Does Modulen cause allergic reactions?

[MaryRose]

Hi, My 12 year old son was diagnosed with Crohns 2 years ago. He was initially treated with modulen for 8 weeks and has been on Azathioprine since. Last month he had what we thought was a routine colonoscopy. We were devestated to be told it showed alot of inflammation in his TI. His bloods had been previously fine and we thought he was doing well, although he was not putting on much weight and was growing slowly but steadily. He has never had any diarrhoea.
We were told we had two treatment options, surgery or changing his medication to methotrexate. Both of which we were reluctant to go ahead with. We asked our GI doc if our son could try modulen again. He agreed as our son was not displaying signs of being unwell. He has now been taking modulen for four weeks and constantly amazes me at his will power to stick with it. But my question relates to the fact that for the past two nights he has been getting raised itchy bumps on the back of his knees and now inside his elbows. Has anyone ever heard of this happening when on modulen?

I think I was actually in denial regarding my son's Crohns for the past two years as he was doing well. It's only now that I really have had to face it and am in need of contact with others in the same situation.

 

[Farmwife]

Hi MaryRose and welcome.

Sorry to hear what your son is going through.
This rash....is it scaly, weeping or dry skin type of rash?

 

[Jmrogers4]

Welcome MaryRose :welcome: ^^^ yeah that, my son gets eczema like rashes when he is flaring.

 

[my little penguin]

^^^ yeah that
I would assume ezcema given the location .

If your child's food-allergic friend develops an itchy rash in reaction to consuming cow's milk, don't assume a reaction in your child will present itself the same way, even if they are allergic to the same food. No two food-allergic children are alike and neither are their allergic reactions.

Some children will break out in hives, develop a runny nose or experience abdominal pain, while others will develop a reaction called anaphylaxis — a severe and sometimes life-threatening allergic reaction that can involve multiple body organs. Not all food-allergic children will experience the same symptoms, which may appear within a few minutes to several hours after eating the offending food. Symptoms might even vary from one allergic reaction to the next. Most reactions tend to last under a day and have an effect on skin, the gastrointestinal (digestive) system, the respiratory (lung function and breathing) system and/or the cardiovascular (heart function and blood pressure) system. - See more at: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.or...s_symptoms_and_treatment#sthash.u7J4w5hm.dpuf

From:
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.or...=149&title=anaphylaxis_symptoms_and_treatment


And

Signs of Anaphylaxis1

Skin: Flushing; itching; hives; swelling; rash; itching of lips, tongue and palate; swelling of lips, tongue and back of throat (uvula); itching around eyes; redness and swelling of eyes; and tearing of eyes.

Respiratory: Itching and tightness of the throat; difficulty swallowing; change in voice; hoarseness; dry cough; harsh high-pitched breathing (stridor); itching in the outer ear canals; shortness of breath; chest tightness; cough and wheezing; itching of the nose; runny nose; congestion; and sneezing.

Gastrointestinal: Nausea; cramping abdominal pain; vomiting; and diarrhea.

Cardiovascular: Decreased blood pressure; feeling faint; fainting; not acting normally; chest pain; and heart rhythm abnormalities.

Other: Uterine cramping in women; and an aura of impending doom.
- See more at: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.or...s_symptoms_and_treatment#sthash.u7J4w5hm.dpuf

Basically allergic reaction typically occur within 15 minutes to 2 hours of ingestion.
They also tend to progress.
90% of people react to the top eight allergens - milk protein is one of those.
Modulen has milk protein in it but if your child does not react to other forms of milk that has been not cooked then the odds are in your favor it is not an allergic reaction .
I would definitely discuss your concerns with an allergist.
They can help you figure out given your child history whether your child is reacting or not.

Good luck

 

[Sascot]

Hi, my son did the 8 weeks Modulen and allergic reactions were never mentioned by either the nurse or GI. I would also think it is more likely part of the Crohn's flare up. Hope things settle soon.

 

[Dexky]

Welcome Mary! While you need to know the cause of the symptoms, you could try some hypo-allerginic cream on it to see if it helps. Two that popped up on a quick search were Cetaphil and Lubriderm. I don't know if they are OTC or px only.