Talking Allergies

But has anyone seen the similarities between this story and Sabrina's story a couple of years ago? When watching the French TV reports, they interviewed the other friend that was there at the time and he said that the girl said she was having an asthma attack which is why she took her inhalers, but they didn't seem to work . Sabrina's story is very similar since she didn't go straight to her Epipen, she was "having an asthma attack"... by the time she figured it was anaphylaxis, it was too late... for both of them... and no one can say that Sabrina and her friends were not aware of her allergies like everyone seem to say about about Christina...

These kids are used to dealing with asthma all of their life... but have not really dealt with anaphylaxis first hand. I was lucky when I was in their situation and also thought I was having an asthma attack and not anaphylaxis as my inhaler was epinephrine and was able to stop the reaction (I don't reveal the dose it took but in the end it worked) and I went back to sleep. All my previous allergist was able to say about that experience: "oops! thanks for still being alive this morning!!!". Now I know that is my asthma doesn't respond the way it normally does to my inhaler... IT'S NOT ASTHMA!!!! Because if you know there is allergen in the food right away you will know it's anaphylaxis... but if you don't, you'll blame something else for sure! The swelling can be inside and not visible right away!

Well, this is where I am at this morning.

Mylène

My husband ( who has allergies to fish, nuts, eggs, bees ) drives me crazy!!! I have never posted this before, but he does not have an epi-pen and carries his steroid inhaler because he believes that his allergies just cause asthma attacks. I got really mad at him sunday. He has not seen an allergist in sometime. He is 29 and we have been together for over 11 years, and at no time since I have known him has he seen an allergist. He has not had an anaphylactic experience since we have been together. Probably because I do the shopping and cooking, and I don't even eat his allergens.

I told him that he is setting a bad example for our daughters, and that relying on a steroid inhaler is coocoo bananas. He had numerous anaphylactic experiences as a child, but always recieved a needle of epinephrine at the hospital, probably due to the fact that epipens were not around. So he has never carried one. He feels that his inhaler is sufficient because his mother would even have him use his inhaler prior to eating baking with eggs in it and after if he still needed more. His mother would also regularily have him eat small bits of fish to see if he had breathing trouble. If he would he would just puff on the inhaler, and carry on. Occasionally he had full blown anaphylaxis...but no one seemed to wise up.

I have convinced him to make an appointment with an allergist. I said "you are being irresponsible. As our daughters allergic parent you are their role model, and right now the example you are setting sucks. You could die from eating the wrong thing, or being stung by a bee and you would leave me to raise 2 anaphylactic kids who would be really upset that their dad died because he was not responsible with his allergies...even though their mother begged him to take more responsibility." He had asked our family doctor for a referall last year ( after I snapped ), but has not had a response yet. I told him to press the issue with the doctor because he needs an appointment.

I think that he has finally come to terms with the fact that his mother was very wrong in dealing with his allergies, and any advise she ever gave him as a child or teen was endangering his life. When we saw the allergist for my daughters last week my husband asked the allergist a few questions about the way his mother taught him to handle his allergies. The allergist was quite stunned at the questions my husband asked him, and the comments my husband made about how his mother dealt with his allergies. Unfortunately, the kids were with us, and I did not want to discuss the fact that my husband is being niave about his own reality.

I am about the same age as your husband and my parents knew about my allergy to fish since I was very young... but up to the time when our family doctor told my parents (and myself ) that if I eat fish again, I will DIE, my parents kept feeding me fish as this is all we knew at that time. I was having really bab eczema (instantly!!!) and they would say "it's her allergy" and move on. And in my teenage years, I played rushian roulette with my life more than once because I didn't know other wise! It was in October 2000, when I realized that "deadly" really ment "DEADLY"!!!! I had to come face to face with my own death to realize that it wasn't just a word but a reality I had to live with... It actually took me a week because right there and then, I didn't really grasp how serious my reaction was (naive, yes!)... the breathing problems should have triggered something in my mind at one point ... but I still didn't believe in death at that point...

I don't know if it's the same in your province, but in Québec, you don't need a prescription to get an Epipen... maybe a good idea to put one in your husband's Christmas stocking

Mylène

I do hope you are not insinuating that I sleep with everyone to check if they've sweated out the allergens yet. I've been a human guinea pig once - regarding hives. The doctor's were extremely nice - it was a very friendly environment, but I feel like I've done my time.

Anyway, I think they should just test people's saliva, sweat, whatever. Test it and see if there is protein in it after *x* number of hours. I mean, how many people have children that were reacting to allergens while they were being breast fed?

What goes in - must come out!

hey. mylene...great idea on the epi pen in the christmas stocking. We do not need a prescription in saskatchewan. Maybe I'll get him a twin ject. Has anyone purchased one yet?

Yes, the similarities are striking. I think part of it might be that we're wired to try to avoid majorly anxiety-producing situations and so it is natural to try to minimize the seriousness of the situation if we aren't sure of the cause. I know on a couple of occasions I've said that 'I feel a little sick to my stomach, but I think I'm okay' or 'no, I'm not having a reaction' (in the latter case though I'm still not sure whether it was an actual reaction or severe stress--whatever it was the epi took care of it)

annamarie, ummm...I think the type of medical study you thought I had in mind wouldn't pass the ethics board I was assuming that the study was more of a survey. But you answered the question for us! I would guess that 48 hours should be safe for most allergic people as you've in effect done a study for us

I think there are a lot of differences between a child with allergies and an adult.

I refuse to see allergists anymore. They poke, they prod, but they can't do anything for me. My gp gives me my prescriptions, so I do always carry my epi-pens and antihistamines. But, I don't suspect any new allergies so why test for them? And, I do occasionally have an accidental exposure, so I know I haven't outgrown them either. Since I am now reacting to accidentally eating even trace amount allergens, I know I am getting more sensitive. But, again, what can an allergist do about that?

Personally, I can live with the allergies. It was the hope that was killing me.

I thought I would our story about a "saliva" reaction my daughter experienced. Sorry if I am off topic. My daughter has severe allergies to milk, peanuts and eggs. When her younger brother arrived we decided that he would follow our allergen free diet also, for a number of reasons. At about 18 months we decided to try a little bit of yogurt with him to expand his diet since he was a picky eater. We were very careful giving it to him and wiped him off well after he ate it. However, he was teething at that age of course and after breakfast he was chewing on a number of things. Shortly after this my daugher had hives on her face and there was some swelling around her eyes. We figure she must have picked up one of the items he was chewing on and the saliva caused her reaction. Benadryl was all that was needed for this reaction. Since then we have tried soy yogurt but neither one of the kids likes it.

katec, when my youngest daughter (milk,eggs,chicken ) was diagnosed with milk/egg allergy, the allergist did not advise a milk/egg free home. This was on the same day my older daughter (peanuts/nuts ) was diagnosed. He did recommend a nut free home. We tried to carefully continue to give our older daughter milk and cheese slices...but traces seemed to be everywhere. My younger daughter reacted to toys, and kisses...so I felt that instead of giving up kissing my younger daughter, we would give up milk and eggs too. I just did not want to have to restrain from showing my younger daughter affection. Surely she would see us loving our older daughter and wonder why she was not being loved the same. I have never regretted giving up all family allergens by all family members. For me, kisses were much more important than milk/eggs/chicken/peanuts/nuts/fish.

First off, I am very sad for this family and her death is a parent's worst nighmare but........ this story saved my daughter's life.

The day after this story was on the news my daughter (away at college for the first time) took a small bite of a muffin in the school cafeteria not knowing peanut butter was in it. She didn't taste any peanut butter in the muffin and had a second small bite. It didn't take long before my daughter realized she had eaten peanut butter. She took a benadryl within 5 minutes and was at the hospital within 20 minutes. She was at the hospital all day and was given more benadryl, epi and predisone. She is now fine.

My daughter told me later the girl who died probably didn't seek help quick enough. My daughter decided she was going to get help quickly and not wait for her symptoms to worsen. When she walked into the hospital she just had an itchy throat but within an hour she had hives over her entire body and had trouble breathing. I am a little upset with the doctor for not giving the epi shot immedialty but that's another story.

My daughter credits the girl who died for her going to the hospital so quickly.

vlross, the reason we need to give ourselves epi is because we cannot see what is going on inside. In the hospital they can. The main thing they monitor is blood pressure - and when needed they will administer it.

I wouldn't be to quick to criticize the doctor. Although epi is safe - you still don't want to be given it unnecessarily.

I am glad to hear your daughter is doing well now. I'm sure it must be driving you a bit crazy not being with her though. Even when our kids are grown - they are still our kids.

Welcome to the board.

vlross, glad to hear your daughter will be okay.

Like Anna Marie said they would montior her to the hosp and then depending may or may not use the epi pen. I am not a doctor or nurse and was not there. ..

I hope you all are okay. I understand how scary this is for you all.

Kelly

I shall say welcome to the site.

Moving away from home is a vulnerable time for most young people....(on top of social pressures, etc., surprisingly, people do *not* learn how to do laundry by osmosis) but for kids with allergies it is especially difficult. It's good to hear that your daughter is okay.

I have never seen an allergist either because from all I've heard and seen, it seems to me they do more harm than good. However, I carry and epipen all the time and my doctor who follows me for my asthma and other medical problems knows about my allergies and she would refer me to a specialist if she felt she could not advise me properly.

I have personnaly seen my allergist twice in the past 5 years... mostly because of new reactions. It was almost 10 years before that... I didn't have any new reactions and knew what I was allergic to, so what more could he give me??? I have no chance of outgrowing my allergies and actually have a risk to have them react more just by doing tests (the prick test doesn't need the prick part anymore to swell up!), so I unless I have a need to see him, we don't see each other that much.