km4

Doctoressa- I didn't even think of a mask. Great idea!! Yes, I will need to bring benedryl in addition to the epipen. Also, since she has asthma and uses the nebulizer I will need to bring that on the plane, too. I carried all of this a few months back on the short plane trip we took. She takes daily Pulmocort treatments to help with her asthma. No sensitization treatments. What exactly does this involve?

fdecarlo

Allergies come in all sizes and strengths, and on any commercial flight a certain percentage of passengers can be relied upon to not follow directions, or simply not care about other people's well being. If your child's allergy is severe enough to be potentially life threatening, you seriously need to weight the risk vs. benefit of taking her on this flight, and I can't imagine a vacation ever being as important as someone's life.

I know if it was my kid, and she had a potentially life threatening allergy to a common food, I'd certainly look into other options such as chartered flights, private pilot hires etc.

Anyway, best of luck and I wish you and your family safe travels.

skatedancer

You cannot get sensitization treatments for a peanut allergy. These are when you receive minute amounts of the allergen on a weekly / biweekly basis by injection, with the amounts increasing over time. This way, if you are exposed to the allergy in the "real world" your body has developed some sensititivity to it and will not attack it as an invader.

This works for some allergens, but you cannot do it for peanuts, and probably most foods.

I think that when someone asks the airline to restrict peanuts on a flight, they are not going to worry about everything that anyone else eats; they are simply asking not to have the allergen itself on the plane in the form of peanuts and peanut butter.

taitai

Actually, there are some drugs that might help although most are in clinical trials. TMX 901 (I think that is it) has shown great promise at desensitizing those with peanut allergies and is scheduled to come to market in about 2 or 3 years. Also, there was a clinical study at Duke, I think it was Duke, in which participants were given small doses of doctored peanut butter over a period of time and that shows promise.

None of this will help you with your upcoming flight but it is just evidence that things won't always be so scary. Good luck with whatever you chose.

Taitai

ksb04

I can confirm this is possible with certain airlines. I've just booked and confirmed peanut-free flights for our family holiday with Singapore Airlines. 4 different flights in total- and no nuts.
You'll need a letter from your doctor to confirm the action. I'd also look at getting atleast 1 more Epipen to take with you. 1 Epipen only buys you 15 minutes.
Kathy

MelissaBeckoff

How can the airline be sure that all passengers are going to follow this rule?
What about a passenger who eats peanuts before boarding the plane and still has it on their breath?

I would be scared if this was my child.
Melissa

NeoPatrick

Not only before boarding the plane, but these days people carry all kinds of snacks on board. How on earth can you prevent every passenger from having a pack of peanuts in a purse or pocket?

ksb04

If 20 of 150 people were to open packets of peanuts- this "may" result in a symptoms similar to those of a person suffering hayfever. If 150 people were to open packets of peanuts- this "may" result in the above reaction including wheezing, swelling of the throat, and ultimatelt death as the airway swells so tight that the person suffocates.
If however (for arguments sake) a person within close contact were to open a packet of peanuts, then the reaction would fall under the latter. Obviously, being fairly close one would hope to smell (yes, if you don't consume peanuts regularly you can actually smell them a mile away) them and take appropriate action ie: ask the person nicely if they'd mind closing their packet of peanuts and if necessary, buying them an alternative snack.

I'm appalled at the reaction by some of you. I'd love for you to witness a small child gasping for their last breath all because you wanted to enjoy licking the salty remains of your cheap peanut snack from your fingers.

This is life people. We do our best to offer people with disabilities (mental or physical) a fair chance at life, and sometimes this taking the road less travelled.

NeoPatrick

Ksb04, whom are you scolding? I haven't read in fine detail all the postings, but I see overwhelming concern and support for this problem. Who is saying otherwise? I certainly hope you don't judge comments like mine that question how possible it is to control this "peanut free" flight with suggesting that it isn't a life threatening issue.
There is a big difference between making an announcement that no one can bring peanuts on a plane and thinking that they won't. That's the only real issue here that some of us feel is the real danger. Surely you aren't so naive as to think that people actually would obey such a request?

Have some posts been removed that you are referring to? I just don't see anyone giving a reaction that you should be "appalled by".

Wednesday

What if they make the announcement in several languages but there are pax that maybe speak something else who don't understand it and whip out that PB & J ? Especially confirming a peanut free flight on a foreign leg, there will be people from all over the world flying. I just don't see how it can be 100% guaranteed

bennyb

Peanut allergies are serious and can be life-threatening. My son cannot eat nuts, wheat, or soy.

However, allergies are not a "disability" in that they do not "substantially" impair any major activity, even eating. We need to stop labeling people. He has an allergy, he is not disabled.

ksb04

"Ksb04, whom are you scolding? I haven't read in fine detail all the postings, but I see overwhelming concern and support for this problem. Who is saying otherwise?"

Clearly the posts have been removed.

If you (generalisation) read my last post, you will see I refer to the possible scenario of 20 or so passengers bringing their own peanuts aboard.

I do label anaphylaxis as a disability. Why? It's a serious impairment that affects my daughters life a serious way. My daughter is anaphylactic to dairy, peanuts, treenuts and egg. She also has a non threatening allergy to soy. My daughter cannot come into contact with trace amounts of the above, but her dairy allergy is the worst. One drop of dairy (skin contact) can send her into anaphylactic shock and without her Epipen (adrenaline injection) she can die. Disability- I think so!

Peanuts and seafood are two allergens that have the potential to cause a reaction through airborne particles ie: smell. Removing all her allergies from a flight would naive and ridiculous, but peanuts I assure you is not. If I (or anyone) can limit the amount of peanuts onboard, then it makes flying a possiblity. My child shouldn't be denied this experience anymore than a child in a wheelchair. I remember when disabled access was unheard of, it won't be long before peanuts are removed from the inflight snack menu all together. Obviously control cannot be taken over passengers, but as I've previously mentioned the numbers are minimal enough.