Pa.com questionable answer

[Macabre]

Last year when I had a reaction to sesame the ambulance came within 5 minutes. I was at the hospital my 15 I think. They gave me a second Epi dose as a matter of course. And as they were preparing it, I started to go downhill. Then they gave it and I was fine.

I told DS' teachers on his recent trip that if he has a reaction on the airplane and  he has to administer the Epi to give a second Epi 15 minutes later (assuming they'd be making an emergency landing). And if he starts to react again before he is in the care of EMS, to use a third.

[jschwab]

Mine have always come in two packs. I started carrying two after this most recent (and worst) episode. The EMT's told me that it was not an allergic reaction but an anxiety attack and were very disdainful and angry about transporting me - they did not really examine me, in fact, even though I told them I had had the injection (I thought they were supposed to check vitals and all, at least?). That severely reduced my faith in paramedics' ability to treat appropriately if I'd relapsed. I would always want to have a second dose to self-administer even though services here are very close (I can literally walk to the ER in less than 20 minutes which I probably should have done instead).  I don't even know if they carry them in ambulances here? My symptoms have not traditionally been anything but respiratory so whatever other classic signs they were looking for, they were not going to find. The ER was great when my symptoms returned and were on it right away, but I don't trust rescue personnel to figure it out. They just had no understanding of how the epinephrine works and that you can look fine for a little bit and then suddenly not be fine. If I'm just out bike riding and don't plan to ingest anything, I will take one, but generally I always carry two now.

[CMdeux]

I can literally walk to the ER in less than 20 minutes which I probably should have done instead)

You do know that isn't really a good idea, right?  Exercise + allergic reaction = horrible cascade of escalating events. 

I second your experience of having EMT's and other first-responders (including ER nurses) not recognize non-cutaneous anaphylaxis symptoms-- we've seen that several times.

If you haven't looked up asthma as anaphylaxis yet, jschwab, I really encourage you to read through some of that information.  We have a great collection of articles and several threads on the subject.  It's really important to be well-educated on that subject if you're prone to those kinds of reactions from food, because you may be the ONLY person who understands that you're not just experiencing an asthma attack that you can't control with asthma meds.

[jschwab]

I can literally walk to the ER in less than 20 minutes which I probably should have done instead)

You do know that isn't really a good idea, right?  Exercise + allergic reaction = horrible cascade of escalating events. 

I second your experience of having EMT's and other first-responders (including ER nurses) not recognize non-cutaneous anaphylaxis symptoms-- we've seen that several times.

If you haven't looked up asthma as anaphylaxis yet, jschwab, I really encourage you to read through some of that information.  We have a great collection of articles and several threads on the subject.  It's really important to be well-educated on that subject if you're prone to those kinds of reactions from food, because you may be the ONLY person who understands that you're not just experiencing an asthma attack that you can't control with asthma meds.

Yes, I realize that would be dumb to walk . I was just making a point about just how close it is but why I still think it's important to carry two pens for myself, despite that. It's about 5 minutes in a vehicle. I did not think about first responders not being able to distinguish between asthma and anaphylaxis but that is a good thing to be aware of - thanks for pointing that out. I don't have asthma in my family so I don't actually know what a full blown asthma attack looks like (a girl just died from one in the schools here, though - so sad). I carry an Epi and no asthma medicine so I would hope that would be a signal about what was really going on. I finally ordered a bracelet to put a point on it which I would hope would help, too. The next reaction I had from almonds included the full-on hives and nausea so things might be changing somewhat for me, too...

[candyguru]

Candyguru, was she in hospital or ambulance when she got the second?  Or did you have to administer?

(Just thinking, in twenty minutes the ambulance should be there.  If not, we have a problem here.)

The ambulance arrived within about 6 minutes (we had already given her an epi-pen before they arrived). We arrived at North York General, and they gave her another shot (they did not use our epi pen Jr) when we arrived as she needed it (weakness, lower blood pressure, stomach ache, breathing issues). 

So the second injection was given in the ER, but had we been outside the city, and more than 20 mins from an ambulance, I would have given the second epi pen even if we could not have reached a doctor to ask, as I have always been informed that an epi pen may wear off in 15 to 20 mins and symptoms could intensify.

I'm not at all questioning whether it would have been appropriate for you to give a second dose yourself.

I was just wanting to be sure the ambulance arrived that quick...because I know they should have.

yes, we have called an ambulance about 4 times now...  and each time it has arrived in about 5-8 minutes.  The fire department usually arrives first in less than 5 minutes (an advantage of living in the city (near Yonge Street) as you are not far from the fire station or paramedics.. plus the hospital is just down the street)