Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on June 08, 2022, 07:20:47 pm

Title: Epinephrine Pen
Post by: Jen on June 08, 2022, 07:20:47 pm
How many of you carry an Epipen when your in your hives? I have an epipen in a  small tote bag that always goes with me even if I'm going to look at just one hive?
Title: Re: Epinephrine Pen
Post by: tedh on June 08, 2022, 07:40:58 pm
Hey Jen,
When we first started keeping bees I asked my doc if I should keep a epi pen handy as we had grandchildren running around.  She said no. Her reasons, that I can recall, included the facts that only a small percentage of the population were dangerously allergic, the epi pens expire and you need different doses (goes by body weight/mass?).   Ted
Title: Re: Epinephrine Pen
Post by: The15thMember on June 08, 2022, 07:56:02 pm
Hey Jen,
When we first started keeping bees I asked my doc if I should keep a epi pen handy as we had grandchildren running around.  She said no. Her reasons, that I can recall, included the facts that only a small percentage of the population were dangerously allergic, the epi pens expire and you need different doses (goes by body weight/mass?).   Ted
I don't have one for the same reasons as Ted.  I've got a lot of different aged and therefore sized people in my family, and those things don't last that long and aren't cheap.  Before I got my bees everyone except me, oddly enough, had been stung before and not had a severe reaction, and there is no history of allergies of any kind in our family.  We live very close to a hospital, so our anaphylactic plan is simply to load up on liquid Benadryl and get to the emergency room.       
Title: Re: Epinephrine Pen
Post by: Zweefer on June 08, 2022, 10:37:05 pm
I have some in the house. 

For those interested there are discount cards available (https://www.activatethecard.com/viatrisadvocate/epipen/welcome.html)
Title: Re: Epinephrine Pen
Post by: Jen on June 09, 2022, 01:29:53 am
I'm fortunate that our insurance covers most of the cost of an epi pen. I get a new one every year. We have around 600 members in our bee club. I know of 3 people that ended up in the ER with anaphylactic symptoms.
Title: Re: Epinephrine Pen
Post by: LazyBkpr on June 09, 2022, 10:24:39 pm
Our insurance wont cover it. I asked, because were a minimum of fifteen minutes from any ambulance arrival, usually closer to 20 minutes. I DID pay for an adult pen long ago, but as stated it expired. I still kept it, until I started to question if I would actually use it, and then threw it away and have not replaced it.     Every year, I wonder if I will have a reaction, usually well AFTER I take that first sting of the year.   So far so good!