After discovering a potentially fatal peanut allergy in our youngest son we had a hard time finding information and felt alone. As Liam continues through Primary School, we've decided to post the information we gather to help other parents of children with peanut allergies.
After recently updating Liam’s EpiPens with newer ones, our last visit to the allergist informed us that because Liam has grown, the EpiPen Jr injectors that he carries may not be strong enough for him.
So, we’ll need to re-update his pouch to include full, adult-strength EpiPen injectors.
The crazy part is that we’re updating to adult-strength injectors when Liam only weighs 70 lbs. How much does your anaphylactic child weigh?
Earlier this week I posted a commentary on the findings of recent peanut allergy studies involving feeding children increasing doses of peanut flour, which has now allowed many of them to eat full peanuts and enjoy a newfound freedom (see Harmful Cure).
There have also been reports of developments related to treating the underlying causes for food allergies. First, researchers in Scotland have found the protein responsible for triggering anaphylactic reactions …
Find 'could cut allergy deaths'
Discovery offers hope for nut allergy sufferers
And other news this week announced that researchers in New York have discovered the protein responsible for triggering allergies themselves …
Protein behind food allergies identified
It’s encouraging to see these developments into freeing people – especially children – from life-threatening food allergies.
I read an article this morning regarding immunotherapy for treating food allergies and found it interesting that out of all of the reports posted on trials involving ‘training’ the body to tolerate allergens by feeding a small amount to the participant, this was one of the few that even mentions that some participants are unable to continue due to severe reactions.
Many well-meaning friends mention these studies to us or pass along clippings that they’ve found in the paper. Each time we thank them, but knowing that Liam has anaphylactic reactions to 10ppm of peanut protein, there is no way that he could participate in any of them.
But we are looking into another option – some naturopaths are offering immunotherapy that does not involve ingesting any nut protein whatsoever. A friend of ours whose son tested allergic to milk has seen no symptoms at all since a few short treatments with her naturopath. We will be looking into this further, even if it can improve his trigger levels. If you want to investigate it as well, check out some of my earlier posts on this (here and here) or go to the website for the Institute for Natural Health Technologies for more information on BioEnergetic Intolerance Elimination.
Last week I ordered a demo kit of the Twinject auto-injector from Paladin Labs (They’ve just been released in Canada). It arrived yesterday afternoon. After trying it out for a while I thought that I would include a demonstration of how to use this and the EpiPen epinephrine auto-injectors for the curious.
Liam carries two EpiPens in his pouch because each dose gives us 10 minutes to get to the nearest hospital. In all cases of anaphylaxis, ensure you seek medical assistance immediately after administering epinephrine (adrenaline).
How to use an EpiPen
Pop off the safety lock at the top
Jab the EpiPen hard into the outer thigh.
Hold it there for 10 seconds to ensure the dose is administered.
How to use a Twinject auto-injector
The Twinject has just been released in Canada. It contains two doses of epinephrine in one container. There is a secondary syringe inside the main injector to be used if the anaphylactic symptoms don’t improve within 10 minutes of the initial dose.
Remove the Twinject from its protective case
Pop off the protective caps at both ends. Keep your hands away from the red tip – that’s where the needle is.
Jab the Twinject hard into the outer thigh.
Hold it there for 10 seconds.
Unscrew the red cap from the Twinject and carefully remove the syringe – the cap is loosely spring-loaded, so be ready for it.
Pop the yellow collar off of the syringe plunger
Inject the syringe into the outer thigh and fully push the plunger.
Hold it there for 10 seconds to ensure a full dose. Massage the injection site to help disperse the epinephrine into the bloodstream.
If you would like to order your own EpiPen or Twinject demonstrator, you can do so online through these sites:
I read a blog post tonight that pulled from an article published in the British Medical Journal. The original article is by a Harvard professor who argues that the precautions that we – as parents of children with deadly allergies – and our children’s schools put into place are overreactions and only lead to more anxiety. The article was published back in December, but never fails to dredge up dark feelings. Read them for yourselves and ask if you think that this is all mere hysteria ….
Linking anorexia and autism, and peanut butter an overblown danger
http://calorielab.com/news/2009/06/21/anorexia-autism-peanut-allergy-hysteria/
This allergies hysteria is just nuts
http://christakis.med.harvard.edu/pdfs/BMJ_081213_Nuts.pdf
So yesterday, Krystyne went to talk with a naturopath that claims she can cure Liam’s peanut allergy.
Obviously this piqued our curiosity when we heard it a few weeks ago. First off, the procedure does not involve feeding him any peanuts unlike the UK study. The naturopath (Donna) buys the allergens in sealed vials – and that’s how they stay. The treatment is called Bioenergetic Intolerance Elimination, which Donna describes on her website here.
A friend of ours recently had her son tested and found that he was allergic to milk. After taking treatments with Donna he shows no more symptoms. During her consultation with Krystyne, Donna explained that some of the people her teachers had treated brought peanuts with them on their last visit and didn’t even wait until they left the waiting room to start munching.
Although I don’t think we’ll be trying that, the treatment sessions with Donna are non-invasive and don’t present the risk to Liam’s life that other feed ‘em and watch ‘em treatments would. Since we already know his allergy levels from our visits to the allergist, Donna says that we can go right to the treatment (“clearing”) and save the testing for the end. It may take up to a year for the protein to fully leave Liam’s system, but we have regular appointments with our allergist each September.
We’ll definitely be updating you on the progress and results from this one!
To read Part One of this stream, click here. For more information on Bioelectric Intolerance Elimination, see the Institute of Natural Health Technologies website here.
A friend of ours recently took their child to a naturopath for allergy testing and found that among other things, he was allergic to milk. The naturopath then asked if our friend would like her to “fix that”. She then explained the method of treating the allergy with an electromagnetic device, which they did, and her son then tested as negative to the previous food allergens. When the treatment was over our friend told the naturopath about Liam’s allergy and its severity. She was then told that “I can help him too”. Needless to say we were a little curious.
Since then we started looking through the Internet for other similar stories and found this one, in which a sceptic was offered the same treatment and after a few sessions claims to be “cured” from food allergies, to the point that they can now eat food with any of their previous allergens in any combination.
Krystyne and I are familiar with the practice of a doctor or chiropractor pushing down on our outstretched arm to determine which parts of our spine are out of alignment. We had been adjusted this way by our chiropractor before we moved to Uxbridge. However, we had not heard of this process for allergy treatments. Apparently there is the added component of an electromagnetic resonance involved as well.
Either way, Krystyne has a consultation appointment with our friend’s naturopath later this month to look further into this. The naturopath has said that the testing/treatment does not involve actual peanuts so we don’t expect a danger to Liam, whether or not this works – which is a major difference from the “feed them a peanut” trials. If the electromagnetic treatment does work – even the lessening of the allergy so that Liam is no longer airborne allergic – this would be such a change to Liam’s – and our – life.
We’ll keep you updated on what we find out from the naturopath.
“Can you check on Liam? And make sure you get a response from him.”
“I kept tickling him until he batted me away.”
“Ok. That’s good.”
This is what happened last night at our house, about every 15 minutes, all night long. Liam was having a secondary reaction.
Most people are aware of what a mild allergic reaction looks like – swelling, hives, itchy skin – and then there are the more extreme symptoms of anaphylaxis, with a drop in blood pressure and difficulty in breathing that can lead to death. Liam’s reactions, like his allergy, are multiple.
If Liam eats something with nuts, we have the EpiPens – they’re always on him unless we’re at home. Thankfully we haven’t needed to use them yet. He is also allergic to trace amounts of nuts (as little as 10 parts per million (ppm) can send him into a reaction) and airborne allergic to nuts – which means he can react to peanut protein on your breath. The source of the allergy dictates how severe his reaction will be.
Yesterday our boys were in the city for their cousin’s birthday party. Since our parents and sisters are very diligent in keeping possible allergens away from Liam – all the food was “safe” – we started to look elsewhere as to what may have happened as a cause. One of their cousin’s friends had a toy whistle that our boys decided to “share” as kids will do, even after warnings from Mommy and Daddy.
Shortly after playing with the whistle, Liam’s temples started to show the blue veins underneath and his eyelids started to look as if they had blue eye shadow. That’s our first warning that he’s reacting to something. So out came the Benadryl and Liam went back out to play. The party carried on without any other incidents and when supper was over we drove back home.
Liam fell asleep almost right away in the van – which in hindsight was probably from his lowered blood pressure. He and his brothers went to bed and off to sleep, until around 9:45 pm when Liam woke up and started power-puking (another one of his reactions). Once his stomach settled and he had finished a quick bath we gave him another couple of Benadryl (since the first one had so violently worn off) and sent him back to a clean bed.
The rest of the night involved waking Liam up every 15 minutes or so to make sure that he wasn’t slipping into a coma-like sleep. I went to bed around 2 am, Krystyne battled it out until 4.
Needless to say, we’re all a little tired today.
