Peanut reaction?

[OnNaturesCourse]

4yo DC was given peanut butter today.

Never had it before and I don't believe there has been peanut exposure before (I know, I know...)

Theu didn't like it and fussed abit about wanting to spit it out but did swallow it. Took a breath or two and forcefully threw it all back up. Maybe five minutes later was sick again bringing up their breakfast this time. Is now saying the sick made their mouth feel "tickley" but is otherwise absolutely fine.

Could this be a very mild reaction? Is sickness a symptom? I was leaning toward the first sickness being because they didn't want to swallow it but after the second lot and now the mouth I am wondering.

Would strongly recommend you ask for allergy testing and avoid peanuts in the meantime. Vomiting can be a symptom of an allergic reaction and many people with peanut allergy have a massive aversion to the taste of peanuts. The saying his mouth felt tickly is also a warning sign - DS was slightly younger when he reacted to peanuts but he was saying “it tickles” and crying.

Until you can have DC tested avoid all peanuts (do not try and build up an immunity by giving him any more) and would strongly advise carrying piriton in case of further accidental exposure.

I will bring it to the attention of GP.

Yes that sounds like how my DD is. She is allergic, if she does accidentally eat peanuts it’s “my mouth is itchy” followed by nausea for a few hours and possibly vomiting, depending on how much she has eaten - but she wouldn’t eat a lot because she can tell the second she puts it in her mouth.

“I know I know”

If you know I don’t understand why you’ve waited so long to expose your DC to nuts. It’s well documented exposing them at a young age (6 months +) reduces the likelihood of an allergy.

Get your child tested. This sounds almost identical to friend’s child who had a reaction at our house - we were peanut free because of toddlers/babies, but he must have found something somewhere. The reaction got stronger as he got older and both his siblings had it too. It meant they all had an EpiPen at home/school.

I don’t understand why you would want to potentially create a nut allergy in your child?

Id have it checked out.
I have a chocolate allergy anything with coco in it i can not eat along with raspberrys tea cheese citrus fruits celery and lots more.

Please get them tested asap and keep them away from all nuts until you do so.

Please see your GP ASAP.
In the mean time, please keep your child away from peanuts. Second time contact could be a significantly worse outcome.

“If you are allergic to nuts, when you first come into contact with nuts your immune system reacts and prepares to fight. However, you don't get any symptoms of a reaction. It is only when you come into contact with nuts for a second time that a full allergic reaction happens.”

https://patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/food-allergy-and-intolerance/nut-allergy

Out of curiosity, why did you not expose your child before now?

Yes this sounds just like my child's first reaction - they have a severe nut allergy (not peanut). Tickly mouth was the first sign, then violent vomiting. To be honest your child's reaction sounds moderate rather than mild to me, if I'm going off my child's allergy action plan advice - as they had two symptoms simultaneously. Definitely get a skin prick test as soon as possible. The NHS will be fairly slow as there's been no anaphylactic reaction yet so I'd advise going the private route for the tests if you can, and then updating your GP. If a severe allergy is confirmed then the NHS route will click in and be quite efficient.

Yes avoid them

Nausea and throwing up in case of allergy is a severe allergic reaction, NOT a mild one. My son has allergies- started as a ticklish mouth, but progressed to throwing up and that’s when we got an EpiPen because it’s classified as a severe reaction.

Also just to add, in our experience our child knows before us if they have eaten something which is about to cause a reaction - what you describe about them causing a fuss about not wanting to eat more/spit it out is very very similar to ours. I've got a lot better at listening to them now!

Few points

DC hasn't been exposed as they simply won't try a lot of foods due to having quite a restricted diet growing up (milk allergy, lactose intolerance) They are very cautious with new foods. Hint why I didn't think much of it when they suddenly wanted to spit it out, this is common here.

I can't go private for a allergy test but will inform GP.

No further reactions since post.

No skin reaction when the peanut butter was applied (as advised)

@OnNaturesCourse yes we were the same. Very picky for years and then began reporting an itchy mouth, so when he said it was making him feel sick I didn't know whether to take it seriously, until he started vomiting violently and wheezing! Paramedics administered an epipen and he was observed in hospital for 6 hours and then we were seen for testing pretty quickly, within a month or so? But I've heard from others that if there's no reported anaphylactic reaction it can take 4-6 months to be tested. I think when you see the GP emphasise that it was a severe reaction, then maybe they can expedite it for you, because having an epipen is obviously very important if it is an allergy.

Yeah OP I would seek support from GP right away.
Im genuinely interested in all the outrage about the child not having been exposed to peanuts at a younger age. Is the accepted official position that they should be to avoid allergies later? Because if so I wasn’t aware.
I don’t think it’s all that unusual that OP’s child hasn’t been exposed before. Most people don’t give babies and young children actual nuts because they are a choking hazard and there aren’t peanuts in a lot of recipes really. Peanut butter isn’t exactly healthy or something all children ‘must’ have tried by a certain age.

I have an allergy to egg when not fully cooked (bizarre I know, but the reaction only happens if the yolk is runny - ie poached, fried, dippy) and uncooked, fresh tomatoes and my mouth feels 'tickly' after I've consumed either. I then have tummy issues, but not necessarily vomiting 🤢

Definitely get it checked out.

Exposing them to nuts at a young age isnt 'creating an allergy'. They're either going to be allergic or they're not, but giving them tiny amounts can reduce the reaction.
As PP said its better to expose them at a younger age as it reduces the risk of an allergy, not creating one. This is a very well known fact. Waiting until they're older means they're likely to have a more severe reaction.

The advice I got was exposure was best done early and in a controlled environment as it would likely be a lesser reaction.

I have a 7m old too who happily eats everything and has tried peanut butter but I swear it taken me 4yrs to even get the spoon near my older child.

@Emmz1510 research now shows that continued allergen exposure from a young age (6+ months) reduces the risk of developing an allergy and NHS advice now reflects this. There are many good brands of smooth nut butters which are pretty healthy!

My friend's son reacted in the same way the first time , at a restaurant, ate some sort of nut on a dessert and vomited everywhere, rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a tree nut allergy.

Yes. My Ds is allergic to peanuts.
His last test he was given peanut to trial in hospital and he projectile vomited the 1/4 peanut up everywhere then slept for hours.
They cancelled trial and classified it as a grade 4 reaction ( ie high)

Giving early made no difference. I gave peanut butter at 7months and he ended up in hospital with rash, and swollen throat. And they told me off for given a baby peanut butter.. can’t win

Hes had EpiPens since the first reaction at 7months. Only consumed since at hospital and reacted

That's odd as I was told by paediatric dietitian to give exposure as soon as possible after they flapped that my, then just turned 6m old, child hadnt been given nuts

@Caspianberg was the vomit pretty quick after?

@OnNaturesCourse - Hard to say, it was about 90mins after first dose. But it was super small doses. 9am dose was a crumb on lips, increasing every 20 mins. He had 1/4 peanut around 10.20am and started projectile vomit, fast heart rate by 10.30am. That was in hospital controlled environment

First reaction as baby at home he didn’t vomit, face swelled and rash within about 3mins