epinephrine

Hannah (@letstalkfoodallergies – 18+ years old)

March 8, 2021 / , , , , ,

Hi, I’m Hannah and I have severe, potentially life-threatening allergies (“anaphylaxis”) to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and legumes/pulses. When I was a baby I reacted to peanut butter, and then when I was 5 years old (16 years ago!) I experienced an allergic reaction to a sesame seed roll while on a holiday in Portugal. After this reaction to sesame, I’ve had several tests done and now carry epipens with me wherever I go for use in the event of a reaction. I’ve been very cautious in the way that I live after these experiences, and have been very lucky not to have had any further reactions.

Y’s story (5 years old)

February 17, 2021 / , , ,

When he was 1 year old he ate dessert with nuts I didn’t know what anaphylaxis is so I was shocked. I knew something was wrong because of what he ate. I searched the internet and found about food allergies & epipens. When he was about 2 years old he was diagnosed with tree-nuts allergy by the only allergist in Bahrain.
When he was 4 years old I registered him in a learning center that accepts special cases. They promised they can take care of him, but he had a severe anaphylaxis & they didn’t even call me or his allergist and didn’t epi him!
He is now in an international preschool that is really expensive, but it is the only safe place for him to learn and have friends. They know how serious food allergies can be.

We used FARE (foodallergy.org) and red sneakers for Okley.
My native language is Arabic, but there are only little information about food allergies in Arabic. That is why I created my instagram account to share the information in Arabic & spread awareness.

Eat with little J (5 years old)

November 13, 2020 / , , ,

She had an upset stomach and bloody stool as an infant. Then she had severe eczema on her face, which we thought was a drool rash. Then she broke out in hives when given a tiny spec of peanut butter when we started on solids. We decided to get her tested and the result came back with many different food allergies. Have not overcome any allergies; we just avoid them all. When she’s a bit older, we’ll do oral tests for more conclusive results and to see if she grew out some.

We carry a set of epinephrine injections at all times. We didn’t look into any websites while getting her diagnosed. We just went to the pediatrician then to an allergist.

theallergykids (1 year old)

November 13, 2020 / , , , , , , , , , ,

Lactation consultant suggested CMPA, after cutting dairy the list of other allergens grew to soya, egg and peanut confirmed on skin prick test and food challenge. We are still awaiting our youngest to outgrow his allergies. My eldest had an allergic reaction to me eating cashew nuts and after A LOT of fighting with the GP we finally got allergy testing. This confirmed a tree nut allergy which we carry EpiPens for her now. She too is yet to outgrow her allergies but we are hopeful.

Both kids have piriton for first line reactions. We also carry EpiPens for my eldest in case of anaphylaxis. I contacted Allergy UK directly for information and helped get a diagnosis for my eldest and her butt allergy.

With my youngest cmpa through breast milk I had a close friend and I also read through all the information on the Dylan and me blog. Super helpful!

Emily McElroy (18+ years old)

March 8, 2021 / , ,

After having multiple non-anaphylactic reactions to peanuts before the age of 2, my physician told my mom to avoid giving me peanuts and assured us that I would likely grow out of my allergy. However, a few days after this, an accidental ingestion of a peanut butter granola bar put me in anaphylaxis and sent me to the hospital. After this experience, I had my first appointment with an allergist who gave me a prescription for epinephrine, and was formally diagnosed with an anaphylactic peanut allergy. I am currently 20 years old, and my last anaphylactic reaction was right before my 18th birthday. 

I’m not currently taking any medication but carry epinephrine and Benadryl with me at all times.

Jenna Tso (18+ years old)

March 8, 2021 / , , , , , , , ,

When I was first born, I was given formula in the hospital that I reacted to because it had dairy in it. At the time, food allergies were poorly understood and rarely diagnosed. My mom had to go to multiple doctors to get my allergies tested and a doctor said I was diagnosed with a milk allergy. She also had to go on an elimination diet to see what it was in her breast milk that was making me react severely. I have never outgrown or overcome my dairy allergy, it is still anaphylactic and actually has gotten worse with age. 

I use EpiPens, Albuterol Inhaler, daily Zyrtec, Benadryl as needed, and daily Flonase. I have asthma, food allergies, and other allergies to dust and animals so these help me keep that in check.

J’s story (8 years old)

November 13, 2020 / , ,

J was sick from 3 months old with tummy, skin, and breathing problems. We took him to many doctors and finally the 6th doctor diagnosed him with multiple food allergies at 17 months old. He has only outgrown a few of these allergies. 

He only takes Zyrtec and an albuterol inhaler as needed. Also, we carry EpiPens on us.

Ham (1 year old)

November 13, 2020 / , , , , , , , , , ,

I knew from birth since he was born with a weird rash all over his face and body. I knew that allergies would play a part in these skin issues since I myself have skin issues related to foods and so does my other daughter. Months go by and we start experiencing worsening eczema and vomiting… although my breast milk was 100% dairy free, he was still having severe reactions after drinking breast milk so I decided to find a formula option that might help him. I switched to a soy formula so I could allow dairy to completely leave his body which cleared up the vomiting issues we were having but the eczema still persisted especially around his eyes, arms and legs. At 4 months we were able to get a scratch test done which proved a dairy allergy and a severe egg allergy as well. I was cooking and consuming eggs daily in our home and he was exposed to them via breast milk and through skin contact. That day we became a complete egg free home and much of his eczema started healing. From then on we have been on the allergy journey slowly introducing foods one at a time mostly with negative results but luckily we have a handful of good safe foods. We fight allergies and eczema daily in our home and continue on our journey figuring out what this little one can and cannot be around. Currently he is allergic to eggs, dairy, peas, dogs, clover, bananas, and other fruits and veggies that we suspect could be a form of oral allergy syndrome. We hope our journey can help spread knowledge and awareness about how people living with allergies face life everyday from birth and beyond.We use topical steroids, Benadryl when needed, and an EpiPen prescription.

William (@positivelyallergic – 8 years old)

November 13, 2020 / , ,
William went into anaphylactic shock from a smoothie at the age of 3. Before this, we had no clue he had allergies. Although he had eczema, no medical professionals raised this with us. Since then he has developed further allergies and we are still learning how to manage life with severe food allergies. It is an adventure we are going on, together as a family. William has EpiPens. We found social media as the best tool. You connect with other parents and are able to chat and get their perspective. Anaphylaxis Campaign and Allergy UK are wonderful, informative sites too.

@foodallergyinspiration – 5 years old

November 13, 2020 / , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My little girl has been allergic since birth. She had a hard time gaining weight and would react to anything I ate when I would nurse her. She had eczema all over and stomach issues. Finally around 4 months we got referred to allergy. We found she had a dairy allergy so I eliminated dairy from my diet and finally found her a formula she could tolerate. As we introduced new foods we would notice she would react to them. Before she was a year old we had her tested and confirmed allergies to eggs, soy, peaches, carrots, celery, peas, avocado, bananas, watermelon, and peanut. As time went on the list grew to include coconut, sunflower, figs, nuts, and beef. Most of these items were because of reactions she would have when eating them and then skin and/or blood testing to confirm she was allergic. Over time she has been able tolerate carrots, celery, watermelon, banana, and soy! We are hoping to get even more items off the list! 

 

We carry an EpiPen everywhere we go, as well as Benadryl, a syringe, and hydrocortisone ointment. We also use Zyrtec and steroid creams as needed. She used to get hives and itchy hands all the time but that has gotten better as she’s gotten older. Someone gave us a subscription to Allergic Living magazine and that was very helpful! We also used a lot of info from FARE and Kids with Food Allergies. Recently, we joined instagram and there is a whole community of allergy families with lots of info and tips to share!