Submitted by Uxbridge Pete on July 26, 2008 - 6:48pm.
Hi there Mark2x2,
We had a similar experience with peanut allergy. Our son had actually had peanut butter before, with only a very minor reaction (a little splotchyness on his face) ...but a few months later, we gave it to him again and he reacted. After 15 or 20 minutes, his lower right lip started to swell up. He began to caugh & stammer, and finanlly he broke out in a rash..not quite hives, but a splotchy red rash. When we saw the lip swell, we knew it was time to head to the ER. On the way, he lost his lunch...heavy...but he was still breathing fine, just upset & crying, so we knew he wasn't in peril. BTW, we also hit him up with the Benadryl, to no avail.
Going forward, we take several precautions. We always keep the Benadryl, and more important, epi with us...and I mean always. There's an extra one we kept at my daycare too, before I became a SAH Dad. We make sure all people watching Sam are aware of the epi, and know how to use it, e.g. gransparents, siblings, godparents and the occasional sitter.
Additinal steps we take include 1) always reading all labels and not giving him anything that was made on equipment containing nuts, or that (obviously) has nuts in it..and this includes all tree nuts as well 2) never letting him eat food (including ice cream or bakery cakes) that we can't be sure don't have nuts in them and 3) always having extra cookies and/or cupcakes (that we made at home, and therefore are assured to not have nuts in them) on hand (typically, frozen) to give him, if he ever goes to a birthday party or other place where he'd otherwise have to go without. This way, he's always included, but able to eat a safe alternative to what's being served.
I hope these hints are helpful, but I'm guessing you already have these covered. It's a scary thing, no doubt...but with the proper precautions, you and your son will be fine.
Re: Any experience with nut allergies?
Hi there Mark2x2,
We had a similar experience with peanut allergy. Our son had actually had peanut butter before, with only a very minor reaction (a little splotchyness on his face) ...but a few months later, we gave it to him again and he reacted. After 15 or 20 minutes, his lower right lip started to swell up. He began to caugh & stammer, and finanlly he broke out in a rash..not quite hives, but a splotchy red rash. When we saw the lip swell, we knew it was time to head to the ER. On the way, he lost his lunch...heavy...but he was still breathing fine, just upset & crying, so we knew he wasn't in peril. BTW, we also hit him up with the Benadryl, to no avail.
Going forward, we take several precautions. We always keep the Benadryl, and more important, epi with us...and I mean always. There's an extra one we kept at my daycare too, before I became a SAH Dad. We make sure all people watching Sam are aware of the epi, and know how to use it, e.g. gransparents, siblings, godparents and the occasional sitter.
Additinal steps we take include 1) always reading all labels and not giving him anything that was made on equipment containing nuts, or that (obviously) has nuts in it..and this includes all tree nuts as well 2) never letting him eat food (including ice cream or bakery cakes) that we can't be sure don't have nuts in them and 3) always having extra cookies and/or cupcakes (that we made at home, and therefore are assured to not have nuts in them) on hand (typically, frozen) to give him, if he ever goes to a birthday party or other place where he'd otherwise have to go without. This way, he's always included, but able to eat a safe alternative to what's being served.
I hope these hints are helpful, but I'm guessing you already have these covered. It's a scary thing, no doubt...but with the proper precautions, you and your son will be fine.