Allergic colitis medical therapy
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Qasim Salau, M.B.B.S., FMCPaed [2]
Overview
The mainstay of treatment of allergic colitis is dietary management.
Medical Therapy
Dietary management of allergic colitis involves elimination of the allergen from the diet of the patient, treatment of severe manifestation, periodic reintroduction of the offending food after a period of avoidance to check for tolerance, and guided introduction new food.
Allergen avoidance
- Breastfeeding infant: Breastfeeding is the gold standard feeding method for infants due to its benefits and is recommended exclusively at least for the first four to six months of life. Mothers are recommended to continue breastfeeding, while avoiding the food that contains the most likely allergen
- Mothers are usually instructed to eliminate one food or food group containing common allergens (e.g., dairy products) at a time and wait a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks. Improvement occurs in 72 to 96 hours in most cases.
- If there is no improvement in the symptoms the food is added back into the mother's diet and another suspected food eliminated
- The food should be reintroduced in the mother’s diet after improvement to see if symptoms will relapse. If there is relapse, then the food is eliminated from the mother’s diet as long as she is breastfeeding or 9 to 12 months or at least 6 months after the last symptom
- The mother will require calcium supplements (1000 mg per day divided into several doses) during the elimination diet
- Elimination of foods should be carefully done with an experienced dietician as unnecessary avoidance of foods at an early age may lead to nutritional deficiencies and/or feeding difficulties
- Some breastfeeding patients may still have symptoms despite maternal elimination diet, In such patients breastfeeding may have to be stopped and the infant is commenced on hypoallergenic formula
- Formula-fed infants: In formula-fed infants with allergic colitis, the food is substituted with extensively hydrolyzed formula
- During allergen elimination, all other food intake should be stopped to avoid misinterpretation due to cross-reactivity with other allergens
- Symptoms usually resolve within 3 to 10 days of starting the hydrolyzed formula in FPIES
- Occasionally some patients may have symptoms despite use of hydrolyzed formula, in such patients amino acid-based formula is used
Treatment of severe manifestation
- Severe clinical manifestation typically occur in FPIES than in FPIAP. This may occur either following accidental ingestion of the allergen after a period of avoidance or during allergen challenge test or during the periodic reintroduction of the offending protein
- Periodic reintroduction should preferably be done in the hospital setting with resuscitation materials in place before its done
- Intravenous fluids, epinephrine, antiemetics such as ondansetron and blood products may be needed
Periodic reintroduction
- Attempt at reintroducing the allergen into the patients diet can start from 9 to 12 months of life or at least 6 months after the last symptom, whichever is longer in patients with FPIAP, but should be avoided until 12 to 18 months in patients with FPIES
- Tolerance to the offending food usually takes longer to develop in patients with FPIES