Can You Trust Again? Post-Allergy Trauma

Sept. 9, 2008 — -- Gina Clowes thought the hard candy her son had just eaten was safe for his multitude of food allergies. The candy turned out to be a chewy variety that triggered a severe allergic reaction.

"You look at the clock and seconds are all taking a minute," said Clowes, who had given her son a shot of epinephrine to counteract the attack and was waiting for the reaction to subside.

"I was the one thing he could trust," she said. And, in this instance, "I goofed."

Trust can be a tricky concept for many individuals and families dealing with severe and potentially fatal allergies. Although doctors say some anxiety and fear is good because it promotes the vigilance required to be safe, a frightening allergic episode can heighten anxiety to the point where moving on seems impossible -- and even unwanted.

Clowes, founder of the community resource site AllergyMoms.com, said her son, now in second grade, still remembers the frightening incident. For a long time afterward, he repeatedly asked whether Clowes had read the nutrition labels on foods.

Going into anaphylactic shock is fast and scary. As soon as an allergen triggers the release of histamine molecules by the immune system, a person can experience itching, swelling, hives, trouble breathing, cramping, vomiting and diarrhea. A shot of epinephrine, or adrenaline, is the only effective way to manage an allergic reaction like this. Anaphylactic shock can be fatal if not treated in time.

"It's literally like being in a car accident," Clowes said. "You are drained, you are shaking to your core because your life was just in danger or you endangered another life."

The most common allergens are to foods, medication, insect stings and latex, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. In the United States, food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis, resulting in about 30,000 visits to emergency rooms.

Dr. Robert Wood, chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, said post-attack trauma depends on three factors: personality, severity of the attack and the circumstances of the exposure.