Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Allergies and intolerances

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

Taking allergic children abroad

18 replies

Sushicat · 18/04/2004 22:19

We are about to go abroad for the first time with ds and I'm having nightmares just trying to work out what to do about feeding him. Ds is severely allergic to dairy and eggs with milder allergies to fish, tomatoes, citrus fruit and strawberries. Has anyone got any suggestions and tips? Thanks v much.

OP posts:

mummytojames · 18/04/2004 22:22

if you know the hotel your staying at or the company your going through ask them what provisions they put up for allergys and if going sc just give them the same as you would give them at home

toddlerbob · 19/04/2004 01:31

Where are you going Sushicat? Maybe some mumsnetters live there are can give you specific advice.

toddlerbob · 19/04/2004 03:09

"and" even.

robinw · 19/04/2004 07:27

message withdrawn

Original poster

Sushicat · 19/04/2004 10:48

That's great - thanks. We are going to a villa in Tenerife so am planning to get basic food (chicken, veg etc) and take some stuff with me. The cards are a really good idea - I will have a word with the anaphylaxis campaign.

If there are any Mumsnetters in Tenerife do let me know if you have any suggestions. If we do go out, I will just take our food with me, I think. Will look at the insurance thread too.

Thanks again. Sushicat

OP posts:

cocococo · 20/04/2004 00:25

Hi Sushi
Check out the thread about insurance on here too. We took DS (allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts)to Florida for a week very successfuly, it was lovely to go away as a family and everyone was really helpful re his allergies and we even managed to eat out in a restaurant every night with no problem! I took a whole rucksack full of food with me, went to the supermarket as soon as we arrived and I have to say ended up taking and buying too much stuff as we managed fine in restaurants. I'd take much less next time but the most important things I had with me were: treatment plan from consultant to be handed to hospital incase of an anaphylactic reaction, letter of authority from consultant saying DS should not be seperated from his epipens on flight (we were flying to US and I was concerned about increased security measures,repeat perscriptions for epipens and wysoy to prove validity of taking these on board and also if we had a bag lost or stolen.
Best of all cartons of those little dairy free milkshakes in stawberry/chocolate flavour, DS loves them!
Have a great holiday!

Original poster

Sushicat · 23/04/2004 12:52

Thanks cocococo that is really encouraging. I haven't come across the dairy free milkshakes - they sound great. Where can you get them?
Talking of dairy free things, I found the Pure website the other day and it has loads of great recipes, including one for an amazing chocolate cake (dairy and egg free).

Am sure we will have a great holiday - and we have to start somewhere with taking him out of my comfort zone.

Thanks again to everyone.

OP posts:

talmum · 28/04/2004 16:39

Hi Sushicat
We took our milk and egg allergic daughter to Portugal last year - it really couldn't have been easier. The airline sorted out vegan child meals for us. We've joined Allergy UK (who are quite a good source of recipes as well) and through them bought cards that said (in Portuguese and English) things along the lines of "my child is allergic to dairy and egg - can you provide food for us" which we used in restaurants. We found everyone really kind and helpful and prepared to cook special meals for her. The biggest problem we had was finding bread - we eventually found a supermarket that sold Kingsmill and Hovis - but might be worth taking some.

Have a good time

cocococo · 28/04/2004 22:36

hi Sushicat
Glad to be of assistance! The dairy free milkshakes are unchilled and I found them with the longlife milk in Sainsburys. I've also bought them in Holland & Barratt too. They are called OY (yes I know!) it's sOYa actually I think. They sell them in packs of 3 with their own straw in strawberry or chocolate flavour and they taste really nice! I also bought more out in America in the health food section of the local supermarket.
Good luck and have a very happy holiday - with a bit of planning you'll have a fabulous time.

Original poster

Sushicat · 30/04/2004 15:52

Thanks cocococo and talmum - we're off tomorrow and I'm actually looking forward to it. I've had pnd and am getting better now but one of my self-appointed resolutions is to take ds out and tackle my fears about his food/allergies etc head on. I think this holiday will really help with that. I've got things prepared from my end so that I have basics if I need them and the airline have agreed to make him an allergy-specific meal too so it's really positive.

Thanks again - will let you know if I have any tips on my return!

Sushicat

OP posts:

charlieplus3 · 30/04/2004 15:56

Hiya, My 7 months ds cannot have dairy, gluten or soya. Would you mind posting up the pure website address as i might find it useful. Also going aboad in July and am dreading trying to feed him, its bad enough finding stuff at home

Original poster

Sushicat · 30/04/2004 16:50

Hi Charlieplus3

The website is purespreads.com - it is quite well laid out and I've tried a couple of the recipes and they seem to work well. Hope it's helpful.

Ds is on nutramigen and I have some recipe cards produced by Mead Johnson (meadjohnson.com), the makers, for use with nutramigen. Luckily ds thinks nutramigen is the best thing in the world so cooking with it isn't a problem - only you can't reheat it so it means cooking fresh each time.

It does get easier as they get older (nearer 1 year) - ds eats lots of casseroles, shepherds pie, jacket pots and veg etc and I'm finding more and more dairy-etc free alternatives (latest is dairy-free mayo made by granovita - called mayola. It's great and v good for cooking!). With dairy, gluten and soya ruled out I do sympathise - I remind myself that it cuts out lots of processed foods which is a good thing really.

Hope the website helps! I've found the support and suggestions from the others on this site invaluable too.

Sushicat

OP posts:

cab · 30/04/2004 17:19

Sushicat, I know someone's already mentioned epipens, but don't forget piriton syrup too for less severe reactions.
My wee one's allergic to eggs (not severe) and haven't tried her yet (at 3.5yrs) on fish as I'm a hospital case if I eat it by mistake. Always take piriton with me but never had to use it. Staying at the villa you'll be able to buy most of your own stuff and take wee containers for ds's food when eating out if you're worried.
(Also get someone to check your allergy statement card - I went around Spain one trip telling waiters I was allergic to eggs and fish. Got some very strange looks. Wasn't until later discovered I'd been saying I was allergic to eggs and fishermen!) Have a great holiday and don't forget your dictionary for supermarket shopping - or do they all speak English in Tenerife?

Original poster

Sushicat · 06/05/2004 13:55

Just to let you know we had a great time and all went well. One bizarre allergic reaction (no idea what caused it) but piriton and calpol saved the day! I took bits of food with me and asked my brother-in-law (a Tenerifian resident!) to buy other bits that I could trust and we had no problems with feeding ds. The airline thought I was mad declaring the epipen, but better safe than sorry.

Thanks again to everyone for all the suggestions and advice.

OP posts:

robinw · 07/05/2004 06:00

message withdrawn

tr · 14/11/2004 09:42

Im taking my nut alllergic daughter age 9 to florida on a virgin atlantic flight. they will give her a nut free meal and only serve nuts in first class( we are economy) but i am so worried about the 9 hour flight. i have epipens etc but could someone reassure me atall? has anyone ever experienced problems on a flight like this? would love to hear .

JJ · 14/11/2004 17:44

tr, my son (nearly 7 yo) is allergic to peanuts and had anaphylactic reactions to milk when he was little (grew out of it age 5). We've flown with him on overseas flights since he was 2, as we're American expats in the UK. We've never had an incident -- not even a minor one.

In October we flew to the US from Switzerland, they (Swiss) were selling peanuts on the airplane! ARGH! But he was still fine.

Hope that reassures you a little. We always flew BA, but I've heard good things about Virgin, also.

tr · 10/01/2005 11:11

well, we are back from florida. virgin very understanding on the phone b4 flight. my dd did get a nut free main meal but they couldnt vouch for anything else on her plate!! on the return flight they served everyone with toblerones! the stewardess put a message out asking eveyone not to eat them! i know there is a total lack of understanding about nut allergies so , i suppose they did their best.i declared the epipens at both airports but they didnt seem that bothered.

Flip