Should I see the doctor about this reaction or try a larger amount of peanut butter?

[HonorMatopoeia]

Dd1 had a bad time with exzema (I can never spell it properly!) as a baby and I have suffered from various allergies throughout life so during pregnancy was advised to avoid peanuts.
I've been really apprehensive about trying her with peanuts and have left it for ages as she is now 3. I was going to do the Nigella Lawson approach to all this and park in the hospital car park and feed her a peanut butter sandwich. But, today, without thinking (crappy mummy emoticon!) I let her have a nibble on my peanut butter on toast. It was a tiny, tiny part of the crust that she nibbled and there can only have been the weeniest smidge of peanut butter on it.
However, after she'd had it I caught her scratching her tongue and even trying to wipe it with a tissue. She said it was itching.
Now, do I abandon all attempts to try her with peanuts or was it a fluke? Should I bother the doctor and if I do, can I ask for an allergy test just for peanuts or will he laugh me out of the surgery?
Sorry for the waffling and TIA

[AttilaTheAntiHun]

Think you really need to know if this is a real allergy so she can avoid them if it is.

Think the Dr will refer you for a skin test at the Hosp.

(Tis Slouchy BTW, trying out new moniker)

[HonorMatopoeia]

Ahhhhh! Hi slouch (I like it by the way, very witty!)
Yes, I fear it is another set of tests for poor E!

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

I wouldn't feed it to her again to be honest as these reactions can get worse each time a person comes into contact with the trigger.

Speak to your Dr first.

[HonorMatopoeia]

Oh my life, do they? I had no idea .
Ok, the peanut butter is being locked up a cupboard then!
I had foolishly thought that she must have come across them in other foods so let my guard down.

[littlepinkpixie]

See your GP. If she is allergic then chances are a subsequent reaction will be worse.

[misdee]

not your fault

give her some piriton now.

and get GP appointment for referral to allergy clinic

[HonorMatopoeia]

Thanks Misdee
Yes, doctors will be shut now but I will be onto them first thing Monday am. Having to take Dd2 to the skin clinic Monday pm so, all in all, think the next few weeks will be clinic based

[prettymum]

i did something last sunday at a barbecue with nearly 2 yr old ds.

he seems to be alergic to fish and egg as each time ive given it to him he started getting a red rash around his mouth.

well at the barbecue he was getting hugry and we were waiting for the food to be cooked, and not thinking i gave him some peanuts which he started munching on.

around 5 minutes later he started coughing nd started to get a rash around his mouth and eyes which looked swollen too, so i had to quickly rush to sainsburys and get piriton for him. like you i hadnt given him peanuts before but im sure ive given him food befor that might have had nuts in it??

so yes i think its best to go to the doctors and get it checked forst in case of a worse reaction next time, i'm going to take ds next week and hopefuly get him to get an allergy test to be on safe side.

[lackaDAISYcal]

whatever you do don't try giving her more.

When a body encounters something it doesn't like for the first time, it reacts, but will be reasonably mild. At second or subsequent exposures, the antibodies recognise it as something they don't like and will have a much more severe reaction and could go into anaphylactic shock.

I see you've already hidden the PB away thiough.

good luck with the testing and I hope it isn't an allergy.

[HonorMatopoeia]

Prettymum, it does seem to be so easily done. I really think that you let your guard down after a long time too.
Glad your DS is ok and good luck with dr.

[MeMySonAndI]

Well, I think that everything that should be said has been said. Perhaps it will take a long time to get an appointment for the allergy clinic and unfortunately until that happens you will need to be as careful with peanuts as she had had the allergy confirmed. But it is better to err on the side of caution.

DS has had 4 reactions to peanuts, first one was a rash (more like raised spots), last one... well, the peanuts didn't get to his mouth, he placed his hands on a surface that had some peanuts crumbs and that set it off. So... PLEaSE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't experiment with peanuts at home.

[savoycabbage]

Don't do it!

The more exposure they have to peanuts and traces of peanuts the worse the allergy can be and the less likely they are to grow out of it - of which there is only a small chance anyway.

My advice would be to stop giving your dd anything at all with any nut traces until you have had your tests.

[princessmel]

I'd see the doctor and would NOT give her any more PNbutter.

[princessmel]

I'd see the doctor and would NOT give her any more PNbutter.

[JodieG1]

When there are already allergies you should avoid giving peanuts until they are 5. Ds2 has an egg allergy and we saw a consultant about it, it's mild thankfully and he thinks ds2 will outgrow it.

He told me that reactions don't get worse with each exposure and that it's a popular misconception.

Don't give her any more and ask to be referred to an allergy clinic.

[tatt]

Please don't put their life at risk by giving them any more peanut butter. Get a referral for testing and meanwhile carry pirition with you.

Unfortunately good advice on allergies is hard to find. Most consultants are paediatricians with a so called interest in allergy. In practice they don't always seem to be well informed. When we saw one I had to get information from the Anaphylaxis campaign (who get advice from the country's leading allergy specialists not from paediatricians) to educate him about tests.

Peanut allergy is unpredictable. Those who have reactions don't always find they are equally severe although some people certainly do find they get worse with repeated exposure and that they develop other allergies too. Sadly my child is in that group.

Your child might be OK next time but it is at least as likely that they will have a full blown ananphylactic reaction and be perhaps half an hour from death.

If you need confirmation phone the Anaphylaxis Campaign advice line.

[savoycabbage]

I have been to the hospital this week for a peanut and nut allergy test. The consultant was very knowledgeable and thorough, we have been waiting to see him for a while.

Our 4 year old has a grade 1 reaction to peanuts, the least severe. We were told not to give her peanuts (obviously) and also not to give her any foods with peanut traces - despite her allergy not being severe. The reason for this was that the latest studies have shown that children who are exposed to peanut traces in their diet have a 1 in 10 chance of growing out of the allergy whereas those who are not exposed to peanuts have a 4 in 10 chance of growing out of it.

At first I thought that I wasn't going to try not to give her peanut traces as it seems to be is so many things. However once I started trawling through the supermarket and food producers websites I have found that it isn't as bad as I first thought.

[Smithagain]

"He told me that reactions don't get worse with each exposure and that it's a popular misconception."

I don't know what the research is on this, but it is certainly our family's experience that reactions get progressively worse. DH's reaction to nuts has gone from barely detectable to life-threatening, with a pretty steady deterioration.

DON'T experiment with more peanuts.

[MeMySonAndI]

Well, if that advice was true many children would not be prescribed epipens after a first not life-threatening reaction. But, they are because they know next reaction could be fatal.

Who ever said it was a myth is seriously misinformed.

[NooBee]

Don't beat yourself up about it as you didn't know any of this before but just be warned as my story was pretty scary stuff. I have a DS who is allergic to peanuts. Had same reaction as yours the first time - next time (complete accident - didn't know there were nuts in a bread roll) was anaphylactic - could hardly breath. Now he carries an epi-pen and I have been told that he is never to go near nuts again. Sorry to say but it looks like you may have the same problem. Not worth the risk ..... unfortunately peanut allergy is a serious one.

[savoycabbage]

I am still new to all of this peanut business as my dd's diagnosis was only last week. She is 4 and a half and I gave her peanuts when she was one - also doing what Nigella said and she was fine until a few months ago.

Those of you whose children (or husbands) have got worse, were you avoiding just actual peanuts or foods with traces of nuts or stuff that has been made in a factory that also makes food with nuts? It is all so very complicated....I have sent away for info from some of the supermarkets and some manufacturers have good info on their websites. Like organix says that their foods that are labelled 'may contain traces of nuts' are made in a factory that also makes food containing almonds and hazelnuts which my dd can have so she can have organix things

Which is a good job as mother of the year here gave her an organix biscuit ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER THE TEST!

Would appreciate any more information anyone has.

[RUMPEL]

Just enquiring are your allergy prone peanut people also allergic to peas? I have a friend who is as they are the same plant family apparently - just wondered how common that is.

[savoycabbage]

Peanuts are legumes and other nuts are tree nuts and they aren't 'related'.

I THINK but I am not sure (drags mind back to school days many, many years ago) that legumes are seeds that are split into two. So peas could be one. Damn! This is getting worse by the minute!

[ACL]

I can certainly recommend the book The Peanut Allergy Answer Book by Michael C Young MD - all written encouragingly and answers most of my questions!

My 4 yr old daughter has just been diagnosed with peanut allergy after positive skin prick test.

Do you risk eating "may contain traces of nuts" - I thought that this would be OK esp if it says that the product has been made in a nut free factory?! The fab book says to avoid these products in case there is cross contamination from peanut/nut goods which have been made earlier in the factory (I guess this does not include the nut free factories).

We went to Sainsburys today and had a snack at the cafe - the mini muffins had no nut ingredients but they could not be guaranteed to be nut free - I guess this means the factory does make nutty things.

Advice please re use of Epipens and how to carry them with you! I feel I cant leave my handbag unsupervised esp if other children are around. Great tho to have the reassurance. How do you carry Piriton - chemist suggested putting some in a syringe to save carrying a whole bottle around. What do you think?

My daughter now can spot a peanut and when shopping with me, will say when she sees a picture of one. I just hope she does not become phobic or whatever of food. I am trying to be positive about it all whilst trying to learn how to be peanut free!

We have been milk free so here we go again with another allergy way of life. Can certainly recommend www.foodsmatter.com - fab advice and support.

Cheerio
Alison

[desperatehousewifetoo]

In answer to your piriton querie, I have transferrd some into a smaller pill bottle from the chemist. I've clearly labeled it and written dosage on it.

I use a plastic takeaway lidded box to keep his medicine in. This includes his epipen, small bottle piriton, inhaler and emergency contact details as well as when to give each medicine e.g. red eyes, itchy rash= 5ml piriton.

My ds has this box in a ruck sac if he goes to any party or a friends house for tea.

hth