Please help! Baby with hives...

[Grace&Violets]

I need some help figuring out what is wrong with my 17 month old son. He started with a pretty bad cold in March, then came the hives. I took him to urgent care and they said that sometimes kids can get hives with a cold. It's a virus and sometimes the body responds to viruses with hives. It took a few weeks, but his cold and his hives cleared up. He was fine for a couple of months until a couple of weeks ago. We went to Minnesota and all was fine, until we got home. As soon as we got home, his hives flaired up again. They cover his entire body, arms, legs, torso, face, feet and hands. They sometimes even cause his fingers to swell. I want to take him to the doctor, but I know that they will just say that it's an allergy and they've already told me that they will not do the skin prick test on a child this young.

 

Of the top 8 food allergies, the only foods he has been exposed to are wheat, dairy and eggs. I've eliminated the eggs as a culprit already, because he only has them once in a while and the hives are daily. I guess they could be in other foods he's eating, though.

 

We don't have a dog, but we do have cats. Could he have suddenly become allergic to cats?

 

I would appreciate any help or suggestions. I don't have insurance, but will have to take him in to see his doctor, if I can't resolve this. One more thing is that he does respond to Benedryl fairly well. I can give him 1/2 tsp and after about 45 minutes to an hour, the hives have mostly cleared up.

 

TIA!!!

 

Edited to add: The Benedryl only lasts for a few hours and I would rather not have to give him that every day, all day long. It makes him sleepy. I'd like to either eliminate the allergen or find a natural remedy.

[Grace&Violets]

Another thing I forgot to add was that today I started giving him pro-biotics in his milk to see if that will help. Freebird had suggested that it could be an acidic food (in another forum), so I thought that the probiotics might help. It's the Melaleuca Florify. I opened the capsule and sprinkle just a little into each cup...and not every cup. Just a couple times a day. I did this when DS had severe diarrhea that lasted a month. After I started this, the diarrhea cleared within a couple days.

[HSmom]

I don't know what sort of foods your family eats, but check labels. If, for example, your little guy eats granola bars, he's probably getting wheat, soy, milk, eggs, corn syrup, etc. Have you heard of the 'elimination diet' to isolate food allergies? I'm not really familiar with it, but a Google search is bound to turn up something.

 

Swollen fingers seems scary to me. The big concern is that this could worsen and his airway swell. It's true that they won't do skin tests this young - because they're not usually accurate, but sometimes they can do a blood test, called RAST - the letters stand for something.

 

I also wonder if he could take another anti-histamine. Benadryl makes me SOOO sleepy. I don't know if he's old enough to take Claritin or Allegra - probably has too be at least 2 years old. I also wonder if the doctor would give you an epi-pen - ust in case.

 

I'm sorry he's having this trouble.

[Mother]

Poor baby, he's got to be miserable. Remember that hives are life threatening if he gets them in his throat. Be very vigilant with him.

 

I have had very personal experience with allergies, both in my own life since infancy and in my children. I have developed so many allergies lately that I'm not sure what to eat any longer so I know the extreme frustration with this. My youngest son was so allergic to red food coloring that we had to take him to the emergency room a time or two when he accidentaly got hold of it. It acted like a drug to him. Finally at five months when he wasn't gaining any weight the allergist had me take him off any food and nurse him totally until he was a year and I had to watch every little thing in my own diet. It worked as he has only a few allergies now.

 

Couple of questions. Has he had allergies before or does someone in the family have allergies. Predisposition to allergies runs in the family and they can be triggered by illness or stress.

 

He could literally be allergic to anything. Could be from foods he's eaten before but suddenly developed an allergy because the virus has set up the pathway to do so in his system. Could be the cats, could be a new soap or laundry or cleaning product, even natural ones, chemicals even outside like on the lawn or in the field nearby. It could virtually be anything.

 

Reactions can manifest three days or more after being exposed to the allergen so that only makes it harder to figure out and on top of that he could have two or more working together to cause a reaction where one might not.

 

Most allergies will manifest within a short period of time after exposure, most but not all. I know that most doctors won't skin test at this early age but there are blood tests that will show general allergies. Still, they don't like to do it early and just suggest that you keep the common allergens away until they are older. You obviously know the main allergens but wheat and milk are tops on that list too. Peanuts or other nuts are a big one, corn, tomatoes, and etc. Unfortunately most of these foods are hidden in other foods as well. Like corn starch or modified food starch containing wheat. Lactose or casein being milk products. Think of things like food colorings and additives, MSG, artificial sweeteners, everything. Even sugar or salt can be an allergen. It might take two weeks of giving him none of those foods to see improvement.

 

Consider other possible allergens also. Like the cats or molds or pollen, chemicals, etc. It might be that he's allergic to synthetics or even something you use yourself like perfumes. Has he started using anything different lately, tooth paste, anything. Did he start using anything different or having different foods in March when he first had this "cold". You really have to be a detective to find an allergen. Sometimes it takes keeping a strict journal of what he eats, does, wears, comes in contact with and what his symptoms are.

 

Ask yourself questions like. Did he have it before going to Mn and then it went away until he came back? What is different now than before? Could he still have the virus in his system and is still reacting to it? Was it a virus for sure or could it have been bacterial?

 

The acidolphilus could be helpful to him and again it could hinder if there's something in the capsule to bother him, often milk products. There are herbs that can help but they all carry the potential to be allergenic and at this point you don't realy want to give him anything else he might be allergic to. There are elimination diets that he can go on that advocate things like turkey, rice, pears and other safer foods but really no food is a safe food. And you have to be careful with one so young that they get the proper nutrients and vitamins COULD cause him problems.

 

If he were mine, and believe me I've done this, I would take him off the main offenders, even the milk. Susbstitute rice milk maybe. I would make sure he had simple, plain foods and I would rotate them every four or five days, meaning that no food or food family would be on his diet more often than that. Food families are things like all dairy is one; poultry is another; tomatoes, peppers, egg plant and white potatoes are all in a family together. While it's possible to be able to take one member of a family and not another it's better to not take a chance while you are testing.

 

I'd suggest you continue this for about two weeks and see if there's any change. Finding substitutes for wheat(and actually gluten also which includes Rye, Barley and some people even say oats) and corn can be a problem and normally rice is one of the best. They do have some wonderful wheat/gluten free mixes out there but they contain a lot of ingredients that could be a problem. If you can convince him of it it would be best just to try to just keep him away from all grains but maybe rice or if you must give him something, give it to him only once every four days. Definitely not every day.

 

Okay, so now I've written a book which I didn't intend to but I know how frustrating it is to not know what to do about an allergy. This is only the tip of the iceberg but I almost think because it's hives instead of a rash that you will be able to find the culprit soon if you start doing a little research thinking beyond foods as well. I get terrible hives from pressure alone. If I even lean on a table I get hives. I also get them from peanuts. Chemicals and smells make me dizzy and have headaches. And I'm allergic to rice so it's different for everyone but with hives you usually can figure it was something that he was exposed to fairly recently (within 24 hours?).

 

I hope something I said here will trigger some clue. Good luck and if I can help further I will.

 

Hugs,

[Skagitgal]

Dear G&V, I would check carefully into enviroment. You said he was better in Mn.

 

Was it cooler?

 

Have you recently installed new flooring. wall paneling,new furniture.,,,Think [Katrina trailers,] formaldehyde. New blankets in the bed...etc.

 

I would be very suspicious if he improved away from home, about what may be in your house.

What FOODS did he NOT EAT while you were away.

 

What clothes did hubby or you not wear on your trip, that you wear at home....workplace contammination????

 

Good luck, it is a big puzzle.

 

[Grace&Violets]

Wow! You all are a wealth of knowledge! Let me see if I can answer some of the questions that came up.

 

I don't think that I'm allergic to anything. DH is allergic to dogs, to the point where his face sometimes has swollen and he has troubles breathing. He also has some seasonal allergies, but I think that's it. We don't have any dogs, so that can't be it.

 

We use almost all Melaleuca products, which are supposed to be good for people with sensitive skin. I don't wear perfume. He has the same blankets on his bed as have been there for a while. We just wash them and put them right back. (He's got a blanket attachment to 2 of them). Nothing new installed in the house, either.

 

We do not eat artificial sweeteners. We try to eat mostly organic foods, but sometimes end up eating some junk. I have heard that a lot of different chips have MSG in them, so we are trying to cut out all, except for organic tortilla chips and organic potato chips. I know we could do better with our eating. I have a sneaky suspicion that his problems are food related. Mother, I will try to take your suggestions on the elimination diets. I'm going to print off everything you listed and start with some of those. It will be very hard, because he is a picky eater. He won't eat most veggies and a lot of fruits. He doesn't even like strawberries.

 

I am a SAHM and DH does most of his work from home, although he sometimes goes onsite to customers businesses. I can't think of anything new there, but I'll keep that in mind and make sure DH doesn't track anything back from one of those sites. He owns a mobile welding company.

 

The only thing that I can think of that is different between where we were in MN and here is the cats. We've had one for 6 1/2 years and the other for close to 8 years. It would be very hard to part with either of them, but I would do it if it were for my child. It is strange, though, how it has been so long since the first time he got the hives until now. He didn't have them before going to MN at all, except in March.

 

It will be hard if either milk or wheat are the problems. Being just over a year old, milk is a daily habit and he loves crackers and toast. I will give all of your suggestions a try and let you know of our progress. Any other suggestions will be welcome, too.

 

Thanks so much!!

 

~GV

[Amber]

I'm going to throw in a few things we found we had problems with in different family members over the years -- in relation to the things mentioned above. FWIW

 

 

Food: Is he craving and eating something more than anything else?

 

Contact: If the hives are all over, what does he wrap himself in that would possibly allow contact like that?

 

My brother rashed out due to the laundry soap. When we changed out from Tide to All (non perfumed) the problem disappeared. It was a real rash and my aunt had to use witch hazel or something else that was a powder she had to mix with water and boil up and then cool to use and I forget the name right now but it is also a home remedy for pink eye (conjunctivitis).

 

Peas are related to peanuts, if they should be a problem.

 

My son was milk (dairy) intolerant -- we diagnosed it when he was 16, and we had to switch over to Mocha Mix, but he gradually put it back into his diet within 2 years. Rice milk and soy milk are substitutes, if he doesn't react to soy, or a non dairy creamer product might be possible substitutes.

 

I went non-dairy with him and found out that I am dairy intolerant, but can tolerate low amounts of yogurt and real cheeses but not commercial 'cheeze' products as they contain too much milk proteins. I get sick from things like ice cream, cheese whiz, orange type cheese sauces, milky or creamy salad dressings and soups, and hot dogs -- to name a few obvious products.

 

My mom is allergic - breaks out in giant hives -- from strawberries (has to eat a lot of them), and uncooked tomatoes -- any amount, but the hives stay for almost a week. We also noticed that she gets sniffles when she eats wheat -- almost instantaneous.

 

I have an old book of recipes that are non- dairy, eggs and wheat. Other similar recipes can be found on the net if you find any of those items are the culprits. Some of the recipes were developed due to shortages during WWII.

 

An extra out-of-left-field item: One of the ladies at work kept getting a nasty skin condition on her hands that took her years to figure out, with the help of a chiropractic doctor -- it was from newsprint! She now wears gloves to read the newspaper in the morning or whenever she has to handle one and her hands are lovely now. Just to show that it can be something you'd never think of.

 

Good Luck in your search. Wishing him and you well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mother]

Good morning G&V, I've been reading the posts here and I'm glad people caught what I missed or didn't mention. Now that I'm more awake I'll try to give a few more tips I thought of.

 

Couple more questions to ask yourself. When does he have the hives? All the time or only occassionally? Those would be the times to think back three days. As stated above, it's often the very thing that one craves that one is allergic to and/or the thing you eat daily. If he's having hives more than every three days it's probably something he's continually in contact with, either physical contact or injested.

 

Chemical preservatives, colors, additives and such can be really difficult to eliminate as they are in almost everything commercially prepared. BHA and BHT are two that comes to mind along with the MSG. Normally though the first two are thought to be connected with hyperactivity. Does he seem normally active or is he extremely sensative to stimulation? He's going to be fussy with the itchyness but does any of his actions seem unusual? That would be another clue perhaps.

 

You can find information for elimination diets online but read a lot of them before you start as some advocate one thing and others something else and each one may give you that one more piece of information you need. It's harder to find food families online for some reason so using them as part of the rotation diet is more difficult. Elimination diets are the tried and true 'test' for infant allergies and rotation diets are the tried and true diet for keeping allergens to a minimum. The difference is that an elimination diet is used only for a short time as there's a possibility of getting nutritional defeciencies with them. Rotation diets can be used long term, even for life if necessary because they only eliminate the KNOWN allergens and allow for all other foods on a continually rotating basis, nothing more often than every four or five days.

 

Most elimination diets start out with only a few foods, generally organic if possible. To give you some more ideas:

 

Fruits could include organic pears and apples (or sauce or home dried, not sulfured), possibly bananas and peaches.

 

Meats could be any plain meats (but not beef), ground turkey (Louis Rich is a good one with no additives normally), organic chicken, lamb is often a good one because people don't normally eat it, but make sure he doesn't get processed meats like ham, bacon, canned meats, etc.

 

Vegetables could be organic carrots, sweet potatoes or yams (these can cause problems in some), zucchini or summer squash, celery and winter squash, (no potatoes, tomatoes, peppers or eggplant or beans of any kind to begin with).

 

Normally only whole grain rice and millet are used as grains.

 

Beverages can be plain spring or distilled water, rice milk, (don't try soy until later), apple or pear juice, possibly peppermint tea. Use only honey for sweetener though this can cause problems and you might have to switch to agave syrup or stevia.

 

Wheat and milk are the two hardest things to eliminate but remember it's probably not forever. You can find organic rice crisp cereals now with no additives that are pretty good. There is puffed rice and puffed millet which aren't bad either but sort of bland. There are other gluten free cereals also but I'd be careful of them to begin with. There are also rice cakes which might substitute for the toast and you can always use applesauce for a substitute jelly on it. Rice cakes crumbled in a bowl with rice milk on them isn't bad with a bit of honey for breakfast or a snack.

 

Rice milk is one of the most common substitutes for milk there is. If he has rice often now you might suspect it however and if he doesn't get better on this diet, change rice first. I wouldn't want to keep a little one on it forever as it's defecient in calcium and nutrients but it's not going to hurt him for a couple of weeks and even if you find he's allergic to dairy, there are a lot of substitutes he can have later for that. You can also add coconut milk to his diet, even an elimination diet, just watch when you do that it doesn't cause problems. Coconut milk is a nice sweet addition to rice milk and if he seems to tolerate bananas the three make a great drink. If you use frozen bananas and blend it with a small amount of either/or it makes 'ice cream'!

 

The elimination diet is supposed to tell you if it's FOODS that are causing his allergies so be very cautious what foods you give him. If he's still having hives after four or five days, change things in his diet for another three or four days, substitue different fruits, meats and etc. If after two weeks you have found he's still having the hives it's more than likely not food but contact allergies. If he has cleared up then start adding foods back only ONE at a time and only every fourth day and if he has a reaction do not add another until the allergy has cleared. Do not think just because he reacted to one thing that it is the ONLY thing he's allergic to. Suspect all things until you find out differently. Remember, he might not react for up to three days so change nothing else in the mean time. Also remember that he might not react at all unless he's given it several days in a row or is given it more often than every four days. Trial is the only way to find out. Start with the things that he's eating constantly now, like milk. Watch carefully for serious reactions. It could happen.

 

Now for non-food allergens. It's possible the cats can cause his hives, a common reaction to them by the way. His dad's allergies to dogs is an indication that it's possible but not probable because he was around them without having the reaction after coming from MN. You may not have to get rid of them though. Try to find a room they cannot go into, clean it thoroughly, and then let him spend a lot of time there. Make sure his bedroom is clean and clear of allergens. Anything that will collect dust like carpets, stuffed animals, even his mattress could be causing the problem. I'm allergic to synthetics like polyester and have to use allergen covers on everything. Wal-mart has pillow and mattress covers for allergies. Sometimes having a allergy free enviroment to sleep in helps you cope with allergens during the day by eliminating the overload.

 

I know that this is a lot to take in all at once but having hives can be life threatening. To make a point. My GD has an allergy to blueberries and the doctor wants her to carry an epi-pen with her constantly even though blueberries are normally easy to avoid. Turns out she needed it. While working at a restaurant she serves blueberry pie and she's always careful to wash her hands after handeling it. One evening she got a small cut on her thumb but didn't think anything of it. She handled the blueberry pie, got some on cut accidentally and after serving the pie went back and washed as usual. Within ten minutes she was feeling sort of chokey, within fifteen she was using the epi-pen and they sent her home. She does not have asthma, just hives. Strangely enough I also get them from blueberries. I'd rather see a child with a rash than hives and I can't believe your doctor is not more concerned about this.

 

As I said before, you will have to become a detective to ferret out what's causing it and you will most likely find it's a very common thing. You seem to have a lot of help here. Isn't Mrs. S wonderful????? I couldn't help but think of the team on CSI or one of those crime shows. Again, good luck.

 

HUGS

[Grace&Violets]

I have a question that came to me this morning. DS is teething, chewing on his fingers and has a small appetite when he teethes. I was wondering if teething could cause hives? I know that it causes him to have a slight fever and sometimes diarrhea, so it seems logical that it could also cause hives?

[Becca_Anne]

I'd make an apt with a pediatric allergist. Have the blood test to cover your bases. At worst you'll just have to keep up the detective work, but if it comes back positive to common allergens then you'll have something to work with! I would also change Dr's. Hives are a serious reaction and he's being way too blase about it. I'm sorry your son is having such a miserable time of it! Also one thought, is mold. If the hives went away when you left, and returned when you came home there is a higher chance that the house you are living in is the problem. Or pollen allergies, something environmental anyhow. I hope you can figure out the problem!

[nmchick]

Wow, lots of good advice. I'd second the pediatric allergist. With our pediatricians we got no where. And be careful when choosing a rice milk. Many contain barley which contains gluten. If you're eliminating wheat, might as well do gluten at the same time.

 

Mold? Any leaks anywhere?

 

Where are your cats hangin out? I'm not allergic to dogs, but am allergic to the pollen in their coats at some times of year. I was going to suggest you give your cats a bath, but I know how practical that advice is!

 

And finally, since an antihistamine helps the hives you know that it's definitely a histamine (allergic) reaction. Sorry to say that allergies only get worse with additional exposure.

 

 

[Amber]

Hi, I haven't been around teething babies for quite awhile, but as I remember, they can come up with some amazing symptoms. It is always a possibility.

 

I remember heat rash, diarrhea, massive drooling, fevers, minor to major crankyness and chewing anything in their grasp.

 

I'd suggest keeping him cool, powdered down with corn starch, but do a test patch; bathing him in cooler bath water, possibly with the Aveeno oatmeal additive stuff. Check out epsom salts for his bath. Always do a test first on a body 'hot spot' to see if he reacts.

 

I'd also go easy on giving honey to a child under two years of age. I remember reading about illness due to feeding honey to very young children. Is honey pasteurized these days?

 

Note: I just found out that honey should not be given to children under 12 months old.

 

The main thing is use your gut feeling. Read all the stuff, analyze, and go with your gut, as they say. If you have that nagging feeling that all is truly not well, go see the medical expert.

Wishing you well.

 

 

 

 

[Mother]

I don't believe I've ever heard of hives being associated with teething but I suppose anything is possible. Was he teething the first time he broke out with hives?

 

I agree with the suggestion to find a pediatric allergist. I know that's not always possible but if he continues to have hives and you can't figure out what it's being caused from you may have to do that. Hives really can be serious.

 

I do have to mention that an allergist will often tell you that sometimes it's not possible to find a cause for hives. What they mean is that THEY often can't find a cause and it's easier to just give meds for it. They have found that most parents don't want to go through all the hassles to try to find it. It is true that that people often have them for six weeks or more and then they go away and never come back again. Or children outgrow them. But your son has already had two bouts with them so I'd keep looking and also keep watching.

 

[Lois]

Please do pay attention to these ladies about the dangers here, my son got a bad case of the hives, I called our pediatrician , but he wasn't available so I spoke with the DR that was on call, he told me if he wasn't better by the next day to call our Dr again. About an hour later my son was covered from head to toe with a nearly solid mass of hives. We then called the emergency room and they advised us to bring him in, then the Dr who was to see him called us to say her office was closer to bring him there immediatly. By the time we got him there his throat was swelling shut, and she had to give him a shot of adrenalin to stop it. She put him on meds, the next day the hives had turned white and our Dr told me that he was on the right meds but his case was so severe that we needed to increase it to every 3 hours instead of every 4. We never knew what caused them and he never got them again. So can not even begin to advise you what to look for.

[ArmyOfFive4God]

I haven't read the replies, but I'd suggest finding another dr, have your ped. refer you to an allergy/asthma (yes asthma) dr. DEMAND IT! This is YOUR BABY and I'm so sick of *%&$^ dr's that THINK they know YOUR child better than you. PLEASE get a referral, find a new dr, SOMETHING!!!

[mistylady]

Have you switched laundry soaps? I wish I could help. I'm at a loss.

 

The only time Conrad has had hives he got bit by a spider. But ehy went way with bendryl and a warm oatmeal bath. Within a few hours he was almost hiveless. The next day he was fine and the spider was smashed.

 

I hope he gets beter soon hon!

[Grace&Violets]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Yesterday afternoon, it seemed as though the hives were on the decline, until I gave him a saltine cracker with barely a smear of peanut butter on it. It couldn't have been 1/16 of a tsp. About 30 minutes later, his entire face, arms and front of his torso were completely covered in hives. I thought about what someone had said about peas being in the same family as peanuts, because this was one of the few times in his life that I have even given him peanut butter. It couldn't have been giving him the hives before. BUT, he loves peas and I have been giving him peas probably every other day or more.

 

I called his doctor's office and made an appointment for this afternoon. It is a huge youth clinic, one of the best in our city. The last doctor we saw in March was the urgent care doctor, but we will be seeing another doctor today. There are probably 15-20 doctors and PA's that work there, in 3 different locations. Our regular doctor quit the practice earlier this year to help out with poorer children in downtown Denver. He was really good and would really listen to our concerns. I am praying that we can stay at the same clinic, but that we can find an exceptional doctor to have as our regular doctor. Of course, if we have to find a new clinic, that would be ok, since this one is probably the most expensive in our area. Please pray that God will send us in the right direction of the doctor we are supposed to see.

 

I'll give an update after the appointment this afternoon.

[mistylady]

You're both in my prayers hon. ((Hugs))

[HipppieChick217]

It might be soy. My oldest daughter biological father and brother were both allergic to milk when they were kids. So we started her on soy formula when she was born (at the advice of the nurse in the hospital. My first mistake). Turns out she was allergic to the soy formula. Then when she started on cereal she started having the same problems again. I checked the label on the box of cereal, turns out it had soy in it. Check your food labels. You never know what may be in your food.

 

The reason I say it might be soy is that it is in a lot of foods that you would never think it would be in.

[ArmyOfFive4God]

Grace, I'll be praying for a good and infornmative appt tomorrow!!!

[Grace&Violets]

Well, we just got back from the appointment with the ped. She said that the hives, along with lack of any other symptom makes her think that it's not peanuts, milk or wheat. Although, she said not to give him any peanuts for a while, at least until the rash goes away and then when the hives have been gone for at least 1-2 weeks, she wants me to rub a little peanut butter on his skin and wait for at least 30 minutes. She said that if he is allergic to it, he will get hives where I put the peanut butter.

 

She also said that she does not believe that it is the cats, either. The one thing she said that she sees a lot of is kids who are allergic to the PABA in sunscreen. She asked if we've used sunscreen since we got back from MN. I have and it's the first time we've used it on him. And it's been 2 times. That could make sense, because after she told me that I remembered that my sister was allergic to sunscreen and it would make her break out in hives. Hmm...

 

She did say that she would recommend an allergist, if we wanted, but that at this age, there are so many false positives and false negatives, that it is probably not worth spending the money, right now. She recommended an elimination diet and said that it could also be residual from the virus that caused the hives in March. All in all, not a lot of new information. You all have provided much more information to me than she did. The only thing I hadn't thought of before we went in today was the sunscreen. I really appreciate everything you all shared with me. I'm going to have to figure out a sunscreen without the PABA and see if that is the culprit.

 

Edited to add: And they charged $106 to tell me nothing!

 

Thanks!!

[Mother]

That's pretty much what I thought they would tell you and it would make sense except... You weren't using sun screen on him in March when he had the hives. Did he have peas more than usual in March or was it the first time he'd had them? Is it a fluke that he had hives with a virus and hives with an allergy? Could be. Is this the only time he's had peanut butter? And was he having peas when you gave him peanut butter? And if the hives don't clear up, then what did she suggest? Did she tell you what an elimination diet was? And just what were the OTHER signs or symptoms he was supposed to have to proove he was allergic to wheat, milk, or peanuts?

 

I eat peanuts and I get a terrific case of hives and I don't get any other symptoms. I eat cheese and I get dizzy, I don't get any other symptoms. I eat wheat and get diarrhea, ETC. Hives ARE a symptom of an allergic reaction. They are also a symptom of other reactions, such as reaction to a virus in the system AND to the antibiotics they may give for secondary infections that might go along with the virus. They can be a symptom of medications given for something, like cough syrup or tylenol or etc. Thre doesn't HAVE to be other symptoms to point to an allergy. And that statement comes from 60 years of dealing with allergies AND allergists, hundreds of them over the years.

 

Peanut butter on the skin....That may or may not work. I don't get hives from getting peanut butter on my skin but I can if I get it in a cut. But the reaction is NOT at the site of the cut and peanut butter, it's systemic and I itch all over just as if I'd eaten it. I once had over 400 scratch tests and was found to be allergic to over 300 of them.???? Yet most didn't show a reaction on blood tests for the same allergies and some that I didn't react to reacted.

 

Look at it this way. You have managed to get your foot in the door with a ped. and you've managed to get a precidence set that he may have allergies. You also now have the ability to call her and request a referral to an allergist later if needed AND you have recourse to medication if he doesn't clear up and you haven't found what is causing it. Your $106 was not wasted.

 

(Though you COULD have given it to US just kidding to lighten the situation.)

 

Okay, you are ahead, you can think of the sun screen as a suggestion that you look at EVERYTHING that touches him or is near him as being suspect. It's given you the idea that nothing is safe until proven safe. Toothpaste (floride often causes hives or headaches), toys, cleaners, lotions, soap, shampoo, carpet fresheners, stuff on YOUR clothes or Dad's, the outside or inside air, just about anything.

 

If you are going to do an elimination diet you might as well go the whole route and do it all at once and only have to do it once. (okay, hopefully once. Allergies change as you age) You are way ahead of other mothers now because you are well aware of the possibilities of allergens out there. You won't go overboard, but you will be vigilant from now on and be more apt to go natural. THAT is worth the money alone.

 

Okay, let's see if we can come up with a sun screen alternative. Start by not letting him out at the hottest times of the day if possible. Long sleeves and a hat if he'll wear them. Umbrella and sun glasses? ( hmm, does he get enough vitamin D if he's always wearing sun screen? He needs at least ten minutes a day without any block to get proper vitamin D from the sun) How about zinc oxide? Does that have something in it that might bother him? Isn't that what atheletes use on their noses? Okay people, lets hear some suggestions for G&V.

 

(((( G&V ))))

[Leah]

I don't know anything about hives, but I found this. Perhaps it will help some...

http://www.lacetoleather.com/hives.html

HIVES

Natural Cures For Hives - More Than Home Remedies

For hives, rinse the skin with cool water, and massage Tea Tree Essential Oiltea tree essential oil into affected area three times daily.

 

A ten-minute soak in a lukewarm Oatmeal Bath iconcan help relieve itching. Rubbing an ice cube for a few minutes will constrict the blood vessel, prevent further blood leakage, and shrink the hive. Stay cool and wear loose clothing, including shoes.

 

Do not eat tomatoes, shellfish, strawberries, or citrus fruits while you have hives.

 

Parsley inhibits histamine and can be blended into carrot juice to taste better. Nettleicon taken in capsules contains enough histamine to help and not enough histamine to harm, while containing other substances that help heal hives. Take this three times a day. Jewelweed (Jewelweed Anti-Itch Spray) can stop itching instantly when applied topically.

 

Wash the skin several times a day with vinegar water: 1/4 quart natural apple cider vinegarBragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to two quarts water.

 

Vitamin Cicon and Vitamin B-12 icon will help ease hives from allergic symptoms and prevent recurrences. Beta Carotene icon is particularly effective for hives caused by the sun.

 

Take evening primrose oilevening primrose oil (two 500 mg capsules three times daily).

 

An antihistamineicon (cold or allergy medicine, but read the label to be sure this is listed) will help relieve hives.

 

A hive that doesn't go away after 24 hours or leaves a bruise behind is not a normal hive. For that, a doctor should check for thyroid disease.

 

Hives around the eyes or in the mouth, or difficulty breathing, are signals to get to an emergency room. (Hives in the throat can cause the throat to swell and close, bringing on suffocation.)

[HSmom]

Are you going to get insurance anytime soon, such as waiting for a probationary period to end? If so, I would ask the primary doc for an Rx for an epi-pen (epinephrine/adrenalin), and make an appt with the allergist for after the insurance kicks in. If not, I would still ask for an epi-pen and make an appt with the allergist - maybe put it off a month or two, until you have some money saved.

 

Why? Although the allergist may or may not do allergy testing, he or she will you take you seriously. G&V, I do not want to scare you, but hives and allergic reactions can be scary. Sometimes, they're just annoying, like they are now. But they have the potential to become life-threatening, without further warning.

 

I'm very disappointed that your pediatrician did not take this very seriously - although I do agree with the advice to try the elimination diet.

 

Hey, you don't have him on a b-vitamin or niacin supplement do you? If you do, look up 'niacin flush.' That once fooled me (an RN) into thinking it was an allergic reaction to a medication.

[MomM]

Speaking as a grandparent with a grandchild with a severe peanut allergy, please use a very small amount of peanut butter on a small patch of skin and have benadryl ready. (I guess this should apply to any type of experiments you may want to try with a suspected allergen.) Our 7yo DGD is so highly allergic that even a cross contamination can send her to the ER. Good luck! It is a scary time till you can figure out what is going on.