My <2 yr old reacted to Peanuts, what next?

[MrsJewelsRae]

My toddler ds will be 2 next month. He is healthy and has some food sensitivities. He reacts to milk- only if he drinks it- his eyes get red and itchy and his nose stuffy. He does fine on goat's milk, almond or soy, so no biggie. Plus he is still nursing. He has reacted fairly badly to eggs 3 times- swelling around the eyes, redness, itching of the ears, rash on his face, extreme vomiting and diarrhea- all within 10+ minutes of eggs. It is only when he eats plain egg such as fried or scrambled, and if he touches raw egg (he got into the compost pail and played with the egg shells and got small hives everywhere it touched, also swollen itchy eyes. Talked to my doctor and he said it's likely an egg allergy, but not anaphylactic so just keep him off it. We didn't talk about epi pen. I'm a SAHM and ds is basically never anywhere w/o me.

Ok, so yesterday my dh was snacking on peanut M&Ms and left the bag opened on the floor of our bedroom beside the recliner! Ds got into them while I was brushing my teeth and I'm almost certain he only ate about 3 maximum and I managed to scoop some of that out of his mouth. Within 2 minutes his eyes were very puffy and red, he was rubbing them out of this head, sticking his fingers in his ears, redness with slight swelling and a rash around his mouth and he was doing some weird action with his tongue (which had me freaking out that his tongue was swelling). I gave him Banadryl and it cleared up. FWIW I usually wait till 4 or 5 for peanuts because I had a very scary experience with a friend's son at my house when it became clear he had a severe peanut allergy, I'm talking full blown anaphylactic reaction, screaming on the phone to 911, paramedics rushing in to save him, etc- pretty traumatizing!

Anyhow, I need to take him to the doc to discuss this. Should I request allergy testing? Should I insist on an epi pen just in case? My friend's son reacted to peanuts the exact same way my ds did the first time and her doc brushed her off, next time he had a very minor exposure and had a life threatening reaction. I'm paranoid! Any other things I should do right now? Is it too soon to request that our church go completely peanut free? (I will of course always be responsible for his safety and take proper precautions)

Thanks!

[True Blue]

I think at the very least, I would request an epi pen. IMHO, if you have reactions like that, it's good to have around just in case. I'd rather have it and never use it (like the one for DD's fire ant reaction I have) than not have one, and wish I did. If your regular Dr will not prescribe one, go to an allergist. Chances are they would on the description of a reaction like that. His other reactions are concerning too, to me. I think I'd go see an allergist, if only to have it all medically documented and backed up, kwim?

[mbbinsc]

I'd get an Epi-pen ASAP as his reactions can get worse. My DD had a full blown reaction to peanut where i wish we had an epi-pen. She is also allergic to dairy and egg. We got her first Epi pen from the ER prior to seeing the allergist. By the time she had her work up, we were already avoiding all the allergens that they identified. I was still nursing and took them all out of my diet.

[4Blessings]

Agree w/PP that you need an Rx for an Epi-Pen Jr.

I would also suggest that you discuss an emergency action plan with your allergist http://www.foodallergy.org/files/FAAP.pdf so you are prepared to address specific symptoms when they occur instead using a "wait and see" approach.

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/ is a great resource, as well as The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network at http://www.foodallergy.org

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by MrsJewelsRae

Should I request allergy testing? Should I insist on an epi pen just in case?

Yes, and YES!!! I am blown away that your doc thought the egg allergy was no big deal. Just because the first reaction wasn't full-blown anaphylaxis does NOT mean that it's not an anaphylactic allergy! Any reaction that happens that quickly has the potential to become anaphylactic, especially because each subsequent exposure usually causes a worse reaction. In fact, that probably WAS an ana reaction- you had both gastro (vomiting/diahrrea) and a skin reaction immediately to the egg. Reactions involving 2 or more areas of the body = anaphylaxis.

And yes- peanut allergies are very serious. You definitely need to get some allergy testing and an epipen.

[icxcnika]

I agree with what changingseasons said...I am shocked your doctor would be so cavalier about what was so obviously a fairly substantial egg allergy.
Definitely have your little one tested (I would request a RAST test or similar). If your doctor cannot provide one, see an allergist (or get a referral from your regular doctor). From what you describe, it is very necessary to have more information about your little one's allergy/ies asap, and if they are as severe as they sound, you should have an EpiPen Jr. as well. Hugs for you!

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by MrsJewelsRae

He has reacted fairly badly to eggs 3 times- swelling around the eyes, redness, itching of the ears, rash on his face, extreme vomiting and diarrhea- all within 10+ minutes of eggs.

Your doctor was wrong. He had an anaphylactic reaction to eggs.

Our nationally known allergist defines anaphylaxis as 2 bodily symptoms reacting at the same time. He had gastrointestinal and skin. The peanut reaction was also immediate and will likely be worse the second time around.

You need Epipens now.

http://www.foodallergy.org/section/a

[MrsJewelsRae]

Thank you all so much for the info and heads up! I will be seeing the doctor next week about this and will discuss this all with him and I am not leaving that office w/o an epi pen prescription. I am also going to get him an allergy alert bracelet.

What does allergy testing at this age involve?

How much do epi pens cost?

[changingseasons]

They can either do a RAST (blood test) or SPT (skin prick test). The skin test will probably be a little more accurate, and it's pretty simple. They just poke some stuff on your skin and you have to sit there for a while. Most kids do find with it.

Epipens are crazy expensive- I think the 2 pack (you need 2) was something like $80?! But they should be covered on any insurance. Also, when you get it from the pharmacy, make sure the expiration date is at least a year out.

[JaneS]

I think they are over $100 w/o insurance. There is some loophole they have so there is not a generic version. It's $30 with our insurance.