Retesting Tree Nut Allergy

[olan719]

I just made our annual appt. for dd with the allergist, and we will be retesting this time for the first time since initial diagnosis (at age 2, four years ago). This will be blood RAST, and this time I am requesting the entire tree nut panel be run rather than just walnut. I'd like this info for my own peace of mind, even though we will continue to avoid all tree nuts.

 

I know that statistically dd has a very small chance of outgrowing this allergy, and I have no expectation other than the test will remain positive. But I can't help but wonder if anybody has any positive stories/outcomes to share in regard to tree nut, or even peanut, allergies. ;) At this point, I'd be thrilled to see any reduction in the RAST test from the "high" result we got initially, even though it will make no difference in how we handle it.

 

So, any positive outcomes? Or should I say "negative" outcomes? :D

[sbgrace]

I don't have experience but I know that one tree nut is much more likely to be outgrown than multiple tree nuts (my son is six nuts). I want to say around 9% perhaps. So there is certainly a chance in my mind she could be negative. I hope!

[olan719]

I don't have experience but I know that one tree nut is much more likely to be outgrown than multiple tree nuts (my son is six nuts). I want to say around 9% perhaps. So there is certainly a chance in my mind she could be negative. I hope!

 

That's interesting. I wish the doctor had run the entire panel initially, so I would know for sure (that's why I want it done now). I do know she ate Honey Nut Cheerios (almonds) as a toddler, so I feel like that will be negative. I think I also read almond is one of the less common tree nut allergens.

 

Regardless, I think it will be interesting to get the results from the whole panel. And thanks for sharing that bit of info. It does give me a tiny shred of hope. ;) It would be wonderful to be one of those 9 out of 100!

[Mom0012]

My son used to see Dr. Robert Wood at Hopkins, who is well-known for his research on food allergies. (We haven't seen him in years just because his office is so far away.) Dr. Wood told me that it is was actually highly likely that my son would outgrow his peanut allergy by age 5. His RAST number was fairly low. Unfortunately for us, that did not happen. He did, however, outgrow his egg allergy. If your child's RAST number is very high, I got the impression it would be less likely that they would outgrow the allergy.

 

I think a lot of children outgrow many allergies by age 5, but after that, it doesn't seem as likely to happen. We stopped testing when my son was 6 and then tested again this last year at 10 years old only because we were going to have him do allergy shots. There were no changes between ages 6 and 10 in his allergies.

 

Lisa