Epipen users

H

hairycob

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 May 2005
Messages
3,978
Location
Bedfordshire
Visit site
How do you carry it when you are riding?
My son had an anaphylactic reaction to something (cause not known) on Thursday & has been given a pen to use. He is riding in joggers today so he can put it in his pocket but we wondered how others manage.
 
I would use an elastic strap to attach it to his arm or leg- leg probably more subtle! you can get sort of phone holders which might work? or he could carry a small rucksack but that might get annoying or a 'bum bag' but that is probably very uncool!
 
Please make sure you have 2 pens! Especially if you might be somewhere that could take the paramedics time to reach him as the effectiveness of the pen can vary and he may need another dose after a short period of time. Maybe one in a saddle bag and like the other poster suggested one on his body maybe inside a jacket. Also something on him that says he's carrying it and that he has had a reaction in the past in case he's on his own.
 
Oh that's awful for him (and you!) to not know what the cause was, how scary. I'm sure you and the doctor have already thought of everything possible but think of the exact situation and try to pinpoint anything that was different to normal (assuming he has never had one before). Had he eaten or drunk anything/ other people eating around him/ been around where food could have been handled/ stung by something...? So many possibilities :(

Knowing the cause of my reactions I don't carry mine when riding.
I know its stupid as they are in a case but I would worry about falling off onto it and setting it off! Its always just in my bag in the car if I'm riding/competing, but some jods have big pockets so maybe try to find some of them until you figure out what it is.
 
I don't carry mine when riding as I am highly unlikely to come accross the allergen. However, if I did have to carry one I think I would put it in a bumbag. Trouble with a saddle bag is if the pony disappears, so does the epipen!

Hope you can find out what caused his reaction, it's very scary.
 
Bracelet or necklace to say he carries on please! No idea re riding, sorry..... Trained for use in school.
 
Last edited:
Second the carrying of two if you're going to be remote as a severe reaction can need more than one shot. As for where to put it inside boots/chaps/socks/jacket or similar otherwise may have to look at a small rucksack or bumbag type thing - you can get some nice little 5/10l rucksacks that he'll hardly notice and he can put stuff like phone etc in it. Don't attach to the horse as if he comes off and horse dissapears he has no epipen
 
I'm another one that's unlikely to come across my allergen when riding so don't carry mine on me (but it's always in my bag at the yard). If I did need it when riding I'd just pop it in my hi-viz waistcoat (the sort that are sold as running vests rather cheaply at sports direct).
 
Would not carry in your pocket at all! Pop into a bumbag or there are various saddle things to attach to your saddle which would easily hold the pen safely.


Also to alert others of medical needs as well but to have one of these attached to your saddle

http://www.jmrt.co.uk/locata.htm

Good luck
 
Thanks for the ideas. He was eating a take away curry at the time so something in that is the most likely cause. Trouble is he has had the same curry from the same place loads of times so it could be a red herring. Was very scary how quickly things developed.
Hopefully when he has patch tests it will show something up. If it is something edible it makes it a bit less complicated, it's the not knowing that is scary. We hadn't even thought about riding until this morning when we were getting ready. Will look at the bracelets etc - might try the "it will get sympathy from the girls" angle to make sure he wears it!
 
No one can know for sure of course until testing but "take away curry" to me suggests the most likely cause may be peanuts/ other nuts (especially as he has had it before, as they may not be in that actual dish but could have this time been contaminated by being made next to another dish which did have them in) so be just very careful with nuts (i.e. don't even have them in the house for other people) until further testing! In my experience patch tests haven't been very accurate... but hopefully it will come up with something :) Good luck figuring it out!
 
hairycob said:
Thanks for the ideas. He was eating a take away curry at the time so something in that is the most likely cause. Trouble is he has had the same curry from the same place loads of times so it could be a red herring.
Click to expand...

I used to have takeaway from one particular indian place and it was 'safe'. And then on one occasion we ordered it and I had a reaction. Thankfully I hadn't eaten any (always tongue test first). We found out they had changed chef and obviously he used different ingredients.
 
Also remember you can't be allergic to something that your body has never been introduced to before so it may be a case that his reaction to the curry has just become more severe over time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top