Introduce Yourself - We're Glad You Found Us!

[ginabeana888]

Hi everyone. This is my very first time..... I have a 3yr old son with life threatening food allergies, dairy, eggs, peanuts and treenuts. This is a learning process for our entire family. We have never known anyone with food allergies. Looking forward to meeting new parents and getting great feedback

[CMdeux]

A very warm welcome to you, Ginabeana.   


Glad that you found us-- I hope that we are a useful resource and supportive community for you as your son grows.  Multiple food allergies make childhood much more complicated, but really-- they mostly make PARENTHOOD much more challenging, I think.   My daughter is now almost 15, and the past 14 years have just seemed like, well-- normal life-- to her.  She doesn't know anything different.  Sometimes I am the one that has trouble with how different it is.    I just wanted to share that, since I recall worrying so much about that when she was little.

[skyerar]

hi I've recently been diagnosed with a sever sunflower seed allergy since Sept 2013 its so frustrating sunflower oil is in everything!!
also my skin prick test also showed an positive reactions to Histamine mould and mild reaction to cat hair its difficult because I found out I was allergic when I was 29 and most places we go out to eat don't understand that sunflower can cause anaphylaxis or just think im paranoid thank god ive found somewhere where people understand allergies are serious

[SilverLining]

Hi and welcome    I was around thirty when I developed my allergies. 

There is a section of the forum for specific food allergies, and the one for seeds may have some useful information for you.

Seed Allergy

[maddiesmommy]

Hi Everyone,

I am new here and wanted to introduce myself. (please be kind  ) My baby girl Madelyn (9 months) just recently had a severe allergic reaction to 'something'. After a blood test we have found out she is severely allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, milk and eggs. She also reacted to wheat and soy. We still don't know what it was exactly she ate that caused her reaction as none of the foods she ate contained those ingredients (only had 'may contain traces' label on one of the items)  We are currently waiting for an appointment with an allergist for further testing and hopefully more direction. Although I am a nurse and know what to do in the event of anaphylaxis it's the rest of it that I find overwhelming. I feel almost stupid asking for help because I feel I'm a nurse and should know this stuff, but yet it's just so different on this side. I know that in an emergency I will be able to act but it's the prevention part that I am most daunted by.

I feel like I don't know where to start. I have been trying to do as much reading as possible (and welcome any resource suggestions people may have) but I just feel lost as to where to begin. The one upside at this time is that because I am still breastfeeding at this time we can basically start all over with solids and reintroduce them one at a time with a food journal. But I still feel lost. What should I be focusing my learning on? Diagnosis, label reading...? How do I protect Maddie? Should I be getting her an alert bracelet? Posting warning labels? I don't want to come across paranoid because I'm not that type of person but this is all so new to me..being a mom and now having a child with severe allergies.

Anyways I'm rambling and don't want to scare anyone off...I just am looking for some real advice from parents/people who can relate. Thank you in advance!

~Desiree

[LinksEtc]

Hi Desiree.

Just wanted to welcome you to the community.   


I'm not sure if you saw this thread, but it has some good info:
What would you tell someone new to LTFA?

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This explains a little more about blood tests:
http://www.foodallergy.org/diagnosis-and-testing/blood-tests

There are sometimes false positive results so hopefully the allergist will be able to help you figure out if all of those foods are true allergens for your daughter.  I'd avoid giving her all suspect foods to be safe until you see the allergist.

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Do you have epinephrine and an allergy plan?  Those are the first questions that I usually ask to those newly diagnosed.

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All questions are welcome here.  Feel free to jump in anywhere and ask away.   

[maddiesmommy]

Hi

Thanks for the response...Yes we have allerject thank goodness!

I will check out those links

[rebekahc]

Hi and welcome!     So sorry you needed to find us, though.

I know it feels overwhelming right now, but we'll help you get through it.  For now, I would focus on only what you need to do to keep her safe - namely avoiding whatever it was she reacted to.  We'd be happy to try and help you narrow down the most likely culprits until you can meet with the allergist.

I'll start with a few questions - what exactly did she eat within the 4 hours before the reaction?  When did the reaction start?  Had she been breast feeding recently? If so, what had you eaten?  Where were you - at home, out? Any possibility she picked up traces of the allergen from a surface either by mouthing something or by putting her hands in her mouth or rubbing her nose or eyes?  Anything new or different the day she reacted (food, environment, etc)?

An important thing to know is that "May contain" items can and do cause allergic reactions.  Manufacturers are not required to label for possible contamination, so just because the label doesn't list may contain doesn't mean it's safe, either.  If you read through the manufacturers section here, you'll get a feel for which companies label well and you can always ask us to get you started with suggestions for specific brands/products.

Yes, a high percentage of positive tests are false positives, so if you can narrow it down it will make life much easier than avoiding things unnecessarily.

  You'll get the hang of it and eventually managing food allergy will become second nature.

[twinturbo]

Been there with the first big reaction for my second child as an infant. Not fun. But we got through it.
Welcome. It's tough but you're not alone and you don't have to go through it alone.

[maddiesmommy]

Good morning,

Thank you for your reply and help. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but I decided I needed to take a few days off from the computer screen..I think I was making myself crazy haha

Madelyn's reaction was at home. She had eaten some mum mum rice crackers, a baby graduates apple wheel snack, and some chicken. None of that was new (however I know that doesn't matter) The one thing that we think (knowing what she's allergic to) is that she reacted to the skinny cow bar I had. I was talking to my dad and she leaned forward and touched her lips aka tried to lick my bar. It was a frozen yogurt bar with caramel sauce in it. At first (before the blood test results came back) when we went through all the ingredients with the pediatrician we thought it was that because of the "may contain nuts' He was clear to point out exactly what you said that people can and do react to "may contain" However now that we know she is allergic to milk I am thinking that her reaction was to the milk in it?

That being said...the baby graduates snack has wheat so it might have been that too? However based on the severity of the reaction the pediatrician says most likely it was a milk or nut product. I do still breast feed but nothing in my diet was different either. I don't really eat nut products or milk. Unfortunately she's at the age where everything gets licked or chewed on so I have no way of knowing if she came into contact with something that way, however I don't think that was the cause. I can't think of what might have had traces of the things she allergic to.

Do you know for the 'may contain' do they have to at least state that for the major allergens?  Thanks for pointing out the manufacturers section.

[rebekahc]

I agree the milk or nuts sounds most likely.  The may contain milk rice cracker may have been the one she's eaten that actually did contain some milk or it could have been your yogurt or it could have been that the two combined was a high enough dose of milk to trigger a reaction.  If it was nuts from your may contain bar, then she would have gotten an extremely small dose which means you'll need to be extra vigilant to prevent exposure.  Can you find out from the manufacturer which nuts it might have had contact with?

May contain labels are completely voluntary even for major allergens.  The only required labeling is if a product intentionally has one of the top 8 allergens included in the ingredients, they have to be bolded in the ingredient list and/or listed at the bottom Contains:  X, Y and Z.  There is no regulation of cross contamination.

[mandy jane]

Hi, So glad to have found you all and hope I can find others like myself as I seem to be a mystery at the moment. About 2 yrs ago I had a bad chest infection and had an xray and was advised to stop smoking. I was diagnosed with asthma 27 yrs ago, just mild. I stopped smoking at Drs request. Since then I have had recurring chest infections, wheezing, tightening etc etc....As im a slimming world member i write my food diary out every week and noticed several things. One week I had a muller light yoghurt which I have been eating for many years.....within 30 minutes i was projectile sick several times, started wheezing, my throat was closing up, i could feel mucus coming up, was so breathless and couldnt walk two steps due to the breathlessness. I went to the Dr was given steroid tablets and an inhaler. This took 2 days to get over, afterwards I started with a chest infection and had to have antibiotics for it. I was given a lung functioning test and to my Drs surprise my lungs were functioning above average. I was told to stop the inhalers as the Asthma Nurse said I did not have asthma.......a week later i ate a fromage frais and exactly the same thing happened!!!! Back to Drs, she listened to my chest etc and said everything was clear but gave me the steroids again, few days later it turned into a chest infection again and I had to have antibiotics....again took 2 days to recover......a week later I ate a tiny slither of pork pie, 2 small chocolate teacakes and a small piece of coffee and walnut cake....again within 30 minutes all the symptoms came again, this time i was quite worse but as it was Friday I had to wait until monday to see a Dr...again i was given steroids but this time it took me 10 days to recover, i could barely walk at all and had difficulty walking to the drs room.....im thinking maybe it took 10 days to recover as i had not seen a dr immediately. I returned to Drs shortly after to get another course of antibiotics, a few days later i got thrush in my mouth, throat and tongue and had to have medicine to clear it. My tongue was cracked, my throat hurt so much and my mouth was covered inside, it was awful. The Dr said taking steroids and antibiotics had caused this.....I was sent to the xray department for an ultrasound scan to check my gallbladder. The radiotherapist checked my gallbladder, liver, kidneys and spleen and said no signs of stones and all looked OK. I have also done a poo sample and will be going to the drs tomorrow for the scan results and poo sample results. I have been put on a strictly  no fat diet and have lost 1 and half stone in 5 weeks. I am only eating fruit and veg, started eating chicken and pork and was ok. I have been eating blocks of raw jelly for my sweet tooth and was ok with this apart from last night. I had a raw jelly and i started wheezing again and was also sick 5 times I thought oh no here we go again but my breathing is ok. I woke this morning the wheezing has stopped, my breathing is fine but my throat feels weird. My hubby thinks its because I was so sick......does anyone else have any of these symptoms.....my dr didnt suggest i had a food allergy I thought maybe i did......Tomorrow im going to ask for some blood tests, i just dont  know what to do, im too scared to eat anything. Im going on holiday in 3 months and really need this sorting im soooooo worried. Many thanks for reading all of this but needed to put you in the picture.....from start to finish this is what happens......30 minutes of eating im projectile sick, then the wheezing starts, my throat tightens, i cant breathe and then finally i get some kind of chest infection and need antibiotics. I would be so grateful to hear from anyone as im sure the Dr doesnt have a clue.......Thanks once again xxx

[rebekahc]

It definitely sounds like you could be having food allergy reactions.  Although the subsequent chest infections would not be directly caused by an allergic reaction, the excess mucous would be an ideal breeding ground for germs.

Before having allergy testing, it's important to narrow down a list of possible suspects because food allergy testing has a high rate of false positive results.  You are likely to test allergic and end up avoiding things you don't need to avoid.  You'll need to be suspicious of any common ingredients between the foods you've eaten just prior to the reactions - especially those that are unique to the times you've reacted.  Also, if any of the foods seem out of place (like the jelly) then you should consider whether it could have been contaminated with an allergen either at the manufacturing level or at home.  From your list of foods, I'd begin by suspecting dairy or nuts.

If your symptoms are due to food allergy, you are having life-threatening reactions and need to properly manage them with avoidance of your allergens and have the proper medication (epinephrine) to treat any future reactions.  If at all possible, I would try to get in to see an allergy specialist (preferably one well familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies).  In the mean time, if you have another reaction go to the hospital.  To be blunt, waiting to see the doctor hours or days later could kill you.

[Morefam]

Hi, we found out this week my son is highly allergic to soybean.  He also has trees & grass allergies.  For 2 years he has been very sick, lots of different dr visits & noone could figure out why he was sick. His symptoms are uncontrollable vomiting, stomach pain, GI problems, headaches, & eczema. 13 months ago he had emergency surgery for a retro pharyngeal abcess (very rare) he was better this winter & then his symptoms came back in Feburary. Long story short all of those symptoms happen when having a reaction to soybeans- when this happens it is compromising his immune system & that's why he ended up with the bacterial infection. My son had always been healthy until 2 years ago when we moved to the county.  It is very windy where we live with soybean, corn fields, trees, & grass fields all around.  I am wondering if we should move back to town? We are very overwhelmed because soy is in so many foods and we need to completely change the way we eat. Any advice would be helpful, thanks.

[LinksEtc]

Hi & 

I guess one of my first questions would be what type of doctors your son sees?  For example, were the allergies diagnosed by an allergist?  Does an ENT or another type of doc deal with the retro pharyngeal abcess?  Any other medical professional involved?

What is your son's reaction history like in terms of eating soy?  How long has he reacted to eating soy?  In the past, did he sometimes eat it without reacting?  Have you been prescribed epinephrine?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to get a better sense of your situation.