OK questions about allergy testing...

[NanceXToo]

I didn't want this to get lost in the other thread. But many of you in my thread about my daughter's eczema recommended allergy testing.

 

So this morning I called the pediatrician's office to see if they would refer us to an allergist, and they said they could do allergy testing right there in their office. (I don't know why they never recommended it to me then knowing she has eczema but whatever). He asked if she gets a lot of congestion or sneezing or itchy watery eyes or anything like that. I said no.

 

Anyway, they said I can bring her in Wednesday morning to have the allergy testing done and they said it is done via prick tests to the back and they don't know how many, the doctor will decide what he wants to test for...

 

I said "I assume there are allergies commonly related to eczema and he'll test for those?" and he said "yeah."

 

1. Is there anything I should be going in knowing and/or insisting on

2. Any specific questions I should ask while there

3. I don't imagine my daughter is going to love the idea of getting pricked in the back, it makes me cringe a bit. How much does this hurt? Does it feel like getting a shot?

4. ETA: How long does it take to get results?

Edited November 20, 2010 by NanceXToo

[hsbaby]

My dd had had the prick test. She didn't seem too bothered by it. It's not at all like a shot. She says it felt like getting scratched. Actually, the reactions bothered her more. She is highly allergic to several foods so her poor back started to swell with itchy bumps. That bothered her a lot more than the pricks!

[Luckymama]

Skin testing may not be reliable as her skin is very reactive (shown by the eczema). She may show false postives.

 

When dd15 was first tested, she was in the middle of a gigantic multisystem allergic reaction (hives on legs, severe gut pain). She prick-tested as allergic to foods I knew she ate without any reaction, most notably being peanut. The allergist sent her for blood (RAST) testing. On the scale allergists use, she showed as a very low positive to peanut (most other allergens were quite high). We avoided peanut and all those other allergens for 6 months, to get her body totally calmed down, then she went through a peanut challenge in the allergist's office. Not postive.

 

I would not take the skin testing results as absolute truth. False postitives and false negatives are likely. The same is true with blood RAST testing. You need to combine those test results with her reactions----if she tests postive to one thing and you eliminate that one thing and her eczema clears, then that's a true positive. Dd15 tests repeatedly tests negative to watermelon, yet her airway closed after one bite a few years ago.

 

Please excuse any incoherence. I've only had one cup of coffee so far.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Are you seeing an allergist? I would want an allergist to do this and evaluate your child IMHO.

 

http://www.foodallergy.org/

[Dana]

Are you seeing an allergist? I would want an allergist to do this and evaluate your child IMHO.

 

http://www.foodallergy.org/

 

:iagree:

 

If you need allergy shots, that'll be done by an allergist (or sure should be IMO). So get the info from someone who really knows about allergies.

 

Ds had skin tests done this summer. He has food allergies and the first round of testing really hurt him a lot. The second round went better but he did NOT want to get it again. So although I've heard from a lot of people that the skin test wasn't too bad, it was very bad for my son. :(

 

But we learned more about his allergies (not only does he have some severe food allergies, he's allergic to all pollen, animals, and other stuff). We saw the reactions that day but we needed a separate appointment with the allergist to go over the results and make a plan.

 

In our case, we're not getting shots for now! Instead, we're managing the reactions with asthma medication and it's working. When we've had issues, we return to the allergist.

 

We didn't do any RAST testing because the food allergies have always been clear. We only did the skin testing because we were seeing symptoms (apparently ds has "silent asthma").

 

So I'd get a referral to an allergist and see what testing they recommend and have the testing done in their office.

 

Good luck!

[LittleIzumi]

Dd screamed like a banshee with her prick test, but she was 9mo and already terrified of doctors. So. Not really a reliable rubric, there. We got results immediately, but we tested too young and got an obviously false negative (we knew the results could be unreliable so early but we wanted to try) and she had a different allergy test when she was older that confirmed her dairy allergy.

[gingersmom]

I would still try to get her to an allergist or a dermatologist who specializes in environmental dermatology. My son suffered with eczema through his first year and the pediatrician kept insisting he could treat it. He couldn't. I took him to a new pediatrician who took one look at him and while I sat there called an allergist.

 

My dermatologist looked at my skin, refused to treat me and sent me straight to an environmental dermatologist.

 

I had the allergy testing where they prick you on the back and it does not hurt at all. I don't even remember feeling it.

 

The worst part was they pricked my whole back and then taped it up. The tape was a bit uncomfortable and I had to be that way for that day and the next day. One of the skin pricks was metals which I turned out to be highly allergic to and within minutes I started itching. They told me I could take benadryl if it got really bad.

 

I hate to hear about people suffering from eczema when I know (from personal experience) there is help. It may take experimenting with many different medicines but it can be controlled.

[Harriet Vane]

I would NOT use a pediatrician to address allergy and eczema issues, no matter what he says he is qualified to do. The difference between a doctor and a specialist is light years--go see a specialist.

[treestarfae]

The skin test isn't that invasive. Just little pokes. The skin and blood testing don't always show allergies. They are not 100%. For example I know a child that will pop negative for peanuts for skin and blood tests but react horribly when eating. If you can get some postive results to narrow it down that will be good.

[Quad Shot Academy]

I would NOT use a pediatrician to address allergy and eczema issues, no matter what he says he is qualified to do. The difference between a doctor and a specialist is light years--go see a specialist.

:iagree: The testing is not always so straight forward. My son had a very confusing reaction and I do not think a ped. would have been able to make sense of it. Hopefully your daughters will be more straight forward but I would just assume see a specialist so it doesn't have to all be redone.

[LuvingLife]

I would still try to get her to an allergist or a dermatologist who specializes in environmental dermatology. My son suffered with eczema through his first year and the pediatrician kept insisting he could treat it. He couldn't. I took him to a new pediatrician who took one look at him and while I sat there called an allergist.

 

My dermatologist looked at my skin, refused to treat me and sent me straight to an environmental dermatologist.

 

I had the allergy testing where they prick you on the back and it does not hurt at all. I don't even remember feeling it.

 

The worst part was they pricked my whole back and then taped it up. The tape was a bit uncomfortable and I had to be that way for that day and the next day. One of the skin pricks was metals which I turned out to be highly allergic to and within minutes I started itching. They told me I could take benadryl if it got really bad.

 

I hate to hear about people suffering from eczema when I know (from personal experience) there is help. It may take experimenting with many different medicines but it can be controlled.

 

I know too, I used to have eczema and I got it really bad. But I know what to eat and how to treat eat and how to prevent it from happening again. So far so good.

 

She should see a doctor pronto!

[Lolly]

Personally, I would go to an allergist. The pricking isn't that bad. The reacting is horrible. If you don't react badly, it isn't bad at all. If you react to everything, you are in horrid pain. It does give false positives, especially if you have "reactive" skin. We found it best to go ahead and avoid all the positive tested foods for a long while. We are just starting to try some of the foods that I am fairly certain she doesn't have allergies to. We are trying them very, very cautiously. I have been wrong on some of them. She IS allergic to them. In fact, there has only been one food that she is okay with so far that she tested as allergic to.

[NanceXToo]

I updated my "eczema" thread to say that these are the steps I plan to take at this point to try to help dd10:

 

1. Get the allergy tests at the ped (we have the appointment on Wednesday) just to see if that rules anything in or out.

 

2. Use a humidifier in her room at night every night in the winter months, starting tonight.

 

3. Continue to moisturize/lotion 2-4X a day (we'll use the lotion we have for now, and then we'll start using CJ's BUTTer when it arrives and see how that works, as it is said to work well for eczema; it shipped out today).

 

4. I will buy AllClear, or Dreft, or some such detergent next time I go to the store and start washing her clothes in that.

 

5. I will get something like cetaphil cleanser (soap free) for her showers and baths (and of course we'll just pat dry and moisturize right after baths) Baths will be warm, not hot, etc.

 

6. I will pick up Zyrtec (after reading about it here, and then on Ask Dr. Sears) and start giving it to her morning and night for at least a few weeks (Dr. Sears says it's safe to use daily for several weeks but that they should get a break from it after a while when the symptoms are gone or mild) and start giving that to her to control the itching; as the scratching makes the eczema worse and then of course it goes in a cycle from there.

 

7. Continue to use our prescription ointment on areas that flare up, as needed.

 

...if these things do not seem to help then I will push for seeing more specialists rather than the ped or the same dermatologist we saw last year and didn't find all that helpful... I have my fingers crossed that these steps will help though and that the allergy tests will tell us SOMETHING even if just done at the ped's office. Wish us luck, eczema is horrible! Thank you for the help and responses!

[Mom0012]

I will say that the skin prick test was painful for my son, my daughter and my husband. I don't know if it's the office we went to or if others have tougher skin, but we will be sticking with the RAST or Immunocap testing in the future. Both of those are simple blood tests. My son tested allergic to absolutely everything, but he has eczema and I think his skin is just very reactive. However, the one really nice thing about the skin testing is that you get immediate results.

 

Lisa

[HollyDay]

You mentioned Zyretc. You have to be antihistamine free before the allergy testing. I cannot recall how long you need to be off them.

[NanceXToo]

You mentioned Zyretc. You have to be antihistamine free before the allergy testing. I cannot recall how long you need to be off them.

 

Oh!! Good point!! You're right.

 

Okay...so I will get her allergy testing done on Wednesday morning and then start her on the Zyrtec after that. We'll just use the humidifier and the lotions and creams for now and the medicated ointment as needed. It's only four more days.... sigh!

[Jennifer in MI]

If the reactions are uncomfortable (they were for my ds), fan her back with a book or magazine. It took away the worst of the itch for ds.

 

Good luck!!!

[WarriorMama]

Dd screamed like a banshee with her prick test, but she was 9mo and already terrified of doctors. So. Not really a reliable rubric, there. We got results immediately, but we tested too young and got an obviously false negative (we knew the results could be unreliable so early but we wanted to try) and she had a different allergy test when she was older that confirmed her dairy allergy.

 

Wow! I've never met (or heard of) an allergist who would do skin testing on a kid under 5. It's apparently really unreliable.

[AFwife Claire]

If the reactions are uncomfortable (they were for my ds), fan her back with a book or magazine. It took away the worst of the itch for ds.

 

Good luck!!!

 

And let her suck on a lollipop or something. That distraction has helped my 9 year old, who also has eczema, food allergies, and environmental allergies. Also, ask if the nurses or whoever is administering the test can give her an antihistimine as soon as the test is read, if she has lots of itchy wheals all over her back. The itching really is the worst part, I think.

 

And I will agree with all the others who have said kids with sensitive exzema-prone skin will react in prick tests to things they really are not allergic to. Also, my son's eczema always flared up in winter time. Avoiding his allergy triggers (year-round) has helped it eventually get to a point where it hardly ever flares up though. He was miserable the first several years of his life, though. So I definitely agree that the allergy link is one worth pursuing, and I hope the testing on Wednesday will give at least some answers!

[WarriorMama]

I would NOT use a pediatrician to address allergy and eczema issues, no matter what he says he is qualified to do. The difference between a doctor and a specialist is light years--go see a specialist.

 

I really, REALLY agree. Most doctors are woefully uninformed about allergies. If you can manage it, see an allergist!

[applesing]

My daughters and I have all had allergy testing. It really hurts, and I would not want to go through that multiple times. So I would definitely prefer to do the testing at an allergist's office. They are prepared to read the results and advise regarding treatment. I can't imagine that a ped could treat with shots or drops, and I can't imagine that an allergist would not want to do and read the tests themselves. So going to the ped first may be setting yourself up for multiple rounds of tests.

 

Good luck with everything.

[sleepymommy]

Two things helped with ds4's exzema. Cod liver oil daily and homeopathic sulfur.

 

The CLO helped some, the homeopathic remedy knocked it out completely and it hasn't returned.

 

I would still do the allergy testing to rule out any food or environmental causes. If they come back negative, I'd try the above two.

 

I got the homeopathic remedy from a homeopathic physician, so it wasn't one of the over the counter kinds, so I don't know if there would be a different result. If you have one in your area, it's worth a try.

[Jennifer in MI]

And let her suck on a lollipop or something. That distraction has helped my 9 year old, who also has eczema, food allergies, and environmental allergies. Also, ask if the nurses or whoever is administering the test can give her an antihistimine as soon as the test is read, if she has lots of itchy wheals all over her back. The itching really is the worst part, I think.

s!

 

Oh yes! This! Our allergist/pediatrician/immunologist (yes, she's all three AND her specialty is peds!) rubs a Benadryl cream over his back and gives him an oral dose after testing. They also let the child pick a movie to watch during testing. Love that place.

[LittleIzumi]

Wow! I've never met (or heard of) an allergist who would do skin testing on a kid under 5. It's apparently really unreliable.

 

The allergist pretty much had us disregard the negative results and go with our observations, and not have any dairy for three years, after which she was formally diagnosed. Our insurance only covered the skin prick test, not a RAST or anything else.

[rafiki]

.

[Joker]

6. I will pick up Zyrtec (after reading about it here, and then on Ask Dr. Sears) and start giving it to her morning and night for at least a few weeks

 

My dd is on Zyrtec but the allergist and the bottle says only once a day. I've never heard of giving it twice. Hope your dd gets some answers.

[NanceXToo]

Especially with a child who has eczema, you want RAST testing (blood) instead. My ds has had eczema since 3 months of age, they did skin testing for 35 foods, 27 came back positive. It was crazy! Demand a RAST, if they won't do it, find someone else who will.

 

Hm..I will have to call the doctor back on Monday and ask them about this, then. See if our ins. will even cover it, who they can send us to etc.

 

Stupid question but do you pronounce that like a word "rast" or do you sound out all the letters, when saying it aloud?

[Quad Shot Academy]

My dd is on Zyrtec but the allergist and the bottle says only once a day. I've never heard of giving it twice. Hope your dd gets some answers.

 

Our dermatologist told us to split the dose. So rather than taking 1 t a day, he took 1/2 t day and night. He said it controls the itching better.

[Tylianna]

When my dd was 8, she had a skin allergy test done. The back testing did not bother her much. They did 32, but there were cartridges of 8 each and she kinda rubbed it on her back. After that, they had to inject 3 allergens under her skin on her arm. She FREAKED out on that, because we told her what was happening. I had to calm her down (shot phobic) and she held me while they did that.

 

I had to do the same thing, but they didn't have the 8 at a time thing. I had to be 'scratched' 40 different times. It tickled and hurt at the same time. Then I had to get 10 allergens injected under the skin on my arm. It is an annoying type feeling, not a pain.

[NanceXToo]

So, after all of that, we went for her appointment yesterday and after the doctor came in and talked to us a bit and determined that her ONLY symptom is eczema (she doesn't get congested, cough, sneeze or any of that stuff), he decided NOT to do the back prick tests for environmental allergies.

 

Instead, he gave us a prescription to take to a lab to get a blood test for food allergies.

 

So I am going to bring her in next week sometime to do that.

[gingersmom]

So, after all of that, we went for her appointment yesterday and after the doctor came in and talked to us a bit and determined that her ONLY symptom is eczema (she doesn't get congested, cough, sneeze or any of that stuff), he decided NOT to do the back prick tests for environmental allergies.

 

Instead, he gave us a prescription to take to a lab to get a blood test for food allergies.

 

So I am going to bring her in next week sometime to do that.

 

I'm not a doctor but environmental allergies do not always include congestion, sneezing, etc.

 

You can be allergic to a chemical in your laundry detergent. Or in my case allergic to gold and all metals.

 

Not all allergies are caused by food.

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest had the RAST test several times while she was a toddler. We couldn't figure out what she was reacting to. The RAST test at 1yo showed oats, eggs, and soy to be extremely high, so I cut out everything with those ingredients and it did calm down my dd's reactions, but they didn't go away entirely. We redid the RAST test at 2yo and it showed just oats and soy. At 3yo, we did skin testing and I did it too.

 

My dd tested positive to everything except wheat, dairy, and corn. Some of the tests were VERY positive while others were only mildly positive. The testing was done with a cartridge of 8-10 test items and I think they did two cartridges on each visit. I know there wasn't room for more than that. They tested me first and then my dd. The only problem came on the last day. Coffee was one of the items in the test and I found out that I am EXTREMELY allergic to it. I started screaming as soon as it pricked me and my entire back turned into one giant welt. It felt like somebody had thrown acid on my back. My dd didn't want to do any more testing after that.

 

We did a 5-day food-family rotation diet for 6 months and then dropped down to a 4-day food-family rotation diet for the next 2 months. By the end of one year, we were down to just rotating foods (rather than food families) and didn't have any food 2 days in a row. My dd hasn't had any food reactions since then.

 

My youngest had scratch testing in early October. I was quite surprised that she didn't react to anything except the control. The allergist had ordered bloodwork as well and her numbers on that were very low.