My child is getting hives after eating certain foods.. ack! UPDATE #9 CORN!

[chantald]

Short summary..

6 1/2 months: Hives and vomtining reaction to green beans
9 months: extensive blood and skin testing.. all clean.. ie no allergies detected..

avoiding all nuts, limiting soy and other legumes, dairy free

13 months: went Gluten free.. baby stopped eating, terrible reflux flares, red flaming cheeks, diaper rash. Felt that Potatos and bean flowers were doing this.. slowly added wheat back in (there were no issues with wheat to begin with but sibling is on the ASD and Dr wanted family to go GF)

Current, 19 months: Two weeks ago woke COVERED in hives.. I blamed the Nystatin he was taking orally for systemic yeast. Hives took about 5 days to clear..

This morning, he woke covered in hives again.. I'd noticed them appearing again this week and was puzzled.. Now it all makes sense

The only thing that is the same between the day before the last outbreak and the outbreak today is popcorn... He has lots of it the day before the first outbreak and a TON yesterday..And all this past week he has been chowing down nacho chips..

The reflux flares when we went gf.. most of the replacements were corn based..

So.. what now? The Pedi was not overly concerned.. brushed off the hives both when I went 2 weeks ago and today.. The allergist appointment isn't for another week.. they are on vacation..

Why would he hive out but show no allergy testing response to corn.. or beans for that matter??

How do I avoid corn products when he eats only 4 foods now??


Hives freak me out.. they upset me so much.. and I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and no one else is worried.. but I am!

[painefaria]

We just had the same hives outbreak starting Monday. We have been to the Dr's twice and we are now just giving him Benadryl 2ml each 4-6 hrs. That has been stopping the progression of the hives but not the hives. Do the hives start with a really red area, then small blisters which join to larger blisters, then cover the entire red areas. Within 90 minutes the area returns to almost normal just leaving a small shadow of the red area and sometimes small red dots? I have been racking my brain about what it could be. I have started to remove things from both of our diets and have considered going back to rice and chicken.
I hear you about the hives freaking you out. I didn't sleep most of the night because I kept waking to check on him.

[chantald]

These hives start small, like a pimple, then get big, some are flat.. others are raised.. circular and oblong.. They fade over a few days, leaving a purple shadow that lasts a while.. more appear..

I am certain it is the corn... Now comes the questions.. Is this "serious" like a nut allergy..? I am treating it seriously but it seems my Dr is not.. Corn is in everything.. Corn Startch.. Corn Syrup in all it's nasty forms.. is corn in medications? vaccines? How do I/ should I eliminate it 100%..

[changingseasons]

I think many on this board would agree that corn is EVIL. For some reason, it's not on the top 8 allergen list, but everyone (around here anyway) seems to have a problem with it!

I think that if it's causing hives, then YES- it's serious. I would take corn out completely. Check out my blog (link in sig) for hidden names of corn; I also have some links in there too for more complete lists.

But some things to watch out for- medications, vitamins (Vitamin C is usually corn-derived), anything with a preservative (often citric acid, ascorbic acid), even things like envelope adhesives and bandaids- usually have corn in them. Corn is in EVERYTHING. We found it easiest to just skip packaged/processed foods completely.

ETA: Start a food journal if you haven't already!! It's much easier to spot patterns and figure out which food is causing which symptom. Also, you might consider cutting soy- soy issues often go hand in hand with dairy allergies.

[chantald]

Thank you, the list of corn items was helpful and terrifying all at the same time.. Now I feel he cant' eat anything....

[kjbrown92]

My DD is 3.5 years old and we've been avoiding corn since she was a year (she reacted to bandaids and playing with cornstarch "paint" at school with eczema; she screams all night long for 3 nights if she gets anything with corn in it). It's not that hard. She also avoids dairy, soy, gluten, oat, apple, and many other things. She gets plenty to eat.

She eats rice, sweet potatoes, sea salt (iodized salt has corn in it), apricots, blackberries, cherries, peaches, plums, raspberries, pork, almonds, cocoa, buckwheat, beets, cucumber, winter squash, summer squash, melons, grapefruit, olives, haddock, salmon, scallops, trout, turkey, chicken, sorghum, nutmeg, vanilla, walnut, millet, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, mustard, avocado, blueberries, pears, pineapple, egg, tunafish, clove, garlic, ginger, carrot, celery, parsley, date, grape, kiwi, strawberry, cashew, coconut, flaxseed, agave, tapioca. She is on a rotation diet with these foods (4 day) and she still gets enough to eat.

My kids were "allergy" tested, and nothing showed up. The ped. gastroenterologist said they both had food intolerances. I did elimination diets and food journaling to track down the foods. And recently did ALCAT tests for both of them, which finally showed the true story (with one false negative for each). Hives and eczema are usually an IgE response, but from my kids, I know that they can also be an "intolerance" as well.

You just have to get creative with food, and maybe try some foods you haven't thought of before (I certainly would never have tried buckwheat, sorghum, and millet if it hadn't been for my kids!). I make coconut milk yogurt, coconut milk ice cream, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and all sorts of things. I haven't figured out a bread yet, but then, I haven't tried!

Nothing is impossible.

[chantald]

Thanks.. I get as creative as I can.. but he is orally aversive and has a food repetoire of 4 items..which makes it difficult..

[kjbrown92]

Are there foods you haven't tried yet that could be added? As it is, I'd add very slowly (4-6 days in between each new food to gauge for reactions). What are your 4 foods?

[chantald]

So, I took the baby to the allergist on Wed for the hives, which had not gone away from the last outbreak as I had been having trouble staying away from hidden corn.. it sneaks into things I don't even think to worry about.. but the hives were minor..

He says..
"Well.. allergy testing in young children is unreliable.."
This I know is true, but he suggested a skin test then to check.. I said yes. No reaction at all..

Then he says
"But it probably isn't corn since his skin test came back clear. It is probably a virus..he has hyper-reactive skin (which he does) and these types of kids get hives. Just let him eat whatever he wants and give him a zyrtec every day to control them.."

have a nice day...



So.. I think.. Maybe it is a virus.. he had that virus last month and then this starts a week later..So I follow the advice.. dont' monitor what he eats.. give a daily zyrtec..

My baby is COVERED in hives. He ate some Gorilla Munch CORN based cereal yesterday and today is is COVERED..

Not allergic to corn? I really think he is...

[elmh23]

Find a new allergist. That guy was not up to par!

My kids react with hives or eczema when they get sick, but it goes away as soon as they are healthy again. To me it sounds like your baby is having a reaction, not a virus.

[WildIris]

Trust your instincts, Mama!

Corn is a very difficult allergy. It is insidious because corn is used in some form in almost everything. And then, for some reason, it is one that doesn't always show up on tests, which can make a person feel that they are just going crazy.

I am severely allergic to corn and corn derivatives--with different reactions depending on the derivative. Corn syrup, corn starch, corn chips make my throat swell up. Dextrose in medications gives me itchy rashes and hives. Other derivatives make my pulse race, or give me migraines, or cause blood pressure drops or mood swings, etc. When I consulted an allergist, he couldn't do skin prick testing on me because my skin was too reactive. He did extensive RAST testing but corn did not show up on that. However, he had warned me ahead of time that the RAST test is 50/50 at best.

He didn't really know much about corn allergy; however, he did say "reactions always trump test results" and I love him for that.

If you haven't found it already, you might want to check out the Avoiding Corn forum on Delphi. Here's a link: http://forums.delphiforums.com/AvoidingCorn/messages

This list is helpful, too: http://corn-freefoods.blogspot.com/2...-dec-2007.html

Oh, and please don't give your baby Zyrtec; it has corn in it!

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by WildIris

Trust your instincts, Mama!

Corn is a very difficult allergy. It is insidious because corn is used in some form in almost everything. And then, for some reason, it is one that doesn't always show up on tests, which can make a person feel that they are just going crazy.

I am severely allergic to corn and corn derivatives--with different reactions depending on the derivative. Corn syrup, corn starch, corn chips make my throat swell up. Dextrose in medications gives me itchy rashes and hives. Other derivatives make my pulse race, or give me migraines, or cause blood pressure drops or mood swings, etc. When I consulted an allergist, he couldn't do skin prick testing on me because my skin was too reactive. He did extensive RAST testing but corn did not show up on that. However, he had warned me ahead of time that the RAST test is 50/50 at best.

He didn't really know much about corn allergy; however, he did say "reactions always trump test results" and I love him for that.

If you haven't found it already, you might want to check out the Avoiding Corn forum on Delphi. Here's a link: http://forums.delphiforums.com/AvoidingCorn/messages

This list is helpful, too: http://corn-freefoods.blogspot.com/2...-dec-2007.html

Oh, and please don't give your baby Zyrtec; it has corn in it!

A big :

Good luck and trust your gut!

[chantald]

Originally Posted by WildIris

Oh, and please don't give your baby Zyrtec; it has corn in it!

Oh that is just wonderfull.. JUST F'in WONDERFUL

So anything that my baby can ingest medication wise has corn. They have to make it taste good somehow. Even if he is taking a chewable.. WTF is he supposed to take??

I feel like I am ready to explode.. that he can eat nothing.. oiy vey.. It's hard enough to explain to an adult why they can or can't eat something.. but to a non verbal 19 month old.. yeah.. that's not going so well...esp since he will only eat 4 things to start with.. tonight's dinner.. pasta with sauce (it was home made so I know it was corn free) didn't go over too well


and now eggs... our chickens eat cracked corn.. does that make the eggs "bad".. if you say yes.. I'll cry

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by chantald

and now eggs... our chickens eat cracked corn.. does that make the eggs "bad".. if you say yes.. I'll cry

I've often wondered the same thing... how far up the food chain makes a difference? I know that for us, DD is highly allergic to soy and corn, but when I eat chicken (usually fed soy or corn) she doesn't react. (She did react last time I gave her chicken directly, but we weren't at baseline, so it could have been something else. I haven't done an official trial yet to find out.)
So I would say that the eggs are most likely ok.

I know it's frustrating. I finally caved during DD's last horrible bout of teething and decided that I would give her something for the pain (which would have been the first time I had given her anything, medication-wise), and then discovered that there wasn't anything that I could give her!! I don't even know what we'll do if she ever actually gets sick, or has a fever or something that will actually require medication. :

[Pinoikoi]

My 5yo ds had hives right before school started. It started as about 5 small circles on his belly within about 2 days he was COVERED.

We ended up (after two ped trips) to the allergist. She put him on allergy medication (she also wanted Zantac but I never figured out why and haven't started it at this point) although at this time we don't believe he has allergies.

I found out that hives can occur with a viral infection and a "short" bout can last about 6 months.. So OP I think your son might well be fighting the same bout.. My ds' comes and goes.. He will get down to a handful of spots, and I will think, "Yeah! this might be the end!" and then it will flare up again.. and I can't step him off his meds until he is hive free for at least two weeks.. sigh..

I did go to the natural food store and get Hyland's Hives tablets and flourosone. He really liked the flourosone (like a natural type of hydrocortisone) as it relieved the itching that came before we started the meds..

[changingseasons]

alaskanteach - I'm just curious - what makes you think that it's a virus and not allergies for your LO?

[chantald]

What meds is he on?

I am really upset.. if corn is in all medication.. what can he take.. and he DOES get sick and DOES require abx from time to time..

Nothing seems to lessen the hives here, medication wise..the zyrtec makes no difference IMHO.. useless..and it has corn.. double grrrr

I do have Zantac here.. is it supposed to help with the itching? He is miserable..and doesn't understand why

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by changingseasons

alaskanteach - I'm just curious - what makes you think that it's a virus and not allergies for your LO?

The onset, the pattern of hives, the fact that he had a runny nose about a week before the onset (temporary sniffles type)..

Plus the allergist said that hives are pretty commonly attributed to viral issues.. I have no reason to doubt that assessment at this point.

Both our ped and the allergist separately ascribed the onset to viral issues.. so I guess that makes me believe it more also, although until this happened to us, I always assumed that hives were due only to allergies..

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by chantald

What meds is he on?

I am really upset.. if corn is in all medication.. what can he take.. and he DOES get sick and DOES require abx from time to time..

Nothing seems to lessen the hives here, medication wise..the zyrtec makes no difference IMHO.. useless..and it has corn.. double grrrr

I do have Zantac here.. is it supposed to help with the itching? He is miserable..and doesn't understand why

As I understand it, Zantac is really for upset stomach problems, so I never figured out why the doc wanted ds to take it. When I called and asked (I thought perhaps I had misunderstood or was looking at the wrong otc), they told me that they wanted to attack the Hives in a three pronged attack, Allegra, singulair and Zantac..

He is taking the chewable singulair once a day, and the allegra twice a day. It isn't as bad as I thought though, it doesn't make him sleepy for instance.. the good thing is the hives are no longer affecting his life (for awhile when we went in public, people would STARE at him because of all the spots on his face, neck, hands- I felt so bad for him, but he took it like such a champ ) I still have not started the Zantac and am wondering if his hives would be over if I had.. but hindsight is 20/20 and I didn't want to give him the wrong thing, so..

The Allegra is INCREDIBLY expensive. My copays alone (for three bottles of which i have only picked up the one for now) was over $100.. and I have good insurance.. plus it was sold out for several days, extra trips in etc that ticked me off to no end.. (pharmacy issue, not allergist issue)..

Go to the natural foods store and get the flourosone. It was about $15 I think, and REALLY helped with the itching (according to ds), and the allergist didn't have a problem with him using it "if" he needs it (in her words..)

[Chinese Pistache]

OP, You can get all meds from a compound pharmacist with safe ingredients. We have powdered tylenol and benadryl that can be mixed with a straight sugar syrup or applesauce or whatever (you get a scrip from your doc and have it filled with a compound pharmacy, either local to you or online).

Also, I'm pretty sure dye-free benadryl and advil are corn free, but do contain soy derivatives. I think Kathy said the benadryl dissolvable strips are also corn free.

Alaskateach, I've read that hives that come and go are sometimes related to Celiac's. Just a thought. . .