1. Fist: Make a fist around the epi-pen, donât place your thumb/fingers over either end
2. Flick the blue cap off
3. Fire. Press down into the outer thigh (the big muscle in there), hold for 10 seconds before removing (the orange cap will cover the needle). Bare skin is best but the epi-pen will go through clothing. Avoid pockets and seams.Â
- Ring an ambulance even if everything seems to be fine!
Oh my god. So as someone who has to carry an epipen EVERYWHERE I am so happy to see that thereâs an info post about them. Like in the extreme case that I canât inject myself, somebody else would have to do it, but nobody knows how to do it! Thank you, this may just save my life some day.
Donât be wimpy about it, either. I know friends who are like, âbut idk if I could stab you with a needle!â Please stab me with the needle, donât be hesitant about it.
In my case (I canât speak for all allergies), an epi buys me 20 minutes of breathing to get to the hospital. It is not a magic bullet, itâs a few critical minutes to help get me where I need to go.
For those who donât know, people with serious food allergies carry epinephrine which is an adrenaline shot just in case they have anaphylaxis, which is a life threatening allergic attack. This shot is life-saving and must be administered to someone who is having an anaphylactic attack as SOON AS POSSIBLE, because an extra waited minute could mean their life.
It doesnât hurt much at all to use this needle. The first time I used mine, I didnât even feel it. But be sure to stab it IN THE OUTER THIGH. Do not stick it anywhere else or you could seriously hurt or kill someone. Just right to the outside of the thigh and then call the ambulance - even if your friend starts doing better, they could have a biphasic reaction, meaning a reaction that comes back (or they may need a second dose, be on the look out). If your friend has an epipen, then they have an epipen trainer that doesnât have a needle and you can try it out just to be sure you know how to use the real thing if you have to. Iâd also advise holding it a few more seconds then 10, maybe go for 14 just to be sure all the medicine is administered and that you didnât count too fast - thatâs what I did.
Hereâs a graphic of where to stick it:
THANK YOU FOR THE GRAPHIC I was about to ask because my mom carries one around and so do some of my friends and I wanted to make sure I would do it right if I ever needed to!
Learn about this or get a refresher, if youâre not already familiar.
âI donât want to stab youâ theyâd be dead otherwise. Stab em.
Something to add from someone who used to work in healthcare. You want to stab that fucker in. Donât be gentle about it because it might not work! Firm pressure.
Also when youâre done youâre supposed to massage the area! Itâs an important step thatâs typically left out in these things
[ID 1: a diagram with a photo of a stereotypical epi pen titled âepi-pen educationâ. It says âblue to the sky, orange to the thighâ as well as â1) Fist. 2) Flick. 3) Fire. Hold for 10 seconds. Ring for an ambulance.â End ID]
[ID 2: photo of a person holding the epipen mid-way up the side of their thigh (orange side against their jeans). End ID]
I just wish all the epi pen brands used the same steps, theyâre not all the same. The one I have currently, twist off the cap at needle end, remove blue safety and inject.
