Food allergies and holidays

[Yellow85]

I wondered if anyone on here had any advice/guidance on travelling with a child with a foot allergy (nuts) and what we might need to do in advance or carry with us.

From research I think we will need a GP letter to take medication though security, we’re flying Jet2 so I also need to pre warn them of the allergies too. We’ve already got food travel insurance…anything else??

Food 🙈 not foot. Surely no one is allergic to feet 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not sure where you're going to but you can translate that you have an allergy to nuts and print it onto cards.

I've flown a lot with my anaphylactic dd and I've never found an airline that gave a hoot.

Over the years I've learnt that it's up to you and then later up to your child to look after the allergy situation. There is too much room for misunderstanding or error otherwise.

I've always taken food for her to eat on the flight. When we fly between Australia the uk I freeze those yogurt pouches to keep things cold although they have to still be frozen to get them through security otherwise the scanner picks them up. Short haul you can just take a packed lunch or get the meal and don't give her anything that is a concern.

Take baby wipes to clean the table etc.

I just take her anaphylaxis plan rather than a GP letter although I have had to take a letter when we went through Dubai as they have very specific rules. I decant her antihistamine syrup into small bottles for the flights and put the ordinary one in the hold.

It's a good idea about taking your own food Bill.

On the last flight I took I'd asked for a dairy free meal. The meal was potatoes with beef casserole which contained milk so they just gave me the potatoes and no pudding.

Thanks all. We’re only going to the canaries so not taking a meal on the flight. We’re not sure yet if his allergy is airborne or how they even know that as we’ve only recently found out.

Sorry I should have put the link in earlier, the translation cards are here

We've been to the Canaries several times with multiple allergies for DD & myself -although not nuts. If travelling on a package eg TUI inform them & ask not to serve nuts on the flight, they have greater responsibility for you if it's a package. If your own flight booking also inform airline.

We always bring food. If you think travel time to airport, 2 hour wait, possible delays, 4 hour flight, transfer to hotel it's actually a long time. I have an extra flight bag for food & our medications - tablets & epipens in original packaging & as mentioned decant a little liquid antihistamine into a small bottle (my pharmacist gave me one). I also bring much more medication than needed for our stay, just in case of any delays.

Inform anyone sitting next to, across, in front & behind about your sons allergy & ask them not to OPEN anything containing nuts just in case. No-one wants to be responsible for causing a big reaction.

In our experience hotels are brilliant at trying to manage allergies, speak with a manager when you arrive & email in advance. Also speak with the Head Chef so you're absolutely sure what foods are safe. They've even cooked stuff for us specially in the kitchen & bought food in they don't normally stock to accommodate. I've also gotten them to put together a picnic for our return journey.

When eating out be very very specific & although English is very widely spoken at a high level I agree a translation card is a good failsafe. Double check with the server when your food arrives at the table - mistakes do happen (I've had it twice but only in the UK!).

Enjoy!

@BrainFoggerty wow thanks for all the info!! I’ve managed to get translation cards already, unfortunately my DS isn’t seeing consultant for 2 years!!! Had the bloods done privately in the end. So we have the liquid meds at the moment, going to speak to our GP about possibility of epipen for travelling. Happy to pay for it. I think we may have some difficulty though as I heard GPS can’t prescribe them?

Did whomever you saw privately not issue a prescription or write to your GP to prescribe one? If not I'd go back to them as you definitely need to carry two & usually you'd be given training on how & when to use them.
If talking to your GP don't take no for an answer, if they refuse ask them on what basis given you have confirmation of a nut allergy.
Also, why a 2 year wait? Has he actually experienced a reaction to nuts? you should be seen much much faster

Yes he did, back in October. The nhs haven’t seen him yet, so we went private, then the nhs offered us an appointment for bloods! The nhs consultant was quite rude and was going on about how the continuity of care will be difficult so we opted to have the results sent to nhs consultant rather have a follow up with private one. We did so thinking he’d have a follow up to discuss result but nope! We already have liquid antihistamine which I’m ok with on a day to day basis, but I’d feel much more comfortable having Epi for holiday.

The Nhs system is so broken for paediatric. Currently trying to get a Gastro referral for DD who's only been I'll for months & only able to eat bread & egg for 3.5 weeks & still feels awful. Prepping my argument against their expected continued inaction for our review next week.
I'd be pinning someone down to take responsibility, If you have a confirmed blood test, unless it's a unrecognised York test or similar, then an epi MUST be prescribed. Stand up for your DS, if you don't they'll let it slide. Polite but firm & always question Why they make that decision. Or better still what do they think will happen if he's exposed. Infuriates me.

It’s been really shocking. The attitude of the nhs consultant has been really frustrating too. It was like we had done something wrong going private. Then they seemed to make it really difficult for us after that.

It’s the same nhs full nuts and seeds work up we had, privately done by the nhs consultants colleague actually. Which I would thought would have made it easier.

I will push for an epi. When we seen private consultant they were saying nhs only prescribe epi for rural folk, anxiety reasons and things like that. I just find it shocking we aren’t having any face to face. Just a diagnosis and a bottle of antihistamine(1 bottle - I had to buy the rest) and off we go not to eat nuts

Update * our very helpful Gp has prescribed epi today! I was all ready for a fight but they had absolutely no issues at all. Even arranged an epi trainer to be delivered too

Sorry to jump on this thread - but my son also has multiple allergies - dairy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds - does anyone know if we are allowed to take food with us in to the EU from the uk now that the rules have changed due to Brexit?