Anaphylactic Food Allergies and Ice Cream Substitutes

[nfceagles]

VetteChick99-

I hope this doesn't come acrossed as overly critical or rude. One piece of your post troubled me. The part about, "20 minutes longer and we would have had to use the epi." Based on your decription of your dd's symptoms I firmly believe your dd should have been epi'd very early on. Most food allergy deaths occur because epinephrine wasn't administered soon enough. Your dd's reaction was DEFINITELY anaphylactic and the sooner the better for the epi. I'm also troubled that the ER didn't epi her. Benedryl and steroids do not halt anaphylaxis. Epiniephrine is the only known way to stop an ana reaction, other than it simply running its course. Anaphylaxis, even untreated, doesn't always kill, but since there's no way to know the outcome it's always better to epi than to not epi. My allergist would rip me a new one if I didn't give the epi in your situation, because he knows he knows he's taught me differently.

I know several FA parents whose action plans, because of a history of serious reaction not unlike your dd's, say to give epi immediately upon ingestion of know allergen regardless of symptoms.

I think many of us, including myself, need to stop thinking of our epi's as the method of last resort. Not that you give it for a few hives, but for any serious reaction make sure you are not hesitating simply because it's a needle. Or searching for any other solution but the epi. If the epinephrine came in a tube of cream that you rubbed on their skin during a reaction would we use it more readily? I know I would hesitate less. That's not possible, but I'm trying to making sure it's the reaction not the method of delivery that determines wether I use the epi.

Sorry for the soapbox lecture. I hope I didn't offend. I have soft spot in my heart for FA kids and their moms. I just couldn't in good conciense leave that unsaid.

 

[vettechick99]

VetteChick99-

I hope this doesn't come acrossed as overly critical or rude. One piece of your post troubled me. The part about, "20 minutes longer and we would have had to use the epi." Based on your decription of your dd's symptoms I firmly believe your dd should have been epi'd very early on. Most food allergy deaths occur because epinephrine wasn't administered soon enough. Your dd's reaction was DEFINITELY anaphylactic and the sooner the better for the epi. I'm also troubled that the ER didn't epi her. Benedryl and steroids do not halt anaphylaxis. Epiniephrine is the only known way to stop an ana reaction, other than it simply running its course. Anaphylaxis, even untreated, doesn't always kill, but since there's no way to know the outcome it's always better to epi than to not epi. My allergist would rip me a new one if I didn't give the epi in your situation, because he knows he knows he's taught me differently.

I know several FA parents whose action plans, because of a history of serious reaction not unlike your dd's, say to give epi immediately upon ingestion of know allergen regardless of symptoms.

I think many of us, including myself, need to stop thinking of our epi's as the method of last resort. Not that you give it for a few hives, but for any serious reaction make sure you are not hesitating simply because it's a needle. Or searching for any other solution but the epi. If the epinephrine came in a tube of cream that you rubbed on their skin during a reaction would we use it more readily? I know I would hesitate less. That's not possible, but I'm trying to making sure it's the reaction not the method of delivery that determines wether I use the epi.

Sorry for the soapbox lecture. I hope I didn't offend. I have soft spot in my heart for FA kids and their moms. I just couldn't in good conciense leave that unsaid.

Thanks for your comments. You have great advice. Just to clarify, all her symptoms didn't happen within 30 mins....they started within that time and progressively got worse. At first it was just hives and scratching, then crankiness and lethargy, then the breathing got labored while we were being seen at the doctor. If her breathing had started getting labored at home, I probably would have used the epi-pen.

The epi-pen saves lives, and that's why I have six of them. But she wasn't at her most serious symptom until we were being seen by the doctor. I was not going to use the epi-pen at sign of hives for several reasons - this was her first real reaction and didn't know how things would progress (the first time it stopped at hives, as it usually does), doing the epi-pen would have caused her major distress (and me ), I've never used one so inexperience held me back. Anyway, we got to the doctor with our epi-pen and said go for it if she needs it and he was able to take care of her without going that route. I do not know which is better - epinephrine or what he did. I never asked the allergist that.

Now that I know her reaction, I will probably have to use the epi-pen almost immediately because as I understand it, reactions get worse and worse. Anyway, thanks for your caring enough to post. You had some great points!

 

[nfceagles]

Gotcha. The added details make a lot of sense. Glad I didn't offend.

I had to use my 4.5 yr old DS's epi for the first time a couple months ago. Ironically, it wasn't even for one of his food allergies. He reacted terribly to some amoxicilan, which he'd had before. The silver lining was that his food allergies are the reason I was equipped and prepared to handle the reaction.

 

[escapetodisney]

If you ask, the chef can bring the cartons of Tofutti and Rice Dream out to you for you to read. I believe the Rice Dream that you get at the grocery store has a 'may contain' statement about peanuts and tree nuts. At LeCellier in Canada the chef had some raspberry sorbet that he prepared and it was peanut and tree nut free. The Itzakadoozie bars (popsicle like things) that are sold at the ice cream carts were peanut and tree nut safe the last time I checked. The cast members will let you read the label if you ask.

Have a safe and fun trip to the World.