What is FPIES?

FPIES is a severe delayed food allergy of the gut, it is understood to be a T-cell mediated response, a Non-IgE Food Allergy in which food is considered a foreign invader and the body fights, or attacks it, until it can violently expel it; although the exact mechanisms are still not well understood.

Symptoms include: profound vomiting (often to bile), diarrhea and/or constipation. These symptoms can quickly lead to: lethargy, low body temperature, low blood pressure and in severe cases, sepsis-like shock. And still yet, many parents report children also experiencing many discomforting symptoms while the body fights this reaction and these can include: extreme stomach pains, excessive gas, runny stools with or without mucus/blood, acid reflux, rashes/eczema, sleep disturbance, and agitation/inconsolable crying.

FPIES is a clinical diagnosis (based on symptoms and history) there is currently no test for it.

This is my definition of FPIES, defined by my own research in: medical journal articles, other families living through FPIES I 'meet' on the support groups and, of course, my own son. You can learn more about my research in FPIES here on this blog, and at The FPIES Foundation website.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Managing Allergy

What a great find!  An entire book to view, and a great resource on Allergy in general! Find it here: Managing Allergy.

Chapter 10 (pg. 157) is the overview on Food Allergy.  Each chapter is divided to describe allergies in depth, all complete with their own reference section!   

On pg. 165, the discussion of FPIES.   It defines it in a table (of IgE, Non-IgE and mixed allergy) of disease manifestations, which include:"Irritability, excessive, vigorous vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after ingestion of the allergen, hypotension, lethargy, hyponatremia, acidosis, a "left-shift", and methemoglobinaemia may occur.  Stool smears may reveal blood, leukocytes or eosinophils.   A more indolent course, with failure to thrive, hypoalbuminaemia, chronic vomitting and diarrhea may occur for young infants chronically eating the allergen." 

It continues and devotes a paragraph on pg.167 for an action plan, ER treatment, resolutions of FPIES, triggers, and recommendations for challenges (.3-.6g of protein per kg of body weight to be fed in 1-2 doses...with IV inserted prior). 

I think it is a good synopsis of FPIES (especially for a book copyrighted in 1999).   I like that it gives both classic and chronic symptoms in the disease manifestations table.  Putting together more of what is known about FPIES, from research and from moms is what will help guide what should be researched next.  But if this much was known in 1999....why don't more doctors already know about it?
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