Check out Kids With Food Allergies online support group. It really helped me to be able to chat with other parents going through the same thing with kids the same age. Words can not tell you how much it helped!

This doesn’t have to be a confrontation. But a simple declaration, like “I realize that I am really sleep deprived and maybe not so coherent. That is because my baby has been waking up every 20 minutes since birth.” can radically change how a doctor both percieves and treats you. Things change from the doctor having a subconscious perception of the parent as not very coherent, and thus maybe not so believable, to the doctor rationally and consciously thinking “She is not coherent and she says it is from lack of sleep. I should ask her more questions about why she and the baby are not sleeping.”

In my case, after a couple of years of being treated like I was crazy, I saw a new specialist and I said to him in the first five minutes of our meeting: “I realize that these symptoms sound vague and generalized. And I realize that I am an overeducated stay at home mom of one child, and so some people perceive me as being overly anxious or not realizing what is normal for a kid this age.” The doctor’s eyes widened and he sat up straight, looked right into my eyes and said “What you told me is not vague and I don’t think you are crazy.” We then had a great discussion and he ended up being a wonderful doctor (although he didn’t figure out a definative diagnosis for my child, he did eliminate a bunch of things and then referred us to other specialists, always treating me with respect.)

You words that you type are eerie to read because I have siad an tought many of them to my husband, friends and family…the whole last year has been a blur and very isolating at times.

Currently I am hving challenges navigating the medical community (or basically getting any of them to believe me)…do you have any advice or blog posts about that??

thanks-
KS

When I had my new baby I had the same time. Crying all the time for hours. No it wasn’t colic. Spitting up like crazy. No it wasn’t reflux. Gassiness- burping and tooting that smelled like rotten eggs. I slept with her in my arms every single night and held her every day for the first 3 months of life.

I told her doctor her symptoms. The idiot dr just said “its normal” and brushed me off without really listening- even when I mentioned that my older daughter has many severe allergies.

One night in desperation I was looking online and realized that my 3 month old had all the symptoms of food allergies. Yay. I realized what I had known in my heart all along, I just didn’t want to face. The idea of another “special needs eater” makes me want to cry. Since neither my husband or I really have major food allergies, I was hoping that my youngest would be normal.

Until I read this site all we were eating was grits for breakfast (no butter!) and chicken and rice and veggies for lunch and dinner. I was going out of my mind with this diet. I am so glad to realize I have options…. and others out there who have been just as frustrated.

It is so hard to stress EVERY single day about leaving the house or eating somewhere else. And having my toddler possibly eat something she is allergic to. My cousin brought deviled eggs to Easter dinner and I had heart palpatations as I hovered around my daughter trying to keep her from accidentally grabing one off the counter, or picking up a crumb from a play mate.

I like thinking of it like a chronic illness. It is the best way to describe the worry, stress, and financial strain of it all. Thanks!!

It’s so tough to figure out what is causing allergic symptoms like hives. Allergists only have a limited supply of foods that they test for, and there is a possibility that your daughter might be allergic to something not on their radar. She may also be a kid for whom skin prick tests have false negatives.

If you are interested in trying to find a different doctor, the Cincinnatti Children’s Hospital has a highly regarded program that does patch testing (where they tape a patch of various foods onto the child’s back and leave it for a few days) and specializes in children with allergies that are not typical. I think that the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia also does patch testing. It might be helpful for you in your hunt for the cause of her hives.

I wish you the best!

Her only other symptons are that she was colic as a baby, had many ear infections; to the point that we had two sets of tubes in, and she has always been very gassy. She is irritable most of the time but I never know if that is because of her anxiety or the Zyrtec, which makes her tired, or an allergy.

Your story gives me hope that we will find out what is causing these hives.