PEANUT
PEANUT ALLERGIES. THE CONDITION CAN CAUSE ANXIETY FOR PARENTS WHO 4@
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A POTENTIAL
ACCIDENTAL
EXPOSURE... THAT COULD LEAD TO @
SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION.
A FAMILY IN FALMOUTH NOW HAS
PEACE OF MIND THANKS TO A
BREAK THROUGH TREATMENT THAT IS
HELPING MANAGE THEIR DAUGHTER'S
PEANUT ALLERGIES SAFELY.4@
NEWS CENTER MAINE'S VIVIEN LEIGH
IS HERE TO TELL US MORE.4@
THE
THE RELATIVELY NEW TREATMENT IS CALLED ORAL IMMUNOTHERAPY 4@ OR OIT. A PROCESS OF
DESENSITIZING PATIENTS BY GIVING
THEM4@
INCREASING DOSES OF THE VERY
FOOD THEY ARE ALLERGIC TOO. 4@
4@
4@ ELLE
4@ ELLE FARRAHER EATS PEANUT M&M'S SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, NOT A
BIG DEAL RIGHT? BUT THIS 11-YEA@
OLD IS ACTUALLY SEVERELY
ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS.
ELLE FARRAHER, ALLERGIC TO
PEANUTS.4@
I STILL DRINK WATER TO GET THE
TASTE OUT OF MY MOUTH BUT
OVERALL I AM FINE.
THAT'S BECAUSE T4@HIS ELLE IS
CONSIDERED PEANUT TOLERANT. 4@
SHE DOESN'T WORRY ABOUT
ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE AT4@
BIRTHDAY PARTIES OR IF PEANUTS
END UP IN HER TRICK OR TREAT
BAG.
TWO YEARS AGO AT HALLOWEEN, I
ATE
ATE LIKE
ATE LIKE THIS POPCORN, IT HAD THESE NUTS INSIDE OF IT, I GOT ALL NERVOUS BUT THEN I REALIZE I
WAS FINE. 4@
TESTS REVEALED HER PEANUT
ALLERGY AS A BABY. EVEN A
MICROSCOPIC AMOUNT COULD TRIGGER
HIVES AND RASHES. HER
MOM WAS EXTREMELY ANXIOUS ABOUT
WHAT ELLE COULD
UNKNOWINGLY INJEST AT SCHOOL.
LAURA FARRAHER, ELLE'S MOM.
I COULD NOT FIND COMFORT IN
LETTING HER GO OUT INTO THE 4@
WORLD, HOPING THAT SHE HAD HER
EPI PEN WITH HER.
WHEN ELLE WAS IN FIRST GRADE,
HER PARENTS DISCOVERED ORAL 4@
IMMU4@NOTHERAPY OR OIT. EVERY T
WEEKS,
WEEKS, THAT INVOLVED TRAVELING TO THE NEW ENGLAND FOOD ALLERGY TREATMENT 4@
CENTER IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.
UNDER MEDICAL
SUPERVISON, ELLE STARTED OFF4@
EATING A FEW FLECKS OF PEANUT 4@
PROTEIN MIXED INTO PUDDING.
SOT FULL
SOT FULL
SOT FULL THE FIRST DOSE OF PUDDING THAT
WENT INTO HER MOUTH WI4@TH THAT PEANUT, I WAS ON EDGE.
STEVEN FARRAHER, ELLE'S DAD.
WE WOULD WAIT A HALF AN HOUR AND
SEE HOW SHE WAS DOING WHETHER
SHE HAVE ANY ABDOMINAL PAIN AND
ANY SORT OF REACTION. AN AT
EACH POINT THEY WOULD DOUBLE TH@
DOSE. 4@
I REALLY DIDN'T TASTE LIKE
ANYTHING ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS
SO TINY.4@
ELLE WAS SENT HOME WITH
CONTAINER OF THE DOSE WHICH SHE
HAD TO TAKE DAILY. EVERY TWO
WEEKS, SHE RETURNED TO THE
CENTER FOR LARGER DOSES OF THE4@
POWDER4@. ALL ALONG NO SIGNS
OF PROBLEMS.
STEVEN FARRAHER, ELLE'S DAD.
SLOWLY RAMPING THAT UP TO HIGHER
AND HIGHER LEVELS SO THAT BY
THE END OF THE TREATMENT THE
BODY NO LONGER SEES IT AS
SOMETHING IT HAS TO REACT
VIOLENTLY AGAINST.
NEARLY A YEAR LATER ELLE
GRADUATED TO TOLERATING 104@
PEANUT M&M'S. HER MAINTENANCE
DOSE IS THREE TO FOUR M&M'S
4@
4@ EVERY
4@ EVERY DAY -- SOMETHING SHE MUST
4@ EVERY DAY -- SOMETHING SHE MUST@ DO FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.4@
STEVEN FARRAHER, ELLE'S DAD.4@
MAINTAIN THAT EXPOSURE SO THAT
THE BODY DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE
TO
REVE4@RT BACK.
WHILE OIT IS NOT A CURE WITH
REVE4@RT BACK. WHILE OIT IS NOT A CURE WITH4@ ELLE DESENSITIZED -- SHE SAYS
HER 4@
HER 4@
4@
4@ ALLERGY IS NO LONGER A THREAT IT'S GOOD TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT IT LIKE OTHER KIDS HAVE
TO.
VO
TO. VO
TO. VO ALLOWING HER TO JUST BEING LIKE
ANY OTHER 6TH GRADER,
4@
4@ EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE FDA APPROVED A PEANUT POWDER
TREATMENT,4@
TREATMENT,4@
CALLED
CALLED PALFORZIA, IT'S AN ORAL THERAPY THAT MUST BE TAKEN4@
EVERY
EVERY DA4@Y. THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL POTENTIAL NEW TREATMENTS FOR
PEANUT AND OTHER FOOD ALLE4@RGI.
THE FDA WILL SOON BE4@
EVALUATING A PEANUT "PATCH4@" TO
HELP PREVENT REACTIONS FROM
ACCIDENTAL INGESTION.
IS4@ THIS TREATMENT CONSIDERED A
CURE FOR PEANUT ALLERGIES? AND4@
ARE
ARE THERE
ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS? THE MOST COMMON ONES ARE STOMACH PAIN, AND ITCHY MOUTH 4@
AND THROAT. NOW ORAL THERAPY IS
NOT A CURE, BUT THE TREATMENT
4@
4@ MAKES
4@ MAKES PATIENT LESS AT RISK FOR AN ALLERGIC REACTION. WE'LL 4@
HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS
NEW TREATMENT ON
OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
APP.4@4@
APP.4@4@