Nut Allergy vs Virus

As I was stated in my last blog post, Zachy had so odd hives that we thought was because he had a few almonds. Our middle son Griffin has a peanut allergy so we have been very careful with giving Zachy any nuts but he has been exposed in the past so I did not think much of it. On this day (which was Wed) the boys had a snow day and we were all home. I had bought the Bold Almonds by Blue Diamond and was sharing them will Zachy, knowing we were not going anywhere and I could keep and eye on him for a reaction. Four hours later I put him down for a much needed nap. Shortly after falling asleep he wakes up crying. I ask Jonny to go up and rock him, which he does but doesn't not work. I then go up and take Zachy out if his crib and cuddle with him in our bed. I am rubbing his back and he is just fussy and whiny. Then I notice he is scratching at his thigh. I check it out to find his legs covered in blotchy hives. Being the experienced allergy mom, I immediately grab the Benadryl and give him a dose. Then I give the doctors office a call, mainly because with a nut allergy they need to know and I want to make sure that the hives I was seeing was from the almonds. After speaking with the nurse and her talking with the doctor they tell me to call in the morning and to give him Benadryl every six hours.

The Benadryl did its job, the hives disappear. Come morning they are back though. As soon as the Benadryl is out of his system the hives come back. After calling the doctors for a couple of days so they could have a report on him, they decide to check him out. The final diagnosis is that his virus (cold) that he has been fighting for weeks is causing the hives. The almonds would not be causing the hives for more that 4 days. The doctor tells us to switch to Zyrtec so that Zachy isn't so drowsy. Then to stop the Zyrtec after a week and see what happens and if the hives come back to call them again.
In the meantime we are setting up an appointment with an allergist to have him tested.