[jbug]

I know that I have a lot of allergies and it has been a long time since I have had allergy testing. The last time I had them done was when I was a child and then I'm not even sure they were done correctly because the doctor that did them was a quack. I'm not just saying that with no validation he was run out of town because it came out that he wasn't really a doctor. So who knows if the testing that was done on me as a child is really correct. The things that I think I am allergic to are all just either by hives right away or just itching if I eat or am exposed to it.

I have an appointment with an allergist on the 15th of July. Should I tell them about having the allergy testing done on me when I was a kid? I want to have allergy testing done on me now to see if what I think I am allergic to I really am allergic to such as the peanut allergy. I would hate to think that I am depriving myself of peanuts if I don't have to.

What should I expect when I go to see the allergist?

Jan

[Christina86]

If you got actual results from the first allergist, do bring it up. Otherwise just explain your symptoms and what you think you MAY be allergic to so they can test you for that.

As for what happens at an allergist, it really depends on the tests done.
I've had scratch tests (they put a drop on your skin of allergen, then use a needle to agitate the skin so the allergen gets through the skin barrier) and I had this other test where they used something that looked like a HUGE Lego block that had different allergens in the different needles and they flip over this thing onto your arm and all of the needles enter your skin basically at the same time. Surprisingly not as painful as you might imagine.

[Fresia]

They may not do testing that day depending on certain medications you have in your system, like anti-histamines which influences the tests, may have to reschedule. When they do testing, depending on the size of the panel they do, there is a small panel done which is done on the inside of the forearm with tiny pin pricks, barely feel them if at all and you wait for responses. The larger panel is done on your back, same type of prick and wait for the response. I can't remember how long the wait is, but not long, minutes.

If you take antihistamines for your allergies, the doctor office at that time recommended that I take along an antihistamine to take afterward in case there was a reaction to minimize any itching the rest of the day for mild to moderate reactions. Anaphylactic reactions, they'll have you covered of course. Call the doctor office to confirm if this is still the case.

Your childhood testing shouldn't affect testing now; the tests have changed since then but I would let them know of the prior testing and of any positive results.

Best wishes, -Fresia

[phoenix7]

how did it go?

[jbug]

I don't see that doctor until the 15th.

Jan

[Yoda]

I was allergy tested twice as an adult and once as a child. Each time my responses to allergens varied wildly. As a child I had severe allergies to cats that put me in the ED several times, once just from being where cats had been but the cats were gone. Last year when my allergist tested me again he said I was having barely any allergy response at all and gave me additional histamine to ensure that my immune system was working somewhere near normal. The human body is a strange thing.

Let us know how it goes.

[phoenix7]

good luck for the 15th - i had allergy tests but all they could tel me was i was allergic to somthing lol - they wanted another $250 to do another set of tests but id dint have the money - hope it goes well for you

[Perna]

Are you talking about food allergies or external one's Jbug (or both)? They're different animals.

True food allergies are very different from food sensitivities or things like lactose sensitivity (inability to make enough lactase in the small intestine to deal with it) which just needs a pill one can get at the grocery/drug store and one is good to go. A true food allergy, one knows because one can't eat the food without hives, etc. and that can't change, no "cure" for that. But food sensitivities can be harder, have to do with one's gut flora/fauna and other bodily health, etc. and can be a pain in the you-know-what. Having to take antibiotics will mess that up in a heartbeat. Some people undergo the whole bland-reintroduce-one-a-day sort of diet for several weeks and then stop eating what they find they're sensitive to but some of that I think can mess one up more as cutting out whole types of food can wreck nutrients one needs and cause a whole cascading effect. It's so complicated, nutrition on top of physical problems.

I've tried two or three OTC allergy pills for sinus/reflux/asthma problems and had some good results. I like Alavert most for that but use different stuff if I want to sleep more at night, etc. I've only been tested for metal allergies and they did a patch test on my back for that (I'm allergic to cobalt and nickel and have to have special, certified crowns made when I have dental work that cost $100+ more each). But the Alavert helps with the two cats :-) and/or children's Benadryl grape chewables got rid of any hives my one, previous cat use to give me each evening.

[(JD)]

If you followed the avoidance measures from the first testing results, and found relief, then tell about it. If you haven't noticed anything comparative, then don't bother going into detail.

Our bodies completely change every 7 years....

I don't know what type of allergy testing this doctor will be doing for you ... there are so many different types and outcomes. I'd be sure to ask for names and expected results?

I had a derivation of the Lees-Miller technique back in the 80s and it saved my life. It was testing that, once they determined the level of allergy, the shot I took --even that day--- covered me for the allergen. That meant, as soon as I was "covered" in the shot for say, beef, well, I had a whopper for the first time in eons and didn't react! It desensitized immediately while also working for long-term coverage. And it has ... took the shots for a few years, tapering off, and am still good on most all things.

But you might be asked to keep a diary prior to testing, so you don't spend all your money testing for things that may not be a problem.

I don't expect much from "grouped" foods or inhalent allergens. I have NO faith at all in the blood testings either, since that only shows antibodies for things you're allergic to --if you have been exposed to them recently. Anything you've stayed away from because of reactions, won't show on those.

I like the testing done with the acrylic tube you hold and small current passed through it! High tech and excellent results. No worry about reacting to an "under the skin" testing, like I always had because I'm so "brittle" when it comes to allergic reactions. If you can find an allergist who uses that, what a breeze! (Your skin gives off a galvanic reaction that is measurable for allergens. )

Good wishes. Allergies can make you feel "crazy" and cause all sorts of physical maladies such as deafness and heart problems too!

Good wishes on this!

PS I almost had (old time) testing done last year at my ENT's office ... until I spoke to the lady who did the testing and she was using words like "just" and "nobody" so I backed out. I'm sooooo allergic, I was hospitalized from testing a few times!

[jbug]

Well I saw the doctor last week and she thinks that a lot of my health problems are auto immunity problems and not allergy related. So she took 13 vials of blood and some of the results are back. The antibody that helps you fight off pnemonia was extremly low so she gave me a pnemonia vaccine. She also took a swab of the snot in my nose that came back saying I have MRSA. I have no idea where I got that. She has me a medical study about that. She put me on an antibiotic but we found out I am allergic to sulfate stuff because after taking it boy howdy did I ever itch. She is also testing me for Celiac. I personally think that one is going to come back positive but she said even if it comes back negative you could still have it. I have been gluten-free for about a week now.

Jan