GP & Epipen

[compostqueen]

To cut a very long story short I am off to the GPs this week with a request for an Epipen.

My son has been stung twice by a bee. The first time his hand went red - which I thought was a fairly normal reaction. The second time his entire arm became red & swollen. At the time I realized this probably wasn't good, and thought it was something to keep an eye on.

He is about to start school next month and it has been suggested he may need an Epipen. Obviously now the brain has started ticking I have started thinking of all the occasions we have been miles from anywhere.

I am I likely to be sent away & be told wait & see (which is how I was thinking up until a week ago) or will I just get a prescription for one?

You will probably get a referral to the allergy clinic who will assess him and take blood tests to suggest the severity of his reactions, and of course what precisely he is allergic to.

I don't know if they will give him an epipen if he has never had an anaphylatic reaction, it's something for the doctors to decide based on their criteria. They may prescribe something else such as an anti histamine.

and if they do decide an epipen is appropriate, then they should provide you with the necessary education about how to look after and use it.

Thanks for your swift response. As I said up until recently I wasn't too worried. Now of course I have been thinking....

Agree with pixie, I would be surprised if they do prescribe an epipen.

But I do think he needs the referral to the allergy clinic.

my ds has antihistimine prescribed for alleries to ketchup and pollen he has a reaction including stuffed nose and swollen throat rapid breathing etc but as antihistimine works he doesn't need an epipen so hopefully gp will say the same about your ds.
Best luck

I have bees, and it's not unusual to swell up bad, so don't worry too much about shock. If you can have him tested, that's great.

The one time I saw somebody have a shock from a bumblebee, her face was swollen (stin gin the finger), red blotches everywhere, and said she had trouble swallowing. I got her to the hospital within 20 min and she was fine. The good thing was that it was perfectly clear that she was in shock so we took it serious. But all of us beekeepers have looked grotesque at some time or other without going into shock.

Thank everyone.

The GP said that to have two completely different reactions was quite normal & as long as he doesn't go into shock - ie have trouble breathing, pass out, ect then there is no need to take anything more than an anti histamine.

Apparently it is very rare to have a bee sting allergy, but quite normal for a hand to swell up to the size of a boxing glove.

Never the less, I will be passing this information on to the school & provide them with a bottle of piraton & fill in the necessary forms.