This year's trip to the allergist

[SpudBerry]

Well, we've been to the allergist.

Baby A's peanut RAST results - 2.07 - up from 0.68 previously.
Baby B's peanut RAST results - 97.0 - woo hoo - we're back on the charts     

My 1st thought - is that when I launch into peanut allergy 101 with non pa people - I explain to them that a peanut RAST range is from 0 to 100 and anything over 0.35 is considered allergic and anything over 2.0 puts you into the life threatening category.  Now honestly I don't know where I got that bit of info - and now I'm wondering if it is even true.  Because the doctor didn't seem phased at all by the fact that he was now over my mentally magical number of 2.0.  And for some unknown reason - I was too embarrassed to ask her about it because she didn't seem worried - plus I didn't want to say that in front of my son.

And I do realize that it doesn't matter in the real world anyway - we've always treated him like his was life threatening too - because that is how we treat peanut  allergies in this family.  But my question to fine folks is this - is the number 2.0 on a RAST really any bench mark I should be worried about?

My second thought was one of the topics the doctor brought up when I prompted her a little on the dangers of entering adolescence while dealing with life threatening food allergies.  She launched into a pretty big conversation about drugs & drinking and allergies.  Something that I had never put together & worried about yet.  She said that kids that are drunk or stoned are more likely to eat things they are not sure of.  They are less likely to be helped if they are having a reaction because people think they are just drunk or stoned.  And the person with the allergy is less likely to ask for help for fear of getting in trouble for being drunk or stoned.  E-gads - something else to keep me up worried about at night.

[SilverLining]

Hi Spud.  Nice to see you again. 

I know nothing about RAST, so I can't help you with your question.  But, is the baby 97.0 or is that a typo?

As for teens, the doctor pointed out very real concernns.  I'll add that peanut can be unlabeled in alcohol so checking in advance is necessary.

[SpudBerry]

He's not really a baby - I just call them that A & B for old time sake - they are both 12.  And yes - Mikes' (my Baby B) is 97.0 - but in previous years he's been completely off the charts - they stop counting at 100.  So we jokingly razz him about being on the charts again - even though with numbers that high - it really doesn't matter.

I didn't know they could have un-labeled peanut in alcohol.  I'll have to check into that.

[socks on a rooster]

A higher rast means that a reaction is more likely to occur. It doesn't predict the severity of the reaction though and it may also mean that the allergy is going to be persistent and not outgrown.

[Janelle205]

Definitely agreed on the alcohol points. In the US at least, alcohol does not have to have any ingredients list on it.  I contact manufacturers for EVERY type of alcohol that I drink.  You may have a little bit more of leeway on this with a nut allergy, because I know that there are some definite avoids and typically safe things alcohol wise in that realm, but I have life-threatening fruit allergies, and alcoholic beverages are full of that kind of stuff. 

As for keeping yourself safe and noticing a reaction, I very rarely drink enough that I would feel uncomfortable reading a label and assessing food safety.  There are only a few occasions where I would be comfortable being that intoxicated.  One: I am home, and staying there - all the foods here for me are safe, at least at a necessary level.  We do have a few foods that I don't like with my minor allergens, but we don't have any of my life threatening allergens in the house.  Other circumstance: I used to have a friend who would sometimes be our designated driver who I felt I could literally trust with my life.  I would check all of the mixers and brands with the bartender before drinking, and he would check to make sure all my refills were the same.  We'd often stop at a gas station or grocery to get munchies on the way back home, and he'd pull one of my allergen cards out of my purse and check the ingredients before he'd let me buy anything.  (In fact, a couple of times he wouldn't let me buy safe things because he was worried about something or other in them - commonly soy oil - I only have problems with the protein, thankfully.)

Definitely something that I would talk to about with teens & college students.  Not only will being intoxicated make it less likely you'll notice that a reaction is starting (and with some reactions, you really don't have that much time to act before things get really ugly), but there's also the peer pressure aspect of not wanting to say anything if you notice something, because you don't want to ruin the party.  But not wanting to ruin the party is not worth dying.  And yes, that seems dramatic, but it really is that serious.