Cyclist spiking himself on the side of the road

[RoboLuke]

I react also to b sting but not that bad. i ride with a anti hist and cortisone combo pills. never used it

till tonigh i was cleaning up a messy tubless tyre fit and then got whacked. Had the pills down the hatch

witihn a minute

[flat29]

great to hear that you r ok.

[Grantc]

I'm with Eddy on this one - way cheaper - last Epipen i bought was over R1000.

 

nowdays i have a syringe and two ampules in:

my briefcase

my desk drawer

all my saddle bags

in my car

in my wifes handbag

in the drawer next to the bed (yip that's where i got stung where i had the first reaction)

one in my helmut with my bike cellphone (so i always carry two when i ride + the cellphone)

 

replace the ampules every year...

 

very scary when you do get stung and your body starts shutting down...

[Swift01]

The GF ended up at the hospital emergency on Sat night. Now she has to carry thr Epipen with her all the time. The cause of the bad reaction that closed the chest. 1 single 250ml homebrew beer. How sad is that. just can't figure out what is is in that beer. She is alergic now to Gilroy's and Copperlake but all other beer seems fine.

[Robodog]

Glad you are okay Mr Merckx.

 

I'm fortunately only slightly allergic so carry only antihistamine.

[DaLoCo]

It was longer ago than that and JV got stung by a wasp, above his eye, he could have got a TUE from the tour doc and gotten a cortisone shot, but he chose not to, and abandoned.

 

The TUE exists for valid medical reasons.

 

Armstrong got bust for cortisone, but produced a TUE for the cream as he had a saddle sore.

He also got stung on the lip by a bee on the start line of the TOC Time Trial....he ate the bee in retribution

[Gnarly]

Get me to an emergency room immediately.

 

Here is an extract from an US advice guide:

 

 

Treatment

 

Anaphylaxis is an emergency condition that needs professional medical attention right away. Call 911 immediately.

Check the person's airway, breathing, and circulation (the ABC's of Basic Life Support). A warning sign of dangerous throat swelling is a very hoarse or whispered voice, or coarse sounds when the person is breathing in air. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.

• Call 911.
  
• Calm and reassure the person.
  
• If the allergic reaction is from a bee sting, scrape the stinger off the skin with something firm (such as a fingernail or plastic credit card). Do not use tweezers -- squeezing the stinger will release more venom.
  
• If the person has emergency allergy medicine on hand, help the person take or inject the medication. Avoid oral medication if the person is having difficulty breathing.
  
• Take steps to prevent shock. Have the person lie flat, raise the person's feet about 12 inches, and cover him or her with a coat or blanket. Do NOT place the person in this position if a head, neck, back, or leg injury is suspected, or if it causes discomfort.
  

DO NOT:

• Do NOT assume that any allergy shots the person has already received will provide complete protection.
  

 

 

The first time I had a reaction i was very lucky in that I was literally 150m from a doctor that had a medical kit with her. Five mins after I was stung I was already in trouble.

 

Do you wear in some form of identification to let people know?

[Cassie]

The GF ended up at the hospital emergency on Sat night. Now she has to carry thr Epipen with her all the time. The cause of the bad reaction that closed the chest. 1 single 250ml homebrew beer. How sad is that. just can't figure out what is is in that beer. She is alergic now to Gilroy's and Copperlake but all other beer seems fine.

 

Wow!! That is seriously hectic!!

 

Wonder what "secret" ingredient those two brands contain that is not in other beers???

[eddy]

 

Do you wear in some form of identification to let people know?

 

yebo.

 

But I also have adrenaline at hand at all times so can take immediate first aid action and thus avoid the immediate emergency.

 

important is the last point:

 

Do NOT assume that any allergy shots the person has already received will provide complete protection.

[awesme]

I don't think ppl realise how dangerous this really is.

 

I use to part of Jhb Emergency services as a student (High end emergency course), anaphylactic shock is the only call where with out a Dr on the scene a helicopter would be instructed to warm up,

 

You have basically 5 min from stung, shock, air way close dead...

 

If you know you'r allergic, don't be stupid, be prepared, it's a very easy self fix, or a very quick way to leave family and friends behind.

 

G

 

I know it must have looked suspicious to see me sitting on the side of the road this morning drawing up a syringe, but thanks to everybody who offered help.

 

At about 05:30 and just after crossing Beyers Naude heading for Emmerentia dam, I got stung by a bee under the Jacaranda trees.

 

I became dangerously allergic to bee stings about 15 years ago and therefore, as always, I had two epinephrine ampules with me this morning. I managed to inject myself before i fell into anaphylactic shock although could feel my body already reacting to the histamine. The adrenaline works almost immediately (and wakes up your HRM quite impressively) so I was fine, but needed to get home - and close to an emergency room - quickly.

 

This is the second time this year that I got stung so if you suspect you are allergic, please make sure you have your muti with you at all times.

 

 

ps. to the guy who asked, no I am NOT Lance Armstrong

[Gerhardc]

Jeesh, hectic.....I know of way too many allergic guys riding without any meds.....#NOT WISE!! Just, this weekend during an Kinetic Gear Adventure Race near Heidelberg 2 girls got stung and had to be taken to hospital immediately......thanks for sharing!

[SyncSA]

Can you do test to see if you are allergic to bee stings?

[awesme]

hehhee

 

sure, catch a bee, get to trauma room, annoy bee, b sting and wait.

 

G

 

Can you do test to see if you are allergic to bee stings?

[MTBc]

Wow!! That is seriously hectic!!

 

Wonder what "secret" ingredient those two brands contain that is not in other beers???

 

its triggered by a protein, so it would surely be the strain of yeast. Unless there's something else the brewers are putting into the mix...

[SyncSA]

hehhee

 

sure, catch a bee, get to trauma room, annoy bee, b sting and wait.

 

G

 

ill go bee hunting then!

 

But seriously - was stung before when I was younger, no reaction. But reading some of these stories seems like you can develop the allergy later in life. That's scary stuff...bee sting, swell up, cant breath...dood.

[Forthefun]

I know it must have looked suspicious to see me sitting on the side of the road this morning drawing up a syringe, but thanks to everybody who offered help.

 

At about 05:30 and just after crossing Beyers Naude heading for Emmerentia dam, I got stung by a bee under the Jacaranda trees.

 

I became dangerously allergic to bee stings about 15 years ago and therefore, as always, I had two epinephrine ampules with me this morning. I managed to inject myself before i fell into anaphylactic shock although could feel my body already reacting to the histamine. The adrenaline works almost immediately (and wakes up your HRM quite impressively) so I was fine, but needed to get home - and close to an emergency room - quickly.

 

This is the second time this year that I got stung so if you suspect you are allergic, please make sure you have your muti with you at all times.

 

 

ps. to the guy who asked, no I am NOT Lance Armstrong

 

 

Get me to an emergency room immediately.

 

Here is an extract from an US advice guide:

 

 

Treatment

Anaphylaxis is an emergency condition that needs professional medical attention right away. Call 911 immediately.

Check the person's airway, breathing, and circulation (the ABC's of Basic Life Support). A warning sign of dangerous throat swelling is a very hoarse or whispered voice, or coarse sounds when the person is breathing in air. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.

• Call 911.
  
• Calm and reassure the person.
  
• If the allergic reaction is from a bee sting, scrape the stinger off the skin with something firm (such as a fingernail or plastic credit card). Do not use tweezers -- squeezing the stinger will release more venom.
  
• If the person has emergency allergy medicine on hand, help the person take or inject the medication. Avoid oral medication if the person is having difficulty breathing.
  
• Take steps to prevent shock. Have the person lie flat, raise the person's feet about 12 inches, and cover him or her with a coat or blanket. Do NOT place the person in this position if a head, neck, back, or leg injury is suspected, or if it causes discomfort.
  

DO NOT:

• Do NOT assume that any allergy shots the person has already received will provide complete protection.
  

 

 

 

The first time I had a reaction i was very lucky in that I was literally 150m from a doctor that had a medical kit with her. Five mins after I was stung I was already in trouble.

 

 

Get me to an emergency room immediately.

 

Here is an extract from an US advice guide:

 

 

Treatment

Anaphylaxis is an emergency condition that needs professional medical attention right away. Call 911 immediately.

Check the person's airway, breathing, and circulation (the ABC's of Basic Life Support). A warning sign of dangerous throat swelling is a very hoarse or whispered voice, or coarse sounds when the person is breathing in air. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.

• Call 911.
  
• Calm and reassure the person.
  
• If the allergic reaction is from a bee sting, scrape the stinger off the skin with something firm (such as a fingernail or plastic credit card). Do not use tweezers -- squeezing the stinger will release more venom.
  
• If the person has emergency allergy medicine on hand, help the person take or inject the medication. Avoid oral medication if the person is having difficulty breathing.
  
• Take steps to prevent shock. Have the person lie flat, raise the person's feet about 12 inches, and cover him or her with a coat or blanket. Do NOT place the person in this position if a head, neck, back, or leg injury is suspected, or if it causes discomfort.
  

DO NOT:

• Do NOT assume that any allergy shots the person has already received will provide complete protection.
  

 

 

 

The first time I had a reaction i was very lucky in that I was literally 150m from a doctor that had a medical kit with her. Five mins after I was stung I was already in trouble.

 

 

When last I bought one of those single shot Epi-pens theye cost about R500 a piece and had a very short expiry date.

 

The last ampules I bought cost about R6.40 each with a "shelf life" of 2 years and the syringes are R2.60. I buy a little box of the ampules and leave them with a syringe in my hiking pack, shaving kit, briefcase, (insulated) in my cubby hole, wrapped up with my spare tube, etc.

 

It is just much, much cheaper and more convenient to have one with you at all times. All it requires is a steady hand to draw it up.