How We Found Out Our Son Had a Peanut Allergy (Sponsored)

Posted on October 13, 2022
by Jenny

This post is sponsored by Aimmune Therapeutics and does not constitute medical advice. My views are my own. Please speak with your doctor about your individual medical situation. I am not a PALFORZIA [Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp] ambassador and my son is not currently a PALFORZIA patient.
Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide, including an Important WARNING about anaphylaxis at https://www.palforzia.com.

I’ll NEVER forget the look on my husband’s face when he was holding our son and said “Call 9-1-1!” I will also never forget my sheer panic, to the point that I could not remember how to find the numbers on my phone. This is how we found out our son had a peanut allergy.

Our First Peanut Allergy Scare

Colton was only a year and a half, and up until that point, our pediatrician had recommended against giving him peanut products. So, we waited. Then one day, my husband was making a smoothie and decided to let our son have a sip. The smoothie had peanut butter in it. Our son immediately started to cough and vomit. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening. I had never been around anyone with peanut allergy. I didn’t know the signs of an allergic reaction, but fortunately, my husband, who is a firefighter/paramedic, did.

Handling our peanut allergy diagnosis

Thankfully, our son survived this allergic reaction. After that first scare, Colton was tested for allergies, and it was confirmed that he does indeed have peanut allergy. And that meant we had to ensure Colton avoids peanuts, learn how to use injectable epinephrine, and never leave the house without it. Over the next few months, we got to know our allergist very well and became more educated about food allergies. The allergist explained that the current recommendation is to introduce peanut protein in the diet of the infant between 4 and 6 months of age.

How life has changed

After confirming Colton’s peanut allergy, we had to change our way of life when it came to buying groceries, dropping him off for playdates, school, and more. We emptied our house of anything containing peanut and made sure to start checking ingredient labels before purchasing food. Every year we must notify teachers at school of his allergy and make sure they know how to use injectable epinephrine if he starts to have a reaction. We also let parents of Colton’s friends know not to pack peanut products for playdates, which we learned the hard way after a close call experience. During a playdate, a friend gave Colton toast with jelly, but the knife they used had been previously dipped in peanut butter, causing cross contact. Colton immediately got sick, he developed hives and swelling around his eyes, but with quick thinking, I was able to give him an antihistamine, as I was directed to by his allergist. I observed him for an hour. The hives and swelling resolved and he looked good.

Colton is now 10 years old; we have been managing his peanut allergy by just avoiding peanut and peanut products at all costs. There is a level of discomfort that we feel when he is at school, knowing there could be kids eating food around him and Colton could accidentally touch or be touched by a peanut product, and then touch his mouth or eye, causing a reaction. He has learned to move away from the sight or even smell of these foods. As a parent, I wondered if there were treatments available to help us manage Colton’s peanut allergy. In January 2020, the FDA approved PALFORZIA.

What is Palforia?

PALFORZIA is a treatment for people who are allergic to peanut. PALFORZIA can help reduce the severity of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanut. PALFORZIA may be started in patients aged 4 through 17 years old. If you turn 18 years of age while on PALFORZIA treatment you should continue taking PALFORZIA unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.

PALFORZIA does NOT treat allergic reactions and should not begiven during an allergic reaction. You must maintain a strict peanut-free diet while taking PALFORZIA.

How We Found Out Our Son Had a Peanut Allergy

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

PALFORZIA can cause severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis that may be life-threatening.

You will receive your first dose in a healthcare setting under the observation of trained healthcare staff.
You will receive the first dose of all dose increases in a healthcare setting.
In the healthcare setting, you will be observed for at least 1 hour for signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.
If you have a severe reaction during treatment, you will need to receive an injection of epinephrine immediately and get emergency medical help right away.
You will return to the healthcare setting for any trouble tolerating your home doses.

Stop taking PALFORZIA and get emergency medical treatment right away if you have any of the following symptoms after taking PALFORZIA:

Trouble breathing or wheezing
Chest discomfort or tightness
Throat tightness
Trouble swallowing or speaking
Swelling of your face, lips, eyes, or tongue
Dizziness or fainting, severe stomach cramps or pain, vomiting, or diarrhea
Hives (itchy, raised bumps on skin)
Severe flushing of the skin.

Because of the risk of severe allergic reactions, PALFORZIA is only available through a restricted program called the PALFORZIA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information about the PALFORZIA REMS program and how to enroll. It is the first and only FDA approved treatment for a peanut allergy. PALFORZIA can help reduce the severity of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanut. PALFORZIA may be started in patients aged 4 through 17 years old.

You should NOT take PALFORZIA if you have uncontrolled asthma, or if you ever had eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) or other eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease.

Tell your doctor if you are not feeling well prior to starting treatment with PALFORZIA. Your doctor may decide to delay treatment until you are feeling better. Also tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have and if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription and herbal supplements.

Your doctor may decide that PALFORZIA is not the best treatment if:

You are unwilling or unable to receive (or self-administer) injectable epinephrine.
You have a condition or are taking a medication that reduces theability to survive a severe allergic reaction.

What are the other possible side effects of PALFORZIA?

The most commonly reported side effects of PALFORZIA were: stomach pain, vomiting, feeling sick, itching or burning in the mouth, throat irritation, cough, runny nose, sneezing, throat tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, itchy skin, hives, and/or itchy ears.

PALFORZIA can cause severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis that may be life-threatening.

PALFORZIA can cause stomach or gut symptoms including inflammation of the esophagus (called eosinophilic esophagitis). Symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis can include:

Trouble swallowing
Food stuck in throat
Burning in chest, mouth, or throat
Vomiting
Regurgitation or undigested food
Feeling sick

For additional information on the possible side effects of PALFORZIA, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide, including an Important Warning about anaphylaxis.

the Palforzia treatment process

Studies have shown that in order to tolerate small amounts of peanut protein with no more than mild symptoms takes time. Slowly consuming more and more of an allergen over a period of time is part of a process called oral immunotherapy, or OIT. Treatment with PALFORZIA begins with a trip to your allergist’s office.

The first part of the process, called Initial Dose Escalation, takes place in the office and lasts about 4 hours. Your child will be given small doses of peanut protein from 0.5 mg to 6 mg. If they can tolerate at least 3 mg, they can move to the next step.

The next part of the process, called Up-Dosing, takes about 6 months, with consistent, precise amounts of peanut protein given every day. You will mix the contents of one or more capsules that contain each day’s pre-measured dose of peanut protein into a few spoonfuls of soft food such as applesauce, yogurt, pudding or other food. The dose will slowly be increased every couple of weeks during visits to the allergist’s office.

After completing the Up-Dosing phase, your child will start taking a Maintenance dose every day; this dose is in a single small sachet that you open and administer in soft food, as usual. The Maintenance phase continues over time to help your child maintain their decreased sensitivity to peanut allergens.

LOOKING AHEAD AT PEANUT ALLERGY

I am so excited to share information about this option for families with children that have peanut allergy and encourage you to talk to your allergist to see if it is right for your child. Deciding to start PALFORZIA is a personal decision for every family and should be discussed with your child as well. This treatment is an option to consider for managing peanut allergy. My family and I are also considering it for Colton.

Do you know a child with a peanut allergy? Make sure to share this information with that family, it could be an option for them.

IS PALFORZIA A CURE FOR PEANUT ALLERGY?

Although PALFORZIA is not a cure for peanut allergy, it can help make your child’s reaction to accidental exposure less severe.

PALFORZIA does NOT treat allergic reactions and should not be given DURING an allergic reaction. PALFORZIA must be taken daily to maintain the treatment effect. You must maintain a strict peanut-free diet whiletaking PALFORZIA. Because PALFORZIA is not a cure, kids who use it still need to carry epinephrine and avoid eating peanuts.

Because of the risk of severe allergic reactions, PALFORZIA is only available through a restricted program called the PALFORZIA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program. Talk to your doctor for more information about the PALFORZIA REMS program and how to enroll.