Healthy Family
Guest post by Sarah of Early Bird Mom
In yesterday’s post, Sarah wrote about how she discovered that her son’s skin problems were related to severe food allergies. Today she shares what she learned about food allergies through the process.
Since the doctor had told me my son could eat anything not on his list of allergens, I decided to give him some cow’s milk. It dripped out of his sippy cup onto his skin and he had instant swelling and itching.
Who knew that cow’s milk could cause such a reaction? I certainly didn’t. Thankfully it subsided after a dose of Benadryl (and a panicked call to the doctor). I added dairy to the list of allergens. A couple weeks later, we tried eggs – same awful result – itchy face and scratchy throat.
I have since learned that allergy testing doesn’t reveal every allergy, especially in babies.
My baby’s list of allergens grew to include tree nut, coconut and barley. Hmm – that explains why my homemade coconut oil lotion didn’t help him. Tomatoes seemed to bother him. Ditto for citrus.
Continued trial and error in identifying his food allergens.
We stumbled along, making many mistakes and learning tons about food. Have you ever noticed how many things are made from corn? It’s everywhere! I spent tremendous amounts of time experimenting with allergen-free recipes trying to find things my little man could safely eat.
I have always loved baking and it was so difficult keeping him (and myself since I was breastfeeding) away from the treats I made for the other kids. Thankfully there are many excellent cookbooks available now that show how to cook without exposure to allergens. (One of my favorites is the Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook
.)
Healing from food allergies.
My son is now 2 ½ years old. He weaned at the end of last year (such a celebration for me!) and he has since outgrown his dairy and corn allergies. I am hopeful that he will outgrow the rest of his allergies in time. In the meantime, he has lots of homemade things he can safely eat. He is used to not having the same things as the other kids. We always make sure to have a safe substitute for him.
Lessons I learned about food allergies:
1. Just because you’ve never had food allergies in your family doesn’t mean they won’t crop up.
None of my 3 older boys have any food allergies.
2. Food allergies truly can be life-threatening.
Fortunately, my son has never had a life-threatening reaction, but we are prepared should that happen.
3. Allergic reactions can occur as respiratory problems, rashes, hives, swelling, digestive problems or vomiting.
4. Peanuts aren’t the only serious food allergy.
Kids can have a severe reaction to any allergen. Initially milk and eggs were quite severe for my son.
5. Reactions can be immediate or they can be delayed up to several hours.
Just because a person doesn’t react immediately doesn’t mean he is out of danger.
6. Keeping a child safe from allergens goes beyond what he puts into his mouth.
Exposure can also occur from cross-contamination. No more double-dipping serving spoons. Kitchen sponges and washcloths need to be changed frequently. Since my son has so many allergens, we have chosen not to eliminate all of them from the house and therefore, we have to be very careful about cleaning up after using eggs, nuts, etc.
7. Allergens should be avoided in non-food products too, like lotions, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
Having a child with food allergies is a scary thing, but over time it does get easier.
And every time I see my son enjoying one of his favorite foods, I am so grateful that he is no longer suffering those horrible reactions. I thank God that he is able to safely eat so many things.
What’s one thing you wish you could tell people about food allergies that they might not know?
Resources and Further Reading:
Food Allergy Resources at Kids with Food Allergies
Are Food Allergies Making Your Children Constantly Sick?
Eczema and Food Allergies – Our Story from Despair to Healing
What It’s Like to Be an Allergy-Mom
Hannah’s Story with Eczema, Food Allergies & Asthma
Food Allergy Overview by the Mayo Clinic
Dear Mom of a Child with Food Allergies
7 Tips for Moms of Kids with Food Allergies
Enjoy Life Foods has a line of snacks and treats free of the top 8 allergens
Sarah Mueller is a wife and homeschool mom to 4 boys. She writes at Early Bird Mom about how you can afford a healthy lifestyle while living beneath your means.
Krystal
Great post woth lots of great info!! I wish people would undertand that a lactose intolerance is not the same thing as a dairy allergy. And I also wish people would understand the best way to over overcome a food allergy is through complete elemination. I have so many people try to tell me that I should introduce dairy into my sons diet slowly so “he gets used to it”. Ugh!!! That doesn’t work people!! My son is 8 and still registers as allergic at his yearly blood test. He has dropped from an 11 to a 3 so we are hopeful he will outgrow it.
Laura
I understand completely!! Once the body decides something is an invader, it always views it as such! Maybe after a long while of not having the allergen, MAYBE the body will eventually accept it again. But is there really any reason to risk it with a young child? What if the reaction becomes worse after reintroducing it? I’d rather work hard & avoid the allergens than take the risk!
Ruthann
I wish people would understand just how serious an allergy can be in ANY amount. I once had a nurse (yes, an RN) tell me it was “no big deal” when my daughter was given a few (2-3) goldfish crackers in the nursery…she’s allergic to soy (among many other things) and that just floored me. I also wish people would ASK before just assuming things. Just because something is listed as not having an allergen IN it doesn’t mean that it’s allergy free. This was such a great post, thank you for sharing!!
Sarah
Ack! How misinformed she was. I usually write “no food” on the sign in sheet when I bring my son anywhere along with telling the people in charge. It’s scary leaving little ones in nurseries even for a short time, although my son has now started asking if foods he is offered have eggs in them.
Gabrielle
I really wish people understood that their child could very well be the first in the family with food allergies. I so often hear people say that they don’t have to be careful with introducing food to their babies because it doesn’t run in the family, but it has to start somewhere. For us, it started with my now 2 1/2 year old.
Sarah
Yes! That was the same for us with my fourth child, and probably why it took me so long to catch on.
Keah
I have a friend with a corn allergy. For her, cross-contamination is more than her food being cooked near corn. She cannot eat eggs, chicken, pork, or most beef because those animals are fed a corn diet. She is able to eat purely grass-fed beef and fish. This is something to consider for others who might have the same issue.
Mandy Tirado
YIKES! I had no idea corn could cross contaminate through meat. That’s something for me to consider as I’m told to stay away from corn.
Crista
I also have severe allergies. Gluten, dairy, and nightshades have terrible reactions (mostly sleepiness, but also memory problems after I ingest them). I have had these symptoms since I was young and dealt with them for 23 years. The best I could do was to avoid these items, but then my natural path got a BAX 3000 machine. The next months changed how I reacted to food.
Patience
Hi can you tell me more about your food allergy journey? Any new discoveries in the last 2 years? I have the exact same issues. I have tried gaps but I’m not strict enough on it.
Jillian
Thanks for this info! I’m trying to make some decisions for our family and curious to know if you vaccinate?
Sarah
I opted for a delayed vaccination schedule and I’m very glad I did as I think my son would have reacted negatively to early vaccines, especially those containing egg protein. Vaccines are such a difficult topic. Good for you in asking hard questions and doing your own research!
Carrie
Diarrhea and stomach cramping are also signs of anaphalaxis. And also, lentils can cause a reaction as well.
Dawne
When my son was 6 months old he started having a dry, scaly, painful rash on his cheeks, arms, and chest. He would cry when I bathed him, I thought it was because the water (NYC, chlorine yuck!) was hurting his rash. I brought him to his pediatrician and was told he had “atopic dermatitis, also called eczema”. I asked what to do about it, he said it would go away on its own…eventually, probably by the time he started school. WHAT? I couldn’t believe he was telling me that my child would suffer pain and scarring for up to 5 years and there was nothing to be done for it.
I went home and started thinking…the rash started within days of my giving him apple sauce, his first food (recommended by his pediatrician, though I was EBF). I stopped the apple sauce and tried pears, but the eczema continued. Long story short, I discovered that he was reacting to anything with added Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid, Acetic Acid or any similar substance in it.
Food, baby wash, everything. I discovered how many products out there contained those substances as color and flavor preservative and enhancers. Eek. Made his food myself after that, doc said he would get sick without vit C, but he is 7 now, smart as a whip, 70th percentil e H/W, and the scars have faded. He outgrew his sensitivity, but I am very cautious now. His rash looked like the one on your son’s face..brought back all those bad memories… Glad yours is doing well, too. 🙂
Sarah
What a helpful doctor! 🙂 Don’t you love it when doctors tell you these things are “normal” and will go away eventually? That’s great that you figured out your son’s allergy!
Erin
What a rough time! Glad you made it through!
Kristen Lila
We had the dr tell us the exact same thing! And still havibg that issue… never thpihht it could have been that. What other types of food had this that u eliminated?!
Mary
Can anyone give me advice regarding a potential dairy intolerance or allergy in a breastfeed baby? My son has slimy green stools that are very gassy and forceful. He is a relatively happy baby without eczema. l did a very strict diary elimination diet for three weeks and saw his stools return to normal yellow breastmilk stools. I ate dairy that was cooked into processed foods and a bit if cheese this week to see if he would continue to have normal stools and with 24 hours he was back to green stools. He also seems to have congestion. Are these symptoms others have seen in their babies with diagnosed milk allergies? My doctor was unhelpful (big surprise there). Is there a blood test for diary allergy or intolerance? And do allergies and intolerances have the same symptom? I’d like him to see a pediatric allergist if I can get a referral.
Erin
This is exactly the same signs my children showed–green poop and congestion. Of course, I cannot give medical advice and I must tell you to consult with a trusted healthcare professional. I would get a second opinion. My oldest two girls DID get a blood test, but our doctor told us an elimination diet is really more accurate (what you have already done).
Sharlene
My daughter was diagnosed with several food allergies, the most severe being milk. When I was breast feeding, she had pretty bad eczema on her face and arms. When I eliminated milk products from my diet her rash cleared up completely.
My girl is now 16 and completely allergy-free. There is hope.
Christina
Great post! I wish people would know that allergies are not the same as intolerances, so that’s why “allergy tests” don’t always work! I can eat dairy in small amounts so I’m technically not “allergic” but I do have an intolerance because when I eat a large amount my eczema tends to flare up! 🙂
Becky
I am trying to eliminate Gluten from my daughters diets. I am Gluten intolerant and had dealt with severe stomach pain from the time I was 15 until about 30…cut out dairy at a young age (around 15/16) because we thought it was that, but I would STILL have consistent pain, it got worse the older I got.
Loooooong story short, turns out I am gluten intolerant. My oldest daughter (4) has been complaining of a stomachache EVERY day for about a month or so, maybe more…we thought it was just acid reflux…I am wondering what/how long to try taking out of her diet next if gluten does not seem to be the culprit? I gave her a GF little debbie-like snack today and with in 2 hours she was crying so bad and saying that her tummy really hurt. She tried sitting on the toilet, she asked for a bowl (in case she threw up) and even asked to go to the kid doctor…I am curious if it is sugar??? or some other grain? we are not a COMPLETE dairy free household as we still use butter and cheese, and they (the kids and husband) can eat the ocassional frozen yogurt or ice cream…I can not. I just had her blood tested for all sorts of stuff…the letter from the dr’s came back with “seems to be fine, ignore the abnormalties”…uhm…there were quite a few. How do you get around the dr’s telling you to ignore it? I am at a loss here and am considering a naturopathic dr, but the thing is we are on state insurance and not alot of extra money (if ANY) to go to a naturopath…any advice???
Sarah
Can you get a second opinion or a referral to an allergist? You could try a total GF DF diet for a few days and see if it helps. Maybe she’s constipated? Feel free to email me through my blog.
Alanna
It sounds like the same symptoms my husband has when he eats corn. It took us for ever to figure it out because corn is in everything and is often used in gluten free items because it is a cheap substitute for the wheat but not gritty like rice flour. I don’t know what Little Debbie uses but I would expect that there would be some corn in there. We have had to cut out all corn products but corn syrup, corn starch, and dextrose are the worst. My husband is finally feeling better after 10 years of suffering.
Laura
Thank you so much for the post! I used to nanny an infant with severe food allergies, so I knew how serious they could be. Since then, I’ve eaten pretty healthy (I have my moments! ;-)), yet my 5 month old has an ever worsening case of eczema on his back. I immediately knew it was a food allergy & began cutting things out of my diet. I’ll feel like I have it narrowed down to something, then it gets worse. I feel awful & just cry because I don’t know how much it’s affecting him – if it’s itchy/painful, if when he’s fussy (which is actually not that often – he’s a very happy little guy!), it’s because of digestive problems or what. I decided today I’ll be taking him to the allergist. I can’t keep up the elimination thing because it takes too long for food proteins to leave our bodies, so I’ll cut one thing out & if it’s not the allergen, I won’t know for weeks, meanwhile his rash gets worse. The link to this post showed up on my Facebook news feed shortly after I told his dad I’ll be taking him to the allergist ASAP… Great timing because it gave me some hope. Not that I’m thrilled another baby (and momma) have gone through it, too, though. This is a really stressful situation & I don’t wish it on anyone. As parents, we just want our kids to be healthy, & then we feel miserable & helpless when they have these mysterious illnesses & we can’t make them feel better.
Sarah
I’m so glad my post was helpful to you. If you see an allergist, hopefully you’ll solve the puzzle.
I do think that you’ll see results much quicker than weeks. Once I finally knew my son’s allergens, he cleared up within about 24 hours. Exposures for him would show up within 8 hours and sometimes immediately. So if your son does have allergies, you’re probably seeing the result of a new exposure, not lingering effects of something you ate yesterday.
Good luck!
Andrea Smith
A lot of this leads back to leaky gut. An excellent book on the subject is by Natasha Campbell McBride. If you are interested in moving past elimination to healing, she has a gut healing protocol that is amazing and has helped many people. I had this with my infant policy daughter, but with elimination and some gut healing, everything has resolved. It’s not one size fits all, for sure, but it’s a huge step in the path of healing for most.
Andrea Smith
Colicy not policy. Ha!
Laura
I’ve been wanting to do the GAPS diet for him, but I’ve found that nursing moms shouldn’t follow it completely, & I’m not sure it would work on an EBF infant. I’ll have to check into her plan & see if it’ll help him!
Sarah
We have used GAPS with my husband (it helped him identify a problem with gluten) and I have a friend who followed it to the letter for 6 months hoping to cure some food sensitivities, but it didn’t produce healing for either of them.
I have heard of success stories with GAPS, but I have not personally seen that kind of result.
Natasha Diamond
I wish people knew that even if my child has only had reactions such as hives or eczema that doesn’t mean he won’t one day go into anaphylactic shock. I wish I had know that a skin test for allergies is more accurate than blood test. I also wish I had know and was told earlier not to feed my son any legumes as they are closely related to peanuts, it would have saved him so much discomfort. I still wish that I would be bolder when talking to his doctors about his allergies.
Alexis
Oh my goodness, I love this! My youngest son has celiac disease, and people tell me all the time, “Just give him regular food and see what happens.” I know what happens! He has horrible stomach problems, canker sores in his mouth, he doesn’t sleep, he can’t concentrate on anything and he turns into the Incredible Hulk!!!! They think those things are just temporary and we could deal with them. The long term effects are what I’m trying to prevent. Grrr!
Thank you for this post. I’m going to share the heck out of it 🙂
Sarah Mueller
Thanks, Alexis – it’s really hard dealing with people who don’t understand, isn’t it? Hugs and thanks for sharing! 🙂
Melissa
My kids don’t have food allergies but I do. They were really severe as a child, but seemed to subside as an adult. As a result I was careless and ate a nut that I had an anaphylactic reaction to, and ended up being hauled to the hospital in an ambulance. Just because a food you have a KNOWN allergy to doesn’t consistently produce the same symptoms, it doesn’t mean the allergy is gone!
Shelley Young
I have an extreme allergy to the egg yolk. Strangely I can have the whites, but we have to be very careful to keep all traces of yolks out of my food. My daughter, we discovered when she was nearly 2, had an allergy to all red food dyes and coconut. As time has gone on, her allergies to these have increased to an extremely serious, quit-breathing kind of reaction. On top of these, she can no longer have any foods with caramel coloring in them. She is now 4 1/2. My son, when I quit breastfeeding (at 1 year) and put him on cow’s milk began throwing up all night every night and would lay in the fetal position. Finally realizing a connection we tried Almond Milk, and the poor child slept all night long and quit throwing up. He is now over 2 years old and he now gets sick any time he has milk that isn’t cooked (I’m assuming he is extremely lactose intolerant). Yogurt doesn’t bother him, hard cheese, milk cooked in things. However, mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, ice cream…..all leave him throwing up multiple times and hurting in his stomach. On top of these allergies, my mom, who just turned 60 developed extreme allergies in the past year to all gluten, dairy, and egg! I do not understand all of the allergies, but we have learned to adapt! We probably eat WAY healthier than we did before! Processed foods have gone bye-bye! We’ve begun making it a priority to buy organically or at least locally grown. Allergies are crazy bad these days, and I serious think its linked to all the fake things we eat these days that cause our bodies to have digestion problems! And think of our kids….they are eating all the processed junk from the time they come into this world nearly….if not in table food, through our breast milk! I think it would do us all well to begin cooking from scratch, and growing our own veggies! 🙂
Shelley Young
Oh….and one more thing….my allergy and my children’s have all been tested at home by trial and error, but there is no doubt whatsoever! My mom was allergy tested last year and they told her they will never run another skin test on her, she broke out over her entire body in a huge irritated hive, basically and she itched and burned for a week! And even after all that…..the results were inconclusive. They couldn’t tell anything b/c her skin was so swollen. So….she then went and had the blood test. It showed she was allergic to absolutely nothing. My poor mom had been sick for months and months. After that, she began trial and error taking foods out of her system. After nearly a year, she has determined at least 3 extreme food allergies – with gluten, dairy and egg. Recently she has learned also wasp stings! But none of those showed up on any of her tests! (From what I hear the most accurate test is through your poop, but not all insurance companies will cover the cost and it is expensive)
Gabriella
I love the article. I myself have allergies while my husband claims he has none. Knowing this, I avoided, or eased the kids into exposure of some of the “Maybe” allergen items that I figured my kids COULD be allergic to (i.e. tuna, almonds), whereas for things like peanuts, I asked the Pediatrician about an allergy test. He said at age 3, the kids would be old enough, and both kids have since had blood-allergen tests. For my older one, I’m glad I steered away from peanuts! We found “WowButter” (made from Soynuts, and tastes delicious, while being cheaper than almond butter), for our peanut butter substitute, and the younger one turned out to not be allergic to anything. Works out well for all!
Sarah Mueller
So glad you discovered the allergies in a cautious way and not as an emergency like so many people! I do want to mention however, that allergy testing doesn’t have to wait until 3 years. Our allergist tests young babies and it’s hugely helpful for little ones who are having major issues.
Thanks for your comment!
Sarah
My 7 year old has/had a severe peanut allergy for the past 5+ years. We recently discovered NAET through a friend of a friend. There is a holistic chiropractor that is an hour away from us in Cincinnati, OH that we have been seeing for this treatment. I personally know of 2 people that were cured of numerous food allergies through this treatment. We have just been given the “all clear” for peanuts after undergoing 17 treatments. I don’t have definitive results yet for us as it is recommended that you ease into introducing the allergen over 6-12 months. We will be going back to the traditional allergist for the skin test, but we were shown a study that proved a significant margin of error with the blood test.
Sarah
P.S. As a food allergy mom, your post is right on. We have run into many people, including those in the medical field and teachers, who just don’t understand. It has been a constant struggle over the past 5 years to keep my daughter safe.
Sarah Mueller
I’d be very interested to hear if your daughter passes the peanut challenge. Thanks for your comment!
Kristen
Myself and my son are in the thick of it roght now. He has been allergy tested and it came back negative- but we are still seein g symptoms. We did the elimination diet for him and completely reversed symptoms but since the test came back negative my hisband and other fam members will give him little bits here and there- causing symptoms to flare up but not as bad as before. They say o hes not really allergic- but they aren’t dealing withaftermath. Any suggestions of how to get family or people on board? It scares me that they sont take me seriously…. also since the test came back “inclucluisve/negative what’s the beat suggestion or method to confirm or get better handle on what’s ok to eat and not? (Foe him and thw n myself-I’ve totally eliminated dairy and gluten and feel 1000x better bit still having some ossues not totally cleared up. Could it be something else or just time foe my gut/body to heal? Is it possible we still have leaky guy and how can you totally heal? Would love and so appreciate aiggestions and others experiences! Thank you!
Sarah Mueller
I think the best thing you can do is to get your doctor to recommend the GF diet. It’s well known that not all GF issues are diagnosed through bloodwork. That should convince your husband.
As to the rest of the family, you have to be firm and dictate what he can and cannot eat. Having a doctor’s recommendation will help too. If they cannot abide by your wishes, you need to make sure they don’t have access to give him foods he can’t eat. You don’t have to convince them you’re right – you just have to insist on the new rules. That may mean some changes in who takes care of him or even what events you go to, but once they see you are serious (and you know when they’ve violated your wishes), they should calm down. (Hopefully!) There’s really no other way with some people but to lay it out like it is and expect they will comply. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.
Kristen
Thank you for these suggestions!
Becky
I wish people understood that ADULTS do have severe food allergies as well, and that it’s not the same reaction in children. BUT, that doesn’t mean it’s not a “real” allergy all the same.
I can’t tell you the number of times I get the eye rolls, the sighing, the dramatic clearing away of the plate, and so on–from strangers and family alike–because I’m so “difficult”. Trust me, folks, if I could get rid of these allergies, I would. But I’m not being “difficult” on purpose to bug you.
Even my own parents have spent a time thinking I was being “dramatic” because I “never had food allergies as a kid”. Yeah, looking back, I probably DID–but my parents never paid attention or got me any testing. To this day, if we’re at family’s house, my father will glare at me or quietly try to admonish me for not eating so-and-so’s banana cake, despite knowing I am a Celiac (no gluten) and allergic to the milk, eggs, and bananas used in said cake. It is literally a cake of death for me. And my father’s only concern is not hurting so-and-so’s feelings, not the fact that I will end up severely ill–or worse.
It is absolutely absurd that I can go to a church picnic and not eat (because goodness knows what’s on those serving spoons), and get grilled with pointed and not-so-polite questions about why I’m “picky” (not picky, just allergic, thanks) and accused of trying to hurt someone’s feelings–but the mother of an allergic child only has to say “Sorry, Timmy is allergic to nuts/soy/peanuts/whatever” and nobody even thinks to harass her about it.
I know it’s hard to be a parent of an allergic child. BUT, it’s also hard to be an allergic adult. At least, at the very least, the world is beginning to be a bit more allergy-aware for children. There is still a looong way to go. But at the very least, it is starting. Adults don’t even have that luxury.
Sarah Mueller
I’m so sorry people have been so difficult with you. I hate that my son can’t eat most of the foods at our church functions, too. I always bring him something but it’s just not the same as him seeing his brothers enjoy some gooey dessert. He never complains either – a big deal for a 3 year old. I guess it’s his own cross to bear.
Kristen
Curious. … how did you get confirmation of your celiac we are thibking it may be celiac/or chrohs but have heard with testing for celiac it fud come back negative cpl tinea but u still indeed have it
Kelly
How old was your son when he had the skin test? Just made an allergist appointment for my 13 month old and the receptionist said she thought he might be too young for eczema testing.
Kate Logan
I wish they would know how it feels if you have a child that has life-threatening allergy. Some just do not understand or just do not care at all. Allergy Easy
Elaine
Did you discover any of these when you first introduced solids? If so, what did you do when he was under a year old for allergic reactions? We keep children’s Benedryl but not sure if it’s safe to use on our 8 m.o. No allergies yet, but we haven’t yet tried any wheat, dairy, nuts, etc. I have noticed she spits up more and her eczema flares up when I eat more dairy..
Sarah Mueller @ Early Bird Mom
No, I wish we had, but he was over a year. I would definitely check with your doctor on the Benadryl. At least you have a head start if you have noticed issues with dairy.
Anna
After reading your article and seeing the rashes you little have, it comes to light that my youngest may have food allergies as well. I notice wheat and multi-grain cereal cause him to break out really bad so I avoid those and the rashes cleared up a little but still there. I will have to talk to his pediatrician about doing an allergy test. I have tried eczema creams, baby lotions and whatever I could think of. Thank you for all the information.
Erin
I hope you get some help! For what it’s worth, our pediatrician told us that the very best indicator is an elimination diet. I would just go ahead and remove all wheat and see what happens! Wheat and dairy are two major offenders!
Sou
A reader of mine sent me a link to this post, I have to say this is a great read. For Eczema sufferers with food allergies, it can contribute severely to flares-up and sometimes is the root cause for that individual.
That is why I always suggest firstly getting an allergy test but like you mention it does not reveal all allergies. I agree it is important to test at home by monitoring reactions from food(trial and error), especially in young ones. Also allergies changes as we get older.
Cheers, will be passing this article to my readers.
Michelle
Great information here. I wish people also knew that while children can “outgrow” an allergy, they can also develop new ones as the grow up as well. My 18 month old loved eating apples and everything apple related. He could eat an entire apple whole and I’d have to pry the core from his hands to keep him from eating that too. Six months later, he started getting rashes again (his reaction to other food allergies that we knew of). We didn’t know what was causing it so we backed his diet down to the basics. We thought apples were a basic and since we’d taken nearly everything else away, he continued to eat them. One day after not having had them for several days, he had an immediate reaction to an applesauce snack and we had the new culprit. It took us months to discover this because we didn’t know we were looking for something he’d been able to eat so freely. We thought we were looking for something new that had slipped into his diet unnoticed. Four years later, we are in the same situation. He has a new allergen and we have to figure out what it is. Still looking for this one though.
Secondly, I would like parents to know that the allergen to a food may not be an ingredient that makes the ingredient list. My son is allergic to cereal. All cereal. But he’s not allergic corn, wheat, rice or any of the cereal basics other than nuts. So even if you find the truly nut-free cereals, he still has a reaction. Why? He’s allergic to ingredient they add to the bag to keep the cereal from sticking or causing static in the bag and it’s probably some kind of preservative, too. It’s not a listed ingredient. So even in a cereal listing rice, sugar and salt as its only ingredients can have devastating effects. This, by the way, also extends to frozen waffles and other items prepared and sealed into bags in this same manner. So be careful to watch how an item is packaged if you notice a reaction that takes you off guard.
Erin
Wow–that is so interesting about the cereal! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Julie albeck
I just stumbled upon this, a little late to the table! Just wanted to share my experience with my now 5 yo, an amazing naturopath and NAET, seriously miracles. My son when he was 2 had over 90% of his body covered in hives and eczema, so much that the allergist said a skin test was impossible, there simply wasn’t enough healthy tissue, eeeek. Many, many sleepless, tear filled nights for the whole family–itching himself bloody. Elimination diets, tried them all…painful for the whole family but mostly disappointing when each one failed to provide him any meaningful relief. Our pediatrician, dematologist and the allergist suggested the usual diet changes, creams and soaks, none of which did any good and each said “hope he outgrows this”. I took him to a Native American healer and acupuncturist, neither seems to provide him any relief. Desprite middle of the night googling lead me to a ND that specialized in NAET, within 24 hrs of first treatment he was a new kid. Chicken was huge trigger for him and muscle testing showed this so evidently (through me, he just touched my foot since he was too little to follow direction very well). Treatments are very simple, no supplements to take or exposures, and within 25 hrs of yhe chicken treatment he could eat chicken again without issue. This was, and still is, an unbelievable experience, so grateful to have found this simple therapy!