how many reactions???

My child has never been tested, but has had one SEVERE reaction. He was 13 months old and was sharing his 1st ever PB&J sandwich with his twin brother.
His head swelled up like a bright red basket ball, with little white fever blisters all over his face, then he started in on the barking to breathe routine. Was not a pleasent few minutes before the paramedics showed up.
He's never had a reaction since and he'll be 3 at Christmas time. I don't think that it's from luck or Claritin - we don't use it. I think it's just plain old fashioned diligence with maybe a smidgeon of luck thrown in too.

I've wondered this same thing given that our daughter takes Atarax every night. Otherwise, the itching from her exzema will cause her to rub her face raw on her sheets, and she has an aweful time sleeping. But I've wondered if this would mask some of the smaller reactions, which could be why when we had her tested her levels were so high. We could have overlooked a ton of smaller reactions due to these other factors. Such a great question. I wish I had a better answer.
Anyone?
Vanessa

There was a heated discussion about this awhile ago. It was called "Does Benadryl mask symptoms". A search should bring it up.
My opinion is this: Benadryl (or any other antihistimine) doesn't *mask* anything. It will *treat* minor/mild reactions. If someone is having a serious (anaphylactic) reaction, antihistimine alone will not stop it, or *mask* it. My son has had one such reaction - on Benadryl for 24 hours, and STILL experienced anaphylaxis.
[This message has been edited by Lam (edited October 08, 2002).]

My son is now 6 and his only 2 reactions were at 11 mos. when we discovered his peanut allergy. He tests >100 on the CAP RAST and 4+ on the skin test. His class and school are not peanut-free although we are extremely careful about what he eats. He actually passed a "contact challenge" this past summer despite his initial reactions being mainly contact reactions. Who knows?

My son is highly allergic to peanuts and other nuts and is tested and he has "his" Zyrtec every day.
Without it he has many reactions such as coughing (asthma), hurting throat, red and slightly swollen lips, itching, running nose and eyes, etc. every week! And every reactrion weekens his immunosystem that he catches up every infection he can get. With Zyrtec he has "only" about one reaction per week when he is in kindergarten.
I am sure that Clarytin or other antihistamnes "mask" reactions in a sense of: we cannot find out smaller sources of allergens in meals or the surrounding... and they ARE sensibilisizing (?) the allergic more and more.......
Irene