I'm so sorry where in Europe are you? When we first got gstrocrom we got it in Switzerland but under the name Nalcrom. Maybe ask the pharmacist for the ingredient name cromolyn sodium.
The kind we got in Switzerland you have to mix yourself and is about $200 a month, the kind they have here or in Canada comes in these handy pre measured ampules but cost around $800 a month.

Does anyone know where to get gastrocrom in the ampules for less?

Have you tried Italy I know that's close to croatia, or a UK pharmacy?
I know it takes a couple weeks for the cromolyn to start working and if has to ship from canada or the us it could take a while. When I ordered it from Canada I did need a prescription.

I have no idea what you could give a child or baby as far as antihistamines.

Have you tried eliminating wheat and dairy from his diet? My daughter had allergies and I gave her soy milk that she was allergic to but she tolerated rice milk. There is also a predigested baby formula called neonate for babies that have digestion problems. Make sure you don't wash any of his things with strong perfumed soap or softeners, smells can also be a trigger.

Did your dr prescribe anything else besides ketotifen? I hope you find relief and cromolyn soon!

Well everyone is different and frankly my husband had a hard time with it and we had to start really slow and build up to the suggested dosage which for him is 8 ampules or 800mg a day but I'm assuming a baby would need much less. It takes time build up because your body absords very little. Some people do really well with it and it really relieves their GI symptoms.
The reactions can come for no rhyme or reason and that's the most frustrating part.
There is a Dr Peter Valent at the Vienna General Hosp in Austria who is on the mastocytosis society board here in the USA and you could try to contact him.
There is also a section on this forum for parents of children who have Mast Cell issues and they might be more helpful. Please keep me posted.

Hi Tijana,


I would suggest that you speak with two doctors in Europe:

Dr. Luis Escribano is the doctor in Spain you probably already know about.  He's got several studies with the children and he's excellent with working with them.  He especially seems to take an interest in kids like your child.  This is his contact information:


Luis Escribano, M.D., Ph.D
Instituto de Estudios de Mastocitosis de Castilla la Mancha (CLMast)
Hospital Virgen del Valle
Carretera de Cobisa s/n
E-45071 Toledo, Spain.
Phone: +34-925269335
Mobile: +34-638226228
lescribanom@sescam.jccm.es



The other doctor I recommend is Dr. Gerhard Molderings.  Dr. Molderings is from Bonn Germany.  He's in closer vicinity to you, but his area of speciality is more towards genetics and not the same area as Dr. Escribano.  However, Dr Molderings does treat masto patients and he may know of doctors near you who could help you.   So here is his contact information too.


Gerhard J. Molderings, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Institute of Human Genetics
University Hospital of Bonn
Sigmund-Freud.Str. 25
D-53127 Bonn, Germany
email molderings@uni-bonn.de
www.uni-bonn.de/~umv701/



I hope this helps!  I know how hard it is to live in a country where there are no high authorities you can run to.  I also face this problem here in Brazil.