Has anyone had their child have an instant allergic reaction to a new formula? By instant I mean within minutes. I have bf Emma from birth. She is now 8 months and pumping is getting difficult due to my work schedule, so I have decided to wean her to formula. My ped suggested starting with the regular, milk-based formulas first and go from there. This suggestion came due to the fact that I have never cut any dairy or soy out of my diet through her entire life, and she does not have any classic signs of MSPI (except reflux which is likely not caused by that). ANyway, for her 5pm bottle yesterday I mixed 2 ounces of Infamil Lipil with 2 ounces breastmilk. She drank about one ounce and IMMEDIATELY began choking and vomitting violently. SHe started coughing and would cough so long and hard that she would gag and vomit more. She than began to wheeze (sp?). However, the most tell-tale allergy sign was the hives that formed around her lips where the milk lay:smt107.:smt103 Having a five year old with a peanut allergy, I recognized this as an allergic reaction and broke out the Benedryl (thank God for that stuff). Shortly after giving her Benedryl she calmed down (about the time I had my hand on the phone for 911), and then 10 minutes later threw up her entire stomach contents, including the medicine. At the risk of overdosing on the Benedryl, I gave her a tad more hoping to stop any further reaction. She fell asleep shortly after and woke up just fine (holding her the entire time). After that she was happy, starving and readily ate and held down 5 ounces of breastmilk. So all that to ask:
1. Why would she react so violently to formula when I eat lots of dairy and she has no effect?
2. Will she also be allergic to Soy?
3. Is it possible that it wasn't an allergic reaction, just her stomachs "shock" at a new milk? If so, why the hives?
My son was MSPI, so there is history. I refuse to pay for Nutramagin again, so will deal with the inconvience and stress of pumping until she turns one if need be. I am just so confused that I can eat dairy, yet she seems truley allergic????:smt102

Hives are a good indication of an immediate allergy. The milk proteins in Enfamil and Similac are big and not broken down a whole lot, whereas with breastmilk, the proteins are broken down already once they enter the baby's system. For the most part, even for Mom's who have ingested lots of milk products, their babies don't have reactions, even if they are intolerant to milk. My daughter is allergic to milk, which didn't completely manifest until after we put her on cow's milk, was able to handle Good Start fine after having breastmilk for her first 8 weeks. The only symptom of her allergy was the reflux. I would say if she is having this immediate reaction to milk-based formula, then perhaps try out the hypo-allergenic or a soy formula to see if she handles either of those better. Keep pumping, though, until you know she handle a formula well, that way if you need to go back to breastmilk, then you can.

I would try a hypoallergenic formula. I breastfed both my babies and never cut out any dairy and both are milk protein intolerent. There reactions weren't as severe but immediate. My problem came introducing milk, if I needed formula I always used HA, but when we switched to milk, was when I noticed (12 months for my first and 9 months for my second) we switched to goats milk and haven't had any dramas since.

Instant reaction is definately possible. I would absolutely go to the ped with that and have her tested (even though testing is not 100% accurate at this age I would ask for a RAST panel to be done) as her reaction was rather severe to begin with. You need an epi pen NOW if she had hives around her mouth from it. Next time may not be so easy to deal with. The general rule of thumb for hives around the mouth is not to wait and use the epi. Talk to your ped this week about it. I have a peanut and treenut allergic son who has an epi and we have stalled on jabbing him even when his hives have been IN his mouth. My allergist and ped have told me how lucky I am that I did not kill my own son by stalling and relying on benedryl. In or around the mouth is a huge warning and you should be aware that just because the hives went away and the reaction seemed to subside it can recur again within hours and be just as severe. It was a great thing that she did vomit it up.

She may or may not be allergic to soy, it is something that will have to be tested. You may want to request doing this in the ped allergist office in case of reaction.

I am so sorry that you had such a scare. It is just so very terrifying to have something like that happen. Do you have an epi for your 5 year old? If you are not sure how to use the epi ask at the pharmacy to use a demonstrator model as we found it to be a great help in understanding the force required to have it inject.

Keep us posted and I truly do hope your ped or allergist will take this very seriously.


{{{hugs}}}

Yes, this definitely was a big scare:smt103. Judy, thanks for the info about dairy in breastmilk. And, Rachel, my aunt who raises medically fragile foster babies suggested goats milk or rice milk! But, before I do anything else, I think I will take Leigh's suggestion and demand a RAST panel. Leigh, we did this with our son at a year to confirm peanut allergy. He was "sensitive" to milk, but not allergic, even though Nutramigen was the only formula he could tolerate. And was clearly allergic to peanuts. We have an epi pen for him, and fortunatly have never had to use it. His preschool and church teachers are well aware, but I am always so nervous. As for Emma. Her reflux has been bad today, I think from the reaction. I just had never heard of a kid reacting so severe to milk. Usually it causes diahrea, maybe vomitting, excema etc, but HIVES??? Well, I have learned my lesson! Yes, I plan to talk to the ped next week when, by chance, we already have a follow-up appt. One more question. If she is truley allegic to milk, does that mean she won't be able to have cheese, yogurt etc.? If so, how do I get calcium into her as a toddler? Thanks!:icescrea:

Alexys gets hives within minutes of having milk, she has an epi pen for it. She is 14 mos old, and still on soy formula, but we will be weaning to rice milk next month. We use calcium fortified margarine (dairy free) and also get orange juice w/ extra calcium. She also takes a multi vitamin every day. After 2 failed trials I have finally given in and realized she will probably not outgrow it. It gets easier....I dont even really think about it anymore and we def eat more healthy now, fresh foods are easier than reading ingredients!!She tested negative on the RAST test for milk, but was diagnosed allergic through a biopsy. Its clear when she has milk(even the tiniest amount) , she starts wheezing, nose running, cheeks red, and hives everywhere. Good luck, and hopefully she wont be allergic to soy too, it makes it a lot easier.

I think if she is allegergic to milk then she cant have any dairy, But i would ask the dr. Mylanta is a great calcium builder LOL!

If it is an intoelrance, like my boys, small amounts of dairy is OK. It was explained to me that processed dairy has the protiens precessed also so they are smaller. So it is easy for them to digest like HA. If you try the goat milk, fresh is best- it tastes like normal milk. I changed Parker to 1 bottle a day at 9 months cause he reflused any HA formula and goat formula. He took the goat milk well, well as well as he would at that stage.

Sounds like a definite allergy to me too! Wow, poor baby!!

Alexys gets hives within minutes of having milk, she has an epi pen for it. She is 14 mos old, and still on soy formula, but we will be weaning to rice milk next month. We use calcium fortified margarine (dairy free) and also get orange juice w/ extra calcium. She also takes a multi vitamin every day. After 2 failed trials I have finally given in and realized she will probably not outgrow it. It gets easier....I dont even really think about it anymore and we def eat more healthy now, fresh foods are easier than reading ingredients!!She tested negative on the RAST test for milk, but was diagnosed allergic through a biopsy. Its clear when she has milk(even the tiniest amount) , she starts wheezing, nose running, cheeks red, and hives everywhere. Good luck, and hopefully she wont be allergic to soy too, it makes it a lot easier.
What great advice. I never thought of orange juice! :doh:LOL! I am praying the soy works o.k. I am so nervous now though after last night's episode. Thanks for the info!