Peanut allergies

[kaytieeldr]

But it is not up to the general population to decide what is safe for another person. If it isn't them/their child/family then they need to be respectful.

Degree? No. But again, given that only between .5% and 1.1% of Americans have peanut allergies (really - Google on your own, I'm not making it up) in varying degrees, nobody has satisfactorily explained why the other 98.9% to 99.5% - the general public, the vast majority, etc. - is expected to adapt.

 

[nchulka]

I grew up with a nut allergy "back in the day". I though I was the only kid in the universe who had one. There were no peanut free classrooms-the ONLY place that made any accomodations for me was Disney, which is why my parents became such fans. I was taught from the time I started school that it was MY job to watch out where I sat to eat lunch, to clean the area with the Wash and Dry Mom packed in my lunch box. I knew NEVER to take any food from anyone, I politely turned down cookies, cupcakes, anything that I wasn't 100% sure of the ingredients. I knew that I did not want a reaction, so I obeyed the rules.

My allergist said once that he was concerned about today's kids with nut allergies because they aren't learning how to cope with a world that contains their allergen by being isolated from it.

I very much agree with this. The entire world is not going to change to accommodate the minority in any situation, nor should it. I once saw a special about a family with 2 children who were severely allergic to the sun. They had to black out their windows and the children could only leave the house at night, in the dark. It was crazy, they had another child that was just fine, but these two could die if they went outside during the day. They didn't petition their school district to hold overnight classes, they realized that their kids allergy was so extreme that it prevented them from going to a normal school and they had to be taught at home. My kids go to an elementary school that is peanut free, I hate it! Over the years children have had peanut allergies, but a few years back a girl started who is so allergic that she cannot even be anywhere that peanuts are, that is when the ban went into place. She has an airborne allergy. She basically cannot go anywhere. She has never been able to go to a playground or an amusement park, or a pool. She cannot go to stores or restaurants. She is basically a prisoner in her own home. I feel badly for her, that would totally suck, just like the kids who could not go out in the sun. But I still think it is ridiculous that they made the school peanut free. A child that extreme should not be able to attend school, some people just have extreme medical conditions that prohibit them doing normal things like going to school, it sucks, but it's life.

 

[luvmy3]

I very much agree with this. The entire world is not going to change to accommodate the minority in any situation, nor should it. I once saw a special about a family with 2 children who were severely allergic to the sun. They had to black out their windows and the children could only leave the house at night, in the dark. It was crazy, they had another child that was just fine, but these two could die if they went outside during the day. They didn't petition their school district to hold overnight classes, they realized that their kids allergy was so extreme that it prevented them from going to a normal school and they had to be taught at home. My kids go to an elementary school that is peanut free, I hate it! Over the years children have had peanut allergies, but a few years back a girl started who is so allergic that she cannot even be anywhere that peanuts are, that is when the ban went into place. She has an airborne allergy. She basically cannot go anywhere. She has never been able to go to a playground or an amusement park, or a pool. She cannot go to stores or restaurants. She is basically a prisoner in her own home. I feel badly for her, that would totally suck, just like the kids who could not go out in the sun. But I still think it is ridiculous that they made the school peanut free. A child that extreme should not be able to attend school, some people just have extreme medical conditions that prohibit them doing normal things like going to school, it sucks, but it's life.

And one could say the same about little Timmy not being able to eat PB at school.

 

[Talking Hands]

I think the big issue with milk allergies is that people who are lactose intolerant say they are allergic to milk and then are seen eating ice cream with no issue. When a pt tells me they are allergic to milk ask if they eat butter, ice cream, cheese and they usually say yes.

I have to agree with you on this. I cannot tolerate any type of dairy. Butter, ice cream, cheese, milk all are all off my diet. All affect me equally badly. Fortunately there are many good substitutes out there I can use.

 

[Coconut36]

And one could say the same about little Timmy not being able to eat PB at school.

I agree. An alternative for ONE meal outside the home is really really not that big a stinkin' deal.

 

[badblackpug]

I have to agree with you on this. I cannot tolerate any type of dairy. Butter, ice cream, cheese, milk all are all off my diet. All affect me equally badly. Fortunately there are many good substitutes out there I can use.

This is why when a patient claims an allergy we ask, and document, what type of reaction they had to the allergen. Many people, including people with peanut allergies, believe they have an allergy when they really have an intolerance. For instance, people will say they are allergic to aspirin. When we ask them what kind of reaction they have they will say, "it upsets my stomach." This isn't an allergic reaction. It is a side effect or intolerance.

Also studies have shown that blood tests for allergies are inaccurate. The only way to know if you are truly allergic to something is to have an allergic reaction.

If my child had such a life threatening condition that merely touching second hand residue would cause a deadly reaction, and they weren't old enough or cognizant enough to provide for their own safety, there is no way I would entrust his/her life to strangers. I would keep my child at home

Peanut bans are unenforceable. They are a cover our butt measure from the school. It is possible for the school to not serve peanut/peanut products. If the school is small they may be able to police what children bring in for lunch and snacks, but there is no way to ensure that children don't consume peanut products at home and carry in the residue.

Peanut bans are the school's way of absolving themselves from responsibility should any untoward event occur.

If a child is truly that allergic a peanut ban is only offering a false sense of security.

 

[mjantz]

I have a kid with a food allergy (eggs) that is not life-threatening but can cause hives on contact. We've taught her from a young age to avoid certain foods (potato salad & fried rice are 2 biggies) & she does ask. [FYI: The restaurant chain 'Sweet Tomatoes' is excellent about food allergies. They keep a binder with a list of ingredients on hand & can check anything. Love them!!]
Personally I think that if one wants the school to make accomodations for an allergy, there needs to be proof of the allergy. There is a blood test that is very easy & accurate. We had one done last year because I wanted proof in case the school requested it for any accomodations. It actually pinged a few we were not aware of that don't seem to be causing problems but that we will keep an eye on for any possible changes.

 

[LisaR]

I have a kid with a food allergy (eggs) that is not life-threatening but can cause hives on contact. We've taught her from a young age to avoid certain foods (potato salad & fried rice are 2 biggies) & she does ask. [FYI: The restaurant chain 'Sweet Tomatoes' is excellent about food allergies. They keep a binder with a list of ingredients on hand & can check anything. Love them!!]
Personally I think that if one wants the school to make accomodations for an allergy, there needs to be proof of the allergy. There is a blood test that is very easy & accurate. We had one done last year because I wanted proof in case the school requested it for any accomodations. It actually pinged a few we were not aware of that don't seem to be causing problems but that we will keep an eye on for any possible changes.

I disagree with this. Allergy testing is not accurate. It is very common to test positive to things you aren't allergic to and negative to things you are. I knew my son was allergic to soy a good year before it ever showed up on an allergy test. He has also tested positive to things he is definitely not allergic to.

 

[Mandychelle79]

I disagree with this. Allergy testing is not accurate. It is very common to test positive to things you aren't allergic to and negative to things you are. I knew my son was allergic to soy a good year before it ever showed up on an allergy test. He has also tested positive to things he is definitely not allergic to.

And we were told that Bradyn will always test positive to milk on her the scratch test, which is why we did the in office milk challenge after my grandfather, with mild dementia at the time, was feeding her apple dumplings with ice cream at the fair, and she had no reaction to it.

 

[LisaR]

And we were told that Bradyn will always test positive to milk on her the scratch test, which is why we did the in office milk challenge after my grandfather, with mild dementia at the time, was feeding her apple dumplings with ice cream at the fair, and she had no reaction to it.

I'm a huge fan of challenges in the allergist's office. Unfortunately, of all the people I know in real life that have kids with allergies, all have refused to have the challenges done. I've had challenges done on my son for all his major allergies.

 

[Christine]

I'm a huge fan of challenges in the allergist's office. Unfortunately, of all the people I know in real life that have kids with allergies, all have refused to have the challenges done. I've had challenges done on my son for all his major allergies.

I have had two allergists refuse to challenge my son's peanut allergy. He did have a reaction on ingestion when he was young. His blood test comes back with a moderate allergy so two separate allergists thought to do an oral challenge in the office. Before doing that, they both did a skin/scratch test that showed a reaction worse than either of them had ever seen on a skin test. So they refuse to do it.

 

[Schmeck]

This makes no sense to me. I am fully aware that all food allergies can be fatal. I had my daughter in the ER for her milk allergy a time or two. Ive been in ICU because of my bee allergy. My 6 and 9 year old are trained in how to administer my epi pen to me. They shouldnt have to worry about me, should be the other way around, but they think it is cool that they know how to save mommy's life if need be.

In MY experience, when people say about banning peanut products, the reason is given for not banning the allergens is because "they arent as dangerous" as peanut allergies for whatever reason they choose to use.

Your double negative in the sentence I quoted from your post threw me - are you stating that you agree that others have exactly the same dangerous reation to their allergens as a peanut sensitive person would, or not?

 

[PeterPan09]

I have had two allergists refuse to challenge my son's peanut allergy. He did have a reaction on ingestion when he was young. His blood test comes back with a moderate allergy so two separate allergists thought to do an oral challenge in the office. Before doing that, they both did a skin/scratch test that showed a reaction worse than either of them had ever seen on a skin test. So they refuse to do it.

I've never been tested for nut allergies either-but the trips to the ER were enough for me and my MD. I discovered trace amounts of peanuts in plain M&M's because a handful of them took me to the ER. I recently discovered some level of nuts in Starbucks Veranda blend. Not enough to cause an ER visit, but after I drank a few cups of it I could feel the reaction. Couldn't imagine what was causing it until I took a look at the description on the bag and saw light nutty flavor or something like that. Trace amounts are still a problem for me.

 

[luvmy3]

This is why when a patient claims an allergy we ask, and document, what type of reaction they had to the allergen. Many people, including people with peanut allergies, believe they have an allergy when they really have an intolerance. For instance, people will say they are allergic to aspirin. When we ask them what kind of reaction they have they will say, "it upsets my stomach." This isn't an allergic reaction. It is a side effect or intolerance.

Also studies have shown that blood tests for allergies are inaccurate. The only way to know if you are truly allergic to something is to have an allergic reaction.

If my child had such a life threatening condition that merely touching second hand residue would cause a deadly reaction, and they weren't old enough or cognizant enough to provide for their own safety, there is no way I would entrust his/her life to strangers. I would keep my child at home

Peanut bans are unenforceable. They are a cover our butt measure from the school. It is possible for the school to not serve peanut/peanut products. If the school is small they may be able to police what children bring in for lunch and snacks, but there is no way to ensure that children don't consume peanut products at home and carry in the residue.

Peanut bans are the school's way of absolving themselves from responsibility should any untoward event occur.

If a child is truly that allergic a peanut ban is only offering a false sense of security.

I don't agree with this at all, not because they will be 100% safe, but because parents of allergic children do understand that their child will never be 100% safe in an environment they themselves aren't in control of.
A peanut ban doesn't ensure safety, but there is a chance that it keeps incidents at school from happening. I'm not sure why people think its such a big deal when comparing a potential life and death situation with an inconvenience. I would think any parent would support a school doing what it feels is the right thing to protect any of its students. I guess some people's want to feed their child PB is just more important than trying to keep someone safe (This wasn't directed at you pug, just a general statement).

 

[Christine]

My allergist said once that he was concerned about today's kids with nut allergies because they aren't learning how to cope with a world that contains their allergen by being isolated from it.

First, there will always be *those* parents who coddle their children until that are, oh, 45 years old. We've seen them all, haven't we? They run the gamut of what they coddle for. In the peanut allergic population, we have those parents. We also have those parents who hardly pay attention and continue to let their kids be exposed. I knew one mom who routinely let her peanut allergic son eat some sort of trail mix until he finally ended up in the ER because his reactions kept escalating. She thought a little bit of peanut would not cause a problem.

I disagree with the allergist overall though.

When my now-17-y/o son was in daycare, his daycare made themselves peanut free. They decided to do this all on their own because they felt that having a bunch of 2-3 year olds smearing peanut butter all over the place was too stressful for them to work with. When my son reached elementary school age, he was given a peanut free table for lunch. The school also grouped the peanut/nut allergic kids together where they could so he always had another child in his class with a similar allergy. He had accommodations made for him up until 5th grade--all the while, me as his parent, ensured that he was expertly educated on what he could and could not eat, how to handle himself in public eating facilities, and how to wash his hands after he'd been in a large-group food setting. By the time he got to middle school, a few things happened:

1. He was mature enough to logically think through a situation.
2. He was smart enough to look at something and make the decision on whether or not it was safe.
3. He had years of practice in telling adults "no, I can't have that".
4. He became physically aware of the telltale signs of the start of an allergic reaction so that he could inform an adult.
5. He became confident enough to handle his own epi-pen.

Maturity and training on the part of the parent and physician are key ingredients to managing a severe food allergy. One of these ingredients is not always in place at age 2, age 5, age 7, age 9. But you gradually get there.

I don't think having accommodations in place at a young age is doing a disservice to the child, nor does it make them ill-prepared to deal with it as an adult. Ignoring it and pretending it's not there makes it a problem.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

I agree. An alternative for ONE meal outside the home is really really not that big a stinkin' deal.

I agree. I understand that the world cannot stop for someone like me, nor do I expect it to. But one meal 5 days a week that does not contain peanuts isn't a big deal. Life happens and so do allergies.

 

[LisaR]

I have had two allergists refuse to challenge my son's peanut allergy. He did have a reaction on ingestion when he was young. His blood test comes back with a moderate allergy so two separate allergists thought to do an oral challenge in the office. Before doing that, they both did a skin/scratch test that showed a reaction worse than either of them had ever seen on a skin test. So they refuse to do it.

My experience with allergists is that every kid is "the worst they have ever seen." I remember that first test my son had and the doctor just seemed blown away with his results. He has never seen anything like it. I cried! How can I have the one and only kid with the worst score they had ever seen? A few days later, I found an online allergy support group and imagine my surprise when I discovered tons of people with the "worst allergy scores ever." A few months later I found a local peanut allergy support group (only went to two meetings) but there I found people living right in my own neighborhood that had the worst score that their allergist had ever seen.

I think most allergists are in CYA mode. Many don't want to risk the liability that comes with a food challenge. My son does test as high as possible on many different food items but so do plenty of other kids based on my experience. I was glad I shopped around for allergists when he was young and found someone that believed in challenges and had a very different view on allergies compared to most. One DS was older and we moved, I knew what to demand from allergists and I won't take no for an answer. I will push the challenge issue each time because I feel that is far more important than a number on a piece of paper.

 

[PeterPan09]

First, there will always be *those* parents who coddle their children until that are, oh, 45 years old. We've seen them all, haven't we? They run the gamut of what they coddle for. In the peanut allergic population, we have those parents. We also have those parents who hardly pay attention and continue to let their kids be exposed. I knew one mom who routinely let her peanut allergic son eat some sort of trail mix until he finally ended up in the ER because his reactions kept escalating. She thought a little bit of peanut would not cause a problem.

I disagree with the allergist overall though.

When my now-17-y/o son was in daycare, his daycare made themselves peanut free. They decided to do this all on their own because they felt that having a bunch of 2-3 year olds smearing peanut butter all over the place was too stressful for them to work with. When my son reached elementary school age, he was given a peanut free table for lunch. The school also grouped the peanut/nut allergic kids together where they could so he always had another child in his class with a similar allergy. He had accommodations made for him up until 5th grade--all the while, me as his parent, ensured that he was expertly educated on what he could and could not eat, how to handle himself in public eating facilities, and how to wash his hands after he'd been in a large-group food setting. By the time he got to middle school, a few things happened:

1. He was mature enough to logically think through a situation.
2. He was smart enough to look at something and make the decision on whether or not it was safe.
3. He had years of practice in telling adults "no, I can't have that".
4. He became physically aware of the telltale signs of the start of an allergic reaction so that he could inform an adult.
5. He became confident enough to handle his own epi-pen.

Maturity and training on the part of the parent and physician are key ingredients to managing a severe food allergy. One of these ingredients is not always in place at age 2, age 5, age 7, age 9. But you gradually get there.

I don't think having accommodations in place at a young age is doing a disservice to the child, nor does it make them ill-prepared to deal with it as an adult. Ignoring it and pretending it's not there makes it a problem.[

I had to do all those things when I started school as did every child with allergies at that time. We grew up faster and had to manage all 5 of those things when we started going out of the house without a parent. I don't consider that a bad thing. I'm glad my parents expected more of me and gave me that responsibility for my own situation.

 

[buffettgirl]

I can guarantee that if that diabetic child is having an insulin reaction and needs to have their sugars brought up and peanut butter crackers are what works best for them it is no less serious than a peanut allergic child having a reaction to peanut. the two best foods for leveling out an insulin reaction are milk products and peanut butter. Drinking a soda or eating candy is only a short term solution and can in many cases cause a rebound reaction where the sugar levels drop even lower. Protein has to be added so you don't rebound. In my case it is peanut butter crackers as I am very allergic to milk and milk products. So tell me or the parent of a diabetic child that your child's peanut allergy is more dangerous than their need to treat an insulin reaction. Insulin reactions can kill too.

Good grief. Do you know how messed up this is? if a child is having an insulin reaction PB CRackers is the LAST thing you want to shove in their mouths. If the child is already unconscious then they need glucagon. If their sugar is low but they are conscious then they need fast acting sugar to bring it up. QUICKLY. Not PB crackers. And guess what..they make special little glucose tabs JUST for this purpose. And ..there's juice. And soda.

After a low blood sugar you need complex carbs to hold the blood sugar and PB crackers are often the go to of choice because they are easy to transport and last forever in a bag, but there are also plenty of other options, like the same cheese crackers, granola bars, ice cream, just about anything.

PB crackers are not an essential part of diabetes management .

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree. An alternative for ONE meal outside the home is really really not that big a stinkin' deal.

One meal is a single meal. This is one meal per day for as many as 180 days.