I know we have all talked about this at length so what I am about to say might have already been said. I personally believe allergies are related to NS. Both of my daughters have pretty bad allergies and as a result they get sick more often than non allergic kids. Their Immune systems are always in a compromised state because they are allergic to things like dust mites and seasonal allergies which cannot be entirely avoided. Because of this compromised state, they are more susceptible to illness and when they do get sick, they are sick for longer periods of time. What is a simple cold for a friend could potentially turn into pneumonia for us. THis has always been the case for us, long before our NS diagnoses. So if you can figure out what you or your child is allergic to, your immune system could have less offenders and therefore you wouldn't get sick as much. And fewer illnesses would mean fewer relapses.
For my non NS daughter, she used to get sick all the time. Then we found out she was allergic to cats and so we gave away our cat. Once we did this, she rarely got sick. She went from being sick all the time, to getting sick maybe once a year.
One allergist described allergies this way: when you are exposed to one allergen, your glass fills a little bit. if you are exposed to two allergens, it is half way full etc...once you are exposed to a few more, the glass overflows. You don't necessarily see the symptoms until your system is maxed out on allergies. That is why sometimes you may sniffle and sneeze when you are near a cat and other times you do not.
My NS daughter has horrendous seasonal and food allergies. We didn't find out until after she was diagnosed with NS. Although we should have known, because she too was always sick.
Anyway, my point is that although there may not be a causal relationship between allergies and NS, I think there is a correlation between the two. (I think there is a causal relationship too but I know some docs dispute that). I think if you can avoid allergens, you will relapse less frequently.
I welcome any insight on this topic as we are jumping through hoops to try and control my daughters seasonal allergies. If anyone has tried sublingual immunotherapy or allergy shots, please share your story.
Thank you.
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Relationship btw allergies and NS
- By LauraG
- Posted September 6, 2009 at 12:27 pm · 16 replies
- In Children with nephrotic syndrome
- Shared with the public
- Edited September 7, 2009 at 2:00 am
Explore topics in this discussion:
Asthma Claritin Nephrotic syndrome Allergies Eczema Allegra Fever Rhinitis Pneumonia Rashes Singulair Prednisone Nasonex
16 replies
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- Newest first
- By liqdsnk2
- Posted September 6, 2009 at 11:03 pm
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I agree with you 100% we have been saying from the start that our son is allergic to something. Our Neph says no. We have looked into blood work through a natural Dr. but can't do it till after he's off Pred. for 6 months. He's having a biopsy on September 14th because he's not responding to treatment and they need to figure out what to do next. I am hoping after we get him to clear we can find out the “trigger" allergies and take it out of his diet. I can’t say for sure that this will work but it’s worth a try!
- By Renlan
- Posted September 7, 2009 at 6:28 pm
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Laura,
Your post is what is in my brain - word for word! If only my allergist would believe me :-(
My boy has just got off the pred again - although still on cyclosporin - and this time around he's also on Nasonex for his rhinitis. So once his immune system starts to kick in again (usually does when we start to reduce the cyclo), it will be interesting to see if his rhinitis returns and if so, how it effects his NS. I know last time, we got off all the meds (pred first, then the cyclo) and within 3 days of that, he was showing protein again and began to relapse. At this time, for weeks his rhinitis was worsening and I think it was just building up and up. Once he got off all the meds -which I think were just holding his immune system in check - bam, relapse time. There was no other real we could see for the relapse other than him coming off the meds. That itself could be the reason but so could his rhinitis.
The journey continues ...
- By LauraG
- Posted September 7, 2009 at 11:03 pm
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Hi Renlan,
We just started our daughter on nasonex too. So far it has been great and our pollen count is really high right now. But she doesn't even need claritin, just the nasonex (and every other day pred). Let's keep each other posted on how the nasonex works once the pred is removed.
I am happy he is off the pred:)
- By GAILRD
- Posted September 8, 2009 at 9:13 am
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JUST RECENTLY I'VE BEEN PUTTING MORE THOUGHT INTO THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ALLERGIES AND NS TOO. WE WERE TOLD BY OUR NEPH THAT HE FINDS THAT HIS NS PATIENTS HAVE MORE ALLERGIES THAN OTHERS. WE WERE ASKING ABOUT A PET. OUR CHILD HAS ASTHMA AND FREQUENTLY HAS RASHES. HE IS ALSO ALLERGIC TO CERTAIN ANTIBIOTICS. WE PLAN ON TAKING HIM FOR THE ALLERGY SCRATCH TEST. HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET ANSWERS THAT MIGHT HELP WITH THE NS. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE...REMOVE THE ALLERGENS AND CURE THE NS. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU.
- By Kristie13
- Posted September 8, 2009 at 9:57 am
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I read something on OAS (oral allergy syndrome) which talks about how when kids have certain environmental allergies, that those types of pollens can be present in some fruits and vegetables through cross pollination. ie. Grass pollen: fig, melons, tomatoes, organges. Very interesting. It talked about how removing the skins on fruits such as apples and cooking veggies and fruits can help to eliminate the effects of some allergens. The article was in wikipedia if you want to check it out. I'm sure we could go nuts trying to figure this allergy thing out, but I think one day we are all going to be able to tell our nephs, we told you so. In the meantime, it can't hurt to try some of these things, right? I am going to talk to our allergist about this syndrome and see if it fits our daughter who has lots of seasonal allergies. So frustrating to know why our kids relapse, but not be able to control it even when we know its coming!!!
- By Mikieg
- Posted September 8, 2009 at 5:31 pm
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My relapses always occur during allergy season, late spring and early fall. I am convinced that it's allergy related but this is "news" to allergists.
I have spent years trying to find the right allergy medication to help suppress my body's reaction but haven't come across it yet.
- By moz100
- Posted September 8, 2009 at 7:49 pm
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Rather than take medication for your allergies, you need to take away the causes, try cutting out fruit and veg for about a week in the allergy season and see if your symptons disappear, then add them back into your diet one at a time and you should be able to find out which, if not all you are allergic to.
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome
Rhinitis can also be caused by food allergies (mine was) try cutting out eggs. cream and yoghurt.
I 110% believe that there is a connection with allergies and NS, I suffer from Eczema and asthma and my son suffers from IGAn.
- By MaryToronto
- Posted September 8, 2009 at 10:07 pm
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My son does not have any allergies but was diagnosed with MCNS right after a terrible cough. If it is allergy related, I wish there was a way to know exactly what it is he is allergic to because as it stands, he does not have any allergy I am aware of.
Out of all my four kids, Adam (5 yrs.MCNS) did spit up his milk as a baby but ended up outgrowing it. Sometimes I wonder about that.
Just rambling thoughts as there are no confirmed answers.
- By AndrewsDad
- Posted September 9, 2009 at 12:44 pm
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Our son has no known allergies, does not present with any allergy symptoms, but still has MCNS. Until he started taking Prograf he suffered multiple relapses that were not allergy related or triggered. It certainly may be the case with some but not all unfortunately.
- By LauraG
- Posted September 9, 2009 at 12:59 pm
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AndrewaDad,
I totally agree that one does not have to have allergies to have any form of kidney disease. I am just saying for those that do have allergies, it would seem that if you can control them, you will have fewer illnesses and infections, and therefore fewer relapses. I don't think allergies are necessarily the cause of kidney disease at all. But for those patients who also have allergies, I think they make it much worse by further burdening the immune system.
Sorry if it seemed like I was saying that all kidney patients have allergies, that is not what I meant to say.
I am glad the prograf is working for your son:)
- By kateDD23
- Posted September 9, 2009 at 9:46 pm
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I have been pondering on the subject forever and a half. My son had real bad eczema and asthma as a baby, broke out in hives from even the slightest contact with eggs, wouldn't touch tomatoes...all well known allergens. A month after a random fever he was diagnosed with NS. He was started on steroids and shortly after rejected milk, mind you the kid used to drink gallons a day.....He still won't touch any of these foods. I do believe it is all related to allergies somehow. The Nephrologist denies it, of course...
- By Dux
- Posted September 10, 2009 at 12:30 pm
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Kate,
In your son's case I do believe that allergies can and will cause NS. If your Neph does not believe this, you need to find another one. There are case studies all over the net that talk of Food Allergies causing NS. Google this. This has been well known since this mid 80's. Why your Neph will not believe this is beyond me.
Here is just one case study:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_267/ai_n15677757/
The last line of this paper is very telling:
"Patients who are able to control their nephrotic syndrome with dietary modification alone will be spared the adverse effects of long-term prednisone use."
Here is another:
http://books.google.com/books?id=dSguVn9W0yUC&pg=PA773&lpg=PA773&dq=nephrot ic+syndrom+and+food+allergies&source=bl&ots=Dedpq4SZmt&sig=3VGoe5Q8mzG_hRVe tX_6kbnnmbE&hl=en&ei=wCOpSs72MZDasQOZsYH3BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&r esnum=9#v=onepage&q=&f=false
And another:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3627337
The last line of this case study is also telling:
"This diet must be tried in INS before the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy."
Which basically says that the elimination diet talked about in the paper must be tried before the pred is ever given. I firmly believe this. You may not have gotten all the foods that he is allergic to. Diet and allergy testing and elimination should be tried and ruled out first. This case study was also back in 1987. So they have known this for awhile. Yet doctors continue to refuse to believe it or test for it. I am a loss as to why. Google "nephrotic syndrom and food allergies" on your own. This list is huge.
This is not to say that every child with NS will respond to food allergies. But this does not also mean that Nephrologist can stick their heads in the sand and deny even looking for this connection. Also know that we started a daily log with our daughter, and did our own research and science at home. At time our daughter was was "steroid dependent," and our Neph told us again and again that diet would make any difference for her. Our logs however, showed us the foods she was sensitive to, we removed them on our own, and as of today, she has been in remission for over 3 years, and on no meds at all. Our Neph does not have a clue what we did, and worse has not changed his ways.
I find this really sad.
- By kateDD23
- Posted September 10, 2009 at 2:06 pm
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Thank you so much for the information! Glad to hear your daughter is doing well. What were her triggers if you don't mind sharing?
- By maimaita
- Posted September 27, 2009 at 7:19 am
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Thank you all for sharing.
Before I joined the group I really did think I was losing it.
My daughter was last year same time (Spring) diagnosed with Nephrotic Sydrome. The onset of it started like an allegic reaction, swelling eyes and runny nose and eyes, it was Jacaranda season so we thought nothing of it until she started swelling all over including her stomach, we then took her to the local clinic who refered us to hospital. She went through six weeks of agonising tests and treatement and has since had two minor relapses. This year at the time of Jacaranda blossoming she has again had a major relapse. She is currently in hospital and is this time unfortunately not responding well to treatment.
She has been refered to a Pediatric Nephrologist who has put her on another lot of Albumin , Diuretics, Immunosuppressants, and Anti Biotics. Progress is slow and I have asked if there is a connection between Allergies and NS and told not.
Please help with information on support centres in South Africa, United Kingdom, or Canada
- By jmcc
- Posted September 27, 2009 at 8:27 am
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My son was just diagnosed with MCNS at the end of July. He does not have any known allergies, but does have asthma, which seems to have a high correlation with MCNS as well. He, as several of you have said, gets sicker than most with typical illnesses. Also, we have a strong family history of allergies. My allergies, in particular, are really bad. I have been doing the sublingual immunotherapy for 2 years now (along with Allegra and Singulair) and have not noticed any difference.
So... I am now VERY curious if my son does indeed have allergies that we did not detect.
My question is... how long does he have to be off prednisone before we can conduct effective testing? We are currently tapering and will finish in about 2 weeks, and then we keep our fingers crossed for no relapses.
- By CatherineL
- Posted October 29, 2009 at 10:00 pm
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You may want to consider attending out upcoming "lunch and learn" seminar which will be on November 7 at the Hotel Angeleno in Brentwood. Let me know if you'd like more information. There will be several doctors there and you can ask questions and address your concerns. Let me know if you'd like more information.
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