FAAN Teen Summit kicked off on clinical trials. Dr. Hugh Sampson, the famous allergist and researcher from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, explained in a video how clinical trials for food allergy desensitization work and why they’ve so far proven very effective.

For those unaware, the continuing clinical trials are studies being done to see how individuals can be cured of food allergies. Currently, they use the process of a food challenge, in which someone eats a very minuscule amount of what they are allergic to, and then gradually eats more and more of the food until they can eat a full serving of what they’re allergic to. With severe food allergies, this desensitizing process can take between two and three years.

While some students expressed nervousness about trying such a trial, Kendall Hollinger, 14, said she would definitely go for it. “If I would be eligible, I would totally do it, even though it’s really, really scary. It would be great to grow out of an allergy,” said the student from California. “I would want to be the person who’s brave enough to go against everything they’ve gone against their whole life and grow out of an allergy.”

Friday night was a fun casino evening. And then on Saturday, it was down to food allergy business. The teens and the 99 parents in attendance split into two separate groups, then among the teens there were breakout sessions for: Middle School, High School & College, and Siblings.

Kendall, 14 on clinical trials: “I would totally do it,
even though it’s really, really scary.”

There was a famous face in the crowd at the High School & College session: Kenton Duty, the 16-year-old star of the Disney show “Shake it Up”. Yes, even the famous aren’t immune: he is allergic to cocoa (chocolate). Kenton says: “My favorite topic was the psychiatrist because it was interesting to hear the discoveries of how anxiety and reactions were influencing the teens. He wrapped it up well.”

The Teen Summit provided a Saturday Night Social for the teens only, featuring good and loud music – and dancing. On November 20, the last day of the summit, the teens and adults came together for a Q&A session. Questions were directed alternately to the teens and the adults, and various audience members offered answers.

Next: Peer Pressure

• Dating with Allergies or Celiac: from kissing to date precautions and more. [Read more]
• Celiac Disease: the link to type 1 diabetes. [Read more]
• Allergy News: Now it’s top “11” food triggers [Read more]; H1N1 update [Read more]; ban on pets on planes weighed; survey of schools.
• Sweat and Allergies: reacting to your own body heat. [Read more]
• Asthma and Stress: the role of anxiety, even that of your mother.
• Product Reviews: Movie meals; kids’ totes/placemats; chemical-free mattresses; dust-mite-proof bedding; home spa.
• The Allergic Diva: Pam Lee’s baking invention for the allergic parent.
• Indoor Air Quality: 5 power plants that eliminate toxic fumes. [Read more]
• Ask the Celiac Expert: How to set up a gluten-free kitchen. [Read more]
• Breathing Space: The Lung Association supplement. Includes: H1N1 update; hand-washing tips; asthma in kids soars; dust mites and carpets.
• Allergy-safe Recipes: Great winter meals and Holiday Baking.
• Travel: Allergy-friendly ski vacations. [Read resort reviews]

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DATE GEAR

• Always carry emergency medications in a purse or a ‘man bag,’ including at least one auto-injector (the brands EpiPen or Auvi-Q, Allerject) and some Benadryl or  Zyrtec [Reactine].

• Always wear a MedicAlert bracelet. There are now attractive ones in 14K gold or silver and even with Swarvoski crystals and pearls for women.

• Carry your doctor’s phone number.

• Have a written emergency action plan that’s kept in an accessible place. Forms are available online from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network http://foodallergy.org/downloads.html and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at http://www.aaaai.org/patients/resources.

• For longer outings, have safe snacks in your bag.

TALKING “THE TALK”

• Be upfront from the start with a new date, explaining your allergies or intolerance. Make it clear that you have some dietary restrictions that have to be followed – either food allergies or celiac disease are serious conditions. Handled carelessly, the former could lead to a trip to the ER. Stress that, when you abide by your avoidance practices, your condition is completely manageable.
  Social Factor [SF]: Don’t put the dating partner in the position of reserving at a great restaurant, and then you have to turn down the invitation.

• Suggest early dating ideas without food: a concert, movie, sports event, art exhibit or going hiking, skating, skiing or indoor rock climbing. Or meet some place that you know for drinks.
  SF: Dates outside of the standard dinner date can be unique, memorable. You’ll get to make the point that you can have a great time, you simply have to be careful with food.

• Let the person know, early on, what to do in an allergic emergency. Make it clear that if you seem to be reacting, you’ve got to have the auto-injector; then 911 needs to be called. Show the auto-injector, demonstrate how it is used, stress that it needs to be used promptly.
  SF: People can be initially concerned by the “big needle”. Assure the person that it’s a great relief from a reaction, that the discomfort is minimal.

• If looking for a companion on a dating site, why not mention food allergies or celiac?
  SF: Could be intriguing to a foodie who likes to cook.

EATING OUT

• In the early going, if you’re eating out, be the one to suggest the restaurant. Have a list of safe spots that you like and whose kitchens you know to be vigilant about food safety and avoiding cross-contact. It’s good to be aware of a few restaurants in different areas of town. Then if you’re out for a walk and he (or she) suggests stopping for dinner, you have a name.
  SF: Allergy-aware kitchens tend to have progressive kitchens, and that usually means good food.

• For later dates, when he or she suggests a new eatery, phone ahead and question the chef or manager about the menu, making sure there are dishes safe for you, and that the kitchen is mindful of cross-contamination.
  SF: By checking, there will be no embarrassing “we can’t eat here” scenes.

• Be judicious with wine and alcohol, so you don’t drop your own guard around food. If you’re a teen, avoid wine, liquor and drugs, period. While anaphylaxis is not something you want to encounter, even worse would be encountering it in a compromised state.

• For a subsequent date, preparing a meal at your place is a great way to have a romantic evening and be safe all at the same time. Learn how to cook a few easy dishes.

HOTTER OF COOLER?

• Go out with people who aren’t nervous around your allergies or intolerance. On the flipside, avoid people who constantly make jokes about your condition. You won’t find it funny at all.

• Be willing to say “no”.
  SF: If someone is cavalier about your food needs at the wooing stage, the outlook isn’t good.

• The mood is getting flirty and relaxed? Great, but if you haven’t already, now’s the time to sashay into the topic of kissing precautions – and that it can be risky to kiss someone who has been eating nuts (if you’re nut allergic). So you ask: anything you’ve eaten today that contains nuts?
  SF: If you handle it right and he hasn’t eaten anything nut-laden foods, you could boost the romantic tension.

• SF: If he (or she) really is “that into you,” he’ll probably gladly give up a food – not just for a day – to please you.

Originally published in Allergic Living magazine.
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See Also:

• Main Article: Dating with Allergies, Celiac
• Kissing Reactions and Teens
  

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

Situation: There’s a friend at work you’ve often had lunch with. Lately, he’s decided it’s funny to tell the waiter “just bring her some water – she’s allergic to everything else.”

How to handle: Before your next midday meal with Don Rickles, prepare a sarcastic retort along the lines of “while my incredibly sensitive friend finds the idea of me doing a faceplant in my soup hilarious, I think I’ll just tell you about my life-threatening allergies instead.” If that doesn’t get the point across, ditch buddy boy and find a new lunchmate; preferably one who doesn’t find your serious health condition such a thigh-slapper.

Situation: Your new in-laws are desperate to have you two over for dinner, but you’re highly allergic to cats, and their beloved Mr. Tinkles is definitely the lord of the manor.

How to handle: You might as well be honest. Tell them about your allergy, and suggest that a meal in their beautiful garden would be a better option. (Hey, kissing up to the in-laws early is a good idea, especially if you’re planning to have kids.) It doesn’t hurt to lay some ground rules early either, in preparation for all those years and years of visits ahead. Ask if Mr. Tinkles could be confined to one room while you’re there, and suggest that, while you know your mother-in-law’s house is always spotless, maybe running the vacuum quickly before you arrive would, however, help your breathing. Bring a treat for the ball of allergenic fluff to show you don’t hate cats, really. And get your husband to agree to a late arrival and early departure, lest he bear the brunt of your coughing, snoring and wheezing all night.

Situation: A close friend asks you to be in her wedding party, but option two on the reception dinner menu is salmon – and you’re at risk of anaphylaxis to fish.

How to handle: Tell her that you’re willing to wear the seafoam green taffeta bridesmaid dress, but you’ll have to put your foot down when it comes to your ability to breathe unassisted. Speak
to the caterer ahead of time: can he assure that if you pick one of the other options, there will be no cross-contamination in the kitchen? If in doubt, bring your own meal and ask the caterer to have it served along with the others. Give a trusted friend the task of overseeing the handling of your food in the kitchen.If even a good whiff of fish has you reaching for the Epi or Twinject, tell the bride that, while you will be thrilled to precede her down the aisle, you’ll have to arrive at the reception after all fishy scraps have been cleared.

Situation: You’re out at a restaurant on a first date with an attractive, interesting fellow, who orders something you’re allergic to. Later, he leans in for a goodnight kiss.

How to handle: First of all, a kiss on the first date? OK, I’m old- fashioned, but a handshake or a hug should suffice. If your heart is already aflutter, best to be upfront. Calmly tell Dreamboat that he’s eaten something you’re allergic to, and that it’s just not safe for you to lock lips so soon after he’s eaten. Thank him for a wonderful evening and suggest getting together soon for a non-food date.

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
(c) Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

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