RAST accuracy?

[jamie79]

My son has had exzema issues off & on since he was a baby (he is 6 now) & he slept HORRIBLY as a baby. Back then, I had absolutely no idea that food could have caused his problems & I used Elidel off & on to treat it with minimal success.

Fast forward 6 years & several bouts of exzema (him & my DD now, too)later: I just found out I am severely allergic to all dairy & allergic to eggs. So, since I found this out about myself, I thought I would get him checked out, too. He has been fighting a massive exzema patch for about 2 months that I thought was poison ivy. I finally took him into the Dr & she said it was exzema. However, the RAST results came back all negative.

I just wonder if maybe they missed something? Or what?

TIA

Jamie

P.S. Sorry this is so jumbled, I am super tired.

[WC_hapamama]

We've had mixed results with RAST testing, so we use it in conjunction with SPT.

That said, he could have pollen, dander or other environmental allergens... those can cause eczema too.

[changingseasons]

RAST will only show IgE, or immediate-reaction/anaphylactic allergies; it won't show IgG, or delayed-reaction allergies/intolerances. Intolerances can definitely cause things like eczema and sleep problems. There are a few alternative tests (check out my blog)... none are 100% reliable, but might help give you a starting point. The most reliable thing is just to start a food journal- write down everything your LO eats, and when/how his symptoms manifest; then you can start watching for patterns. Or try an elimination diet, maybe taking out the top 8 allergens. Or just start by taking out dairy and eggs, since you know you are allergic- chances are good that your LO has the same allergies as you.