Food Allergy PSA (Last post on this topic, I swear)

[ryxander]

OK, I know, I'm beating a dead horse here, but I've been thinking about my little mushroom incident, and it's really changed the way I look at food allergies... given that I know I'm not the only one out there with potentially life-threatening food allergies, I wanted to share a bit of what I've learned from the experience. This may all be "Well,

Comments

[rikibeth]

EPI-PEN. Really. And keep a couple of doses of Benadryl to hand, just as part of the standard contents of your purse. It can literally be a lifesaver.

[cliodhna]

I personally like that Benedryl now has many, many forms to choose from; remember that the standard pills take awhile to dissolve/hit the bloodstream, which means it might be too late by the time they take effect: liquid/chewable/sublingual versions hit the bloodstream almost immediately, so I tend to start with one of them immediately and take pills thereafter. Keeping many Benedryl versions within easy reach at all times = keeping out of the ER.

Also? Food allergens = effect you as long as they're in the system, unlike a contact or environmental allergy - expect woe for 48-72 hours. Eat so that your system can "move things along" as quickly as possible, and remember that Benedryl needs to be taken every 4-6 hours (yes, even overnight) for that whole 2-3 day hour window until the allergen is purged.

WHEE SO MUCH FUN.

[ryxander]

Yeah, I should really carry some Benadryl on me so that there's a happy medium between "Stab yourself with an epi pen and go to the emergency room" and "Do nothing like a moron" for those milder reactions...

Thank you! I didn't realize that different versions of Benadryl hit the system at different times, too. I have just gotten soooooo slackery about this whole thing because tomatoes are so easy to spot and avoid most of the time. Between this and the infamous Triscuit Incident, I'm realizing I can't just trust my own allergen-spotting skillz and should, you know, be prepared. (Duhhhhhhh.)

[illuminari]

If you don't have benadryl on hand, take a tylenol PM (or any painkiller PM), or a dramamine pill. Diphenylhydramine (the active ingredient in benadryl) is present in them as well.

[redfishie]

Similar to what cointeach said about encouraging getting the poison out - drink lots of water to help flush your system.

[kimpy]

it's funny, with bringing food to parties, because I'm going mostly to kiddie parties these days and it seems like every child has some sort of sensitivity (except for clara, who could probably eat rocks and still be fine) I'm so used to the keeping packaging and labeling foods. I know piper doesn't trust anything that doesn't explicitly say "gluten free" for nox. granted, that's a sensitivity and won't kill him but the consequences still suck.

zo has a crazy reaction when I eat strawberries so I've been concerned about giving them to her. I'm glad that you posted about this and the symptoms of anaphylaxis. I of course just think of what you see on the TV with the throat closing up and whatnot. I will definitely do some research so I can know what it would look like in real life with the munchkins.