major, systemic sunblock (??) allergy

[EmilyGF]

Since y'all know everything, I thought I'd ask about my daughter.

Two years ago, she was taken to the ER and treated for a really scary allergic reaction, It was her first reaction ever and she swelled up like a balloon. Her whole face turned red and swole to about twice her normal size and much of her body was red. They treated her, but thankfully it never blocked her windpipe. Due to how it came on and the timing, we narrowed possible causes to new detergent at Grandma's, horseback riding, and sunblock. A few weeks later, she started swelling up again but took Benadryl and it calmed down. That narrowed it down to sunblock.

Fast forward two years later and she hasn't worn sunblock since. She wears a big hat and a swim shirt or long sleeve shirt everyday. This is frustrating to her, since we're in a super hot climate and she's currently at summer day camp that is all outdoors. She has put sunblock on her toddler sister, but just never had it smeared all over her body again. She really wants to try wearing sunblock again. I'm terrified.

Any suggestions about how we approach this? We never saw an allergist after the emergency room. She is a very responsible 10-year-old and has carried Benadryl with her since the first reaction. 

[school17777]

I had a dd who was allergic to children’s sunscreen, but not regular sunscreen - not sure what’s in the children’s that’s not in the regular.

I use a locally made sunscreen:  https://theolivebranchatsovereignfarms.com/products/sun-protection-summer-care-mineral-stick and https://www.etsy.com/listing/545789872/sunscreen-vegan-non-nano-uncoated-zinc?ref=shop_home_active_22

Another girl that was with us several weekends this summer used mine because she forgot to bring her own and she had reactions to store bought ones, but not to the ones linked above.

[ktgrok]

Do you know what brand of sunscreen it was she had a reaction to? There are all different chemicals that can be used, so if you know what she reacted to you can choose a different one to try. Maybe arrange to try it AT the ER, in the waiting area or parking lot, to be cautious. Also, it could have been one of the other ingredients in the sunscreen, not the active ingredient...if you have regular body or face lotions she uses without a problem you can compare ingredients to rule out the ones that she does fine with. 

But 'sunblock" is a wide category, and there is no reason to believe she is allergic to all the possibilities just because she reacted to a specific one. 

[marbel]

I would take her to an allergist for followup and testing. 

This really has nothing to do with your question, but... my daughter's hands got really rashy occasionally and we narrowed it down to the soap at church. It contained milk. We found out she was allergic to milk (but not all milk, just "raw" as in uncooked milk and milk in cosmetics).   So, one ingredient can be a problem.  But we didn't find that out till she had allergy testing - for other reasons than that, but it was helpful information. I guess that's my point with this little anecdote:  allergy testing might be able to pinpoint the ingredient. 

I'm surprised the allergist did not request followup after an ER visit.

[Pen]

Do you know what was in the sunblock?

I mostly use sun protection clothing, sun umbrella etc, but when I need sunblock I prefer a zinc based one (occasionally titanium based), most often Badger fragrance free organic type has seemed not to give me bad allergic or other reactions. 

The sun itself can give reactions too. 

If you have her try, use a tiny bit maybe on a knee or somewhere not too unpleasant if it swells or itches. (And idea of trying it at a hospital so help is near sounds good). I would not go to slathering it all over even if the tiny bit test goes okay.    Creep up gradually to make sure it’s tolerated. 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Pen

[itsheresomewhere]

I can’t touch most sunblocks.  I can use derma e, badger, and goddess garden.  The others ones cause severe issues ( burning and causing burns, face peeling off in sheets, and swelling). Nothing above 30 spf ever on my face but I find 15-18 spf is my best for daily.  

Edited July 7, 2019 by itsheresomewhere

[Pen]

Badger - SPF 30 Active Mineral Sunscreen Cream for Face and Body, Unscented - 2.9oz Tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003II53Z8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bbLiDbF6H6XAN

 

it’s basically “just” some organic cream/oils for base plus zinc oxide    It is slightly whitening to skin after rubbing in 

 

 

———

Btw, if she can tolerate zinc oxide you could look up diy sunblock with zinc oxide and a known tolerable lotion if any.  But diy will probably be thick and very white — like lifeguard noses in past, and she may not like that all over her any better than she likes sun protection clothes 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Pen

[Bambam]

Just a note for anyone going the route of verifying the allergy at the allergist. 

One of mine had a suspected Amoxicillin allergy when she was young. We went to the allergist when she was much older to get it verified. We were told something like 75% of kids outgrow this allergy in 10 years (I forget the exact numbers, but it was a very large percentage). It was good to verify as using second level vs. the first level contributes to antibiotic resistance.  

It was almost $900 ($600 after insurance) to verify whether she was allergic to one substance! 

She was no longer allergic. 

[purpleowl]

My DD#2 had a reaction to sunscreen a few years ago, not as bad as your DD's but a severe enough rash that it scared me. We tried Vanicream sunscreen and have had no problems since then. I can reliably find it at Walgreen's. There are lists of sunscreens that are better for people who've had allergic reactions (such as this one), but which particular brand(s) will work is going to vary from person to person.

Seconding @Pen's advice to gradually increase the amount used for whatever you decide to try, not putting it all over her at once.

[prairiewindmomma]

If something caused a systemic anaphylactic reaction, I wouldn’t be patch testing at home. This is solidly in the realm of professional management.

I get a blistering rash from some sunscreens. I use titanium dioxide based creams with very few other ingredients. Mostly, I use swim shirts, swim capris, and hats. Annoying, yes, but blistering rashes are no fun either.

[ktgrok]

Anda gain, it may not be the sunscreen part, it could be one of the preservatives, fragrances, etc etc in the sunblock lotion. I have a reaction to propylene glycol, and it is much worse if I get sun exposure as well. it is in some sunscreens, but it isn't the actual sunblock ingredient that is causing the problem. Hence, the allergist being a good idea. 

[Ausmumof3]

5 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

Since y'all know everything, I thought I'd ask about my daughter.

Two years ago, she was taken to the ER and treated for a really scary allergic reaction, It was her first reaction ever and she swelled up like a balloon. Her whole face turned red and swole to about twice her normal size and much of her body was red. They treated her, but thankfully it never blocked her windpipe. Due to how it came on and the timing, we narrowed possible causes to new detergent at Grandma's, horseback riding, and sunblock. A few weeks later, she started swelling up again but took Benadryl and it calmed down. That narrowed it down to sunblock.

Fast forward two years later and she hasn't worn sunblock since. She wears a big hat and a swim shirt or long sleeve shirt everyday. This is frustrating to her, since we're in a super hot climate and she's currently at summer day camp that is all outdoors. She has put sunblock on her toddler sister, but just never had it smeared all over her body again. She really wants to try wearing sunblock again. I'm terrified.

Any suggestions about how we approach this? We never saw an allergist after the emergency room. She is a very responsible 10-year-old and has carried Benadryl with her since the first reaction. 

Do you know which sunblock?  There was a few kids had bad reactions to a specific one a couple of years ago here (banana boat I think) but there were questions over whether it was an ingredient or the sunscreen was contaminated with something that some kids were allergic to. Don’t know what the resolution was.

i think it would be worth identifying the brand and seeing if you can isolate the ingredient and find a substitute.  Maybe via allergy testing.  I do still like to use physical protection wherever possible but it would be good to have an alternative as well.

[Ausmumof3]

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-04/baby-hospitalised-after-using-cancer-council-sunscreen:-mother/8161348

link to the story

[prairiewindmomma]

This was the thread from a few years ago: 

 

[EmilyGF]

13 hours ago, marbel said:

I would take her to an allergist for followup and testing. 

This really has nothing to do with your question, but... my daughter's hands got really rashy occasionally and we narrowed it down to the soap at church. It contained milk. We found out she was allergic to milk (but not all milk, just "raw" as in uncooked milk and milk in cosmetics).   So, one ingredient can be a problem.  But we didn't find that out till she had allergy testing - for other reasons than that, but it was helpful information. I guess that's my point with this little anecdote:  allergy testing might be able to pinpoint the ingredient. 

I'm surprised the allergist did not request followup after an ER visit.

I'm not sure why, either. I'll ask our doctor at her well child checkup this fall.

13 hours ago, Bambam said:

Just a note for anyone going the route of verifying the allergy at the allergist. 

One of mine had a suspected Amoxicillin allergy when she was young. We went to the allergist when she was much older to get it verified. We were told something like 75% of kids outgrow this allergy in 10 years (I forget the exact numbers, but it was a very large percentage). It was good to verify as using second level vs. the first level contributes to antibiotic resistance.  

It was almost $900 ($600 after insurance) to verify whether she was allergic to one substance! 

She was no longer allergic. 

This is why I haven't pressed the issue. No problems in two years and I'm worried that we'll be taken down all sorts of rabbit trails, charged, and then told basically nothing. Like when my kid went to the ER for a possible asthma attack and they refused to let us leave without giving him an MRI for possible obstruction. It was clear by then that he was not showing any signs of lung obstruction, but the doctors refused to let us go without it. Or our friends who took in a kid who swallowed magnets and were told if they took her home early (all the hospital was doing was making her stay in bed with legs raised up, which they figured they could do at home) the hospital would call child protection services. So I guess we're an example of highly educated people who don't trust the ER/medical establishment.

11 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

If something caused a systemic anaphylactic reaction, I wouldn’t be patch testing at home. This is solidly in the realm of professional management.

I get a blistering rash from some sunscreens. I use titanium dioxide based creams with very few other ingredients. Mostly, I use swim shirts, swim capris, and hats. Annoying, yes, but blistering rashes are no fun either.

Yeah. I just thought about it because she has applied sunblock on her little sister when we haven't been thinking about it, so we have been "patch testing" without realizing it.

[Teaching3bears]

Did you use the same sunscreen both times she reacted? Was the sunscreen she applied to her sister the same one? I agree with everyone else that sunscreen has many ingredients and it could be any one of the ingredients. Most contain fragrance and fragrance can be highly allergenic. She might be able to tolerate a fragrance-free zinc sunscreen and those block the sun physically. But first you have to figure out what was in the sunscreen she used when she reacted.

[Splash1]

This happened to my daughter twice in the past, she was so swollen and red.  (she had multiple allergies already and has now been diagnosed with a genetic autoimmune type disease) but we found a couple that were safe for her Elta was the one she used the most.  It's expensive but it worked and didn't feel as gross as some of the others the allergist recommended.

  

[itsheresomewhere]

Any chance the one was Aveeno?  That one seems to have a lot of people reacting to it.  

[Pen]

I sometimes check products out on this data search site : 

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=Badger