Now I think my 7 yr old is having some sort of reaction to olive oil!

[Wugmama]

I really don't want to buy into the whole "my olive oil really isn't olive oil" thing. I think this was one of those news stories that strikes fear into the hearts of those dealing w/food allergies and has been way over blown. I could be wrong, but I just can't go there.

Anyways, I have been putting olive oil on my dd's food for as long as I can remember. And of course, me and the baby (the one that needs to avoid all the foods) have a lot of olive oil everyday.

The last 3 times that my 7 yr old had it (on peas, then a different day on carrots then a different day on rice) she started trying to clear her throat and said something was wrong with her throat and said she couldn't eat the food. This last time I asked her if she "swallowed wrong" and she said yes she thought she had, then I put two-and-two together and realized it was the same thing that happend the last two times she had olive oil.

This is my dd w/asthma, who also had mild eczema as a baby (very mild, just a few spots on her arms and trunk) and who just recently had a the skin prick test done for all of the foods the baby has to avoid (nothing popped). I was reaching for a reason why she is so small and skinny (Failure to thrive) and looks so unhealthy. I wish there was a really reliable test for food intolerances!!!

Any suggestions?

TIA,
Tracy

[n2health]

Look for someone who has a biofeedback machine. This can tell food allergies.

[kjbrown92]

For us, the ALCAT test was pretty accurate.
And for us, I do believe the olive oil thing, because it explains some reactions that were written off in the past.

[Wugmama]

For one thing, we have been using the same brand of olive oil for a long time, didn't change. I guess that isn't a guarantee. But I haven't noticed a difference in the taste.

[mamafish9]

What brand of olive oil are you using?

[kjbrown92]

Do you have another safe oil if olive oil is out?

[Wugmama]

This is my dd with NO known food allergies. I started to suspect food could be an underlying issue for her after I realized the baby's eczema was being caused by certain foods. But this is the first time my 7yr old has shown in immediate reaction to ANY food. So I'm kind of freaked out. She doesn't have any other foods cut out of her diet right now. We don't have much wheat or dairy in the house but she does have some.

The brand we use is Kirkland, from Costco. I'm just lucky that with all the baby's allergies/intolerances, we can do tree nuts. I *think* the fake olive oils have been from tree nuts, so isn't an issue for her and I, although I think she is allergic to peanuts (based on reaction to peas, and brother's allergy to peanuts) so if that happened we'd be screwed.

[Wugmama]

I'm also kind of wondering if you guys think this IS an allergic reaction, having her throat be irritated while eating it?

[lily7]

I am allergic to Olive Oil as well. I had IgG testing done, that didn't find it. However my ND used Vega machine and found that I am actually allergic to it. I pretty much eliminated all oils from my diet besides Palm oil and since then I pretty much had no flare-ups.
Keep in mind that the OO is processed and the processing equipment gets cleaned with different things. So maybe she is allergic to something that they use in their processing equipment that is new.

[Chinese Pistache]

That would worry me, too. Would a non-IgE cause a throat clearing reaction? I guess I'm asking Kathy, since she knows about intolerances. Tracy, could you do an at-home patch test and dab some oil on her arm for the day to see if it causes a skin reaction?

[Wugmama]

I could definitely do the at home patch testing. I've never done that, but don't see why we couldn't. I've wondered if you could do that kind of testing at home.

My baby reacts if someone who has eaten a tomato product recently kisses her - she gets hives! So I was wondering if she went in for a skin prick test they would do tomatoes, or skip it as a given, same with peas with the immediate hives from eating them.

[Aletheia]

two cents from the path I'm traveling (incidentally with a sickly looking tiny two year old with FTT)-- olive oil is high in salicylates.

www.salicylatesensitivity.com

[Wugmama]

I'm sorry to hear that Aletheia!

My posts in this thread are kind of confusing because I'm mixing up talking about both my girls.

My 7 year old is FTT, looks sickly and tiny, has asthma and we've never figured out any underlying causes for her. Now she actually looks tall and has some pudge. I think she may have gotten almost back on her curve from her first few months of life! I don't think she is FTT anymore, she actually looks very healthy (except no hair to speak of).

My 20 month old (Alethea) was FTT, had horrible, severe eczema, is now clear, did gut healing measures (through me) and we identified our foods to avoid (list is extensive).

Now in hindsight, I believe my 7 yr could have her issues being caused by food. Never dawned on me until I went through this w/my youngest. She had a skin prick test done of the common foods, and nothing popped. But we all know that doesn't identify intolerances. This throat thing with the olive oil is the first time we've notices an actual problem directly related to food. Actually, that isn't true, she has complained of stomach aches and she thought they were caused by chocolate.

[JaneS]

If this were my 7 yo I'd suspect celiac (b/c of the no hair) and also get a RAST blood test for IgE allergens just to be sure on the nut/peanut thing. Add sesame too.

Throat (and mouth and tongue) swelling, itching or mucus is usually a histamine/IgE reaction. But I wouldn't rule out intolerances either. Tomatoes do cause rashes around my son's mouth when he eats them and he is sensitive to salicylates. And I imagine if I can see a skin rash, it certainly makes sense that the inside of the body could rash on contact as well. My son did have issues with a hoarse voice too.

[Wugmama]

I'm such an idiot!

I had gone back and added a few lines in my previous post and REALLY mixed up stuff about my 2 girls. Here is what is should say:

My 7 year old is FTT, looks sickly and tiny, has asthma and we've never figured out any underlying causes for her. She is the one whose throat is bothering her all of a sudden w/olive oil. She had SPT done for common allergens, nothing popped (I know that doesn't show intolerances, nor was olive oil tested anyways).

My 20 month old (Alethea) was FTT, had horrible, severe eczema, is now clear, did gut healing measures (through me) and we identified our foods to avoid (list is extensive). Now she actually looks tall and has some pudge. I think she may have gotten almost back on her curve from her first few months of life! I don't think she is FTT anymore, she actually looks very healthy (except no hair to speak of).