Allergy Testing in Two Year Old

You said you kept a food diary and no one food stood out, but sometimes it's a group of foods. Dairy foods create a lot of mucus in people with a sensitivity to them and can act like a cold. Before you put your daughter through all of that, try taking all dairy foods out of her diet for at least a week. That would include milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream and anything that contains those products. If you're concerned about losing the calcium and Vitamin D of the dairy foods, you can get her Vitamin D by spending at least 15 minutes in the sun and the following website gives plant based sources of calcium: http://dfwnetmall.com/veg/plantfoodshighcontentcalcium.htm
Good luck!

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I have a daughter who gets sick often and does not have asthma. She has been diagnosed with an immune deficiency. THe thing I hate about traditional dr's is that they treat each individual symptom instead of looking for a cause. For example treating the asthma instead of looking for what causes the asthma. My daughter also is being tested for other things too; food allergies, outside allergies and low blood pressure (a neurological problem). The one thing I am so thank ful for is meeting an osteopathic doctor. SHe is a God send. She tests for allergies in a noninvasive way. SHe has helped me with mine and a lot of these doctors specialize with children and their needs especially one's that sensitivity or hyperactivity. I would look for one in your area. I'm near Cleveland so I go to Richfield. I do work with a pediatrician too and has encouraged me to work with the osteopath too since they are more about a stron immune system vs treating each symptom as it arises. I know it's hard not to worry about your children, I have 4 and God continues to bring me challenges but I know I can put my trust in Him and He will guide me through. Best of luck and blessings to you.

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Two of my grandchildren have been tested last year.
They were 1 and 3 at the time.
Don't worry.
The results will be interesting and you will have a better picture of what is causing her symptoms.
I have every confidence that once you have this info and act on it that she will improve.
Try not to make a mountain out of a molehill.

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Before I even got to the part where you said your doctor suspected food allergies, I was thinking food allergies. My now 22 month old daughter has food allergies and was diagnosed at 12 months. She had very similar symptoms and we were using the nebulizer daily to help her - a nighttime cough that was really her having trouble breathing. As soon as we got certain foods eliminated, we no longer had to use the nebulizer. She is allergic to milk, egg, peanut and sesame. Beware of the blood allergy tests, they are not accurate. That first test we did, RAST, came back as being allergic to everything - wheat, soy, milk, egg, etc. So when we got to the allergist we did skin testing, which is more accurate. It is uncomfortable because they do a little skin prick (probably 5-10 of them) and then you have to wait for the reaction. It is not that bad, and is well worth it if you can figure our how to calm the asthma and excemea - we had excema too which is better with food allergy under control. An excellent product is the Mustela Dermatologica line - sold now at Babies R Us. Good luck.

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The Dr. will most likely do scratch tets on her back , they put little scratches on your back with tiny needles that have different allergy stuff on them.Then they usually wait 15 minutes or so and see if any of the scratches develope a rash of any kind.The ones that do are the things she is suppose to be allergic too. Then after they figure out what your allergic to they will order a vial of serum that usually has a couple weeks wait and then they inject the person every couple of weeks with this stuff.You have to sit and wait to see if there is any fatal reaction to it each time.It is to help desensitize the child from the allergy.I usually got a stuff / runny nose afterwards for a day or two and then would feel great until I got my next injection.Beware of false positive reactions. I was told I was allergic to cats and many food items but found out many years later it was only cat dander I was allergic to, my 4 cats get a weekly bath, no reaction to cats at all now.I never gave up any of my food allergies except shell fish which I never really cared for any ways.
Good luck.I no longer go to the allergist and do great on my own.

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Hi A.,
My son had allergy testing when he was five and I was a nervous wreck(can't imagine a two year old). Needless to say from a Mom's perspective the procedure is scary. Basically they prick their backs with a bunch of needle-like things all at once. My son laughed when they pricked him..he said it tickles! Apparently it looks much worse than it really is. He is now undergoing treatment for his allergies(the test works) and is much much better, it is worth it!
Good luck!

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Hi- My son recently had an allergy test at 10 months and did great. I have also had the tests many times, so I knew what to expect. Basically, when they do the test on the back it feels like a cat walking across your back (that is what they always told me when I was little). My son did great, didn't even cry for the back test - he sat on my lap while they did the testing, and it goes very quick. You then have to wait 15 minutes to see if anything reacts. He also had a test on his arm, and for that test they do put a needle right under the skin, that one stings a little, my son fussed, but was fine as soon as they were finished.
Don't be nervous, the testing is definitely worth it! Hope all goes well and you receive great information from your Dr.
My son also has eczema, the best thing I have found is Cetaphil soap and moisturizing lotion, and make sure you use dye free detergents and NO fabric softner.

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Allergy testing is no big thing. It's always better to have an answer and know what the irritant is than to go on making her sick with it! I would suspect a dairy allergy. It's actually much more common (either an allergy or sensitivity) than nuts. I have a sensitivity to dairy, and my symptoms are very similar to your daughter's when I consume it.

Relax and focus on finding out what the problem is, and good luck!

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A., I feel for you having to go through this, because it can be frightening. My daughter was older -4- when she had to be tested for allergies to medications. She had been in the hospital a couple of times as a toddler, and no longer feared needles at all, so it wasn't quite so bad.

That said, all of the problems that you are describing with her could be environmentally triggered. Please allow me to send you a booklet about the harmful effects of the everyday cleaning products we use in our homes.
In the meantime, here is a link to a video produced for Canadian television you may find interesting:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/maighanlivedotcom-cbc-m...

I hope your daughter breezes through the testing.

D.

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My daughter was 2 when tested also. Had really bad eczema that we just could not get under control, along with some asthma that flared when she got a cold. Testing was not a day in the park - not horrible, but not nice either - the pricks (or scratches) are said to feel like a mosquito bite. She ended up being allergic to nuts (peanut and cashew mostly), eggs, soy, wheat, fish as well as grasses and pollen, dust mites, etc. Eliminating those foods from her diet helped the eczema quite a bit. But it also explained why she would throw up for no apparent reason. It finally clicked.

The tricky thing about a food diary is that there are so many "code words" that we don't even recognize as relating to a particular food until we are forced to make the connection. Albumen + egg, lecithin = soy, hydrogenated vegetable protein = soy, etc.

In my humble opinion, the discomfort (and possibly tears - yours and hers!) that go along with allergy testing are well worth it if they can help alleviate the symptoms you describe. And prevent a more serious reaction (like anaphalactic shock) from an unknown/unexpected exposure to a severe allergy. My daughter is now 16 - uses her inhaler only before strenuous exercise. She outgrew the wheat allergy around age 6. She knows what she can and cannot have, as do her friends. Life is good.

Good luck to you and your daughter. Think of it like vaccinations - not fun, but medically necessary and ultimately done to protect her from harm. Let us know how it goes!

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Don't worry the testing isn't too bad. My allergist did some skin testing and the rest was done by having blood drawn. Just because your daughter hasn't had peanuts doesn't mean anything. My 2 boys have severe allergies. They are allergic to: milk, eggs, nuts, seafood, corn, wheat, whey, soy, bananas, strawberries, peas. There's a ton of stuff made with corn syrup that we have to avoid. With your food diary there could be an ingriedent in all the foods she ate and you jusy don't realize it. After you get the results if there any many allergies ask to see a nutritionist or dietician. They can help you with what to feed her. I hope this helps.

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My daughter was tested when she was just over two. I was shocked to see that she was allergic to nuts and eggs! Was I glad to have the test done? YES...It could have saved her life!
Usually they do a skin scratch test on their back. Once they start it takes around 15 minutes until the results are "read." You will need to hold her down so they can "scratch" her back. I told my daughter they were going to "rub" her back. It really doesn't hurt. (I had it done after my daughter.) It only is uncomfortable (itchy) if there is a reaction. We brought a DVD player and my daughter was busy watching her video and playing with stickers the entire 15 minutes. You will need to keep her hands busy so she will not touch her back at all. Stickers were great for this!
Good luck! If you are going to an allergiest, they are do this every day and can help you through this!

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He's absolutely right that the allergy testing is NO BIG DEAL at all. My daughter was 22 months old when she had a full screening of allergy testing done. It's not like it used to be. It's more like taking a spoon and scraping it on your back. It doesn't even hurt a tiny bit. My daughter had a blast while she was there because she got to play with a ton of their toys while we waited for her test results. She wasn't itchy at all or anything on the things she was highly allergic to, they just got red and patchy. As far as the other symptoms, my son has eczema and has had asthma problems in the past, especially up until age 4 (he's 5 now) The eczema turned out to be mostly keratosis pilaris, with eczema flareups from time to time, and the asthma symptoms became less and less frequent to the point that over this past winter we didn't have to give him any treatments at all. Some kids are just sick a lot when they're really young. Both of my kids were sick almost nonstop from January to May, and this year it seems like we've only had a couple very small colds run through them. I've never had my son's pediatrician recommend allergy testing, and with my daughter, the reason for her testing was because she had a chronic sinus infection and they were ruling things out before they opted for surgery. She ended up getting her adenoids out and tubes put in her ears, which again was not a big deal at all. She was up playing like normal by 6 that evening.

It's scary when your little ones are having problems, but great that other moms can share their experiences with you to put your mind at ease. I wish I could remember how long it took for the allergy tests, but it's been 4 years now. I will say this though, it was a longer appt, but not something that when I look back on it I think "man, that took forever". I bet it was less than an hour altogether. Oh, and also, I wouldn't even say anything to her. You will just make her anxious. Just let the doctors explain to her. With my daughter, they said, I'm going to tickle your back with all these different things. She didn't care, she didn't even flinch when they did it unless they really tickled. She sat and played the entire time. It would be a good idea to maybe let her buy a new toy so she is distracted while they're doing it, that way she isn't moving around a bunch. It won't hurt her or anything, but if they're doing a lot of testing, they're going to want to be careful to keep everything separated into their own areas.

By the way, I didn't have to hold my daughter down AT ALL. I noticed one of the other women said you'd have to do that. With my daughter, she just stood there playing while they did all their scratch tests on her back. I can see them having to hold down a child who was fighting the testing, but if you don't make a big deal out of it, and you keep her busy either with a book or a toy, there's no reason why a child would refuse to have it done and have to be held down.

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Hi A.,

Both my 17 month old son and I have had allergy tests done in the past 2 months. My son did great! It is uncomfortable when they push the trays on your back but it just feels like someone is poking you with several slightly dull pencils. It makes your back muscles tense, but once they are done, that discomfort is done. My son didn't like that part, but he was fine after the nurse finished with all the trays(which took a total of about 25 seconds). The part I had trouble with was the intense itching! But again, my son did fine with that. He did try to rub up against the chair like a bear scratching itself, but distraction with a toy solved that. They also did intradermal injections on both me and my son. He didn't like that, but it really didn't hurt too bad--and I don't like pain.

I was really nervous to go without my husband, but it really didn't take long at all! And it was easy for both of us. They typically say the appointments last 2 hours, but I think that is only if they have to do several tests. Each of our tests only took about an hour.

Here's how my son's appointment went: 10 minutes of paperwork; 10 minutes-sit in the waiting room; 5 minutes-go to exam room and remove his clothing--on top half only; 10 minutes--the doctor comes in and talks to you and decides which items should be tested; 3 or 4 minutes-the nurse comes in with the trays, you hold your child on your lap facing you, she administers a series of trays (this is where she might cry); 10 minutes-the nurse leaves and you wait for 10 minutes for the test reactions; 2 minutes-the doctor comes in to look at the back and see what she is or is not allergic to and then decides if further intradermal testing should be done; 10 minutes-wait for another 10 minutes for the results of the intradermal testing; 5 minutes- the doctor explains the results and you ask any questions you may have.

Good luck with the testing. I really wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Plus, if she feels like you're worried, she'll pick up on that and it will make it harder for her. Expect her to cry a little, but know that it won't hurt for more than a second.

J.

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My children both have significant food allergies (anaphaltic responses) and the symptoms you discribe are certainly consistant with mild food allergies. The skin testing is a little uncomfortable, yet, the information I gained was well worth my children's discomfort. Keeping a food journal is a good idea, however, an "elimination test" is a better screening tool. Basically, you eliminate a specific food from the child's diet for about a month and monitor the results. I would reccomend that you start with wheat or dairy as these are two of the most frequent food allergians. Eggs, peanut/tree nuts, soy, and shellfish are also common. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask me - My oldest is 14 so I have been dealing with this issue for a long time!

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Hello! My daughter had allergy tests done when she was 3- she had eaten an egg roll and then got real splotchy and was having a hard time breathing so we took her to the er and on the way there she vomited everything up and seemed like her self within an hour so her ped had us go to an allergy specialist for tests. Turns out she was allergic to cashews (even though she had eaten them prior to this) but something in the way they were cooked or used triggered it. The good news is now at 6 she has outgrown her allergies and can now have tree nuts again! Anyway they mark spots on her back w an ink pen so they know what they are putting where and also have 2 control spots (a neg and a pos reaction so they know how her skin will react) then they take a small plasticy stick and dip it in the allergens and make a small small scrape in that spot. They were very fast, which was good because I had to hold her on my lap facing me and lock my arms through hers so she would hold still. She will prob cry because it does hurt a little and she will wiggle a lot but you have to hold her tight and still (I cried too because she was crying). But after they get done with the poking part you wait 10 to 15 minutes to see what pops up and what she is allergic to. With my daughter I didn't want her to worry about it too much so I told her we were going to a special dr that was going to draw on her back and left it at that until we got there. They gave her a really cute treat bag with small toys and a book after,if yours doesn't do that maybe take her prior to the appt and let her pick out or surprise her with something for after the appt for her being such a big girl! Hope this helps and also hydracortizone cream will help alleviate the itching left by the marks but they should put that on there.
Also I have heard that now they are able to do some allergy tests by drawing blood and testing that. I don't think many insurances cover it and it may not be for everyone but maybe it would be worth it to ask your dr?
Good luck again and let me know if you have any other questions!

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NO need to worry about the allergy test. My son was tested when he was 18 months old and I was so worried b/c he already gets upset when we are at a doctor's office. They basically had 3 pallets w/so many different allergents on them. Each pallet gets pressed on the baby's back which only takes a split second. It doesn't really hurt but my son got startled by the different sensation and cried a bit (only for a minute or so). Then he ran around the examination room for 10 min w/out his shirt on b4 the allergist came back to see what type of reactions he's had. They had plenty of toys there and before long he was caught up in playing.
On a different note though, I would see another dr about your daughter's symptons and get a different oppinion. Some doctors tend to look at each symptom separately and sometimes it is better to lump them together and come up with a diagnosis that addresses all of the symptoms. If you think in your gut that there is something else going on, then go with it and make an appointment with another dr.

I remember allergy test when I was younger. They put little pricks in my back and waited to see which ones my body reacted to, which would be my wanting to itch them and my mom had to blow on them. Nothing major really, very simple. I was probably between 7 or 8 thought.
When my son was 2, he had allergy testing. At that time they said the little prick thing was ineffective for children under the age of 5 or 6. So, they did a very simple lab draw and ran all the test of his blood. They did say that was not as accurate but would give us a vague idea.
He has grown out of his asthma stage. We have moved away from nebulizers and inhalors for the most part. Maybe once a year instead of once a day. He started to get better around preschool age.

Sounds like you and your daughter have been through quite a bit! My son was @ 7 yrs old when he went through allergy testing (at my request). Prior to that he always seemed to have a cold, sinus infection, allergies, etc. The dr kept giving him all kinds of steroids/allergy meds/etc. to the point I was really getting uncomfortable...primarily because of the long term side effects of the meds with his little body still growing so much and second because the meds didn't really seem to help. I finally requested allergy testing & turns out he was not allergic to ANYTHING! Long story short, I converted my home to natural, non-caustic products & after 6 mos, NO MORE MEDS! My oldest also did not get his annual "bronchospasm" requiring albuterol for 8-12 wks (1st time he did not get sick in 12 years!) I truly believe the toxic products in our home had a huge inpact on our health and I'm proud to say it has been almost 1 year and no one in our family has been sick. If you'd like more info on the products, please email me at ____@____.com pressure, but I know I am always open to at least listening to all options:) Blessings!

My daughter was just tested a month ago (she's 18 months). Hers was just a blood draw. It was fairly easy because they didn't do the "scraping" type test. You should check with your doctor to see if a blood draw is possible. My daughter came back allergic to egg whites, milk and peanuts. Our allergist said to keep her on milk since she didn't have any reactions and to keep her away from "pure eggs", but baked goods were fine. Good luck.

Have they tesed her for CF? (Doc will know what it is) it is an easy test and way less invasive than allergy testing and she sounds like she might have something more chronic than "allergies" unless her allergies are SEVERE

my daughter had a food allergy test at about that age too. All they did was a simple blood test. It will test for an allergy to milk, eggs, peanuts, & wheat. My daughter is allergic to peanuts. The test itself lasts for about a minute. As far as the actual test goes, everything will be alright! If the results come back that she does have a food allergy, it will be ok. You just learn to adjust what food you buy.
As a side note, my daughter was diagnosed with asthma a month before we had her food test.

Hi A.,

We had a similar situation with the frequent colds, but rather than wheezing, my daughter would develop a chronic cough that would go on for weeks and wake her up all night long. Our pediatrician suspected allergies, and we had the tests done. I think our child was 2 at the time. She was only allergic to cats, and we didn't have one. The other possibility was asthma. Sometimes the only symptom in children is coughing. Now she is almost 5, and recently our doctor did hear wheezing when I took her in with a bad cold to see if she needed antibiotics. Viruses trigger the asthma, so we have an albuterol inhaler for her to use. Asthma does run in my family, and if it runs in yours, asthma is possibly your daughter's problem. It's hard to diagnose in a 2-year-old. Dairy and wheat are foods that commonly cause allergies, so you could try eliminating each one of those, one at a time, for a few weeks. My daughter did fine with her allergy test, though. She didn't cry or anything. It would be worth it to know what allergies she may have, so you can avoid those things. Asthma can be a really serious condition, so having the allergy test done would be worth the small amount of discomfort to your child, in my opinion. Be well, R.

Hi A.,

You need to find out the basis of this, but my guess would be the cleaning products you use. Have you thought about that? Is there anyone that you use alot that may be causing her to get worse? I have some information I would like to send you about that if you would like. I'm in a partnership company that has all natural cleaning aids, lotions, make-up, vitamins, weight loss and many different kinds of environmentally safe products for your home and your body. I would love to share this information with you. Our lotion would help with the ezcema immediately and everything we carry is completely nonpoisonous. Even animals can use it. Let me know if you are interested. I could even get you a sample of the lotion.
As for the test, if it is what they did to me, they will put alittle fluid under her skin along her arms and shoulders to show what she is alergic........but that was along time ago...... Just be there for her and ask alot of questions, you can't count on the doctors knowing everything.
Give her a big hug for me and you hang in there, I raised 4 kids, if you need to talk or yell at someone, let me know....I'm a good listener.

D.