Back From The Allergist

[crittermom]

Michael had his visit to the allergist. He has tested negative to all food allergies which is wonderful since he was allergic to dairy and soy. He did however test positive...very positive... to both species of dust mites. The doctor had me buy a hepa air purifier for his bedroom and he is now taking Nasonex 2 times daily to reduce inflamation and irritation and will soon drop to once per day. The allergist said that with his reaction, he could have a fair amount of mucus running down his throat into his stomach causing stomach upset. He also said that if he was very congested, his sense of smell could have been affected therefore changing his appetite and food consumption. We havea follow up appt on Jan 15th. He has done much better with the snotty nose every morning and seems to be sleeping a bit better with the purifier however the stomach complaints have continued and he still is not eating very well. The tantrums are still present and many mornings he is still waking up cranky. Now he has begun getting separation anxiety. He will cry when my husband or I leaves almost until we get back. This is a new development at home, he had started doing it at school last month but now it is at home as well. We have another blood test scheduled for January, we will see what we find out then....

[jerseyangel]

I tested the same--no allergies to any foods tested, but highly allergic to dust mites.

Another suggestion is what my allergist advised me to do--encase his mattress and pillows in good quality, zippered allergy mattress covers.

It's been a big help for me.

Hope he keeps doing better, and good luck with the next round of testing

[crittermom]

Thanks Patti! That is a great suggestion. I was looking into the pillow thing but the mattress I hadn't thought of!

[Ursa Major]

Also, you would do well to wash all of his bedding in hot water and dry them in the dryer once a week, to keep the dust mites out. Another thing that is advisable would be to make sure he has no curtains or rugs in his room, and to limit stuffed animals (and make sure the ones he's got can be washed regularly).

A dust and dust mite allergy will NOT cause stomach upset, though. Looking at your signature, I see that Michael had infant reflux. Very common indeed for celiac disease. Personally, I think you ought to try him on a gluten-free diet, to see if that improves his digestive problems. I'll eat my hat if it won't.

[pugluver31902]

The only reason my doctor tested me for Celiac was bc of reflux. I nearly fell off the chair when the test was positive!

[ryebaby0]

My son is also horrendously allergic to dust mites, and I have to tell you that the mattress cover didn't make a big difference, but a pillow cover did! And rather than banish every loveable stuffed animal, we gave them a home in a rubbermaid box in the closet, so they could be a little less "present" in the room. And no carpet! Ugh, the dirt in those......

Your son has gone through a lot of medical stuff, and at 2.5 separation anxiety is pretty normal anyway. From his point of view, this is scary and annoying and he wants you to stay around and comfort him after-the-fact. Sort of post-traumatic. He wants the reassurance but doesn't know what that is or how to express it, just that he wants you. You might try lots of snuggling up and reading, drawing, playing with clay, etc.... tactile things to physically connect him to you. (I know, it sounds very nuts-and-berries but I had TWO clingy children)

Good luck!

joanna

[kbtoyssni]

I've always gotten my mattress and pillow dust covers from National Allergy Supply: Open Original Shared Link

If he has lots of stuffed animals you can put them in the freezer for a few hours to kill the dust mites, too. It's easier than trying to wash them regularly in hot water.

The HEPA air purifier is a great idea. My brother has one. He even started bringing it to friends' houses for sleepovers because their houses would be much dustier and full of animal dander, and he was getting sick. I would also recommend a HEPA vacuum cleaner if you don't have one.

National Allergy has some great dust cloths, too. The dust really sticks so you don't have to worry about it flying up into the air. Keeping the number of knickknacks to a minimum helps with dusting. And remember to vacuum under the bed periodically! I always knew it was time to vac under the bed when I started waking up with a sore throat.

[Darn210]

A dust and dust mite allergy will NOT cause stomach upset, though. Looking at your signature, I see that Michael had infant reflux. Very common indeed for celiac disease. Personally, I think you ought to try him on a gluten-free diet, to see if that improves his digestive problems. I'll eat my hat if it won't.

I would have to disagree (with the first sentence). When my son was younger, he had some sinus issues. He had (still has) a hair trigger on his gag reflex and on occassion would vomit an outrageous amount of mucus. The amount of mucus that drained (or swallowed) into his tummy definitely affected his appetite.

Now the second part . . . trying him on a gluten-free diet? You will always need to keep an eye out for digestive issues since he has a sibling with Celiac.

[jerseyangel]

I would have to disagree (with the first sentence). When my son was younger, he had some sinus issues. He had (still has) a hair trigger on his gag reflex and on occassion would vomit an outrageous amount of mucus. The amount of mucus that drained (or swallowed) into his tummy definitely affected his appetite.

I experienced this, also. My sinuses would constantly drain and cause nausea--I have the darn sensitive gag reflex, too.

[tarnalberry]

Yep, I'd disagree with environmental allergies (including dust mites) not being able to cause digestive upset. Both the post nasal drip, and the general effects of the excess histamine systemically, can bother my stomach - it's minor, but still annoying.

[crittermom]

Thanks for all the replies they are really helpful. I am off to the store tomorrow to get a new pillow and a dust cover for it now that we are home from holiday visits. We cleared out all the lovies except for three favorites that take a regular spin in the washer with blankie!

Another question for you though, Michael has had 6 bm's per day for the last 3 days. They are green in color which the GI says is normal however 6 seems a little much to me. However it is not D. He eats most of the same things his sister eats so his diet tends to lean towards gluten-free but he loves his cheerios and wheat thins and french baguettes! I haven't taken those things out since we have to do another test in Jan. If the tests come back negative I am torn, should I take him gluten-free since he tested positive for the gene? How will I enforce it later if I can't tell him that he actually tested positive for Celiac? How do I take away the things he loves just because of something that might happen when the tests are negative? I know that the tests a somewhat unreliable at his age but here is my real question... would I be doing all this if Katharine hadn't tested positive? Is he acting out or just acting his age? His demeanor has changed, but he is also almost 3.... Just thinking outloud here, I am fairly confused and trying to decide to do what is right for my baby. They leave this stuff out of "What to Expect..."

One other thing, he gets a couple of servings of gluten per day right now for the Jan test, is that enough to trigger a positive if it is infact Celiac? We may look into Enterolab if this round of tests is neg as well. My mommy gut just isn't convinced.

TIA

[Darn210]

I'd keep him on the gluten until his test. Keep in mind at that point, they may want to do an endoscopy, too. That is your decision to make. But keep him on gluten until the docs (or you) are done with the testing.

Now, after this . . . if everything comes back negative, you can always do a trial gluten free diet. This is what we are doing with my son. The doctor was skeptical that he had it except for his small size (which runs on his dad's side of the family . . . late growth spurts). So we are currently on a 6 month trial. If you do a trial, give it a good long time. You might want to try and think of things you want to keep track of during the trial. Weight, height, bowel movements, crankiness, congestion. I know some of these will be subjective . . . perhaps rate them on a scale of 1 to 5. Track a little before you start so you have a good comparison. If you notice no change, let him have his gluten back. There's nothing that says if it doesn't work out, you have to keep him gluten-free. There does not appear to be any additional growth in my son and it is tempting to "finish" our trial early. But, I decided at the beginning it would last for 6 months and I will follow it through to the end.

Good Luck.

[Michi8]

Thanks for all the replies they are really helpful. I am off to the store tomorrow to get a new pillow and a dust cover for it now that we are home from holiday visits. We cleared out all the lovies except for three favorites that take a regular spin in the washer with blankie!

Another question for you though, Michael has had 6 bm's per day for the last 3 days. They are green in color which the GI says is normal however 6 seems a little much to me. However it is not D.

Have you reintroduced soy and dairy? Perhaps this has contributed to the frequency and colour of his bms. Be aware that allergy tests can be hit or miss...just because a test comes back negative doesn't mean there is no allergy. I've had allergy tests show up as negative, but still have obvious reactions to those foods.

Michelle

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Just wanted to say that I TOTALLY disagree with any doctor that says that green poop 6x/day is normal. Why on earth do they always think that symptoms of problems are NORMAL??????

Mind you, it might not be a huge problem. But it's not normal unless he's eating 3 pounds of spinach every day. (He isn't, is he???)

[kbtoyssni]

If the tests come back negative I am torn, should I take him gluten-free since he tested positive for the gene? How will I enforce it later if I can't tell him that he actually tested positive for Celiac? How do I take away the things he loves just because of something that might happen when the tests are negative? I know that the tests a somewhat unreliable at his age but here is my real question... would I be doing all this if Katharine hadn't tested positive? Is he acting out or just acting his age? His demeanor has changed, but he is also almost 3.... Just thinking outloud here, I am fairly confused and trying to decide to do what is right for my baby. They leave this stuff out of "What to Expect..."

One other thing, he gets a couple of servings of gluten per day right now for the Jan test, is that enough to trigger a positive if it is infact Celiac? We may look into Enterolab if this round of tests is neg as well. My mommy gut just isn't convinced.

TIA

Tough questions. Honestly, you probably wouldn't be thinking celiac if his sister hadn't tested positive. But now that you know, I think it's the responsible thing to get him tested. That's just being a good mother.

If he does test negative and you try the gluten-free diet, you'll likely know if gluten is a problem. And dietary response is a positive diagnosis in my opinion. I don't think enforcing the gluten-free diet will change based on method of diagnosis. If he wants to rebel and eat gluten, he will. If gluten makes him sick and he wants to stay gluten-free, he'll do it. What might help is doing a food and behavior journal you can show him later in life. My mother did that with me (milk and sugar made me hyperactive as a kid) and now, at age 25, I'm quite embarrassed to read what a terribly behaved child I was Luckily I grew out of that, but if I hadn't that journal would probably be enough to convince me I have a problem with those foods.

[crittermom]

Tough questions. Honestly, you probably wouldn't be thinking celiac if his sister hadn't tested positive. But now that you know, I think it's the responsible thing to get him tested. That's just being a good mother.

If he does test negative and you try the gluten-free diet, you'll likely know if gluten is a problem. And dietary response is a positive diagnosis in my opinion. I don't think enforcing the gluten-free diet will change based on method of diagnosis. If he wants to rebel and eat gluten, he will. If gluten makes him sick and he wants to stay gluten-free, he'll do it. What might help is doing a food and behavior journal you can show him later in life. My mother did that with me (milk and sugar made me hyperactive as a kid) and now, at age 25, I'm quite embarrassed to read what a terribly behaved child I was Luckily I grew out of that, but if I hadn't that journal would probably be enough to convince me I have a problem with those foods.

The food journal is a great idea. I did this when I was trying to figure out the roller coaster ride of infant reflux. I thought tomato sauce was the problem (he was breastfed) but I started to notice that when I had food with no tomato but cheese like mexican, he had terrible nights. He would reflux so hard we could hear it and he would choke on it. I started comparing meals and reactions and found the dairy. Then we had allergy testing done, and my little darling one fell in the 15% that are allergic to both dairy and soy. He was breastfed for 2 years, me being strictly dairy and soy free! Keeping the journal for later proof is another great idea. Thanks for you time and response!

[crittermom]

Just wanted to say that I TOTALLY disagree with any doctor that says that green poop 6x/day is normal. Why on earth do they always think that symptoms of problems are NORMAL??????

Mind you, it might not be a huge problem. But it's not normal unless he's eating 3 pounds of spinach every day. (He isn't, is he???)

THANK YOU!!!!!!

I can't believe that green poop everyday 6 times a day is normal. He is still in diapers too so I get to see them up close and personal! The smell is not normal either, the kid could clear a room! And nope he doesn't eat spinach at all! That one made me laugh, thanks!