Peanut Allergy Oral Immunotherapy: Our 7+ Year Experience

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If you are looking for oral immunotherapy information and experience, you’ve come to the right place.

In 2011 I enrolled my peanut allergic son in an oral immunotherapy (OIT) clinical trial at Children’s Hospital in Boston. We had been dealing with food allergies since he was 18 months old, and were excited to participate in a study that could help find a cure for peanut allergy. I’m sharing our story here, for others who are interested in food allergies and oral immunotherapy.

Our Food Allergy Background Story

Justin was diagnosed with multiple food allergies (peanut, tree nut, egg, sesame, and soy) at the age of 18 months old, after a severe contact reaction with walnuts. He had shown allergic symptoms prior, such as hives and eczema, but had never had a full-blown anaphylactic reaction. Over time he outgrew his egg, sesame, and soy allergies. However, his peanut and tree nut allergies remained.

Oral Immunotherapy Clinical Trial

The particular clinical trial we participated in involved OIT and the use of Xolair (Omalizumab), an injectable prescription allergy/asthma medicine for patients with moderate to severe allergic asthma. The theory behind the study is that the Xolair injections would lessen any reaction from ingesting a daily peanut protein dose. Over time we decreased/stopped the Xolair injections while increasing the peanut protein dose. This method allowed us to increase Justin’s dose at a more rapid rate, compared to other studies that did not involve the use of Xolair.

At the start of the study, in June 2011, Justin reacted to approximately 50 mg of peanut flour. (500 mg is equivalent to approximately 1.25 peanuts.)

He completed the study in February 2012 (at nine years old) with a passed food challenge equivalent to about 20 peanuts, or 8,000 mg peanut flour.

His end dose was 4,000 mg, and continues to be his maintenance dose.

Following is a chart of his testing results prior to and during the study. You can clearly see his IgE numbers decreasing.

[Date]	[Peanut IgE]	[Total IgE]	[Skin Prick Wheal]	[Comments]
7/2008	98.7	387	—	Annual Allergist Appointment
6/2009	76.9	344	—	Annual Allergist Appointment
7/2010	63.6	209	—	Annual Allergist Appointment
6/2011	58	276	20.5	These were the results at the start of the study
2/2012	—	—	—	Passed peanut food challenge of approx 20 peanuts
8/2012	23	—	—	Clinical Trial Follow-Up
5/2013	11.6	138	—	Clinical Trial Follow-Up
2/2014	9.72	190	—	Clinical Trial Follow-Up
11/2014	7.64	181	—	Clinical Trial Follow-Up
6/2015	6.77	152	8 mm	Clinical Trial Follow-Up
7/2018	—	—	>5 mm	Annual Allergist Appointment

The Pros of OIT

There are many pros to undergoing OIT, and we are extremely thankful to have received the opportunity to participate in the clinical trial.

The most important pro is that we no longer need to worry about “May Contains” statements or cross contamination issues regarding peanut. This means we can eat at restaurants without worry. (We still need to worry about tree nuts though.)

The Cons of OIT

Unfortunately there are also many cons. We’ve discovered that when Justin goes a week or more without taking his dose, he starts to have reactions. He also shows allergic symptoms with exercise, and showering, up to 4 hours after taking his dose. He doesn’t like the smell or taste of peanut, which has made daily dosing extremely difficult.

Conclusion

Oral Immunotherapy DID work for us, and has worked for others. However, it does not appear to be a cure. For now it seems as though it simply desensitizes individuals to peanut protein. And it’s not clear whether patients will have to take peanut doses for life, or if they will eventually outgrow their allergy.

It’s important to note that you should not attempt OIT at home. There are numerous studies accepting new patients, and several Allergists are now providing OIT in office.

Please keep in mind that it is a time-consuming process, and a decision that should not be made without great thought.

For more information on the study we participated in, click on the link below to be taken to a copy of the study results from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Vol. 132, Issue 6, Pages 1368-1374.

Peanut Allergy Clinical Trial Boston

July 2018 Update

I must preface this update with a note that I am not a doctor or allergist. Please see your own doctor, or allergist, for oral immunotherapy or medical advice. The following update is based on our own experiences.

Justin is now a 15 year old, soon to be, sophomore in High School. He has not had a peanut allergy reaction in several years. He still does not like peanut. However, he continues to take his dose.

Currently we are able to dose once a week without reaction. He eats, or sometimes swallows whole, 10 to 12 peanuts weekly. We’ve gone up to three weeks between doses, without reaction. (Please do not try this unless you check in with your own doctor or allergist.)

We usually dose in the evenings, after any activities. Showers no longer seem to be a problem.

One thing that we have found to help is the addition of mint. Mint seems to mask the scent, and taste, of peanut. Justin takes his dose with Mint M&Ms or Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

He continues to carry two EpiPens for his tree nut allergy.

I hope you’ve found this oral immunotherapy post helpful. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask them in the comments section below. I will try to answer them as promptly as possible.