Food Allergy

Hi. I am alergic to peanuts and have been since I was a child. Mine was very serious as a child - but I don't seem to have as serious of a reaction now (I'm 31). However, I avoid everything peanut and usually if I am exposed - it is minimial before I realize it. I break out in hives almost instantly when I am exposed -- and have broken out from eating foods cooked in peanut oil. I have also had problems with places like cold stone where they make the ice cream on the cold stone and mix the topings. Once I guess they had missed peanuts right before they mixed my ice cream -- and I broke out into hives. Now, I tell them about my allergy and ask them to mix my ice cream on a clean spot. I have also had a lot of problems with going to parties and cakes and brownies having peanut or peanut butter in them. I would always ask when you go to a birthday party what is in the cake.

Ditto on this site!
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/
These are informed parents who know what they are talking about. My daughter has severe food allergies, and I have been on that forum a lot!
Please find a board certified allergist. Excuse me for being blunt, but you need to go to a real allergist, there are a lot of flake-o's out there. Peanut allergies are serious and can be life endangering. Don't feel overwhelmed, there is a lot of help out there!

Hi J..

My 3 year old nephew is allergic to peanuts and he is able to eat Chick-fil-a despite their food being friend in peanut oil. It was something my sister in law had to research too. Good luck with your research!

M.

I don't know what all that terminology means, but I thought a peanut allergy is usually the kind that continue to get worse with exposure. I don't think I would test it at all. I worked in a daycare where one of our children was allergic to nuts, especially peanuts. She had eaten it with no reaction the first time, the second time she was rushed to cooks because she was not breathing. The doctors said that if she was EVER exposed again, even just being in the same room with it, she would probably die. I'm not saying this could happen to your child, but it is enough for me to not even try any peanut anything with someone who is known to have an allergy.

J.,
My son has a peanut allergy also. I read everything and always ask twice at any resturant we go to if they use anything with peanut oil or if the just have peanuts in there kitchen at all. Just in case of cross contamination. It seems very scary at first but after a while it gets better. I was worried every time someone offered him a cookie, but I just let everyone he is around know of the problem and they became very understanding and helpful. Just keep an eyeout on the foods he eats an start telling him about it so when he gets older he will be able to tell what is okay to eat.

My understanding is that for some peanut oil is also not safe, no matter what form. Theoretically, the oil only contains the fat and not the protein and it is the proteins that cause the allergies. For example, I am gluten intolerant and cannot eat wheat, but I also will not consume wheat germ oil or any product that contains anything derived from wheat. So, it does depend upon the level of sensitivity. What that website might be trying to say is that highly processed peanut oils (the cold pressed etc. are not highly processed) might be safe since there's likely very little resembling a peanut left, but I personally would not take that risk. It can be overwhelming at first, but it will become second nature after a while, but it does require constant vigilance. I also am allergic to eggs and peanuts, as well as dairy and wheat/gluten intolerant. So, it could be worse. My younger son was also allergic to eggs, however, after also removing gluten and dairy from his diet for a while, he can now tolerate eggs. If the doctor only tested for immediate allergic reactions, your son may have some underlying delayed food reactions, with wheat/gluten and dairy being two of the most common. Alot of mainstream doctors are clueless when it comes to delayed food allergies, but there are some informed practitioners.

My son has a peanut and egg allergy also, in addition to milk! He had anaphylactic shock to the peanuts and will just get hives from milk and eggs (thus, no digestive problems, jsut the allergy). I have and will stay away from ALL kinds of peanut, peanut containing, or "may" contain products. Because peanut allergies are so serious, and can change over time, i would stay away from peanut oils and things that say they may contain nuts. There are plenty of foods and products out there that do not contain nuts and are processed in a factor in which they dont have nuts or that are properly separated. Read labels, become familiar with the lingo. It gets easier and a way of life.
Good luck,
S.

My daughter is extremely allergic to peanuts,and her's causes a severe respiratory reaction but anything cooked in peanut oil has never caused even a slight reaction.

I would not do that until you get him checked out. I would follow the directions of you Allergist. But if it was me, I wouldn't risk it. My kids are too precious. I your worried about fat content for yourself, try canola or olive oil.

Peanut oil that is processed using heat actually is pretty safe for people with peanut allergies as the heat process breaks down the proteins that cause the allergy. Cold pressed, expelled or extruded peanut oil does not use this heat process so the proteins that cause the allergy are never broken down. To be safe, I would avoid peanut oil altogether and wait to see if your son outgrows the allergy. The egg allergy reaction can be avoided by using an egg replacer found in most grocery stores. The directions on the package tell you how to use the product and it gives recipes to try as well. My nephew has multiple food allergies including soy, milk (all dairy actually), egg, peanut (most tree nuts like walnuts, pecans, etc.) and others as well. Just make sure to read the labels of foods that you think might contain your son's allergies and try to avoid them the best you can. He may outgrow the allergies as time goes on. Good luck!

Hi J., looks like everyone is saying the same thing... AVOID< AVOID< AVOID.... My sons allergist said that Chick-fil-a is fine however with Carmine, after eating the nuggets his excema would flare up.. But please read the labels, and be careful of the products that doesn't contain nuts, peanuts, etc.. but has been PROcessed in a plant that processes... so I will not let him eat that.. Also I have talked to a few parents with children that has a peanut allergy, I was told that sun-butter is great ( sunflower peanut butter but with no peanuts so it doesn't cause a reaction.) However we haven't got chance to try it. But you should find an allergist.. I love my sons, his name is Dr. Robert Sugarman. He has 2 locations, 1 in Frisco and the other in Dallas.. his # is 972- ###-###-####...Once you get all the info everything will become second nature with making sure your kid is safe.. but you will always have to drill the grandparents, friends, family, etc.. That just b/c it doesn't contain peanuts doesn't mean he can eat it.. It will get better....Also expelled, cold-pressed, and extruded simply means it still contains the PEANUT PROTEIN, and that is what causes an reaction...

Hi J.,
Actually, with you being a pharmacist I am surprised you don't know that children under the age of two should not be given anything peanut. It promotes food allergies.
I he is allergic to eggs and peanut there are probably many other allergies also. Get you Dr. to do a FICA (ELISA) blood allergy scan. It will tell you a lot.
Good luck and God Bless!
Char

no peanut butter, but you can probably give him peanuts.

My daughter has a severe peanut allergy plus 5 others, and I have learned so much in this area in the past few years. Peanut oil is supose to be safe because it has broken down all the protein but peanut allergy is too scary to take a chance. You need to be aware of other nuts as well because in many facilities all the nuts are processed together so you risk cross contamination. You now need to be aware of something called cross reactive allergy. This means that peanut is in the legume family and your child could also be allergic to other legumes. I like www.allergykids.org(or com not sure)
Educate yourself and always have an epi pen handy
I was always reluctant to use the epi pen-but don't. I just found out if an allergic reaction is going to be fatal it usually happens in the first 5 min.
when in doubt just use it.

Hi, J.. I totally understand where you are coming from, and I am so sorry! My daughter was diagnosed with severe milk and soy allergies at 12 months. I too was overwhelmed. I had to make her a nasty birthday cake with no butter or milk or "flavorings," and I just cried! It was really tough there for awhile. There are hardly any ready-made foods that were safe for her. I had to learn to cook and shop in a while new way. HOWEVER, I will say that it is now simply second nature. It does get easy, don't worry. There are lots of resources for substituting in recipies, etc. I love wholesomebabyfood.com (not all about allergies, but they have a lot of eggless recipies and info on substituting. AllergicChild.com is also helpful.

My girl has a very good pedi allergist. Although she has different food allergies than your son, he has told me a little about the other allergens (kids with allergies often develop others...blah!). I do know that you must be very very very careful with nut allergies. Unfortunately, your son will not outgrow the nut allergy (maybe egg, though). The reaction to peanut often time includes respiratory symptoms, so you must be especailly careful. For now you shouldn't use anything with peanut oil/product or ANY nut for that matter...even if it is a lesser reaction, it is not a safe risk. When your son is older the allergist may try a controlled test (in his office) to see if he can tolerate the more emulsified nut prodcucts...but honestly, you'll probably have to forgo it. Fortunately, food labels are getting better about listing the "big 8" food allergens clearing on the label--usually at the end of the ingreedient list, sometimes in bold lettering.

You will be surprised how quickly you adapt. We are lucky, as we rarely ever eat out...but you will learn what you can/can't order. On the bright side, when we changed our daughter's diet we were amazed at how many problems we "fixed"--she slept better, pooped better, no diaper rash, etc.

Good luck to you!

Try this. This is a very resoursefoul community http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/
My daughter has food allergies to soy, peanut, tree nuts, and sesame. With sesame her initial reaction was vomit. Later I found out is a type of anaphylactic reaction. Another exposure later, her throat swelled up and allergist said next time to use epi pen.
Peanut (she refuses to eat) and tree nuts test positive, but I haven't seen her react. I don't let her eat at Chick-fil a because of her soy allergies.
Soy is everywhere. She reacts by having bowel movements within half a hour of ingestion. Some people (including my allergist) say that most people can tolerate oils (not cold pressed). But, there are some "lucky" ones (like mine) that react to the oil too.
So just because you see it should not affect you, to not take it for granted.
Read, read, read. FAAN is a very good source. Kids with food allergies is more of a forum and resources. The are lots of parents that have been there and done all the thing you are thinking/asking.

I go to a chiropractor that has used NAET to successfully treat allergies in kids. He also knows a lot about peanut allergies. My son doesn't have a peanut allergy, though I know how serious it can be, his allergies were with all sugars (fructose, lactose, etc). We have had great results with Dr. Brantley. He is here in McKinney. ###-###-#### He will do a work up for your son and then you can go from there. Just another option for you!
Also, we use raw almond butter insead of peanut butter and it tastes great, and is better for you too!
Good Luck!
J. Hasselman
McKinney Texas
mom to Branden, 6;Abby,3 and Victoria, 7 months

Avoid anything with peanut oil that you aren't sure if it has been cold pressed. One response suggested to wait until your child outgrows this allergy. What I have learned (I am one of those people who is allergic to A LOT of things...peanuts, coconut, milk, tomatoes, aspirin, sulfa medicines....I can go on) is that allergies are not necessarily something you out grow,but can be cumulative. What this means is that you can eat something like peanuts, which I have done since I was a child, and then you can develop an allergy to them. My started after the birth of my 3rd child at the age of 38!

One thing that has helped so much is that having to read all the labels thoroughly you really do have more knowledge of what you and your family are putting into their mouths.

Good luck. Just know that it can be overwhelming at first. You get used to it.

It does have to do with how the peanut oil is processed. I don't understand it all. My son has egg and peanut allergies, he is 6 years old. He had severe eczema and now even the smallest amount of egg in something makes make him throw up.

We have found he can eat at chick-fil-a, but with the chicken, ONLY THE STRIPS, the nuggets and sandwhich patties that are breaded have an egg wash. The strips don't for some reason. The one on 75 in Dallas would put the breading on using fresh flour to make sure no egg got on it accidentally, if we asked and explained about the food allergy. I'm sure other places will too. But eventually we realized for him, just ordering the strips, with out the special request worked fine.

There is a great cookbook for baked items, which we found is the hardest adjustment, called "Bakin' without Eggs" has some good egg free recipes.

Hello J., I am so sorry to hear about your boy. Maybe he will outgrow it hopefully. I really don't have any advice for you but, wanted to ask you a question please? I have been waking up & being very swollen in my face & eyes. It is scareing me.Could you give me the web site you were talking about? Maybe i can do some research. By the way my sisters son was allergic to all sorts of things when he was small, he's 10 now & he has pretty much outgrown all of this.Good luck to you & "God" bless.

My daughter is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. I personally would just avoid the oils altogether It's not worth the risk to "guess" if it is safe or not. I don't ever want to make another trip to the ER and see my daughter have a hard time breathing! From what my allergist says nut allergies are rarely outgrown with age as some other food allergies are. Read those labels carefully. Check shampoo and conditioner labels as well as lotions as many of these contain nut oils (usually Macadamia or Almond oil) if he is allergic to tree nuts as well. It is a hard, but it gets a little easier as they get older and can avoid unsafe foods on their own. Hugs to you in this scary time :)

I highly recommend seeing an allergist - peanut allergies can be deadly! I know several children who are allergic to peanuts and CANNOT have peanut oil in an ordinary setting (like those used at a restaraunt) b/c half the time they don't know WHAT kind of oil they are using. Never walk into a restaraunt and ask them what is in their food, or what it's made with. The 18 yr old High School student behind the counter cannot be trusted w/ understanding the severity of the situation. If you ever do fast food, check the websites of the place you want to go AND call their 1-800 number to check on the ingredients. For home cooking, it's probably best not to used peanut oil at all, anykind, so you don't take any chances.

Each consecutive exposure can cause worse reactions. Make sure you get an epi-pen - and as a pharmacist - get one from your pharmacy so you can personally check the expiration date and get a "fresh" one (they only last 1 year).

At the babysitter, if he is the only child there, then you will have to be sure that she understands he cannot have peanut butter, and peanut butter cannot be present when he is there - that she screens ALL his food (even those prepackaged gerber products) for peanuts - make sure she is clear that it is life threatening! If there are other kids at the babysitter, all their food will have to be peanut free.

Just b/c his frist reaction was "mild" - does not mean he will not have an anaphylacitc (sp) reaction in the future - leave an epi-pen w/ her and teach her how to use it.

If it were my child, the only way I would consider peanut oil is testing it at the doctor, in his office, w/ an epi-pen ready ---- honestly, if it were my child I wouldn't test peanut oil at all, I'd just avoid it at all costs.

My 3rd child was allergic to dairy (which he outgrew at about age 5) and my youngest is still allergic to dairy (outgrew egg, cinnamon, watermelon, and chocolate) so we spent a lot of time learning about food allergies and learned that we know many people w/ food allergies -- the peanut allergy trumps them all though - and we take that very seriously. We meet about once a week w/ a friend w/ a peanut allergy and we NEVER bring peanut prouducts around her! She is also allergic to egg, and cannot even be in the same room w/ an egg as the proteins sort of *waft* through the air and can cause a reaction.

I encourage you to learn all that you can about food allergies. FAAN is a great place to start! Eggs can be serious also, depending on what his number was on his test, but Peanut allergies are not to be taken lightly.

Good luck to you!

J.,

My daughter also had a reaction to peanuts when she was 1. Her first exposure to a peanut butter & jelly sandwich caused no reaction, but the second time was terrible. We didn't know what was happening since we have no history of food allergies. I would avoid anything with peanut products or processed with nuts. Carry an epi-pen with you everywhere.

I didn't see this listed in the responses:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/northtexasfoodallerg...

It is an excellent resource for meeting other moms with kids who have food allergies. They have a food allergy camp in the summer, which you might want your son to attend when he's a little older.

It is very overwhelming. You must now read every label and ask at every restaurant to make sure no peanut/nut products touch your son's food. It's amazing how many items are labeled with "processed in a plant that also processes nuts". But it is managable. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

S.

Have you considered acupuncture to alleviate or cure the allergies? There's an acupuncturist in Plano who specializes in treating child allergies. I don't think he uses needles with the kids either.

Steve Homoky - ###-###-####
He usually runs an ad in Dallas Child.