Painkiller storage

[rik_uk3]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10808186 worth reading.

[Werecat]

I was wondering about all that - my son has already been through this scenario. Wondering if I can get hold of all of this without a prescription? Wouldn't have any idea at the moment how to administer all of this (Epipens don't require much training). We always have a supply of anti-histamine liquid and hydro-cortisone cream, but they are not that effective for a full-blown attack. We don't have steroid medication. This is serious stuff!

I can't say for UK, but in Denmark all IV (or IM/ID) fluids requires a prescription. You can buy the antihistamine tablets for follow up treatment over the counter, but the steroid tablets are prescription only as well.

Does it ever occur to anyone that it's completely crazy that we can't buy stuff that we might need just to keep us alive?

I can understand your frustration and worries, especially since you have experienced it with you son. But remember that medicines are only part of the treatment. You need IV access for saline and medicine, oxygen, vital stat monitoring and a trained staff to get this right. That's why you're only supplied with an epi-pen; you need to get to an ER fast. In Denmark i think the ambulances carry both IV antihistamines and steroids, to start treatment if it is a long drive to the ER, though an onsite MD will have to prescribe it.

Post-SHTF anaphylaxis, depending on the severity, will have a high mortality rate even if treated with an epi-pen.