Anyone's child have an allergy to lollies?

[Dannielle]

Just wondering if anyone's child has an allergy to lollies or one of the ingredients in lollies?

We discovered 2 yrs ago when DD2 (then 5yrs) had 2 starburst jellybabies for the first time that she is allergic to them. She broke out into a minimum of 20 hives and then started holding her throat and complained that her throat felt "weird". Claratyne worked pretty quickly thank goodness.

We try to avoid all lollies that she hasn't had before. We don't do lollies very often but it's hard with birthday parties and school especially with christmas coming up. We had another incident to a lesser extent (hives all over her face but nowhere else and no throat swelling) on the weekend with a Allens lolly pop even though I know she has had Allens lollies before.

I was told we can't test to find out specifically which ingredient/number/colour she has a problem with and that it's just a case of an elimination diet which I'm not happy to do for lollies. I don't like the idea of trying out all sorts of lollies and there are way too many around anyway. And I'm not happy to try the starburst ones again after such a big reaction at first exposure. She's never had a problem with colours in icings for birthday cakes etc.

Just wondering if I should get a 2nd opinion about testing?

[TripleTime]

Not the kids but DH is allergic to artificial sweeteners. Testing isn't an option so he just doesn't have anything the is low sugar, diet etc.

[MummaBear03]

I don't know the ingredients in those, but I do know that many lollies contain things that can be allergens such as gelatine, milk and as TT mentioned those artificial sweeteners. Are they possibly allergic to any of those?

[Dannielle]

Thanks, sounds like what I was told is right then. Was kind of hoping someone would say they could magically tell us what it is. :laughing:

TT- Hmmm, thats a possibility actually. If there is artificial sweeteners in them. I can't have them myself especially diet drinks or jelly or I get what feels like heart palpitations.

Mummabear- Oh gosh how silly am I! I didn't think to check if they have milk in them! That wouldn't really explain the starburst reaction but could be part of it I guess. It could explain the reaction on the weekend though only she's not had a reaction that bad before. (She's CMPI) I better go find them and write down all the ingredients. I know it's not the gelatine because Natural Confectionary lollies are definately ok and so is Aeroplane jelly.

She doesn't drink cordials of any kind because she doesn't like them. Doesn't like orange juice either. She prefers water which is great but likes apple juice sometimes.

[TripleTime]

Generally there is artificial sweeteners in lollies. Milk solids are used as a binding agent.

[Dannielle]

Thanks TT. :)

I'm feeling really stupid now.:o It never occurred to me that milk could be in a lolly. She's never had the throat swelling or huge hives with things with milk before (when we have tested her) though so I'm guessing there would be something else in them too contributuing to the reaction.

I'm also wondering if the fact that she doesn't like cordials or juice is connected too. I know she was accidently given normal ice cream once years ago and had a tiny spoon and said it tasted horrible. (We accidently gave her one of her sisters.)

Makes me wonder about DD1 as she doesn't like cordials etc either.

[TripleTime]

Don't feel stupid, no one thinks milk would be in lollies. I know I didn't till I reacted to them.

[missie_mack]

We have to be cautious with lollies because some have egg in them. DS is allergic to something that causes him to vomit when he has it. Didn't come up in an allergy test (as its just the common things that are tested unless you can specify something) So we keep a diary of what was eaten prior to the situation and the ingredients. Hoepfully something will come up but the ingredient lists are not always reliable either.

Fortunately its just a few hives and vomiting. Whilst not good its easily treatable afterwards.

[NonnyMouse]

Rather than testing, can you contact the manufacturers and get a list of ingredients in the lollies she reacted to, as well the lollies you know are ok (of a similar colour/flavour etc), and compare them to see if you can spot the ingredient that is unique to the ones that give her hives?

Also, how certain are you that it was the loillie that caused it? Hives can and do appear with no apparent trigger at all. DS broke out in hives while playing on some playu equipment at a mall, and we assumed it was a delayed reaction to the oyster sauce he ate the night before (thinking shellfish allergy) and our doctor agreed that it might be the cause, but he's since had shellfish without any issues at all.

[missie_mack]

Also, how certain are you that it was the loillie that caused it? Hives can and do appear with no apparent trigger at all. DS broke out in hives while playing on some playu equipment at a mall, and we assumed it was a delayed reaction to the oyster sauce he ate the night before (thinking shellfish allergy) and our doctor agreed that it might be the cause, but he's since had shellfish without any issues at all.

Did you consider it may have been food transferred to the play equipment from another child :detective: Eg. child eats peanut butter sandwich, does not wash hands properly if at all, plays on equipment, leaves product behind, your DS climbs on equipment and it gets in sore/ is transferred to mouth etc etc

[NonnyMouse]

Did you consider it may have been food transferred to the play equipment from another child :detective: Eg. child eats peanut butter sandwich, does not wash hands properly if at all, plays on equipment, leaves product behind, your DS climbs on equipment and it gets in sore/ is transferred to mouth etc etc

Yeah, we thought about that but by that stage shellfish was the only allergen he hadn't tried. He's fine with all the egg, soy, nut etc and I didn't think food colourings were likely to be wiped onto play equipment from little hands at play.

[Dannielle]

Yes, I'm sure it was the lollies. Everything she ate the previous 2 days she had eaten before and also eaten since. Then the reaction she had on the weekend hmmm, it was wednesday when she was given a lolly bag at school so I presume thats too long for a saturday reaction. She is insistant that she hasn't eaten anything else apart from things I have given her so I'm guessing it was the lollipop.

We just saw our GP to get an action plan which the school has asked for. And I have just discovered Claratyne make a kids chewable tablet which makes it much easier! I asked him about it as well and he agreed that it's probably too hard to know for sure what ingredient/ingredients she has the allergy to.

ANonnyMouse- Good idea. I will see what I can do about comparing the ingredients. Maybe I can break it down a bit to a few possibilities.

[Pregnor]

could it be sulphites? i am pretty sure i am sensitive to sulphites, and starburst lollies make my asthma play up, just like cottees cordial does ;)

I doubt it would be a sweetner, i am really intolerant of them, they cause migraines and i have never had one after eating lollies - unless they are 'sugar free' ones

[Dannielle]

I don't think it's sulphites. She would react to grapes and sultanas if that was the case wouldn't she? I do limit the sultana's though as I heard they are higher in sulphites and she is asthmatic. Sulphites have never triggered her asthma though.

[Pregnor]

mm i have never really reacted to dried fruit though- maybe its in lower levels in the fruits?

[Dannielle]

Hmmm ok thanks. I guess it could be pretty much anything.

She hates cordial and all sauces. Even her soy milk is always plain. I'm not sure if she even eats much in the way of sulphites. I can see it's going to take some research trying to figure it out. :detective:

In the meantime I think I better go back to writing everything she eats down.