[celestialdreamer]

So we've always known we've had "sensitive" kids, but I've stayed out of the allergy forum because I didn't really think we needed it. Our oldest dd used to react to some nuts via contact so we've done all that hoopla. We konw the drill, kwim? We are already on a dairy free/gluten free (Grain free at the moment actually) diet and doing well. Until yesterday!<br><br>
My 4yo has used to react via contact with oranges with a blistery rash, but I thought maybe he'd outgrown that reaction. He's currently on a weaning dose of steroids to supress his immune system due a condition called Nephrotic Syndrome (an autoimmune condition), but he's on a very low dose now. Recently I'd noticed he wasn't reacting to citrus via touch and I thought (incorrectly) that my DH had given him a sip of some clementine soda recently without issues.<br><br>
Now to the scary part...yesterday morning I gave him about 2/3 cup of orange juice. I realize how stupid it was to give him that much in retrospect, but I thought my DH had been giving him sips in the recent weeks/months of this clementine soda that is mostly juice which meant he wasn't reacting anymore. My dh told me last night, that NO he'd never given it to DS, that he'd just asked for it.<br><br>
About 30 min after I gave it to him, he was really being whiny but I didn't pay much attention because, well he's 4. An hour after exposure he suddenly was vomiting EVERYWHERE. He continued to vomit for a good 20 minutes. After he cleared his tummy, he was vomiting up what looked like frothy mucus and seemed like he was gagging. He kept vomiting lots of mucus. Then he suddenly acted like he was going to sleep and couldn't keep his eyes open. I thought the vomiting just wore him out. I called my mom who just was down the street and she came right over. She tried to talk to him and he would open his eyes and they were rolling back in his head. (I realize in retrospect how serious it was at this point, I think I should have probably called 911). So I called the pediatrician's office and they said he sounded "okay" and to bring him in. They wouldn't let me talk to the ped, only the MA who honestly I feel like is totally incapable of her job.<br><br>
Before we left the house house he opened his eyes and said he had to go potty. He had terrible diarrhea (which early that morning he had not) and was literally "asleep" on the potty. He looked extremely pale and couldn't really keep his eyes open and looked really wobbly.<br><br>
By the time we got to the pediatrician 20 minutes away he was still lethargic, but looking slightly less seriously ill. So the pediatrician originally thought maybe he just didn't feel well and was re-catching the stomach flu that just made rounds through our house since he's compromised. Then I remembered the orange juice (duh!) once I got home and called back and she suggested I give him benadryl. Within 20-30 minutes of the benadryl he started feeling better! An hour later he was acting much better and asking for food. We've been continuing to give him antihistimines until his bowels are normal, which is what the pediatrician suggested.<br><br>
This morning he's up and acting normally, but I'm feeling like a total idiot. I know enough about allergies and heck, I used to be a nurse. In retrospect, besides not having a typical rash/hives/swelling, he was showing the signs of anaphylaxis. Especially with the profuse mucus that he had and the signs of low BP. I am not thrilled with how I handled this at all. Until I made the connection of the orange juice, I had been taking the situation as a "watch and wait" scenario.<br><br>
Here's the thing- the ped acted very non-chalant about this event. Told me nope, no allergist or epipen. Just don't give him oranges again and keep benadryl with us. This really scares me because of the low BP symptoms he had. I'd really appreciate some advice from the mamas on this forum that I know are allergy-gurus.

 

[JaneS]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/hug2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Hug2"><br><br>
As you know, benadryl will not help low bp and anaphylaxis, only epinephrine will. An anaphylactic episode is defined as 2 bodily symptoms at the same time (digestive and cardiac = throwing up and drop in bp). Maybe your doctor reacted that way b/c an ana reaction to oranges is not common?<br><br>
Have you had allergy testing done on him? I don't know anything about your DS's specific condition, but the more I learn about autoimmune conditions, the more I learn that food allergies/intolerance often play a central role. Especially non celiac gluten intolerance.<br><br>
However, what I do know is that there are food <i>chemical</i> intolerances to salicylates, histamines and amines, etc. which, although do not involve the immune system at all, can in fact mimic the symptoms and effects of a food allergy reaction, including such classic signs as hives, digestive problems and throwing up. There aren't any mainstream tests for these, except the salicylate test using aspirin. Usually it's uncovered by dietary elimination/provocation:<br><a href="http://www.plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.info/content/introduction.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.plantpoisonsandrottenstuf...roduction.aspx</a>

 

[celestialdreamer]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>JaneS</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15360146"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/hug2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Hug2"><br><br>
As you know, benadryl will not help low bp and anaphylaxis, only epinephrine will. An anaphylactic episode is defined as 2 bodily symptoms at the same time (digestive and cardiac = throwing up and drop in bp). Maybe your doctor reacted that way b/c an ana reaction to oranges is not common?<br><br>
Have you had allergy testing done on him? I don't know anything about your DS's specific condition, but the more I learn about autoimmune conditions, the more I learn that food allergies/intolerance often play a central role. Especially non celiac gluten intolerance.<br><br>
However, what I do know is that there are food <i>chemical</i> intolerances to salicylates, histamines and amines, etc. which, although do not involve the immune system at all, can in fact mimic the symptoms and effects of a food allergy reaction, including such classic signs as hives, digestive problems and throwing up. There aren't any mainstream tests for these, except the salicylate test using aspirin. Usually it's uncovered by dietary elimination/provocation:<br><a href="http://www.plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.info/content/introduction.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.plantpoisonsandrottenstuf...roduction.aspx</a></div>
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We haven't had any allergy testing done on him at this point. His nephrologist did recommend it when we first saw her but hasn't mentioned it since. She said that kids with allergies tend to be common targets for this condition and tend to have more relapses than average. There are a bunch of people in DH's family with severe food allergies, one of them in fact with anaphylactic citrus allergies. Not sure if that plays a role or not.<br><br>
I have definite reactions to gluten and so far my kids have as well. He actually was the worst out of all our kids and reacts to ANY grains with diarrhea and rashes. We've been on a healing GAPS/SCD diet which has seemed to help his health immensely. We are already on such a restricted diet (although used to it right now) that I've kind of plugged my ears about intolerances to other stuff like the salicylates, etc. Would a naturopath be familiar with that kind of thing?<br><br>
Am I correct in guessing it probably would be a good idea to have this suspected allergy checked out in case it is a true serious allergy? It was just so dramatic the way he responded and was so out of it that I'm concerned about if he were to be exposed in the future. I don't really like the idea of having him poked a whole bunch as he's been through a bunch of medical stuff from his kidney disorder, but I'll do it if necessary.

 

[celestialdreamer]

Okay I'm definitely going to have to check out the intolerances to other things. Its like reading off my own symptom checklist! We've been hoping that the GAPS/SCD diet would help, and absolutely removing grains and sugars has to a point. All of my kids are doing much better as well. I just feel like we've hit a bit of a wall, ugh.

 

[kjbrown92]

With that kind of reaction, I'd get testing and an epipen just in case, and my kids only have intolerances. That just sounds downright scary to me, especially with his eyes rolling back in his head. Yikes. Because of the kidney stuff, you could get him tested for other allergies as well, just in case.<br><br>
Some naturopaths or osteopaths know about the chemical stuff like sals, some don't.<br><br>
I know you don't want to be here, none of us do. But we're a pretty supportive bunch, so welcome to the allergy forum!

 

[JaneS]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>celestialdreamer</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15360229"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">She said that kids with allergies tend to be common targets for this condition and tend to have more relapses than average. There are a bunch of people in DH's family with severe food allergies, one of them in fact with anaphylactic citrus allergies. Not sure if that plays a role or not.</div>
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I wonder how much the role that kidneys play in removing the effects of an allergic reaction (detoxing histamine for example) is going on with him?<br><br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>celestialdreamer</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15360229"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">We are already on such a restricted diet (although used to it right now) that I've kind of plugged my ears about intolerances to other stuff like the salicylates, etc. Would a naturopath be familiar with that kind of thing?</div>
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Believe me, I totally understand! I felt the same way until life kept knocking on that door, ugh.<br><br>
AFAIK not many people in this country know about the food chemical intolerance reactions. You could get into the FAILSAFE or Feingold Diet Yahoo lists for some help and medical advice. What I did was take Sue Dengate's book "Fed Up" to our holistic RD for some help, as she was already aware of the Feingold Diet. An ND you trust might do the same background research with you.<br><br>
None of the current organizations are unfortunately uncovering what we have uncovered here about the root causes of a food chemical intolerances being nutrient deficiencies and other things that are blocking the body's ability to detox food chemicals thru the detox pathways.<br><br>
See the 'Food Dyes and Kids' thread in main H&H forum for an outline and then the "Salicylates/Amines/Histamines Sensitive Tribe" thread in Allergies.<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div style="font-style:italic;">Am I correct in guessing it probably would be a good idea to have this suspected allergy checked out in case it is a true serious allergy? It was just so dramatic the way he responded and was so out of it that I'm concerned about if he were to be exposed in the future. I don't really like the idea of having him poked a whole bunch as he's been through a bunch of medical stuff from his kidney disorder, but I'll do it if necessary.</div>
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Poor bunny! My DS is going in for another blood test soon and it's a nightmare, I'm sure your little one has been through worse. I would feel so frustrated at my current ped if that was how they reacted. I agree with Kathy's assessment: testing and Epipen. There are NO food allergies or anaphylaxis in our family history... my DS is ana to sesame, and allergic to peanuts and hazelnuts, plus food chemical intolerances. With such an epidemic right now, family history has little to do with it.<br><br>
Maybe just start with a blood test and not do the skin pricks? I don't know which is more upsetting. I still hesitate on the theory of skin pricks given that you are introducing an allergen into a body you already know has the potential to react... personally I wish I didn't do them on DS. They didn't tell us anything we didn't know from blood testing. But I know that is not the case with others.

 

[JaneS]

Wait I read that wrong... one of your family members actually HAS ana citrus allergies?!<br><br>
Wow, I have never heard of that before. Well yeah, in that case, I would get an Epipen pronto and scrap the benadryl if he gets citrus again, go right to the Epi. With ana, subsequent reactions can be worse than the last. Our protocol is to give at any sign, even a mild one, since DS has had an ana reaction before and they progress so fast.<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"> This is such a hard time, I know.

 

[sbgrace]

That sounds anaphylactic (GI and (very likely) blood pressure stuff hence they lethargy and pale..I wonder if breathing was affected too). Your pediatrician messed up. I messed up when my son went into anaphylaxis (waiting way too long and then drove him to the ER for starters).<br><br>
I'd want an allergist and an epi pen based on what you described. Epi pen needs to happen ASAP. Don't wait to get into the allergist--the ER told me they wouldn't prescribe so I called our pediatrician, told her my son went into anaphyalxis, and she called in a script. We had it before we saw the allergist later in the week. The allergist, by the way, said we needed two pens because a pretty hefty percent of anaphylaxis reactions need a second shot. So get a two pack.<br><br>
It really sounds anaphylactic to me and I think it will to you as well when you read up on the topic.

 

[4Blessings]

As others have said. Get an Epi-pen!!<br>
Below is a great article about anaphylaxis and food allergies that you might find helpful.<br><br>
Anaphylaxis and Emergency Treatment ...<br><br><a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/111/6/S2/1601#T2" target="_blank">http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...1/6/S2/1601#T2</a>

 

[Therese's Mommy]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"> mama! I had such a hard time reading that I can't imagine going through it and then reliving it in my mind <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> It's scary being the mama of a child with allergies...real scary. Like Kathy said, none of us want to be here, but this is a real supportive and informative bunch. I am glad they are all here <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">

 

[PGTlatte]

I'm glad he's okay, and that you realized what part the orange juice had in this.<br><br>
I would demand an Rx for an epi pen. It does not sound like your ped is very well informed about food allergies - many aren't. That was a dangerous reaction.<br><br>
I would also get him under the care of an allergist who deals with food allergies, and get a blood draw for IgE to oranges/citrus. That way you can establish what his IgE to this allergen is now, and be able to track it over the years to see if it goes down.

 

[earthmama369]

I would see/call the ped again and ask for an epipen jr. prescription. DD's first few reactions to insect bites were worrisome but not to the point of going ana. Then she had a much bigger reaction -- again not ana, but about as close as I'd ever want to get. I told the doc that after doing some research into her reaction and into my family medical history, I would feel more comfortable having an epi on hand just in case. When I put it that way, they gave me a prescription for a 2-pack. I've found the 2-pack to be extra handy because I can keep one at home and one in my purse rather than moving one pen back and forth and risking misplacing it. I've specifically requested a 2-pack ever since.

 

[celestialdreamer]

Thanks for the responses, I very much appreciate it. I'm going to have to get a new pediatrician over this I think. She pretty insisted that he didn't need an epi-pen when I had talked to her. We've had some other recent issues with her practice and this is just the last straw. The funny thing? She actually personally HAS severe food allergies and has an epipen! She has made me feel stupid about overreacting about my kids sensitivities/allergies in the past honestly. Ds used to projectile vomit immediately after having papaya and sorghum, and she acted like that was no big deal, just don't feed it to him. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked"> Those responses weren't as scary as the citrus response of course, but she acted the same about it.<br><br>
I am going to put in a call to my son's nephrologist regarding how his condition and meds affect getting tested with for allergies. That office is really awesome and I know they will be concerned with what happened even if his regular ped is not.<br><br>
I just wanted to mention that it is my DH's cousin that has the allergy to citrus like that. I don't know if that far removed of a family member (2nd cousin?) having a citrus allergy means much. There are a bunch of other true food allergies in DH's family. DH actually tests as allergic to peanuts although he doesn't have strong reactions. I've had significant responses to chocolate and shellfish so I actually carry my own epi-pen but hope to never have to use it. We had our 6yo dd (at age 4) tested for nut allergies because she used to get rashes from contact, but she tested negative. The allergist we saw said he thought it was possibly a false negative because of her age and that the skin test had been positive at first, then turned negative by 10 min. I guess I haven't taken it seriously since dd's visit to the allergist, especially with how the ped treated it once she heard. I had assumed dd would test positive for nut allergies, so since then I just kind of assumed that most of our responses weren't true allergies. I'm definitely going to take this seriously though and get him into an allergist ASAP.

 

[momofmine]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>celestialdreamer</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15360229"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">There are a bunch of people in DH's family with severe food allergies, one of them in fact with anaphylactic citrus allergies. Not sure if that plays a role or not.</div>
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Yes, it plays a huge role. And the fact that others in your DH's family have ana allergies. In our situation, we chose not to do the skin testing at a young age, but that was because we knew exactly what the allergen was and I was not about to inject the actual substance into him. I have read that some allergists will not do the skin test for certain things that are already known to be significant allergies at that age.<br><br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>celestialdreamer</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15360238"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Okay I'm definitely going to have to check out the intolerances to other things. Its like reading off my own symptom checklist! We've been hoping that the GAPS/SCD diet would help, and absolutely removing grains and sugars has to a point. All of my kids are doing much better as well. I just feel like we've hit a bit of a wall, ugh.</div>
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<br>
We are on SCD too, and it has been very healing, but there are other layers for us too. The whole nutrient thing to help our bodies detox the food chemicals and other toxins is a pretty big thing that you should look into. Go back and start reading through some old chat threads here in the allergies forum.<br><br>
Big hugs mama, that is so scary, but don't feel guilty and worried now. It's over and he's okay. I know that is hard to do though, I go over and over those things in my head too. But really, just be thankful that now you know about this. I would absolutely get an epipen asap.