What's the deal?? Allergies?? - please help. Warning: LONG

my2monkeyboys wrote: Waylon used to eat cheeses and yogurts with no problem. Then around 11-11 1/2 months we started milk. About this time we also got guinea pigs. So, we noticed about a week or 2 later Waylon started with this runny nose/cough. Figured it was a cold. It got worse for a few days, then got better. After about 6-8 days he was fine. Then he went through it again. Same pattern, same length of time basically. I quit giving him all dairy at this time, thinking that the milk could be the problem, and he was cleared up for a good 4-5 days before his 1-yr check-up. There we found out he had a double-ear infection. He had no symptoms, she just found them during the check-up. She gave us an antibiotic, but said I didn't have to give it unless he started feeling bad - fever, cranky, that kind of thing. We decided to stay off the milk for a few weeks and then reintroduce it. So about 2 days after the appt he gets all snotty again. He's had no milk for almost 2 weeks at this point so I know it can't be that. He gets cranky acting, too, so I start the antibiotics thinking the ear infection is just getting bad. So far the antibiotics doesn't seem to have made any difference.
My thoughts then turn to the other new addition and that's the g. pigs. Come to find out they are rather allergenic animals, so I think, a-ha, it's the pigs. Makes sense, too, as I have to change bedding, pet them, etc all the time so he comes in contact with them and their dander a lot.
So I think we're clear on the dairy, but to be safe I only give him yogurt a few nights ago, not straight milk. The next morning he's FULL of snot again... thick, nasty runny snot. So now he can't have yogurt/cheese either, even though that was never a problem before???

I don't know what to think or do. We already have another family taking the g. pigs for us, but I'm thinking we may have to do those skin tests to find out for sure what's going on.

Anyone have any advice or suggestions??
TIA!!!

cameragirl21 replied: If he were sick with the ear infection he has or any other bacterial infection, the snot would be green. If it's clear, then it's not an infection, but could still be a cold, allergy, or virus.
Idk about guinea pigs, never had one. But I am allergic to cats and having cats has pretty much cleared my allergy up but an allergic reaction to animal dander is always accompanied by itchy, red eyes, sneezing, puffiness around the eyes, and he'd be rubbing his nose constantly. At least that is how I've always had and observed dander allergic reactions.
As for the milk, as far as I know, a dairy allergy would present itself with digestive problems more so than rhinitis type problems. He'd be gassy, runny poops, stomach upset, vomiting, etc.
This is a strange time of year for allergies, is there a frost where you live? If not, any new pollen or new plants? Here, since there is no frost, there is always new growth of some kind in the plant world.
I'd maybe try getting the pigs out of the house for a few days...see if you see a difference, but you'd need to clean up all around where they were to get an accurate assessment. If it doesn't clear up within a few days then it's not the pigs.
Anything else new in your house? When I was little, I got a horrible allergic reaction when my mom sprinkled that stuff you put on carpets before vacuuming them to make them all fresh and whatnot...took us a few tries of doing that to figure out what led to the massive allergy flareups so think about what else you may be doing differently when he gets like that.

my2monkeyboys replied: Thanks, Jen. He does get the puffy eyes, with darker area beneath them, which is another thing that makes me think allergy. We're taking the pigs off today and I'll be scrubbing down the area their cage sits. I'd rather it just be a reaction to an animal than dairy -- so much easier to deal with. He has a re-check on his ears Friday, so I'm hoping to talk to the dr again about all of this.
Has anyone heard of one allergy making another allergy worse?

bluebear replied: All the symptoms sound like it's the pigs. Hopefully he gets better once they're gone!

DVFlyer replied: At various times, I remember thinking "Will our kids ever NOT be sick?".

IMO, he's just been sick. Cold/ flu etc.... One can lead to another and last for quite a while.

my2monkeyboys replied: Maybe so... I've even wondered a couple of times if it's him teething, but I don't think THAT much snot could be produced just from teeth!

mckayleesmom replied: I was going to say that it sounded like teething to me...My kids got really snotty and we had no pets at the time.

my2monkeyboys replied: Earlier this evening I finally got him still long enough to take a good look in his mouth, and he has 3 lumps on top, one almost cutting through (I think it will be the first molar? It's the 3rd tooth from the left, starting with the front tooth), and another lump on the bottom!!! Maybe it is just his teeth??
I think I'll wait things out a little while and see if it straightens out. Then I'll try the dairy again once everything is calm for a few days and see what happens.
Thanks for the help -- I'll let everyone know how it turns out over the next week or so.

boyohboyohboy replied:
steph, I agree it sounds more like is just coming into contact with virus after virus. As a mom with a super food allergic kid, it doesnt sound like he is allergic to milk at all.
I can also tell you that not illness present with green snot. He could have a cold without it.

If it were a milk allergy, the symptoms would get worse, and also just giving him a tiny amount of yogurt instead of milk would still make him worse.He doesnt seem to have the signs of the allergies.
He could still have a mild allergy to the pigs, but it really does sound like he is just getting cold after cold, and the ear infection isnt a surprise then since his sinus's are probably draining back when he sleeps.
Is he in a crib yet? Maybe you could try sticking a regular pillow under the mattress to prop his head up some.

I hope he feels better soon.

mom21kid2dogs replied:
I was just told that by my doc a few days ago as well. I have no mucus discoloration and I have a double ear infection, a sinus infection and bronchtis bordering on pnemonia~all a result of the flu I got on Oct 31.

Olivia always got head congestion with teething. It was actually her only symptom. Like you, I thought it seemed crazy to have that much snot with teeth but she did. Like Waylon, she cut several teeth at a time. I'd also keep an eye out for the ear infection. Does he have a recheck? My niece had to do at least a couple of rounds of antibiotics this last time because the infection was persistent (but symptom free, too).

In case the dairy is causing the congestion (and it certainly can), you might try giving dairy earlier in the day rather than later. This helps my husband. If he eats dairy at night he's always congested in the morning. I never eat it before I sing because it produces enough mucus in me to affect my vocal quality. A few hours can make a difference even if he's not allergic.

Kids keep life interesting, don't they? Hope he clears up soon.

my2monkeyboys replied: He has been in his crib for a long time now. And we have one of those wedges under the head of it, but most of the time he ends up on his belly laying sideways across the crib!
He had no dairy that I'm aware of yesterday/night, and he's a bit snotty this morning again. I really hope this all sorts itself out soon... I hate seeing him like this constantly.
Thanks for all the help! And yes, kids certainly keep life interesting!

boyohboyohboy replied: steph, how is the baby today?
i just wanted to add, that you would be so surprised to find the things that contain milk, and if it was indeed a milk allergy that is causing him trouble, only a tiny protein of it can cause the symptoms.
It sounded like he definately is teething though.
wouldnt it be nice if they only had one issue at a time!

DVFlyer replied:
Have you tried non-fat milk? I heard it's the fat in milk that causes the congestion/ mucos, not the milk itself.

my2monkeyboys replied: i *think* it was the guinea pigs... we took them to a friend last week, and after 2 days of them being gone he hasn't so much as had a single run from his nose. He's been drinking milk/eating yogurt and cheese again, too. He is teething off and on (cutting one of his first molars), but even those symptoms aren't as bad as they have been.
I am REALLY hoping that he's better now, but I guess we'll see over the next little while. I'm assuming that if he is allergic to dairy it should have already reared it's head again or at least will shortly.
Thanks for all the help!!!