Nut Allergy Resources

[Pollyanna]

Okay gang, what are your best resources? I just saw the allergist yesterday and am allergic to tree nuts (including coconut) as well as peanut (and every grass, tree, and weed in the Southeastern US). WTH? I've noticed symptoms sort of developing over the last year but decided to be seen after my upper lip swelled up one evening. Anyway, when he was telling me to carry the Epipen everywhere I asked if I need to bring both and his reply was, "yes, for you, you need both all the time" Holy crap, that is kind of scary. Heck, I had a mild systemic reaction after the testing. Thank God dh came with me so he could drive home as I was hopped up on antihistamine.

So food allergy experts, where are the best resources to educate myself on how best to avoid my food allergens?

[scrub-jay]

Start here: http://www.foodallergy.org

You will carry that epipen twin pack everywhere and you will become intimately familiar with reading food labels. Nothing goes in my cart without looking at a food label, it becomes second nature. I'm here if you have questions or need advice.

[Thirteen]

Start here: http://www.foodallergy.org

You will carry that epipen twin pack everywhere and you will become intimately familiar with reading food labels. Nothing goes in my cart without looking at a food label, it becomes second nature. I'm here if you have questions or need advice.

I love this place.


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[Pollyanna]

Thank you!!! That is a huge help!!

Dh thinks we need to remove peanut butter and all nut products from the house. No one else is allergic and I can avoid those foods so I feel kind of bad subjecting everyone to my peanut free diet at home but Dh thinks it is better to remove the allergens all together. He is probably right, correct...?

Big discovery last night: no on the Brachs Candy Corn...

[HouseofWool]

He is wrong, as long as you are careful. My nephew has a peanut allergy and the rest of the crew eats peanut butter.

[scrub-jay]

We completely removed allergens from the house. Cross contamination is a big deal. Sunbutter is a popular alternative to PB, made from sunflower seeds in a peanut/treenut free facility.

[Pollyanna]

We completely removed allergens from the house. Cross contamination is a big deal. Sunbutter is a popular alternative to PB, made from sunflower seeds in a peanut/treenut free facility.

Okay, this is good to know. I forgot to ask the doc because there was just so much to discuss. The nurse did remind me that I have to let the airlines know when I'm flying so folks next to me are not eating nuts.

[scrub-jay]

I can write a novel about traveling with allergies. Def give customer service a call and have them note it on your ticket. Southwest lets us board early to wipe down whichever seat we're in and they pull peanut/nut snacks AND make an announcement on the plane. Each airline is different. Last time we flew, we sat in front of a mom with a severe peanut allergy and she said she always traveled with her EpiPens, but also a bottle of liquid kids Benadryl that she'd chug if she got exposed. She said it bought her enough time to use her epipen.

[WolfpackWife]

Interesting! I work with a girl who has a serious tree nut allergy - but she can (and does) eat peanut M&Ms and JIF peanut butter (citing they are legumes) without issue. She stays away from natural forms of PB, not sure why though. So interesting.

[Deebs]

I second foodallergy.org

Do you have an iPhone? I have an app called "allergy eats" that has been a great resource when we're traveling. You'll get to know quickly who is allergy friendly and who isn't. I kind of have a list in the back of my mind where we can take DD if we're in a pinch and not at home. Any kind of grab and go bar is not an option. Bakeries are out until proven safe, Buffalo Wild Wings does great with nut allergies. No bread at Panera, but their soups are safe (nothing else there seems to be). Keep in mind that labels have to include if an allergen is included, but cross-contamination (like being made on shared equipment) doesn't have to be. The more detailed a label, the more I trust it. Don't assume anything is safe. Candy corn (other than a brand I found at Dollar Tree) generally isn't. Makes no sense! Also, when DD's allergies flare in general, she has a hard time. She's not allergic to wheat, but is so allergic to grass that in spring, she can't tolerate much wheat. She also has OAS, which means that many fruits make her itchy but shouldn't lead to anaphylaxis. During low allergy times, she can eat about 1/4 of a banana, but none when her allergies flare.

For Epi pen, our insurance now only covers Auvi-Q, and, according to our pharmacist, that is common. The Auvi-Q talks you through using it, but my favorite thing about it? It's small. Kind of shaped like a deck of cards, so it can fit in a pocket.

If you bake, Enjoy Life has safe chocolate chips, and so does Trader Joes. Most chocolate chips are contaminated, but cocoa is not.

This is all a learning curve, but you will figure it out.

[scrub-jay]

Nut Allergy Resources

Oreos- check labels carefully and frequently. Some of their facilities have warnings while others do not. Never trust products that you've had a million times, all it takes it a manufacturing switch to suddenly include an allergen. Read labels every.single.time.

Enjoy Life chocolate chunks are amazing! It's a great company for food allergies.

[Pollyanna]

Y'all are the best!! Thank you so much for the help. Holy moly, no wonder my doc said to please email or call him with questions because I will have more Well, we wanted to cut down on eating out, this oughta do it

[peggyfromwastate]

We don't have peanut butter in our house or peanuts. Ds13 gets exposed to that enough at school and I don't want him getting even more at home. Our allergist strongly recommended not having nut products. I'm happy that we have macadamia farms here that do not process peanuts at all (local businesses) bc ds13 does like nuts but can't eat them usually bc almost all are cross contaminated.

That being said, by the grace of God we've gotten along with using food avoidance and even cheated with some packaged foods that say "packaged in a facility that processed peanuts" and ds13 has never had an anaphylactic reaction. Closest was when he ate a cookie that had a peanut kiss thing in it at a funeral (allergist says that was our one "freebie" bc he was swollen, had labored breathing, but did not require an epi).

He does, unfortunately, get a mild reaction when on a flight with a lot of peanuts. People can be shockingly ignorant on airplanes about eating peanuts. We call the airline before travel to request no-peanut snacks, but they can't control what passengers bring on. I make a deal about wiping down the seats and trays too. I'm such a cool mom lol.

Hang in there.

My sister just found out she's allergic to sesame, and I've developed am anaphylactic rxn to penicillin. Is there something in the air? In our processed foods culture? I don't know. It's scary to feel your airways closing off though. Hugs to you.

[Pollyanna]

Okay, so reading labels seems to not be fool proof. I had about 3/4 cup of Chocolate Chex yesterday on the way out. Read the label and it was clear of all allergens (or so I thought). Shortly after I finished the cup I had stomach cramps, that feeling like your throat has been punched, and just felt awful for a good hour. I go to research cuz, WTH, and discover that Chocolate Chex seems to contain peanut flour (but it wasn't listed on my box). I didn't eaten anything else that morning (did have a cup of coffee about two hours before).

So clearly I need to be more thorough on labels but it seems maybe labels aren't the end all and be all in every case. Holy moly, you folks that manage these allergies in kids are amazing!

[scrub-jay]

Nut Allergy Resources

No, labels aren't the end all be all, but they do help. Did the Chocolate Chex have any food label on it? I avoid products that lack a food label because it tells me (1) none of the 8 most common allergens are in the product or (2) the company is violating the law and not including labeling. I just can't risk it being (2). A missing (or incorrect) allergen warning is a VERY common reason for food recalls.