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Original poster

Was there anyone who was allergic to nuts when you were at school

52 replies

Reallytired · 06/10/2008 21:53

30 years ago were there children with epipens and major nut allergies? Or even 15 years ago.

Yet my son's school has three kids out of 500 with epipens. I know because my son's school holds its after school club in the dining room. There are pictures of the three children on the walls warning dinner ladies that these particular children have serious allergies and where to find their epipen.

I just wonder why. Did all the children with major allergies die before school age? Why the increase in number of children with life threating allergies? Is it pollution? Changes of diet/ weaning habits? Or were kids just made tougher 30 years ago.

Or is my son's school just very lax about confidentality.

OP posts:
strawberrycornetto · 07/10/2008 22:53

I am 34 and have known I am allergic to brazil nuts since my teens. Someone at my brother's school died after eating a tracker bar. But I do think that allergies are becoming more common...

DraculaNeedsArteries · 07/10/2008 23:03

I don't recal anyone with a nut allergy.

I did know someone with a severe egg allergy though.

To reflect what OP said though.

In our school (with about 360 children) there is a poster with about 6-8 children on.

About half are severe allergy suffers. about half are diabetic. Diabetes is another thing which I don't recall knowing anyone with at school.

TheOldestCat · 07/10/2008 23:13

Like Weezle, I thought I was the only one!

I'm 32 and am allergic to tree nuts (ie not peanuts); had my first reaction to a biscuit as a toddler and my reactions steadily got worse, culminating in anaphylactic shock when I was 18.

There's certainly more awareness these days. When I was a child, my grandmother baked a cake with chocolate containing nuts 'to prove it was all in your head'. Luckily I spotted the chocolate wrapper before eating any of it!

MrsBates · 07/10/2008 23:18

My brother. Allergic to peanuts, eggs and shellfish. And my friend allergic to walnuts (but eats peanuts by the ton). A girl at uni died after accidentally getting a smidge of peanut on her tongue in a Thai restaurant. But no-one else I knew. Definitely more common now it seems. Children who grow up on farms have fewer allergies apparently - maybe more mud needed?!

Smithagain · 08/10/2008 08:45

Dracula - my best friend in primary school had diabetes. She was tremendously exotic because she had to stab her finger every lunch hour to take a blood sugar test. And she did it in the classroom, with no adult supervision. Sometimes she tested ours, too, just for a laugh.

Just think what the health and safety police would make of that now!

dilemma456 · 08/10/2008 11:09

Message withdrawn

Fadge · 08/10/2008 11:12

Aye there was one lad with some kind of an allergy in my primary school but I am not sure of what it actualy was now, just have dim memories of him being carted off on occasion and everyone fussing round him and him haivng to take lunch in the staffroom poor sod

stleger · 08/10/2008 11:30

I have three kids, 17, 15 and 11. The primary school has 180 pupil, secondary 850. And I have never had a 'note' about nuts. I knew someone (she is about 45) with a bad reaction to walnuts.

FioFio · 08/10/2008 11:33

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Flossish · 08/10/2008 11:33

yes. me.

Flossish · 08/10/2008 11:37

RE the choking thing - I was sent from one hospital to another following my anaphalactic reaction in the belief that I had choked to go and see an 'expert'. Simply told us it had been anaphylaxis. This was about 18 yrs ago so shows how little knowledge there was of this then.

ClosedForCleaning · 08/10/2008 11:40

I often had peanut butter sandwiches or monkey nuts in my packed lunch. But, I also know a member of my extended family nearly died after someone gave him a toffee containing traces of brazil nut. That would have been early 1970s.

SixSpotBonfire · 08/10/2008 11:42

No. I was the only child I knew with an allergy of any kind (I had very bad hayfever).

lljkk · 08/10/2008 11:42

Kind of Yes at secondary (early 1980s). Bloke with potentially fatal allergy to walnuts. But I didn't know it at the time --- it didn't result in a school policy. Found out by chance at a social occasion when we were both about 21. Easily could have been many others like him (big school).

Our primary school issued a request for no nuts in packed lunches last year -- first/only time I know of that they have said anything.

Winetimeisfinetime · 08/10/2008 11:43

I don't remember anyone with nut allergies { or any other type of allergy tbh } when I was at school in the 60's and 70's and peanut butter was a very popular lunchtime sandwich filler so it wasn't because of lack of contact. No unexplained deaths either. One girl died at my secondary school but was due to TB meningitis.

I feel that something must have caused the increase in allergies of all kinds - maybe increased pollution or the vaccination programme. 'Tis worrying.

gingerninja · 08/10/2008 11:44

My step sister had/ has and we started school 30 years ago.

RinTinTin · 08/10/2008 11:47

If there was i was never aware of them.

Blu · 08/10/2008 11:48

I am v allergic to penicillin which was discovered when was a child - (and I'm an Older MN-er).

Peanut butter was considered v American and foreign, and not common, though having a small packet of KP nuts for a snack was.

I remember hearing of a couple of children who dies of asthma attacks - and wonder whether anaphalaxis played a part.

Blu · 08/10/2008 11:48

I am v allergic to penicillin which was discovered when was a child - (and I'm an Older MN-er).

Peanut butter was considered v American and foreign, and not common, though having a small packet of KP nuts for a snack was.

I remember hearing of a couple of children who dies of asthma attacks - and wonder whether anaphalaxis played a part.

FioFio · 08/10/2008 11:51

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Kathyis6incheshigh · 08/10/2008 11:51

At my primary school (late 70s) there was a boy with a serious wheat allergy. When we did cooking he had to have special equipment. I got shouted at by the teacher for trying to borrow his spatula and didn't really understand why.

gingerninja · 08/10/2008 12:09

I'm allergic to penicillin too and am also very very old

throckenholt · 08/10/2008 12:36

no - not that I remember.

My brother is allergic to penicillin - but he never had a warning necklace like you can get now.

Friends has asthma - one badly - but not many. I don't think I ever came across eczema until I went to university.

Is it so much more prevalent now - or was it just never mentioned then ?

throckenholt · 08/10/2008 12:41

I don't remember any kids dying suddenly either.

I know one adult who has a nut allergy - but she didn't develop it until she was in her 30s - when she was pregnant I think - I wonder if the hormones raging had an effect ?

Lilymaid · 08/10/2008 12:46

I can't remember anyone with a peanut allergy when I was a child (and I am over 50). However, there were plenty of other allergies around - e.g. penicillin (as mentioned). Also, there was no effective treatment for asthma sufferers and I can remember my parents spending hours at night tending to my asthmatic brother.