Any adults with epipen?

[Strawberrycornetto]

DS used to be allergic to dairy and is on the leap study. He was there for a check up today and I was chatting to the doctor about the allergies I have which have never been formally diagnosed.

I believe I am allergic to brazil nuts and I also have cold urticaria. We talked about the cold allergy which seems to be getting worse and worse and she said I should have an epipen.

I am a bit . I know I haven't really taken this very seriously, but they told me a lot of allergy deaths are adults who have not been diagnosed so I guess I should.

Does anyone gave an epipen? Are there any consequences? Insurance? Travel?

Also, can anyone recommend a good adult allergy specialist in London? I can use my private medical insurance I think.

I have an allergy to aspirin and anti-inflammatorys. I found out about only a couple of years ago after going into anaphylactic shock at Heathrow airport. I am lucky I was not already on the flight. I now carry an epipen with me everywhere. They cost quite a bit and should only be kept for a year but they are well worth it. I travel with it, I can take it on the plane with me because it is for medical purposes. I have not had any probs with travel insurance.

As for the consequences, it has to be used very careful and make sure that close friends, family and work colleagues know how to use it. Dont use more than it says because that cam be dangerous. After you have injected yourself call an ambulance.

I do. Yes, there are health insuarance considerations and you will need to be bolshy with airlines when you travel!

Most epipens are auto-injectors so you can't overdose.

frakkit - I am surprised about the airlines as I have never had probs getting it through, even in America.

I think depends where you go. It's not happened often but it's something I'm always prepared to kick up a fuss about IYSWIM.

I have 'it's medically necessary' down in about 15 languages!

Interesting. I guess I need to get an answer on the nut allergy - the cold allergy could be serious but not on a plane - swimming is the real issue with that, but the nut allergy is the one that is worrying, even though brazil nuts are unusual and I've managed to successfully avoid them for about 20 years!!

Samoa - I have the exact same allergy as you - aspirin and NSAIDs. I had quite a lot of anaphylactic "episodes" in my teens and early twenties, though none since. I still always carry my epipen though. I have become a bit more relaxed about it all though since it is so long since I had a reaction. I used to avoid all cosmetics with salycilates in them etc, but use them these days without problems. I'd be interested in hearing a bit more about your experiences?

I recently had an anaphylactic reaction to pecans which I have always been fine with. I was given an epipen and told to avoid ALL nuts because there is a chance that it could happen again with a different nut. So I would get your brazil nut allergy checked asap! Anaphylaxis is really, really, scary and can happen out of the blue. I've eaten pecan pie lots of times with no problems, then all of a sudden I had 2 mouthfuls and couldn't breathe.

I haven't flown since I've had it so don't know about airlines but mine are on prescription so come under the normal price.

If you go onto the website of the Epipen manufacturers they will email you when your epipen needs replacing and also send you a fake pen to practice with. I've 'trained' my 4 & 6yo dcs in how to give it to me just in case I can't do it myself.

Most big hospitals do have allergy specialists/units. I was referred by my GP for other, milder allergies so that might be an option to start with.

MakemineaGandT - the allergy to aspirin and NSAIDS was something that just crept up on me. I had NSAIDS for more 10 yrs cause I have severe dysmenorrhea. But in 2004 I started to notice that I was getting hives on my stomach and feeling faint once in a while. But I thought it was just stress related. Then in 2005 I took a nurofen and started feeling very strange. Within an hour I had hives all over my face and my head and neck were swelling up. I took an anti-histamine and it calmed everthing down, although it took the whole day for it to disappear. I thought that it must have been the red colouring in the nurofen that gave me the reaction, so I stopped taking it.

In 2006 I was in London and was going to the airport to fly to Samoa, where we living at the time. With flight and stop-overs its a 36hr journey. I decided to take an aspirin to thin my blood out. luckily i just took 1 because m father kept on insisting on taking 2. Arrived at airport and I start getting hives all over my face and all my head and throat swelled up to an incredible size (I nver knew it could get that big). by the time the ambulance arrived I had blacked out and my blood pressure seriously low. I woke up in the ambulance. That took me a week to get over, I would just keep passing out every so often. The doctor has told me to carry an epipen with me because the next time I have a reaction it will happen very quickly.

Now I stay away from all medicines because I am just absolutely terrified it will happen again. It was the most terrifying experience in my life and I thought that I was dying. I was also told to stay away from dried fruits.

I also have a medical bracelet in case I am not able to communicate (e.g. seriously injured) and they are going to give me some type of medicine.

my nut allergic child is nearing adulthood and I do know some nut allergic adults, they don't all have epipens.

If you study the death reports the deaths occur mainly in those who had not been warned how serious their allergy could be, so didn't have an epipen, or where the pen was used too late. Those with epipens who use them quickly rarely die from their allergy, although it does happen sometimes and sometimes they need quite a stay in hospital.

There certainly are insurance implications but thankfully there are companies who are sensible about it (search the allergy borard). It has made us more cautious about which airlines we use and that has cost implications. You can ask for steroid tablets to carry to give extra protection on planes. I know one person with nut allergy (and epipens) who travelled off the beaten track in South America and survived. How much it limits your life depends on your attitude to risk. We plan ahead (so the steroids and airlines) but haven't let it stop us doing anything yet.