Can a child really "outgrow" a food allergy?

[AimeeM]

DD was diagnosed about a year ago with a wheat allergy (not celiacs; a wheat allergy specifically). She had horrible stomach pains, diarrhea, rashes, etc.

 

We just realized that the soup she's been devouring for... a long time... has a heavy wheat in its base... and she's had NO symptoms. The doctor did say there was a chance she would outgrow it, but we didn't expect that to happen so quickly. It used to be that she would have a reaction to something as little as bread crumbs on the counter.

 

I kind of want to take her in for another blood test, lol.

 

(I don't plan on testing this curiosity at home, just in case I worried anyone, lol)

[redsquirrel]

I have known people whose kids grew out of allergies. I had one friend whose kid was quite allergic to eggs and then over time no longer tested positive and they did trial exposures in the doctors office etc and it was determined she was no longer allergic.  I know people who tell me when they were kids they were allergic to strawberries or orange juice and now they are no longer allergic.  So, it does happen.

[Ravin]

Mine outgrew an egg allergy.

[texasmama]

My nephew outgrew an intolerance to wheat (not a true allergy, but bad gastro symptoms with wheat consumption).  He is a young adult now and has no issues with it.

[Farrar]

Absolutely.  My limited understanding is that with limited exposure you either build up a tolerance and "outgrow" the allergy OR your body gets more and more irritated by it until the allergy is much more serious.

[Desert Strawberry]

Yes. It is generally recommended to eliminate the food for a year, then trial/retest. The year allows the gut to heal and the immune system to calm down and mature.

 

3 of mine have outgrown food allergies. At least one is still sensitive in very large quantities, but we limit his exposure.

[Catwoman]

Yes, definitely.

 

I hope that's the case with your dd, Aimee!

[8circles]

Yes.  My son has outgrown allergies to peanuts, eggs, milk, almonds, and pistachios.  Blood & scratch tests originally positive plus real-life reactions.  Most recent blood and skin tests negative & all challenge tests with no reactions.  More challenge tests to come for the rest of the tree nuts.

[prairiewindmomma]

Yes, and the younger the child, the more likely that the immune system can reset. Shellfish and nut allergies are typically lifelong, but other stuff is more likely. My toddler outgrew egg allergy this year.

[Chelli]

My sister outgrew a milk allergy. 

 

And thank goodness! I was so tired of having to drink goat's milk. Blech. My mom wouldn't let anyone have cow's milk since my sister was allergic so we all had to drink goat. 

 

I hope your dd has outgrown hers as well.

[Pippen]

My son also outgrew a milk allergy. When first introduced he had very rapid and definite skin reactions. A year or so later I took him into the pediatrician's to try milk again and he hasn't had a problem since.

[gardenmom5]

if the 'allergy' is caused by leaky gut, and the gut is able to heal, then yes they can outgrow it.

[Occasionally]

Yep, my DS8 outgrew an egg allergy.

[Kathryn]

My son did also, with strict avoidance.

[Sisyphus]

My youngest did. He reacted to dairy, wheat, and soy, so I couldn't eat them.By a drs recommendation, We kept him off solid food (and he was totally uninterested anyway) until 2 or so. We introduced non allergens, and at 4 ish slowly tried some things he was allergic to as a baby. He was fine, and outgrew it like the dr said he would, but it was very slow and certain relatives thought we were starving him without solid food as a toddler. from what I remember, the younger they are the more likely they will grow out of it.

[LucyStoner]

I did as a child.

 

I also once gave myself an allergy by over consuming something (soy- I was living on tofu scrambles. Unwise, I don't reccomend it!) but 15 years later I am fine with it in limited quantities.

[Mom in High Heels]

Indy outgrew his milk and soy allergies and it looks like Han Solo is well on his way to outgrowing his milk and soy allergies as well.  Yay!

 

I had a load of food allergies when I was a child and outgrew most of them, but a few years ago, several came back, and unfortunately to foods I love.  Boo!

 

I hope your dd outgrows hers as well.

[MomatHWTK]

DS started with 9 positively identified plus other unknowns.  He's now down to egg, dairy, peanut, treenut, fish and shellfish.  We are supposed to do some testing to see if we can get back fish and even peanut, but haven't had time/desire.  But, we did 100% avoidance. Over a year of formula only to heal his gut plus no store bought food for about 2 years and we started the elimination when he was 2. 

[nansk]

My dd was allergic to peanut, chickpeas, soy, and hazelnuts. She used to get a different reaction to each of these. The first two were very severe. But my paediatrician (the old doctor who had treated me as a child) had assured me that she would outgrow them after age 5, and she did! 

 

The leaky gut explanation makes sense, but in her case, I was told that she lacked the enzymes to process the proteins in those nuts.

 

I am actually dismayed and worried after reading in this thread that allergies may come back in adulthood. :-(

 

[Pawz4me]

Not a human, but my dog has recovered from several food allergies.  I prefer recovered to "outgrew," because my dog was already pretty well full-grown when he was diagnosed and tested. ;)

 

I think for him it was a combination of avoiding the offending foods for a good long while and taking desensitization shots that reduced/eliminated his response to airborne allergens.  For dogs allergy response, even to foods, is considered to be a cumulative thing.  So the more you lower the total allergy load, the less noticeable the response will be to any individual trigger.

[Upward Journey]

I had a very severe shrimp allergy as a child. By my teen years I had outgrown it.

[Carrie12345]

My oldest outgrew peanut and blueberry reactions.

My youngest outgrew his milk protein intollerance very rapidly, but that was a digestive issue rather than an immune issue.

[Stratford]

My DS outgrew an egg allergy after a 5 year period of avoidance.  He's turning 10 now and eats eggs quite often with no reaction. 

[dbmamaz]

just as a warning - i was allergic to wheat and milk as an infant, was off them about a year and put back on, having 'outgrown' it.  By middle school I had constant stomach problems, but so did my dad, so my family thought it was just 'normal'.  Sometimes in young adulthood it was so bad I had to leave work, or would be up in the middle of the night, clenching the tp roll with my fingernails trying not to cry out.  

 

It wasnt until 8 years ago - at age 40 - that I finally decided to try going off of wheat and dairy again.  My stomach was better in just a few days, my headaches went away, my body aches and fatigue were dramatically better.  

 

So just dont write it off completely.  Remember - and teach her - that if she starts having symptoms again, she should try elimination again.  

[G5052]

Also keep in mind that some people find that the allergies come back if they are very ill.  I had an allergy to citric acid that comes back if I have a really bad cold or the flu.  A friend of mine had cancer and found that her allergy to eggs came back.

[sbgrace]

Yes, as others have said. Our allergist will track RAST numbers, when they get to a certain point it can indicate outgrowing and that a food challenge is warranted. My son has outgrown dairy and oranges.

 

That said, wheat is tricky in my understanding. My son's wheat reaction was a (pretty dramatic) change in his pulmonary numbers, though no actual asthma. The other thing is a person can be unaware that what they are feeling isn't normal because wheat effects can hang around a while.

 

What I would do is pull it for two weeks and put it back in. If she feels no difference, continue eating and consider allergist follow up. But reaction trumps results, so the follow up might be unnecessary honestly.

[AimeeM]

 

 

What I would do is pull it for two weeks and put it back in. If she feels no difference, continue eating and consider allergist follow up. But reaction trumps results, so the follow up might be unnecessary honestly.

 

What do you mean by this? Should I pull her soup, then, for two more weeks (she's been eating it for a few weeks as is), then try it again?

[jenangelcat]

I was allergic to peanuts and eggs as a kid. I'm fine now with eggs and I can eat peanuts but I avoid them and other nuts because I now have a different nut allergy.  I do eat peanut butter.

[Loowit]

My youngest outgrew his allergies to dairy, soy, and eggs.  Sadly he has not outgrown his allergy to peanuts, and most likely will not at this point.  His allergist said that often kids will outgrow some food allergies but then develop environmental allergies.  Some food allergies are more likely to be outgrown than others, and sometimes an allergy will come back later in life.

[Susan in TN]

Not a food allergy, but we took the rabbits to the vet yesterday and during our conversation she mention that she was horribly allergic to cats and dogs most of her life - spent much of her life either sick or on serious allergy medicine.  It's a wonder she decided to become a veterinarian, but she she says as of this year's battery of tests, she officially has no animal allergies.

 

We also know a child who had fairly severe peanut/tree nut allergies but a couple years later was cleared for peanuts.

[bluemongoose]

I have outgrown cranberries, walnuts, and pecans. I grew into a bad intolerance to meat and severe environmental allergies.

 

My DS has outgrown a severe dairy allergy but still has a severe peanut/treenut allergy as well as penicillin, mold, and cats.

 

My DD has outgrown pineapple and avocado but maintains allergies to topical products (shampoos, detergents, cosmetics, lotions etc).

 

My other DS has outgrown dairy.

 

And thank goodness, my youngest has shown no signs of allergies yet!

 

So yes, you can grow out of and into allergies at different times.

[celticmom]

I have had allergies all my life and they changed dramatically during puberty. Now that I am getting close to menopausal age I think that some of them are changing again. :glare:

[Katy]

What do you mean by this? Should I pull her soup, then, for two more weeks (she's been eating it for a few weeks as is), then try it again?

 

I have a wheat allergy too. When I was a kid I would randomly break out in hives and no one could figure out the reason until I took an antibiotic I was also allergic to and ever after whole wheat will make my throat close up.  I think if you're going to get her off of wheat you need to do it for at least 6 weeks, possibly 8, to know for sure it's out of her system.  Not that the wheat takes that long to get out, but the inflammation because of the allergy takes that long to get rid of, and to feel normal again.

 

If you do that, make sure to research all the ingredients that contain wheat and get rid of those too.  Like, oatmeal is contaminated with wheat unless it's gluten free, modified food starch that's not specifically labeled corn or potato, some kinds of caramel coloring, packaged chicken that's not specifically labeled gluten free has broth in in with coloring and food starch, etc.  It's really best to follow a full-on gluten free diet to avoid cross contamination, in my experience. Even things you might not think about - cheese can be coated in starch, lunch meat contains coloring or "natural flavors" that are sourced from wheat.

 

I find a lot of gluten-free things at Aldi's.  They're very careful to label "gluten free" or "naturally gluten free" and they have things like chicken with no gluten in the broth, lunch meat, etc.  They're also careful to not label things gluten free if they are made in a facility that also processes wheat.  That is not always true of things labeled "gluten free" in a regular store.  I bought these gluten free almond crackers once and later wondered why I was breaking out in hives, looked at the box and realized that while they were labeled gluten free the box also warned in fine print that they were processed in the same facility as wheat and were intended for people with gluten-intolerance NOT people with food allergies or celiac.  I was so angry.  Anyway, if you want tips on getting her eating gluten free as cheaply as possible, IM me.

[Staceyshoe]

sorry--double post

[Staceyshoe]

Our pediatric allergist said that the way immune systems change, children can begin to outgrow food allergies around age 3 and that any allergies not outgrown by/during puberty should be expected to remain (though I've known of people who have outgrown them at other times in life also).  At age 2 my youngest was allergic to 6 of the top 8, and 5 of them were anaphylactic level allergies.  At age 5, he only has 2 anaphylactic allergies and another that is mild and fully expect it to be gone within the next year.  For him, I've noticed that they begin to show up as mild and then eventually go away completely.  He went from a severe dairy allergy (and had a very scary anaphylactic reaction resulting from a *tiny* exposure)  to no allergy at all within a year's time, so it can happen quickly sometimes.

[AimeeM]

She's been off wheat for a year now, minus the last few weeks or so when she's been eating the soup.

I have a wheat allergy too. When I was a kid I would randomly break out in hives and no one could figure out the reason until I took an antibiotic I was also allergic to and ever after whole wheat will make my throat close up.  I think if you're going to get her off of wheat you need to do it for at least 6 weeks, possibly 8, to know for sure it's out of her system.  Not that the wheat takes that long to get out, but the inflammation because of the allergy takes that long to get rid of, and to feel normal again.

 

If you do that, make sure to research all the ingredients that contain wheat and get rid of those too.  Like, oatmeal is contaminated with wheat unless it's gluten free, modified food starch that's not specifically labeled corn or potato, some kinds of caramel coloring, packaged chicken that's not specifically labeled gluten free has broth in in with coloring and food starch, etc.  It's really best to follow a full-on gluten free diet to avoid cross contamination, in my experience. Even things you might not think about - cheese can be coated in starch, lunch meat contains coloring or "natural flavors" that are sourced from wheat.

 

I find a lot of gluten-free things at Aldi's.  They're very careful to label "gluten free" or "naturally gluten free" and they have things like chicken with no gluten in the broth, lunch meat, etc.  They're also careful to not label things gluten free if they are made in a facility that also processes wheat.  That is not always true of things labeled "gluten free" in a regular store.  I bought these gluten free almond crackers once and later wondered why I was breaking out in hives, looked at the box and realized that while they were labeled gluten free the box also warned in fine print that they were processed in the same facility as wheat and were intended for people with gluten-intolerance NOT people with food allergies or celiac.  I was so angry.  Anyway, if you want tips on getting her eating gluten free as cheaply as possible, IM me.

 

[AimeeM]

Our pediatric allergist said that the way immune systems change, children can begin to outgrow food allergies around age 3 and that any allergies not outgrown by/during puberty should be expected to remain (though I've known of people who have outgrown them at other times in life also).  At age 2 my youngest was allergic to 6 of the top 8, and 5 of them were anaphylactic level allergies.  At age 5, he only has 2 anaphylactic allergies and another that is mild and fully expect it to be gone within the next year.  For him, I've noticed that they begin to show up as mild and then eventually go away completely.  He went from a severe dairy allergy (and had a very scary anaphylactic reaction resulting from a *tiny* exposure)  to no allergy at all within a year's time, so it can happen quickly sometimes.

 

Yes, she had no allergies as a young child (mild dairy intolerance, but lactaid pills fixed that; she outgrew it by kindergarten or so). The wheat allergy didn't show up until last year (around age 11), I think the onset of puberty. Now she's been wheat-free for a year. It's really... odd.

[Lacie]

My youngest was diagnosed as a baby with an egg allergy, milk and soy protein intolerance and lactose intolerance. The egg allergy showed up on skin testing and he reacted with a full body rash. The milk and soy intolerance did not show up on skin testing, but he would vomit and have diarrhea until he was dehydrated. 

 

I was told that allergies can change when hormones change: age 2, 3, 5, teenage, pregnancy, menopause, andropause.

 

At age 3 he was able to eat eggs finally with no reaction, he still does not like them though. At age 5 he was able to drink soy milk and we finally got up the nerve to trial him on milk at age 6. He eats everything now and has not had any issues. We still keep a watch out for anything interesting and I will watch closer when he starts reaching teenage years.

 

It is definitely possible with some people, but you have to be very careful with trials... they can be dangerous.

[GSOchristie]

Yes, ds 7 outgrew an egg allergy that was anaphylactic.

 

DS 4 outgrew a milk allergy by age 1.

[DianeW88]

Absolutely!  I outgrew my allergy to bananas and chocolate.  Thank. Goodness. 

[DianeW88]

 DP

[Guest]

Yes.  Dd had a confirmed dairy allergy, and when we tried reintroducing it at around 4 years old, she seemed to tolerate it except for having some stomach upset.  Before that, she would react with hives and wheezing.  Now she would devour a bowl of ice cream daily if I let her.

[sbgrace]

Yes.  My son has outgrown allergies to peanuts, eggs, milk, almonds, and pistachios.  Blood & scratch tests originally positive plus real-life reactions.  Most recent blood and skin tests negative & all challenge tests with no reactions.  More challenge tests to come for the rest of the tree nuts.

 

Wow. Almond and pistachio! I thought tree nut allergies were among the most rare to outgrow, and more than one was basically almost no chance for outgrowing. I really hope my son outgrows his tree nuts. Was your son anaphylactic to any of those?

[8circles]

Wow. Almond and pistachio! I thought tree nut allergies were among the most rare to outgrow, and more than one was basically almost no chance for outgrowing. I really hope my son outgrows his tree nuts. Was your son anaphylactic to any of those?

Yes! There is hope! My son was anaphylactic to many tree nuts and they appear to be outgrown. I can't even tell you how much shock I was in when we had him retested. Don't give up.

[FO4UR]

My ds is allergic to peanuts, treenuts & shellfish. 

 

3 years ago, he had a serious reaction from playing with a tennis ball with other kids who had eaten PB&J for lunch (and had gotten some PB on the ball).  That's the last PB reaction he has had.  We've been rather willy-nilly and free with exposing him to peanut in the last few months and he has had no reactions at all.  We don't smear it on him or anything, but he did eat a cookie that shared a platter with peanut brittle a few weeks ago (!!! ACK!!!) and no reaction whatsoever.  I am hoping and praying that he's outgrowing the PB allergy.  He has always been able to eat Chick-fil-A which cooks everything in peanut oil.  The Dr said to NOT take anything out that he's tolerating well, even if it contains the allergen, so we didn't.

 

His tree nut allergy was way more severe, and I'm still very cautious with that.  He does eat almonds though.  They are of a different family than the walnuts that nearly killed him.  Again, we didn't take anything out if he was already tolerating it.  He eats Honey Nut Cheerios and drinks almond milk.

 

 

Food allergies can do weird things.  It never hurts to go get retested.