pHi. My name is Cindy and I have a 14-month-old son with PA. I discovered this just before Christmas when I gave him part of a peanut butter sandwich. After the sneezing and hives started we immediately got him to the emergency room to get a shot of epinephrine. Now we take the epi-pen everywhere we go./p
pFor his Easter basket I bought a hollow candy egg with plain MM's inside. Today a friend told me that she had heard that even plain MM's are at risk even thought the package didn't mention it. She indicated that they use peanut oil to rub down the mixing bowls. Is this true? I don't want to end up in the emergency room again!/p
Easter Candy Question
Posted on: Fri, 04/13/2001 - 7:16am
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My PA son and his identical twin were given a similar thing for Valentine's Day. Although they both ate them without any problem, this was also BEFORE we knew for certain that Christopher was PA. (I knew he was at 1 year and then thought he had outgrown it, he's 4.5) Just a few weeks ago he had an anaphylactic reaction to PN and went to the ER. This is why I am even aware of this web-site now. Had I been introduced to it earlier I most certainly wouldn't have given them anything like this. More than the fact that it would be somewhat risky, I just want my kids to not get used to the idea that ANY chocolate is OK. You will have to decide for yourself what you feel comfy with. And I am sure you will read about how various the comfort zones are of the people who post here. I am still making decisions about where I will stand on different issues of food, friends, family, etc.
Good Luck,
C&N's Mom
Alisa
Hi Cindy.If you look on a package of plain M&M's you will find a "may contain traces of peanuts" this is because they are manufactured on the same equipment as the peanut ones.I use Guittard chips for baking they are not processed in a plant that manufactures any type of nuts.I do not buy any chocolate bars except for Nestle which are also in a nut free facility but you must read the packages first everytime.There is a stamp with the letters FN.I starting using Vermont Nut Free chocolates for holidays and special occasions.It may cost a bit more but the chocolate is delicious and I think it's worth it just to see my son so excited to have something that everyone of his friends can have.Hope this helps a bit.
this is for C&N's MOM. You said you have identical twins and only one is PA?? Why did you think your son grew out of PA?? What tests were done?? Also, what did he eat and how much to get an an analphyalictac reaction??
My son is PA & TNA and tested rast 4. they say this does not say what kind of a reaction he will get. Any info is greatly appreciated.
MyNick
from what I'm told, plain M&M's are not OK. The coating may have traces of peanuts. My son ate them rarely prior to our knowing his PA and had no reaction. But this was over 6 years ago. I don't know how safe they are now. As far as I'm concerned they are not. There are two threads on the Main Discussion board offering Smarties and Sixlets as M&M substitutes. It seems many parents of PA kids are not giving them M&M's. I don't. Good Luck!
I have to agree with most everyone who has posted. Plain M & M's are not "safe". They do have the "may contain" warning on them.
The "may contain" warning means that you have an almost 1 in 5 chance of the product actually having a peanut product in it. So, you're basically playing Russian Roulette.
Your child may be able to eat pack after pack without a reaction and then one day, he'll have a reaction because he will finally have gotten the pack that actually did "contain" rather than "may contain".
As someone has pointed out, this does have to do with "comfort zones" and chocolate is a really big issue always on this board, but I believe most of us agree on M & M's.
I was recently sent some Sixlets from the U.S. and they were good and certainly comparable. Also, yes, we do have the Smarties thread also where you can sign up and have a Canadian send you a "safe" box of Smarties. They are not quite the same as M & M's, but again, they are a substitute.
Someone else also posted above that they only purchase Nestle chocolate. I am the same. It was with almost wonder that I realized my PA son could try a Cadbury's Caramilk bar last year I was so used to buying Nestle and sticking to Nestle.
You do really have to sort this out for yourself, as to what you feel comfortable with. Personally, I wouldn't be able to take the chance of my son eating a "may contain" product.
I hope this has been of some help. And welcome!
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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In an old FAAN newsletter it is stated that plain M&M's contain crushed peanuts in the coating. M&M's are NOT safe.
Quote:Originally posted by MyNick:
[b]this is for C&N's MOM. You said you have identical twins and only one is PA?? Why did you think your son grew out of PA?? What tests were done?? Also, what did he eat and how much to get an an analphyalictac reaction??
My son is PA & TNA and tested rast 4. they say this does not say what kind of a reaction he will get. Any info is greatly appreciated.
MyNick[/b]
Yep. Identical twins. Christopher has PA and Nicholas doesn't seem to have it. We finally went to the allergist(I started a thread on this -finally went to the allergist-)and took Nicholas with us as well. I thought, surely, he would be tested as well although he has not exhibited any signs of PA. The doc said that there has been studies that show he is no more likely to have the allergy than his twin whether identical or not. Imagine my surprise when that very night I read an article stating that 65% of identicals shared the allergy with their twin. You can also imagine how NOT thrilled I am with my allergist. You can read my first post on intros -new kid- and this may explain why I thought he had grown out of it. And, as stated before, I wouldn't have thought it if I had been given any info by my kid's pediatrician besides "keep him away from PN and watch for other nuts and shellfish. Don't give him any till he's three." He missed the boat and could have informed me the damage has been done, he has the allergy, most likely won't outgrow it.And you should go to an allergist immediately and here's your epipen. And with the NEXT kid, don't feed her PN until at least age three. But he didn't.
Also, when we had the testing done, he got a skin prick test, is this a Rast test because I still haven't found out the differences in the tests and their names. He welted up about 2 inches across, and before we left the office he had a welt about three inches across and his voice sounded funny like the air was having a hard time getting to his lungs. The doc gave him a claritin to chew and sent us on our way. (After telling that Benadryl was useless, like throwing a pot of water on a housefire. He also told us not to call the ambulance because they don't carry epinephrine and it would be a waste of precious time. I later called the fire station and found that in my city all stations DO carry this and the paramedic I talked to said "your Doctor is putting lives at risk by telling people to try to get to the hospital by yourself, because we have everything the hospital has with regard to an anaphylactic reaction." He also told me that as a rule they always give Benadryl or another antihistamine.
Sorry to go on and on. If you are still more curious. Let me know.
Got to go,kids on the rampage.
C&N's Mom
Alisa