Severe Cashew Reaction
My son has his first reaction to cashews at 17 months of age. We were on a playdate and he ate crackers that were on the same plate as some cashew nut butter. His reaction was very severe. It started with hives on his face and swollen lips. The on-call pediatrician instructed us to give Benadryl and said we could watch and wait, sit in the parking lot of the Emergency Room (ER), or simply go to the ER. By the time we arrived 10 minutes later, he was lethargic. We rushed into the ER and he was given a variety of treatments. Epinephrine was discussed, but not given. Since that time, treatment guidelines for food allergies have changed. Given the same reaction today, he would absolutely receive epinephrine. We sat in the ER for four hours watching the reaction progress down his body. He was miserable. Over the next few days, the skin on his abdomen blistered and peeled like a chemical burn.
Allergy testing confirmed a severe cashew allergy. Pistachio is in the same family, so we were instructed to avoid that as well. In fact, his reaction was so severe that it was suggested we remove all tree nuts and peanuts from our home: although he didn't test positive for allergies to any other nuts, tree nuts and peanuts are frequently processed on the same equipment resulting in cross-contamination.
He already had severe milk and egg allergies. I remember walking through the grocery store in a daze, looking at labels and wondering how to safely feed my son. I stood in the frozen foods aisle and started to cry. It was so overwhelming. And because I was still breastfeeding, my diet had to be meticulous as well. I learned that lesson the hard way when I ate french fries that were "allergen free" but cooked in oil with products breaded with dairy and egg: my son wound up in the ER vomiting blood. Food allergies were certainly not something to be taken lightly.
It's been nearly five years and we have successfully avoided another reaction to cashews! In other posts, I'm going to share strategies we've used to keep him safe, as well as our in-progress journey through desensitization.