Baked Milk - Goldfish OK, now what?

[Ree]

My DS passed his baked milk challenge last year and we've been gradually increasing his daily intake.  He started off last May with eating 2-3 goldfish a day, but he'd get itchy ears every once in awhile.  Now he can eat about 1/2 cup of cheddar goldfish, no problem.  I'd like to try to transition him to something equivalent so we can move into cheeses, but I'm so nervous.  I'm concerned that he'll have a reaction and he'll regress emotionally.

The allergist said the next food challenge would be straight milk, but we need to move him onto true baked cheese products before we can schedule.  She suggested sprinkling in cheese to every day baked meals.  But that seems like such a big jump to me.

Any suggestions on what to try next?

[Carefulmom]

If you are feeling really brave and if the allergist is okay with it, I`d try a small amount of pizza, slightly overbaked.  I read about that on this board when another child on baked milk was able to try pizza.  I really didn`t think dd would tolerate it, but she did!  We buy the one serving frozen ones that you bake in the oven.  I bake it about two minutes longer than it says.  I would try a small amount of that, but ask your allergist first.

[my3guys]

According to Mt. Sinai, the first "baked milk" phase is a muffin with milk baked into it, and phase 2 would be pizza.  I think my Mt. Sinai thread is at the other site, I'll have to go look when I can.  Yay for the goldfish!

[Ree]

Thanks for your replies!  Pizza, huh?  Well that's a little scary..    His baked milk challenge was muffin and when he got home he wanted to try a goldfish.  I was feeling gutsy so I gave him one.  We just went with it from there!

I didn't realize that Mt. Sinai had phases.  I'll search for it - thanks!!

[my3guys]

Well Ree, if he passed the muffin challenge...then yes, Mt. Sinai would move to pizza next as Stage 2.  You might want to think about that pizza!! Then stage 3 would be macaroni and cheese and things like it, while stage 4 would be uncooked milk.

[Ree]

my3guys - I'm reading through your thread from the old board and have a question...  You said they told you to "only foods with milk baked in (not sprayed on)."  And,

"Yep, We can only do baked cheese. Either milk cooked into a baked good or cheese cooked for a set amount of time at set temp. No straight cheese or crackers/chips where cheese is "sprayed" on. So no Doritos or Cheetos or things like that. It's all about cooking the cheese to change the protein. The messy milk things are not baked in, but sprayed on towards the end of the process. Weird that they think a piece of pizza is safer than Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish."

Really??  That just seems so hard to believe... but obviously I believe you!     Did your DS not tolerate the goldfish but did tolerate pizza?

How is he doing now with milk products?  Have you gone back since your last update (passed pizza, but failed straight milk)?  Hope everything's going well!!

BTW - I teared up when you said he ate a slice of pizza... can't even imagine!

[Carefulmom]

My3guys, are you sure that Cheddar Goldfish has cheese sprayed on as opposed to baked in?  Dd can eat Cheddar Goldfish.  I am not sure if I ever called them to see if the cheese is baked or not.  Dd is fine with pizza, and a little bit of mac and cheese, but I overbake it.  She cannot tolerate any unbaked milk at all.  She has had a taste of cake batter that had sour cream in it, and she had symptoms.  A cracker with cream cheese gives her symptoms.  A heavily milk cross contaminated item like sorbet gives her symptoms.  That is why I am wondering about the Cheddar Goldfish.  She can eat a whole one serving bag of those and she is fine.  Have not tried Doritos, because the cheese is sprayed on, not baked, but I am pretty sure that she would have symptoms.

Ree, the first time dd had pizza, she ate about 1/4 of a one serving and had a little bit of symptoms.  Allergist said keep giving it, so we did.  That was 1 1/2 years ago.  She is fine with it now.  We even order Domino`s.  We ask for light cheese, and she can eat 2 - 3 slices.  Just to give you some perspective, the baking really seems to cut down on the allergenicity.  Dd cannot tolerate a tiny amount of unbaked milk or a full serving of mac and cheese, but does fine on pizza.  Last year they had a pizza party after AP testing at school and I even let her participate.  Never thought that day would come that she could eat pizza at school.  So you may be pleasantly surprised how your child does on pizza.

[rebekahc]

I think the Flavor Blasted Goldfish have cheese sprayed on them.

[my3guys]

I think the Flavor Blasted Goldfish have cheese sprayed on them.

Yep, this is right.  At the time of the other thread, I think more goldfish had cheese sprayed on, but according to PF as of a few months ago, any bag that says "baked" in the title means the cheese isn't sprayed.  I'll come back later Ree, and answer your other questions, have to run to bball practice now...

[my3guys]

Back again.

Last year when DS went to Mt. Sinai, he passed phase 3 of the baked milk study .  However, he still failed straight milk. We will be going back again soon, this will be his fourth year going.

He eats macaroni and cheese and similar type things.  I've noticed improvement this year with the mac and cheese because I used to have to basically overcook it, and now he can eat it more "soupy". So I'm crossing my fingers for this year.

Off the top of my head for snacks with milk, he eats Nutrigrain Bars, Cheeze-Its, Gripz, Keebler Vanilla Wafers (all considered to be more in line with muffin, in phase 1).  There are also breads and rolls he can eat with milk in them.  He's still allergic to egg or else he would have other options too.

We still avoid the stuff with cheese sprayed on like Doritos, Cheese puffs etc., and soft cheeses like Ricotta.

I know it seems wild Ree to consider a slice of pizza, but that's how Mt. Sinai does it, all under nurse's supervision in hospital setting with meds premeasured.  They used to also insert an iv to give emergency meds if need be, but they no longer do that.  Maybe your allergist would consider letting you bring in a well cooked slice of pizza and do an office challenge?  I would be intimidated letting my kid eat pizza for the first time at home too.

Good luck!!!

[suevv]

Ree,

Another route for more "milky" things - assuming baked egg is not an issue - is pancakes-waffles, and then if that is successful French toast.  That's where we are, and DS is loving his French toast.  I'm dying to take the pizza "leap" but allergist hasn't okayed it yet, and I'm just terrified of it.  I did make some meatballs with parmesan cheese grated into them - and that went OK.  Maybe you could try that so you could ramp up to more cheesy stuff.

I'm so excited to see all the progress folks are making on baked egg and baked milk!

Sue

[Ree]

Thanks everyone!  I may just get up the courage this weekend to try overcooked pizza...even just a bite is a start, right?   He's allergic to eggs, so the waffles aren't an option. 

I'll keep you posted!  Thanks again!

[callisto]

My daughter passed baked milk last May as well.

We started off with cakes and muffins, then progressed to goldfish and cheez-its.

Next I gave her cheese baked for a long time - I added some grated cheese to a veggie loaf (like meatloaf) that was baked for about 40 minutes, similarly I put cow's milk and a little cheese into a Spanish omelette, again baked for a 40 minutes or so.  Cheese biscuits worked too.

Now I am giving her pizza but I make the dough myself.  She has Daiya "fake cheese" and a little shredded real cheese, and I bake for 30 minutes.  I am slowly increasing the amount of real cheese and she is doing fine.  At first she said it felt like a little hand was tickling inside her throat, but now she has no symptoms.  The allergist has said it is OK to try commercial pizza, but I am more comfortrable increasing it slowly.  It is hard to imagine giving her a store or restaurant pizza!

I have also given her stove cooked pancakes, very well done.  I have used part cow's milk and part soy milk - again I am increasing everything slowly, mainly for my own peace of mind.

[callisto]

I just saw he is allergic to eggs - maybe Spanish omelette and pancakes aren't helpful suggestions for you!

Good luck with the pizza! 

[Ree]

Update - Still too chicken to try pizza.  Haven't really done anything new since this post.  Ugh...what aisle is courage in? I'd like to buy some.