FAAM - FOOD ALLERGY ALLIANCE OF THE MIDSOUTH
  • Home
  • Join FAAM
  • About
  • Give
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Connect

Ask the Allergist

7/31/2017

0 Comments

 
by Dr. Jay Lieberman, FAAM's Medical Advisor

Q:

Hi, my 23 month old son was diagnosed with anaphylaxis to peanuts at 21 months along with an allergy to cat and dog dander. With all the new research coming out lately about allergies I would like to know if it is possible to reverse allergies, specifically his peanut allergy, and if so what steps would we take? Thank you for taking the time to respond.

A:

Thank you for your excellent question.
As of now, there is no known “cure” for food allergies. Currently, the only form of treatment available that is being studied is allergen-specific immunotherapy.  This is where the allergic patient is exposed to the allergen in some form (e.g. swallowed, under the tongue, or through the skin via a patch) over time.  Typically the allergen is given initially in very small quantities and increased over time (not the case with the patch). This is also known as desensitization and utilizes the same concept as allergy shots.  The idea is that slow exposure over time, perhaps using various routes, will switch the patient’s immune response to that allergen.
Currently, there is no FDA-approved form of this treatment.  However, there are many ongoing studies of various forms of immunotherapy for food allergies, with the hopes that one day we will have approved, effective treatments for food allergies.

To the best of our knowledge to date, these treatments are effective in desensitizing the patient to the allergen, or as you state, reversing the allergy.  Studies of most forms of food-immunotherapy suggest that it works in the majority of patients as long as they can tolerate the treatment (many patients have had side effects to the treatment such as allergic reactions or stomach problems that do not allow them to continue the treatment).  This means that as long as the patient continues to be exposed to the allergen on a regular basis, they can tolerate more of the allergen than before the treatments started.  However, this does not necessarily mean the allergy is “cured”.  A few studies have shown that some patients continued to be desensitized to the allergen even months after stopping the therapy.  However, this has only been shown in some patients and should not (at least at this time) be considered the expected result of immunotherapy.

As mentioned, there are ongoing studies around the world examining these treatments to various foods (peanut being the most frequently studied).  If you are interested in learning more about these studies, I recommend visiting ClinicalTrials, which is a website sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and should list all ongoing studies, searchable by condition, if they are enrolling subjects, and sites of enrollment.

​There are some private practices that offer this treatment.  To my knowledge, there are not any in the Memphis area.  Whether this service should be offered through a non-research protocol, at a regular allergist’s office has been debated at the national stage with strong feelings on both sides.  If this is an interest of yours, I unfortunately cannot give any recommendations regarding this. 
​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Food for Thought is the blog for the Food Allergy Alliance of the Mid-South. FAAM's mission is to provide food allergy support, education, advocacy, fellowship & fun for Memphis, TN and surrounding areas.

    Archives

    August 2023
    March 2022
    October 2021
    March 2020
    October 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    504 Plan
    Adults
    Ask An Advisor
    Awareness
    Education
    Events
    Fundraising
    Giveaway
    Holidays
    Meetings
    Newly Diagnosed
    Review
    School
    Support

    Terms of Use Disclaimer:
    By using this site, you are agreeing to the terms of use stated. If you do not agree with these terms, please do not use this site. 
    The content on this web site and any information presented by FAAM is for informational purposes only and NOT a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The authors are not offering individual medical advice; this material is for reference only. A physician or other qualifying medical professional should always be consulted for medical advice/diagnosis. The authors of this web site; anyone associated with FAAM as members, advocates, leaders, or advisors; Friends of FAAM and/or anyone involved with the production of this web site are not responsible, and do not assume responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, illness, death, or other negative impact that may occur after reading and using the information on this web site. 
    ​
    If you have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately and follow up with a physician.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Providing support, education, advocacy, & fellowship for the food allergy community ​of Memphis, TN and surrounding areas
P.O. Box 342907   |   Memphis, Tennessee 38184-2907   |   (901) 300-0790    |   Email FAAM
FAAM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Copyright © 2015-2024, Food Allergy Alliance of the MidSouth, All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • Join FAAM
  • About
  • Give
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Connect