So I went to the ER tonight after 5-7 stings

My wife found it for 25 cents per dose :slight_smile:

Three choices… Veterinarian, south of the border, or both! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

:wink: Epinephrine is epinephrine.:goat::goat::racehorse::horse:

2 Likes

If you need an epipen and can’t afford one? Get a prescription for 'Adenaclick’
CVS has partnered with the company to sell basically knockoffs, two for $109.00.

3 Likes

Just so you get a prescription for the correct thing, there is an “r” in it - Adrenaclick is the name. It is the item referred to in the Consumer Reports link above. :wink:

2 Likes

Thanks Dawn, I am such a klutz on the keyboard and that’s not one the spellchecker could help me with!

Another person tackling this is a Dr in Minnesota.


I like how the corporate greed of Mylan has worked against itself!

1 Like

The campaign is closed after only raising a fraction of what they needed.

My EPI pen expires this March.

Cowgirl and all –

First, very glad you’re OK, and taking such proactive measures in response.

I am a new beekeeper, planning to set up my first two hives end of April/early May. (in central VA, south of Charlottesville)
This thread has been super, and terrific the way you all try to help each other. I had been wondering about getting an epi-pen, especially since my wife says she has never been stung, but I wondered if I could get a Rx just because I am a beekeeper. For some/most/all docs in the US is this possible?

Cowgirl, with respect to your epi-pen expiring, I just read in the last week that a Canadian team tested potency of expired E-pens and found that for a year or two after expiration, potency was around 90%, and even after 3-5 years, was still at around 70%. Not that you want to fool around with such a serious situation, especially where you have had an episode, and more especially if you can now get the equivalent for $100 or less, but don’t throw those E-pens away – just tape and mark them with the exp date.

Again, thank you!

2 Likes

Your profile doesn’t say where in the world you are. It would really help to give location-relevant advice if you wouldn’t mind completing that part of your profile. Please, and thank you! :blush: Otherwise I spend 30 minutes typing a load of stuff which doesn’t help you. :smile:

I have practiced medicine in the UK and the US for many years. Anything I write here is for information, and not medical advice for you or anyone else. :wink:

Any responsible physician would want to hear valid and convincing evidence of a severe allergic reaction before prescribing an Epi-Pen or similar device (at least that is my practice :wink:). The reason is the usual risk-benefit calculation. If your wife has truly never been stung, she can’t possibly be allergic - it takes at least one sting to develop an allergy, and you won’t develop it with the very first sting. If she has been stung in the past, but doesn’t remember it, it is still important to know how severe her reaction is to a recent sting. If she gets a bit of swelling and itching, that is not worrying. If she gets short of breath and feels chest tightening, that is very worrying.

The problem is that Epi-Pens have severe side effects too. They raise blood pressure hugely, they put an enormous demand on the heart, and theoretically they could cause all sorts of injuries (including strokes) if they were given in an inappropriate situation.

Benadryl (please don’t drive if you take it (US Benadryl, not Australian)) and Tylenol (Acetaminophen or Paracetamol, depending on where you live) should be enough for most beekeepers.

I got stung twice last weekend, and although I am not allergic to bees, I have world-class allergies to other stimulants (including dust mites, feathers and cockroaches). A single dose of Loratadine (Claritin) and Tylenol was all I needed for the bee sting. I still have a bit of a reaction on my neck, but it really isn’t significant. See a doctor if you are worried, and make sure that they see you urgently (within minutes for a bad reaction) for this kind of thing if it seems severe.

OK, now I see you are in VA, so hopefully you understand some of the drug names. :smile: Please, still, complete the profile if you wouldn’t mind. Then I will remember next time you ask something. :blush:

1 Like

My irresponsible physician prescribed Epi-Pens for the whole family (4) when I told her we were becoming beekeepers.

2 Likes

But then your “irresponsible” wife found an even better/cheaper solution. However, with the photos and history you have posted in the past Ed, I would have prescribed you a few too. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

1 Like

But I got my prescription a year before “the sting” lol

2 Likes

With the recent changes in health care, and need for “authorization”, this might get a lot trickier in the near future. My pharmacy refused to dispense a medication I needed last week, even when it was authorized, because it was “too expensive” until they saw me in person. Then they needed more days to get it after that. :scream:

Unless you are willing to pay full uninsured price, I think things have changed a lot.

2 Likes

Wow, glad things turned out okay! Great reminders to stick to rules and also to follow your gut.

I was stung today on my hand. Never let bothered before by stings, but this time my hand swelled up to a frightening size. Was put on steroid. Been a beekeeper for 7 years. Anyone have similar experiences?

I too tend to swell up a lot, especially on my hands and feet. I’m on the sensitive side with allergens in general, but wouldn’t say I’m allergic to bee stings at this point since I’ve never had respiratory symptoms.

I’ve heard of people becoming more sensitive over time, and some people getting less sensitive with regular stings! Please be careful :wink:

I completely agree with @Eva. I got stung through a glove 2 days ago. It was a very minor sting, just a scratch really. However, I have sensitive skin and multiple allergies. I am also a physician (the worst kind of patient!) :blush: . So, I immediately started antihistamines and antihistamine ointment. The first 24 hours were very uncomfortable. Severe itching, swelling etc. This is a picture from today, about 48 hours after the sting:

Not too much swelling, but there is a ring of vasculitic/petechial reaction around the sting, typical of an Arthus reaction. So I probably have a lot of circulating antibody to bee stings. The center of the sting is white, not from pus (it is not infected), but from dead tissue, also known as necrosis. Just shows the potency of the complement cascade when antibodies really get going on a reaction!

I am not complacent about this. My husband said that we may need to give up beekeeping, when he saw it (and heard my constant whining :smile:). However, as we are both doctors, and we have Benadryl and Epi-Pens in our beekeeping kit, I am willing to continue.

You just need to be careful. Very careful.

Hi Dawn, did you get stung through a leather glove?

Indeed I did. A very nice goatskin leather glove. I don’t like to wear anything thicker, because it affects touch too much. :blush:

1 Like

yep- stings are not that bad for me generally but a sting on a bony part of the hand can result in quite a bit of swelling and stiffness that last for 3 or 4 days. Last sting on a finger and it swolled to roughly double normal size… Now I take antihistimines for those types of stings- and they do seem to greatly reduce the ill affects- though they make me very drowsy… As it is quite annoying to have a stiff hand- I now take multiple measures: I remove the stinger, treat with heat using the Bite Away gizmo- then I use ice and eat anthistimines as well as washing the sting location. If all of this is done very quickly I recover fast with minimal swelling.

For what it is worth I think the BiteAway gizmo helps but cannot be sure.