[Trigger Warning]
In a video documenting her bout with anaphylaxis, TikToker clairenfuller posts the following caption:
⚠️READ: I am not perfect and I post this for LEARNING PURPOSES so if you’re going to leave a hate comment on me learning how to deal with my own allergy please just don’t. I’ve never messed up an epi pen before. So if you think you can’t do it yourself— just go somewhere where they can. Also always tell the people to CLEAN the tools or they won’t care enough to do it like they say they do👏🏻👏🏻 #allergicreaction #epipen #treenutallergy #nutallergy #allergy
It does indeed offer a learning opportunity, and we will discuss all the key takeaways from this video. But first, here’s the TikTok:
Understand that our intent is not to shame her or “blame the victim,” but there’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s dive in:
- If you suspect you’re having a serious reaction, don’t waste time trying to document it for social media. The longer you delay addressing it, the worse the outcome will be.
- The time to ask about the safety of a food or beverage is before you consume it, not after. She should have discussed the ingredients and the preparation of her drink with the manager of the coffee shop before ordering it. She would have discovered that her allergen was an ingredient used there, and she should have considered whether the establishment and staff were willing and able to prepare her beverage safely. Just because you had a beverage safely once doesn’t mean you won’t be exposed the next time.
- When she first suspected she was having a reaction, she was parked but then started driving. Instead, she should have sought help because anaphylaxis could have caused her to lose consciousness at any moment, putting herself and others at risk.
- She says, “my throat is closing and my lips are swelling up,” two clear indications of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction. She should have immediately administered her epinephrine auto-injector, as epinephrine is the only drug that can halt and reverse the progression of anaphylaxis. But it must be administered promptly to ensure the best outcome.
- She takes Benadryl, which doctors no longer recommend because it can mask the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Epinephrine is the first drug that should be administered for anaphylaxis.
- She says, “I don’t have time to go to the hospital, nor the money.” We understand her reluctance, but she should realize she is in a life-threatening situation. She chooses to go home instead of the ER, adding further delay that could potentially cost her her life.
- At home, she begins to experience difficulty swallowing, stomach pains, and a rapid heartbeat, all clear signs of anaphylaxis. Meanwhile, she still delays giving herself epinephrine, which is the only treatment that can help her. Emergency medical services (EMS) should have been called.
- Finally, her roommate calls someone (hopefully a medical professional) for advice, who instructs her to administer her auto-injector. Despite worsening symptoms, she delays even longer because she fears the needle. If she is so fearful of injecting herself, she should switch from an auto-injector to nasal epinephrine.
- She says, “But this is bad for my heart,” referring to the epinephrine. Although epinephrine does increase heart rate — one of the effects it has to treat anaphylaxis — there should be no concerns about administering it. For an otherwise healthy person, epinephrine is not a dangerous medication. In any event, her physician prescribed it because anaphylaxis is more dangerous than any side effect the drug might cause.
- When she finally administers the epinephrine, she immediately removes the auto-injector without keeping it in place the prescribed time. Depending on the brand, the auto-injector should be kept in place for 2-10 seconds to ensure the epinephrine is fully delivered.
- When she determines the first auto-injector was misused, she hesitates administering another, delaying the dose even longer. She should have administered the second while waiting for EMS to arrive.
We’re happy Claire survived the ordeal and thank her for the opportunity to learn from her experience. We sincerely hope she will take better care of herself should she someday find herself in a similar situation.
If you have been prescribed epinephrine, be sure to take two doses along everywhere, every time, and administer the first when you first suspect anaphylaxis. Claire was incredibly lucky… but you might not be.
