Pretty clear allergic reaction to wheat! Now what?

[tooticky]

Dd has been getting hives for the past 5 weeks (see here for a summary of the problem and what we've been doing to try to help: http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/1311364/elimination-diet-and-still-getting-hives#post_16427957

Her hives had finally been settling down yesterday and last night.

Tonight, dh set the table with wheat pasta for the rest of us and rice pasta for her.

Before we could stop her, she took a bite of the wheat pasta.

Within 5-10 minutes her face and head became COVERED in hives, which soon spread elsewhere on her body. She also had a tantrum (although that may be unrelated ).

I have so many concerns and so many questions!

How worried should I be that she may experience anaphylaxis in the future, after her reaction tonight? 

Since she also had gastro symptoms prior to cutting wheat and dairy, should I consider the possiblity of Celiac? Maybe I should take her to the GP and ask for blood testing for that, as a start?

I'm wondering how long I should keep her on this near-TED before adding other foods back in. Would it be OK to go back to a diet free of the top 10, even though she still gets occasional hives? She is getting VERY grumpy about her food options these days :)

Is it important to have allergy testing and Celiac testing, or just go with our own observations about her allergies? I do have a referral to an allergist, but it will probably take months to get in to see him.

Thanks for any advice!

[SweetSilver]

The tantrums can be allergy related.  My DD had terrible rages until we eliminated wheat, and the difference was like night and day.

Though allergy symptoms can worsen, she probably won't have an anaphylaxis response now if she hasn't had one, but you should have a couple of EpiPen Jr. around the house just in case.  Wheat is not as troublesome in that respect as, say fish or peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish.

Allergies cause all kinds of symptoms beyond rash and hives.  Tantrums, lethargy, moodiness, stomachaches, intestinal cramps, coughing, frequent urination, adrenaline-like rushes or panic attacks, confusion, sore, red bum, loose or hard stools, mucous, oddly-colored, esp. green.  So, the tummy aches might just be a simple allergy and not a gluten allergy.  

Celiac testing: if she is still experiencing GI distress, you can have a blood test for the disease, but a negative test result is not definitive for blood testing.  If the test is negative and you STRONGLY suspect a gluten allergy, a biopsy test is the gold standard.  You can try an elimination diet for gluten, but if she is allergic to corn and rice and almonds that could just lead her into unnecessary trouble.  (Both DD and I are allergic to all those things and more!)

Also, some foods are usually thought of as non-allergenic ARENT': rice, oats, almonds, buckwheat, lentils, etc.