Check your EpiPen expiration date!

[Opsimath]

My stepson has anaphylactic reaction to insect bites and stings, bad enough that he carries an EpiPen. Recently he was stung on the back of the neck and used the EpiPen, but it was past the expiration date. By the time he got to urgent care he was covered in hives and his throat was closing. He threw his driver's license and insurance card on the counter and they immediately took him to a room.

It was a close call.

If you carry an EpiPen please make sure it has not expired!

 

[davismanLV]

So expired means it doesn't work any more? Wow!! Close call, huh? Glad he's okay....

 

[chazmo]

Wow, that's good info. I didn't know they expired. One of the neighborhood kids had that issue, but I never remember the family talking about replenishing the pen over all those years.

By the way, Cynthia, there is a long treatment process (which my neighbor underwent) to build up immunity or at least reduced symptoms to bee stings. I don't know if it's available for your stepson, but you should look into it.

 

[Stuball48]

Thanks for info. Have a son with two small boys and we gave him two after we got our Covid shots and didn't need them.

 

[steve488]

Yes Epi Pens expire but how quickly the epinephrine degrades is variable, I suspect it is dependent on the environment it has been in when carried around. Another point that seems seldom stressed is that if you use the pen, your next step is to get to the ER. The pen is a short term fix and depending on the strength of the epi in the pen and the users exposure level, it may last 4 hours or 4 minutes. That Epi shot is also a major shock to your system and may cause other issues so it is important to seek medical care to make sure all is well.