Food Allergy Testing

MooMoo100

I have a two year old son who is having a really bad time with eczema at the moment, and I was thinking of taking him for some allergy tests. But on researching it I found that there are so many different types of testing and many differing opinions of which work. Just wondering if anyone could recommend one they used and especially if used on kids.

January

I think your first port of call should be your GP and ask him to refer you from there...

Ayla

OP, there is a very important distinction between food allergies and food intolerances. Allergies can kill you (think peanut & fish allergies), intolerances don't (they just make you not feel great). They can also manifest themselves in sluggishness, bloating and skin irritations (such as eczema). Many many many people are intolerant of many different foods (dairy, wheat, sugars, etc) but the symptoms can seem so insignificant that the intolerances generally go undetected.

A GP would definitely be the only port of call for an allergy (but, by now you would know if your child was allergic to a food).

There are several different ways of a food intolerance test. Your GP is one, but there are alternatives. We took our one year old to a kinesiologist, and through this test we found out she had a really strong intolerance to wheat, and a slight intolerance to chicken & haddock (of all things!) The test itself seemed very hoky poky - the kinesiologist never even touched my daughter - but when we took our child off the indicated foods, the difference in her personality was astonishing. Even now we laugh at the oddness of how the test was done, but we're believers in however the test works b/c it made a massive difference for our child.

And, as a side note, this type of test would never be mentioned by a GP...it's just too alternative. But, again, as parents, we do whatever necessary (in our case, the GP diagnosed a "cranky baby" and it's only through taking the initiative ourselves that we discovered the food intolerances and hip misalignments that a chiropractor fixed).

MooMoo100

Thanks both of you for your replies, I have asked my GP about this but he told me it was unnecessary, and was not responsive to the idea, however I have decided that its a route I want to take as nothing else seems to be working for my son. Ayla I am intrigued by this kinesologist, could you elaborate on what this entailed??

Ayla

Hi OP - I'll PM you

loishasdied

my son had terrible excema for the first 3 years of his life. i refrained from the doctor for two years because i had been told all they would offer would be steroid cream. however as he turned 2 the itchiness was so bad we gave in and went to the doctor, who, sure enough perscribed hyrocorisone ointment. it helped but i wasn't happy using it - i went to a few doctors - they all insisted it was so mild he could use it everyday forever - but even the enclosed leaflet doesn't agree with that!

side note - a good moisturiser can really help - elave works well for our little one but it's really trial and error and sometimes trial again

we were referred to crumlin for skin prick tests and many allergies were found - but i have to admit to be dubious - peanut came up highest - but our man has had foods containing peanuts and has been fine, whereas hazelnuts were fairly low on the scale but if he eats any hazelnut he breaks out badly! eggs showed up which is true, especially raw or undercooked egg. so i suppose i did find this inconclusive but am glad we got it done.

we also tried a kinesiologist when he was 11 months and not to go into too much detail (nothing nice to say so i'll say as little as possible) it was a waste of time - but maybe i was unlucky to have met a fraud, i won't tar kinesiology with her brush!

now, i know homeopathy is also one of those things some people are closed to and i always admit there can be coincidence. but my son stareted a remedy last august, he weaned off the steroid cream in september (AND HAS NOT USED A BIT SINCE) we moisturise with elave twice daily and bathe him in emmolient bath wash 3 times a week. it has happened maybe 4 times since september that he has had a flare up and each time i have given him a few drops of the homeopathic remedy and the rash has subsided - i will say now though that we had previously tried a homeopathic remedy that didn't work.

whatever happens i hope your baby gets some relief soon. one of the most important things i found was really the moisturising, the good baths and good food and drinks. good luck xx

Chesty LaRue

What is it with doctors and their refusal to entertain "allergies"?? On numerous occasions I asked doctors and PHN if I could get my son checked for dairy allergy but was fobbed off ALL the time. At 6mths I put him on Soya formula (not with doc or PHN approval). When he was 1 he was hospitilised with pneumonia and I asked the hospital to check him for allergies. They carried out this via a blood test which diagnosed a Dairy and Egg White Allergy - Grade 3 (on a scale of 1 to 6) so it was significant enough to cause him a lot of discomfort (i.e. vomiting, diarroeha and rash).....go with your instinct....

oisindoyle

Well my sister had the same ,Suffered with excema and tried a few differnent things wnet to medics and complementary therapists ,she found a great kinesiologist and discovered some food sensitivities and he put her on vitamins as well ,Shes improved no end Even though a poster said above she didnt like her kinesiologist ,its like everything else,there are good ones and not so good ones .

MooMoo100

Thanks everyone, he's been referred to dermatologist in temple st so hopefully they will help, can't see them entertaining the food allergy idea either. Maybe though.....