Epi Pen vs. Epi Pen JR..

I guess I don't understand why all the doctors and allergists don't go by what the manufacturer says. I talked to my dd's dr yesterday and he said just to leave her on the jr until she needs a refill (she's about 80 lbs) and she would be fine. There's a new dr coming soon so I might call and talk to him about it or else maybe call the allergist. The Dey site says 33-66 lbs (or something like that) for the jr.

When my daughter was 2 years old she had the Epipen Jr. then when she was 3 years old until now 8 years old she had the regular "adult" Epipen.

She was prescribed the regular Epipen from a Ped. Allergist from the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto. However, my current Family Doctor, wrote a refill prescription for Epipen Jr. I didn't realize the prescription was for the Jr. until I was home. I brought it to the pharmacy and they said they would call the Doctor and get her OK to change it. NOPE, she wouldn't change the prescription, even when the pharmacist told her my daughter had been prescribed the regular Epipen for the last 5 years. The Family Doctor said my daughter had to be 67lbs to be prescribe the regular Epipen.

Thankfully, I still had a refill for 2 regular Epipens. I am hoping to get to an allergist with the year and see what they have to say.

My 8 year old daughter

Anyone:
What weight is your child and which Epipen do you have?

My oldest daughter weighs 50lbs and has been on the epi pen full strength for a year (she's 9yrs old). My younger dd is just about 40lbs so she is still on the JR.

Dr. Wood actually made a joke about prescribing the full strength epi pen to a weight of 45lbs. Dey was at the conference and he said Dey couldn't say it, but it is safe for 45lbs. I guess basically, it's better to give more epi than not enough.

Dr. Wood is meeting with our support group in October and I will ask this again if you'd like.

My 5 year old ds is 46lbs and has been on the regular since he was about 30 lbs.

I don't like all the different info, but all the doc's here seem to give regular epi at around 30 -35 lbs

Linda

P.S. he has been reaction free for 2 years so hasn't used it, always hoping it will be ok.

My son is 6 yrs. old and weighs 48 lbs. We just went to the allergy dr. this past week and he changed my son from Epipen Jr. to Epipen Sr.

He said that between 45 and 60 lbs. is a tricky weight. The Epipen Jr. isn't enough and the regular Epipen is too much. He said that he would rather give too much than not have enough (especially with a severe peanut allergy patient).

So, we will be getting the regular strength Epipens now.

So apparently the manufacturer of the pens is incorrect??

Quote:Originally posted by gw_mom3:
[b]So apparently the manufacturer of the pens is incorrect??[/b]

NO! NOT AT ALL!!
Basically, when a pharmaceutical company develops a drug, goes thru all the testing and writes up the indications, they can ONLY write up the amount that was tested during all the clinical trials. So Dey would only have used an epi pen jr on children for the weights listed in the packaging. They cannot change the weights in the packaging without having more clinical trials to prove that dosage is safe.

Doctors however, live out there testing patients all the time! They can go against the indications if they feel it is best. For example, Prilosec is a reflux drug ONLY tested on adults by the pharmaceutical company. However, GI DOCS have been giving it to children for quite some time. It has been determined the drug in smaller doses is safe for kids. The pharmaceutical company cannot write that on the packaging b/c they've never tested it on kids. To do so, would involved years and years of clinical studies.

That's why Dr. Wood made the comment that he can advise a child 45lbs uses a full strength epi pen but Dey cannot.

well we got our regular epis today. I called the dr's office and they asked if we had used them. I said no, but that they had gotten hot several times over the summer (NOT a lie exactly) and that she was supposed to get the regular epi on her next refill. I'll keep the jr ones with us too in case one of the other kids has a reaction to something but since my youngest is 40 lbs I guess he could even use the regular epi.

The good news is that they don't expire until october 2006.

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[b]~Gale~[/b]

Oh I forgot to mention-these new epis have the instructions for administering them right on the side of the pen and they came in these sturdy plastic test tube looking things with screw on lids (could possibly use them for something else later) and a little s shaped plastic doohickey to hold them together. Very nice. This was the epi-pen twinpack.

DD uses the regular epi and has since 48. I love the new epi twin pack!

So my 10 year old is now on the regular Epi-Pen. The new doctor says that at the time of the emergency only one pen may be administered, regardless of the distance to the hospital. That would also mean that carrying so many extras (2 at each location) would be unnecessary and he would only need to carry one, himself. Has anyone else heard this about the regular pen?

I have read 5-6 books about food allergies and am online daily reading all I can and I have never heard that. It is always stated that you can use the 2nd dose as needed. I can't remember the timing now (gosh that's an important detail I really should), but it said you should use the epi if symptoms are not resolving or return. Interested to hear if anyone else has been told this by their Dr. My son is still on the epi Jr. though.

I've also been told to always carry 2 in case the first one breaks, or you can't get it to inject or something. So that would be another important reason to always carry 2.