1st flight with a food allergy....

[momtoAidenDeclan]

What do I need to know??

I need to bring epis and benadryl on board with me - in addition to that I need to carry our over the counter meds and my albuterol inhaler...what do I need from the doctors to say that this is all necessary and what do I ask for when I call the airlines ahead of time?

THANKS!

[GingerPye]

I have always carried a letter from the dr explaining the epis.  I have never had to show it to anyone.  I didn't even carry the letter the last flight.  If the epis are in a prescription box or the prescription label is on the epis, you are good to go.  Even that is not necessary from my experience.  I put them in my carryon luggage; they go through the xray machine; and not a word is said.  I'm sure they see them all the time.  Same thing with inhalers and other meds.  I just make sure I have the prescription label for everything, just in case.

Call ahead about peanut allergy, and then when you check in, when you board the plane, etc.  Tell each person along the line.

[hezzier]

I've never travelled with a letter explaining the epis, but I do carry the emergency action plan with a doc's signature.  I put all the medicine in a gallon zip lock bag and pull it out so they can inspect it if they want to.  Depending on the airport, I have had TSA check the benadryl (has always been a partial used bottle) by waving a swab over the top of the open bottle then testing the swab to make sure its' not a volatile substance.

Since we are not PA, I do not call ahead nor do I wipe down the seats.  We do however always use a wipe before eating our own food on the plane.  I usually pack enough pre-packaged snacks to last a few days as well as 6-8 sun butter sandwiches, baby carrots, and apple slices so in case we get stuck somewhere and can't find anything for DS to eat.  As soon as we are through security, the first stop is water/drinks.

If we are going somewhere than I think finding sun butter will be difficult, then I carry an unopened jar in by suitcase.

[Janelle205]

I've never traveled with a letter either - and I normally have 6-8 epis when I fly.  I've only gotten problems at one tiny, tiny regional airport.  She let me through, they just apparently felt that they needed to take out each one and examine it.

I put all of my meds on the top of my carry-on in gallon size ziploc bags.  I'm basically a travelling pharmacy, so I usually have my travel neb, then two bags of meds.  I take the neb and the med bags out my carry-on before sending through the scanner.  If you need to bring a neb, they will inspect that separately - have every time that I flew.  At some airports they will wave test strips over liquid meds (for me, cough syrup, desonide lotion, etc.)  If anyone in your family needs Miralax for any medical reason, I'd put that in the med bag too - it shows up wonky on x-ray machines and freaked tsa people out twice before I started separating it.


Other note - while I put the majority of my epis in my carryon and stow it overhead, I keep two and my emergency puffers in purse or on a belt loop so that if anything bad happens, I don't need to fool with trying to get my luggage out of the bin to stab myself.

[GingerPye]

good point, Janelle.  My kids each have their own epi bags that are not with the carry-on luggage.  DS just wears his epi bag -- it is too small to put under the seat.  DD's epis are in her purse.  I wouldn't want to have to search for my bag up above,  lug it out of the overhead bin, and open it for the epis in an emergency.

[hezzier]

Yes, I put all the epis in a gallon zip lock and then once through security put at least one epi kit (2 epis and benadryl) back together for easy access.  My bag is always under the seat in front of me since it always has the food and water supply as well.

[GingerPye]

We take LOTS and LOTS of snacks. ...... my big fear is that we'll be on the tarmac for HOURS.

[krasota]

I put our epis, my inhaler, spare mini bottle of saline solution, benadryl spoons for DS in a gallon ziploc and put it in a tray with any other pull items in our carry ons.  We usually have a quart bag with some snacks (squeezy sauce, guacamole packs) that need to be pulled. I've had questions about the epi-pens--not problems-- I don't carry a letter and the labels I stick on them from the prescription label sheet sometimes wear off. 

I do wipe down our seats and preboard if possible.  Kiddo is contact reactive to some things and I'm contact reactive to soy and gluten, among some other things.  Our epis stay within reach of me--I sometimes switch them to kiddo's laptop lunch bag, which tends to stay out through the entire flight so that he can snack.  We usually pack lunchmeat, cheese, celery, frozen peas, wholly guacamole snack packs, tortilla chips, and whatever greens he feels like eating.  I keep a pack of wipes handy, too, usually slotted in a gap under his carseat (he's young, so he rides in an installed carseat on flights).

[my3guys]

Well, we're actually going to do it!  We're finally bringing the kids on a plane.

I'm planning to fly jet blue and contact them in advance. I'd like to pre-board and wipe stuff down.

I'm most concerned about peanuts, which it sounds (?) like jet blue doesn't serve.  I like the idea of a buffer area.  DS reaction history: he's not contact reactive.  But lots of peanut dust flying around at a ball game seemed to trigger a headache and dizziness which resolved with Benadryl.  I guess he may have gotten some residue on his hands and then ate?  And yes I know dizziness could have clearly been a sign to use epi.  We're going on a flight a little over two hours, so I feel pretty good about it for our first flight.

I've read the jet blue thread, and this one, if anyone can think of anything else to add, please do!