Talking Allergies

My youngest daughter has been getting rashes for the past 3 weeks. At first I thought it was a heat rash, then her arms got a little swollen (as if she had a sun burn). That would come and go. I noticed that when she ate fries outside of the house, she would get a rash around her mouth. I've been told that it looks like eczema. I've also been told that it looks like infant eczema (do to the saliva and bottles and all; my daughter is only 13 months old). I don't think this is the case, as her sister also has this and she has food allergies (confirmed allergies to carrots, kiwis and oranges, have not yet been confirmed ; melons, all citrus, apples, bell peppers, I know there are a lot more, but right now this is what comes to mind).

So to get back to my youngest daughter ... Other then the rashes around her mouth, she also gets these bumps. I think they are "urticaire" (I don't know the word in english sorry), but I’m not sure. Here is a picture of one on her wrist :



It's a little hard to tell, but it looks like a bug bite. It’s a small bump and it's pink around it. They all start like that, but eventually they become red tinny little bumps and it’s white around it.

Today, she was eating an omelet and after a few bites she didn't want it anymore (which is not like her, she LOVES to eat). I decided to do a poor attempt of a test; I put some egg on her arm and scratched it a bit (kind of trying to reproduce what they do in scratch tests). I also scratched another part of her arm with nothing to compare the two. The part with the egg became a little swollen, where as the other part just looked like a scratch. Do you think this could "mean something" or is it just my paranoia??

My other daughter has been diagnosed with allergies for almost 2 years now, and I still don't know much about.

Can you please help me out?? My whole family thinks I'm paranoid, because every time there is a new bump or rash I panic. Allergies give me anxiety attacks. I'm so afraid that one of my kids could go into anaphylactic shock.

With your knowledge on allergies, do these “signs” looks like allergies to you???

If your other child has allergies, then why don't you contact the allergist and ask for an appointment for this child?

Trust your instincts and if you are at the point where you are trying allergy tests at home...go to the allergist.

I would suggest you stop feeding the suspect foods and not introduce anything else until the allergist has seen her.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

I unfortunately can not contact my other daughter’s allergist as he is in Vancouver and we just moved back to Montreal.

I asked my daughters pediatrician for a referral (which is absolutely needed here) but she said that since my other daughter had allergies, I knew what to look for. The only issue with that is that we discovered my other daughter’s allergies because she had explosive diarrhea.

I'm just wondering if it is my paranoia with allergies that is making me think every thing is an allergic reaction, or does this actually look like a real allergic reaction...

When DS comes into contact with his allergens he gets hives similar to the mark on your daughter's hand, although they are almost always on his face. The marks on her face look very much like the marks DS has on his arms which I believe is eczema caused by his allergies. He had these covering half his body when he was 4 months old which is why I started eliminating foods from my diet (breastfeeding at the time). Once I eliminated milk his skin totally cleared up except for his arms. When he has had contact with his allergens then the marks on his arms are much more prominant and also appear on his cheeks.

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DS Sept 2006 - peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, coconut; contact reactions. Asthma. Many animal and environmental allergies.
DS Oct 1990 - Environmental allergies

My daughter has similar marks on her face when she eats tomatoes. I've talked to my allergist about it, and she said it was most likely eczema from more acidic foods...

The hand mark looks more like a contact reaction.

As others suggested, I would avoid the suspicious foods, and definitely try to get her to an allergist. Could you bring those pictures to show to your pediatrician to convince him/her to give you a referral? With food allergy already in the family, I don't know why you couldn't get one... I know sometimes they hesistate to give referrals because there are so many parents that want to "prevent" allergic reactions by getting an allergy test done for everything before the kids actually eat them, and it overloads the system...

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Me - Kim - No allergies
DH Ben - 31 - Allergic to nuts and peanuts, lots of environmental allergies.
DD Anne - 4 - Asthma. Allergic to dairy, eggs, mustard, kiwi, peanuts, wheat and barley... for now...
DS Francois - 1 - No allergies so far...

I will bring the pictures to her doctor, but i can only get an appointment in 3 months (wonderful health system that we have in Quebec!)

Are there any private clinics for allergy testing? If so, do you need a referral as well?

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Me- latex, bananas, raspberries
Dady-mango, and environmental allergies
Big sis- sulfa
Not so big, not so little sis- no longer has allergies
mini me- discovering allergies (most likely milk and eggs, will find out December 4th)

Is the 3 months the delay to see an allergist or her pediatrician?

Either way, yes there are private clinics, but you still need a referral.

I got an appointment with an allergist for my daughter at the Montreal Children's Hospital within 3 weeks, because she was so young and in the middle of her food introductions... Also, remember that you don't have to go to the allergist your ped recommends, it is your choice! You can ask for a general referral, and then you pick where you want to go (private, MCS, Ste-Justine or elsewhere).

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Me - Kim - No allergies
DH Ben - 31 - Allergic to nuts and peanuts, lots of environmental allergies.
DD Anne - 4 - Asthma. Allergic to dairy, eggs, mustard, kiwi, peanuts, wheat and barley... for now...
DS Francois - 1 - No allergies so far...

Could the allergist in Vancouver refer you to an allergist in Montreal?
It's worth asking. I would assume that he would want to set up his patient and transfer the files.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

The 3 months is for the pediatrician ... I wish it was for the allergist. My not so big, not so small daughter (in other words, the middle child), has an appointment in September for a repeat allergy test. I called and asked if they could do one for mi mini me, but they said that I needed a referral ... You are lucky to have gotten an appointment so fast at the children’s. I called for an appointment (middle daughter) and the wait time was over 1 year.

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Me- latex, bananas, raspberries
Dady-mango, and environmental allergies
Big sis- sulfa
Not so big, not so little sis- no longer has allergies
mini me- discovering allergies (most likely milk and eggs, will find out December 4th)

I never thought of that ... but would he refer my mini me? He only saw my other daughter, he never saw my youngest ...

I think I’ll call tomorrow, it's worth a shot.

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Me- latex, bananas, raspberries
Dady-mango, and environmental allergies
Big sis- sulfa
Not so big, not so little sis- no longer has allergies
mini me- discovering allergies (most likely milk and eggs, will find out December 4th)

Given the facts that one child has food allergies and the other is having hive type reacttions after eating...I think your Vancouver alergist would want both children to be well supported in the medical community with knowledgeable allergists and not some Dr who leaves it to the mother to "know"- you didn't go through medical school, and besides, your 'knowing' is telling you it's time to call in the allergist.

Food allergies can run in families. I think you should get this checked out and I'm sure your allergist would agree.

Good luck!

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

My allergist has long waiting lists but the few times I have needed an appointment right away, I asked to be put on the cancellation list. If anyone cancels their appointment and you have a flexible schedule, you can get in much sooner.

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Asthma and eczema
Drug allergy (succinylcholine)
Food (corn, raw apples, green beans, tree nuts, flax)
Misc (pollen, grass, mold, dogs, cats)