Peanut Allergy Treatment Continues To Be Success

Life with a peanut allergy can be scary; however,I have good news. Our son Alexander has been desensitized to his peanut allergy. It is true! Through the use of Food Oral Immunotherapy,
Alexander was treated in 2011 by Dr. Richard Wasserman.
Five years after its inception, this program continues to be successful with over 190 patients desensitized to various food allergies including milk allergy, egg allergy and tree nut allergy.
I welcome you to my blog, Just A Little Peanut for more information.
Click here to read a progress report on Alexander.

Alexander on the day of his 24 Peanut challenge and graduation -2011

Here is an excerpt from the October 7, 2013 issue of the Dallas Allergy Immunology Newsletter 

"Have You Heard?

Food Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) is an emerging treatment for food allergy that is offered
at Dallas Food Allergy Center (DFAC)/Dallas Allergy Immunology.

This treatment desensitizes patients to their allergenic food and at the end of treatment
most patients eat the food on a daily basis. We have offered this treatment for over 5 years now
and 190 DFAC patients are now eating their previously allergenic food!

Food OIT is offered for the treatment of peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, soy, and sesame allergy."

In prior posts we have detailed Alexanders treatment and many other topics. We hope our blog is helpful to you.

Peanut desensitization has been a great blessing for our son and our family. 

To God be the Glory!

-Julie

Peanut Allergy Treatment plus Milk, Egg, Wheat, Cashew Allergies: All Successfully Treated

Peanut allergy, milk allergy and other food allergies can now be successfully treated!
Dr. Richard Wasserman at Dallas Allergy Immunology (DAI) has been providing Food Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) since 2008 for people allergic to peanuts, milk and eggs.
Over time the OIT program has expanded to treat wheat, tree nut and soy allergies.

My son Alexander has been successfully desensitized to peanuts. This blog documents every phase of his treatment.
Alexander "graduated" in 2011 and eats a maintenance dose of 8 peanuts per day.

According to the DAI Quarterly Newsletter published July 2012:
"DAI has a number of children who have graduated from our Food OIT program and are now eating eggs, peanuts, cashews, pecans and wheat or drinking milk without reactions"

"This program is designed for a child of school age or older who will be old enough to understand the reasons for participating and be actively engaged in the process."

Below are the current Oral Immunotherapy treatment statistics from DAI's June newsletter.
Patients who have graduated or "completed" the program are considered desensitized to their particular food allergy.

"From 2008 to present:
Egg
27 complete, 3 active

Milk
39 complete, 16 active

Peanut
81 complete, 26 active

Cashew
1 complete, 1 active

Wheat 
3 complete 0 active

Pecan
0 complete, 1 active"

This program has provided Alexander both physical and mental relief. Allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and a few other foods can be deadly. Food allergies in general can be very debilitating.

For more information see:
Peanut Allergic Teenager Eats a Peanut

Milk Allergy Treatment 

Peanut and Food Allergy Testing Results for Alexander Over the Years

Precise Dose for Peanut Oral Immunotherapy Treatment

Peanut Allergic Teen Officially Desensitized to Peanuts

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 ALLERGY TREATMENT - INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM with WORLDWIDE INTEREST

Peanut allergies and food allergies are an International concern. They know no borders. 
It's one world  where the effects of living with food allergies cross all boundaries. 
Food allergic individuals and parents of food allergic kids worldwide are desperately seeking help for their children or themselves. 
For more information read my post "Peanut and Food Allergies". 


Since launching my blog last year I have been surprised by the International composition of my audience and their ability to find to my rather obscure blog.
As of today this blog has received visitors from over 67 countries which are listed at the end of this post.
The international scope of interest in peanut allergy and food allergy problems is evidenced by the diverse audience that has read this blog. 

Although I have not fully kept track of every visitor's country,the geographic dispersion of the audience is fascinating.

The audience is from 6 Continents and such diverse cultures as Greenland, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Nepal, Nigeria, New Zealand and Qatar. It is an intriguing list.

Thus far the majority of my posts have been about the dreaded peanut allergy. 
Why?  The answer is simple. 
My son Alexander is undergoing treatment for his life-threatening allergy to peanuts.
The new treatment is cutting-edge and very successful thus far. 
Currently Alexander is in the "maintenance phase" of treatment. He is officially "desensitized" to peanuts. 
Alexander ingests 8 peanuts per day (unless he forgets- scary but true). Thus far there are been no reactions or complications. 
Explore my blog to read the entire story. 
It is truly an amazing experience to see my son eat peanuts. Due to the life-threatening nature of his allergy we are used to altering our lives to strictly avoid peanuts. 
Stories abound about the lifestyle changes that must occur in order to survive life with a dangerous food allergy.

So I write this blog to help others with peanut and food allergies and to spread the good news that real treatment is finally available for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies. Click here for more information. 

Yes, access to treatment is currently limited unless people have the determination, time and resources to travel to the few places offering a treatment program or clinical trial. 

Research is ongoing and there are new treatments on the horizon for peanut allergies. Subscribe my email to be notified of future posts.

67 Countries - as of 10/24/11
United States  
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Greenland   (57,564 pop.)
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania  (newest country on the list)
Malaysia
Mexico
Moldova 
Mozambique
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Quatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Ukraine
Uruguay
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Vietnam


TOP 10 COUNTRIES- (in order of highest number of page views) are:
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Romania, India, Phillippines, Germany, New Zealand and France

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

Food Allergies, Clinical Trials & Peanut Allergy Treatment. Video of Interview on NBC New York Nightly News with Dr. Scott Sicherer

1 in 25 children in the United States have a food allergy according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).


Watch an interview below by Chuck Scarborough NBC news anchor, of Dr. Scott Sicherer and Judy Slotkin. Dr. Sicherer is the Chief of the Division on Allergy and Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute which is part of Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is  also a clinician and clinical researcher in the Jaffe Institute. Judy Slotkin is amother of 2 food allergic children and wife of FAI Chairman, Todd Slotkin.

Dr. Sicherer talks about food allergies and clinical trials. The Jaffe Food Allergy Institute e was established in 1997. Their pioneering work in every area of food-allergic disorders is cutting-edge. The Institute is directed by Hugh A. Sampson,M.D., who is recognized internationally for his work in the field of food allergy.


Mrs. Slotkin discusses her experiences with food allergies and the work of FAI (The Food Allergy Initiative). Her twins are participating in a food allergy clinical trial at Mount Sinai.

Peanut Allergy- Life Threatening- My son,Alexander,is receiving full Treatment for his peanut allergy as opposed to a clinical trial. Clinical trials are vital and lead to the types of advances in care and treatment such as the new treatment my son is receiving.

As part of his treatment my son is currently EATING 10 peanuts a day with no adverse reaction.
His initial dose was 1/1000 of a peanut. Click here to read about the first day then click here to read Peanut Allergic Teen Easts A Whole Peanut.

FAI is a fantastic organization that raises funds for research into food allergies. 
To learn about FAI's efforts to find a cure, visit Helpful LInks section on the right side of my blog Just A Little Peanut.
Look for Food Allergy Initiative.  


I hope my post is helpful to you- Julie Brice Beiersdorf

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.

Food Allergies Increasing Among Children

How common are food allergies in U.S. children? 

According to new data published by the National Center for Health Statistics division of the Center for Disease Control (CDC),

1 out of every 25 children has a food allergy in the U.S., representing about a 20% increase between 1997 to 2007.

The study also showed that hospitalizations of children due to food allergy reactions in the U.S. have significantly increased since 1998, with an average of 9,537 hospitalizations a year. 

The CDC study also found that children with a food allergy are more likely to have asthma or other allergic conditions.

I always thought there was a link between my children's food allergies and their asthma. My mother's instinct is proven.

This is very disturbing data but there is hope.

Treatment for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies is now available.  

Click here to read more posts about treatment.

My son is currently being successfully treated for his peanut allergy.

Click here to read an article on the CDC data published by the The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network ( FAAN) 

Click here To view a complete copy of the CDC study.

I hope you find this information helpful.

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