Posted 2/12/2006 9:43 AM (GMT -8)
Ok, so here is what has been happening. Austin (turned 2 october 1st) has had a cold for about a week now. Coughing, runny nose, sneezing, wattery eyes. DH was also sick with a cold about a week ago. Thursday afternoon (1:30 or 2 pm) AUstin woke up from a nap...just a little sniffly. I gave him some peanut butter ritz to snack on while I fed Brody (3 month old). I have gave him peanut butter since he was about a year and a half...no problems. about 10 minutes after eating the crackers, he broke out in hives. He had 4 patches the size of oranges with white dots in the center. His eyes and nose were running more than usual too. I called my MIL and asked her to go get me some benadryl and by the time she got here 1/2 hour later the hives were gone. At 6 that evening we went over to the neighbors for a birthday party. At 6:30 Austin and my hubby ate some Dairy Queen chocolate ice cream cake. At 6:45 I noticed Austin had a huge red mark on his face and by 6:50 he had that huge patch of hives on his face and on his chest. I took a pic at the time so i could show the dr: We gave him some benadryl and in about 1/2 hour the hives were gone. SO he went to bed. In the morning he woke up at 5:45 and came downstairs. He was screaming and crying, scratching, wriggling around in my bed, and was miserable so I took his shirt off and he was covered in hives. This time they weren't clumped. He had about 20 small dime size hives all over his body. I gave him some benadryl and called the dr to make an appointment. From 5:45 - 1:00 when we left to go to the dr he broke out 3 times. The dr asked me what exactly happened. I explained everything that I just explained to you all. He said it sounds like a peanut allergy to him and to avoid peanuts and then when austin turns 4 or 5 we'll do allergy testing and he sent us on our way. From 1:30 that afternoon till 7:00 when he went to bed, he broke out 5 more times. He was soooo miserable too. Wouldn't stop crying and was just very irritable. Not his normal self. Saturday morning he broke out twice before 8:00 so I decided enough is enough and I brought him into the walk in clinic where the dr on call I know was a dermatologist as well. AUstin broke out when we were there so the dr saw. He said it is defenitely hives but he doubts it is a peanut allergy. He said usually with peanut allergies the reaction is more severe. He really didn't help much. Just said that he doesn't think it's peanut. I said well can I give him peanut butter again then? He said he has to take the conservative approach as would most other doctors and say no only because if he were to tell us yes go ahead, and we went home and gave him peanut butter, then Austin had a reaction and died or something....he wouldn't want to be sued. So he has to be conservative. Today almost 4 days after the initial reaction he is still getting hives.....just not as many as he was before. Last night DH and I went and bought an air purifier just in case it is an allergy to pet dander since we have 2 cats and a dog. But I honestly just don't know what to do. DH wants to wait till he's better and then give him peanut butter to see what happens....but I don't think that's a good idea since he could go into shock from it if he is allergic....but dr doesn't refer for allergy testing till 4 or 5 since it's inaccurate before that age. SO i just need to know what you all would do. Please help.
Angela