Two Allergy Mysteries

At Allergies at Suite 101.com, I would like to initiate more community discussion, beginning with some of my family's personal experiences. However, I must emphasize that I am not a health professional. I am a mom, a writer, and a fellow allergy sufferer. Any concerns that you might have should be brought to your doctor's attention.

This month, I have two mysteries for you - one unsolved, and one solved. And, as is the case when looking at possible allergic reactions, the yet-unsolved mystery may not even be an allergy.

The first mystery was going on as when I started to write this article. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that my son had a horrible rash all over his legs, and some on his arms as well. I telephoned the doctor's office (more than once). They felt that it might be a food reaction. I considered this, but I really couldn't recall anything unusual that he had eaten. I wondered whether it was a reaction to the additional immunotherapy he had started the week before, but the nurse did not think so. I continued to wonder if there was anything "new". He had skinned his knees the day before and benzocaine spray was used; benzocaine can cause allergic reactions. I also remembered that he had recently gotten over fifth disease about a week or two before. Fifth disease is usually a mild illness with a rash. For more information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/parvo... However, this rash looked different than the fifth disease rash. The rash cleared up several days later, but we're still not sure of the cause.

The second mystery concerns my sister. She had a rash that would initially come and go, then became a constant. She tried changing lotions, soaps, shampoos, etc., but the rash would re-occur. Looking for some free sisterly advice, :-) she asked me what I thought. We wondered if it was a food or medication reaction. However, it sounded like something that she had to consume almost daily. At first, she couldn't really think of anything. Then, she realized there was one item she drank almost daily - Mountain Dew®. This idea didn't make her happy, since that is her favorite soft drink. Often, of course, the food that you crave is one that you're allergic to. She decided to eliminate Mountain Dew® from her diet for a few weeks. The rash disappeared. She re-introduced it on a regular basis and the rash returned. She eliminated it again and the rash was gone. Fortunately for my sister, she has found that an occasional Mountain Dew® does not cause any symptoms, so she is still able to enjoy her favorite beverage.

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