To demand an EpiPen

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DD age 15 developed a food allergy during the summer to tartrazine (yellow food colouring).

Her first reaction was the most severe and very scary. 15 mins after food containing it she began to develop a rash and intensely itch all over, before her symptoms began to spiral incredibly quickly ( in the space of 5 mins she had nausea, horrific tummy pain, diarrhoea, dizziness to the point she couldn’t walk, then finally turned very clammy + grey and fainted)

The bit that really concerned me was the greyness + fainting, as this is a sign of blood pressure drop + therefore anaphylaxis. Due to this I would really like an EpiPen for her, as it is very possible this could’ve turned into full blown anaphylactic shock.

Kingsbridge Private Clinic and the Belfast Skin clinic both offer private treatment for allergies. Both pretty much beside Lisburn Road.

@DryRoastPeanut

Maybe “demand” a refund on your medical degree first! I presume you are a qualified specialist? Or are you just being an entitled dick?

@DryRoastPeanut Just a concerned parent thanks very much

You can buy them privately, thats what I do when my GP takes weeks to prescribe me new ones.

Generally I have found GPs to be fairly poor where allergies are concerned, I have a severe kiwi allergy and a mild allergy to strawberries and latex.

My last GP refused to sign my repeat prescription, apparently because I hadn’t had a reaction in four months I didn’t need a new one, erm, not sure thats how it works...

Could you ask for an appointment with a different GP in your practise, or swap to a nearby GP practise? It does seem odd to prescribe daily antihistimines but no epipen given the symptoms, I'd want another opinion I think given the severity of anaphylaxis.

Also consider contacting www.anaphylaxis.org.uk for advice, or joining the anaphylaxis facebook page. There is also Allergy UK who may be able to help.
Hope you get a plan you are happy with.

There’s lots of prescription meds for common conditions that are actually really easy to buy privately online, you just fill in a questionairre with the right answers for an “online consultation”. So technically it’s prescribed. But it’s literally filling in an online form, paying and it gets posted to you.

Simon JT thats ridiculous

@MrsSpenserGregson

Also - medical personnel can be very dismissive of allergic reactions. I was taken to hospital in an ambulance while suffering anaphylactic shock by paramedics who arrived to find me almost unconscious on the floor, and they told me that I was "being very dramatic" and refused to give me oxygen, so I can well believe that the OP has been banging her head against a brick wall with this one. I had to pay for a private allergy consultation before I was taken seriously.

@MrsSpenserGregson Thank you so much for your insight, really helpful and although it should never be this way it is good to hear if someone else who has been through the same thing

OP how do you know definitely that it's tartrazine that she is allergic to?.

@SimonJT

You can buy them privately, thats what I do when my GP takes weeks to prescribe me new ones.

Generally I have found GPs to be fairly poor where allergies are concerned, I have a severe kiwi allergy and a mild allergy to strawberries and latex.

My last GP refused to sign my repeat prescription, apparently because I hadn’t had a reaction in four months I didn’t need a new one, erm, not sure thats how it works...

@SimonJT that is beyond ridiculous. GPs really need some proper schooling on allergies because almost all that we’ve seen haven’t had any idea

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

OP how do you know definitely that it's tartrazine that she is allergic to?.

@AwaAnBileYerHeid She has been tested for all other suspected allergens which came back negative and has since had reactions to skincare products containing it

@SunInTheSkyYouKnowHowIFeel

Simon JT thats ridiculous

Allergies are so poorly thought of in the NHS that ambulances don’t have auto-injectors unless the dispatch specifically requests it. So if the person who finds the patient isn’t aware of the allergy you’re in a really dangerous situation.

People are being very rude over OP use of demand.

I'm assuming all those people haven't had to watch their child have a severe allergic reaction?

I agree asking for another GP and second opinion. My ds kept getting hives as a kid and then had a reaction where his lips and eyes swelled, he went very cold and had stomach pains and his breathing changed.

We never identified an allergen. He was still prescribed an epipen

MN doesn't like the word demand.

My son had a similar reaction to OP's daughter but to nuts. The process to get access to an epi-pen took 6 months.

First gp said I was probably mistaken;
Then a different gp said 'it sounds like an allergy to nuts, I will refer you to the consultant';

Then the consultant said ' that sound like an allergy to nuts, I will refer you to the nurse for blood test';
Then a nurse took bloods which went back to the consultant
Then I had an appointment with the consultant with who said 'they indicate an allergy in conjunction with the symptoms you describe, you need an epi-pen i will write to your gp and ask that he prescribes you one';
Then I had a call from the gp who said 'the consultant says your child has an allergy so I need you to come in.

Then I went to the gp who described the symptoms my son had and said that indicates an reaction and I am prescribing an epi-pen if it happens again'
Then I went to the pharmacy who said 'epi pens are in short supply, we will call you when one comes in'

It didn't seem very efficient

I would change GP or go private. I totally empathise with your frustration, I feel like my GP may as well not exist at the moment their reduced service is so poor. Can you join an allergy support group for advice?

Jesus, can posters not rein it in a bit!
It's pretty understandable that the op is worried and upset.

All those saying that you'd have to have tests/see a consultant etc...it may be dependant on where you are, but both dd1 and I have epipens and were prescribed them by the gp after allergic reactions (dd1 to nuts and me to shellfish).

....and it took a couple of days for both of us to get a prescription

@HazeyJaneII I want your GP! How severe were your reactions?

From my experience and that of others I've spoken to its quite common for GPs to resist giving epipens, telling children (or their parents) to just avoid the allergen. But allergic reactions are not always predictable and mistakes can be made with reading labels. My dd was told antihistamine was enough, but then had a more serious reaction that antihistamine didn't stop and ended up in A&E where she was given steroids. Even then she wasn't given epipens, and I had to beg her GP to give her some when she was due to go on a school trip to the middle of nowhere. The trip was fine (she was only 10 and very responsible but obviously didn't have access to the full ingredient list on every item of food in the catered accommodation). I'm very glad she was given the epipens though because a year later at high school she had anaphalaxis when classmates were making something with peanut butter (she was just watching). Going grey and fainting are signs of anaphalaxis, so I'd try asking another GP (ask nicely though!).

I do despair when I read replies to this type of issue on public forums. There's often little empathy when it comes to food allergies. As a parent it's terrifying so I understand that you're just angry and scared.

@Jessbow

Good luck with avoiding it - its in loads of things. A really difficult one to avoid, and an unusual one to suddenly become allergic to.

@Jessbow yep - it’s in skincare and everything so a real bugger to exclude :/

@Warmworm

From my experience and that of others I've spoken to its quite common for GPs to resist giving epipens, telling children (or their parents) to just avoid the allergen. But allergic reactions are not always predictable and mistakes can be made with reading labels. My dd was told antihistamine was enough, but then had a more serious reaction that antihistamine didn't stop and ended up in A&E where she was given steroids. Even then she wasn't given epipens, and I had to beg her GP to give her some when she was due to go on a school trip to the middle of nowhere. The trip was fine (she was only 10 and very responsible but obviously didn't have access to the full ingredient list on every item of food in the catered accommodation). I'm very glad she was given the epipens though because a year later at high school she had anaphalaxis when classmates were making something with peanut butter (she was just watching). Going grey and fainting are signs of anaphalaxis, so I'd try asking another GP (ask nicely though!).

I do despair when I read replies to this type of issue on public forums. There's often little empathy when it comes to food allergies. As a parent it's terrifying so I understand that you're just angry and scared.

@Warmworm thank you - hope your DD is doing ok!

With dd1 it was her 2nd reaction - as we originally didn't realise what caused it - she was 7 and she had eaten some muesli and said her tongue was burning, then vomited everywhere. The second time, her lips swelled up, her tongue burnt, she had hives and she started wheezing.

With mine it didn't start until after I'd had ds at 41, the first reaction was when I was in hospital with ds, and dh bought me a prawn sandwich, it calmed down with antihistamine and the Dr told me to avoid shellfish in future. I came out in hives once when my sister had a pizza with prawns on (id chopped it up not realising there were prawns on it) The 3rd time, I was in a restaurant and someone nearby had prawns, and I felt very ill, hives, wheezing, swollen tongue, itchy throat. That's when I was prescribed an epipen!

My son had a reaction to a food , ( we thought) A&E visit , GP prescribed an Epipen on A&E advice. We then saw an Allergy specialist who said it was Angioedema, double dose allergy tablets and steroids prescribed.
Fast forward 5 years and he has been declined acceptance to the RAF as he was prescribed an Epipen, which we (thankfully ) never used , or was warranted. Be careful what you demand.

I've had Epi-pens for some years now, after a severe allergy to a wasp sting, and a bad reaction to prawns. Back then it was reasonably easy to be prescribed one by my GP, and every summer (wasp season) it's renewed.

But I totally get your worry. My pens are always in my handbag. I don't go anywhere without them. In every other regard, I'm not remotely health anxious. But anaphylaxis is terrifying, and nothing works to save someone in the throes of it, other than an Epipen. So being made to wait for an appointment that could be years away is something I'd find very worrying.

Can I ask.. If your gp is useless and you're waiting yrs to see the specialist... How come your d has had all the allergen testing and you have the results?
Genuinely confused?
Epi pens have a three month shelf life and are very expensive for the nhs to buy, this is why they are prescribed for pe who have proven anyphlaxis to allergens.
Your d's reaction sounds really scary but potentially a sensitivity which could be managed with anti histamine.
You say you witnessed it... What resolved it? Was it emergency treatment from paramedics, or did she need hospitalisation.. Sorry if I missed that bit of the post.

You won’t get an Epi pen until she’s been fully allergy tested, my son has a nut allergy which isn’t severe but school have a plan and they hold his antihistamines too. There was a programme on ch4 a few weeks ago about this with the lady that does food uncovered and there is a major shortage of epi pens. Definitely worth a watch if you can find it