1. Fist: Make a fist around the epi-pen, don’t 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.
- 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 there’s an info post about them. Like in the extreme case that I can’t 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.
Don’t be wimpy about it, either. I know friends who are like, “but idk if I could stab you with a needle!” Please stab me with the needle, don’t be hesitant about it.
In my case (I can’t speak for all allergies), an epi buys me 20 minutes of breathing to get to the hospital. It is not a magic bullet, it’s a few critical minutes to help get me where I need to go.
For those who don’t 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 doesn’t hurt much at all to use this needle. The first time I used mine, I didn’t 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 doesn’t 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. I’d 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 didn’t count too fast - that’s what I did.
Here’s 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 you’re not already familiar.
•After popping off the cap, do you have to press down on anything once it’s in the thigh?
•Does the needle stick out automatically when you press it against the thigh, or how does that work?
•Is there a way to tell when it’s empty, or if it’s not injecting properly?
@notanothermultiblog I case nobody answered your questions;
- No, don’t need to press down anything after it’s in the thigh. When putting it in the thigh you will hear a click. Then you just need to hold the EpiPen in the thigh for 10 seconds.
- When the EpiPen is pressed against the thigh, and you heard a click, the needle has come out already. You don’t need to do anything else to make that happen. When taking it out, the orange end will come out automatically, covering the needle. (So you will never see a needle)
- I am not sure if there is a way to tell if it’s empty. I believe you are just supposed to hold it in the thigh for 10 seconds and then all the adrenaline should be injected. If you didn’t hear a click, the needle didn’t come out and you probably should press the EpiPen harder against the thigh.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much!
