Dairy allergy questions

[MemoryMakers2669]

My DD is allergic to tree nuts and shellfish. When she had her first reaction to nuts, I took her in and they did a RAST test to confirm. This test came back showing her allergy to tree nuts and shellfish and Dairy! She eats a LOT of dairy products.

I took her to the allergist, who went over everything and told me, based on her having NO digestive issue, or rashes, etc, that she does not have a dairy allergy. That was about 1.5 years ago. Just last week I took her in for something and they did a prick test and tested for dairy at that time and it came back fine.

SO, today the little baby I watch full time (15 months old)....her mother came in and told me she is highly allergic to dairy. She too has NO digestive issues, NO rashes, NO signs of anything wrong!! She is tiny tiny and they watch her closely to make sure she is growing, so ran some tests...but they did a RAST as well, since she is a picky eater.

Her diet is 90% milk based!!!! She drinks a good 3-4 bottles of PediSure each day, as well as a whole yogurt, amongst other things with dairy. Her BMs are completely normal, NO vomiting ever, no runny nose ever, SO happy all the time, so no signs of abdominal distress either.

IS it possible she does have a Dairy allergy? I feel I KNOW the answer to that, since I just went through this myself. But when you read about the RAST and it's accuracy, I can't help wonder.

 

[tigercat]

My dgrdd has a dairy allergy. She does get a rash around her mouth as well as a few other problems. She was tested and she tested positive a lot. We really watch her diet. She was retested again and the test is not as bad. They have said that she will probably outgrow it. I can't wait, because it is a pain in the butt. It will be a lot easier once we don't have to watch anything.
The only thing I can say about your allergy is to watch things. Sometimes an allergy presents itself in very different ways. So far it hasn't been a problem but I would probably limit that amount of dairy even so. Keep an eye out for any problems that come up in the future. Don't take it all away but limit it.
tigercat

 

[TinkPinkPoem]

Oh this is baffling.

I have a dear friend who has a genetic milk allergy. He was diagnosed as a baby and can have no dairy products and mostly everything containing raw dairy products (sauces with fresh butter etc.). He's grown just fine, he's 1.88 m (that's about 6 ft. 1 in.!) and is healthy. He has told me that he was told that sometimes he can have a tiny portion of dairy without getting a reaction but he would never try.

I also know of people who are lactose intolerant.

Maybe your DD or the little baby have allergies to some certain proteins/hormones in milk?

Hugs to all, I hope all is well!

 

[Nancyg56]

My DGD has an allergy to dairy. It never presented the way you would think, she did not break out in hives, she did not throw up nothing like that. She did have reflux and was taking medication for that. The dairy allergy presented internally, and the reaction she had in her throat seemed like the reflux acting up. She also has and egg allergy.

She has put on weight and is feeling so much better in the two years since she has had no dairy or egg at all, not even the proteins.

So yes, it is possible to have a food allergy where the reaction is not see by others.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Dairy allergies present in many different ways. Black circles under the eyes, restless sleep, pain in the legs, vomitting, runny nose, skin conditions, loose stools, constipation, etc. You can have some of those things and not others. We have dairy issues in our home. You would be surprised to know how much dairy affects you. You can also have a dairy sensitivity and not so much an allergy. It won't show up in a blood test but it is present. Not all allergists are the same. I am sure yours is great but our first allergist never picked up on the dairy problems our kids had. I did. I did all the research and changed their diets. We found a new allergist and he said right away that they had dairy problems once I described their symptoms.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Can anyone comment on the blood test showing positive, but the skin prick not reacting?

 

[mlynn]

The prick test says my daughter has a peanut and Almond allergy. But I'm waiting until the summer to have her tested again. BEcause I read a study out of Austrailia that pricked tested 100 kids something like 60% of the kids came back with peanut allergy but when they did a taste test only 20% of the 60% had a reaction.
My daughter hates the smell of peanut butter and has never eaten it. my other daughter lives off of peanut butter and jelly for lunch.

Last Feb my daughter eye puffed up like a balloon. Took her to the ER it was a Sunday Dr didn't call me back. So we go. They kept her because they thought she Cellouitis(sp?)in her eye. Well next day specialist comes in and says no cellouitis. Maybe just something got in her eye. Caused a reaction.
Well Peds dr comes in and because he didn't llike what specialist said(I think because there was on ly one other childon the floor) he wanted her to stay another night. Said it most be a peanut reaction. I said it has gone down and no other reactions.(no Hives nothing)I'm taking her home you told me if the eye specialist said everything was good we could leave.

I had to take my DD6 the following morining to Childrens Hospital for a follow up for her mouth surgery. So he let me leave.

Get an allergist appointment does the test. But she has really bad eczema on her skin in the winter that I think this is why she got a postive reaction to peanuts and almonds.(only ones they tested for)

On halloween she got peanut butter candy at a party by accident. So I sat like the doctor told me. Epi Pen in had waiting to see if I was running to the hospital after doing th pen. Nope not even one hive, Nothing.I didn't even have to give her Bendrly.So I'm saying the prick test isn't always right.

So I'm waiting having them do a taste test next time in the office. I have to wait for April becasue insurance won't let them to again.

So I still watch she doesn't get any nut products but I don't keep from stuff procsessed in a peanut planat.

 

[Nancyg56]

Can anyone comment on the blood test showing positive, but the skin prick not reacting?

Just that if the blood test showed positive I would believe it. If you have second thoughts then retest. I would not rely on the skin test as an absolute indicator of an allergy if a blood test was showing positive. See how the baby is after a dairy free diet. That will really be the test.

 

[KadysMom]

DD7 is allergic to dairy and eggs. Both prick tests came out negative. The blood test came out positive for dairy and her egg allergy was a class two.

The symptoms were nothing I would think of when there is an allergy. She would get all internal reactions. Since she had reflux we thought that was the issue. They would do endoscopies, but since she would fast beforehand, the biopsies all came back negative.

DD wouldnt eat because it hurt, but since she was diagnosed, we have cut out all dairy and dairy by products. No whey, casein or milk protein of any kind. She has almost doubled her weight and is finally what I consider "healthy". She was diagnosed at 5 1/2 and was only 28 lbs. She is now 7 and 48 pounds.

If you childs blood test came back positive, try cutting out milk and see what happens. Because my DD was diagnosed late, she might not outgrow these allergies. She seems to be getting better because her levels are going down, but I hope they eventually go away.

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

 

[KadysMom]

On halloween she got peanut butter candy at a party by accident. So I sat like the doctor told me. Epi Pen in had waiting to see if I was running to the hospital after doing th pen. Nope not even one hive, Nothing.I didn't even have to give her Bendrly.So I'm saying the prick test isn't always right.
QUOTE]

That isnt what it means... Your child might not have a visible reaction. It could be an internal reaction you cant see. Just be careful is all I am saying.... DD7 only has internal reactions to her allergies. No rash, no hives, nothing....

 

[Desnik]

My DD is lactose intolerant. But, she can eat many dairy products with no reactions. For example, pizza she can eat. Certain brands of ice cream she is fine with and some, like Turkey Hill ice cream sends her running to the bathroom. She was tested as a baby(positive result) and had to be put on lactose free formula. She was fine with that. Over the years we just tried different things to see what sets her off. Trial and error. I have come to the conclusion that it has to be an enzyme/protein that she is allergic to. DH is the same way as DD. It is baffling to me. Also, if she has more than one dairy product in a day she will be sick with stomach cramps, running to the bathroom, even if it is dairy foods that normally don't give her any problems.

 

[KadysMom]

My DD is lactose intolerant. But, she can eat many dairy products with no reactions. For example, pizza she can eat. Certain brands of ice cream she is fine with and some, like Turkey Hill ice cream sends her running to the bathroom. She was tested as a baby(positive result) and had to be put on lactose free formula. She was fine with that. Over the years we just tried different things to see what sets her off. Trial and error. I have come to the conclusion that it has to be an enzyme/protein that she is allergic to. DH is the same way as DD. It is baffling to me. Also, if she has more than one dairy product in a day she will be sick with stomach cramps, running to the bathroom, even if it is dairy foods that normally don't give her any problems.

Lactose intollerance is an intollerance to the sugars in the milk. Since most milk products are processed differently, different dairy products will react differently. Cheese is the biggest one. American cheese could bother you, but provolone wont. it is all in how it is processed. Certain ice creams will bother you more than others and that could be depending how many use cream based ones. It is very hard to figure out which ones will affect you. Not a fun trial and error!

 

[Desnik]

Lactose intollerance is an intollerance to the sugars in the milk. Since most milk products are processed differently, different dairy products will react differently. Cheese is the biggest one. American cheese could bother you, but provolone wont. it is all in how it is processed. Certain ice creams will bother you more than others and that could be depending how many use cream based ones. It is very hard to figure out which ones will affect you. Not a fun trial and error!

Thanks for the detailed info, I do know what lactose intolerance means. I know it is not a fun trial and error. I suffer from many digestive issues too after having my gallbladder removed 3 years ago. When DD was younger(she is almost 11 now) she would just help herself to things in the fridge and some things made her sick, others wouldn't so she wanted to try everything. I allowed her to try small amounts of things. She is fine eating all kids of cheese, but can't tolerate whole milk. Yogurt was not OK as a toddler, but she is fine with it now.

I just wanted to add that my post is not meant to be rude or snarky to you KadysMom. I just reread it and think it might come off that way and I didn't mean it to.

 

[mlynn]

On halloween she got peanut butter candy at a party by accident. So I sat like the doctor told me. Epi Pen in had waiting to see if I was running to the hospital after doing th pen. Nope not even one hive, Nothing.I didn't even have to give her Bendrly.So I'm saying the prick test isn't always right.
QUOTE]

That isnt what it means... Your child might not have a visible reaction. It could be an internal reaction you cant see. Just be careful is all I am saying.... DD7 only has internal reactions to her allergies. No rash, no hives, nothing....

I know what you are saying. I still watch. I'm just having her checked again. Because of the eye reaction she wasn't even near peanut butter that day.The eye doctor told me it was most likely puffy like that because of rubbing it so much after what ever she rubbed in her eye. Like I said when her sisters home at lunch she only eats peanut butter. So she has been around it alot never anything. The day of the eye reaction my DD6 wasn't home she was at friends house. So there wasn't any peanut butter out or around her.
There was't any reaction like the doctor told me she would have.No trouble breathing, no hives, tongue swelling nothing. I didn't ahve to give her any bendryl or her epi pen. This is why I'm having her tested again.

 

[laughinplace199]

Can anyone comment on the blood test showing positive, but the skin prick not reacting?

I suspected a dairy allergy in my youngest DS when he was a newborn. My ped agreed that his symptoms were in line with milk allergy, but said there was no need to test him at his age - just make sure he got no dairy. At 12 mos, we had the blood test done and it came back negative. The ped said blood tests aren't always reliable in babies, so we had the skin test done too. Luckily, he tested neg both ways, so if he did have an allergy, he outgrew it.

Both my ped and the allergist said that blood tests aren't always reliable in babies, that's why they did both tests on DS.

 

[MAKmom]

We went through this for years. We now think DD is allergic to the protein in milk. If the Milk is cooked she can digest it.

She had constipation & stomach pain. We took her off Milk 100% in kindergarten & she improved in school.

Now she can handle ice cream....the batter is cooked.

Small amounts of cheese.



Her older sister had the worst breath in the world until she went off Milk.

 

[momof1princess]

i am allergic to dairy (not lactose intolerant, allergic-people make that mistake all the time and tell me to just take lactaid) and if i eat dairy products, i VERY quickly begin to experience shortness of breath. it's scary and unpleasant. that poor baby, i hope she's alright.

 

[friendofgusgus]

Can anyone comment on the blood test showing positive, but the skin prick not reacting?

Our real-life adventures with allergies and tests:

We have severe food allergies in our house, and we do not put a lot of faith in the tests from the doctor's office.

My DSS11 has severe milk and beef allergies - he can have nothing that comes from a cow and no goat's milk, either.

He also has allergies to bananas, strawberries, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and soy. He was a "failure to thrive" infant because he could digest almost nothing.

Having said all of that, if we followed the doctor's test results (he has been tested for EVERYTHING over the years...) he'd be dead. We wouldn't be able to feed him. As it is, a great deal of his nutrition over the years has come from formula. He still drinks an enteric formula twice a day and has had a G tube since infancy.

The way we now know how to alter his diet was to do "food trials" when he was younger. We cut out everything except one food for 3 weeks. He'd eat chicken for three weeks - just chicken. If he had no reactions, he wasn't allergic. If it took two weeks for a reaction to develop, he was likely sensitive, but not allergic. If he broke out in a rash around his mouth at the first feeding or had terrible bowel issues within 24 hours, he was allergic.

I also have an anaphylactic shellfish allergy that I developed as an adult. It has never been tested in the doctor's office because there is simply no need to. I eat shellfish, get shellfish residue on any mucous membrane, it swells immediately. The allergist considers it unnecessary to test what we already know, and I am in no hurry to induce a reaction, no matter how small, since each reaction has gotten progressively worse in the last few years.

Some folks believe completely in the tests, others do not. We do not allow those lab reports to rule our household but have to work with what we know based on my DSS's real life.

So I guess the short answer is, sometimes the test results just don't match real life.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

i am allergic to dairy (not lactose intolerant, allergic-people make that mistake all the time and tell me to just take lactaid) and if i eat dairy products, i VERY quickly begin to experience shortness of breath. it's scary and unpleasant. that poor baby, i hope she's alright.

The baby I take care of you mean? She is fine, that is the whole thing! It will be interesting to see what comes of this, if they do the elimination thing. I can't see how she is going to improve, she is happy, ACTIVE, poops great , eats fine (her parents each weigh about 90 pounds soaking wet, so might just be why she is tiny ), just has no digestive issues, no rashes...not even dry skin, sleeps great, etc. Not sure what I am missing, but I will try to report back if they do anything and we find anything out.

I might do it with my own dd as well, and see what comes of it. She is a restless sleeper, so maybe dairy is her issue...though she sleeps WAY better now than she did in the past....we did a long course of anti-biotics on her to see if her snoring was caused by a virus, and that ended that.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I also have an anaphylactic shellfish allergy that I developed as an adult. It has never been tested in the doctor's office because there is simply no need to. I eat shellfish, get shellfish residue on any mucous membrane, it swells immediately. The allergist considers it unnecessary to test what we already know, and I am in no hurry to induce a reaction, no matter how small, since each reaction has gotten progressively worse in the last few years.

This is DD5 with Tree nuts and shellfish. They won't even test her on those due to the reactions she has had, as they were severe enough that we simply KNOW she is allergic.

The dairy thing though...hmmm!