Food Allergy Assistant

Food Allergy Assistant Wishes Everyone a Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T05:21:00.000-05:00

Curing Food Allergies in the Allergist's Office

2009-12-23T07:05:00.002-05:00

I spoke to our allergist last week. She told me of research to take what has been learned through desensitization studies at hospitals like Boston Hospital and transfer those procedures to doctor's offices. This would mean going to the allergist's office every day (perhaps this is done over summer break or every day after school) for increasing amounts of the offending food. The patient would be monitored for an allergic reaction before being sent home.

The original hope was to be able to desensitize at home like we currently can do with allergy drops for environmental allergies. There are concerns about the risks, though, which is why plans are moving forward for instead desensitizing in the physician's office. Our allergist was optimistic that this would be available in the next 2-3 years.

How great would this be. While I realize desensitization hasn't worked for everyone, it does work for many and offers a real solution for a cure.

A cure...that continues to be my Christmas wish and I'm more hopeful than ever.

New Epi Injector?

2009-12-21T06:09:00.001-05:00

Have you heard that there's talk of a new method of injecting epinephrine to combat an allergic reaction? The long tubular injectors may be replaced with a device that resembles more of a card.

While I'd personally like to see no need for any type of epinephrine injector, a smaller unit that is easy to conceal would be better- especially for tweens and teens who need to carry their medication.

Stay tuned for more information.

Food Allergies and Travel Abroad

2009-12-18T07:03:00.000-05:00

I like free stuff.

Anyone traveling in another country with food allergies should know about food allergy cards. Allerglobal lets you create your own personalized card. For free. Simply check off the allergens from the list and choose from over 25 different languages.

Even if you're not traveling, it's pretty cool to learn how to say or read your allergens in common languages. "Amendoim" is "peanut" in Portuguese.

Go ahead, play around with it!

Food Allergy and Stuttering

2009-12-16T06:45:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of this?

There may be a link between stuttering and food allergies. Some researchers think that certain foods, such as gluten, peanut butter and sugar may cause speech disfluency. They advise stutterers to consult a gastroenterologist to try to determine if food may be causing the stutter.

I don't know...

Here's the article. See what you think. Any personal stories to share?

Food Allergy Knowledge Found Lacking in Doctors

2009-12-14T06:23:00.000-05:00

So, a study to be published in January 2010, has found that primary care physicians have knowledge gaps when it comes to diagnosis and management of food allergies. Many incorrectly identified symptoms of food allergy and few knew the appropriate dosage of epinephrine for children experiencing a reaction.

Okay, I know we expect a lot from our overworked primary care physicians and their staffs, but I do expect some basic knowledge. I've talked before about how our doctor's office, with full knowledge of my child's allergies, has given us medicine that contain his allergens or has recommended shots for him that would be unsafe. We've had a few really close calls in our own doctor's office. I don't believe we're alone.

Anyone have any stories they'd like to share?

One good action plan to come out of the study, which will be published in Pediatrics next month, is the creation of a food allergy module that can easily be used by doctors' offices.

YEAH!

Food Allergy Ball

2009-12-09T06:29:00.000-05:00

Emeril was there. So were some of the Kennedys. Dr. Hugh Sampson attended the event as well.

Last night, the 12th annual Food Allergy Ball was held at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City. This is a benefit to raise money for Food Allergy Initiative (FAI). Tables were available for $50,000, $25,000 and $15,000, with individual tickets going for $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500. A little too rich for my wallet, but I hope they raised a boatload of money!

FAI, founded in 1998 by a group of concerned parents, is the largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States. Their goal is to fund research that seeks a cure. They also put money toward improving diagnosis and treatment and keeping patients safe through education and advocacy.

The FAI site is filled with lots of helpful information. It's worth checking out.

Food Allergy Resource

2009-12-07T06:14:00.002-05:00

I wanted to make you aware of a new food allergy site, AllAboutFoods. The site was co-founded by a mom after her child was diagnosed with food allergies. She gathered information and enlisted the help of a computer programmer friend. Together, they created AllAboutFoods.

I visited the site. I really find the tab marked "Allergy Charts" to be helpful as it lists well-known restaurants and the food allergen information for their products. Gotta love one-stop shopping!

From the home page, you can link to information about common allergens to learn how to avoid the foods as well as substitutions for it.

While on the dairy page, I learned something new. Apparently, some vaccines contain casamino acid, which is derived from casein, which is dairy. I know the FDA does not require allergen labeling on vaccines and medications- makes sense to me. Here's another example of something to question when our dairy allergic kids need a vaccine.

We wonder why our kids are not outgrowing their dairy allergies! But I digress...

Head on over to AllboutFoods and let the rest of us know what you learn there.

Food Allergy Twitter Party Tonight

2009-12-04T05:54:00.000-05:00

A Twitter party is an opportunity to mix it up with others over a specific topic. Jennifer of FAB and Ruth of Best Allergy Sites, are hosting another food allergy party from 8:30-9:30 pm Eastern time today. Expert panelists from Allergic Living Magazine will be on hand to answer questions and address issues.

Not sure how to join in? First, RSVP.

Then, at the start of the party, go to Summize and type in "#foodallergy". Click the search button and you'll be there like magic.

Here's the important step, during the party, use the hashtag, "#foodallergy", whenever you type something. That ensures your comments will be seen by others in the party.

Food Allergy Cookbooks

2009-12-03T09:19:00.003-05:00

Linda Coss's first food allergy book was a bright light in my dark kitchen when we discovered my child's multiple food allergies. When the allergist told me to avoid all foods containing dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, oats and wheat, my mind played an internal video reel. Plates of macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, french toast, omelets and chicken nuggets flashed by- all with big red "x's" over their images. I truly didn't know where to begin.

Fortunately, I discovered Linda's "What's to Eat" food allergy cookbook. It is possible to cook and bake successfully avoiding dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. I was able to find a wheat flour substitute and tailor Linda's recipes to my child's needs.

I have since added her second food allergy cookbook, "What Else is to Eat" (just made the yummy barbecue sauce on page 101 for dinner last night) and her helpful book "How to Manage Your Child's Life-Threatening Food Allergies".

The great news is that Linda is offering her annual holiday sale. Order by December 31, 2009 and get FREE Priority Mail shipping. There's no minimum order or coupons required. You can also save up to 26% when you order the books in sets. Plus, those who would like their books personally autographed or need a gift card, can get those by typing a note in the "special instructions" section of the order form.

So, if you deal with food allergies in your family, I highly recommend these books. Honestly, some of our favorite family recipes, like Meatball Soup and Wheat Germ Baking Powder Biscuits, are in Linda's books. Order a copy for grandparents or others who cook and bake for the food allergic person in your life. The cookbooks contain easy to follow recipes with easy to find ingredients.

Go to Food Allergy Books for more information and to place an order.

Food Allergy Website Gets an Update

2009-12-02T05:50:00.001-05:00

It's colorful, trendy and sleek.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has launched a brand new website. It's much more user friendly for those of us who have been at this food allergy thing for awhile. I also think the links for the top eight allergens listed across the top will be more helpful for people who are new to food allergy.

Check it out. What do you think?

Food Allergies and Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T05:44:00.000-05:00

Well, my food allergic child ate chicken on Thanksgiving. He was fine with it, but I really wasn't.

When I picked up my "free turkey" (translation: spend $300 in our grocery store and we'll give you a Thanksgiving turkey), I noticed that the ingredients listed an "8% basting solution". I made a note to myself to call the 800 number on the back. My question was simple:

What is in the turkey broth and the flavorings in the basting solution?

Okay, I shouldn't have waited until the morning before Thanksgiving. But, I've called dozens of manufacturers in the past and always got a quick response to my allergen questions.

I started with the phone number listed on the label. It lead me to a recording about directory assistance and charging me $3.79 for a call. I hung up. Then I contacted the corporate office of the grocery store as it was a store brand product. A nice lady said she would connect me to their nutritionist. Wonderful! I got dumped into her voice mail which alerted me she was out of the office for the holiday.

I called the corporate office again and asked to be connected to Customer Service. The customer service rep said, "I don't have that kind of information. I can file a report for you, though."

I asked to speak to whomever she would be sending the report to. Not possible I was told. I asked to speak to a supervisor. No one is available I was told.

Now, mind you, I was hosting Thanksgiving dinner the following day. I had pies to bake and silver to polish and a house to clean. I needed to talk to someone in the know- NOW!

I gave her the information to "file her report".

"You do understand that I need this information today?" I asked. Okay- I was getting a bit snippy at this point.

"I can't guarantee anything" I was told.

Great. I wanted to brine the turkey, so I removed the packaging with the incorrect phone number. "Giblets included" the label said. Hmmm....a neck, but no giblets. "Pop-up timer" the back of the label proclaimed. Not a timer in sight.

I contacted the local office of the store. A nice woman there told me that she didn't have that information, but she'd walk over to the meat area and ask a manager there and would call me back. Never heard from the nice lady again.

Thanksgiving Eve- I called my local store and asked to talk to the meat department manager. "We'd get in big trouble if we didn't list the big allergens on the label" he said. "If it doesn't say "milk" or "egg' on the label, it's not in there. Trust the label."

Oh, the label with the incorrect phone number and the wrong information regarding giblets and a pop-up timer? Trust that label?

So, I served the turkey and a safe chicken breast. It was still a wonderful dinner. We have much to be thankful for.

Food Allergies in the Hospital

2009-11-27T06:01:00.001-05:00

Those of us with asthmatic and allergic children know that our kids may have a greater chance of hospitalization than others.

Their systems are already compromised and viral and bacterial infections can cause more and greater illnesses. When my food allergic child faced a tonsillectomy this summer, I was very nervous about the foods and medicines he would be given. I checked everything in advance to ensure he wouldn't come in contact with his allergens. I also worried about contact issues. Some of the nurses were eating and drinking in the nurses station. They did wash their hands when they came into the room, but I hoped it was thorough enough. And what about people who have an allergic reaction from proteins on the breath?

Kimberly Clark has developed a program that is set out to educate others about "Healthcare Associated Infection". It's devoted to teaching patients and medical professionals about causes of infections gotten in the hospital. It covers MRSA, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Surgical Site Infections and Cross Contamination.

It was the "Cross Contamination" section that caught my eye. It will help raise awareness and benefit those who deal with food allergy.

Sometimes, though, ignorance is bliss. When my child had surgery, I didn't give much thought to MRSA or other infections as I was so busy making sure he wouldn't be given a pain medication that contained lactose or a popsicle with dairy.

Nearly 1.4 million people at any given time, suffer from an infection they got while in the hospital. Unacceptable. Awareness and protocols are critical in fighting this issue.

Check here for more information.

Food Allergies on the Rise

2009-11-25T05:53:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help but run into the headlines throughout the medical community last week.

"Food Allergies on the Rise"

"20% Increase in Food Allergy in Past 10 Years"

So, the news is what many of us already know as we look around our kids' classrooms and schools. More children are carrying EpiPens® and Benadryl® wherever they go. The latest study gives information gathered from 1997-2007.

I'm frustrated to find the numbers increasing with no answers about why.

Here's just one of the many news articles to report the increase.

Novelist Named Food Allergy Walk Chairperson

2009-11-23T05:49:00.000-05:00

I first reviewed Kristy Kiernan's novel in May 2009. Matters of Faith centers around the Tobias family, the youngest of whom has a peanut allergy. Kiernan, who had no previous experience with food allergies, suddenly found herself in the spotlight of the food allergy community.

This fall, Kristy Kiernan, was named the Honorary Chairperson of the Tampa Florida FAAN Walk. Read about her experience to find out how a woman "who didn't set out to write a book about food allergies" has become so important to so many families.

I must also say that Matters of Faith would make a wonderful holiday gift for the people in your life who "just don't get food allergies". Kiernan's empathy and realism capture the daily life of many of us who deal with the fear and anxiety of food allergies.

Food Allergy From a Tick Bite?

2009-11-20T05:38:00.002-05:00

Hmmm....here's a strange one...

Some adults who have previously eaten red meat without any problems, suddenly develop an anaphylactic reaction to red meat. They literally suddenly become allergic to meat. What do these adults have in common? They've experienced a tick bite recently.

"It has changed our thinking," said allergist Saju Eapen, of Roanoke, Va. "This was not something we looked for in the past."

While not common, it has some fascinating implications into the study of how food allergies develop. Check out the full story.

Diagnose Food Allergies: New Tools

2009-11-18T05:58:00.000-05:00

New tools are available to allergists in the diagnosis of food allergies.

Yes, it still involves a blood test, but results allow for diagnosis at the molecular level.

Allergists will be able to identify precisely those patients in danger of severe allergic reaction to allergens such as peanut, wheat, or egg and many others. The exciting news is that personalized allergy management plans can be created with this information. The plan will be uniquely specific to each person.

I think this new technology will become extremely important as it will give families, doctors and food allergic patients a specific profile of their reactivity. Right now, we receive a bunch of confusing numbers and statements. To know your child is "higher than 100 for milk" or is "really allergic to peanuts, but not as allergic to tree nuts" is difficult information to use. This new technology will help everyone know more precisely how allergic the individual is.

Check out the full press release for more information.

As the search goes on for a food allergy cure, at least we're coming up with better tools for diagnosis.

Alternative to Flu Vaccine?

2009-11-16T05:43:00.000-05:00

For those of us concerned about the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines, there may be an alternative.

A recent study finds that the immune system can be stimulated with a combination of Vitamins C and D and the minerals selenium, zinc and silver. Check out this new choice which can be taken as a daily supplement throughout the pandemic of swine flu and for the duration of the seasonal flu.

This may be a good fit for egg allergic children and adults who can not get the vaccine. I do like the idea of natural substances stimulating the body's own immune system.

Reporting a Mislabeled Food

2009-11-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

We depend on food labels. If the label has incorrect information, someone with food allergies could have a severe, even fatal, reaction.

Quick thinking on the part of Crystal Johnson, who discovered chocolate covered peanuts in her pecan ice cream, may have saved lives. Peanuts were not listed on the label and should not have been in the ice cream. She has a friend with a peanut allergy and knew this could cause a serious reaction. Ms. Johnson contacted FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) and the FDA (Food and Drug Association) as well as Mars, the parent company for Dove who manufactured the ice cream product. She saved the container and the FDA sent someone to her home to test it. The product did indeed contain peanuts and was recalled.

That's how it's done.

By the way, Ms. Johnson did get a letter of apology from Mar's and coupons for free ice cream. Here's the entire article.

Food Allergy Blog Carnival: November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T07:18:00.008-05:00

Welcome to the November 12, 2009 edition of the Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival.

Karen Blue presents
Interview with The No Biggie Bunch a series of books for kids with allergies"

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents
Allergen Free Baking: Baked treats for all occasions
"This is a great book for parents of kids w/ food allergies!"

Lara DeHaven presents
A Wheat-Free ?Graham Cracker? Crust

OCMomActivities presents
Goodbye beloved oats...
"I hope this is the right tone of post. :) It's about my recent discovery of my allergy to Oats."

That concludes this edition. Thank you for stopping by.

Be sure to submit your blog article to the next edition of Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival to be published November 25, 2009.

Have a great week-end!

New Food Allergy Studies

2009-11-11T04:59:00.000-05:00

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has just wrapped up their annual conference. Many studies related to food allergy were presented at the conference. Here are some interesting highlights:

"Use of Epinephrine for the Treatment of Anaphylaxis by US Emergency Medical Service(EMS)Personnel in the Pre-Hospital Setting"- Only 17 states require EMS-Basics to have epinephrine available, and 15 states do not require any level of EMS to carry epinephrine for anaphylaxis treatment.

"Proactive Egg Ingestion in High-risk Patients with Severe Egg Allergy" Twenty-nine severely egg allergic patients were introduced to egg in carefully controlled increments. Eighty-six percent were able to eat one fourth of cooked whole egg within 10 months.

"What Does a Patient with Anaphylaxis Do before Seeking Medical Attention?" Many people delay medical treatment of a food allergy reaction because they believe the symptoms will subside over time. Of those who sought medical care for a reaction, only 30% used self-injectable epinephrine prior to arrival for treatment. This study concluded that more education is needed as time is critical when treating an allergic reaction.

"The School Nurse's Perception of Food Allergy - A Statewide Survey" A survey conducted in Mississippi revealed that students were more likely to have food allergy action plans if the school nurse received information on food allergies from parents or a physician, or if the student attended a school in an urban area. The study showed that 97% of the nurses surveyed had at least one child with food allergy in the school. Only 30% of schools had action plans for children with food allergy.

Want more detail on any of these highlights? Read the summaries here.

The Heart of FAAN Ambassador Program

2009-11-09T09:25:00.003-05:00

Do you know a child who should be the face of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network? Mine said, "no way", but I'm sure some of you may know a food allergic child who would be a perfect fit.

Seven-year-old Nadia DiNatale is one child who hopes to be the FAAN ambassador. She says, “It is also very important for all people to work together to help others to understand food allergies, and food allergy safety, so that people with food allergies can live safe and happy lives.”

Well said, Nadia!

If you want to nominate a child for this important role, check out the Heart of FAAN Ambassador Program page. Children need to be between the ages of 3-11 and a nomination requires a $100 tax deductible donation.

Anyone can vote for a child, with a $10 donation, through Feb. 14, 2010.

Food Allergy Community Up in Arms Over Nut Article

2009-11-06T08:32:00.003-05:00

Chatelaine, a leading Canadian woman's magazine, recently published an article that has caused a backlash among those in the food allergy community. "It's Just Nuts", written by Patricia Pearson, makes comments like "carrying the lunch he is most likely to consume (she's talking peanut butter sandwiches here) into his elementary school is equivalent to showing up with a gun", are clearly intended to fuel anger.

The article is poorly researched and self-serving for the author who admits her child is a picky eater.

Come on, let's all play nice and be respectful to each other. It is obvious the author did not speak to school officials to find out the details of the peanut ban in her school. She did speak to one parent, who questioned whether or not her child really had a peanut allergy (diagnosed by an allergist) and whether he really needed an EpiPen® because "they are expensive", "expire" and "probably the daycare staff wouldn't know how to use it anyway".

That's the parent she chose to interview?

Over 190 comments have been written to the magazine about this article. Allergic Living magazine has also gone on the record and has sent a letter to the Chatelaine signed by 206 people who are angered over the piece.

Check out the article and feel free to leave your comments as well. The editor of Chatelaine needs to hear loud and clear that a sensational seeking article like this is unacceptable.

Egg-Free H1N1 Vaccine

2009-11-04T05:42:00.002-05:00

FluGen, Inc. has announced a cell-based production of flu vaccine that doesn't use egg in any part of production. Great news for those with egg allergy.

Read all about it.

The company hopes to ramp up production and have vaccine ready, "in the very near future".

My questions:

Will it be FDA approved for use in the United States?

Will there be a method for getting it to people with egg allergy first as they are unable, or at risk to get, the egg-based vaccines?

I'll keep you posted on this.

Swine Flu: This Century's Scarlet Letter?

2009-11-03T05:48:00.000-05:00

"You have H1N1," the doctor calmly told me last week.

"But I can't," I replied. "I don't feel that sick." Granted, I had just spent two days doing little more than lying on the sofa with my sore throat, cough and occasional low fever...but swine flu?

This couldn't be that. Plus, yuck. I didn't want to tell anyone I had swine flu. It would sound like I haven't been washing my hands or I've been allowing sick people to cough and sneeze in my face. I've been following every precaution. How could this happen to me?

But the doctor told me this is typical of what they are seeing. People are reporting cold symptoms of sore throat, congestion and cough. Then add low grade fevers between 100-101.5 degrees with fatigue and sometimes body aches. That's what I had.

She prescribed Tamiflu®. I rested, took my medicine and got better.

The rest of the family used Clorox Wipes® to wipe down surfaces, avoided sharing hand towels and stayed away from one another. Two of the four of us got the flu, the other two..not...or not yet.

So, it seems like this is what swine flu will look like for most of us. Common sense dictates that we need to listen to our bodies, take care of ourselves if we get sick and get appropriate medical care if symptoms get worse or can't be managed at home.

Yes, we need to take H1N1 seriously. Just like you I've heard about the deaths from this flu, particularly in children. It's scary, but for most families it's manageable. For those of us with kids with asthma or other health issues, we need to take special precautions if our kids get sick. Tamiflu® can be taken prophylactically for a period of time in the event of possible exposure to the flu. Plan ahead and talk to your doctor now about your concerns.