cold allergy

[sandher]

I am at my wit's end...I am so upset with my son's hives from the cold.  Some days he gets them and some days not.  We just did the cold test with the ice here at home and sure enough hives.  I am terrified.  Sometimes they itch and some not. He recently was tested for allegies and was found to have dog and cat allergies.  We found the cat a home, but as for the dog it is hard and heart breaking.  My son is 4 and I would say that these started at around 3.  Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?  Do they outgrow them?  I am using Claritan, but I don't think it helps...is there something else?  I feel weird to be so upset...but as a mom I want to make it better...

HELP.......

[bball40]

I dont know about your son but i am allergic to ice the probability is 1 to a million so it's rare. I dont want this to sound like torture but put a peice of ice on the back of his hand for about 15 minutes then release. If he is allergic to ice it will turn red then there will be a slight welp wherever the ice touched his skin but it will go away within thirty minutes and is not harmful. I do it to show people how wierd it is all the time so it shouldn't harm him.

[Joanie68]

I have had allergies to changes in temperature since I was a kid.  I am 39 now and they have gotten better.  

I think your son will be fine - I never took any medicine for it as a kid.  My mom didn't treat it as something alarming or to be afraid of - she just sat with me until they went down.  The hives went down in a few minutes to an hour and I would be okay.  Sometimes slowly introducing myself back in from the cold helps prevent them - meaning I don't go from hot environment to cold or vice versa - the body of someone with this allergy can't adjust that quickly to temperature change that is why you get the hives.  If I get them now - rare - I take a benadryl but only if they are bad.

I have found for me that eliminating dairy products really helped my hives - soy too.  I drink Almond milk by Diamond brand.  I have a little dairy but I think this contributes to my hives so I don't have too much.

[AMA17]

Have fun in disney!!! Let me know how the second allergist goes!

[sandher]

thank you...we are headed to disney this am...so that will take my mind off of things...epi pen in tow...wish us luck...i will let you know how we fair out with the allergy doc..we are getting a second opinion with better testing!!!  yeah

[AMA17]

hey -- not sure if it can cause asthma -- i'm sure some googling could help you find that out...  and you're a mother, so of course you're worried about your son - but he will be fine! i would say about 75% of people I know have allergies, i wonder why as time goes on people seem to get more & more??

anyway, yes, the skin testing will be the "scratch testing" same thing... I get them every few years to see what new allergies I have, fun! some go away though, so that's good!

don't stay up at night worrying (although i'm sure that's hard)... if symtoms get worse (and I doubt they will with all of the precautions you're taking).. you can always go to the DR. AND, as you said, kids grow out of these things!

[sandher]

he doesn't get hives from the dog, well when he was really little he did, but now no.  unless they say the dog dander is the trigger that it is on him when he is out in the cold.  this all is really bad...we have to have the dog out of the environment for 3 months to really see a difference...this is so awesome to have someone to vent to...my husband doesn't seem worried or concerned which makes me the worrier..i am up at night worrying etc...we did see a pediatric allergy doc and she said to increase the claritan and remove the pets...we are going to do skin testing in 1 year, i would assume that that may be the scratch test...this is sooooo worrisome...we have been doing alot of research...they say kids can grow out of these and the cold allergy.

can dog allergies cause asthma? i know cats can...

[AMA17]

Hi -- Ahh, I see. If I were you I would go visit an allergist and get the scratch testing done - they test for about 50 different things, and he will get a grid of small "scratch" pricks on his back & the ones that swell up, he's allergic too..

Also - I'm allergic to cats & dogs, but i have a cat. I love her too much.... My allergist gets mad at me every time. I take a 24 hour allergy pill daily to prevent the hives I get from her... silly, I know, but it's very hard to give up a pet.  For me, I was never allergic to cats, we always had two -- then I went to college, came home & I was very allergic. Then after a few years it sortof went away, then when I got re-tested turned out I was also allergic to dogs... weird. But my allergy isn't too severe. Being that he is so young, his allergies could cause problems, so you should probably get rid of the dog and get one when he is older... i don't know, an allergist could would really be helpful - they're usually covered by insurance through your primary care doc...

GOOD LUCK!!! hope your son is better..


Oh - random hives incident for me... Every once & a while I used get a huge hive on my lip, and I found out it was from dishwasher detergent that wasn't thoroughly rinsed off the glass I drank from -- now I try to wipe the top just in case!

[sandher]

thank you...we got rid of the cat and ripped up all the carpets on the first floor.  we did not get the scratch testing?  we only had blood work done...according to the blood work it was dog and cat..i know we need to get rid of the dog..and yes he sometimes gets hives out in the cold and sometimes not..it is very weird...that it was scares me.  i have friends who have allergies to dogs and they still have them..ugh......we did get a thermax vaccuum with air purifier and now we are looking into a home system through our central air system..it just frightens me..

[AMA17]

Hi -- I know allergies are frustrating & annoying, and it must be hard to see your son suffering & itching! You had thorough scratch testing done right?? And you got rid of your dog & cat? He should improve slowly. There is probably a lot of dander still in your house from both cat/dog -- especially in your carpets if you have them.

Also - what did you mean talking about the cold? I was confused about that part... it comes across sounding like he's allergic to ice or something, can you clarify?

Have you looked into allergy shots? These can actually make symptoms disappear. Also  - if you find he is still having symptoms you will want to make sure he doesn't have any food allergies or things they may not have tested him for with scratch testing.

Things will certainly get better! I've had allergies my whole life, and they come & go. It's strange, I'm mainly allergic to dust/dust mites - and have allergen-proof comforters, and covers on all pillows & the bed -- also, no wall-to-wall carpeting! You can also purchase devices that help to purify the air in your home.

Good luck - it'll be ok! I'm from a family of allergies - my sister is allergic to everything! It's just a matter of letting your body adjust to things (i think).