Allergy skin tests vs vaccines

[AprilM]

Hi. I have an appointment with an allergist on Thursday for my 2 year old, so am really surfin and searching for some answers. We don't vax DS, so when I told his pedi we were going to an allergist to have skin tests done, he asked, "why would you inject allergens into his body if you are so against injecting vaccines into his little body" which makes sense, except I know what is in vaccines, but I have no idea what are in those allergy testing vials.

Can anyone please shed some light on this for me? Are these tests safe? What else is in them? My chiropractor said they are safe, but I am having a hard time just sitting back and going with them considering all the research I have done on vaccines. I should be doing equal amount of research on this, but I just can't find anything on ingredients, side effects, adverse reaction, etc. for allergy tests.

Thanks ladies.

[kjbrown92]

What are you testing him for? I just had my DS tested for some foods and some environmental. They did a scratch test, where they put a small amount of the allergen (for instance grass pollen, and probably a preservative) on a little metalish thing, and scratch the surface of the skin with it. So you're putting something on his skin that he's probably already had contact with. Versus a vaccine that's a life or dead version of a disease. There's also a RAST test where they draw blood and then can test the blood for a whole host of foods (less accurate, more false negatives/positives). My DS, who is terrified of needles, was fine with the scratch test. If there is anaphylaxis with the test, they are trained in how to deal with it. And if there is a reaction to any of the scratches, then they put benadryl cream on it afterwards. At least that was our experience last week at the allergist.

[AprilM]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

What are you testing him for? I just had my DS tested for some foods and some environmental. They did a scratch test, where they put a small amount of the allergen (for instance grass pollen, and probably a preservative) on a little metalish thing, and scratch the surface of the skin with it. So you're putting something on his skin that he's probably already had contact with. Versus a vaccine that's a life or dead version of a disease. There's also a RAST test where they draw blood and then can test the blood for a whole host of foods (less accurate, more false negatives/positives). My DS, who is terrified of needles, was fine with the scratch test. If there is anaphylaxis with the test, they are trained in how to deal with it. And if there is a reaction to any of the scratches, then they put benadryl cream on it afterwards. At least that was our experience last week at the allergist.

I would like to get him tested for envirnmentals as well as cat, dairy, and gluten. And i guess whatever the allergist deems appropriate.

He keeps getting allergy shiners around his eyes and he is always scratching his skin. He acts crazy lot, which I read can be a sign of food allergies, but then again it might just be that he is 2! LOL

He has had eczema since infancy and lately it has gotten pretty bad. Especially the diaper area.

Does anyone know what kinds of perservatives are in these allergy skin tests? And how they derive (or culture) the allergen?
Also, do these things go into the bloodstream or do they just stay on the surface of the skin?

Thanks!

[Annie Mac]

I had an allergy test a while ago. They did the scratch test on my back, and then the injected a small amount of certain allergens just under the skin on my arm. They didn't inject it into a vein, just a little under the skin.

I don't know what they preserve the allergens with or really how they're made at all, but as another poster said, they have the crash cart ready at hand in case anything goes wrong. IMO (and it's just that), knowing for a fact what triggers your son's allergies would be worth having the test. You can go crazy for years doing elimination diets and suspecting everything around you.

I'd be interested in the environmental testing: do you mean things like mold and pollen, or the chemicals we come across day to day? If that latter, I wonder who is doing your testing? The allergist I saw said it was almost impossible to get that done. Not entirely impossible, but almost.

[AprilM]

Originally Posted by Annie Mac

I had an allergy test a while ago. They did the scratch test on my back, and then the injected a small amount of certain allergens just under the skin on my arm. They didn't inject it into a vein, just a little under the skin.

I don't know what they preserve the allergens with or really how they're made at all, but as another poster said, they have the crash cart ready at hand in case anything goes wrong. IMO (and it's just that), knowing for a fact what triggers your son's allergies would be worth having the test. You can go crazy for years doing elimination diets and suspecting everything around you.

I'd be interested in the environmental testing: do you mean things like mold and pollen, or the chemicals we come across day to day? If that latter, I wonder who is doing your testing? The allergist I saw said it was almost impossible to get that done. Not entirely impossible, but almost.

I never even thought about chemical triggers. I was referring to ragweed, pollen, dust, mold, etc...but good point about chemicals.

We don't use alot of chemicals here, I try to clean with white vinegar and have been using olive oil and coconut oil for moisturizing. Although we do use store bought soaps, but I normally don't wash DS with soap.

We use hypoallergenic free and clear laundry detergent and fabric softener, so I don't think it's that.

Does anyone know how 'rare' the anaphlactic reaction is? And what causes that kind of reaction? Is it the fact that you are SO extremely allergic to an allergin and that's the response your body would have to the actual allergen itself?

[mamafish9]

Know that the testing may give you answers, or maybe not. Eczema & allergy shiners can often be from food intolerances, not allergies, and most allergists only test for (IgE) allergies.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by AprilM

Hi. I have an appointment with an allergist on Thursday for my 2 year old, so am really surfin and searching for some answers. We don't vax DS, so when I told his pedi we were going to an allergist to have skin tests done, he asked, "why would you inject allergens into his body if you are so against injecting vaccines into his little body" which makes sense, except I know what is in vaccines, but I have no idea what are in those allergy testing vials.

I don't either... but it's not likely that he would have anything but a scratch/prick test done anyway. That just touches the surface of your skin. They sometimes do the injected test just under your skin, like Annie said, but that's usually only if they don't get a clear postive/negative from the prick test. And like Kathy said, they can also do a blood test.

Originally Posted by AprilM

And what causes that kind of reaction? Is it the fact that you are SO extremely allergic to an allergin and that's the response your body would have to the actual allergen itself?

Yes- for people that are so sensitive that skin contact causes a reaction.

[rhesp1212]

The best way to find out for sure what is in the allergen vials is to call the allergy dr. directly as they can read the ingredient labels and talk to you about it. I personally wouldn't suspect that there is much more than saline in it or perhaps something like mineral oil, as otherwise the person could potentially be reacting to the preservative rather than the allergen itself. Make sense?

Skin prick testing does not enter the blood stream, it is simply pricked on the skin. They prick you with the allergen and wait 10-15 minutes, then they wipe it off, read the test and that's it. If you have any reactions, they usually put anti-itch spray or cream on it to help with any itching that might occur with it. Reactions typically look like mosquito bites or smaller unless one is highly highly allergic to something. An anaphalatic reaction could occur if one is super allergic to something (for example, those that are severely allergic to peanuts and are airborne sensative to it, etc.).

[Annie Mac]

Originally Posted by AprilM

I never even thought about chemical triggers. I was referring to ragweed, pollen, dust, mold, etc...but good point about chemicals.

We don't use alot of chemicals here, I try to clean with white vinegar and have been using olive oil and coconut oil for moisturizing. Although we do use store bought soaps, but I normally don't wash DS with soap.

We use hypoallergenic free and clear laundry detergent and fabric softener, so I don't think it's that.

Does anyone know how 'rare' the anaphlactic reaction is? And what causes that kind of reaction? Is it the fact that you are SO extremely allergic to an allergin and that's the response your body would have to the actual allergen itself?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphylaxis

April, here is the wiki link re: anaphylaxis. It is pretty rare. They put the occurrence at anywhere between 1 and 5%. As you can see from the link, it includes many symptoms that are a lot less alarming than suddenly collapsing from extremely low blood pressure, or having your throat swell up. Considering they are including things like hives in their definition, that 1-5% looks even more manageable.

The thing with the chemicals is that, aside from what you are already doing, you can't control it anyway. I have sensitivity to certain chemicals. There's no way to avoid walking by someone who has decided to liberally spray themselves with "pleasing" perfume and getting a lungful or (my personal HUGE pet peeve), getting near someone who has washed and dried their clothes in some godawful detergent/fabric softener and now, according to the commercial anyway, smells like Spring! There's also no easy way to figure out which chemical, out of the soup we live in, you are sensitive to. So if your son comes back negative for all those testable allergens but still continues to exhibit symptoms, it's really all about learning to manage them, because they are impossible to truly avoid unless you live in a bubble. And who wants that?

[AprilM]

Hey ladies, just wanted to give you an update on today's appt. We took him to his first appt., described all the symptoms to the doctor, even showed her a picture of what his eyes look like at their worst, and she said her gut is he has a concoction of allergies, like environmental, pet, and maybe some food.

She did a cat skin test right there in the office, because that was the one we were very eager to find out about, as we have this stray kitty who was supposed to be ours who is staying at my Dad's until we find out DS's allergy status, and that test came out that he is allergic, but on the low end.

She made 3 marks on his back for the cat test. One was the cat allergen, the second was just a placebo, and the third was histamine. The third mark swelled the most, as it was meant to, to show what an extreme reaction would be, the second mark did nothing, not even get red, and the first (with the cat allergen on it) became a little red. So I guess he is a little allergic to the kitty.

She also ordered a blood test (IgE and RAST) for other things like ragweed, pollen, dust, again cat dander, and foods like dairy, wheat, soy, oats, and all the fruits he loves.

I guess we'll see what happens. I am glad that the majority of the test was done via blood test because I wasn't that excited about swelling his whole back up in one session. LOL

I will update (FYI) on what the blood test reveals. Thanks for all your help ladies.

PS...one of the things the allergist said to me was a little confusing....I asked her if she did nutritional testing there (like vitamin/mineral/etc deficiency testing) and she said 'no, and i wouldn't put too much time or energy into nutritional theories, like how much of a certain substance your body needs to function properly......that's all they really are....theories. There's really no medical evidence to back those theories up.'

........me.....deer in headlights as I thought nutrition is EXTREMELY important.

[kriket]

[QUOTE=AprilM;15995329 I thought nutrition is EXTREMELY important.[/QUOTE]

I've been stalking your thread

Nutrition is extremely important, but its a guess on what a person needs, how they absorb it, how it's used, etc.
If you are eating real food that grows out of the ground, and a variety, it's the best you can do.