When do they move up to "proper" Epipen?

[BalloonSlayer]

DS1 is still on "Epipen Junior" as he is a long streak of piss slender individual.

I have just got a letter from the school nurses which says that children should go onto the adult (0.3) epipen at 6 years old.

DS1 is 8yrs 4m !!

The letter just mentions it in passing, it's not an "awwoooga - we have changed our policy" sort of thing.

I have googled and all the information says what I thought: they change to the adult epipen at 4st 9lb.

Anyone else heard this 6 years old rule?

Obviously I am going to ring them (oooh, past 9am now!) but I wondered what other people's experiences are.

I've never heard of a junior epipen.

My ds (also very runner bean-like) has always had the same one (since he was about 3-4yrs). It's just called 'epipen', 0.3mg adrenaline.

Perhaps your ds had his from much younger?

Have just weighed him and (with his ds lite) he is about 3st 10lb.

ooer

My DS changed over this year to an adult epi pen as he weighed more.. he's 10 and weighs 5st 5 now
never heard of the 6 year rule...

It's quite a while back now but I think our consultant said when they got to 30 kgms (55lbs)? We had ours earlier because they came up for renewal a few months early, they didn't want to replace them that quickly and the tests were all so high they didn't want us going past 30 kgms with a junior pen. Next time you renew get adult ones but you don't need to panic over it if there are only a few months left on his pens. If necessary you'd just use more than one.

I have just weighed him and he is 4st 4lb.

School nurses are - unsurprisingly, durr! - not there to ask as it's half term.

Hopefully I can phase the old ones out as they expire:- we've got 6. Otherwise it'll cost the NHS a fortune.

I wonder if the 6 year thing is another example of being afraid to mention weight. Maybe the nurses don't want to say to a hefty child "you look heavy enough to go up to the next size." Or something.

DHT I am surprised your DS isn't on the junior. But yes, my DH has had his since 14 months old (officially too small to have one at all).

Never used them though, thankfully .

Thanks tatt. 30kg is 66lb which is the 4st 9oz.

I think there may be some due for renewal soon (there usually are at any one time!) so I shall start making enquiries.

Also, DS2 is due for testing shortly so the allergy nurse will be able to help us, hopefully.

9lb even
(you can tell I've got a baby can't you?)

30 Kgms or 55lbs is less than 4 stone, 14 lbs to a stone. So he ought to be changing over. The pens cost around 30 pounds so not a fortune but better to replace as they expire. If you feel worried enough to exchange them now do half and let him have one full strength and a half strength in each place or full strength where you feel he's at greatest risk and 3 half strength somewhere else.

oops - got that wrong - used an internet conversion site and it said 55 lbs but it isn't!

Sorry BalloonSlayer - but at least it means you don't need to panic. DHT's child is already on the junior strength. Consultant's can use their discretion over when to go for an adult weight one.

Interesting. My daughter is nearly 11yrs old and is still on the same Epipen's she's always had!
I'd better check it out and see if she needs to be changed. Thanks for the reminder

Many thanks to this thread. I just thought junior Epipens were for all children. Never thought about when it would change. My dd is on junior epipen and is comming on for 7yrs. She is quite small for her age, will get the scales out later!

DD2 was moved up according to weight not age

It just so happens that we had to see the GP yesterday about something else. I showed him the letter.

He got "the book" down and agreed with me about the weight requirements. He was as perplexed as I about the age 6 thing.

He said that with a substance like adrenaline it's more important to go by weight than by age.

So I shall be sticking with the juniors until DS puts on another 4 or 5 pounds. Sod's law that I have for once got epipens with a nice long expiry date . . .

It is all down to weight and not age.

With EpiPen Jr a dosage of 0.01 mg/kg body weight is recommended, hence the EpiPen Jr auto-injector has a total dose (0.15 mg).

The EpiPen (for children and adults over the weight requirement) has a 0.3 mg dose. As they are auto-injectors the whole lot is going to come out, not like a syringe where you can give a half dose if you want (ie you stop plunging the plunger thing). So, the dose has to be right for the weight of the patient.

Does that make sense or am I rambling? I loose track sometimes.