rieshy Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Don't Panic- we've already been to the E.R.:) I'm hoping someone can give me some ideas though. If you are kind/bored enough to read all of this, thank you. My 17 yo dd has had environmental allergies her whole life. She's been taking zyrtec for a couple of years on her pediatrician's recommendation and it mostly controls them except for when the Bradford pear trees are blooming. This summer while she was in Europe she had several episodes of extreme wheezing plus her allergies were awful while she was staying in a 500 yo home. About a month after she got back to the States she worked all day in an old home as a youth group project and suddenly turned bright red, swelled from head to toe, and couldn't breathe. The E.R. said it was an anaphylactic reaction to something... the next day she had what appeared to be an asthma attack (even though she was still pumped full of steroids and antihistamines) so off we went for a nebulizer treatment. She had never been diagnosed with asthma before... so off we went to the allergist for the first time with lots of questions. Allergy testing showed extreme sensitivity to dust, dust mites, mold, cats and slight allergies to one or two trees. He said that an epi-pen was not needed. He did a blood test for a new meat allergy but she was negative. She started on asthma daily medicine, got an emergency inhaler and continued with the zyrtec. I bought covers for pillows and mattresses and did all the anti- dust stuff I read about on-line at a site the allergist recommended. For instance I now strip her bed once a week for her after she leaves for her part-time job and wash everything on hot. We only vacuum when she's not home. Her chores are now only non-dusty sorts of chores. Fine and dandy. Yesterday, after she left for a day volunteering at an outdoor festival, I vacuumed the house, my husband moved furniture and we vacuumed and dusted before she got home around 10 p.m.. She did pull a tarp out of her brother's car that was full of construction dust and latex paint chips. This morning at 11 a.m. she had another anaphylactic reaction requiring another ER visit- and yes, she now has an epi-pen. As far as we know she ate nothing new. She was supposed to go on a 4 day hiking trip starting this Wednesday. Now I am scared to let her go. Can anyone think of more tests we should ask for? Could her father and I have set off the reaction by moving furniture around that manifested 13 hours later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 :grouphug: I don't know that I'll be able to be of any help. My son's anaphylaxis was from his food allergies. I find good information at FARE. They've got a page on anaphylaxis that may have some info. Latex would be my biggest bet for a trigger for your daughter, but allergies are strange. The link is also to a webinar Dr Wood is doing soon on anaphylaxis. It may be useful. I'd have a really hard time letting my son go on the hiking trip. How far would they be from a hospital? If she had an episode, could she get to a hospital in time? Reactions can get more severe and an epi-pen only gives you about 20 min. When my son had his anaphylaxis, he was admitted to the hospital, but when he got out, we saw his allergist within the next few days. I'd be calling your daughter's allergist and getting in before the trip - and get his suggestions about whether the trip is a good idea as well. :grouphug: I'm sorry you're all dealing with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I agree that seeing the allergist again asap is a good plan. I would be extremely nervous about sending her hiking until you know what's causing the reactions. (Okay, and even then I might still be extremely nervous!) Mystery reactions are the worst. :grouphug: My DS is prone to mystery reactions from suspected airborne allergens, so we've had a few, some of which we've never found the cause. It's nerve-wracking. I would be very suspicious of the latex, like Dana, but also - were they cooking anything at the outdoor festival? DS has reacted to airborne food particles. Might be a possibility as well. It's just so hard to tell. FWIW, we've also had anaphylaxis to cat dander. At least, that's all we can pinpoint, and his cat allergy is severe. So it's certainly possible that this was something airborne. Maybe look at what she ate for breakfast, even if it's not a new food she might be developing an allergy. That's certainly possible - I just developed an allergy to shellfish as an adult! I'd also be wondering what type of construction debris was on that tarp. Mold, maybe? What type of dust? The latex would be concerning. Sorry, I'm no help. Just wanted to send some support and say you're not alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 I will be calling the allergist in the morning. I'm 99.9% sure the trip is a no-go, but I promised her we'd talk to her allergist before we decided for sure. She's done this trip for 4 years now but they will be far far out of reach of a hospital. I wondered about the latex too. Grrrrr. This week is Fall break and it looks like I will have a sad teen-ager and lots of doctor's appointments to deal with. Not to mention I was planning on painting several rooms (with latex) while she was away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 :grouphug: This sounds very difficult. I would worry about being so far from a hospital at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I'm really sorry for your daughter. Unfortunately, it can take 4-8 weeks to calm down an allergic reaction, with multiple serious flares along the way. There is no way I would send her away with an emergent situation like this. Poor kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I wouldn't let her go. Being far away from emergency help would be a risky situation. I hope you find an answer soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Did the allergist test her for the all of the common food allergens with both skin testing and the RAST blood testing? People can develop food allergies at any time to foods once tolerated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 No skin testing to foods were done because it was (I guess) assumed her first reaction was to environmental allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 If it were food, I'd think you'd be more likely to have seen an immediate reaction. My son breaks out in hives as soon as he started eating an anaphylactic food, his throat then swelled, and it progressed from there. My father's throat swells almost immediately. Of course delayed reactions are possible but I, too, think this is likely airborne (probably not the furniture; was the tarp the morning she had the reaction?) I wouldn't send her on the trip. I'm sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 If it were food, I'd think you'd be more likely to have seen an immediate reaction. My son breaks out in hives as soon as he started eating an anaphylactic food, his throat then swelled, and it progressed from there. My father's throat swells almost immediately. Of course delayed reactions are possible but I, too, think this is likely airborne (probably not the furniture; was the tarp the morning she had the reaction?) I wouldn't send her on the trip. I'm sorry. My son's anaphylaxis (cashews) was immediate although we only saw hives 5 hours later. The only immediate symptom was itchy throat and then vomiting. When he's had cooked milk, he has had a delayed reaction...hives after 4 hours. A boy in his kindergarten class had multiple allergies and his would typically be 5-8 hours later, so it was really hard for them to identify triggers. Keeping a diary of foods, activities, locations may help with finding commonalities here.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 If this was my child, or if you gave me this history and then showed up in our ED for some unrelated reason, I would proceed as if she had a latex allergy. It is also reasonable to pursue further investigation but I would definitely take latex precautions [and ensure that she understood how important it was to have her EpiPen with her and how important it was to seek further medical attention after using it]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 OP, it doesn't look like latex paint contained actual latex. http://www.paint.org/find-your-issue/latex-paint.html Could it be the dust in the tarp? Was the reaction close to the time of moving the tarp? My son had an airborne reaction once, and we never identified the culprit. I hope they can figure it out for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 OP, it doesn't look like latex paint contained actual latex. http://www.paint.org/find-your-issue/latex-paint.html Could it be the dust in the tarp? Was the reaction close to the time of moving the tarp? My son had an airborne reaction once, and we never identified the culprit. I hope they can figure it out for her. True, however, some paints have a latex containing sealant so it is important to read the labels on paint products. The main reason I suggested proceeding as if this was a latex allergy is actually more because it is one of the aerosolized allergens which fits with the prior exposures/reactions and it also is prone to significant escalation with further challenges so the risk benefit curve certainly shifts in the direction of avoidance [at least until there is a solid explanation]. With that I'll take a step back because I think I'm coming close to crossing my line that I don't want to offer medical advice outside of a true physician patient relationship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I would look into getting allergy shots for her. They have been very helpful for my airborne allergies. Now, if only they had allergy shots for all my food allergies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 And...I would not be painting anytime soon. Allergies are odd things. Once the allergen bucket in their bodies has filled up, it overflows at every little thing. In other words, because she is currently on overload for one thing, she will react strongly to things she normally wouldn't. With my dd, I have found that paint tends to need to be on the walls for a month (sometimes even longer) in an area she is going to be spending time in. Unless it is pressing, you might want to consider waiting until she heads off to college. At the least, until she is over this bout of reacting for a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I'd also ask your allergist whether the Zyrtec is still working. Our allergist has said that our bodies become used to an allergy medicine and then it's efficacy falls off. She may need to try Allegra or something else, especially if she has been taking the Zyrtec frequently for a couple of years. Also, I stayed a week at a 100+ year old house this summer and it drove my allergies nuts! Mostly dust, I think, though the house appeared to be clean. Maybe some mold too. Good luck and keep your kiddo home from this trip. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 She moved the tarp full of latex paint chips Saturday morning before she left home for the day. So that was a full 24 hours before this reaction. I found out this morning that she also vacuumed the car out. Grrrrr- for some reason being banned from vacuuming the house didn't stop her from doing a car. It was latex paint for cinderblocks- so according to my son much thicker and full of special sealants. I'm going to try to find out today what was in it. She's always had a topical allergy to latex but just a skin reaction. We were sure that was what triggered the first episode but the allergist thought that was very unlikely. It's interesting to hear, Lolly, that your daughter is sensitive to them even on the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 She's always had a topical allergy to latex but just a skin reaction. We were sure that was what triggered the first episode but the allergist thought that was very unlikely. It's interesting to hear, Lolly, that your daughter is sensitive to them even on the wall. Because latex is one of the biggies for anaphylaxis, this does sound like a progression. Get to allergist ASAP...and you may want a second opinion as well. Hope you get some answers. Allergies are so scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I'm very sorry -- how scary!! I don't think I'd be comfortable letting her go on the hiking trip until you felt it was under control and you (and she) had more of an understanding of it all. My daughter has not had anaphylactic reactions, but she is extremely allergic to so many things, and she gets hit fast and hard with extreme asthmatic reactions that are really scary. For example, as a senior in high school, she was standing up at the podium giving a thank you speech for a scholarship, and I could tell by the look in her eye that it was starting to happen. She was starting to hold her throat and stare at me, scared, but didn't know what to do. I flew out of my chair and grabbed her and we went directly home where I have all the tools/meds necessary to help her. By the time she was in the car she could barely get any air into her lungs at all. (The building she had been in was the old VFW, full of old smoke and whatnot.) She learned to stay out of so many environments/areas -- old, musty, cat hair, leaves, feathers. She once had an attack in the belly of an old iron-ore ship we were touring. When she went on a two-day canoe trip once, her entire face became so swollen, I would never have recognized her if I had just seen her face. Bananas and other fresh veggies made her lips swell twice their size. She broke out with her first bad rash when she was about two hours old, from the hospital linen. Then, she went to Costa Rica the year after high school graduation, fell in love with the country, worked there, started school there, met her future husband there, and has now lived there for almost five years. And guess what? Her allergic reactions have 95% gone away down there. It is boggling. All I can think is that there was something in our environment, in our state, that was far more than her body could tolerate, so all the other allergens that agitated her could not be fought off at all. In Costa Rica, that big underlying allergen is gone (whatever it was), so even if there are smaller allergens that otherwise might take her over the top, her body is strong enough to deal with them. She can even eat bananas now without any reaction at all. Amazing! Anyway, sorry this got long. Just thought it might give you insight and hope that your daughter might not always be as reactive as she is now. Hope you get some answers soon and feel like things are under control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 If she had an anaphylactic reaction at 11am, I'd look very hard at what she did and what she ate or drank between 9 and 11 am. It doesn't have to be something new. It isn't uncommon to develop an anaphylactic allergy to something you've eaten your whole life. And allergy tests aren't as accurate as we would all like. My dd tested negative to tree nut and shellfish allergies which have sent her to the ER many, many times since those negative tests. Also, If she's allergic to dust, do you have some very good air filters for her room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Because latex is one of the biggies for anaphylaxis, this does sound like a progression. Get to allergist ASAP...and you may want a second opinion as well. Hope you get some answers. Allergies are so scary. Yes to this. Does she react at all, in any way, to bananas or avocadoes? They're related to latex. I think getting to an allergist is a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeetime Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 If she had an anaphylactic reaction at 11am, I'd look very hard at what she did and what she ate or drank between 9 and 11 am. It doesn't have to be something new. It isn't uncommon to develop an anaphylactic allergy to something you've eaten your whole life. And allergy tests aren't as accurate as we would all like. My dd tested negative to tree nut and shellfish allergies which have sent her to the ER many, many times since those negative tests. Also, If she's allergic to dust, do you have some very good air filters for her room? Yes to the bolded and that's one of the most frustrating things about having a child with severe/possibly life threatening allergies. My son has been diagnosed with a latex allergy based on reactions and exposures but his test (blood) was negative. We carry Epi and proceed as though that is the allergen at the advice of the Dr. but there is always a fear in the back of your mind that you're avoiding the wrong thing. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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