Just don't know what to do - allergy testing

So Max had an allergic reaction to Amoxicillin about 3 weeks ago from an EI, then he started throwing up his bottles mixed with 25% cow's milk and they told us to switch to soy milk (no issues with soy), and finally he was allergic to the butter cream frosting on his birthday cake, which I realized butter is made from milk (Duh). After the 12 month well baby appointment last Friday the doctor told us we should wait it out til 18 or 24 months because 95% of toddlers outgrow the milk allergy. Well we insisted on testing, so they referred us to an allergy doctor.

They were finally open today to schedule an appointment and I was told it would run $800-$1200 and they only do the prick testing because it is more reliable than the bloodwork. It will be a three hour appointment; he doesn't even see his cardiologist that long. I call my insurance company and we will be responsible for $1000, which will add to the $3000 we still owe on his birth, testing, and open-heart surgery. Money is so tight and the thought of them poking him so many times makes me second guess myself. I just don't know what to do and am almost in tears over this. What would you do?

 

Honestly, I had that test done and I don't think I would do it. I was allergic to everything expect 2 things and my back was inflamed for days and itchy. I'm not sure how you could get him to lay on his stomach while they poked him (mine was over 50 times). The reason the appointment is so long is that they clean you, poke you then you have to wait. After the amount of time, they have to measure and record each prick and the reaction. Again, a lot of lying still. I think I would wait the few months since he seems to be doing well on soy. My DH had a milk allergy as a baby and outgrew it only to become lactose intolerant as an adult. If your son is allergic there isn't anything that can be done other than avoidance right?

 

QUOTE(mommymeg @ Jun 1 2009, 12:05 PM) [snapback]1336290[/snapback]
Honestly, I had that test done and I don't think I would do it. I was allergic to everything expect 2 things and my back was inflamed for days and itchy. I'm not sure how you could get him to lay on his stomach while they poked him (mine was over 50 times). The reason the appointment is so long is that they clean you, poke you then you have to wait. After the amount of time, they have to measure and record each prick and the reaction. Again, a lot of lying still. I think I would wait the few months since he seems to be doing well on soy. My DH had a milk allergy as a baby and outgrew it only to become lactose intolerant as an adult. If your son is allergic there isn't anything that can be done other than avoidance right?



Oh I had no idea that was how the test was done. Max screams and squirms when he is just getting a basic exam. Yes, the ped told me at this point he just gets red rashes & hives, so avoidance is the answer. DH just wanted a concrete answer if it was a milk protein allergy or just an intolerance that he would out grow. That type of appointment will break my heart. Getting the vaccines last week was bad enough when they looked up at me with those tear filled eyes as I held them down for the shots.

 

Is that the only problem he's having? If so, then I'd just avoid milk for a while & see how he does. My two both had allergy testing done (it took forever & they hated it) because they were having all kinds of respiratory problems & tons of ear infections (plus, DH has really bad allergies too which means they are at higher risk for having them). Turns out my DS has asthma & severe allergies & my DD has pretty bad allergies too. So they're on a ton of meds now & started allergy shots at 10 months (and we're having issues with the shots already). DS is allergic to wheat & corn so we're avoiding that now & hoping he'll outgrow it in the next few years.

So anyway, if it's just the milk thing, I'd avoid it & see how things go. You can always get them tested later if you think there may be a problem.

 

Kristin, the allergy testing will NOT tell you if it's an intolerance or allergy that can be outgrown. You can learn if it's an intolerance versus an allergy, but the test can't tell you how severe the reaction will become or whether your child can outgrow it.

One of my daughters has a milk allergy. She was originally diagnosed with milk protein intolerance when just a few weeks old. Then we did allergy testing when she was 14 months old and I learned that she has an allergy. I did the blood testing for her because I was told the opposite of you - the blood test is more precise than the prick test for food based items. I met with a great pediatric allergist (thankfully covered by my insurance) and he was honest that at this young age, the treatment for both an intolerance and an allergy is the same - avoidance. Since most milk intolerance issues are outgrown by three or four, he told me to come back then and we'd do additional testing. Until then we just avoid milk. And if I had to do it again, I wouldn't bother with the test. I know she has a reaction. The test didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

I've had the prick tests done for me and let me tell you... not fun! I turned out to only be allergic to one thing (mold) but even with just one itchy spot, it was not a fun afternoon.

 

:hug: What a tough situation to be in. Good luck making a tough decision.

If I were in your shoes, this is what I would do:

As badly as I might want to know what his allergies are, the best way to tell is whether he has a reaction when exposed during the normal course of life (which you have already seen). A lot of allergy testing is NOT very accurate. The test could say he is not allergic when in fact he is. So, if your insurance covered it, it probably wouldn't hurt to have the testing. But, since it doesn't, I wouldn't have the testing done. I would completely remove all dairy from his diet and see how he does. Simple as that. You can use soy products in place of most dairy, and olive oil is a very healthy alternative to butter. My boys love olive oil on everything. Even if he came up as allergic on the test, that's pretty much all they would tell you to do - keep it out of his diet, and give him an antihistamine such as Benadryl if he is inadvertently exposed. If his reactions are very severe, your pedi should be able to prescribe an EpiPen without having had allergy tests, just based on his symptoms.

My boys have lots of food intolerances. Some might be allergies. I don't know which is which - all I know is that their quality of life and health is diminished with those foods in their diet, so I keep them out. They are happy, thriving, and eat almost anything that they are offered, with the exception of their allergic/intolerant foods. It is a bit of extra work to ensure they get a balanced diet, but I feel most comfortable knowing that the foods they eat don't cause problems for their bodies.

Good luck! :grouphug:

 

:hug: I don't have any experience with allergies, but I think if the pedi advised to wait for another 6ish months, that is what I'd do. :hug:

 

Ditto all the pps. I'd just wait it out. All the test is going to tell you is what they are allergic to - which it sounds like you already know, and to what degree of severity, which you have already seen 1st hand. The treatment will be the same regardless - cut out what they are allergic to.

I myself have been through allergy testing and I can't imagine trying to do that to a child. Especially if it isn't likely to tell you anything you don't already know.

 

QUOTE(ckreh @ Jun 1 2009, 11:00 AM) [snapback]1336278[/snapback]
So Max had an allergic reaction to Amoxicillin about 3 weeks ago from an EI, then he started throwing up his bottles mixed with 25% cow's milk and they told us to switch to soy milk (no issues with soy), and finally he was allergic to the butter cream frosting on his birthday cake, which I realized butter is made from milk (Duh). After the 12 month well baby appointment last Friday the doctor told us we should wait it out til 18 or 24 months because 95% of toddlers outgrow the milk allergy. Well we insisted on testing, so they referred us to an allergy doctor.

They were finally open today to schedule an appointment and I was told it would run $800-$1200 and they only do the prick testing because it is more reliable than the bloodwork. It will be a three hour appointment; he doesn't even see his cardiologist that long. I call my insurance company and we will be responsible for $1000, which will add to the $3000 we still owe on his birth, testing, and open-heart surgery. Money is so tight and the thought of them poking him so many times makes me second guess myself. I just don't know what to do and am almost in tears over this. What would you do?



I'm surprised they even will allergy test at this point. My son's allergy doc made us wait until he was three to do the prick test and he is severly allergic to everything (no food, just everything else). He has been on shots for years. It really isn't something I would want to expose a one year old to. They literally smash these plastic pointed things into his back. After the initial pricks, it is very itchy for him and he can not touch it; thank goodness he got over it quickly, but he still remembers it to this day. I agree, I think I would hold off as well if money is tight and just watch him closely since you already know some of his food allergies. The main reason we had our son tested is because he would break out in horrible rashes and we just couldn't keep him well after a dozen medicine changes. The prick test was our last hope so to speak. We just had to know what all he was allergic to.

 

Our ped just called back after I left a message explaining that they wanted to do the prick test, not bloodwork, and the cost. He told me to cancel the allergist appointment and just avoid milk for at least 6 to 12 months and then we can try it again to see if Max out grows it. He said they will just tell us to avoid the milk anyway and not give us an RX. He agreed there was no reason to subject Max to the testing after all he has been through in his life so far.