Nut Allergy?

[Kazpot]

Hi all

My 8 year old son recently suffered a severe reaction to something. He first complained of a tummy ache, then a couple of hours later he was covered in hives all over and his eyes became a bit swollen. He was then violently sick in the night.

His history - he has suffered with severe eczema since he was 3 months old but this is now completely under control. He also has asthma. When he was tiny he had blood tests for intolerances to wheat, egg and dairy. These were excluded from his diet, but over the past couple of years we have reintroduced these gradually in small amounts to his diet and he has been fine with them.

This latest incident happened after a visit to a friends house. I asked what he had eaten and he'd had pasta and meatballs and brownie and ice cream. All things he would normally be fine with except the pasta - he still eats wheat free pasta because he prefers it. The pasta he ate was freshly made pasta. So my initial thought was that he had reacted to the pasta.

But I have now found out that there were nuts in the homemade brownies. He has not really eaten nuts before, they are not something any in our family really eat, although there must have been some foods in the past that must have contained at least a trace of nut, but he has never had a reaction like this before.

So, I just wanted people's thoughts really. I will get a doctors appointment for him to see if he can be tested for nut allergy.

I would be grateful of any advice.

Thanks

[SarahS12345]

It sound like he's reacted to something - his symptoms fit with an allergic reaction, although I don't know how usual it is for them to take such a long time.
If he doesn't really eat nuts it might be that, especially considering he could be allergic to some specific types if nut but not others. Also what about egg? Does he want egg? Could it have been egg pasta?

[SarahS12345]

Sorry, eat not want.

Speaking to your gp sounds like the best option

[Kazpot]

Hi. Thanks for your reply. He does have things that contain egg, although he doesn't eat eggs on their own.

We have a doctors appointment for next Monday, so will see what he says. It's just a worry not knowing for sure what caused the reaction. So I will definitely keep him away from nuts for now and be careful with everything he eats!

Thank you.

[TailEndCharlie]

Sounds like a nut allergy... my two nut-allergic DDs react in this way with delayed vomiting. I got fobbed off a couple of time with GPs saying that if it was nuts then the vomiting would be instant but that isnt true.... the first couple of exposures can take time.

[AmITwirly]

I agree that you should take him to the GP and avoid nuts until you've had this checked out.

However, my DS had exactly the same symptoms you describe the first time he ate something containing hazlenuts. Like your DS he also had eczema and food allergies, so I was concerned this was evidence of a nut allergy.

The GP referred him to an Allergy Clinic where they did prick tests for various things including nuts and it turned out he wasn't allergic to nuts. The consultant said that the fact that the reaction was delayed somewhat and then went on for several hours (he had waves of hives rippling through his body) was also not what they would expect to see if it had been a nut allergy. It was apparently a virus and a one-off.

My nephew who has an epipen for peanut allergy has instantaneous reactions i.e. he collapses unconscious immediately on eating / touching peanuts.

[Kazpot]

Thanks for the replies. I always thought that if you had a nut allergy, then you would react immediately..... So that's interesting to hear that may not be the case. I hope GP sends him for allergy testing so we know for sure.

[Kazpot]

We have been to the doctors this morning and he is arranging an appointment at the local hospital for a blood test. As soon as I mentioned the nuts he was very concerned, so at least we will find out for certain.

[ukey]

hope appointment goes well Kaz, let us know how you get on x

[AdorableAbbie]

My DD ones had allergy in cashew nuts the same reaction swelling eyes with redness, feeling dizzy, so we gave her Celestamine which is anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-pruritic.