleed/allergy connection.  DD has numerous environmental allergies as well as food allergies and asthma.  She's on a daily antihistamine and has not had a single nosebleed that I can think of.

I think we all just want to scream when someone doesn't get it.  For me, it's when people think egg allergy is a dairy allergy because, you know, eggs are sold in the dairy case.

I don't think I have read anything related to that but given that antihistamines, sudafed, etc can be drying combined with air conditioning - that has led to a lot of dried out nasal passages.

And I feel your pain on the other - I want to whack everyone who says "Well white bread is okay, right?" for my gluten allergic child...

part and parcel with food allergies?   Am I losing my mind?

Also - other than constant 'harping'  (well, it feels like harping) how do you get the point across that your child simply can NOT have a product?    If I hear, "Well, it might NOT have nuts in it"  one more time, I'm liable to get just a bit batty.