Can\'t figure out what caused reaction

What about pets? That is how I am around cats.

Old contamination on toys, couches.... What about environmental allergies? Wool, animals... trees in the area?
When I first started to deal with PA, I would sit outside the EMS station with my daughter until I was calm enough to know it wasn't PA related. Mnay times the rash was on her butt so the EMS guys were used to me appearing with her in only her undies. I was a wreck... never did find out what it was from. Sometimes one never does... so frustrating.

We have been dealing with this with ds. It seems almost daily that he's constantly scratching and he'll stop after he gets some benydryl but we have no idea what is the cause of it. We're extremely careful with items that we bring in the house.

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dd:7 pork rind allergy
ds: 18 months PNA, fish

notnutty, welcome! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

This happened to us once, about five years ago. I had met a woman with twins the age of my PA son and a playdate was arranged for all 5 children (her three, my two).

The night before our visit, this young woman scrubbed every toy in the play room that the children would be playing with so there would be no risk of peanut residue to my son and she made sure that her children didn't eat any peanut products the day of our visit.

All of the food that the children ate while there was well labeled and PA safe.

However, after a couple of hours of being there, my son broke out in welt like hives on his face and body. I was totally freaked out.

I came home and got him into an oatmeal bath and gave him some antihistamine. My son does have environmental allergies, and did even then.

What I believe caused his reaction was the carpet fresh deodorizer she had used before we came that day to vacuum her carpets. The play area was carpeted. I, myself, am allergic to it and if I step on a carpet that has been "treated" with this, my feet automatically swell up.

I have posted about this woman before here. She was a dear friend to me and became so PA aware, even refusing to send peanut products into the school when her children weren't even in my son's class.

But her home, and that's what I've posted about, was completely toxic - full of scented things to cover up real problems like toxic mould, etc.

That day, I can honestly say that it was the carpet freshener.

I felt so badly for her because, of course, at the time, I thought it HAD to be PA related, and the woman had gone to so much effort so that our children could have a play date and my guy could have a "safe" one, only to have him react to something else.

On subsequent visits to her home, I believe most of them were held in her beautiful back yard and he never had any further problems.

So, I'm with some of the other people who wonder if it could perhaps be something environmental?

And also, a big hug. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] I hate mystery reactions with a passion.

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I was thinking the same thing! Carpet deoderizer makes my son itchy and scratchy too. I don't know if your sister's house is "pretty smelling" or not but a lot of perfumee household stuff makes me and my son itchy,scratchy, and eye watery.

If he hasn't been tested, what about dust, cats, dogs, mold? My son welted up sooo bad
after visiting my MIL one day, his eyes were swollen and red. Finally realized after further testing he was highly allergic to cats as well as some other stuff.

I used to have reactions every time I would visit a relative's house. We could never figure it out. Then many years later another family moved into the house and pulled up the carpet. There was mold and stains from pet that had been there for decades. They ended up having to remove all the floorboards from home and replace them. I am allergic to animals and mold. No wonder I was reacting!
Also, my ds and I are both allergic to dust. There are many homes that we cannot visit due to the dust levels. I know that sounds terrible, but it is just the way it is. I'm not willing for us both to be misearble for 2 days from dust.

renny, you sound very much the same as me. I cannot deal with perfume-y houses (or people).

My ex-MIL who had severe lung problems (she had a machine in her home where she had to do therapy every day to get the stuff out of her lungs), surprisingly used the carpet freshener every time she vacuumed - and that was twice daily. I often wondered if it bothered her in some way that she could not recognize (separate from her already existing lung condition).

That's where I first learned about my allergy to the stuff on the carpet. And it wasn't a home you could go into and leave your shoes on, so it was very difficult to go and visit her.

As I raised in Off Topic, I really don't think all of these "pretty smelling" products to make your home "appear" cleaner are healthy for you, especially if you're using them to cover up much more serious problems like toxic mould, etc.

Also, I'm wondering if your SIL's home has carpet. That, in itself, could be a problem if your child does have environmental allergies. I honestly cannot deal with carpet, even area carpets, and despite the looks of the in-laws that I get (not pleasant ones), I'm quite pleased to now be living in a space that is carpet free.

In fact, two years ago, I spent March break ripping up carpet in a house I was living in (and posting about it here).

Also, definitely, cats, as has been suggested. My DH will break out in hives on his face if a cat goes near him. My birth-sister tried to stay with us a couple of years ago, along with her THREE cats (she had been told one was okay) and my soul, the four of us (DH, myself, and two children) were suffering so badly, we had to ask her to either get rid of the cats or she couldn't stay.

Yet, with dogs, we're all fine.

I'm still tending to think something environmental, not clear why, maybe because I've had environmental allergies since I was quite young and both of my children developed them.

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Thank you for all your great replies. This Board is such a great resource. My son has been tested for environmental allergies, including dust, mold, pets, etc...No allergies to any of these. He was re-tested 6 weeks ago because of these frequent "mystery" outbreaks. Can't find anything other than Class VI peanut and Class II Soy. Maybe he is just so allergic that the smallest amount of residue in the home is causing the reaction. Is the only answer for my sister not to have any peanut products in her house EVER so we can visit? It seems so extreme, but it is also very important to her for us to come and for my ds to be able to stay overnight. That is currently not possible because of his recent reaction. I just worry so much about school starting in the fall...if he is reacting to the smallest amount of reside, what is going to happen when he is in an environment full of peanuts? Thanks again for all your wonderful thoughts!
Donna