Peanut allergy, what was your DC's initial reaction?

[RumNoRaisins]

DS has developed a peanut allergy to add to the list of egg and milk. He had hives with peanut butter. Just when I think I can cope with his allergies the world tilts on its axis again. My biggest fear now is that he will develop anaphylaxis on repeat exposure.

If your DCs have a peanut allergy, did it start as anaphylaxis or was it a case of reactions getting more severe with time? He will be in childcare soon and I am terrified of entrusting his care to others.

Hiya

I understand your fears, I had the same. My daughter was dairy and egg allergic and we recently found out about the peanut. I was devastated to be honest. What we have found out is that peanut reactions are very unpredictable - you might have a mild reaction to begin with, then a serious (anaphylactic) reaction, and then a mild reaction again. So you need to be prepared.

Some children go years and years without a serious reaction thankfully. I've heard of some children going 10 years without one, but then on the flip side, some children do have a few serious reactions a year.

I think you just need to be prepared for anaphylaxis though just in case. Do you have epi-pens prescribed? If your childcare provider is trained up to use one, then that's reassuring. Make sure that 2 epi-pens are provided for them.

We thought our little girl was growing out of her allergies and then we had to deal with the peanut thing, so I know exactly how you're feeling. All you can do is be prepared, glean as much information as possible, and educate everyone around you. The good thing is that there are lots of studies underway, and certainly the desensitisation programmes that are running are very promising.

Hope you're ok, I know it's a worrying time, but you'll feel better as time passes I promise!

Thanks for replying. He already has an epipen though we have never (and hopefully will never) used it. The nursery seems confident they will manage his allergies and they have prior experience with milk and egg but I haven't asked about peanuts. I was hopeful that he will outgrow his allergies to milk and egg, now I'm not so sure. The bloody list just keeps growing!

My dd (2yo) was diagnosed with a peanut allergy last year. Her reactions have been rash, hives and facial swelling but to tiny amounts. For example, once she reacted because she ate something out of a pot that had been washed up with a sponge that had also been used to wash up satay sauce covered saucepan.

To be honest, initially it freaked me out, but it's actually been fine. Things are generally very well labelled. Initially we did absolutely no nuts because there was also a concern that she might be allergic to other nuts as well. However, now we know for sure that she is only allergic to peanuts we were advised that it's OK for us to give her other nuts (although to not let anyone else give her nuts.) This is made life a whole lot easier. I still carry piriton and epi-pens everywhere, I still check all food ingredients, especially cake and biscuits etc, but it is generally pretty manageable. On the consultants advice, (Addenbrookes) I let her have traces of nuts. This also makes life a lot easier.

The consultant told me that reactions do not get worse with each exposure. It is more to do with how much of the allergen the child eats. However, in your case I would just scrupulously avoid all peanuts and be prepared for possible ingestion and possible anaphylaxis. In fact, I would avoid all nuts for the moment until you get to have proper allergy testing done and then I would ask them to check for all nuts.

Neolara can I ask if you give your dd whole nuts or just 'may contain' or 'traces' of nuts? My dd is peanut allergic but not tree nut allergic (yet). The first consultant told me to carry on giving her tree nuts, the other consultant told me to avoid giving her any nuts at all! (confusing!).

She has 'may contains' but I wouldn't give her my cereal that has hazelnuts in it for example... Curious to know what Addenbrookes say...

When dd was 3,I bit the nut from a Walnut Whip completely,and let her break the chocolate top to get to the fondant. No nut insight. She went into full shock and blue lighted to A&E. Never have I been so scared.

She is allergic to Walnuts' and Pecan Nuts' and carries an Epipen. She is 13 now,and never gone into shock since. She pushes her luck and will start sneaking peanut M&Ms from her niece...but gets' an itchy mouth and stops. Bueno chocolate also gives her an itchy mouth. She knows the rules',she reads every packet and refuses things she is unsure of...she just rebels sometimes

Just wanted to clarify that despite what society would have us believe, a peanut allergy is no better or worse than other food allergy so there's just as much risk of anaphylaxis with peanuts as there is with milk, egg, wheat etc. What I'm trying to say is, as upsetting as it is to add another food to the list of allergies, there's no need to think that there's a much greater risk of anaphylaxis than before iyswim. And tbh, peanuts are in far fewer foods than milk and egg.

Thanks everyone. I know it is easier to exclude peanuts than it is dairy and egg from his diet, and am not that worried about how to feed him. We almost always cook from scratch at home anyway. It is more the risk of future reactions being severe that scare me. Will need to push for another allergy referral. He wasn't being followed up with the milk and egg because there isn't anymore funding for it

The allergy board is fantastic, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all your replies. Not just the understanding shown but the practical advice as well.

There isn't anyone else in the family with food allergies so reactions have ranged from calm acceptance to veiled accusations that I am just being neurotic and depriving my son good sources of protein. The matter of fact manner of the posters on this board is just what I need.