After much consideration, Megan Lavin and her second son decided to take the plunge. He’s now on the Xolair biologic therapy for food allergies.

In her latest video for the Megan’s Minute video series, our parenting contributor shares that the pair weren’t quick therapy adopters. 

Following an initial discussion with the allergist, she wasn’t sure either of them had the time or the inclination for the novel food allergy treatment. Afterall, they hadn’t signed on for an oral immunotherapy or SLIT program either.

Megan says her second eldest had been doing well with reading labels and avoiding his multiple food allergies. But then an expert speaking at last winter’s FAACT Summit caught her attention. This allergist not only showed Xolair’s impressive study results in food allergies, he also pointed out that “accidental exposures happen”. 

“I couldn’t shake the thought of ‘what if he has a serious reaction?'” Megan says. “I didn’t know if I could live with the ‘what if’ of knowing I had the chance [for treatment] and turned it down.”

After further consultation, she and her son decided to go for it. 

A concern for Megan was that her son is entering the tween years of greater independence and more eating out. 

We know many readers are interested in therapies for food allergies. In this video, Megan offers a relatable look at the decision-making process that goes into picking (or not) a therapy. Plus, she explains the process of starting the therapy, her son’s initial wariness and more. 

We hope Megan’s candid look at deciding whether to dive into a therapy proves helpful food for thought for your own family.

For those who’d like to know more about Xolair for food allergies, we have this FAQ article, this report on a comparison study with OIT and this Instagram video with researcher Dr. Robert Wood.

Join Allergic Living monthly for a new installment of  with Megan Lavin, the creator of the Allergy Awesomeness blog. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. 

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