DS had an anaphylactic shock - a few questions.

[BoysRule]

DS1 (aged 4) had an anaphylactic shock on Sunday. This had never happened before and we weren't aware of any allergies. We took him to A&E where he received oxygen, an adrenaline shot and steroids. He recovered quite quickly and was released that night.

I called his GP yesterday and she prescribed epipens for school and for us. The hospital where we went said they would contact us to get him in for allergy tests. The shock followed him eating pesto which contained cashew nuts and walnuts. I cannot be certain that he hasn't had these before but it is possible he hasn't. He regularly eats peanut butter, cereal bars with nuts etc.

I am a bit unsure about what to do until I know what caused it. Should I have a blanket ban on all nuts and be extremely vigilant - even things he previously ate? Could it have been a one off? i.e he isn't actually allergic to anything it was just a random attack?

And lastly - how do others store and carry their epipens? How do you make sure you and DP always know where they are - for example if you have been out for the day.

I am very new to this and not sure how worried I should be and what this means. I keep thinking he isn't going to be allergic to anything in the tests.

[nettie]

How scary for you.

I would avoid all nuts, has the gp refered you to an a paediatric allergist or allergy clinic? They will be able to give you loads of info.

My son has a rucksack that we keep his epipens, certirizine and ventolin in, and it goes where he goes! We've done ths since he was little (now 11) now it feels like second nature to him to always ave his rucksack with him.

[BoysRule]

Thanks Nettie. It is scary and seems like we are entering a whole new world of worrying and cautiousness. It's unclear at the moment what is happening regarding allergy tests. The hospital that we were at on Sunday said they would send us a letter with an appointment at the allergy clinic - no more info than that. When I spoke to the GP she said she would chase it up. At the moment I am just anxious as I don't know what to avoid and the whole world of nut free foods is so new to me. We bought some biscuits today and I didn't know what he could have and got quite stressed!

[TodaysAGoodDay]

My Ds (6) also has a rucksack for epipens, cream and inhaler. You just get used to it. If you're going nut-free, watch out for things like ground nut oil, coconut, marzipan etc, that many people don't automatically think of. His school will need 2 epipens if you can get them, as they can occasionally fail. Good luck with getting answers, it seems scary at first, but you soon get used to it.

[tinytalker]

I have a badge that can go on any bag that says "Epipen Inside" which could help locating it in the panic of an emergency. web search alwaysreadthelabel.info

[trixymalixy]

Yes, avoid all nuts. Allergic reactions don't happen the first time you are exposed to the allergen. They happen either at the second or later exposures. My DS had had humous many many times before ending up in A&E with a reaction.

I have a clear zip bag that I put DS's piriton, epipen and inhalers in. It stays in his school bag and we take his school bag everywhere with us. We also have a second set in a kitchen cupboard and school have a set in a plastic labelled tub with his allergy and asthma protocols.

[cindersinsuburbia]

My OH has wheat based Exercise induced anaphylaxis (or something to that effect!) basically he now cant have any wheat in his diet.

He was very much like your son, the first attack came out of nowhere and it wasn't until his 3rd attack that the tests happened.

Best thing to do is keep a food diary - it might give you some clues

[trish5000]

Blanket ban on all nuts, yes, including pine nuts.
You will quickly learn to read labels. Personally my sons can eat anything that says "may contain nut traces", though I understand from mumsnet, that not all children and adults are like this.

My children,too, yes, came totally out of the blue.

I would say be especially careful of icecream and party situations where your guard may be more down.

[stella69x]

DS's best friend has clear lunchbox with 2 epipens and piriton plus guidance leaflets that go everywhere with him in a ruck sack.

[chloesmumtoo]

We have to avoid all nut trace warnings our dd is mildly allergic to other nuts but anaphylactic to peanuts. You can get a nut contamination free list from united biscuits //www.unitedbiscuits.com (click on consumer care and then special diets). You can also get a list from //www.nestle.co.uk We have purchased items from //www.alwaysreadthelabel.info/page2.htm
like carry pouches and even a little medicine bottle (for a small amount of piriton)-brilliant idea as it doesn't have a child safty cap, so its ideal for my daughter, now older when going out with friends. We also have the badge which states 'epipen inside'
When younger I always carried her medical items in my hand bag, so we never went anywhere without it. School had a separate medical kit always kept there. I have to admit any parties and I went too! For a long time. She always took her own food to save any confusion because other people do not always understand. I have even been told by another parent that their birthday cake was safe when it clearly had a nut warning, be very cautious of people. My dd now has a medic alert necklace which is bril and means I have been able to let her go more but she is now at secondary school!

[freefrommum]

We let DS choose his own bag to carry his medication in. It's a Ben 10 thermal lunch bag (the kind they take to school) as this helps to keep his epi-pens the right temperature. We stuck a big sticker on the front stating what and who the bag was for plus emergency contact details. We keep it by the front door and encourage him to remind us to take it everywhere we go so that he is used to remembering it as much as us. School and childminder also have a medical kit too.

It is advisable to avoid all nuts because there is often a lot of cross-contamination in the production process for example walnuts may be processed in the same machine as peanuts etc. Plus of course you need to be sure which nuts he's allergic to.

[spababe]

we use a minibag from YellowCross as it is more obvious it is a medical bag. My son is allergic to sesame so you might want to watch out for seeds as well as nuts. It's a hard thing to get your head round at first. One piece of advice I was given was not to eat the foods myself because I could affect my son when I gave him a kiss. We have decided not to have sesame in the house ie no houmous or tahini. Harder I know with nuts but my son did react to a 'may contain traces of' product. It's your choice really.
I also find it better to make my own bread cakes biscuits etc as then I know exactly what as gone into them. This was esp the case after DS reacted to a cake made by another mum when I had gone through the ingredients with her. Not a bad reaction 'just' covered in hives.
The allergy Uk and anaphalyis uk websites are very helpful