Do your kids have allergies?

I have in my possession a new wonder product (allegedly) that purports to alleviate the symptoms of allergies to pollen, ragweed, and other tree/plant-based allergens. It's specially formulated for kids, and contains no medication. (Think along the lines of that gel stuff you put in your nose to stop a cold.)

Since my kids don't have allergies (which I'm thankful for!), I'm looking for testers. The first 5 people to email me with "allergies" in the subject line with your mailing address gets a tube to test. The catch is that if you test it out you MUST send me feedback in the next two weeks which I'll post on the site as part of a review of the product (I'll use whatever name or fake name you give me to use to go with your review). If it works, great. If it doesn't work, we need to know that, too.  Gone!

FWIW, I wouldn't hesitate to try it out on my kids after reading the ingredients on the package. The magic is allegedly in the mode of delivery, which is patented, not any fancy and/or dangerous ingredient, and it was invented by a dad.

Comments

[hedra]

I'd jump but my kids allergies are hard to see as reactions and probably wouldn't be that much use as a review... but I'll be waiting to see what the results are!

[Al]

I'm really hoping my son avoids the seasonal allergy misery I've had to deal with every year since I was about his age! If not, I'd love to see the feedback here.

[CtMom]

What's the gel stuff for a cold that you referred to, Moxie? We have a cold about to descend on everyone and I'd love to use *something* to help the little one with the severest symptoms ... Thanks!

[Moxie]

@CtMom: Zicam. IME it works like a charm if you use it right when you first feel the symptoms coming on. Once the cold is full-blown it does nothing.

[anon]

zicam has caused anosmia.

[Moxie]

Anosmia = inability to smell. I thought that happened before they changed the formulation back a few years ago. I thought they took out some of the zinc because of exactly that and now it's fine?

[Sherry]

I don't think my little one has bad allergies. But, speaking of allergies, I need to look in your archives about peanut allergies. I gave my 16 month old a little spoonful of peanut butter, which she of course spread on her tummy. ;) Then her tummy broke out in a red bumpy rash! It went away in 30 min or less. A couple weeks later, I put peanut butter on her back in just a little spot, to see if it would happen again. It did! So am I to assume she has a peanut allergy (though not a single peanut passed my lips while I was pregnant -- doctor's orders), or could this be simply a topical thing? She does have sensitive skin, I think. I know, I know, I think I'm the worst offender at highjacking posts.

[hydrogeek]

Do you have all your allergy med testers lined up? My poor daughter is suffering terribly right now, but I just saw the post!

[CtMom]

I'll check into zicam; thanks!!

[paola]

@sherry

basically, that's how your prick/skin test for allergies works, except that the skin is actually 'pricked'. I'd definitely have her checked by an allergist. I have fatal nut allergy to walnuts (and buckwheat)and remember that when I worked as a waitress, I would often scoop out walnuts with my hand to put on a cheese platter and I would always get a sever rash and never understood why. Years after I had a skin test and found I was super allergic to walnuts. Oh, btw, I don't know what my mum gave me as a child, or consumed during pregnancy for that matter, but I am also allergic to countless other foods, not to mention, dust, pollens etc. I have a sneaking suspicion she gave me cows' milk after weaning me at 9 months as I don't think formula was that common back in the late 60's in Australia (but I could be wrong)

[Mom2Boys]

Cows milk is linked to allergy development?

[hedra]

@mom2boys, early childhood/infancy exposure to common allergens (especially moderate exposure, rather than massive/constant exposure) IS shown to set up the cycle of allergy development. It could be cow's milk, soy milk, citrus, wheat, etc. For our generation, it was most likely to have been cow's milk.

Good basic overview of what is currently known about the process (without any super-recent stuff that hasn't had enough study to qualify as 'solid' yet): http://www.allergyhospital.co.uk/why_did_i_become_allergic.htm

[Sherry]

Thank you, Paola. I'll have her checked.

[Mom2Boys]

So I shouldn't switch him from formula to regular milk? He's been on a cow's milk based formula almost his whole life.

Interestingly (having just read that link), I have zero allergies and I was exposed to Hepatitis A as an infant while living with my parents on my greatgrandfather's cattle ranch. Don't think I can replicate that for the bean.

[paola]

@Mom2Boys

They recommend introducing cows' milk from 12 months on. Personally I wouldn't switch if the child is younger than a year(with my track record, you wouldn't want to.)

[Stephanie]

@sherry

As a mom of two little ones with severe food allergies, I would just like to add that I would not, under any circumstances, let your daughter try EATING anything containing peanuts until after you have met with an allergist.

My five daughter is allergic to milk and whenever we do a milk "challenge" the doctor has us start by rubbing milk on her arm. If she reacts, we stop right there.

If your daughter is allergic to peanuts (and it sounds quite likely based on what you described) she could have a very serious reaction if she actually ingested peanuts.

[Mom2Boys]

He's one tomorrow and I mixed some whole milk in with his formula over the weekend to see how he did with it. No reaction so I was going to start blending it to move to just milk eventually. Here's hoping that the five days early didn't mess him up too much.

[scratch test]

Allergies are the health problems that happen very often, my children, I will prescribe a special cream that helps prevent this problem, since they are prescribed every night have not been back to have problems of this kind