TTMA food allergies

[Deleted]

We think P had a reaction to eggs this morning. We introduced yolks about a month ago with no issues. He has eaten whole eggs in lots of recipes with no issues. He has had scrambled eggs more than once with no issues. We gave him some scrambled eggs this morning and about 20 minutes later he started rubbing his eyes (he is always tired after he eats so that's normal) and then his face turned bright red and blotchy. It has since gone completely away. There is a possibility that it wasn't the eggs because DH gave him a little bit more off of his plate and he had sprinkled cayenne pepper on his so maybe P had that on his hands and got it on his face when he rubbed his eyes? He was also eating canteloupe, which he has had countless times with no issues. There was nothing abnormal other than the sudden rash that went away almost as fast as it started. Behavior fine. Breathing fine. He's now asleep for his morning nap, doing fine, just has very red, rosy cheeks.

It's been over an hour since I called the peds office and no one has called back yet.  I'm just not sure what we are supposed to do, if anything.  He's fine now so I'm pretty sure we don't have to take him in right away.  BTDT allergy moms have any insight or advice?

[slushpuppy]

first experience with an allergic reaction was when my son broke out in huge hives, but was not at all bothered by it (he was 6mo at the time). it cleared on it's own, so i did nothing but take a photo so i could show the ped at our next well check. ped confirmed it was allergic reaction to food (we think it was avocado), and the next time this happens to give benadryl.

[alayne926]

@jimbobcooter, I'd be more inclined to think it was the cayenne pepper that got in his eyes. Definitely see what the Pedi says, but that would be my guess.

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2016 13:44:39 GMT -5 alayne926 said:

@jimbobcooter , I'd be more inclined to think it was the cayenne pepper that got in his eyes. Definitely see what the Pedi says, but that would be my guess.

Yeah, the nurse just called back and said the same thing, because it was limited to his face and came and went so fast.  But now I'm all paranoid.  We're going to avoid whole eggs until our next well baby, just in case.  

[Deleted]

If he had eggs before w no issue then I doubt it's the eggs. Also ditto what PP said DS had a reaction to penicillin and it was no joke. Full body hives even on hands, face, scalp. Not just redness.

[prettymama36]

As an allergy mom, I tend to agree that it likely was the cayenne if he's had whole egg multiple times. Since egg can be one of the scarier allergies, I understand you wanting to hold off for a bit. No harm mentioning it to the ped and watching closely next time you give it. You could always have liquid Benadryl at home as well, in case. Hopefully it's just a weird one time thing.

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2016 13:42:36 GMT -5 @jemomma said:

um....hi slushpuppy...??

I'm really wanting slushpuppy to post again. Awesome screenname

[wegrowsheep]

Feb 26, 2016 20:02:37 GMT -5 prettymama36 said:

As an allergy mom, I tend to agree that it likely was the cayenne if he's had whole egg multiple times. Since egg can be one of the scarier allergies, I understand you wanting to hold off for a bit. No harm mentioning it to the ped and watching closely next time you give it. You could always have liquid Benadryl at home as well, in case. Hopefully it's just a weird one time thing.

+1 I would suspect the cayenne. However, the liquid benadryl is a good idea (and in our case was a life saver).

[gilder40]

Soooo slushpuppy created an account 30 min after the initial post from @jimbobcooter, added her two cents, and has not been back online since. Weird.

[Deleted]

Feb 28, 2016 11:49:26 GMT -5 gilder40 said:

Soooo slushpuppy created an account 30 min after the initial post from @jimbobcooter , added her two cents, and has not been back online since. Weird.

Yeah, either  this...




because I'm so awesome that random people are inspired to join just to talk to me or...




I'm leaning towards the latter.

[dmoney]

If we are talking about allergies I haveaquestion. Neither dh or I have any food allergies. We haven't given dd yogurt or anything with nuts in it yet. We are going g to wait until our 9 month check up to talk to her doctor. But what do you guys think her chance of having an allergy is? I am nursing and haven't seen her react differently to my milk after I eat anything. I'm just so scared to give her a food that haa a high allergy and not be able to get her to the hospital fast enough.

[Bluedaisy]

dmoney, I hope these other ladies have an answer on that one. I have serious anxiety about food allergies. I know that serious food allergies are fairly rare, for example I read today that only 2% of kids have an egg allergy (Currently introducing eggs, this is why I know that particular stat) but I don't know how many of that 2% have severe allergies and also how many have that allergy in the family.

[dmoney]

Feb 28, 2016 20:52:26 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

dmoney , I hope these other ladies have an answer on that one. I have serious anxiety about food allergies. I know that serious food allergies are fairly rare, for example I read today that only 2% of kids have an egg allergy (Currently introducing eggs, this is why I know that particular stat) but I don't know how many of that 2% have severe allergies and also how many have that allergy in the family.

That's what I thought as well but my nephew has a sever allergy to oeanuts (neither my sister or bil do)and he has a raw dairy allergy. He can have milk and cheese cooked in things but not a glass of milk or some yogurt.  We do live close to the hospital  (10 minutes drive if something were to happen ) but I am stI'll very scared.

[dmoney]

Feb 28, 2016 21:08:26 GMT -5 budders said:

I have been pretty relaxed about intro-ing food, far more than I ever thought I would be. My sister has a peanut allergy, but our doctor said he didn't think we'd have any trouble and recommended we give PB to V early and he had it at about 7 months and several times since with no trouble. I've also given him eggs and yogurt (his new favorite food) with no troubles.

I know that my SIL, who has nut and shellfish allergies, actually had her kids try peanut butter in the parking lot of the the hospital. Maybe a bit extreme, but it made her more comfortable because of her history. None of the boys have nut allergies so far, but still waiting to find out about shellfish.

Dh has actually joked about giving dd peanut butter for the first time in the hospital parking lot. It's a smart idea if you have known food allergies in the family,. For us I think it's a waste of 6 dollars seeing as how we have to pay for parking at all of the hospitals around us.

[hannahl201477]

Feb 28, 2016 21:15:00 GMT -5 dmoney said:

Feb 28, 2016 21:08:26 GMT -5 budders said:

I have been pretty relaxed about intro-ing food, far more than I ever thought I would be. My sister has a peanut allergy, but our doctor said he didn't think we'd have any trouble and recommended we give PB to V early and he had it at about 7 months and several times since with no trouble. I've also given him eggs and yogurt (his new favorite food) with no troubles.

I know that my SIL, who has nut and shellfish allergies, actually had her kids try peanut butter in the parking lot of the the hospital. Maybe a bit extreme, but it made her more comfortable because of her history. None of the boys have nut allergies so far, but still waiting to find out about shellfish.

Dh has actually joked about giving dd peanut butter for the first time in the hospital parking lot. It's a smart idea if you have known food allergies in the family,. For us I think it's a waste of 6 dollars seeing as how we have to pay for parking at all of the hospitals around us.

we have been joking about doing it there too. Especially since Mals eczema has been so bad.

[Bluedaisy]

Ladies you have no idea how much this thread is helping me! I thought I was the only one who was so worried.

[Deleted]

I gave P a little bit of peanut butter about a week ago and the stared at him obsessively for at least three hours in hopes I hadn't just sent him to his doom.

[Bluedaisy]

Feb 28, 2016 22:18:19 GMT -5 @jimbobcooter said:

I gave P a little bit of peanut butter about a week ago and the stared at him obsessively for at least three hours in hopes I hadn't just sent him to his doom.

Seriously this is me EVERY new food.  I swear I hold my breath for the first fifteen minutes after the first two times we try each food.

But seriously you guys are really helping me.  I really though I was losing it.

[Deleted]

Feb 28, 2016 22:28:52 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

Feb 28, 2016 22:18:19 GMT -5 @jimbobcooter said:

I gave P a little bit of peanut butter about a week ago and the stared at him obsessively for at least three hours in hopes I hadn't just sent him to his doom.

Seriously this is me EVERY new food.  I swear I hold my breath for the first fifteen minutes after the first two times we try each food.

But seriously you guys are really helping me.  I really though I was losing it.

Not at all.  I realize it was 99% chance it was a topical reaction to accidentally getting cayenne pepper on his hands and face, but this whole thing has me freaked out big time.

[wegrowsheep]

We have 4 epipens in the house, and a bottle of Benadryl. We also have a combined family food allergy history of wheat (most grains), strawberries, peanuts, egg, avocado, tree nuts, pit fruits, shellfish, and nightshades. Rxns range from mild eczema to anaphylaxis.

Thor has has just about everything, except tree nuts (choking hazard) and peanut butter (I don't keep any in the house).
And shellfish because *hork*
I'm not careful about introducing new foods. If I'm eating it, so is he. (but not honey. Or wine)

[dmoney]

Feb 29, 2016 3:25:58 GMT -5 wegrowsheep said:

We have 4 epipens in the house, and a bottle of Benadryl. We also have a combined family food allergy history of wheat (most grains), strawberries, peanuts, egg, avocado, tree nuts, pit fruits, shellfish, and nightshades. Rxns range from mild eczema to anaphylaxis.

Thor has has just about everything, except tree nuts (choking hazard) and peanut butter (I don't keep any in the house).
And shellfish because *hork*
I'm not careful about introducing new foods. If I'm eating it, so is he. (but not honey. Or wine)

We have given DD wine.  **bad parent award** at her baby naming the rabbi told us to dip our finger in it for religious reasons.  So that's what we did. Not like a glass of it. She seemed to like it too.

[dmoney]

Feb 29, 2016 7:27:30 GMT -5 budders said:

Feb 29, 2016 6:22:15 GMT -5 dmoney said:

We have given DD wine.  **bad parent award** at her baby naming the rabbi told us to dip our finger in it for religious reasons.  So that's what we did. Not like a glass of it. She seemed to like it too.

Why would that make you a bad parent then?

I should of added that we have done it multiple times since...

[prettymama36]

Feb 28, 2016 20:48:34 GMT -5 dmoney said:

If we are talking about allergies I haveaquestion. Neither dh or I have any food allergies. We haven't given dd yogurt or anything with nuts in it yet. We are going g to wait until our 9 month check up to talk to her doctor. But what do you guys think her chance of having an allergy is? I am nursing and haven't seen her react differently to my milk after I eat anything. I'm just so scared to give her a food that haa a high allergy and not be able to get her to the hospital fast enough.

We have no history of food allergies at all. DD1 had a dairy allergy and outgrew it by 2, DD2 had a peanut allergy which she also outgrew, thank god, by 5. Both had eczema as infants as well and DD1 has mild asthma. Asthma and allergies can be related. So far DS is fine, no reactions or eczema. I was nervous giving him peanut butter because the recommendation was to wait until 2 when the girls were small. I totally understand the anxiety. I really encourage you to try and give it early. Our allergist told us they believe that waiting is what may have caused all the increased allergies. I will always keep Benadryl on hand and we still have an epipen. We had to carry it for a year after DD2 passed the food challenge. I still feel better having it.

[Bluedaisy]

prettymama36, this is a slight aside but I was reading a travel magazine but it actually recommended that people travelling to regions they had never been before carry an epipen even if they had no history of allergies. They said that there was a small chance of exposure to something brand new.


I think one of my anxieties is that I wouldn't know if it was an "OMG call 911!" or a "he's sensitive to it", we're only about 10-15 minutes from the hospital but I worry that I wouldn't recognize the reaction fast enough.

[prettymama36]

Bluedaisy, your anxieties make perfect sense. It's scary to think our LO's might react to something. Generally speaking, you are likely to see a something like hives as the first reaction, and not an anaphylactic episode. You would likely have a "warning" reaction that there could be a potential problem. The chances are overwhelming though, that your LO will be perfectly fine and never have any issues. Even with my daughters peanut allergy, the chances of O having a problem were so very small. Do you find the more foods you are able to successfully introduce, the less anxious you feel?

[kemdupuis]

You guys have me freaking out because I haven't given B peanut butter yet. Have I ruined my child?! I've heard about giving it to them relatively early, but I guess I just assumed this was still too early.... calling the pediatrician this afternoon to discuss!

[mrsdee1982]

I just gave C peanut butter this weekend, and I stared at her for hours after too!

We have had one allergic reaction that sent us to the ER and it is scary, because we don't know what it was to. The doctor told us "well, it may never happen again, or it might and she'll grow out of it, or it might be a life long allergy. we just have to wait and see." So, here we sit, waiting to see if she has another reaction. If she does, and we're unable to pinpoint the culprit, we'll have to do allergy testing on her. I'm really hoping it was a one time thing.

But her reaction was hives on her face and throat, shallow breathing, a scream that we've never heard before or since, and trouble focusing her eyes. Yeah, it was not fun.

ETA - I have a shellfish allergy and DH is allergic to a couple types of antibiotics.

[prettymama36]

Don't freak out! @kemdupis. It seems so weird to me to give it this early. Our allergist said anytime after four months. With my older two, the "rule" here was no peanut butter until they were two years old. The idea to give it early is relatively new. I'd bet there's probably a wide range of advice from each ped or allergist.

[Bluedaisy]

prettymama36, I think it will get better once we've done all the "big" allergy foods. I was talking to a psychologist about it and she said it could be a "self limiting anxiety" that will just go away with time and exposure.

[billyhorrible]

kemdupuis, we haven't done peanut butter either. I wait till one for that.

And give it in the car right before the 1 year appointment.