Category Archives: Allergy Medications

Five Tips to Make Traveling with a Food Allergy Easier

Posted on by

As the holiday season quickly approaches, you might be thinking about making some travel plans. Maybe you’re thinking about traveling to a place that’s familiar, or want to catch some sight-seeing at a place far away.  Either way, it’s not always easy to travel and manage your food allergy, while enjoying local cuisine, but these 5 tips can make it a little easier for you.

  1. Carry a food allergy card in multiple languages

If you’re traveling somewhere where people may not share the same language as you it can be beneficial to carry a card that lists your food allergies in the language or languages spoken at your destination. Make sure that your cards clearly list which foods you can’t eat, rather than just stating what you’re allergic to.

  1. Order with extreme caution

According to Dr. Alyson Pidich, the medical director of the Ash Center, in New York City, and a food allergy specialist, you shouldn’t assume that what you’re eating is safe. Just because your trigger food isn’t listed on an ingredient list, doesn’t mean you should just assume that its fine. Certain foods and drinks, in particular, including sauces, salad dressings, soups and cocktails hide common allergens such as wheat, nuts, dairy and shellfish. It’s always better to be extra cautious.

  1. Bring your own food stash

It’s a smart idea to pack plenty of snacks and a few meal replacement options on your trip, if you can. There’s nothing worse than going hungry on your trip because you can’t find enough safe food to eat. Good options to pack are nonperishable foods like protein shakes, jerky, dried fruits, or nuts (if you aren’t allergic to nuts).

  1. Consider booking a hotel room or a Airbnb with a kitchen

Having access to a kitchen means you can prepare some meals for yourself. This also cuts down on the stress of not being able to find allergy-safe food to eat.

  1. Don’t forget your allergy medicine

Even if your food allergy isn’t severe, you shouldn’t leave home without your allergy medicine. Don’t assume you can buy what you need locally, depending on where you go. It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. You should also make sure to familiarize yourself with your destination’s rules and regulations about prescription (and nonprescription) medication, so you’ll make it through customs with your medicine.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/28/travel/five-tips-to-make-traveling-with-a-food-allergy-easier.html

Label Mix-Up Prompts Montelukast Recall

Posted on by

Camber Pharmaceuticals is recalling one lot of montelukast sodium tablets because the bottles are labeled “montelukast sodium tablets, 10-mg, 30-count” but actually contain 90 tablets of losartan potassium, 50 mg.

“This tablet mix-up may pose a safety risk as taking losartan tablets when not prescribed has the potential to cause renal dysfunction, elevated potassium levels and low blood pressure,” the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns in a news release.

“This risk is especially high for pregnant women taking the allergy and asthma medication montelukast because losartan, which is indicated to treat high blood pressure, could harm or kill the fetus,” the FDA says.

The lot number for the recalled product is MON17384, the expiration date is 12/31/2019, and the national drug code is 31722-726-30.

“We want to ensure that patients who take montelukast are aware of this recall due to the serious risks associated with taking losartan in its place,” said Donald Ashley, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Patients who take prescription drugs expect and deserve to have the medication their doctor prescribed.”

The FDA is asking patients to contact their healthcare provider or pharmacist to determine whether their montelukast medication has been recalled.

To date, Camber has not received adverse event reports associated with this recall. The FDA encourages healthcare professionals and consumers to report adverse events to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.

 

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/901490?nlid=124774_3901&src=wnl_newsalrt_180831_MSCPEDIT&uac=63260ER&impID=1727667&faf=1

Great News for Patients-Extended Expiration Dates for Select Lots of EpiPen 0.3 mg Auto-Injectors

Posted on by

On Aug. 21, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced to extend the expiration dates of specific lots of EpiPen 0.3 mg Auto-Injectors and its authorized generic version. Patients should have confidence in using the products from these particular lots as Pfizer works to stabilize supply, which is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Pfizer and Mylan’s recommendation to extend the expiration dates of specific lots, and the FDA’s decision were based on a careful review of data provided by Pfizer. We believe the extension of the expiration date will temporarily address patients’ access to and use of EpiPen 0.3 mg Auto-Injectors, and its authorized generic, particularly during back-to-school season as demand increases.

The affected lots, which have current expiration dates between April 2018 and December 2018, are listed in tables in the expandable sections below and can also be found on FDA’s website. The extension of the expiration dates does not apply to EpiPen Jr (epinephrine injection, USP) 0.15 mg Auto-Injectors and its authorized generic version. Patients should continue to adhere to the manufacturer’s expiry date labeled on EpiPen Jr 0.15 mg and Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injectors 0.15 products.

https://www.epipen.com/en/about-epipen-and-generic/supply-information

Some Patients are Receiving AUVI-Q for $0 Out-of-Pocket

Posted on by

I ran across a discussion in one of my allergy Facebook groups the other day in which members were discussing the AUVI-Q  epinephrine auto-injector.  (Most of us are more familiar with the brand Epi-Pen.)  The AUVI-Q is an alternate brand of epinephrine auto-injector used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic reactions.

This brand boasts features such as a retractable needle, voice instructions, and a two-second countdown.  The most exciting part of the conversation is that people were talking about getting the auto-injector for $0 out-of-pocket. So- I thought I’d pass along the information here.  Please conduct your own research and talk to your prescriber for more information about which auto-injector is best for you.

What is allergy immunotherapy?

Posted on by

Allergy immunotherapy is a form of long-term treatment that decreases symptoms for many people with allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, conjunctivitis (eye allergy) or stinging insect allergy.

Allergy immunotherapy treats the cause of your allergies, not just the symptoms. It builds tolerance by exposing your immune system to small amounts of what you’re allergic to on a regular basis. This can be done with weekly injections of “allergy shots,” the daily self-administration of “allergy drops” or “allergy toothpaste”, or by taking dry “allergy tablets”.

Over time, immunotherapy changes your immune system so that it is more “tolerant” of the allergens. As allergen tolerance grows, your allergies and their symptoms decrease, sometimes to the point that an allergy sufferer does not notice them anymore. Immunotherapy may also prevent conditions that often go along with allergies, like chronic sinusitis or asthma.