OT: Allergy testing for kids..is it horrible for them?

[Reagan&Co.]

The pediatrician would like us to consider testing DS7 for allergies. It would be a referral to a pediatric allergist, but I guess they would still do a bunch of pinpricks all over?

Does anyone have experience with this? Do they do the arm or back? How bad does it hurt? DS does not cry for shots or finger blood pricks, but I worry the continuous pricking will upset him.

I want to be prepared before I call for the referral. Thank you!

 

[Kae]

DS was about that age when we had him tested. it is more uncomfortable then anything else I took his Gameboy & some SI for kids. They did his back. about 60 tests. it was more of a scratch then a prick.

Kae

 

[Goofy + 3]

My 3 year-old son has been through it twice. No tears. No big deal. The hard part was not scratching the spots where they poked him. i was surprised how well he did. Good luck.

 

[lovintennessee]

We took my daughter to a specialist when she was 7 as well at the request of the family doctor. The specialist we took her to only deals with pediatric allergy problems and he advised me not to do the pricks since they are so painful. We narrowed down what triggers her allergies by answering questions. My daughter's allergies are managed by medication.

I have several friends whose kids have had the pricks done and they tell me how horrible it was. But then again it all depends on the child and how severe the allergies are.

 

[liznboys]

My 8 yr old has been tested multiple times. Last year (when he was 7) they did around 60 pricks on his back. It doesn't hurt so much as ITCH. They had him lay on his stomach and he couldn't itch, of course, as that would mess up the testing. I want to say he had to stay like that for 15 minutes. He was really itchy and I tried to keep him distracted, and it was fine. No crying involved. After they got the results they applied anti-itch stuff to soothe the area.

Don't worry, your son will do fine. It's really not a big deal.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Make an appt. to see the Dr and then talk with them about how they do it. When I have had mine done, and when I had my daughter's done it isn't really 30-60 pricks-- they used a tool that allowed them to do maybe 10 or 12 at a time. And it really doesn't feel anything like a shot, more like a scratch. I think it all depends on how your particular Dr decides to do it.

As others have said, the hardest part is not itching the ones that react-- and the control. Make sure that they will have some Benadryl cream or spray to put on them immediately after.

 

[design_mom]

It doesn't hurt so much as ITCH.

This was our experience as well. I didn't hear complaints about the pricks... it was the itching that ensued that bothered him.

 

[nolanboys]

My boys started having allergy tests at 4. They are not that bad. The prick did not bother them. What bothered them more was that their arm itched for the time it took for the results to show up. It only takes about 20 minutes. If your doctor thinks it needs to be done, then you should probably do it. My one son has peanut/tree nut allergies and his identical twin was outdoor allergies. We wouldn't have known how severe his outdoor allergies were without the prick test - they measure how big the localized reaction is. His was so severe the doctor recommended allergy shots, which although a pain to go and get weekly for a year, and then every couple of weeks, done to once monthly has made a monumental difference for him.

 

[daisyduck123]

My DS was only 6 MONTHS old when he was tested.

The pricks weren't that bad. He cried for a couple of minutes...that's it.

 

[bellebud]

our ped allergist did blood tests instead of scratch tests, and after the results came back she said she was glad she did because ds8 was highly allergic to some things (trees, weeds, etc), and his reaction probably would have been 'bad' with the scratch tests.

don't know how "bad" a scratch test can get... we're actually going to a new ped allergist tomorrow to hopefully start shots for dh and ds. I'd love to not have to medicate ds.

 

[krcit]

My dd was tested a few years ago. I don't really remember her reacting to the actual test just like pp's have said, more to the itchiness while waiting for results. She didn't get 60 though, more like 20 and they were all done at once on her arm. He knew it was seasonal and an outdoor allergy so maybe that;s why she didn't get as many She's allergic to tree pollen and cats. Good luck..it's really not too bad at all.
s

 

[DaniB]

I had allergy testing 2 or 3 times as a kid. Once in late teens / early 20's.

To be honest, I hardly remember them. It couldn't have hurt that much!

 

[syudelson]

My 8 year old had the prick tests done on her back when she was about 18mo. after a reaction to peanut butter. I do not recall it being that bad. But now they retest her every year with the rast (blood draw) test because they can more accurately measure the extent of her allergy and she does NOT enjoy it. It usually takes several nurses to accomplish the task.

 

[gator75]

my son who is 13 was tested when he was 6 he didnt cry just more so impatience it does take some time and when it was over my son looked like a mad scientist was experimenting on him just alot of pen marks but all in all not bad get him on the right meds was worse.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

By far the hardest part of allergy testing for my very environmentally allergic kid was going without benadryl, singulair, zyrtec, and steroids for the period before hand. He was an itchy sneezy asthmatic mess when we finally got in for the testing.

The testing itself, however was not traumatic at all.

 

[Reagan&Co.]

Thank you all so much for the quick responses! Awesome!

I feel much, much better about it after seeing all the responses. It does need to be done...I will call tomorrow for the referral.

I guess I am more concerned about the time length involved. DS will want them to be DONE quickly. I guess if he can bring his Nintendo, he will not pay as much attention to the business at hand.

Thank you again! Dis'ers are the best!

 

[MSSANDRA]

DGS had it done at 23 mos and did fine. He did not like not being able to scratch but he was ok. Take plenty of things to distract with. I had new books, suckers, a pen wheel to blow.

Now, the next test, Nonna (that's me), messed up and gave him his allergy meds so they had to do the blood test. It, for us, was much better. He did not even cry and it took no time! Ask if there is a choice and decide which is better for your child!

 

[frtchr]

DS had it done at 12 months. His was done on the back, and he was fine. Of course, the nurse gave him a sucker, his first one ever, so he was pleasantly distracted.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Thank you all so much for the quick responses! Awesome!

I feel much, much better about it after seeing all the responses. It does need to be done...I will call tomorrow for the referral.

I guess I am more concerned about the time length involved. DS will want them to be DONE quickly. I guess if he can bring his Nintendo, he will not pay as much attention to the business at hand.

Thank you again! Dis'ers are the best!

I've had it done a few times. My first time I was probably a little older than your DS. As everyone has said, it's really not that bad...not nearly as bad a shot. I think the average prick is 12-20 times, but it is real quick. You do have to wait at least a few minutes for the "reaction", and then the ones I did have reactions to, they redo. I'm not sure if that is always the case though. I've always had it done in my arm, too.

HTH!

 

[Manda]

My 6 year old has had them done 3 times (going back for a 4th next week). The first time was when he was 2ish and he didn't even realize they were doing anything to his back. He flinched when they wiped him with the cold alcohol wipe, but that's all. The next time when he was a little older, he complained about the itching, but I sort of fanned and blew on his back and he was fine.

I can tell you my own experience, too. I had them done myself last year. I had about 50 - 25 on each arm. And then 8 of the deeper injection tests. The deeper injection ones hurt more like a shot does, but I don't think they do those on kids. The initial prick tests, I practically didn't feel. The only ones that pinched a tad were the ones close to the crease of my elbow (where it's sensitive). And then itching took over and that was really the worst part (but I reacted fairly severely to many of them).