Do Any Of You Wear A Med Bracelet?

[Aphreal]

I was just wondering if any of you wear a medical alert bracelet for your food allergies.

[ravenwoodglass]

I have one on my car key chain that lists celiac and another that states that I have a penicillin allergy.

[Aphreal]

I was wondering how important it is that someone knows this allergy if your unconscience.

[kareng]

If your unconcious, they aren't going to be giving you medications or food by mouth. If you are concious but not all there, I guess that could be a problem. They don't ususally give you food or oral meds in the first few hours in an ER. Hopefully, by then , your family would be there. I guess if your family doesn't believe about gluten problems, and you're mentally incompetent but concious, they could feed you or give you medication with gluten. My understanding is that most hospitals don't do well with gluten-free food so it doesn't matter what you tell them.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I don't have one, but I have been debating on getting one since I saw it mentioned here. The way I see it, it's not vital unless you have a drug allergy (like penicillin) or unless you are single and frequently travel alone or something. If you are unconscious they won't give you food right away, maybe later via feeding tube in the hospital, but not right away. I know my husband would look out for me and tell them that I need to be gluten free in that case. I'm still up in the air about it though. It wouldn't hurt to have it on a bracelet or in writing somewhere, but I also wonder if paramedics would know what celiac disease or gluten intolerant means, since it seems many doctors are clueless.

[scarlett77]

As an adult, I probably would not get one for myself unless I had actual severe allergies. But I do plan on getting one for my son in the near future so that it can alert adults that he comes into contact with... whether at school or at a friend's house. I'm hoping that having the medical bracelet or necklace may give him more credibility with adults when he says that he can't eat certain things.

[Aphreal]

Thank you for your responses. I was just curious I am allergic furanol but when I tell medical personal that, they have never heard of it! I don't think it's prescribed anymore.

[K8ling]

I wear one, I am married but a military wife so I am alone a lot. Also, I have a toddler who is usually with me. If something happened to me, people would need to know 1) I have asthma, 2) I have a PCN allergy and 3)I have celiac disease. My husband feels MUCH better with me wearing a bracelet.

[Skylark]

I wear one for a naproxen allergy and it has celiac on the back. I wouldn't worry about it for just celiac I don't think.

[Travisevian]

I wear one for a naproxen allergy and it has celiac on the back. I wouldn't worry about it for just celiac I don't think.

Actually, I think it's a very good idea. When a relative of mine who has celiac disease had to have surgery and was in recovery, a nurse offered her saltine crackers. It would've been easy for someone under sedation to have eaten a food containing gluten. Had I not been there to inform the nurse, she would've given gluten to a patient with celiac disease. Sometimes, I think it's better for people to refer to their celiac disease as an allergy because doctors and nurses seem to take the word "allergy" more seriously.

[Luvbeingamommy]

As an adult, I probably would not get one for myself unless I had actual severe allergies. But I do plan on getting one for my son in the near future so that it can alert adults that he comes into contact with... whether at school or at a friend's house. I'm hoping that having the medical bracelet or necklace may give him more credibility with adults when he says that he can't eat certain things.

Is your son Celiac?? My ds is only almost 3 now, but when he gets older and goes to preschool, etc I think this would be a good idea!

I don't have one, I pretty sure my family would be there asap and would fill them in. If I had a life threatening allergy then I would, but it can't be a bad idea.

[11475]

You could also possibly consider making, or having a card made up to keep in your wallet. Many people with communication difficulties keep these. It's not as obvious, but could still be found and useful to medical staff if the situation arose.

[notme]

you know, at first i thought, 'nah, i don't need one.' but, recently, a whole lot of people are dabbling in this diet (because it is healthy, to lose weight, because it's the 'hip' diet, because of blah-blah) who won't really get sick from getting glutened. maybe i will get one so people REMEMBER that this is a medical condition. puh-leez, i am so underweight they should know i am not on a *diet* diet. my friend, Mr. Junk Food Eater, is even considering trying this 'gluten-free thing' *a little* - he's just gonna 'cut down'..... it's his way of taking me seriously???? maybe i will get a set of medical alert brass knuckles. ka-POW he can have a knuckle sandwich on gluten free bread hahahahaha!!! btw had udi's bread 1st time yesterday - IT'S DA BOMB!!!! )))

[K8ling]

UDIS FOR THE WIN!!!!! I love it!

[bridgetm]

I keep a MedicAlert tag on my key chain and a card in my wallet for asthma and medicine allergies. Just a few weeks ago I updated my MedAlert file so my food intolerances will show up if any EMT tries hard enough to check. If I were unconscious and they slipped me gluten, I would probably have bigger things to worry about than D and intestinal inflammation.