A few weeks ago I had a bad anaphylactic reaction. I didn't get it. I did everything right but my reaction wasn't going away even after getting I got two shots of epinephrine an albuterol and racemic epinephrine breathing treatment before the paramedics arrived (shout out to my awesome friends for their assistance). When they arrived I was doing slightly better but the reaction wasn't stopped and was still progressing. When we got in the ambulance the paramedics tried to figure out why the reaction wasn't stopping. After a host of iv meds, some more epi and two breathing treatments, I arrived at the hospital sleepy (shout out to the IV benadryl) but feeling significantly better.
What didn't make sense though was the fact that I used my auvi-q like I should have--right as I noticed signs of reaction. I knew I had only been exposed to a small amount to my allergen so it also didn't make sense that I would still be reacting after two doses of epi. Usually when I get epi during a reaction, I instantly am fixed but this time it wasn't the case. This time I felt a feeling of impending doom after the first epi. Things got bright and I got scared. It didn't make sense, that wasn't how my other anaphylactic reactions progressed.
Then today, I figured out why my reaction got so bad. It was because my auvi-q failed me and didn't deliver the right amount of medication. Essentially, due to the incorrect dosage, I had delayed using a full dose of epi for about 10 minutes. Normally, if the first dose of epi didn't work, I would get a second. This time I only had half the dose of epi in my system. It would be easy to be mad at Sanofi, but I love my auvi-q. I love that it has saved my life multiple times. I love it's size and ease of use. I love the no-jab injection feature. I am truly devastated to learn that tomorrow I will once again be filling an epipen prescription.
I have always thought as epipens and auvi-qs as life in a vial. Their needles don't scare me because I know when I need them, they will save my life. What scares me though the most is to think that they might not save my life--that my "safety blanket" might not always be able to keep me safe.
I am always a fan of the silver linings in situations. I think the silver lining in this one is that it is important to call 911. I have a history of not calling 911 (and I know lots of teens who do to). As an EMT I have a hard time being the patient in the back of the ambulance instead of the provider. Had my friends not gone behind my back and called 911 on me during my last reaction, I would have been SOL and OOE (out of epi). From now on, I will be calling 911 when I use my epinephrine because I have learned that epinephrine isn't a sure fix (even though it is a scary reality).
Please friends, be safe. Carry your auto-injector. Please don't hesitate to use it and call 911 in the event of a reaction. If you are like me and are going to have to switch back to the epipen after years of having the auvi-q, be sure to practice with the trainer so you are comfortable in the event of an emergency. I am tired of seeing allergy deaths on my Facebook news feed. Come on guys, just a few more years until food allergies are cured and we won't need to carry around any auto-injectors!!
-Lily
What didn't make sense though was the fact that I used my auvi-q like I should have--right as I noticed signs of reaction. I knew I had only been exposed to a small amount to my allergen so it also didn't make sense that I would still be reacting after two doses of epi. Usually when I get epi during a reaction, I instantly am fixed but this time it wasn't the case. This time I felt a feeling of impending doom after the first epi. Things got bright and I got scared. It didn't make sense, that wasn't how my other anaphylactic reactions progressed.
Then today, I figured out why my reaction got so bad. It was because my auvi-q failed me and didn't deliver the right amount of medication. Essentially, due to the incorrect dosage, I had delayed using a full dose of epi for about 10 minutes. Normally, if the first dose of epi didn't work, I would get a second. This time I only had half the dose of epi in my system. It would be easy to be mad at Sanofi, but I love my auvi-q. I love that it has saved my life multiple times. I love it's size and ease of use. I love the no-jab injection feature. I am truly devastated to learn that tomorrow I will once again be filling an epipen prescription.
I have always thought as epipens and auvi-qs as life in a vial. Their needles don't scare me because I know when I need them, they will save my life. What scares me though the most is to think that they might not save my life--that my "safety blanket" might not always be able to keep me safe.
I am always a fan of the silver linings in situations. I think the silver lining in this one is that it is important to call 911. I have a history of not calling 911 (and I know lots of teens who do to). As an EMT I have a hard time being the patient in the back of the ambulance instead of the provider. Had my friends not gone behind my back and called 911 on me during my last reaction, I would have been SOL and OOE (out of epi). From now on, I will be calling 911 when I use my epinephrine because I have learned that epinephrine isn't a sure fix (even though it is a scary reality).
Please friends, be safe. Carry your auto-injector. Please don't hesitate to use it and call 911 in the event of a reaction. If you are like me and are going to have to switch back to the epipen after years of having the auvi-q, be sure to practice with the trainer so you are comfortable in the event of an emergency. I am tired of seeing allergy deaths on my Facebook news feed. Come on guys, just a few more years until food allergies are cured and we won't need to carry around any auto-injectors!!
-Lily