When Seconds Count: Lessons from a TikToker’s Mismanaged Anaphylactic Episode

[Trigger Warning]

TikToker remeby99 opens her video saying, “I got stung by a wasp… and I’m allergic,” and then proceeds to document her experience.

Here’s what she posted accompanying her TikTok:

this is what i did while i waited in the ER to make sure the EPI didn’t cause any heart issues. the most unserious anaphylaxis you’ve ever seen because like what am i going to do to avoid bees, wasps, yellow jackets that are everywhereeeee. i also have an epi pen prescription but it was expired by over a year so I was afraid to use it #fyp#allergicreaction#wasp#epipen

And here is the video:

We watch as she is driven to a nearby firehouse and sits for 15 minutes while her ears swell, her body starts itching, her breathing becomes labored, and she breaks out in hives. It’s only then that the paramedics administer epinephrine and oxygen and transport her to a hospital. Thankfully, she seems fully recovered.

Needless to say, everything about this video had us shouting at our screens, so here are our comments.

First, anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that must be treated immediately with the only drug that can halt and reverse its progression: epinephrine. In this case, remeby99 knew she had been stung and was allergic to insect venom; she should have immediately administered epinephrine and contacted emergency services.

Even if it had expired, she should have used her auto-injector if she had it with her. A 2020 study found that 84% of epinephrine auto-injectors that were 24 months past their expiration still met the baseline threshold for potency, and some epinephrine administered quickly is better than none.

Her choice to go to the local firehouse instead of the emergency department at the nearest hospital doesn’t make sense because the paramedics there could have been out on a call, and a firehouse isn’t equipped to handle medical emergencies.

We’re unsure how the paramedics at the firehouse were trained, but it’s clear they weren’t trained well. Waiting until the patient starts having trouble breathing before administering epinephrine because you’re worried about causing heart problems is simply reckless. A 2013 study published in the World Journal of Emergency Medicine concluded:

Epinephrine is safe for anaphylaxis when given at the correct dose by intramuscular injection. The majority of dosing errors and cardiovascular adverse reactions occur when epinephrine is given intravenously or incorrectly dosed.

Please, don’t be like remeby99: Make sure your epinephrine is current and always carry two doses with you wherever you go. If you’re exposed, focus on getting proper treatment, not engaging TikTok followers.