Angela Alvarez wrote:
>
> Hello everybody,
>
> I have a 16 month old anaphilactic to cow's milk son who
> tested positive to IgE to casein and whey
> at 4 and 8 months. I breastfed him for 6 months, then I put him in
> a milk-free soy-free formula and he has been on it ever since. It is
> paid by the Spanish Social Security and therefore we need to "prove"
> now and then that he is still allergic to milk (here they very much
> believe that it is something you just grow out). Anyway, we have just
> done the blood test recently and it came out negative. Now they want
> to challenge him with milk at the hospital to see if the allergy has
> gone or not. What do you think? I don't want to challenge him even if
> it means that I cannot feed him the formula any longer. Isn't it a very
> risky thing to do? Do you think it is likely that he has truly outgrown
> his anaphilaxys?
>
> Angela
Hi Angela,

First of all rarely do you ever outgrow your anaphylaxis...it is
possible to get a false negative. Where blood testing is concerned I
have learned that if you stay away from your allergen 100% your blood
test can be negative after a period of time allergen free. For your
blood test to continue to show positive you have to have some of the
allergen in your blood stream.... this is what I have heard. Skin
testing at times can be more accurate...ask them to do this. With our
daughter the skin tests came back negative and they were going to
challenge her in hospital and I took her home and put the milk on the
inside of her arm on the sensitive part and you should have seen the
hives that developed...foolish of me to do this at home....as it turns
our the doctor had made an error in reading her allergy tests. I am not
prepared to take the chance in giving my child the allergen to see if
she is still allergic as there is a chance that the epi pen might not
work and you could lose your child. I am surprised at your health care
system willing to take these chances without trying the simplier methods
first.... apply it to sensitive skin and you will soon find out if your
child is still allergic...hives will show you...but don't do it at home
suggest that the hospital do this instead.... on the brighter side very
few outgrow anaphylaxis..you may be that lucky one...good luck and be
careful.....

Hazel Green
"It Only Takes One Bite!!!!"