Six Food Allergy Happenings You May Have Missed Over the Holidays

New Year's Eve

So, the decorating and present buying and singing of Auld Lang Syne is done. While you've been enjoying the holiday season with family and friends, here are a few items related to food allergies that you may have missed:

Epi Injectors

• The date has been set for the 2nd Annual 2014 Food Allergy Bloggers Conference. Start saving your frequent flier miles for a trip to Las Vegas Sept. 26-28.
• Mylan is extending their $0 copay for EpiPens through 2014. Go to Epipen.com for details.
• Sanofi is also extending their $0 copay program for Auvi-Q  through 2014. Go to their website for details.
• The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Team has formed to educate, advocate, and raise awareness for all individuals and families affected by food allergies and life-threatening anaphylaxis. 
• KFA is offering a free webinar on 504 Plans and Individualized Halthcare plans. Sign up for the January 14 event and learn how laws protect food allergic students.
• FARE has partnered with Research Match to help connect patients with food allergy studies.

 Did I miss anything? My mind may still be a bit fuzzy after too

Chocolate Chip Cookies

much "sparkling cider" and too many holiday cookies....

EpiPen With Zero Copay

EpiPen

Mylan, is one of the world’s leading generics and specialty pharmaceutical companies, and is also the maker of EpiPen^®

The company is celebrating 25 years of the auto-injector that is used to treat anaphylaxis due to a severe allergic reaction. The celebration means a $0 copay for families through December 31, 2013. This offer is valid for up to three EpiPen 2-Pak cartons or EpiPen Jr 2-Pak cartons per prescription, with an unlimited number of prescriptions until the end of the year. Before you go fill your next EpiPen prescription, head on over to Epipen.com and request a coupon for your $0 co-pay. 

I know this will benefit many of you who have no insurance coverage for auto-injectors or those of us who rack up a big bill on co-pays for multiple injectors.

Lemon Blueberry Cake- Yum!

This celebration calls for some cake. How about some dairy and wheat-free, egg-free, nut and peanut free cake?  

I do love a celebration!

Consider Body Weight When Using an Epinephrine Injector

EpiPen Injector

When a person experiences anaphylaxis, a life threatening reaction to foods, bees, latex or other causes, the best course of action is to administer epinephrine quickly and effectively. Typically, this means using an epinephrine auto-injector (like an EpiPen or Auvi-Q) and injecting into the side of the upper leg.

A recent study conducted in the U.K. found that the injection site may vary depending upon body weight. Using ultrasound to take skin surface to muscle depth measurements, researchers found that higher weight and waist circumference were linked to a skin surface to muscle depth measurement greater than the length of the auto-injector needle. This means the epinephrine was not getting into the muscle where it would be more rapidly absorbed.

The study concluded that it may be beneficial to inject further down the leg where skin surface to muscle depth surpassed the length of the auto-injector needle for a majority of kids. 

Auvi-Q Auto Injector

Talk to your doctor (and share the press release, Injecting Epinephrine into the Lower Rather Than Upper Thigh May Be More Effective in Overweight Children) if you have concerns about weight and the effectiveness of an epinephrine injector. Make sure that the prescribed auto-injector user and all caregivers are aware of the best place to administer the injection to maximize the benefits of the medication.