GP and surgeon, Dr Shane Charles (MBBS, MRCS, PgDip SEM) provides a simple explanation of the medication below:

'EpiPen contains epinephrine and is used to treat severe, life-threatening allergic reactions. '.

If you think EpiPen is a treatment that can help you, start an online consultation now for a registered prescriber to review. If treatment is deemed suitable, they can prescribe it, and we can deliver it to you from the comfort of your own home with a range of convenient delivery and payment options for you to choose from. If you have any questions about a medication, you should always consult your doctor with any questions prior to starting treatment, to ensure that it is safe and suitable for you.

The EpiPen is an injectable treatment for severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis. It contains adrenaline, which should only be administered in an emergency situation. One shot of EpiPen contains 0.3 mg of the adrenaline epinephrine.

An EpiPen is an injection that contains epinephrine, a chemical that causes the blood vessels to narrow and opens airways in the lungs. These effects can reverse severe low blood pressure, wheezing, hives, severe skin itching, and other symptoms of an allergic reaction.

It is used to treat severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis to insect bites or stings, drugs, foods, and other allergens. Epinephrine is also used for the treatment of exercise-induced allergic reaction.

EpiPen's are used in emergencies for the treatment of very serious allergic reactions to insect stings or bites, foods, drugs, and other substances. Epinephrine acts quickly to improve breathing, raise a dropping blood pressure, stimulate the heart, reverse hives, and reduce the swelling of the face, lips, and throat.

An EpiPen is fast acting in treating a severe allergic reaction but its effects may wear off after 10 or 20 minutes. You will need further treatment and observation after the administration of EpiPen.

EpiPen's are a lifesaver because they quickly reverses the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Without EpiPen, the life of a person could be in extreme danger before proper treatment could be administered to him. It is the first line of defence against a severe allergic reaction.

How to use an EpiPen

Before using an EpiPen, your doctor will first determine if it is safe for you. Inform your doctor if you have a history of:

• Heart disease or high blood pressure
• Coronary artery disease
• A heart rhythm disorder
• Diabetes
• Parkinson’s disease
• An adrenal or thyroid gland disorder

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant although it is not established if EpiPen could harm an unborn baby.

Use EpiPen exactly as directed by your doctor. Also, follow the directions on the prescription label. Do not use EpiPen in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than what your doctor recommended.

EpiPen is injected into the skin or muscle of the outer thigh. In an emergency situation, the injection can be administered through the clothing.

EpiPen may come with a trainer pen. The trainer pen contains no medicine and no needed. It is intended only for non-emergency use of practising how to administer an EpiPen injection. The trainer pen is not for the treatment of an allergic reaction

The auto-injector device is a single-use, disposable system that comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Do not use the injector if you do not understand the instructions.

The safety cap of the injector should not be removed until you are ready to use the auto-injector. Do not put your fingers over the tip while removing the safety cap or after the safety cap has been removed.

To use the EpiPen auto-injector:

• Make a fist around EpiPen injector with the black tip pointing down. Remove the safety cap.
• Place the auto-injector’s black tip against the flesh of the outer thigh. You may administer the injection directly though your clothing.  Make sure your thumb is not over the end of the auto-injector. When giving an injection to a child or an infant, make sure to hold the leg firmly.
• With a quick motion, push the auto-injector firmly against the thigh. This releases the spring-loaded needed that injects the dose of EpiPen. Hold the auto-injector in place for a few seconds after it has been activated.
• Remove the auto-injector from the thigh. Re-insert the used device needle-first into the carrying tube. Re-cap the tube and it with you as you go to the emergency room to let the healthcare professional treating you the amount of EpiPen you have been injected with.

After the use of an EpiPen, seek emergency medical attention to treat the severe allergic reaction. You need to receive further treatment before the effects of epinephrine wear off in 10 or 20 minutes.

Use an EpiPen auto-injector only one. Throw it away in a puncture-proof container and make sure to keep this container out of the reach of children and pets.

Do not use EpiPen if it has changed colours or if you observe any particles in it. Also, do not use the EpiPen if it is past its expiration date. Ask your doctor to write a new prescription.

The selection of the appropriate dosage strength of EpiPen is determined by the patient’s body weight.

• Patients greater than or equal to 30 kg of body weight should use EpiPen 0.3 mg.
• Patients 15 to 30 kg of body weight should use EpiPen Jr. 0.15 mg.

EpiPen Side Effects

Before using EpiPen after the first injection, call your doctor if the first injection caused a side effect such as increased difficulty of breathing, or dangerously high blood pressure.

Immediately call your doctor if you notice any pain, swelling, redness, warmth, or other signs of infection around the area where the injection was given.

The common side effects of EpiPen may include:

• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Breathing problems
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sweating and pale skin
• Dizziness
• Throbbing headache
• Weakness or tremors
• Feeling nervous, fearful, or anxious.

Share with your doctor a list of all medicines that you use, including those that you start or stop using during your treatment with EpiPen, especially the following:

• A diuretic or water pill
• Digoxin
• Levothyroxine
• An antidepressant
• A beta-blocker
• Cold or allergy medicine that contains an antihistamine
• Ergot medicine
• An MAO inhibitor
• Heart rhythm medication

Other drugs that you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and natural products may interact with EpiPen.

You can safely buy an Epipen online at UK Meds. You will need to have first an online consultation with a pharmacist independent prescriber before your order will be supplied. The online consultation will ensure that an EpiPen is the right medication for your medical condition.

More Information

• What is an EpiPen?
• How to Use or Administer an EpiPen
• Medicines to Avoid if You Have a Peanut Allergy
• Hay Fever Season is Here