Poor Erik has been suffering from allergies all week. He is on Claritin daily but still has a constant runny nose and itchy eyes. This morning he was playing outside; the allergies were so bad that he could barely open his eyes. It was awful. Even his cheeks gets raised itchy bumps. I called the allergist and they called in another prescription for him- an eye drop called Bepreve. It was quite expensive (and a very tiny container) but did seem to clear Erik's eyes up pretty well.
Since we have been struggling with this so much this week I thought I would list everything that Erik is allergic to currently.
Environmental:
Tree pollen-very strong
Cats-very strong
Mold
Dust Mites
Food:
All nuts including: (strong)
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Cashews
Peanuts
Chestnuts
Pistachios
Beechnuts
Pine nuts
Hickory
Gingko nuts
More info on tree nut allergy:
- Tree nut proteins may be found in cereals, crackers, cookies, candy, chocolates, energy bars, flavored coffee, frozen desserts, marinades, barbeque sauces, salad dressing, and some cold cuts, such as mortadella.
- Tree nut protein will be found in foods such as gianduja (a creamy mixture of chocolate and chopped almonds and hazelnuts, although other nuts may be used); marzipan (almond paste); nougat; Nu-Nuts® artificial nuts; pesto; and nut meal.
- Tree nut oils may contain nut protein and should be avoided.
- Ethnic restaurants (e.g., Chinese, African, Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese), ice cream parlors, and bakeries are considered high-risk for people with tree nut allergy due to the common use of nuts and the possibility of cross contamination, even if you order a tree-nut-free item.
- Avoid natural extracts, such as pure almond extract and natural wintergreen extract (for the filbert/hazelnut allergy). Imitation or artificially flavored extracts generally are safe.
- The following are not considered nuts: nutmeg, water chestnuts, and butternut squash.
- Tree nut oils are sometimes used in lotions and soaps. Shea nut, although not usually found in food products, is often used in lotions.
- Some alcoholic beverages may contain nut flavoring and should be avoided. Since these beverages are not currently regulated by FALCPA, you may need to call the manufacturer to determine the safety of ingredients such as natural flavoring.
Erik has had multiple reactions to different tree nuts in the past so the allergist has recommended that he avoid peanuts (he had a positive blood test to peanuts as well) in addition to the tree nuts since he is so sensitive.
Only 10% of people outgrow nut allergies so the tree nut allergy will likely be forever. I am hoping at some point we will be able to add peanuts back in his diet but for now if he is in your care please do not give him anything in the above list. If you are not sure about something don't hesitate to ask or just don't give it to him.
I carry an epi-pen and benadryl with me at all times. If he is in your care please make sure I leave a stash with you as well. He can have 6 mg of Benadryl -- we give it to him if he gets hives. The epi-pen only needs to be used if he is having trouble breathing. (Hopefully never!)
Thank you for being so careful with our sweet boy Erik! Sorry I didn't give you all this information earlier.
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1 comment:
Aw, I feel your pain. We have been slowly discovering over the past 2 years all the things that my almost-3 year old is allergic to, and his list is pretty much the same as Erik's. I also carry an Epipen and Benedryl with me at all times, in addition to an inhaler now, which was hard news to take at first, but now much less of a concern than the Epipen. Allergies are so confusing and frusterating - it seems impossible to keep my son away from everything. He has exzema, and his skin has been extremely bad lately. We cannot seem to clear it up. I have hope that one day we can get everything under control and that it doesn't take away from his enjoyment of life. I hope the same for your Erik, too.
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