I haven't posted here for ages, but wanted to alert you all. There is a new chili (called Terlingua chili) on the menu at Chili's. My daughter made a very dangerous mistake last night. (Luckily she is fine)She is a college student, was out late with friends for a bite. Someone else ordered the chili and she had a bite. She said right away she knew something was wrong, and asked the server if there was peanuts in it. She said YES. My daughter hurried and called me, sounded very shaken, and wondering what she should do. (this was about midnight) We decided she would take benadryl, and keep the epipen handy. She had the epipen in her purse but NO benadryl. Luckily the drug store was in the same strip mall, so she took benadryl quickly. Her symptoms were pain in the chest..no hives or difficulty breathing or swallowing. She checked back in with me in 30 minutes or so, and said she felt about the same. We spoke this morning, she said she woke up at 4 am and had a few hives and a stomach ache, took more benadryl and went back to bed and woke up feeling better. I just talked to her again, late afternoon now, and she said she is fine. Hopefully this will be a lesson learned for her. I looked online at the Chili's menu, and it DID say with a footnote that this food contains peanuts. So, on one hand, I am upset that they have a chili with peanuts, but at least there was a warning. Why my daughter didn't notice? I will never know. I'll bet mom would've seen it. Anyways, thank goodness this turned out well. She has never been one who wants to question restaurant workers about foods, so I suppose it was a matter of time until something like this happened. I can just say, I am so very thankful she is ok.
[This message has been edited by Beth (edited March 04, 2007).]
Glad your daughter is ok [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
I just wanted to add (being a PA adult) that there are moments when you are tempted to 'just take a bite' of something, giving a quick thought to 'oh geez, no peanuts in that!' and you 'take a chance'.
That's reality. Teens, young adults, and adults in general will sometimes 'take chances' either for not thinking, habit that the item is usually safe, or you just take a chance.
I don't do it so much anymore, and I am fairly ____retentive about my PA/TNA...but there is the occasional 'those are Tostidos? Ok, I can have those' without seeking the bag out. I could see how 'just a bite' something that used to be safe is a judgement call at the time of the bite-taking. She's probably really freaked out now and most likely won't take any chances again. I'm glad she didn't have a full blown reaction.
I know as a parent it's tough to read what I said above...but...it happens....and to my point [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
My ultimate point is that all the time I carry at least 2 epis and a sheet of chewable benadryl in my purse if I'm out. Sometimes I'll take a small 2oz vile of benadryl liquid (Nalgene makes great little leak proof camping bottles for that).
I know that IF I take a chance that might have a miniscule risk, but if I have that accidental reaction...I am prepared. And further, by reading these boards I am now more apt to give benadryl right away and shoot the epi as I read about all the scary child reactions on here.
I know a PA person, who treats her allergy differently. I try to not lecture her about it, but I do worry. She takes many chances on food, but that's her way of living without worry. She knows immediately if she is having a reaction and she epi's herself. I think it's on the order of a few times a year. At first, I was freaked out by that...but then I realized by HER experience and how she lives with her allergy...that if I did have an accidental reaction, I could think of her calmness about it, keep calm myself, know I'll be ok and have meds at my fingertips to use. I'm not saying it won't be scary...but she's given me food for thought. (right...so let's not get into a discussion on that...I don't judge her anymore for how she lives with her allergy)
Anyway, glad your daughter ended up ok [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
Edited to add: as an adult female...I have to say that having to carry a few epis and benadryl everywhere I go...it affects my purse/wallet/bag shopping. That's the only real negative about having to carry.
Edited to also say: KUDOS TO HER FOR REACTING QUICKLY AND CALLING YOU! I'm glad she didn't ignore it or brush it off, but sought advice right away.
Adrienne
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30-something survivor of severe peanut/tree nut allergy
[This message has been edited by ajgauthier (edited March 04, 2007).]
This is a very recent thing, and you can read a bit more about it in this thread:
[url="http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/Forum10/HTML/000845.html"]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/Forum10/HTML/000845.html[/url]
I get gastrointestinal symptoms, and my signal to go ahead and use the Epi is when the second symptom appears. I don't know if your daughter should have used it when she woke up, but I'm thinking she probably should have. It's so hard to know when it's happening, though.
I'm so glad she's okay--and glad she called you right away. Happy endings are always good to see! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
Thanks for the above comments, and the link. In her case, I really don't think a few hives would be reason enough to use the epi-pen and subsequently go to the E.R. Without any respiratory symptoms, I think it maybe would have been overkill. But that's just us. I am certainly not an expert on when to use or not use the epipen. (she has never used it before, just carries it in case) She has had hives many times, sometimes for no apparent reason. Since she has never used the epipen in the past, I think it would have to be quite a drastic reaction for her to use it. I just know I am still shaken by the whole episode. And feeling extremely lucky and blessed.
we always have epipens available but rarely carry benadryl with us. your story has made me decide i need to have it packed along with the epi. i feel foolish and i'm glad you shared your story.
also...glad your daughter is okay. things could have been so much worse. she is very lucky.
Did your DD have someone who could check on her during the night? It scares me to think she just took Benadryl and went to sleep.
Boy, these are the kinds of things I worry about when I think of sending my son off to college!
Glad to hear she's OK!
Amy
I know exactly what you mean Amy! Honestly, the last time I spoke with her that night, I (sort of) jokingly said to her, "I hope T (her roommate) has fun watching you sleep tonight". She repeated what I said to her friend, and she said "don't tempt me". I haven't seen her since this all happened, and probably won't until a week from now, but I'm sure I will get all the details. I really wouldn't be surprised if they stayed in the same room that night (it's a college style apartment, so each has their own room, normally). In the future, I would definitely tell her to NOT stay alone. Another scary thought. Thanks for the support!
So glad your daughter is okay! I remember reading that peanut butter is a frequent "secret" ingredient in chili (as a thickener) so we avoid all forms of chili.
FYI - the other food that seems to surprise people is egg rolls - peanut butter is often used to "seal" the egg rolls.
Thanks for sharing your experience - who knows, you may have just saved someone's life!
Quote:Originally posted by McCobbre:
[b]This is a very recent thing, and you can read a bit more about it in this thread:
[url="http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/Forum10/HTML/000845.html"]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/Forum10/HTML/000845.html[/url]
I get gastrointestinal symptoms, and my signal to go ahead and use the Epi is when the second symptom appears. I don't know if your daughter should have used it when she woke up, but I'm thinking she probably should have. It's so hard to know when it's happening, though.
I'm so glad she's okay--and glad she called you right away. Happy endings are always good to see! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] [/b]
Beth, I'm glad to hear that your DD is OK and had the smarts to call you.
McCobbre, you said that your signal to use the epi is when the second symptom appear. Are you counting stomach cramps/vomiting/diarrhea all as one GI symptom - with the second symptom being something such as hives or hoarseness?
So glad your daughter is ok! I am well known to camp-out near a hospital, or in the waiting room, when I think a reaction may be starting. Just makes me more comfortable for mild symptoms to be very close to help. But for a known ingestion, I would be IN the emergency room!
Also, with a *known* ingestion, many Docs will advise the Epi. This will stop the reaction, and help prevent a re-bound. Another reason I now believe it is important to stop the reaction is that each successive reaction can get worse. I think some of my worsening adult allergy reactions are due to stimulation of my immune system, [i]from back before I knew better.[/i]
If she doesn't speak up with her allergies, it sounds like time to send her a copy of the pics in the In Memory thread, especially some of the teens and early-twenties folks. Remind her that she will have much attention drawn to her if she has to call the Paramedics.
Sounds like time for a care package with lots of Benadryl strips and chewables. [i]The grape are very tasty.[/i]
Take care,
Daisy
Quote:Originally posted by Adele:
[b] Beth, I'm glad to hear that your DD is OK and had the smarts to call you.
McCobbre, you said that your signal to use the epi is when the second symptom appear. Are you counting stomach cramps/vomiting/diarrhea all as one GI symptom - with the second symptom being something such as hives or hoarseness?
[/b]
Yes, Adele, I am. In this case, the stomach cramps in the middle of the night as one symptom and the simultaneous hives as the other.
For me, when I had my anaphylactic reaction (GI), it was the chest pains that I counted as my second reaction and my indication to use the Epi. I counted the cramping & diarrhea as part of the same symptom. I've never vomited, but I might count that separately. I don't know. I talked with my doctor about this a few weeks ago, showing him the symptom grading chart. And he said that with teh GI symptoms I've had (cramping & d--but not the extent of yours, sorry for the TMI) that that plus one other thing is indication for the Epi. I asked him in teh context of that spaciness I have. He said he wasn't as worried about that as loss of blood pressure (before I mentioned the blood pressure decrease as a possibility).
Anyway, having experienced the cramping before--and during a protracted reaction after having had the Epi (where my my doctor said I should have called him), I'd count those cramps as a reaction. But it's so hard to know when to use the Epi. I mean, I'd already used it. But I wasn't on a steroid then, and my doctor said he would have put me on one.
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