Peanut Allergy Patch

Is there a Skin Patch for Peanut Allergies? Wouldn't that be grand. Something like a medicine skin patch for sea sickness. It is not so far fetched as you might think.


The good news is that two French pediatricians have developed a skin patch for peanut allergy.

Dr. Pierre-Henri Benhamou told the Daily Mail: "We envisage that the patch would be worn daily for several years and would slowly reduce the severity of accidental exposure to peanuts. " 'The beauty of the patch is that it is absorbed just under the skin and is taken up by the immune system."

"But because it doesn't go directly into the bloodstream there is no risk of a severe reaction.”

The doctor also stated he and his colleague have already conducted a few safety trials. Their next steps will be to conduct trials to establish the size of the dose needed and the amount of time the patch would need to be worn. Read more at Mail Online

In June 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an application that allowed DBV Technologies, a private French company that specializes in food allergies, to begin conducting clinical trials on a new “Peanut patch” called Viaskin. 
Researchers at National Jewish Health are also testing the peanut patch with hopes that clinical trials will commence.

The peanut patch would work in a similar way to the Oral Immunotherapy treatment (OIT) used to desensitize my son Alexander to his peanut allergy. 
Yes my son is desensitized and doing well.  
His entire treatment journey is explained in detail on my blog Just A Little Peanut.
See my posts "Peanut,Milk, Egg Allergy Treatment Explained" and Peanut Allergic Teen Desensitized to Peanuts:Progress Report. You can follow us on TWITTER http://twitter.com/PeanutBlog

For updates and the latest information can subscribe by Email to this blog- top right section

How does a medicine skin patch work? 
A patch is placed on your skin like a bandaid. The patch contains medicine which is slowly absorbed through the skin. How convenient!

The peanut patch slowly releases minute doses of peanut oil under the skin. The amounts are increased over time to hopefully desensitize the patient the allergy.

Alexander my peanut allergy teen recently used a medicine patch on his knee, prescribed by his phyical therapist.

An increasing number of medicines are now available in the convenient form of a patch. Medicine patches are currently being used to treat the following ailments:
Anti-inflammatories. Pain, Nicotine, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Anti-depressants, Sea Sickness, Alzheimers, Parkinsons (and many more).


If the peanut patch clinical trials prove safe and viable, it is unknown how long it will take before the patch is available for patients. I suspect this type of immunotherapy might be the wave of the future.

Sources:
Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1392034/Doctors-invent-patch-cure-deadly-peanut-allergy.html
Physorg.com http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-peanut-allergy-patch.html

Peanut Allergic Teen Desensitized to Peanuts: Progress Report 9 Months Later

My son Alexander was desensitized to peanuts on April 12,2011. Today marks 9 months since this momentous occasion. What has happened during the last 9 months??
First let me provide a little background.
Alexander was diagnosed at 22 months old with an allergy to peanuts. He is now 16 years old.

When he tested positive for a peanut allergy I was aware that this allergy could be dangerous.
I was very surprised to be told there was no cure or allergy shot or any protocol to eliminate or reduce his allergy to peanut.
We were told to strictly avoid peanuts.
The doctor said that was "all we could do." This was hard to believe in this age of modern medicine.

So.... we avoided peanuts, peanut dust, peanut contaminate snacks, certain types of restaurants etc.
 
I read every food label and asked every restaurant if they had peanuts in "x" dish.
In those days, restaurants and fast food places did not care. There we no allergen statements on menus. They did not pay attention to cross-contamination. Schools were unconcerned and unprepared.
Perhaps someday I will write a post about it.

In order to protect my son, I prepared and sent "special snacks" to school and provided non-peanut snacks to the class on our snack days or birthdays. In addition Alexander was not allowed to eat any cookies or desserts served on a tray which meant parties, school events etc.

Not to mention the series of precautions and steps necessary for Alexander to fly on commercial airlines especially SW Airlines. For these of you with a peanut allergy, you know the drill!

All these efforts were successful. Alexander never had an allergic reaction or scare, even though he tested off the blood chart for his peanut allergy.
You may want to check out my post "Peanut and Food Allergy TESTING Results for Alexander Over the Years"
We never had to use an EpiPen!

By God's grace we learned of a program to desensitize my son to peanuts.

Thankfully this new and revolutionary treatment was offered in our hometown (and only 10 minutes from our house).

Click here to read my blog for all the details. You will find posts describing every aspect of Alexander's treatment by Dr. Wasserman and his fantastic staff.
Be sure to check out the "Helpful Links" on the right side of my blog.

Now 9 months after completing the treatment program and becoming officially desensitized to peanuts, I am happy to report Alexander has never had an allergic reaction to peanuts.
In fact he never had a reaction during the treatment program.
Alexander eats a "maintenance dose" of 8 peanuts every day, which I hope he continues as he gets older and makes his own decisions. 

Alexander loathes eating the peanuts but for the most part sticks to the rules thus far.
The taste of peanuts makes him want to choke.
He recently asked me "Mom what food do you truly hate and cannot choke down ever?"
My answer was asparagus.
Then he said "Imagine having to eat asparagus every night. Now you know what I have to go through"

I still remind him to takes his peanuts and then I rely on him to eat his maintenance dose.
He has missed doses.
Sometimes Alexander just does not want to choke them down!

Peanut Allergic Teen Officially DESENSITIZED to PEANUTS

On April 12,2011 my son Alexander, who is deathly allergic to peanuts, was officially declared "DESENSITIZED". 


The term sounds like a condition out of a science fiction movie void of feeling and sterile. 
It actually befits our situation as Alexander experienced No Reaction to the ingestion of peanuts during the entire OIT process.


So you may ask "how did we achieve this?" Dr. Wasserman and his staff, especially Angela Galucci,P.A. are the medical heroes making history with their Oral Immunotherapy program.
Our part was being a willing and dedicated participant in the Dallas Allergy Immunology oral immunotherapy program (OIT) for peanuts.


It is important to note that Dr.Wasserman also offers OIT for milk, wheat and egg allergies.
It is surprising the talk to other patients and discover that many peanut allergic people are also allergic to one or more of these other food allergies.


Alexander was not only brave to agree to ingest peanuts to which he is deathly allergic 
(you should read his testing results in a previous post)
but he followed all the rules and requirements with little complaint other than cringing at the mere thought of having to take his distasteful dose.
Yes he also mastered the art of delay when it came to taking his dose. I've heard many funny stories from other patients whose children have taken the slow-playing of dose taking to a new creative high.


As for our journey since April 12th with Alexander's " maintenance dose" of peanuts, I will write a future post on his progress.


I want to thank Dr.Wasserman and his staff for all of their encouragement, candor and support. 


This program is a real breakthrough for everyone who suffers from the dreaded peanut allergy.
I implore you to investigate this program for yourself.  
Read past posts and comments and do your own research. 
Helpful links are on the right side of my blog.


As an expression of our joy and excitement for becoming "desensitized to peanuts" we want to express our prayerful thanks to God our Father for his many blessings 
and
as we say in Texas "yeehaw".

Peanut Allergic TEEN to EAT 24 PEANUTS all at once - Big Day!

Today is the "BIG DAY" in our peanut allergy oral desensitization treatment.
There have been many such "vital days" and milestones along the ways.


Click on the names of the following posts to read them. There are many more.....
Peanut Allergy Treatment Day 1
Shucking Peanuts for Alexander's Big Day
Peanut Allergic Teenager Eat First Peanut

Yesterday I dutifully drove to Sprouts Grocery store to pick up a bag of "In-Shell RAW Peanuts" as our peanut supply was dwindling.  I arrived home and began my shelling regimen. These peanut smelled pretty good. 
The brown paper skins were easy to remove from the peanuts. This had not been the case before. Hmmmm?  I checked the package. UGH!
To my unhappy surprise I had purchased "Roasted" in-shell peanuts. 


The last bag of peanuts was "Raw" in-shell peanut but these had been the bane of Alexander's existence the past few weeks because the skins really stuck to these peanuts. 
The time it took Alexander to "ingest each dose",which was already painfully slow, doubled.  
I did not know why until I saw him laboring to remove the skins. 
He asked for more peanuts so I was happy to oblige. I had purchased the raw peanuts at another store so I decided I'd just return to the first place I purchased them. I thought "perhaps there is a difference in brands".

When I discovered I had purchased the wrong peanuts I sent an email Angela Galucci 
at Dr. Wasserman's office. It has been my understanding that roasting changes the peanut protein content slightly. Somehow I was wrong.
Here was her response- "Roasted peanuts are fine. They taste much better and are absolutely fine to dose with.  In fact, we usually recommend the roasted peanuts.  Maybe Alexander will like the taste a little better!"
Okie dokie! Problem solved.


Today Alexander will go to Dr. Wasserman's office for a "peanut challenge".
He will eat 24 Peanuts all at once. 
That is pretty amazing. 
A peanut allergic kid eating 24 peanuts at one sitting. 


This is the end of what I call Phase 1 of our peanut de-sensitization treatment.
The peanut oral desensitization treatment has been a HUGE SUCCESS for my son.
He has experienced NO allergic reactions.
Please pray for today to be another success.


More later....
If this blog has helped you in any way I would love for you to post a Comment below. 
It would be encouraging to us and to others. We have an international audience.
People from 48 countries are reading this blog.  And the list is growing.


Thank you for following Alexander's journey thus far. 

Peanut Allergy Treatment WORKS -Now 24 PEANUTS Per DAY for Alexander

My son's deadly Peanut Allergy is being successfully treated. This is an update on the treatment progress for my peanut allergic son. 
Click here to read "Peanut,Milk,Egg Allergy Treatment Explained."


My teenage son Alexander is being successfully treated for his life-threatening Peanut allergy.
This past Tuesday he received DOSE #18 of his oral immunotherapy treatment.
Since my last post on February 23 regarding this treatment my son's dose has increased 
to 24 PEANUTS PER DAY.
Click here to read "Precise Dose for Peanut Allergy Treatment- Oral Immunotherapy" and click here for "Two Peanuts and Super Bowl"
It is almost impossible to fathom but Alexander is now eating 24 Whole PEANUTS Per DAY.
The dose is divided into a morning dose of 12 peanuts and an evening dose of 12.
The dosing rules state that there must be a 9-15 hour time span between each dose.


When we began the peanut allergy treatment our does was 1/1000th of a whole peanut.
A few weeks ago he reached the milestone dose of 8 Peanuts which is is 2000 mg of peanut protein.  


The oral immunotherapy treatment has progressed very smoothly. Alexander's dose has increased each week barring one incident. 
Alexander has experienced NO ALLERGIC REACTIONS to his treatment!


The chart below outlines his recent progress.
Date Dose     Amount     Frequency     Total Peanuts per 24 Hours
Jan 27          1 Peanut    Twice per day          2
Feb  3           2 Peanuts    Twice per day        4
Feb 10          3 Peanuts    Twice per day        6
Feb 17          4 Peanuts    Twice per day        8


MILESTONE 1
Feb 24          5 Peanuts    Twice per day      10
At this point he was given the option to eat Peanut Butter. 
5 whole peanuts were equivalent to 1 teaspoon of Jif brand Peanut Butter or Santa Cruz brand Organic Peanut Butter. Different brands contain different protein amounts. Dr. Wasserman's staff researched this fact and listed the above mentioned brands as acceptable.
Formula- 
If the label reads: 2T - 8 grams protein, then 1 teaspoon of peanut butter = 5.33 peanuts
If the label reads: 2T - 7 grams protein, then 1 teaspoon of peanut butter = 4.67 peanuts


Mar  7           6 Peanuts    Twice per day      12
Mar 14          7 Peanuts    Twice per day      14


MILESTONE 2
Mar 21         8 Peanuts    Twice per day       16    
This is an important amount about which I will write another post
Next there is a jump in the number of peanuts


Mar 28         10 Peanuts    Twice per day     20
Apr 5           12 Peanuts    Twice per day     24


How much Peanut Butter would 12 peanuts be equivalent to? 
12 peanuts = 1 T of Peanut Butter (give or take a little)


My son is being a very good sport although he does wish he could quit. 
The taste of peanuts is truly repugnant to Alexander. He takes a very very long time to eat his peanut dose. In the mornings he "hems and haws" so longs that we often barely make it to school before the tardy bell rings. Yikes!


You'd think he would get used to the routine or the taste;however, you would be sadly mistaken. It takes ever ounce of willpower for him to choke down these peanuts.
Just think of it this way. 
What food do you truly hate - cannot stand- loathe- choke when you eat?  
Imagine eating that dreaded and hated food twice per day.  Yep- now you get the idea of what it is like.
I am very proud of Alexander. 
I am ever thankful to God for protecting Alexander all these years from a serious peanut allergy reaction and providing a way for healing.


Later this week I will write a post on the next phase of treatment. A big day is upon us.
More later....

Life Threatening Food Allergies-This video could save a life. Carry an EPIPEN

So many people do not take food allergies seriously. Although food labeling laws in the U.S. have improved accidental exposure and ingestion of life-threatening foods is common.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers 
to list the 8 most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Most other developed countries have similar rules.
The 8 foods, listed below, account for 90% of allergic reactions.
Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree Nuts such as almonds,cashews,pecans, walnuts)
Fish
Shellfish (especially crustaceans)
Soy
Wheat


The deadliest food allergy is to PEANUTS. It is the most common cause of anaphylaxis death in the United States. 
(see my list Where is the Peanut Hiding)


What is anaphylaxis?

According to Web MD anaphylaxis refers to a rapidly developing and serious allergic reactions that affects a number of different areas of the body at one time.

It can occur after eating only a tiny amount of an allergic food.

The reaction could start with itchy gums or tingling lips, watery eyes, zoning out, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, hives or it can be delayed, slower with the person experience the feeling of "impending doom". (not sure how to describe this one).

In the future I will write a more extensive post on experiencing anaphylaxis.

Severe anaphylactic reactions can be fatal.

Those who have a severe peanut allergy are at risk of having a life-threatening reaction and should strictly avoid peanuts and carry an EpiPen epinephrine auto injector at all times according to multiple web sources as well as allergists. 
My teenage son is allergic to peanuts. Our family policy is to carry 2 EpiPen's. 
Those are the instructions for my son to adhere to although he loathes carrying an EpiPen and has forgotten to carry one more often than I can remember.
Why carry 2?
You may need a 2nd dose,often after 20 minutes or less. (Video link @ end of post)

Thank goodness there is hope for those with Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies.

A new TREATMENT is now available. 
My son, Alexander is currently being treated successfully. 
As of the date of this post he is EATING 12 Peanut Per Day. This is his dosing amount as part of his peanut allergy Treatment Program.


So many precious children and adults have died from a severe allergic reaction to food. It breaks my heart. That is why I am writing this blog. 
I want to get the word out about this new treatment program to everyone, along with all this other food allergy information I can post.

Please send a link to our blog Just A Little Peanut. Pass along to as many people as you can think of 

because 

you don't know who your friends may know with life-threatening food allergies. Think outside the box. The information is useful to people worldwide.
I know of one family planning to move from India to Dallas so their daughter can be treated for her peanut allergy.

Alexander's story and Treatment program is detailed in my blog. 
Click here to go to my Home page where you can perform a search using the word Alexander or click on the titles below for a few of the posts.
Countdown to the BIg Day , Treatment Day 1, Peanut Allergy Treatment #3 and #4, Countdown to 1 Whole Peanut,  Dose Delayed, Allergic Teen EATS a PEANUT 

Remember you could save a life. Please pass this post via FB, Twitter
Too many people have died due to food allergy to peanuts, tree nuts and other life-threatening food allergies. 


Click here to watch a VIDEO on HOW TO USE AN EPIPEN .


Sources- Mayo Clinic , EpiPen, AllergicChild

Breakthrough Treatment for Peanut Allergies. Oral desensitization. Interview with Dr.Wasserman.

My son is being treated by Dr. Wasserman for his severe peanut allergy. This is not a clinical trial or study. It is real treatment using oral immunotherapy (oral desensitization.)
The treatment began Dec 2,2010. To read about the full day treatment on Day 1 click here.
This breakthrough Treatment is also offered for Milk, Egg & Wheat allergies.

The treatment has been a great success thus far. After only 13 weeks my teenage son Alexander is eating 10 peanuts per day as his current dose under this program. He has had no adverse reactions.
Can you imagine. A peanut allergic child eating this many peanuts!
It is a miracle.

After Alexander completes the initial desensitizing phase and passes a "peanut challenge" he will be on a "maintenance" dose for 3 years (under the current protocol which may change).
My husband has asked me if our sons peanut allergy will be "cured" as a result of this treatment.
Dr.Wasserman does not yet know if the treatment will result in a total "cure".
Until science proves otherwise, I suspect Alexander will be on some form of a "peanut maintenance dose" beyond the required 3 years. This s OK with me. Our family is so thankful Alexander will have a high level of protection from a serious allergic reaction to peanuts.
Why don't we just avoid peanuts?
Peanuts allergies are often serious and accidental ingestion due to cross-contamination with others foods is a constant danger. Peanuts hide, undetected in all sorts of foods.
For a list click here.

Per Dr. Wasserman in a recent interview
"The goal of desensitization is a more normal life, markedly decreasing the risk of a reaction and enhancing normal social development and family life."

When asked if patients can be considered "cured" with the treatment offered by his practice Dallas Allergy Immunology he stated,
"No. I would consider desensitization an ongoing treatment. We don't yet know if this will result in a remission (i.e., that would be when we stop maintenance doses and allow occasional, random exposure to the food)."

Click here to read the full interview. http://www.allergymoms.com is a wonderful website to explore.
Gina Clowes performs a great service in this area.

I want to thank all the researchers,doctors,medical staff snd hospitals who have worked for a cure and treatment for food allergies. Above all I wanted to thank God Almighty.

Precise Dose for Peanut Allergy Treatment- Oral Immunotherapy

Now that Alexander's peanut allergy treatment has progressed he is having his peanut dose increased each week.


Date Dose     Amount     Frequency     Total Peanuts per 24 Hours
Jan 27          1 Peanut    Twice per day         2
Feb  3           2 Peanuts    Twice per day        4
Feb 10          3 Peanuts    Twice per day        6


Feb 17          4 Peanuts    Twice per day       8
Feb 24          5 Peanuts    Twice per day      10


I need to shell more peanuts
Why does Dr. Wasserman required to buy in-shell peanuts and shell them myself?
He is being cautious. Unfortunately, Alexander may be allergic to Almonds so we must avoid possible cross-contamination in processed peanuts.
Click here to see my post "Shucking Peanuts for Alexander's Big Day".  
Alexander's dosing amount is very precise! Each peanut must an an average size peanut. Not too big and not too small. 
To obtain an average sized peanut from an in-shell peanut is hard to accomplish. This morning my son requested I provide new peanuts because only large peanuts remain from the first batch I shelled.
We are so thankful that due to the peanut allergy immunotherapy treatment our son is able to actually Eat Peanuts safely! 
I will happily shell the peanuts for him.
As I set about the task again, I experience the same issue that occurred the last time I shelled peanuts. The first few peanuts split in half. I shell a few more and their size is too large.

In an odd sort of way I now have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde relationship with peanuts.
They scare me but I need them. Shelling these peanuts is like panning for gold. 
If a peanut pops out of the shell and falls into the sack of peanut shells then I have to sift through the shells and peanut debris to find the golden nugget, a whole peanut.


Once I dropped a perfect peanut specimen into the sink. Ugh! I thought about saving it. 
I wiped it off carefully but I came to my senses thinking "what has been in that sink?"
Yes, I tossed it into the trash.
So what is my shelling "success rate"? Curious, I decided to calculate the yield from my harvesting of the in-shell peanuts. Here are the details-
1) I shelled in batches of 10 in-shell peanuts. Each peanut containing 2 shelled peanuts for a total possible yield of 20 peanuts per batch.
2) I shelled 7 batches for a total possible yield of 140 peanuts.
3) My harvest averaged 7.28 peanuts that were perfectly whole and average in size 
out of 20. 
4) Rate of success in obtaining "perfect peanuts" only 36%.
At this rate I will be doing a lot of shelling.


I thought perhaps the quality of the in-shell peanuts I purchased was inferior in some way.
The shells are hard to crack, the peanut dust flies everywhere and the peanuts break apart.
At Dr. Wasserman's today I shared my story with another Mom of a peanut allergic child. She tried shelling peanuts. Same issues. Then she bought peanuts from a different source, Albertson's Grocery store in Dallas and the shelling experience was better.
So I will be heading to Albertson's.

After 2 hours of work my "Total Harvest" was only 88 Average Size Whole Peanuts, 
32 unusable Extra Large Peanuts and a Jar Full of Half Peanuts also not useable, or so I thought.

Alexander's dose was recently increased 4 Whole Peanuts per dose for a daily total of 8 Whole Peanuts.  The next dose will be 5 peanuts per dose or 10 total per day.
My peanut supply will not last long.
I have a plan to solve the challenge. I will conduct a science experiment to determine the average weight in grams of an average size shelled peanut.
Watch for that post. The results will save you a lot of time if you need to shell peanuts as part of a peanut allergy treatment program.


I am so thankful that Alexander's peanut allergy treatment is proceeding so well. 

Peanut and Food Allergy TESTING RESULTS for Alexander Over the Years

Several readers have asked about Alexander's testing results especially for Peanuts. Below are the results of all testing. Here is the story...


Alexander was diagnosed with a PEANUT ALLERGY at 22 months old. 

Alexander 2 years old

How did I discover this? 
I had given my son a tiny taste of peanut butter. I remember exactly where we were standing- in the kitchen by our pull out pantry.
I put a tiny bit of peanut butter on a spoon (I love peanut butter). Bending down I gave sweet little Alexander a taste.

IMMEDIATELY he said his tongue tingled. I told him to "spit it out" which he did.  I think I also wiped off his tongue.
I instinctively thought "this may be an allergy". I have zero allergies (happy me) so I did not have any personal experience in the matter.

I made a few phone calls to seek a recommendation for an allergist. We chose to see Dr. Ruff, a local allergist.  I think he conducted only a "scratch test".  Alexander tested "positive" for an allergy to peanuts. What to do?

We were instructed to strictly avoid peanuts.       (Click here for "C'mon Man" post)
I thought "that's it?  That is all we can do to help someone with a life-threatening allergy?"  There was no treatment for this allergy!

Not true any longer. Thankfully a Peanut Allergy TREATMENT is NOW available.
Alexander is being TREATED  for his peanut allergy. 

For more information click here to read about our "Peanut Allergy Treatment Day 1"
On January 27th he ate his first whole peanut!   Click here to read about it.

Alexander selecting his 1st Peanut to Eat

When he was younger Alexander tested positive to an allergy or intolerance to a host of other foods- but that's another story.
I have not included that information in the testing results below.


Let me know if  this information is helpful by posting a Comment for all to see.  What you have to say may be helpful or encouraging to others.  Let's get the conversation started.  Perhaps we can get a helpful dialog going.


Dr. Wasserman      Blood Testing Results       9/20/2010
PEANUTS
IgE              >100 kU/L     class VI

IgG4             19.40 ug/ml  Class III    * class III range 7.51-31.00

IgE                    
ALMONDS    7.34 kU/L  class IV
PISTACHIO  1.13  kU/L  class III
WALNUT      .36  kU/L  class II
PECAN         .34  kU/L  class II
CASHEW       .31  kU/L  class II
HAZELNUT   .26  kU/L  class II
SHRIMP      <.o5 kU/L  class 0

Dr. Ruff          Blood Testing Results           7/23 2008
PEANUTS        IgE             >100 kU/L     class VI

SHRIMP     .37 kU/L      class 1
Dr. Ruff       Food Allergy Testing Panel Results- Scratch test   7/23 2008
PEANUTS     Reacted
Nuts            All including Almonds were NEGATIVE
Soy              Reacted
Wheat          Negative
Shrimp         Negative
Shellfix Mix   Negative    same result for Lobster, Scallop, Crab, Oyster, Salmon


Dr. Johnson    Blood Testing Results        3/22  2002

PEANUTS       

IgE                 >100 kU/L     class VI

HAZELNUT  18.18 kU/L   class IV

WALNUT        1.55  kU/L  class III

SHRIMP          . 10  kU/L  class I

Two Peanuts and Super Bowl - Both New for Peanut Allergic Teenager

Alexander, our peanut allergic teenager successfully completed a week of EATING 1 peanut twice per day!
Amazing.
His first dose was 1/1000th of a peanut.

Only last December Alexander began treatment for his life threatening allergy to peanuts. Click here to Read my post "Peanut Allergy Treatment Day 1" for more details.

His treatment has been without incident barring one delay before we even began the program.  Read "Roadblocks" and
one delay during treatment. Click here to read "Dose Delayed No Whole Peanut Yet"

Once again Alexander's dose has been increased.
The dose increase was from 1 to 2 Whole Peanuts given twice per day.
He is tolerating this new dose well.

Yesterday we were fortunate to attend Super Bowl XLV.

Alexander has recently become more comfortable about the danger posed by food in these settings.


As anyone with food allergies knows the allergic food, in our case peanuts, can be hiding in the most unlikely food.  Sauces, cookies, pie crust, chili and salad are only a few examples of places peanuts could be used as an ingredient yet often undetectable.
Even trace amounts of peanuts can be life threatening.

I have a large list on the my blog with more items- read my page "Where is the Peanut Hiding?"



Now that he is eating 2 Peanuts per dose twice a day, Alexander is getting a little too comfortable about his level of protection.
He didn't even think he needed to take his EPIPEN to the Super Bowl. Yikes!
I insisted we take 2.

As time goes on I will know more about the "protection" provided by the treatment. Yes, he obviously has increased tolerance and a base level of protection.
After all he is eating 4 Peanuts a Day!  Hurray.

If you have any question please post a Comment on the blog and I will be happy to respond.

Share your food allergies stories. Email your stories to me at salt.light.truth@gmail.com and

I will post them on the blog.

After all there is a world out there waiting for help or encouragement.

Peanut Allergic Teenager EATS PEANUT

It's Alexander's "Peanut Day". January 27, 2011. Today my son Alexander, a peanut allergic child, is going to eat 1 entire peanut. 

The peanut must be average size. Not small and not large. We are ready. I have shelled peanuts the night before in preparation for today's visit to the doctor ( click here to read my "Shucking Peanuts" story )."Peanut Day" as we have named it, is an important milestone in the treatment Alexander is receiving at Dallas Allergy Immunology. Why a milestone? We both feel the ability to successfully eat a whole peanut with no adverse reaction is a miracle for a person with a severe peanut allergy. 

7:35 a.m. We enter the car to drive school prior to our appointment at 10:15. Fearful I might forget to place the jar of shelled peanuts in the car, I had done so last night. To my amazement no sooner than the car doors shut to the car Alexander remarks, "do you have peanuts in the car?"  He could smell the peanuts right through a glass jar placed in a bag in the back seat of the car.

10:15 a.m. We arrive for our appointment and follow the normal weekly routine. Alexander fills out a questionnaire detailing his current health.

Next the nurse checks his height, weight and blood pressure. 
A peak flow meter test is conducted. What is a peak flow meter test?  
This test is conducted on Alexander every week and measures a his maximum speed of expiration (his ability to breathe out air.) It measures the airflow through the bronchi and thus the degree of obstruction in the airways. Peak flow readings are higher when patients are well, and lower when the airways are constricted.  I like this quote I found on the internet "a peak flow meter test for asthma is like a thermometer for a fever. Both are tools to help monitor what is going on in your body." 


Alexander does have occasional asthma; however, we did not realize the silent nature of his condition until Alexander took a Pulmonary Function Test last September to measure how well his lungs were functioning in preparation for this treatment. 
His lung function was only 60%.  See my "Roadblocks" post for those details.
Today Alexander had his "personal best" peak flow measurement of 470. Progress!


We are led into the Exam Room 1 our usual room.

The nurse arrives and enters Alexander's health data in the computer.

The nurse asks me to give her a peanut. In this case I have prepared a harvest. She places the jar of peanuts on the desk and a timer next to the jar. 

While we await the arrival of Angela Gallucci, P.A. for Alexander's exam, we prepare for a possible dose of a whole peanut. Alexander has a routine he likes to maintain. Since he really dislikes the taste of the peanut doses, he must have his "pink lemonade chaser" at the ready. I buy a can of pink lemonade in the break room and he is all set.

Pink Lemonade serves as a chaser after each peanut dose to help eliminate the taste

As we wait I ask Alexander what he is feeling. He says, "I don't want to do this". I ask, "Why?" "Because I don't like the taste (pause) but the result will be good." 

I am sure he is a bit nervous although he did not show it.

Ms. Gallucci arrives and reviews Alexander's medical results entered into the computer.

She asks him for details as to why he could not increase his dose last week from the 500 mg capsule to a full peanut. Why the delay? 

He explains, "I had a cold and my stomach was been bothering me. I skipped a dose. The next morning I tried to take my dose. It (the peanut taste) makes me start to gag in the first place so I threw it up". Click here for details on what had to be done.

Angela Gallucci, P.A.

The exam proceeds. Ms. Gallucci says it is very important to establish a baseline in case he has a reaction. (Not very comforting). Thankfully his exam results are great.

Now it is time for the big moment. She presents Alexander with the jar of peanuts and asks him to select one of average size.

He must have felt she was asking him "pick your poison".

Alexander contemplates his selection of a peanut

He carefully selects the winning peanut. Not too big and not too small.

Then Alexander smells the peanut-his disdain for the odor of peanuts is intense

10:47 a.m.- He did it!  Alexander successfully eats his 1st Whole Peanut.

"What do you think?" Ms. Gallucci asks. 

Alexander replies, "It's different."

She asks, "It taste's better than the peanut flour doesn't it?"

Alexander says, "Yes. It's not as strong as the peanut flour."

"Congratulations! There you go!" says Ms. Gallucci smiling.

I hear Alexander gargling with the pink lemonade. I laugh. He smiles. Finally!

Now we wait. We adjourn to the patient observation area for 1 hour. I am required to stay with him the entire time to watch for any signs of a reaction. 

The hour passes. No reaction. Whew!

We depart for school as if nothing important has ever happened. Back to the routine. 

Surreal in a way as this was one of the most important moments in his life.

Later at home I ask Alexander for his thoughts on eating a peanut. Quietly he says ,

"I didn't like it but I can handle it!"  

Alexander's grandfather texts him "how did it go eating your first peanut?". Xander replies, "yuckish, but I'm alive so it's all good."

That says it all. 

People with these types of food allergies live under the pressure of a constant threat. An ominous mostly invisible danger of peanuts lurking in places they cannot see or detect.  Click here to read Where Is the Peanut Hiding?

If you have any questions please feel free to post a comment below and I will be happy to reply. Thanks for joining us on our journey!

Here is an informational link on treatment for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat food allergies, Oral Immunotherapy Overview at Dallas Allergy Immunology

Share your food allergies stories. Email your stories to salt.light.truth@gmail.com and I will post them on the blog.  There is a world out there waiting for help or encouragement.