My DH's allergist told us of a food challenge where the person was allergic to seafood.  It was a double blind placebo challenge where the doctor and patient did not know if the first doses had any allergen in them or not.  The person seemed to react to the first dose of a broth with anaphylaxis.  The doctor was convinced it was a reaction and moved to get epi to give to the person who was coughing and having breathing issues.  it turned out the dose was just salt water, placebo.  As soon as that was announced, the person went from what looked like anaphylaxis serious enough to warrant the epi pen to being just fine.  So, fear can cause people to have a false 'reaction'.  I'm not saying that people shouldn't trust themselves, but it is good to know that this can happen.  If one is walking by packaged peanut products, like candy bars, jars of pb, and feels that causes a reaction, it could be that is psychological (since there should not be detectable food protein being released from these foods.).  My son's allergist did the smell test on a person who used to feel that packaged candy bars were making her react.  The person smelled from a jar of peanut butter with no reaction.  When DS did the smell test I had heard the medical reports from FAAN that said it was impossible to react to just the smell.  I had also read things from people who claimed they or their children reacted to smell.  I was scared because I didn't know what to believe.  A lot of allergists back then seemed not to believe a person could have contact ingestion ana and I knew that was possible since it happened to DS.  He passed the smell test with not any sign of a reaction.  It made our lives a lot better and a lot less anxiety filled than they would have been had we sent him to school thinking the smell of pb could make him react.

Were the peanuts heated or agitated in some way?  Had your child eaten anything before that? 

Contact ingestion is far, far more likely than inhalation reactions to room temperature foods that are not being agitated.  And once people are your daughter's age, they are better able to keep their hands from their eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent contact ingestion reactions.

My child has had many contact ingestion reactions including some that were ana. 

I understand a very small % of food allergic people feel they or their children have had ana from inhalation.  However, this is not something common by any means.  To live a life so very restricted based on something that happened that long ago would be a shame if it isn't necessary. 

My son's allergist only did the smell test in order to convince people they could not react to the smell, not with any question about whether or not they would react.  Room temperature foods that are not being agitated are very low (as in close to zero if not zero) risk if the person doesn't have contact ingestion.  Contact ingestion is a whole other story and even that is not a common cause of ana (speaking as the parent of a person who has a child who did have contact ingestion ana.)

Lakeswimr, I have read that before. I don't believe it. DD went into shock (2nd time) at 24 months as we wheeled her next to a big vat of  peanuts in the produce department. She was in the cart and touched nothing.
  Her allergist (one of the best here), doesn't do (nor has any faith in) the smell test.

I think this is a good link.

http://www.foodallergyawareness.org/foodallergy/food_allergens-11/peanut-25/

'Caregivers and patients often express concern about reacting to peanut through the smell of peanut butter, breathing in peanut dust, or the risk from touching surfaces that may have come in contact with peanut. Inhalation has often been reported as a route through which someone’s reaction has occurred. However, evidence has shown there is a very low to absent risk accidental exposure through casual environmental contact is exceptionally low, and no evidence that shows peanut butter or peanut dust can cause a reaction. Studies have shown that following:
Inhaling the scent of peanut butter (within a foot of an open jar) did not cause any reactions.
No peanut allergen could be measured at the level of the neck after volunteers stomping on whole peanuts in a small room with no ventilation
When actively shelling peanuts, peanut allergen could only be detected 2 cm above the table. However, allergen was not detectable 1m away, and undetectable at either 2cm or 1m immediately upon stopping shelling.'

This is probably the first time I've ever recommended it but what about a service dog to assist with independence?  It's an immense undertaking but if it assists her with panic attacks, detection it might be worth starting the journey to look into it.  There's some nice case law and Justice settlements and statements of interest covering qualified service dogs.

I have severe asthma and occasionally have bouts of vocal chord dysfunction.  One thing that my doc suggested that helps is slowly counting backwards when I think the issue is VCD and not asthma. Sometimes Atrovent helps the VCD because it treats upper airway constriction. I think that at one point there was a peanut issue with atrovent inhalers - I think that has changed but not sure.  I only use it via nebulizer and am not allergic to peanuts of tree nuts.

wackattack I just wanted to say it's great to see you!! 

My DD tells me when she smells peanut butter she has a really bad feeling and a tightening in her chest.  She tells me it is scary when it starts and then she knows it is not the same as a reaction and not the same as asthma (unfortunately she has had enough reactions to know the difference). 

But it is a sensation not to be ignored.  It's real.  Her body is trying to tell her something.  We call it her danger warning.

Perhaps your DD holds her breath to prevent feeling something similar.....

A smell test sounds like a great idea.  If she passes then she will have more confidence.