On Sunday I’d had a lovely lunch at a restaurant with my sister, I walked her to the bus stop then started making my own way home.
Out of the blue my hands started getting pretty itchy, then my head got really itchy then I developed an urticarial rash on my arms and chest. I’ve had minor reactions to seafood before so I made my way to the chemist on the high street. I bought some chlorphenamine and asked the pharmacist’s advice, by this point my tongue had started swelling as well, and he recommended I go to the walk in centre a few minutes walk away. My tongue then started to cause me a speech impediment, so I went against the pharmacist’s advice and asked them to call an ambulance for me.
Two minutes later an EMT arrived and did some observations on me…my heart rate was 170 and my face was swelling, a paramedic in an ambulance arrived a couple of minutes behind the emt and immediately gave me some IV chlorphenamine which thankfully stopped my reaction progressing and eventually calmed it down.
I went to my hospital and thanks to a bit of friendly nepotism was seen and sorted within three hours and sent home with this
This was a pretty scary experience and it does make me wonder whether I should limit myself in future. Epipens are only temporarily effective, what if I’m out on holiday in some Italian village or something. Hmm. Something to ponder.
Another Medic No-Hoper 