There are three stages.
Stage 1 – initial dose escalation – you receive increasing doses of Palforzia in clinic, under our supervision, every 30 minutes until you have taken 5 doses. These are very small doses. We expect most people to have no problems with this first day of treatment.
For the next 2 weeks, you take Palforzia at home, once a day with food.
Stage 2 – called “updosing”. Every 2 weeks, you come back to us to see if you are ready for a new, slightly higher dose.
If everything is going well, you get a new higher strength dose and we observe you for at least 60 minutes before you can go home. We would aim to to do this in the afternoon so you don’t need to miss school.
You continue to take your Palforzia at home very day. After two weeks, you come back to us for a new, slightly higher strength dose.
We repeat this process, where you take your daily dose at home and come back every 2 weeks for a new dose, for about 6 months.
Stage 3 – after 6 months of treatment, once you can take the 300mg daily maintenance dose safely, you have reached stage 3. You continue to give the same 300mg dose of Palforzia at home for at least 6 months. After that, at a time agreed with you, we switch you from Palforzia to a regular dose of a peanut containing food.
How and when should my child take Palforzia?
- Your child will need to take Palforzia every day, at roughly the same time each day. With their evening meal is best.
- It comes as a capsule – you do not swallow the capsule! Capsules should be opened and the powder emptied and mixed into a small amount of food (nothing hot or too watery). Use a food that your child likes and that can be eaten easily in one sitting – rice pudding, fruit puree or yoghurt would be good.
- Things like milk, soup and smoothies would not be appropriate.
- Try to avoid your child running around or doing exercise right before, or for 3 hours after, they take their Palforzia.
- Avoid a hot bath or shower right before, or for 3 hours after, they take their Palforzia.
- They should wait at least two hours after eating Palforzia before they go to sleep.