SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —Like many parents of peanut allergy sufferers, Geena Lee said she used to be “that parent” who always checked ingredients at kids’ birthday parties, restaurants and school celebrations.
That’s because her 10-year-old son, Michael, has a life-threatening peanut allergy.
“I’d be rushed to the emergency room because I was a lot more allergic to peanuts than I am now,” said Michael, as he sat in his allergist’s office.
But now, Michael is eating 8-12 peanuts a day as part of a pioneering peanut desensitization program developed by Mercy Medical Group doctors Rubina Inamdar and Binita Mandal.
“Fifteen years ago we used to tell people with peanut allergies ‘don’t eat peanuts,'” said Dr. Inamdar. “We now think that was bad advice.”
Instead, Inamdar is leading a non-research-based immunotherapy program in which peanut allergy sufferers eat increasingly larger doses of peanuts in order to build up a tolerance to eating peanuts.
Michael Lee was one of the first children to successfully reach the maintenance stage of the program.
“If we have a way to prevent the most life-threatening food allergies out there, we should jump all over it,” said Inamdar.
The program is open to the public, but requires a strict adherence to medical visits and protocols and must be done under close medical supervision, said Inamdar.
But it’s a sacrifice of time and effort that Michael’s mother said could prove a literal life saver.
“He hasn’t had a single reaction since he started this program. I don’t need to worry about every little food he eats,” said Geena Lee.
For more information about this program, you can visit mymercymedicalgroup.org.
TRANSCRIPT: New research out this week on how to treat potentially deadly peanut allergies is leading two sacramento doctors to highlight what they are doing in this community. Mike Teselle explains why those pioneering doctors say the best advice for dealing with life-threatening peanut allergies may be to eat peanuts, not avoid them.
For years doctors have told kids with peanut allergies to avoid peanuts and all products containing peanuts. For parents and the children, that meant saying no to countless earth day takes another school treats. Countless birthday cakes and other school treats. Now Michael Lee is proving that may not be the best and safest option. He’s being called patient zero in a research program created by two Sacramento area doctors. In the program, kids are being fed peanuts in increasing amounts to desensitize their immune systems to peanuts.
Michael’s mother, who told me her son had previous reactions that were so serious he had to be hospitalized, now eats eight peanuts today without being fear — being afraid of being rushed to the hospital. “I do not have to worry about every little food that he has consumed.” Mike: this peanut desensitization program is now open to the public. Keep in mind, this is not something to try at home, and it is a time intensive desensitization program that he has done under strict medical supervision. The doctor stressed that this program requires strict adherence to medical visits and must the done under close medical supervision in her office.
To see the full story vist the KRCA site
Visit Dr. Inamdar’s listing
Visit Dr. Mandal’s listing
