Peanut allergy question

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Is it possible for a person with peanut-allergy to have a reaction from just smelling peanut butter? For example, take a big spoonful of PB and have it under their nose, could that cause a reaction?

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Is it possible for a person with peanut-allergy to have a reaction from just smelling peanut butter? For example, take a big spoonful of PB and have it under their nose, could that cause a reaction?

yes, i was in the doctor's office with my son. the office is divided into 3 sitting areas, one divided from the other by either a half wall or a play area. anyway, one of the other mom's opened up a snack bag of peanut butter crackers. in the section i was sittin in, a kid started turning red, and wheezing. the child was approximately 10-12. they rushed him in the back. needless to say the lady's crackers had to go. the smell of the peanut butter was all it took.......side note, my son is allergic to flour ( no cakes, cookies, pasta, etc). when he goes to my moms house and she makes bread, he could be in another room and start sneezing. fresh flour really gets him, however once its cooked, it has to be ingested or touched for him to get sick.

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I worked at a daycare once that had a child with a bad peanut allergy. Just taking a snack with peanut butter down the hallway could cause a reaction. I was amazed!

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Agree w/ OPs. This isn't really an allergic reaction but......

if I smell something strong whether it be a particular cleaner, deodorizer, perfume, whatever....if it hits me in the wrong way, I will get that taste on my tongue and am sure to have bad bad bad BAD heartburn a couple hours later. Now how kooky is that??? :uhoh3:

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:rotfl: When I first read the title of this thread I read "Question from the Peanut 'Gallery' ". Guess being up 47 hours is wearing on me....LOLOLOLOLOLOL

No offense intended to the poster.

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Specializes in ER.

I have a friend that has gone into anaphylaxis form a person opening a package of peanuts in the same room as her. Thankfully she had her epi pen in her bag. I gave it to her and she had ot get more at the ER to stop it.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Nursing Education.

The microscopic particles go airborne (like, when you open a new bag of chips or a bag of crackers) and this causes the reaction.

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Well, the reason I ask is because my 5 year old daughter had quite a reaction. I had a little cup of peanut butter in my bedroom, and she had checked it out. She swore up and down that she didn't touch it or taste it, but she just looked at it and smelled it. Not long later, she was coughing, nasal congestion, wheezing or stridor I'm not sure, tachy heart rate and respiratory rate, and had hives. :o Needless to say, I gave her some benadryl, and nebulized albuterol, had the epi-pen ready. She turned the corner about 7-8 minutes after that. I realize the next exposure could be worse. So I am in the process of making an action plan and kit to keep at the school.

I guess all the PB in the house has to go!

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

My daughter's college freshman year a student anaphylaxed in the cafeteria from just such circumstance. She died.

Make sure your child has a medic alert and that ANYONE near her..... teachers etc knows her allergy.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

My cousing is allegic to peanuts and just the smell of them or having it near her will give her a reaction. Very strange and interesting.

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This was definitely a new thing for my daughter. The normal reaction that I have seen has usually been red, puffy, itchy eyes, from touching PB then rubbing her eyes. So, this was the first time she has had a body-wide reaction. So, I am now in the process of working with her kindergarten teacher (school starts in September), and requesting a PB-free classroom, and getting an epi-pen, benadryl and an action plan just for her up there.

Wish me luck. I really hope they are willing to work with me on this one. Worst case scenario, I live close to the school and the school is about 3 blocks from the hospital where I work.

There is one school nurse for the school district. She may spend a total of 4 hours in the school during 1 week. Her job is primarily paperwork. All of the first-aid is done primarily by office staff. Comforting, huh?

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