Flying and holidaying abroad with DD with multiple allergies. Help Please.

[mumat39]

DP wants us to go on holiday and fly. I'm scared of the thought of DD reacting to something on a flight. SHe has multiple food allergies to wheat, eggs, peanuts, treenuts, legumes (peas, lentils, mung beans, chick peas, kidney beans so we avoid all of them), sesame, rapeseed oil and oats. I think she's also funny with garlic and celery and leeks but these haven't been tested. She is also allergic to cats and pollen. Due to bad experiences with cross contamination we have separate pots, pans, utensils etc.

Last year we were at my cousin's house and as soon as she opened a jar of pasta sauce and started to heat it up, DD started to cough and it wouldn't clear. I had just started to feed her at the same time and my cousin does have foods in the house like bombay mix that contains peanuts so I'm not sure if DD's cough was the heating up of a shop bought sauce or if it was a trace of a nut or goodness knows what. As she kept coughing I took her into our car and within a few minutes, her cough seemed to calm down. I decided to leave and get her home. Her coughing continued and by the time we got home, she seemed to be wheezing. When we got home and the cough had calmed down I asked her if she could describe it and she said it was like a crab. When I asked what she meant she said it was 'pinchy'. She seemed to wheeze all night and it only really went the next afternoon. I took her to the GP in the morning and he said it did sound like an allergic reaction and to keep giving her antihistamine through the summer as her 'tubes are probably twitching'. Since that episode, if she has a cold, or a cough or a reaction she seems to wheeze but she hasn't been given any asthma meds.

Anyway, if we flew I'm worried about her reaction to an airborne allergen in the plane. I haven't flown since DD was very young but remember the food smells being quite strong on some flights. I am convinced that her reaction that day was to the string smelling pasta sauce, so am worried that she could react to food smells on a flight.

Last year we drove from London to the South of France. We did it overnight and in one stint but it was very hard work. DP says he would do it again but with a stopover. If we had to stop over somewhere, I would have to worry about what to feed my kids, as well as unloading our car and roof box just for one night. I took all our pots, pans, utensils, toasted etc with me last time as I don't trust my own other pans let alone whatever we might find in a self carering place. ALso, is it possible to get self catering accomodation for 1 night?

I would love to go and have a lovely holiday somewhere but I can't get my head around flying even though I know lots of people in our situation do this.

Can anyone help me with this?

ALso, can anyone recommend anywhere where they went where you stayed in Self catering accomodation but on a Hotel resort where we could order in meals for me and DP? I'd have to cook for DC's but not sure about supplies whereever we end up at, ifswim?

When we went to france, I took 14 meals worth of frozen food in a colemans coolbox which is supposed to keep things frozen for 5 days. That was brilliant as I only needed to worry about making rice or pasta everyday while we were there. This probably wouldn't work on a flight.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Many Thanks in advance.

Gosh, that sounds really tough on you.

Just a couple of points about an overnight stopover in France... if you found some kind of B and B that is in a safe area (say semi-rural) with off-street parking, maybe you could avoid unloading the whole car and roof box and just take an easily accessible box with the stuff you'll need overnight?

As for self-catering for one night, I think that is pretty hard to find but last year we needed to stop overnight and found a B and B which allowed you to use their kitchen so we were able to have an evening meal there. We took most of it already prepared and just cooked some steak I think. Obviously breakfast may still be an issue but you could either just bring your own food for DD or if you are really worried one of you could stay in the room with her while the others have their breakfast (and just bring easy snack food for her to eat in the room).

Unfortunately any holiday with an allergic child has an element of risk but I guess you need to work out how best to minimise that risk and find some way of going on holiday which allows you to feel safe - otherwise it's really not a holiday!

If you have a rough idea where you want to stop let me know and I'll have a look for you regarding self-cateringish accommodation - I speak French and used to live in France so it makes it a bit easier :)

Hi we've just come back from a week in fuerteventura with our dcs. DS has multiple food allergies however his reactions fortunately don't involve breathing difficulties. This is the great advice I got about flying www.mumsnet.com/Talk/allergies/1385581-Flying-with-food-allergic-1-yo-tips-and-advice-please
I had all the letters (GP, consultant, dietician, copies of emails from airport re. security, copies from flight company re. food on board) nobody asked to look at one of them, we were lucky and I think it helped that DS is still young.
I stuck to simple food canned meat, canned sweetcorn, potted meat, bread, crisps, cereal, fruit and it all went smoothly.

We stayed at the barcelo Castillo in calleta de fuste which is self-catering on a hotel complex and you can also have other levels of board but there are loads of cafes and restaurants many doing takeaway. The biggest advantage was that at the large shopping centre Atlantico (5 mins in taxi or a lovely walk down the promenade) there is a large spar that has a coeliac (sp?) section which even had the Dr Schar bread (Dietary specials here) so egg free and wheat free. Not that I needed any as my case was stuffed full with food for DS! Also, for the basics there are loads of supermarkets in resort as it is a mainly self catering resort.

The other thing that I found helpful was this www.food-info.net/

Watching this thread with interest, as we're planning to take a flight to Spain (my homeland!) later this year and I'm already worrying.
But mumat39, I don't want to add to your stress at all, but I'm surprised that your DD hasn't been prescribed any anti-asthma medication considering the wheezing and coughing. DS is too young to be diagnosed with asthma as such, but takes montelukast every evening as an asthma preventer following several colds/coughs where he needed lots of puffs from his blue inhaler, a history of night coughing and several allergic reactions involving wheezing. Our consultant said it was very important to keep the 'asthma' under control because of his allergies. Sorry to butt in like this and go off the subject, but has this been considered in your DD's case?

Sorry, I really regret writing that. Sounds so preachy and have just read another thread where you mention wheezing and clearly you've already gone down that route and had it investigated. Please ignore my previous post!

Hi Garliclover. You don't sound preachy at all. The wheezing is a concern, esp if it happened mid flight as I wouldn't be able to take DD out of the environment. I appreciate your concern and experience of this so please don't feel bad. :)

The wheezing is a worry and I'm starting to dread hayfever season as it always makes DD more sensitive. I've always worried that she will get asthma as she started with allergies, the at 2 started getting hayfever and last year the wheezing started. She's 4 and a half and the GP got her to blow into the puff thing and she measured 120 and for her age and height and weight she shoild have been 140. He said it's not too bad but it's a difficult test for younger kids to get right so he said we should keep an eye on it. The numbers don't really mean anything to me.

Anyway thanks again and it must be lovely to be going 'home' for a holiday. Do you know who you'll be flying with yet?

Sorry to stick my oar in too but there is a strong link between poorly managed asthma and a worsening of allergic reactions so if there is any question about an allergic child possibly having asthma then they really should be prescribed a preventer. My DS has Clenil 50 which is a very low dose preventer but has made a real difference to his wheezing & his allergies. We also regularly fly to Spain despite his allergies but we r lucky enough to have our own house over there. I take a lot of food & Meds with us but also know 2here I can buy stuff over there. Always take letter from consultant & many airlines will let u board first so u can wipe down seat, table etc & cover seat with your own sheet/blanket if u explain beforehand.

Thanks Freefrommum. Honestly, I don't see it as you sticking your oar in. :)

I guess what both you and garliclover have highlighted to me is that I need to see our GP about this. I knew that with Asthma and allergies, things need to be managed differently. The thing is, I've mentioned this to both the GP and DD's allergist and they both have said to see how it goes.

Do you know if it is likely that DD's cough last year was due to the jar of pasta sauce that was being heated up? I think it probably was but again when I mentioned this to our GP he sort of just ignored that. If it is possible to react to cooking odours then maybe a flight isn't the best idea for DD at the moment as there will be all sorts of things in the foods being heated up and served.

Thanks again

Hello, I have a daughter with allergies to peanuts and shellfish. We've just been on holiday to Florida and I was really anxious about the flight, but spoke to a lovely lady at the Anaphylaxis Campaign www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/ who completely put me at ease. I would suggest you speak to them there and express your worries - I don't think you need to be a member or anything to talk to them.

We had a very successfull, reation free 3 weeks and I actually got to relax! Of course all of our situations are completely different, so I would definitely try and speak to someone who knows what they are talking about. I hope you get the reassurance you need x

You sound so worried and stressed totally under standably. Do you really have to fly somewhere? Does your DH realise how worried you are? You seem to be taking on all the responsibility for your DD which seems unfair. If I were you I'd talk to DH and say I really do not yet feel ok about flying and let's consider other holiday options.

Sorry, I know that's not what you're asking but I feel for you reading your posts.

Lilpickle08, thank you. That sounds like a good idea. It's great to hear that you had such a good time in Florida and no reactions - YAY! Thanks for replying.

Jasminerice. Thank you. You're right, I do deal with everything to do with DD's allergies. Not very confidently though. I tend to have to think about all possible eventualities in any given situation and then prepare myself for any possible outcome. DP is very laid back and just says he would do things differently. He says that we just have to get on and that it's just tough for DD. I remember when she was about 14 months old and we went for a walk. DP wanted an icecream and had one. I didn't as I felt a bit mean eating something like that when DD couldn't join in. It was a hot day and everyone around us were eating them. When DP asked my why I didn't want one, he just said well she can't so it's tough. I was horrified that he would have this view for such a young child. Now though as she is 4.5 and will be starting full time school, I'm think it would be good for her to be exposed to the fact that there will be lots of things she can't have that everyone else can have. SHe does know and I think does accept it but I still feel like not making her feel any more excluded than she already is so I still don't eat in front of her as I feel awful for her. SO maybe I do need to do things differently. But maybe DP could be more alot more supportive. My sister puts it down to the fact that he's a bloke therefore like that and can't help being just a bit selfish. But maybe I am a bit of a pain too.

Thanks for your kind words.

Hi mumat39, I have been reading all your threads! I hope you are finding this borad is helping you, you have so much going on with the nursery too. Really feel for you.

I was just a but worried when I read your first post on this thread, because your dd was having an anaphylactic reaction at your cousins house. Please read your allergy symptoms management plan, a sudden persistent cough is a sign of anaphylaxis and requires an epipen/equivalent. Same with sudden onset wheezing. Your dd also clearly described symptoms of her airways being inflamed and narrowed, all symptoms of anaphylaxis. Your GP and allergy specialist should really have explained this to you, so I'm quite worried you're not getting the appropriate support. I hope you don't mind me asking but where is your allergy specialist based and who is he? Have you thought about being referred to somebody else? I only say this because the first allergy specialist we saw with our dd didn't take things very seriously, and we now see a different consultant who is so on the ball and really supportive and helpful. Let's just see how things go is a bit of a scary attitude IMO. Freefrom and garliclover are right, your dd should definitely be on a preventer.

Also make your DP go to some of the appointments. Hopefully it will help him see how much of a huge burden it is on you. The planning and worry with multiple allergies is exhausting, emotionally and physically.