Hope diminishing...

[GingerPye]

yes, you would need to know what the environmentals are for allergy shots, so they can mix in the correct allergens for the shots. 

But our allergist told us (just saying what he told us) that when younger, the kids' bodies are changing rapidly and the environmental testing is generally not accurate -- more accurate the older they get and the body settles down a bit.  So  ideally shots would be well after puberty, I'm guessing.   But i know there are kids who have had allergy shots younger. 

I would agree that the meds my DS is on generally are not helping --- or at least are keeping it down to a low roar, and I'd love to get him some allergy shots.  But not yet.   

[mom2AnH]

I may ask about re-testing when we go back in next month. I guess I should call tomorrow since his appt is in 3 weeks. But, with outdoor soccer, i'm not sure he can handle being off all of his meds for an extended period of time.

oy!

[GingerPye]

just thinking a bit more (always dangerous) --

I had four years of allergy shots as an adult, and the allergist told me that it's pretty much a crap shoot.  My words, not his.  That the shots will help me, maybe for a lifetime and maybe for just a while.  Because i could develop new allergies or redevelop the old ones.  That even as an adult, things are changing.

Where I currently live, people who previously had no environmental allergies and move here can suddenly develop them.  I live near a major river.

So far, the shots have helped me for the most part --- but a few of them didn't "take" --- for example, my cat allergy.  Highly allergic to cats but if I stay away from them (as in, do NOT pet them) then I am okay ---
(unless I stay overnight with someone who has four cats that roam the house . . . which I did one time and pretty much struggled for breath by morning).
But I do not have the problems I once did with my environmentals, in general.

Mom2, you probably would NOT want your son to be off the antihistamine in the fall for testing, if he tends to have allergy problems in the fall. 

[mom2AnH]

Mom2, you probably would NOT want your son to be off the antihistamine in the fall for testing, if he tends to have allergy problems in the fall. 

yea, that's what I'm thinking. He's already had a sniffling/sneezy/itchy eye thing once and it's not even October yet. With soccer not ending until early november, I'm thinking the EARLIEST we could do testing would probably not be until the holidays or so. I'll wait and see what the allergist says when we see her. We're wanting to pinpoint his actual allergen (we're thinking sesame or sunflower, or even possibly ginger) but yea, I don't think testing (at least, not SPT) can happen in October. Can they still do the RAST test if on allergy meds?

[GingerPye]

Yes, you can still do RAST while on antihistamine.  At least, we've been able to.

[MamaMia]

Ok so forgive me as I admit to not reading all the responses and may repeat.  Considering your DS2 has a sinus infection, perhaps that's what's giving him hives.  Perhaps his immune system is just crappy and shot at the moment and totally sensitized. 

The opposite happened w/my dd.  She had ana rxn, epi, 911 etc (years ago when I was stupid about FA!).  Got her back home, on steroids & gave strict instructions to DH not to take her out of the house per dr's orders as I had work function.  Guess what DH does?! Takes her to Toys R Us (with all the viruses and germs)  .  So next day she has a high fever.  Peds said her immune was down & made her more susceptible to infection.

Could the opposite be possible?  Sinus infection taking down the immune system making your ds2 sensitized?

[maeve]

Yes, you can still do RAST while on antihistamine.  At least, we've been able to.

Definitely can on the second generation antihistamines (Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec).  I think you still have to avoid Benadryl for 72 hours or so.  That just sticks in my head.

[GingerPye]

YKW, did you have a RAST done on Monday?

[YouKnowWho]

No RAST or SPT - dr didn't think it was necessary.  Still not sure how I feel about that.  He has had issues with spices in the past, including Sunday evening when he had soup with cumin.  But hives and flushing from cumin are possible without it being a reaction.

AdvocateByFate - DS2 is my hivey child.  We spent a few weeks this summer covered in head to toe hives for no apparent reason.  So by him having hives in the drs office, lets just say I was not surprised.  And honestly I would have probably blown off the other hives the night of the Chickfila but it was concerning to me when he had hives on his arms where his classmate touched him while she was eating Chickfila (Chickfila sponsors most of our school events, complete with dinners  ).