Is he getting over his milk allergy?

[bcblondie]

When DS was one we tried yogurt, and he got all red and blotchy around his mouth. Allergist confirmed he was allergic.

He's now just over 2 and we've been giving him goats milk but still allowed him cheese and other things with minor milk ingredients. (He's just such a picky eater)

He's always had a bit of eczema, it could be from his other allergies too. But lately his eczema has improved, dispite his diet being teh same. Today I tried feeding him cow's milk kefir and he didn't get any blotches around his mouth like he did with the yogurt last year....

Do you think that's a sign of things improving? Should I go out and buy teh same yogurt as before and see if he reacts?

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Update.

Ok so. After several days of giving him about a cup of cows milk kefir, and no reaction, no change in eczema, nothing, we tried giving him a few bottles of cows milk. He's completely fine...

Do you think the test was wrong? Or do you think he's getting over it? Or do you think he's having a reaction that we can't see yet / will get worse if we  keep giving him cow's milk?

Edited by bcblondie - 2/20/11 at 4:00pm

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Im a bit surprised that you are able to give him cheese (Cows milk?) if he has a milk allergy.  Especially one the allergist confirmed.  I would actually get him tested again before giving him anything else.  Allergies can still exist even if the allergen was ingested once, and there was no reaction.  It may take two or three more ingestions for the allergy to rear its ugly head.  And allergies have a sandbag effect when kids are little.  Each time they are exposed, the less  chance they have of growing out of it. 

I am still on this journey with my littlest guy myself.  Im taking him in for the blood work this saturday.  Cant wait!   My husband asked if we should try a cup of milk this past weekend, and I asked him if he bumped his head.  LOL

[bcblondie]

Lol. Well they only confirmed it with teh prick test. They also said he was allergic to cats which makes me wonder, because we have cats. He can stick his face right in their fur and not react.

The thing that triggers his eczema most is rubbing his legs on the carpet when he crawls and plays. He always has to wear socks because that's mainly where it rubs.

I dunno, do you think the allergist was wrong?

Recently he had a pretty severe reaction to what we think was cashiews. His face got all red and his one eye almost swelled shut. He has an epipen for that now.

But we need to go to the allergist to confirm that one so maybe I should just get her to retest everything.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I would seriously be doing the blood test. ( I always suggest to avoid the skin test in the littles) We have a great pediatric lab here in my city, they are seriously in there for like 15 seconds.  And they can test for it ALL.  Tree nuts, milk, eggs, animals, insects.  YOU NAME IT!  I strongly advise it, given his history.  And if hes definetly allergic to cats, find a new home for the cats.  What could be happening is the dander that is falling off the cats is getting into the carpet and cant be just vaccumed up, which is why hes reacting to that and not the fur.  Usually its the pet dander that people are miesrably allergic too.  (And when i say miserable, TRUST ME.  And the longer he stays exposed to it, the worse it will get for him.  Allergies are not like viruses were you build up a tollerance, KWIM?)

[bcblondie]

Yeah. If we knew 100% he was allergic (and to our TYPE of cat) I would rehome them. But for now I'm not convinced.

I will definitely be asking for the blood test. Thank you. Because he definitely has a serious allergy to some type of nut.

He also has sensitivities to histamine releasers (give  him diaper rash) and acidic fruits and juices like oranges (inflame his forskin....)

This poor kid. Seriously. He's breastfed. I thought that was suposed to decrease his chances of all this crap!

[scsigrl]

Blood and skin tests are NOT 100% accurate.  Food trials are the ONLY true test.  It isn't that the Dr. could be wrong but that the testing isn't accurate.  

I would be more inclined to think it is an intolerance if your child could still do cheese.  It is also possible that he's outgrowing/grown them. Also, as for the cat, I was VERY allergic to cats growing up. VERY. I at one time owned 3 of my own.  They usually didn't bother me (unless I was petting them and put my hand on my face/eyes).  It is possible he's use to your own cats.  We were told like this, allergies are like a cannon and eventually they will erupt if enough allergens are present for a long enough time.  We chose to rehome our cats as the list of DS's allergies made his cannon very full already. I wasn't willing to risk asthma to keep them.

It's all so muddy :( Sorry.

Edited cause I forgot the word NOT!  Wow, I would have been nailed here for that! lol

[bcblondie]

Lol. I noticed the missing not but assumed the typo based on the sentance after.

By intolerance do you mean lactose intolerance? Because I don't think that's what he has... That would only be digestive issues, not a skin reaction, no?

How do you know for sure when doing food trials? Like you said, symptoms don't always show up right away. Or are in places that you can't notice. Like ds may have an upset stomach and I'd just think he was tired or who konws what...

[scsigrl]

Immunity is a funny thing....

A food trial would be for more IgE allergies. The same that the blood and skin tests would be for.  An IgE reaction (that include an ana reaction) would happen (typically) within a few hours. You stay at the Dr's for a set amount of time. If you have no reaction, you are free to go and cleared of the allergen.  You said he tested + on the skin test after what you saw as a reaction to milk.  So there is an issue but if you were ale to do cheese I am not sure.  Again, immunology is clear as mud.  

Other immunity (IgG, IgM (I believe and others)) are often those things like sleeping issues, emotional issues and the like. They are not "true" allergies in the eyes of the allergy community at large thought those attitudes are changing here ever so slowly.  

Then there are intolerances. Which involve one of those other immunity things.  It really is a mess and trying to figure it all out is tough.

I would start with a trip to the allergist. After that, maybe a food diary to see if you can connect foods with issues.  It is often times the only way to see some reactions.

[bcblondie]

Ok thanks.

[bcblondie]

Updated and question in the original post.

[mama1803]

IMHO, I don't believe that allergies can be outgrown unless there has been strict avoidance and gut healing.  Reactions can change as kids age--what presented as red blotches around the mouth at age one can be the same allergy or intolerance that causes restless sleep at age 2 (or headaches or nasal congestion or bedwetting, etc.).  That is why a food journal is so helpful--you can detect patterns of behavior or reactions that coincide with exposure to the allergen. 

[bcblondie]

The problem is, the only thing he reacted to a year ago was yogurt. I tried milk and he was fine then too. So maybe it's actually something in the yogurt and not the milk at all?