Question:
My daughter has a severe (went into cardiac arrest /
anaphylaxis) at 15. mos. old when I gave her her "first" taste of
peanuts in a peanut butter sandwich. I am currently in "peanut butter hell" with my pre-school and have run
into
a huge brick wall about my daughter's allergy and the school's policy
(aka:
"support") regarding her lethal allergy. It appears that people think
this is a stupid medical condition and not worthy of being taken
seriously. I guess it hasn't effected any of their loved ones, yet.
Here is what I am looking for: I am looking for anyone who has "ADULT
ONSET
OF PEANUT ALLERGY".
Why? I am hoping that if I can make this "allergy" real for the
parents and teachers in our school's setting that it might be taken more
seriously.
I'd like to bring this issue closer to home and show these
non-supportive
people that this isn't JUST a toddler/child issue. I want to let them
know
that ANYONE, even fully grown people, just like themselves, can and do
develop this fatally allergic disease.
Answer:
They don't. The allergy may, and, in fact, usually does, persist into
adulthood; but I know of no cases of de novo adult development.
However, you already have the tools to hand to address this issue.
Have your doctor write the school a letter outlining the seriousness
of exposure to peanuts for your daughter, and have your lawyer write a
letter discussing the applicability of ADA. Um, anaphylaxis to substances, including foods, can and does develop
in adults. Yes, it can; however, to the best of my knowledge, peanut allergy
isn't amongst the ones that does develop de novo in adults. I've never heard of an adult developing a peanut allergy. My son (age 4) (and brother) are allergic to peanuts. I believe peanut
allergy is the most severe allergy, followed by bee sting.
You walk into any emergency room and say "peanut allergy" and you'll get
faster service than heart-attack.
All that being said, with my son, all we did is talk directly to his
teacher (and day care ladies before that) and gave them two Epi-Pens (if
you don't have those yet, get them) and a lesson on how to use them. We
didn't deal with the "administration" people at all. We did not demand
that the environment be a "peanut free zone".
Now that the boy can talk, he is quite aware of the problem and knows
"the rule": he never eats anything that we didn't give him (ie: no
trading snacks/lunches).
Whenever we eat out we always have the epi-pens.
Eating 1/2 a peanut will kill my brother (without immediate medical
attention and/or epi-pen) . He's almost 40 now. I think knowing this
makes me not so nervous about my son.
Quite the contrary; I read about a man in his sixties who ate peanuts all
his life and developed an anaphylactic peanut allergy at that age. You're on the food allergy website, as I am; I've seen people post that
they've developed nut allergies in their 20s and 30s. In fact, there was
one this past week. Have you missed those posts?
I'm not aware that peanut allergy can develop in adults.
I think some children do outgrow the peanut allergy;
others don't. Links on peanut allergy: http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9612/htm/peanuts.htm
Peanut Allergy (Mayo)
http://allergies.tqn.com/msubnuts.htm Peanut Allergy
http://www.njc.org/MSU/10n7MSU_Peanut_Allergy.html
Peanut Allergy '92, NJC
http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9612/htm/pean_1sb.htm
Living with Peanut Allergy (Mayo)
http://allergies.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa010499.htm
Peanut Allergy Maintenance
http://www.foodallergy.org./updates-banningpeanuts.html
Banning Peanuts in School: Does It Work?
Well I am going to have to disagree with you I have never had allergies
until about 3 years ago and I am in my 40's. I am now allergic to
peanuts, chocolate and a whole list more of non-foods. I have eaten
peanuts and chocolate all my life. Now I carry an epi-pen with me all the
time
