I Had a Brain Freeze, but Brain Thaw Arrived in the Nick of Time

So we spent Memorial Day week-end at the shore. My son is taking Zyrtec daily for seasonal allergies. We ran out of his Zyrtec syrup during the week-end. No problem. We stopped at the closest CVS and picked up more. My brain freeze resulted in my thinking that we should get the children's chewable tablets instead of syrup. As I opened the package, my brain thaw occurred and I read over the inactive ingredients. Duh! I wrote a while back about Zyrtec tablets containing lactose monohydrate. I even sent a letter to them. It went unanswered.

Today I called Zyrtec and chatted with Malika, Zyrtec Customer Service Representative. She confirmed that lactose monohydrate contains bovine milk. She went on to say that the manufacturer of the lactose monohydrate had issued a "Certificate of Suitability." When I asked what that meant, I was put on hold- for 8 minutes. Finally Malika came back and apologized for the long wait. She said, "It contains milk, so those allergic to milk should avoid the product." Okay, I still don't know what a "Certificate of Suitability" is , but I guess it doesn't really matter.

I told her that I wanted to register a complaint that the label doesn't clearly state "Contains Milk" in big bold letters- make that super size letters so even those of us in a brain freeze can't miss it. She apologized and said she would forward my complaint to the appropriate department. Uh, huh- I'm watching...

If you want to register your concern to Zyrtec, call 1-800-343-7805.

Why don't medication manufacturers have to follow the same labeling rules that food manufacturers must follow?

As a Guest, I'm a Pest

As a follow-up to last week's post, "Hostess With the Mostest...Stress That Is", I must note that being a guest isn't easy either. This is something many of you pointed out in your recent comments.

Both Jes and Sabrina K. commented that they think it's harder to be a guest in someone else's house. They prefer to host because they have more control over what foods come in.

Nowheymama keeps everyone out of her kitchen to ease her stress. ChupieandJ'smama is already stressed about hosting an upcoming company Christmas party where traditionally shrimp and crab legs are served. Infant Bibliophile just starves her houseguests rather than dealing with the stress. Col has a list of rules for her guests. Liz uses red stickers to identify unsafe foods in her house and Karen keeps very few unsafe items in her kitchen.

This week-end we brought most of our own food when we visited family. I baked up a storm before we left- chocolate chip cookies, granola bars, doughnuts and chocolate cake. I marinated chicken, prepared burgers, precooked pancakes and made bread. We were well prepared and yet still hit a few stumbling blocks in our host's kitchen.

Just a few of my rants:
"Don't use that olive oil! It's in an old pickle jar and who knows what else that jar has been used for."
"Don't touch those pretzels. I know they look friendly, but they're stored in a chocolate covered raisin jar."
"I know you're trying to help, but please don't cut my son's roll with the knife that just cut those bakery rolls."
"No, don't put those birthday candles in my safe cake! Do you have any idea where those candles have been before?!"

We all survived the week-end, but I think this glimpse into each other's lives made us all grateful to go back to our own kitchens. I know I hugged my toaster as soon as I got home!

Friday Feature: The Food Allergy Coach

Meet Kim Hopkins, founder of Food Sensitivity Resources, a website dedicated to helping people live full lives despite having food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities. Learn about Kim and how she coaches people with food issues through our interview below.

What is your food allergy background?

I thank my nephew. He has autism, and was really the "whistle-blower" in our family regarding food challenges and their effects. It was through my sister's research on his behalf that we all learned about our own food challenges.

I have always suffered from environmental allergies, asthma, and being overweight. At one point, I was prescribed two inhalers, two nasal sprays, two allergy pills, and three weekly allergy shots! As a kid, I can remember leaving school via ambulance several times because I could not breathe. I had chronic sinus infections that would return as soon as my course of antibiotics was finished.

In 2001, I had both a primary care doctor and an allergist. When I told them that I was experiencing scary symptoms after eating, they both said a version of "well, next time you need blood work done, we'll check for food allergies." Not good enough. Needless to say, that's the last time I saw both of them.

I educated myself and did an elimination diet on my own. I found that foods containing gluten were the culprit. This was later confirmed by conclusive testing: Celiac Disease. Once my body began to recover, I no longer needed the inhalers, nasal sprays, allergy shots - I was just using one allergy medication.

Flash forward a few years - I was managing the gluten issue beautifully but began experiencing unpleasant symptoms. My holistic doctor made many suggestions. When nothing improved, she said, "do some research." ...and off I went, determined to get myself well. I discovered information about Candida and the work of Dr. Crook. I literally cried when I read his book because I knew I had found answers - finally! I embarked on another elimination diet and found that I needed to add sugar, cherries, peanuts, and tree nuts to the list of things to avoid. Soon after these discoveries, I kicked my one allergy medication to the curb - 15 years of taking something to help with allergy symptoms and now I needed nothing! It was quite liberating! This began a new chapter of getting educated and adjusting - I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be my last...

What are you passionate about in the food allergy field?

I am passionate about education and proper diagnoses. I meet many people who are experiencing poor health effects that can likely be traced back to food sensitivities. I want to help spread the word about the symptoms and what to do. I am a big proponent of the elimination diet to help discover hidden food sensitivities because I have seen people recover from complex symptoms by figuring out which foods they need to avoid.

I also want to continue the quest to make this world an easier place for those with food challenges to live a full life. This includes targeting the food service industry, schools, work places, recreational activities, getting involved in advocacy activities to promote and fund research...you name it!


You are certified in the "Practical Application of Food Allergy Guidelines"? Can you tell us more about this certification?

To obtain certification, I completed a course that covered information about food allergies, symptoms, testing, and their relationship to common health conditions. Other topics included dietary restrictions by food allergy type and recommended substitutions, chemicals in food supply that can cause reactions, meal planning guidelines, as well as emergency planning guidelines. I believe that having this foundation of knowledge assists me with my personal coaching and consultation practice.

What else are you working on in the food allergy area?

I have formalized my efforts to assist others coping with food challenges by creating a website, Food Sensitivity Resources. Through FSR, I offer personal coaching for individuals and families, which can include phone calls, face to face meetings, food shopping trips, cooking together, practice with advocating for yourself at restaurants, emotional support...whatever is needed to assist with making necessary dietary adjustments as easy as possible. I also offer consultation to schools and businesses to help them to "get it" so they can better serve the growing population of people with food challenges.

Recently, I began a blog, The Food Allergy Coach, to help pass on up-to-date information in this rapidly changing field, and to share my continued personal journey of discovering food sensitivities and restoring good health.

Ultimately, I would like to replicate what only one other community in the world (in Germany) has done: create an entire community that is allergy-friendly and market this to attract both tourism and new residents.

What are your favorite food allergy friendly food staples?

I would say plain, organic yogurt - I eat it just about every day. I try to be good about always having cut up fresh veggies on hand. I make my own sausage patties, which I devour any time of day. Sweet potatoes in any form - roasted, french fries, chips - so yummy! My #1 favorite treat right now is Luna & Larry's coconut-based ice cream made with agave nectar....YUM! For baking with rice flour, I have found the best brand to be Authentic Foods Brown Rice Four Superfine. It is finely ground, which makes the texture perfectly undetectable as being gluten free.

What are some of your other interests/hobbies?

I love going to the gym, taking walks, riding bikes, and playing tennis. I am a voracious reader. I am fortunate to live near the beach, so I try to get there for some peace and quiet as often as I can. My husband and I are both major foodies - we enjoy cooking, baking, and entertaining friends and family.

Check out Kim's site at Food Sensitivity Resources. Kim also writes a blog as the Food Allergy Coach.

The Hostess With the Mostess...Stress, That Is.

I fear that I'm not a very good hostess. If we have people over for a meal, I'm usually fine. I can prepare the meal in advance and take my normal kitchen precautions. The problem arises when we have guests who stay for a few days over multiple meals. Suddenly my kitchen isn't my own. Unfamiliar food arrives and concern over cross-contamination boils over.

"STOP! You can't dip that knife back into our dairy free butter after using it on that unsafe (read: poisonous) bread."

"NO!" Don't cut into that dairy, egg and nut-free cake with that tainted knife you just used on that unsafe (read: poisonous)angel food cake.

"WAIT!You can't leave crumbs from that peanut butter and jelly sandwich (read: poisonous)all over the table. And please- go wash you hands- immediately. And I want to hear you sing "Happy Birthday" while you're doing it- twice!"

I can't help it. My frantic tone bubbles over. Of course if I keep this up, I won't have to worry about it because no one will want to come visit!

Now, all of you families with food allergies, you get it. You're welcome anytime.

How do you deal with guests in your kitchen?

Monday Review: Beyond a Peanut Flashcards

When my kids were really young, they loved flashcards. We used alphabet cards to learn letters and number cards to learn simple math. One enterprising mom has created special flashcards to teach people how to stay safe with food allergies.

Dina Clifford created the cards after her children were diagnosed with a peanut allergy. This small packet carries a ton of information about reading labels, cross contamination and carrying emergency medications.

The cards have four color-coded borders. Green cards show foods or situations that are relatively safe for someone who is peanut or nut allergic. They stress caution and introduce the idea of cross-contamination. Red cards show foods or situations that have a greater risk for someone with a peanut or nut allergy. Yellow cards show potential danger and are designed to create awareness. Cards outlined in blue contain safety information to help people with any type of food allergy.

"What a great idea for young kids!" was my initial thought when I looked through the flashcards. As I went through them again, I started thinking about how helpful these cards would be for grandparents, caretakers, daycares, teachers and others who have contact with peanut and nut allergies. They are easy to read and understand and offer a quick way to educate others about food allergies.

Thank you, Dina!

Check out the cards at Beyond a Peanut.com. I'm thrilled to report that Dina is working on Dairy cards next. Stay tuned for that announcement.

Closing out Food Allergy Awareness Week

Don't forget the Food Allergy Twitter Party at noon and 10:30 pm (Eastern Time) today! Go to tweetgrid.com and type in #foodallergy.

As we wrap-up Food Allergy Awareness Week, check out this list put together by Linda Coss. She's right on target. In light of our experience this week, I must add a #11:

Better Methods to Diagnosis Food Allergies- skin tests are unreliable in most allergenic children. Blood tests give too many false positives. Food challenges are filled with subjective evaluation and are traumatic for the allergic person and their family. We need some kind or x-ray or MRI-type machine to scan for food allergies in a non-invasive way.

Is that too much to ask?

Here's Linda's list...

Top 10 Things Parents of Children with Life-Threatening Food Allergies Want

By Food Allergy Author Linda Coss

#10: Delicious and Easy Recipes – For those who must eliminate multiple and/or common ingredients, cooking can be an enormous challenge.

#9: To Be Able to Easily Dine Out – We understand that it is not easy to prepare allergen-free food in the typical busy restaurant kitchen. But it would be nice if we could easily get correct answers regarding what’s in the food.

#8: Nut-Free Flights – Airlines cannot control the food brought on board a flight by their passengers, but why must they serve little bags of peanuts? How about crackers, pretzels, raisins, licorice, tortilla chips, or just about any other popular snack food?

#7: Empowered EMTs – In many parts of the country emergency medical technicians do not carry – and are forbidden from administering – potentially life-saving shots of epinephrine. This is ridiculous.

#6: Appropriate ER Protocols – Because up to 40-50% of severe reactions are biphasic, those who go to the hospital for treatment should always be kept under observation for at least 5 hours. Unfortunately many emergency rooms discharge these patients as soon as they first stabilize.

#5: Understanding – We want the people in our lives to understand that we are not a bunch of paranoid hysterical oddballs who are making all of this up for the purpose of calling attention to ourselves and our children. Life-threatening food allergies are a very real condition. And yes, we really do have to take a lot of precautions to keep our kids safe.

#4: Knowledge – Currently the only treatment for life-threatening food allergies is complete avoidance of the offending allergens. Since food, and food residue, is everywhere, parents want to know exactly how to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. What steps do they need to take? What hidden dangers do they need to avoid?

#3: Clear Labels on Packaged Food Products – If there is a chance that a product may contain an allergen that is not included in the ingredient label, the package should say so. But if not, companies should not put “may contain” verbiage on the package.

#2: Safe School Environments – Our kids are not learning disabled and do not need “special education.” But they do need a school environment that is not covered with allergenic food residue, and teachers who are prepared to recognize and treat an allergic reaction.

And the number one thing parents of children with life-threatening food allergies want?

Drum Roll.....

#1: A Cure – Most of all, we want a cure. A real cure – the type of cure that would result in our children being able to eat whatever they wanted to eat, without any risk of an adverse reaction.




Ms. Coss is the author of “How to Manage Your Child’s Life-Threatening Food Allergies,” as well as two popular food allergy cookbooks, “What’s to Eat?” and “What Else is to Eat?” – both of which provide recipes for cooking without dairy, egg, peanut or tree nut ingredients. All three books are available at www.FoodAllergyBooks.com, at Amazon.com, and at various retailers nationwide.

Food Challenge: A Distress Signal

I'm still feeling damaged as I write this post. The trauma of Monday’s food challenge still lingers. It began innocently enough with the allergist saying, “Let’s do a food challenge for egg.”

Great idea, thought the parents. Our nine-year old called the scheduled challenge “the day I’m going to die”.

It’s hard to explain to a child that they should eat a food they’ve been told could make them very sick. We really worked hard to manage his anxiety. We’d been through food challenges with him before, but he’s too young to remember. We explained, and the doctor re-explained, the process. A tiny amount of egg would be given, with increasing amounts over five ingestions. We would wait 20 minutes between each ingestion to see if there would be a reaction.

The hard part was separating the anxiety symptoms from physical symptoms. The first level- no problem. After the second ingestion, he asked if his tongue was swelling. We said no, doctor said no, we proceeded. On to level 3. He asked if there was something on the side of his lip. He thought it felt funny. Nothing there. Proceed to level 4. He said it was hard to breathe. We called the nurse. Breathing fine. His heart rate was up, but everyone thought that was due to anxiety. For the final ingestion, he had to eat the rest of the egg. There were tears and “I hate this. I don’t want to do this.” Doctor came in and said that all was going really well and she expected he’d be able to eat eggs on a regular basis. He forced it down and we waited. A minute later, he vomited a little. Everyone studied the projectile and determined it was mucous. No problem...for a few minutes.

Things began to go downhill and then gathered a fierce pace for a fast descent. He started scratching his back. A little red, no problem. A few minutes later, there was a hive. We wait. Soon, another hive on his stomach. The nurse brought in Benadryl. We wait. Soon he began scratching furiously- all over- and said he felt like he was going to be sick. His skin turned bright red and become rough. Eczema everywhere. He looked really bad. Is there anything more painful than watching your child suffer?

The doctor gave him Zyrtec and a steroid. Minutes later, violent vomiting. The egg came up, but so did the medicine. Apparently the Benadryl had enough time to start to work because over the next hour the skin symptoms started to recede a bit. After four hours with strict instructions to avoid egg, we went home. We had more steroids and antihistamines to give throughout the next 12 hours.

Amazingly, he looked like himself again the following morning.

“That was the worst day of my life,” he said the next day. I remember a few rougher days in his early years, but for him, I agree, this was the worst.

We did learn some things, though:

He now really understands what an allergic reaction is and how he feels when it happens.

I would do a single or double blind challenge IF we ever do a challenge for him again. With an older child who is anxious already, it would be best if the child did not know if they were getting the food or a placebo.

We know without a doubt, that eggs need to be avoided.

He was already dealing with spring allergy symptoms, so we also learned not to schedule a challenge during a season of allergy symptoms.

So, I lost some faith in medical science this week. When it comes to food allergies, we know that skin tests results are often unreliable and that blood test results have a lot of false positives. The true test is a food challenge, but isn’t there a better way to do this? No one should have to go through this- especially our children. I’m still upset, but I know over time this sadness will turn into action. We need better diagnostic tools for food allergy. We must keep pushing education and awareness which will result in more funding and more research. We can do better. I know we can.